WILKES-BARRE — At its upcoming work session, City Council will give Mayor George Brown’s $53.2 million balanced budget a final look before voting on it Thursday.
The budget that does not contain a property tax increase is included in the agenda for the work session scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. Tuesday in Council’s chambers at City Hall.
There is no public comment at the work session. Instead, it provides Council the opportunity to discuss agenda items and advance them for a vote at Thursday’s 6 p.m. meeting. The five elected Council members also bring up matters in their districts.
The public has a similar opportunity to prepare for the meeting and comment on agenda items before Council’s vote. In response to citizens’ requests, in October Council began posting the work sessions online under meeting minutes on Council’s section of the city website.
The budget requires two separate votes, like all ordinances, for approval. Council has already held a public hearing on it and passed the first of two readings at its last meeting on Nov. 22.
The agenda contains another ordinance that prohibits the parking of tractor trailers and other large vehicles on city streets.
The purpose of the ordinance is to regulate the parking of such vehicles “to reduce public safety hazards and maintain quality of residential neighborhoods, thereby preserving the value of property in those districts.”
The ordinance, up for a first reading, replaces the existing law and expands the types of vehicles to include buses, school buses, dual-wheel motor homes, trailers, tractor trailers and vehicles with a gross weight or more than 11,000 pounds.
With Council’s approval, street paving will continue throughout the city and be paid for with federal pandemic relief funds.
Among the six resolutions that each require one vote by Council is a more than $2 million contract to the lowest bidder Pennsy Supply for Phase III of the storm sewer upgrades, street paving and American with Disabilities Act accessibility projects.
The city intends to pay for the work by tapping into the $37.1 million in American Rescue Plan it was allocated last year by the federal government as part of the larger aid package to help municipalities nationwide recover financially from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Phase III covers:
• North Washington Street from East Main Street to the North Cross Valley Expressway
• North Wilkes-Barre Boulevard between Conyngham Avenue and Scott Street
• Scott Street between Conyngham Avenue to business Route 309
• Reliance Drive from Gordon Avenue to Mercedes Drive
• Mercedes Drive from Reliance Drive to the end
• Nicole Drive from Reliance Drive to Mercedes Drive
• East Thomas Street between Mayock and Scott streets.
The mayor submitted for Council’s approval $300,000 in funding for the Keystone Mission Daytime Community Room project for people who are homeless. The state Department of Community and Economic Development is contributing $100,000 through a COVID-19 American Rescue Plan Act response grant. The city’s makes up the other $200,000 through American Recovery Act funds. The resolution further states the project will be awarded to the lowest responsible bidder.
The remaining resolutions are:
• A construction management services agreement with George Albert, PE, LLC for renovations to the Toyota SportsPlex facility on Coal Street.
• A traffic signalization maintenance contract with Richard Mellow Corp. of Dickson City, the most qualified service.
• A contract for sewer and storm-related emergencies on Nov. 2 – 3 to lowest two most responsible bidders, Franchelli Enterprises of Wilkes-Barre and Stell Enterprises Inc. of Plains Township.
• A lease-purchase agreement for two new garbage trucks at a cost not to exceed $410,000. The payments will be made from the city’s general fund budget.
Reach Jerry Lynott at 570-991-6120 or on Twitter @TLJerryLynott.
