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While Luzerne County officials plan to lay off 72 workers, several people were hired this week.
Commissioners said during Wednesday’s meeting that a hiring freeze remains in effect on all positions paid by the strapped general fund operating budget, but they will continue to fill ones that are thoroughly justified through administration and budgeted in 2009.
The following people were hired to vacant positions Wednesday:
• George Kechula, Shenandoah, assessor’s office commercial/industrial land appraisals manager, $40,000.
• Stephen A. Menn, Plains Township, assistant county solicitor, $39,885.
• Janel Blaskiewicz, Shickshinny, mailroom clerk, $18,500.
Blaskiewicz, the daughter of county collective bargaining officer Max Blaskiewicz, had been working part time in the mailroom and was the only person to apply for the internally posted job. The mailroom has a vacancy because Kathleen Biernacki resigned this month.
County Clerk of Courts Bob Reilly proposed during the meeting that commissioners freeze all hiring in light of layoffs, but Commissioner Chairwoman Maryanne Petrilla said some positions must be filled to meet minimum manning requirements and workload needs.
Reilly questioned how commissioners can make that call in offices they don’t directly supervise, and he was reeling Thursday because he officially learned from union leaders that he will lose four employees through layoffs. He is still contemplating a possible suit against the county over the budget cuts, arguing that he won’t have the staff to carry out his mandated responsibilities.
“We don’t have money for anything, but they’re hiring people? It’s not consistent,” Reilly said.
Reilly also pressed commissioners Wednesday on who will be designated as public information officer to log and oversee all public information requests, as required Jan. 1 under the newly expanded Right-to-Know Law.
Petrilla said that duty will be handled by the yet-to-be hired solicitor’s office executive secretary. Marianne Svab left that secretary job through a recent early-retirement incentive.
Assistant solicitor Vito J. DeLuca was promoted to chief county solicitor Wednesday at a salary of $50,812. He replaces Jim Blaum, who retired under the incentive.
Mary Dysleski, the former Luzerne County recorder of deeds, was hired Wednesday as a fiscal officer in the Human Services Department for $45,000.
However, human services positions are not directly paid by the general fund. Instead, the county gives human services an $84,700 allocation, and the amount won’t increase in 2009.
Dysleski had been hired earlier this year as county deputy election director for $38,500, but she never fully assumed that role because she was assigned to temporarily oversee the Tax Claim Office due to short-staffing.
Human Services Director Joe Devizia said Dysleski will handle the job duties of two positions – block grant coordinator and contracts manager. The contracts manager is supposed to monitor hundreds of human service branch contracts, tracking performance and making sure the work is publicly advertised when required.
Block grant coordinator Carlie Wetzel retired recently under the incentive, and the contracts manager position has been vacant since Doug Pape left the job to become county chief clerk/manager.
County commissioners recently hired Harry Hamilton as contracts manager, but he was barely in the job before he resigned.
Dysleski’s deputy election position has been eliminated from the 2009 budget, as well as the other election deputy position that had been held by Chester Kurkowski, who also left through the incentive. That means Election Bureau Director Leonard Piazza won’t have any deputies.