Luzerne County Council seeking applicants to serve on new commission

Luzerne County Council is seeking residents to serve on a new County Cares Commission and other county boards, authorities and commissions.

County Councilman Matthew Vough had asked his colleagues to create the County Cares Commission earlier this year to focus largely on drug and substance abuse and homelessness.

The commission will work with council’s legislative committee to identify and secure grants, partner with county human service departments to host public education forums and collaborate with local nonprofit organizations to reduce the stigma of substance abuse, highlight rehabilitation success stories and provide community outreach programs to help county residents, Vough said.

In a Facebook post Wednesday, Vough thanked his council colleagues for unanimously supporting the commission creation to help the community.

Under Vough’s proposal, six council-appointed citizens would serve on the commission along with three council members.

Council members voted Tuesday on the council appointees to the commission: Vough, Chris Perry and Kendra Radle.

Citizen applicants must be publicly interviewed by a council committee and selected by a council majority.

In addition to the new County Cares Commission, vacant seats must be filled on the following county boards, according to Vough’s Facebook post: Conservation District, Ethics Commission (a Democrat), Children and Youth Advisory Board, Farmland Preservation Board (a farmer), Wyoming Valley Airport Advisory Board, Workforce Investment Board, Agency on Aging Advisory Board, Drug and Alcohol Executive Commission and the Mental Health and Developmental Services Program Advisory Board.

Applications are available on the authorities/boards/commissions link in the council section at www.luzernecounty.org or by contacting council clerk Sharon Lawrence at 570-825-1634.

Public interviews will be scheduled for all applicants, possibly for the next round of virtual interviews starting at 6 p.m. June 16. Instructions for the public to attend that session will be posted in the council online meeting link.