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WILKES-BARRE — City council will be asked to approve state grant applications worth more than $2.5 million for a variety of projects, including the purchase of a new aerial ladder truck for the fire department, construction of an Emergency Response Center at the DPW garage and upgrades to the downtown theater complex.

At $1,274,000 the ladder truck accounts for almost half of the total and is desperately needed by the department, Fire Chief Jay Delaney said at council’s work session Tuesday night.

The city has been unsuccessful in its pursuit of funding from federal and local sources and is turning to the Local Share Account grant program, funded by revenues from the Mohegan Sun Pocono casino in Plains Township, as a last resort, Delaney said.

Municipalities throughout Luzerne County apply for LSA grants that are awarded annually and administered by the Commonwealth Financing Authority. Except for its own requests, the city, as the host municipality, submits applications for other projects.

“There is no cost associated with these applications,” said outgoing city Administrator Ted Wampole.

The city can’t buy it through the general fund budget and won’t deplete the Office of Community Development annual budget either to a new piece of equipment to replace the ladder truck that’s often out of service for repairs, Delaney said.

“It’s tired. It’s old,” said the chief, adding parts are hard to get and technology has changed since the city bought the current ladder truck in 2003 with federal funds.

The city also wants to convert the second floor of the Department of Public Works garage into an Emergency Response Center at a cost of $384,966. During past emergencies such as floods, the city has had to temporarily relocate computers, servers and other essential equipment for operations, said Wampole. With computer cloud technology, the center can be permanent and its location out of the flood zone makes it an ideal location, he added.

R/C Theatres Wilkes-Barre Movies 14 is asking for $500,000. The Times Leader initially reported Joe Amato, R/C’s landlord, said the application was for $1 million. Vince Scarpetta, a consultant for the project, said the R/C and Amato are contributing $2 million in funds for the renovations that include the installation of recliners and other improvements. Movies 14 brings approximately 400,000 people a year to the downtown and is “an economic engine” for the city, Scarpetta said.

The other applications on the agenda for council’s approval at its public meeting Thursday night:

• $80,000 to replace cabins at YMCA Camp Kresge in Dennison Township.

• $223,617 for facility improvements at the Catholic Youth Center.

• $120,000 for roofing system repairs, energy efficient windows and new flooring at the Osterhout Free Library.

Council also will be asked to approve:

• The sale of the Park & Lock East parkade on North Washington Street to the Wilkes-Barre Parking Authority for $1.55 million

• The $50.4 million balanced, general fund budget for 2019.

• The first of two readings of two ordinances – the renewal of the Downtown Wilkes-Barre Business Improvement District, and a new fee schedule for the Hollenback Golf Course.

Wampole took a few minutes at the end of the work session and choked up a few times to say goodbye.

After two-and-a-half years working in the administration of Mayor Tony George, Wampole is leaving to become the executive director of the county’s Convention and Tourism Bureau on Monday.

”I didn’t take this job because it would be easy, God knows. I took it so I could hopefully make a difference and hopefully leave it better than when I got here,” Wampole said.

Wampole
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/web1_Ted-Wampole-1.jpg.optimal.jpgWampole
$2.5M in requests before WB lawmakers

By Jerry Lynott

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