Overall, 2022 was a good year for the City of Wilkes-Barre – fiscally, financially and in many other respects, Mayor George Brown said last week.
“The Brown team did an amazing job. I’m very proud of this year, with what’s been accomplished,” the mayor said in a phone interview Friday after recording a “Year in Review” video posted to the city Facebook page.
In the nearly 20-minute video, Brown rattled off a long list of accomplishments in each of the city departments as well as through initiatives related to federal American Rescue Plan funding and the construction of an all-inclusive playground funded through donations.
Police department
Brown noted that the police department responded to 44,777 calls for service last year, with 3,936 case reports and 4,227 events. Officers made 1,472 criminal arrests, arrested 508 wanted subjects and served 719 summary arrest warrants.
The Anti-Crime unit made 34 felony drug-trafficking arrests and 22 felony high-risk warrant arrests. City police arrested five fugitives wanted out of state for homicide, and seized 53 illegal firearms, $110,000.00 in illegal drug proceeds, 2,000 doses of counterfeit prescription medications, and quantities of fentanyl, cocaine and methamphetamine.
The mayor also touted a new firing range training facility to assist officers with firearms and self-defense training, and officers continued to support community policing efforts by attending numerous community functions throughout the year, he said.
Fire department
The fire department made $265,000 worth of equipment upgrades including the purchases of a Polaris emergency response ATV, a power load cot and lift system for an ambulance, turnout gear and miscellaneous fire equipment.
The most significant accomplishment was maintaining a Class 2 Public Protection Classification, which helps insurance companies determine homeowner insurance rates.
Health Department
The Health Department administered 1,500 COVID-19 vaccines throughout the community and was awarded a Certificate of Appreciation from the Wilkes-Barre NAACP for efforts to vaccinate residents of city housing authority apartments.
The Wilkes-Barre Walkitecture Tour app and corresponding guide received a Community Initiative Award for 2021 from the Pennsylvania State Historic Preservation Office.
Grants
Through the city grants department, the City was able to acquire funding for:
• The final phase of the Public Square Downtown Streetscape Improvements project through an $800,000 state grant. It will cover Public Square from North Main Street to West Market Street and continue along West Market Street to River Street.
New concrete sidewalks, curbs, sidewalk connections, crosswalks and pedestrian signage will be installed. There will be handicap-accessibility improvements, new benches, bicycle racks, pedestrian kiosks and garbage receptacles will be installed, and trees will be planted to improve the overall quality of Public Square.
The project was put out to bid this year and construction will begin in the spring.
• Construction on the Public Square Stage project. The stage will include a roof, wooden screen backdrop panels, integrated accent lighting and new pavers for the stage area. The project will resume construction in the spring.
Operations
A $1.9 million project at City Hall resulted in the installation of a new elevator and stairwell as well as parking lot and lighting upgrades. The elevator will be ready for use soon.
There have been $800,000 in equipment upgrades at the Department of Public Works.
Over $2 million in flood wall repairs were made at Laurel Run Creek.
A $2 million Intermodal Upgrade Project began in 2022 and will be completed in the spring.
OCED
The Office of Community and Economic Development assisted with the emergency demolitions of properties at 20-22 Sullivan St., 523 Hazel St., 284 Blackman St., 42-44 Monroe St., and 120 Cluster St., with $73,090 coming from the general fund.
OCED managed the American Rescue Plan Sewer Upgrades, Street Paving and ADA Accessibility Project, which invested over
$4.1 million in improvements to parts of 19 streets.
Community policing and several nonprofits received Community Development Block Grant funding totaling $182,000; $408,635 in HOME-ARP funding was awarded to the Domestic Violence Service Center’s shelter expansion project; CDBG Homeowner Emergency Rehab funds assisted 16 residential households with over $92,000 in funding; and the COVID Emergency Utility Assistance program helped 16 households with $28,350 in funding.
American Rescue Plan
In March 2021, when the Federal Government announced $37.1 million in American Rescue Plan funding for the City of Wilkes-Barre, and the Brown administration created a “nine-point plan” to implement citywide improvements and citizens’ economic relief programs. With council’s approval, the plan accomplishments included:
• Reducing garbage bag fees from $13 to $10 for large five-bag packs and from $9.50 to $6.25 for small five-bag packs.
• Cutting parking meter rates in half to $1 per hour.
• Distributing $300 stimulus checks to 8,460 financially qualifying city households.
• Awarding 225 households a total of $1,673,166 through the Owner-Occupied Home Improvement Program and committing another $219,000 to 255 additional households.
• Providing 44 households with $1,665,666 to assist with closing costs on new homes in the city.
• Providing $990,000 to 24 city nonprofits adversely affected by the pandemic.
• Provided 40 new businesses with over $400,000 in rent and other assistance through the Spark Program.
The other two points of the plan were longer-term goals of improvements to storm sewers and sanitary sewers.
Recreation
In October, the Wilkes-Barre Special Needs Playground was constructed in Kirby Park. The project, coordinated by a committee Brown appointed earlier in his administration, was funded by over $500,000 in private donations. Federal CDBG funds paid for walkway upgrades.
The city acquired a new ice-skating rink, which opened on Public Square in February and was doubled in size when it reopened in November. Each year, the rink will be open November through March from dawn to dusk.
The City also purchased 100 pairs of skates to provide for free to use, in exchange for state-issued drivers licenses or identification cards, which will be returned upon return of the skates, on Friday evenings from 5 to 8 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday afternoons, from noon to 4 p.m. when the weather is good, but not on holiday weekends.
Marketing
And finally, the City commissioned a video to market the City of Wilkes-Barre and joined with several partners to design a new marketing logo.
The City also launched a new marketing website — www.welcometowilkes-barre.com.
The logo, video and website focus on the City’s heritage and opportunities for innovation, recreation, and education. The next steps will be to broadcast the video and therefore the logo and website on social media, TV and streaming services, Brown said.
