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By JENNIFER LEARN-ANDES jandes@leader.net
Thursday, March 06, 2003 Page: 1A
The silence was palpable when Luzerne County Commissioner Tom Makowski made
a motion to pay Strach Associates $446,500 to design the new county juvenile
detention center.
“Is there a second?” Commissioner Tom Pizano asked at Wednesday’s Board
of Commissioners meeting.
The question made it clear that Pizano wasn’t voting with Makowski as
usual, putting the spotlight on minority Commissioner Stephen A. Urban.
Pizano said he was abstaining from the matter because he didn’t support the
bond issue that will finance the detention center project.
Urban wants to build a new center because he doesn’t believe the
lease/purchase of an already-built private center in Pittston Township is
prudent or ethical.
However, Urban also supports open competition for no-bid professional work
such as architecture, engineering and accounting, and Strach was selected by
Makowski without open competition or input from Urban.
Then there’s the $16,000 in political campaign donations to majority
commissioners from Strach Associates officials in recent years.
Most recently, David Strach gave $400 to the Committee to Elect Makowski
and Pizano on Dec. 20, Voter Services records show. That particular donation
stuck out because there weren’t any fund-raisers or donation drives at the
time, and neither Makowski or Pizano had publicly announced whether they would
seek re-election. (They have since decided not to run.)
Urban asked county Engineer Jim Brozena if the work was bid out, and
Brozena essentially said it wasn’t because it doesn’t have to be bid as a
professional service.
Then Urban asked about Strach’s experience.
At this point, Makowski looked worried and incredulous. He faced Chief
Clerk Jim Torbik and said something critical about Urban’s line of
questioning.
Brozena said Strach Associates has more than 26 years of experience.
Seeing Urban’s wavering on the matter, Brozena said Strach did a
preliminary schematic design of the center and has been involved in
discussions and planning for the center since the late 1990s. He said it would
be “backtracking” to choose another firm at this stage.
Hearing that, Urban seconded the motion and supported it.
Urban said after the meeting that Makowski must expect discussion on all
detention center decisions because he won’t give blind support to every part
of the project, even though he supports it overall.
Strach’s $446,500 payment will be capped and will cover all design through
completion of the project, Brozena said.
David Strach, who could not be reached for comment, has said he believes
there is no tie between his county work and political donations. Rather, he
said the selection of his company has been “based on professionalism,
qualifications and competence.”
Brozena said the new center is planned for county-owned land behind the
Valley Crest Nursing Home in Plains Township. He said a zoning permit
application will be submitted to the township within 30 days.
Plains Township Zoning Officer Richard Piekutowski was not accessible for
comment.
Makowski said the county owns about 70 acres around Valley Crest.
Jennifer Learn-Andes, a Times Leader staff writer, may be reached at
831-7333.