Luzerne County Council unanimously approved the latest annual capital plan Tuesday prioritizing projects for completion through 2028.
The roster includes two projects carried over from prior years —$1 million to repair and replace corroded sewer pipes in the sub-basement of the county courthouse on River Street in Wilkes-Barre and $1.5 million to renovate the county-owned Bernard C. Brominski Building on North Street adjacent to the courthouse to house family court under one roof.
The costliest new addition to the plan is $500,000 for repairs to the courthouse’s Ohio sandstone facade.
Nick Vough, County Operational Services project management director, has said facade joints must be refilled, and masonry repairs are also needed because water is infiltrating some parts of the structure.
The county received a $1 million estimate to address the entire courthouse facade, Vough has said. The first $500,000 phase would cover the joints between the first and second floor, while the next phase would address the rest of the building and be added to a future capital plan.
Councilman Harry Haas convinced all of his colleagues to amend the new plan and make the courthouse facade the first priority next year, if possible, due to the importance of the historic structure.
County Manager Romilda Crocamo said the facade can be addressed after the courthouse sewer pipes. She said she won’t rest until the sewer project is completed because the building must remain operational for court proceedings and other business.
“They need to be replaced. They served us well,” Crocamo said of the pipes.
Other old and new projects in the plan include: $175,000 to repair several worn roofing sections atop the prison on Water Street in Wilkes-Barre; $230,300 for HVAC units at the minimum offenders’ building on Reichard Street near the prison; and $100,000 to replace the county’s boiler plant roof on Water Street.
The pending and new projects would collectively total $5 million, and additional funding would be necessary to cover all projects because approximately $3.9 million is available, the county has said.
Probation grant
Council also unanimously approved a budget amendment in line with the court’s plans to use a two-year state grant totaling $412,581 for adult probation and parole operations, including raises for non-union department workers and the creation of three new positions.
The funding supports Pennsylvania’s probation-reform legislation, Act 44 of 2023, which encourages customized supervision plans for offenders to help keep them in their communities when they do not jeopardize public safety.
Under the grant application, the funds will be used to cover raises in 14 non-union positions, three new probation officer positions, along with training, supplies and other operating expenses, the agenda said.
Upon conclusion of the grant, raised salaries and new positions would have to be funded by the county’s general fund operating budget. Approximately $83,000 associated with the raises and new positions must be charged to the county’s general fund during the grant.
Some council members and citizen Walter Griffith expressed concerns about the post-grant impact of the personnel-related costs on the general fund.
Court Administrator Paul Hindmarsh said the program will expand the number of offenders under pretrial supervision, which means they won’t be lodged in the county prison system at $190 per inmate daily. This “cost avoidance” will result in savings to help offset county expenses, he said.