Luzerne County receives additional manager search committee applications

At least seven more citizens applied for volunteer seats on Luzerne County’s manager search committee by Wednesday’s deadline, bringing the total under consideration to a minimum of 17, said council Chairman Tim McGinley.

Required by the county’s home rule charter, the committee seeks and screens manager applicants and recommends qualified finalists to council.

Ten citizens already publicly interviewed and remain under consideration.

Council members are set to publicly interview the additional applicants at 5 p.m. Tuesday. A special meeting will be held at 5 p.m. Thursday for council to determine the size of the committee and choose appointees.

McGinley said both meetings will be held virtually to be consistent with the handling of prior committee applicants. Directions to attend both will be posted under council’s “public meetings online” link at luzernecounty.org.

A list of the new applicants will be compiled and released today, McGinley said.

Those previously interviewed: Angelo P. Grasso Jr., Chris Hackett, Sherri Homanko, Rick Morelli, Brian D. O’Donnell, Patrick Patte, Michael Reich, Jeffrey Rockman, Alec Ryncavage and Ray Wendolowski.

Council decided to re-advertise because it removed eligibility barriers that would have prevented some applicants from serving. The now-removed ban excluded citizens employed or compensated by any individual or business serving as a contractor to the county or its boards/authorities/commissions. These prohibitions are not required for the manager search committee under the charter, the county law office said.

The charter does require manager search committee members to “possess relevant qualifications, knowledge, and/or experience in the search for, recruitment of, and identification of qualified candidates for county manager or related positions.”

On the number of search committee members, the charter requires at least three.

Council appointed five in 2015 when a committee was last activated.

Some council members are now proposing seven.

Proposals to reduce the committee to three or keep it at five did not receive majority council support. The motion for seven was tabled.