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WILKES-BARRE — The head of the Wilkes-Barre Parking Authority on Monday said he’s in favor of a study to improve parking at meters, garages and lots, but doesn’t want to take another look at selling or leasing the assets.

Tom Torbik, executive director of the authority, said he would ask the full authority at its February meeting to decide whether to contribute up to $20,000 towards the $45,000 the city agreed to pay Desman Design Management, based in Chicago, Ill., for an analysis of the assets.

“I certainly hope it’s different this time,” Torbik said.

“If it’s a rehash, that didn’t go so well last time,” Torbik added.

The authority retained Desman as consultant in 2012 to do a valuation of the assets when then Mayor Tom Leighton was considering leasing them for $20 million in a long-term deal. The proposal attracted five parties, but the authority determined the project was not in its best interests and discontinued it.

Mayor Tony George, who opposed the deal as a member of city council, heeded the recommendation of the city’s consultant, The PFM Group of Philadelphia, to hire parking specialist Desman for the analysis that could lead to monetizing the assets and stabilization of the city’s finances.

Torbik confirmed that he spoke to city Administrator Ted Wampole last week and said the authority would take up the funding for the study that city council approved last week in a 3-2 vote.

City councilwoman Beth Gilbert and council vice chairman Mike Belusko previously tried to delay the vote on the study so that the authority could have a more in-depth role than the limited contact between Wampole and Torbik.

“Has the parking authority been involved in viewing the current proposal, because I’m thinking this is something that they could fully finance at this stage,” Gilbert said at the Jan. 25 council meeting.

“It should also be clear that this is going to cost the taxpayers well over $45,000 in the long run, if we continue with Phase Two of this project,” Gilbert said. “If we do not vote for Phase Two after Phase One is approved then we would essentially be throwing $45,000 down the drain.”

The five-member authority, each person appointed by the mayor’s office to five-year terms, next meets publicly at noon on Feb. 20 in the offices of its North parking garage at 30 N. Main St.

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By Jerry Lynott

[email protected]

Reach Jerry Lynott at 570-991-6120 or on Twitter @TLJerryLynott.