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First Posted: 12/22/2014
After lengthy and passionate debate, a Luzerne County Council majority voted to transfer ownership of three county-owned recreational properties to the state.
The transfer covers Moon Lake Park in Plymouth Township, the Seven Tubs Nature Area in Plains Township and a 400-acre, county-owned parcel adjacent to Moon Lake that would link two sections of state forest property.
Councilman Harry Haas said the decision was personally “agonizing,” but he concluded the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources will do a better job managing the county sites for recreation.
Haas said he spends time at both parks and has observed theft and destruction at Moon Lake and vandalism, litter and “shady characters” at the Tubs.
The county isn’t “giving away” the property because it must remain recreational under state ownership, he said.
“I don’t care whose name is on there. I really don’t,” he said.
In addition to Haas, the transfer was approved by Jim Bobeck, Tim McGinley, Rick Williams, Rick Morelli and Linda McClosky Houck.
The remaining five council members opposed the transfer: Stephen A. Urban, Stephen J. Urban, Edward Brominski, Eileen Sorokas and Kathy Dobash.
Morelli said the cash-strapped county is saddled with $28 million in annual debt repayments largely because prior officials did not make decisions to focus on core services years ago.
“We can’t do everything. We don’t have the money to do everything,” Morelli said.
Williams said he decided with a “heavy heart” the state has more resources to patrol, promote and protect the land.
Stephen A. Urban said his six colleagues “led the public down a path of deception” by making people believe the county would start restoring Moon Lake with a $1 million capital reserve allocation to fund park improvements.
Stephen J. Urban said the six who supported the transfer lack creativity and said he will be making a motion at the next meeting to terminate county Manager Robert Lawton.
Bobeck said the $1 million in capital funding can be used on other projects and blasted Stephen A. Urban, a former commissioner, for “giving away” $9 million in past bond funding on outside community projects instead of investing that money in Moon Lake.
Urban said the earmarks he supported helped citizens.
“A lot of good I did in this county that you want to bring down and criticize,” Urban said.
Dobash, who attended by phone, said citizen complaints about the transfer “fell on deaf ears” and said council has a “majority of elitists.”
Several residents spoke about the transfer, with most urging council to vote against it or table a decision.
Hunlock Township resident David Wasilewski said he spends extensive time at Moon Lake and the Tubs and is willing to support state ownership if the county imposes ironclad safeguards preventing natural gas drilling, pipelines or other unwanted activity.
“These are both splendid natural areas that should be preserved,” he said.
Wasilewski criticized the contentious atmosphere among some council members, saying he and his friends respectfully debate and disagree about how the county should proceed.
“It would be nice if council could have lively debate without calling each other names or trying to belittle each other,” Wasilewski said, accusing some of trying to “divide and conquer” council to return to the prior commissioner government when three people made decisions on finances.
Dave Thomas, Hunlock Township, estimated the property involved in the transfer is worth $10 million and said the county is still repaying $4 million spent to purchase some of the watershed land. He said the agreement is “lousy” for the taxpayers and said the county has the resources to restore camping.
His wife, Michele Thomas, said she misses camping and other activities at Moon Lake and is skeptical of state ownership.
“This park was a beautiful gem,” she said.
Hazleton resident Mark Rabo said the state is $2 billion in the hole and said he will sell council members the “keys to the gates of heaven” if they believe the state will make significant improvements.
Charles Estock said he is an avid mountain bike rider at Moon Lake and noted the park “belongs to everyone in the county.”
Council members who supported the transfer said the agreement ensures existing activities, including mountain biking, will continue to be permitted under state ownership.