Luzerne County Courthouse

Luzerne County Courthouse

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Luzerne County should close on its sale of the former juvenile detention facility in Wilkes-Barre within a month, county Chief Solicitor Romilda Crocamo told council last week.

A council majority had voted in November to sell the property to Roy Castillo, of Castillo Real Estate LLC, for $50,000. The Wilkes-Barre businessman plans to renovate the structure for offices and loft apartments.

Unused for 18 years, the three-story brick center is located off North River Street overlooking the county’s Water Street prison in Wilkes-Barre.

Because the property is on the same tax assessment parcel as the prison, Castillo had to obtain and finance a subdivision separating his portion before the sale could close. Crocamo said that step is wrapping up.

Butler Township property

A public advertisement should soon be completed seeking a surveyor for a large Butler Township parcel the county may eventually sell, said county Councilwoman LeeAnn McDermott, who heads council’s real estate committee.

The survey would cover approximately 407 acres that is in the county’s hands because it operated the Kis-Lyn work camp for juvenile delinquents from 1912 to 1965. The county owns 530 acres but has a long-term lease with the Keystone Job Corps Center to operate its federally funded, residential educational/vocational program on a 123-acre portion.

Sale of 27 parcels

A council majority voted last week to allow Dallas residents Alan and Brenda Pugh to publicly advertise their intent to purchase 27 county-owned parcels in Dallas Township. Advertising is a part of the county’s sale procedure.

Brenda Pugh has said the parcels are tiny and worth less than the purchase offer of $500 each because they are in the middle of the woods with no public utilities or frontage along the closest street, Fairgrounds Road.

Only three of the 27 are adjoining, she had said, estimating a grouping of seven connected parcels would be needed to meet the township’s 1-acre minimum requirement for a new structure. Additional time and expense also will be necessary to obtain clean property titles, she had said, noting the purchase would return the properties to the tax rolls and reduce the county’s inventory of unused property.

Before voting no on the advertisement, county Councilman Stephen J. Urban asked his colleagues to contemplate if they have a conflict of interest in voting.

County Councilman Walter Griffith abstained, saying he has a conflict because the Pughs are “big supporters of the Republican Party as well as myself.”

Everyone else voted yes, with the exception of Linda McClosky Houck, who was absent.

Budget update

Despite the effects of the coronavirus pandemic, the county is doing well with real estate tax collection, county Budget/Finance Division Head Brian Swetz told council last week.

He reported the county already had received more than $103 million of the $116 million budgeted for 2021, or 89%.

“Taxes are not an item to worry about. They’re in good shape,” Swetz said.

County Cares

An upcoming resource day and other initiatives were discussed during last week’s County Cares Commission meeting.

Scheduled from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. June 27 at Kirby Park in Wilkes-Barre, the resource day is designed to assist those struggling with homelessness, substance use disorder and mental health issues. The event will provide attendees with both food and clothing and on-the-spot connections to services that may help them.

The commission is inviting agencies that assist with education, employment, counseling, housing and other support services to set up resource tables at the park. Luzerne County Community College and its AllOne Recovery Educational Institute are sponsoring the event.

Any agencies or residents interested in volunteering to help that day can contact Councilman Matthew Vough, the commission chair, at matthew.vough@luzernecounty.org.

Homeless help

In other plans, County Cares Commission member Justin Behrens is drafting two documents to protect the homeless — a “bill of rights” and a “code blue” plan — that will be presented to the commission and then county council for possible adoption.

If the latter is adopted, the county would issue a code blue alert when there are extreme cold temperatures or heavy snowfalls — the specific triggers would have to be set. An activated alert would allow interested facilities to temporarily open their doors to the homeless.

Behrens said he would help identify facilities and emphasized the county would not be obligated to provide shelter or any other services beyond issuing the alert.

“The whole idea is to be proactive,” he told fellow commission members last week.

Commission member Kendra Radle, a county councilwoman, also is proposing county involvement in the “Hidden Heroes” program, which was established by the Elizabeth Dole Foundation to raises awareness and support for caregivers of veterans.

Radle said the request for county participation came from an area woman who is caring for her veteran husband and interested in the additional support network the Hidden Heroes designation would provide. There is no county cost for participation, she added.

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