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WILKES-BARRE TWP. — The Wilkes-Barre Township Volunteer Fire Department has a new lease on life.
Treading water in the wake of scandal and financial struggles, including a recent state audit that revealed $150,000 in unpaid, undocumented loans, the department received a glimmer of relief when the council voted to assume the firehouse’s $75,767 mortgage at a special session Monday evening.
Unanimously approved by both the council and the fire department’s four-person executive board, the ordinance comes after the mortgage had been in default for nearly three years, according to Bruce Phillips, township attorney. Phillips said the township would also cover a $2,025 late charge.
The fire department will be provided a 50-year lease as long as they continue to operate as a fire department throughout the life of the agreement.
Township steps in
Councilman John Jablowski Jr., said council stepped in to help right the ship.
“Humpty Dumpty fell off the wall and we’re trying to pick up the pieces here,” Jablowski said.
Joe Porzucek, a township resident and charter member of the fire department, said the council and Mayor Carl Kuren saved the fire department from falling into the ownership of a private bidder.
“If that mortgage is defaulted on and the bank puts that out for bids, and a stranger gets a hold of that fire department, they could run weddings and do what he wants over there,” Porzucek said.
“That’s not what the charter members worked for. That’s not what the people in this audience supported us for,” he added.
Richard Hart, president of the fire department’s executive board, said the 50-year lease approved by council amounts to a landlord/tenant agreement between parties.
Hart said the fire department wasn’t comfortable with accepting a year-to-year lease, but wanted a long-term commitment from the township.
“We want to stay afloat,” Hart said. “This was our best thing to do.”
‘No relationship’
Kuren and members of council on Monday were deliberate in pointing out that the township has no relationship with the fire department’s relief association nor were they responsible for monitoring the status of the organization’s finances.
“That’s their money. That’s their association.” Kuren said.
In a meeting held last week, officials within the fire department, relief association and township were informed of the missing $150,000 by an official with the state auditor general’s office.
Larry Ace, president of the relief association, said last week that state aid had been cut from the department for nearly 10 years as a result of the unpaid loans, signed by former chief John P. Yuknavich. When the amount is repaid, the department can recoup up to five years’ in withheld aid.
Ace said the payout should amount to approximately $150,000.
Policy changes
Porzucek went on to question policy changes within the fire department, including how Yuknavich got away with signing checks under several different titles and forging additional signatures.
“Back then not one person ran the whole show. When did that fall apart,” Porzucek said.
“I can answer that,” responded one volunteer. “That happened when Mr. Yuknavich took over.”
Yuknavich in January pleaded guilty in federal court to stealing more than $45,000 from the department. He was sentenced to six months in prison and six months home confinement.
Porzucek said he believed it was unfair that Kuren was persecuted for a scandal he had no part in.
“I agree,” Kuren said. “Why should everybody else be at fault when somebody else was to blame.”