Luzerne County Council retains airport consultant, fills board seats

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Luzerne County Council unanimously voted Tuesday to hire Delta Airport Consultants Inc. to handle engineering and planning for a multimillion dollar overhaul at the Wyoming Valley Airport in Forty Fort and Wyoming.

Council had earmarked $6 million in federal American Rescue Plan funding for capital improvements at the 110-acre, county-owned complex, and additional government aviation funding is available, officials said.

Headquartered in Richmond, Va., Delta has an office in Harrisburg that will handle the local airport project. The company will develop a plan to identify what projects can be completed along with a schedule and costs.

Council’s approval was for a five-year master engagement agreement. Because some funding will come from the Bureau of Aviation through the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, each task will have an agreement with specified fees, officials have said.

During public comment, Wyoming residents Herbert and Madeline Hall complained about planes flying too close to private properties and other safety concerns. Herbert submitted a packet of information to council.

Shawn Stanford, a West Pittston resident who serves on the county’s airport advisory committee, told council the majority of the county allocation will fund safety improvements that will make mishaps less likely.

Councilwoman LeeAnn McDermott said noise and safety concerns should be reviewed, and she expects they will be presented to Delta as part of its project planning.

Opioid commission

Council appointed Mary Butera to a citizen seat on the county’s new Commission on Opioid Misuse and Addiction Abatement.

Three council members who serve on the committee that publicly interviews outside board applicants — Chris Perry, Brian Thornton and John Lombardo — also praised the four other applicants for the volunteer post: Katrina Favata, Ann Marie Kochuba-Mantione, Neil Oberto and Attorney Sheila Saidman.

“They were so good and so superb and caring that it was very difficult to pick just one,” Perry said.

Thornton, council vice chair, described their interviews as “very powerful” and “passionate.”

“It was truly a tough decision for us,” said Lombardo, the council chairman.

The commission must identify and recommend the best uses for $25 million the county is expected to receive over 18 years from the state’s settlement against opioid manufacturers and wholesale distributors. Council has the final say on how the money is spent.

Also serving on the panel are Lombardo, county District Attorney Sam Sanguedolce, county Drug and Alcohol Administrator Ryan Hogan, county Human Services Division Head Lynn Hill, county Correctional Services Division Head James Wilbur and county Manager Romilda Crocamo.

Ethics commission

A council majority appointed Duryea resident Ben Herring to a citizen seat on the county ethics commission that must be filled by a Republican.

The seat has been vacant since the end of 2023, and Herring was the lone applicant.

A U.S. Marine veteran, Herring said during his interview he works as a government acquisition professional and decided to step up after learning no applicants had surfaced.

Some council members raised concerns Tuesday about pending litigation, but Herring said that action is an appeal filed by the county — not him — over a public information request he and the Citizens Advisory of Pennsylvania had pursued seeking video surveillance footage of county buildings where election ballots were processed and voting equipment was maintained around the time of the November 2022 general election.

County Court of Common Pleas Judge Lesa S. Gelb had upheld Herring’s request for access to the footage in September, affirming a final determination by the Pennsylvania’s Office of Open Records that the county had appealed. The county went on to appeal the county court ruling to Commonwealth Court due to security concerns, officials said.

Thornton said council members were “flooded” with emails from a group opposing Herring’s appointment. These communications contained the same wording but different sender names, Thornton said, noting he questions the accuracy of the information.

Councilman Harry Haas said it is a “disgrace” that Herring has been “maligned” and said he is a “credible citizen” worthy of appointment.

In the final vote, six council members approved Herring’s appointment: Haas, Kevin Lescavage, McDermott, Chris Perry, Thornton and Lombardo. Those in opposition: Joanna Bryn Smith, Patty Krushnowski, Jimmy Sabatino, Brittany Stephenson and Gregory S. Wolovich Jr.

The other appointments made Tuesday: Northeastern Pennsylvania Health and Higher Education Authority, Joseph Donahue; Arts Advisory Board, Carl Frankel; Luzerne-Wyoming Counties Area Agency on Aging Advisory Board, Donald Warren; and Luzerne-Wyoming Counties Drug and Alcohol Executive Commission, Raymond Bernardi.

In other business, council approved a $5,000 litigation settlement with Gary Wargo, who filed a complaint in the county Court of Common Pleas in 2021 alleging he was physically injured due to the negligence of the county and prison workers while he was serving an incarceration sentence. Lescavage provided the lone no vote.

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