Click here to subscribe today or Login.
WILKES-BARRE — City council Thursday failed to advance a proposal that the administration pitched as solution to address the two pressing problems of finances and the crumbling wall along Solomon Creek.
Working with three members, the minimum required to do business, council did not give the unanimous support necessary to approve a first reading of an ordinance dealing with restructuring old debt and issuing a new $5.5 million bond for the wall.
The ordinance did not contain specifics, though council, at its request, has been given five options for consideration by PFM Financial Advisors LLC, the Harrisburg-based consulting firm working with the city on straightening out its finances. Had it passed, council would have more time to review the proposals and could take it up again for a second reading and vote at the next meeting on Feb. 23.
The proposals developed by PFM aim to eliminate a more than $2 million spike in annual debt service payments over a 10-year period starting next year and replace it with more affordable terms. The plans are designed to create a better cash flow for the city and do not save money due to a longer payment schedule and a higher interest rate.
Councilman Mike Belusko, whose District A includes the wall in South Wilkes-Barre, pushed for passage, explaining his concern to residents who wanted the full council present for a vote and questioned why the ordinance was a last-minute addition to the agenda.
“Council’s duty to the residents is their safety,” Belusko said. He worried that with a delay on the decision on the bond and restructuring the wall would further deteriorate and the temporary repairs done on a section that had collapsed would not provide the protection against flooding.
He and Councilman Bill Barrett voted for approval of the first reading, but could not get the support of council Chairwoman Beth Gilbert.
“I don’t feel comfortable voting on this tonight, so I will be abstaining,” Gilbert said.
“Personally, I would like to see different fat that can be cut from the budget first before we proceed with any financing,” she added. “See what we can cut, and whatever we can’t cut we can finance.”
City Administrator Ted Wampole had hoped for approval of the ordinance.
“It was really an attempt to jumpstart it, to get it at least off of ‘Go,’” Wampole said.
The snow and the forecast of fluctuating temperatures increased the possibility of further damage to the wall that was built by the Works Progress Administration in the 1930s, he warned. “What we worry about is the freezing and thawing which we’ve already had,” Wampole said.
Council approved a number of other agenda items,including:
• Arthur Breese, Dale “Dee” Culp and Cody Robinholt were appointed to the Human Relations Commission.
• Leon Schuster was appointed to the Zoning Hearing Board and Edward DeMichele and Hayden White were reappointed.
• The sale of a city lot on Darling Street to Jonathon Sordoni for $9,500.
• The first of two required readings to add “Quality of Life Regulations” to the Code of Ordinances. Details will be provided for the next reading.
• The first of two required readings of an ordinance to grant residential parking permits for the westerly side of Stanley Street between Riverside Drive and Terrace Street.
• The second of two required readings of an ordinance to amend the Community Development Block Grant budget for years 2010 through 2016.
Council also approved a resolution supporting he statewide “Ban the Box” initiative that asks employers to remove from hiring applications a check box to indicate whether a job candidate has a criminal record. The initiative does not prevent employers from ever asking about a job candidate’s criminal history. Instead it aims to postpone the inquiry until later on in the hiring process.