Plans for in-person Luzerne County Council meetings discussed

Luzerne County Council may start meeting in person again next month, but the details are still up in the air.

A council majority voted Tuesday to hold the next meeting on July 14 at the courthouse, but only if the council meeting room is deemed to have safe air circulation and all Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines are followed.

That means social distancing, temperature checks to gain entry and a requirement to wear masks, a council majority agreed.

A ventilation check was added because Chairman Tim McGinley said he wants to make sure it meets standards, particularly when the room occupants remain there for meetings that often run several hours. Several people advised McGinley to inspect the ventilation for liability and safety reasons, he said.

“I think that’s only fair when you’re talking about a considerable health situation with this pandemic,” McGinley said.

The county is in the process of seeking an outside consultant to check the air flow and provide a written report, county Manager C. David Pedri said Wednesday.

Councilman Walter Griffith, who pushed for the restoration of in-person meetings, questioned Tuesday why use of the council meeting room is an issue, saying it holds about 50. Any overflow could be seated outside as in the past, he said.

But council McGinley said only 14 people can be in the meeting room at the same time under CDC protocols based on measurements by the county engineering department. Each person must be spaced six feet apart, and the width of each person also must be factored in, he said.

Those 14 slots would be occupied by the 11-member council, the council clerk, solicitor and county manager, leaving no room for citizens, at least two reporters, a sheriff deputy for security and county managers or outside entities required to participate due to meeting agenda submissions, McGinley said.

Councilwoman Sheila Saidman said she would only attend by phone until coronavirus threats have passed.

“I’m in a category that has sensitivity to this virus and I’m not going to risk my life​,” Saidman said.

Some citizens supported Councilwoman Linda McClosky Houck’s suggestion to meet outside on the courthouse south lawn, weather permitting. One citizen said a tent could be set up if the weather is a concern.

McGinley said the information technology department told him an outside meeting would require accommodations for a phone line and sound system.

“There would be a lot of logistics that would have to be ironed out,” he said.

Two other proposed county spaces — the Emergency Management Agency building in Wilkes-Barre and second-floor jury room in the courthouse — would not allow significantly more attendees than the council meeting room due to the social distancing, McGinley said.

He is researching Councilman Stephen J. Urban’s idea to hold council meetings at the Luzerne County Community College auditorium in Nanticoke.

McGinley said he thought that space was off-limits due to repairs but checked Wednesday and learned it is available.

“I will be looking at the community college to see what can be done there,” McGinley said.

While the college has a connection to the county receiving annual financial support, McGinley said he does not believe many outside entities with suitable space would want to regularly host council meetings for an extended period at no cost due to concerns about the coronavirus and sanitation.

Griffith said he does not want to put anyone at risk and respects Saidman and others with safety concerns. However, he told his colleagues he doesn’t “think it’s fair to the public” to continue meeting virtually.