Luzerne County Courthouse

Luzerne County Courthouse

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With some concerned about the implications of saying no, nine of the 11 Luzerne County Council members voted Tuesday to approve a proposed new union contract with county detectives.

Council members Walter Griffith and Stephen J. Urban voted against the contract.

Griffith said he cannot support the contract’s continuance of a formula-based longevity bonus for six of the nine detectives hired before 2012 or provisions for all detectives providing $50,000 life insurance coverage after retirement and an annual $2,250 clothing/equipment allowance.

Council Vice Chairman Chris Perry said the benefits are “outstanding” and that he and the entire council “wish we had something like this,” but he questioned what choice council has when the union has the option to seek binding arbitration.

The county could “end up paying more” with binding arbitration, he said.

Council Chairman Tim McGinley said the benefits provided to detectives are difficult to remove because they were negotiated into contracts over many years. Instead, the county has been successfully negotiating changes that apply to newer hires, he said.

County Assistant Solicitor Vito DeLuca concurred. The contract before council contains provisions that many would consider “overly generous,” but council would be “rolling the dice” and facing an unknown outcome by allowing negotiations to proceed to binding arbitration, he said.

The county has had some “one-sided” and “painful” arbitration awards in the past, DeLuca said.

Griffith suggested council delay a vote to give the administration time to see if the union would agree to remove any “egregious” items, citing the lifetime life insurance. In fairness, he applauded the new contract’s concession increasing the detectives’ health insurance contribution from 12% to 15% in the fourth year of the agreement.

DeLuca said that approach wrongly implies the administration did not already seek the best package it could for the county and said the county could risk an unfair labor practice claim by attempting to renegotiate after a best-and-final tentative agreement has been reached.

County Administrative Services Division Head David Parsnik noted he reviewed the final proposal with the county district attorney and first assistant district attorney, and they were in agreement with it.

Ordinances

Following pre-meeting public hearings, a council majority voted to approve three of five ordinances.

Those three involved fiscal transfers: moving $464,739 in insurance reimbursement for 2019 cyber attack expenses into the county capital projects fund; depositing $2.048 million in federal reimbursement for some county coronavirus expenses into the reserve fund; and accepting the county community development office’s receipt of $9.4 million in federal funding to provide emergency rental assistance for local landlords and income-eligible tenants.

A vote on the fourth ordinance was postponed for further research. It would reprogram federal/state funding the county had received for its new paper-trail voting system to repay some of the debt the county incurred to purchase the $2.8 million system.

Seven council members rejected the fifth ordinance proposed by Griffith to prohibit board/authority/commission members from receiving any type of compensation, pension or other benefit from their service. The county solicitor’s office said this wording conflicts with the charter. Those in support: Urban, Griffith, Harry Haas and Robert Schnee.

New jobs

Hours before Tuesday’s meeting, county Manager C. David Pedri sent council an email withdrawing his request for reserve funding to create three new positions in the election bureau and one in the coroner’s office.

The administration had argued the additional help is needed due to rising caseloads in both offices, but Pedri’s email said he has decided the positions won’t be created.

Contacted before the meeting, Pedri said he reviewed the budget again and determined it is “not the right time” to seek staffing increases.

Outside boards

Council declared two vacancies on the five-member county election board due to the recent resignations of Jeanette Tait and Peter Ouellette — a step necessary to fill the seats under the county’s home rule charter.

Council must select another Democrat to fill Ouellette’s seat during a future meeting. The election board must fill Tait’s chairmanship seat with a citizen of any political party registration or no affiliation.

Four other board openings were filled by council Tuesday. Democrat Diane Dreier and Republican Thomas Mosca will serve on the county ethics commission. John McCarthy was reappointed to the Luzerne/Wyoming Counties Drug and Alcohol Executive Commission, and William Harris was reappointed to the county Zoning Hearing Board.

Manager’s report

During the post-meeting work session, Pedri highlighted the county’s 2020 activities and upcoming goals in a state-of-the-county report required annually under the county’s home rule charter. The report will be posted Wednesday under the manager’s section at luzernecounty.org.

A major 2021 focus will be completion by the end of this year of a $25 million 911 upgrade improving emergency radio communication throughout the 906-square-mile county, Pedri said. The project will boost coverage that is spotty or nonexistent in some areas, ending radio interference and opening up more channels, he said.

Other 2021 plans include increasing online county services and continued improvement of roads and bridges and work with the state health department and medical providers on COVID-19 pandemic-related matters, Pedri said.

Legislation opposition

Receiving support from council, Haas said the legislative committee he chairs will meet soon to draft a proposed letter opposing a state proposal adding tolls on two Interstate 80 bridges in the county over Nescopeck Creek in Black Creek Township and the Lehigh River in the White Haven area.

Reach Jennifer Learn-Andes at 570-991-6388 or on Twitter @TLJenLearnAndes.