Despite calls for a delay, grant application approved for King’s project

WILKES-BARRE — City Council dealt with a mix of old and new topics at its virtual meeting Thursday, approving all three items up for votes.

Mayor George Brown introduced the three resolutions on the agenda. Council had none.

The new covered the purchase of two 2022 Mack garbage trucks and naming the playground at Barney Farms park for a young boy who died earlier this month from cancer.

“I think we all know the story behind this, ” Brown said of the park. “A young 8-year-old Nathan Gray battled cancer for six years. That was a favorite place for him to play when he was feeling well enough to do that.”

The garbage trucks will be bought through a lease/purchase plan from Triple Cities Mack at a total cost of $359,870 through the state cooperative purchasing program COSTARS.

“These trucks are replacing two packers that are over 15 years old that we’ll probably have to take out of service at some point,” Director of Operations Butch Frati told Council.

The city has a fleet of 12 garbage trucks and all but the oldest one is used daily, Frati said.

The old topics included a $2 million Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program grant from the state to King’s College to renovate the former Times Leader building at 15 N. Main St.

In December Gov. Tom Wolf awarded the grant that requires a match by the school. The city, acting as the pass-through municipality for the funding, must file a business plan and application to the state, Brown said.

“This is the final stage of it,” Brown said. “(King’s will) be investing a sizeable amount of money.”

In an email sent to Council — which streamed the combined work and voting session online and did not permit the public to attend because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic — Sam Troy questioned the need for the garbage trucks.

Troy and caller John Suchoski also asked that the RACP grant resolution be tabled until King’s increased their Payment In Lieu of Taxes contribution to the city. As a non-profit organization the school is exempt from paying property taxes to the city for the properties and instead voluntarily contributes a PILOT of $125,000.

“I think you got to stand up to the schools and tell them that we’re not going to be compliant with you guys getting money unless you guys are going to contribute more to the city,” Suchoski said.

Council Chairwoman Beth Gilbert McBride and Councilman John Marconi supported an increased PILOT and said they hoped King’s and Wilkes University would take another look at what they contribute.

Councilman Bill Barrett agreed the schools’ PILOTS were not large compared to their operating budgets.

“That’s not all they contribute to the city. We all know that,” he said. Taking into account their employees and students, the schools contribute not only to the “financial picture of the city, but also the well being of the city.”

Barrett, Marconi, Councilman Tony Brooks and Council Vice Chairman Mike Belusko voted for the RACP. McBride cast the lone “No” vote.

Kirby Park concerns

As he’s done in the past Jerry Reisinger of Kingston raised his concerns about the overgrown natural area of Kirby Park along the Susquehanna River. He asked Brown to tour the area with him.

Brown said he would ask Frati if a tour should be arranged with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers that designed the levee system along the river.

Prior to Reisinger’s call, Frati said the Department of Public Works removed some debris in the area and planned to go back in the spring. But the city will take direction from its Riverfront Park Committee on how to proceed.

“They seem to think leaving downed trees there are a good thing. I agree,” Frati said.

“Riparian barriers are there for a reason,” Frati continued. “If it was an issue I’m sure the Army Corps would have addressed that when they did the dike and the levee system. So that’s how we’re going to leave it.”

Frati said the city will hire contractors to clear debris from Solomon Creek and the other creeks.

After engineers do their analysis of the creeks, Frati said, the work will be put out to bid. The cleanup will be paid for with Federal Emergency Management Agency funding, coming to the city for the damage sustained last September from the remnants of Tropical Storm Ida.

Gennetti Apartment fire response

Brown responded to McBride’s question about damage from another disaster, the deadly fire Tuesday morning at the Genetti Apartment complex downtown. One man died and approximately 125 people were displaced.

McBride asked if any of the $37.1 million in American Rescue Plan funding awarded to the city by the federal government for pandemic relief could be used to assist the people who lived at the complex.

“That’s a good question,” Brown said. He told McBride that Bill Jones of the Wyoming Valley United Way is having a discussion Friday with social service agencies about helping out the displaced tenants. Wilkes-Barre, in conjunction with the United Way, recently distributed $990,000 in ARP funding to city non-profits.

“Believe me, we want to get these people housing,” Brown said.