Details released on projects receiving $55 million in Luzerne County American Rescue funding

Details are emerging on the work that will be completed with Luzerne County’s award of $55 million in federal American Rescue Plan funding to 113 outside entities.

Council has requested a project summary from the consultant, but county Councilman Matthew Mitchell said he spent hours compiling his own report because he did not want to leave the public in the dark for an indefinite period.

Applications were submitted through the consultant’s online portal, and a system has not yet been set up for the public to view any documents. Council members reviewed the applications through the portal, which means there were no public presentations or discussions beyond the names of the outside entities and award amounts.

“I think it’s fair to release something so taxpayers know what recipients are actually doing with the money,” Mitchell said. “That will show people that these are good projects for the community and county. This is not money going to waste.”

Mitchell said he based his summaries on brief project descriptions required on the applications.

It should be noted that the awards are contingent on applicants submitting required paperwork verifying their eligibility and viability, particularly those not receiving all requested funding.

The following list contains Mitchell’s descriptions, along with the award amount and what percent of the requested amount was ultimately provided to each entity:

• Allied Services Center City Skilled Nursing, $500,000, 26%, capital improvements, including HVAC upgrades, window replacements and other airborne illness mitigation

• Amy Bezek Photography LLC, $200,000, 66%, business relocation to commercial facility

• Ashley borough, $2 million, 33%, sanitary sewer interceptor rehabilitation

• Avoca Hose Company No 1, $75,515, 100%, replace technical rescue struts on rescue vehicle which are no longer supported by the manufacturer

• Back Mountain Recreation Inc., $156,900, 100%, walking path improvements and expansion, recovery of lost rental fees

• Beaver Brook Association, $120,000, 100%, construction of water utility line to Hazleton City Authority

• Beech Mountain Lakes Association Inc., $500,000, 100%, stormwater infrastructure upgrades/replacements

• Berwick Area Joint Sewer Authority, $81,639, 20%, modernization of software and hardware for sewer assets

• Butler Township, $500,000, 100%, new road department municipal garage

• Candy’s Place Cancer Wellness Center, $115,900, 100%, support services to cancer patients with expansion to family members and veterans

• Common Ground Ministries, $500,000, 100%, help families affected by COVID-19 by providing food, youth development, mental health and housing assistance

• Conyngham borough, $785,000, 100%, create additional park access and parking

• Conyngham Valley Civic Organization, $119,507.34, 100%, public pool filtration upgrades

• Coslett Dental Solutions, $94,366, 100%, upgrade IT systems/office

• Courtdale borough, $475,410, 100%, community playground repairs/upgrades

• Dallas Area Fall Fair Inc./The Luzerne County Fair, $100,000, 100%, water and sewer line installation

• Dantone Vending LLC, $40,000, 100%, replace COVID-19 related loss of income

• Diamond City Partnership Inc., $494,624, 100%, expand Downtown Ambassador team for two years to promote a safer, cleaner urban environment

• Dinners For Kids, $200,000, 100%, battling childhood hunger by providing nutritious, balanced meals to children

• DMC Graphics, $8,075, 100%, furnace replacement, lost revenue replacement

• Dr. Joseph Costello, $50,000, 100%, senior citizen/underinsured patient care

• Dress for Success Luzerne County, $147,150, 100%, workforce reentry program for women, skill workshops, support services

• Dupont borough, $99,861, 100%, upgrade outdated IT infrastructure

• Ecumenical Enterprises Inc., $ 500,000, 39%, public water line installation

• Edwardsville borough, $341,170, 100%, sanitary sewer rehabilitation project

• Edwardsville Hometown Committee, $50,000, 100%, new playground equipment, lighting upgrades

• Erwine Home Health and Hospice Inc., $50,240, 100%, updating field/office staff technology

• F.M. Kirby Center for the Performing Arts, $500,000, 85%, water/sewer, HVAC, broadband upgrades

• Fork Over Love Inc., $500,000, 98%, food assistance to low income households

• Freeland, $2 million, 100%, stormwater infrastructure upgrades/replacements

• Freeland Municipal Authority, $227,400, 100%, install fiber optic network within water delivery system

• Geisinger Health, $100,000, 100%, public wellness trail master plan

• Greater Hazleton Joint Sewer Authority, $2 million, 39%, combined sewer overflow (CSO) elimination

• Greater Hazleton Senior Citizens Inc., $385,000, 100%, ADA elevator installation

• Greater Wilkes-Barre Chamber, $500,000, 61%, career training programs

• Greater Wyoming Valley Area YMCA, $487,353, 100%, childcare and food assistance to low income children

• Harveys Lake borough, $855,000, 100%, emergency response garage/storage building

• Harveys Lake General Municipal Authority, $500,000, 100%, sanitary sewer rehabilitation

• Hazleton, $995,357, 100%, stormwater infrastructure upgrades/replacements

• Hazle Township, $2 million, 100%, stormwater improvements and pavement replacement

• Hazle Township Municipal Authority, $2 million, 59%, wastewater pump stations replacement

• IBEW Local 163 JATC, $500,000, 100%, acquire building to create advanced tech center for training

• Irem Temple Restoration Project Inc., $500,000, 50%, rehabilitation of Masonic Temple for future concert venue

• Jenkins Township, $122,000, 100%, stormwater and sanitary system installation on Gaffney Drive

• Jewish Community Alliance of Northeastern Pennsylvania, $2 million, 13%, revitalize and install new features to Kirby and Nesbitt Parks.

• Joe Grotto Inc., $200,000, 80%, premium pay for eligible workers

• Junior Achievement of Northeastern Pennsylvania, $150,829, 100%, workforce readiness and literacy programs

• Keystone Mission, $500,000, 66%, renovations, build a Code Blue Emergency Center and homeless family initiative

• King’s College, $500,000, 25%, purchase equipment, supplies and technology for occupational therapy program

• Kingston, $1,824,475, 100%, purchase of new ladder truck for high-rise buildings

• Laflin borough, $64,546, 100%, purchase natural gas emergency generator for municipal building

• Lang Beverage Company, $50,000, 100%, purchase of still to produce hand sanitizer

• Larksville borough, $400,000, 100%, stormwater infrastructure upgrades

• Lower South Valley Council of Governments, $500,000, 100%, complete an extensive sewer infrastructure evaluation for future development

• Lower South Valley Land Bank, $500,000, 83%, blight remediation

• Luzerne County Convention Center Authority, $2 million, 34%, HVAC replacements at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Wilkes-Barre Township.

• Luzerne County Library System, $204,505.96, 100%, technology upgrades

• Maternal and Family Health Services Inc., $469,141, 100%, mental health programs to address food insecurity and housing assistance to underserved/racially diverse populations

• Michael C. Baloga (The Foot and Ankle Center), $63,300, 100%, upgrade office equipment, purchase personal protective equipment

• Michaelene’s Mission, $50,000, 100%, substance abuse/homeless drop-in shelter

• Misericordia University, $500,000, 50%, healthcare career training

• Mountain Top Area Little League LLC, $250,000, 100%, training facility/emergency response center

• NEPA Inclusive, $500,000, 5%, training program for independent living skills, self-advocacy and workplace readiness

• New Roots Inc., $200,000, 48%, recovery support services for mental health and substance use disorders

• Newport Township, $395,738.50, 100%, public park improvements

• North Branch Land Trust, $122,125, 100%, land conservation around Huntsville reservoir

• North Lake Improvement Association, $88,980, 100%, biological treatment plan to lower nutrients and improve water quality

• Northwest Area Little League Inc., $250,000, 98%, summer program for underprivileged/at-risk youth

• Oblates of Saint Joseph, $79,868, 100%, early childhood program

• Patte’s Sports Bar and Restaurant, $155,000, 100%, replacement of lost revenue, build outdoor seating area and equipment upgrades

• Pittston/Greater Pittston Regional Ambulance, $2 million, 80%, purchase building for regional ambulance

• Plains Township Fire Department, $539,854, 100%, replacement/upgrade of breathing apparatus, emergency response equipment and personal protective equipment

• Plymouth borough, $2 million, 79%, repair 400 feet of walls around Coal Creek

• Power and Success Inc., $100,000, 100%, career/training programs

• Ryba’s Auto Sales, $80,000, 100%, lost revenue replacement to expand showroom

• Second Family Memory Care LLC, $200,000, 98%, day care center for people with dementia and Alzheimer’s

• Shawn Belle LLC, $200,000, 40%, produce performance wardrobes for K-12 students

• Shickshinny borough, $358,000, 100%, stormwater infrastructure upgrades/replacements

• Shickshinny Sanitary Sewer Authority, $387,000, 100%, wastewater treatment plant rehabilitation

• Staggers Southern Cuisine, $25,000, 100%, premium pay for eligible workers

• Street Art Society of NEPA Inc., $33,000, 100%, implementation of mobile tour app

• Sugar Notch borough, $650,250, 100%, residential property connection to sanitary sewer system

• Sugarloaf Township, $35,500, 100%, microgrant program for small business and nonprofits

• Swoyersville Little League, $40,000, 100%, facility repairs

• Swoyersville Parks and Recreation Board, $250,000, 100%, rehabilitation of public parks

• The Food Dignity Project, $500,000, 40%, train future leaders and farmers about sustainable food practices

• The Institute, $150,191, 100%, affordable housing program

• The Lands at Hillside Farms, $32,450, 100%, technology upgrades for after-school programs

• The Philharmonic Society of Northeastern Pennsylvania, $50,535, 100%, payroll assistance due to lost revenue from pandemic

• The Wandering Brew, $45,000, 100%, expand home-based venue space

• United Way of Greater Hazleton Inc., $200,000, 100%, program to help 20 organizations recover from impact of pandemic

• United Way of Wyoming Valley, $210,000, 100%, grade-level reading initiatives

• ValentinXStudios, $10,975, 100%, professional headshot program for business affected by pandemic

• Valley Crest Real Estate LP, $200,000, 20%, public stormwater basin construction

• Volunteers in Medicine, $500,000, 33%, free medical, dental, and mental health services to low-income residents

• Volunteers of America of Pennsylvania, $500,000, 86%, housing for low-income people with diagnosed mental illnesses and day space for the homeless

• West Hazleton Fire Company, $155,000, 100%, breathing apparatus replacement

• West Pittston borough, $2 million, 27%, flood mitigation project

• Whiskers World Inc., $66,250, 100%, feral cat spay and neutering program

• White Haven Fire Company #1, $500,000, 58%, rescue vehicle replacement

• White Haven Rescue Unit, $117,000, 100%, building and equipment upgrades

• Wilkes-Barre, $350,000, 45%, purchase of new ambulance

• Wilkes-Barre Area Community Gardens, $40,000, 100%, equipment/materials purchase

• Wilkes-Barre Industrial Development Authority $2 million, 66%, public parking garage

• Wilkes-Barre Metropolitan Development Corporation, $72,100, 100%, infectious disease information program

• Wilkes-Barre Parking Authority, $975,000, 100%, maintenance work on facilities that was deferred due to pandemic

• Willow Foundation, $500,000, 74%, day shelter for the homeless, addressing food insecurity

• Wright Township, $583,330, 100%, stormwater infrastructure upgrades

• Wyoming Area Regional Police Department, $500,000, 100%, support capital expenses for renovations, purchase personal protective equipment, improve communications

• Wyoming borough, $1,138,700, 100%, sanitary sewer line replacement, pay for essential workers

• Wyoming Valley Habitat for Humanity, $48,615, 100%, repave parking lot for ReStore facility

• Wyoming Valley Sanitary Authority, $2 million, 20%, multi-municipal sanitary sewer rehabilitation

• Yatesville borough, $224,100, 100%, repair stormwater infrastructure, engineering study for sewer overflows