A Wyoming Valley Levee fee increase impacting 14,153 Luzerne County property owners prompted discussion during Tuesday’s county council meeting.

The county Flood Protection Authority has increased the fee for 2017, saying the $1.2 million it generated annually wasn’t keeping pace with the average $1.89 million needed each year to maintain the 16-mile flood control system along the Susquehanna River.

Depending on the assessed value of their structures, residential property owners protected by the levee will pay $16.56 to $33.12 more per year, while the annual increase will range from $33.12 to $536.64 for commercial, industrial and tax-exempt buildings.

Kingston resident Richard Adams blasted the fee Tuesday and urged council members to dissolve the authority and take over levee oversight and maintenance.

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“I think you could do it in-house,” Adams said, describing the fee as an “additional nail in the coffin” for impacted property owners that will make it harder for them to sell their properties.

As part of its justification for the fee, the authority has pointed out the premium for $350,000 in flood insurance would rise from about $500 to $5,308 annually for a levee-protected property in Kingston if the levee is improperly maintained and loses its Army Corps certification.

Adams said that argument does not sway him because he stopped buying flood insurance, which is required only for properties carrying mortgages.

Councilman Rick Williams asked the county administration to research the feasibility of taking over levee operation, acknowledging further legal analysis would be necessary if it is deemed a viable option. While he is not advocating authority abolishment, Williams said bringing the authority back “under the county umbrella” warrants exploration.

But Councilman Stephen A. Urban reminded Williams that supporters of prior county manager Robert Lawton — Urban was not among them — raised no objections when Lawton pushed to make the authority independent. As a result, the authority stopped reimbursing the county for office space and staff and created its own standalone unit headquartered in Plains Township, he said.

County government had funded levee maintenance until the fee was established in 2009 to help the county’s strapped general fund budget. County council appoints five citizen board members who oversee the authority, but council has no jurisdiction over authority decisions, including the fee amount.

Urban said the authority has done a good job making sure the system is primed for flood control, as evidenced by its success holding back water in the record 2011 flood.

“I’m happy to pay those couple of dollars to the Flood Protection Authority because I know I have some flood protection,” said Urban, a Wilkes-Barre resident.

The authority was created in 1996 as part of the levee-raising because the federal government, which funded 75 percent of the project, wanted a single entity to operate and take care of the system, including stretches previously under municipal control, Urban said.

County Manager C. David Pedri said he will review the authority’s budget, staffing and responsibilities to determine what it would cost to duplicate these services and present his findings to council at its May 23 meeting.

Eliminating the authority and absorbing levee maintenance costs would be a mistake and likely lead to “huge tax increases” for all county property owners, said Councilwoman Kathy Dobash.

Councilman Eugene Kelleher believes all county residents should “chip in” to fund the levee protecting the county seat in Wilkes-Barre as they do to maintain 127 miles of county roads traveled only by some residents.

In other business Tuesday:

• Construction is progressing at Children and Youth offices to repair damage caused by an alleged fire bombing in March, Pedri said. Repairs at the building on Pennsylvania Avenue in Wilkes-Barre will be covered by county insurance.

• The administration is reviewing bids to repair the prison elevator involved in the July deaths of a correctional officer and inmate, Pedri said. The facility on Water Street was left with only one working elevator since the deaths because the county had to await court clearance to begin repairs.

Luzerne County Courthouse
http://www.psdispatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/web1_d-6.jpg.optimal.jpgLuzerne County Courthouse

By Jennifer Learn-Andes

jandes@timesleader.com

Employee recognition

Ten Luzerne County government workers with 40 or more years of employment were honored during a ceremony before Tuesday’s county council meeting. Their names, departments and tenure:

• Judith Newman, Children and Youth, 50

• Patricia Kopeck, Budget and Finance, 45

• Diane Kormos, Domestic Relations, 45

• Mark Krakowski, Building and Grounds, 43

• Alfonso Pellegrini, Prothonotary, 42

• Bonnie Gross, Domestic Relations, 41

• Kristyn Tokash, Courts, 41

• Vincent Alessandri, Domestic Relations, 41

• Nancy Gaughan, District Court, 41

• Daniel Coll, Court Stenographer, 40 years

Reach Jennifer Learn-Andes at 570-991-6388 or on Twitter @TLJenLearnAndes.