Click here to subscribe today or Login.
WILKES-BARRE — Denied federal help to cover nearly $700,000 in cleanup costs after the March blizzard, city officials will travel to Washington, D.C., to plead their case.
The trip to meet with Federal Emergency Management Agency officials is tentatively scheduled for June 6, city Administrator Ted Wampole said after city council’s public meeting Thursday night. He provided an update in response to a question from Councilman Mike Belusko.
Mayor Tony George, Fire Chief Jay Delaney, Joyce Morrash Zaykowski, capital projects program manager, and Wampole are making the trip. U.S. Rep. Lou Barletta, R-Hazleton, arranged the visit, Wampole said.
He was uncertain if officials from other municipalities had scheduled meetings. “I think this is just for city money,” Wampole said.
The city is facing a projected $1 million deficit this year and the unbudgeted storm cleanup expense will further strain its finances.
Wilkes-Barre was among a number of municipalities in Luzerne County and throughout the state that applied for more than $7 million in federal help for their efforts to remove the snow that reached historic levels in some places during the March 14-15 storm. But FEMA notified Gov. Tom Wolf earlier this month it would not come through with any assistance. However, FEMA allowed an appeal within 30 days.
Morrash Zaykowski said the city appealed last week for reimbursement of $678,155, the allowable amount it could apply for even though it spent much more on overtime and the hiring of private contractors.
“It’s just a little bit over a million dollars,” she said of what the city spent overall.
It’s one thing to plead your case by email, Wampole added. “It’s another thing when you’re in front of somebody,” he said.
During its public meeting, council approved all four items on its agenda:
• Application of a $500,000 Local Share Account grant administered by the Commonwealth Financing Authority for the Solomon Creek wall reconstruction project.
• Application of a $111,681 Local Services Account grant for improvements at Weissman Park.
• Establish temporary food vendor fees of $50 for a one day; $80 for two to three days; and $150 for four to seven days.
• Establish a $100 fee for food facility plan reviews by the Health Department and a $75 fee for follow-up inspections by the department.
For other local news stories, click here.