Click here to subscribe today or Login.
During his required annual progress report Tuesday, Luzerne County Manager C. David Pedri said the county is “evolving” and now “on par with some of the biggest and best counties in the state.”
“We are moving forward here in Luzerne County,” Pedri said, summarizing his thick “state of the county” report during the council meeting at the courthouse in Wilkes-Barre.
Pedri said the main 2019 achievement was the county’s securing of an A- credit rating from Standard & Poor’s — the highest rating in county history. The county also has paid off more than $200 million in past debt since the home rule government was implemented in 2012, he said.
Three other major 2019 accomplishments he highlighted:
• The administration implemented a short-term investment plan that generated $124,000 in new revenue last year and is budgeted to bring in $140,000 in 2020.
• The Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency recognized county EMA as the “best practice and example for other counties to follow” during a statewide grant workshop in Harrisburg attended by emergency management personnel from every county.
• A new free Rockin’ the River public concert series at the county-owned River Common in Wilkes-Barre last July drew more than 6,000 area residents of all ages and boosted usage of the waterfront amenity along the Susquehanna River.
The county will hold four more concerts starting July 10, Pedri said. Such events help combat the area’s “self esteem problem,” he said.
Much of Pedri’s report focused on technology advancements, including the new paper-trail voting system and 911 radio communication upgrade.
County voters will use the paper-trail machines for the first time in the April 28 primary.
The 911 system, expected to be operational in 2021, allows emergency responders to exchange messages throughout the 906-square-mile county. Switching from a 20-year-old analog system to a new digital one will end radio interference, open up more radio channels and improve radio coverage that is inconsistent or nonexistent in some parts of the county, officials have said.
An estimated 500,000 people living and working in the county will benefit from the enhanced 911 coverage, Pedri said.
He also noted 911 received 350 emergency text messages last year. Texting was added for customer service, and Pedri said he encourages its increased usage.
The county was hit with the need for more electronic protection last year when a Memorial Day weekend cyber attack disabled some programs, including a massive tax assessment database that has not yet been fully restored. The database tracks the descriptions, ownership and other details about 168,000 real estate parcels countywide.
Pedri said the county now has multiple lines of defense, regular back-ups of all virtual servers, a new antivirus software for all servers and work stations, improved web filtering, an additional firewall and cyber security awareness training for the county’s more than 1,500 employees.
As other examples of technology advancements, Pedri said county departments:
• Relocated three servers to EMA and retired two other servers to allow GIS/Mapping to ensure mapping data is directly conveyed t0 911 during emergency operations.
• Implemented new databases and software in several departments to better track and analyze information.
• Initiated a $261,300 security project to add more cameras and create a central monitoring station.
• Completed of scanning and indexing in the prothonotary’s and deeds office to make records more accessible.
• Added Skype in the register of wills office.
• Started participation in a “Roadbotics Roadway Program” to provide more precise data on the condition of roadways for prioritization of work.
• Installed a prison body scanner to detect contraband concealed inside body cavities, which will become operational after state Department of Environmental Protection approval.
“This is the next generation. This is where we’re going,” Pedri said, noting his report will be posted at www.luzernecounty.org.
Reach Jennifer Learn-Andes at 570-991-6388 or on Twitter @TLJenLearnAndes.