Wilkes-Barre Area School Board OKs tax break program for warehouse

PLAINS TWP. — The Wilkes-Barre Area School Board approved a tax break program with Bluecup Ventures LLC for property in Wilkes-Barre Township at the monthly meeting Monday. The deal gives the company a 65% break on property taxes for 10 years on a proposed warehouse planned near state Route 309 and Interstate 81.

Jeff Randolph of Bluecup first proposed the tax break to the board at a meeting last October. It would be done through the Local Economic Revitalization Tax Assistance Program, requiring approval not only from the district, but from the township and county.

The three taxing bodies would receive full tax payments on the current assessed property value but only 35% of the taxes on any improvements for 10 years. The plan is to construct a 973,000 square foot warehouse. Assessed value is expected to rise from $26,000 to $56 million.

The board also:

• Approved an agreement with The Princeton Review to provide SAT Fundamental classes for the current school year at a cost of $6,500.

• Approved the purchase of two 2022 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 regular cab pick up trucks, including an 8 foot Boss steel plow and a mini LED amber light bar, at a cost of $46,893 each, and a 2022 Chevrolet Silverado 4500 dump truck with a 10 foot Boss steel plow, under-tailgate spreader, 2 amber LED lights in the grill and a min LED lightbar on the cab shield at a cost of $92,248. All three vehicles are being bought through COSTARS, a state cooperative purchasing program which guarantees prices and allows school districts to bypass the usual bidding requirements.

• Approved a contract with United Heating and Air Conditioning of Pittston Township to replace the hot water heaters at the Solomon/Plains Educational Complex at a cost of $77,863, also through COSTARS.

• Approved an agreement with AMP Global Strategies in the Shavertown section of Kingston Township to install the antenna for police radios at the new high school at a cost of $4,714.

• Approved an agreement with ARM Group LLC, Columbia, Maryland for a dust monitoring program at the new athletic field at a rate of $7,500 per month. The monitoring will be done during construction of the new stadium near the high school to watch for any construction that hits buried materials such as coal ash and other mining refuse.

• Approved an agreement with Fitness Headquarters in Wilkes-Barre for preventative maintenance of the high school Fitness Center equipment at a cost of $2,600.

• Approved a change order for a contract with Bennell, Inc. totaling $2,770 to replace the gas regulator to the pool heater as per manufacturer recommendation and the engineer’s direction.

• Approved a change order for Everon Electrical Contractors, Inc., in Moosic totalling $14,994 including relays for fume hoods, additional speakers, relocation of a lighting conduit near the Maffett Street entrance and a receptacle for a cash register in the student store.

• Approved a change order for Quandel Construction Group, Inc. of Scranton to replace 9 room signs due to changes in room use, and cut a counter top for a ticket booth, at a cost of $2,969.

•Approved a change order for Scranton Sheet Metal, Inc. to provide PVC duct wrap at the pool viewing are at a cost of $28,500.

•Approved a change order for Stell Enterprises, Inc. of Plains Township to construct an underground detention system along Maffett Street at $66,160.

• Approved a change order for Sterling Glass, Inc. to provide electric hardware in a classroom wing at a cost of $18,921.

• Approved a change order for Keystone Sports Construction totaling $14,232 for a variety of changes on the stadium under construction.

• Accepted the retirement of Ted Jackson, and the resignation of baseball varsity assistant coach Corey Brenner.