[{"_1":2,"_97":-5,"_98":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_25":26},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_27":28,"_29":30},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[31,73,85],{"_32":33,"_34":35,"_36":37,"_38":39,"_40":41,"_42":43,"_44":45,"_46":47,"_48":49,"_50":51,"_52":53,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":59,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":65,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":67,"_71":55,"_72":55},"mediaId",6277937,"mediaKeyId","2643469-3a131513d212e0015e2e543fd921b866","parentId",2643469,"title","Residents call for halt to Kirby Park encampment sweeps after short notice removal","audioSeconds",104,"startMs",2378000,"endMs",2482000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2643469-3a131513d212e0015e2e543fd921b866&start=2378&end=2482","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2643469-3a131513d212e0015e2e543fd921b866/thumbnail_2378000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6277937/Wilkes-Barre/Luzerne-County/Pennsylvania/Residents-call-for-halt-to-Kirby-Park-encampment-sweeps-after-short-notice-removal","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6277937-0a195ecf553ef55e52ba02901517dc75/orig.mp4?Expires=1769864935&Signature=b20sATKaX2W14Q8HDboOzc7BYMAO8vtzzXpo7Ut1u~uJolWLYZpFr~qHg0w5u8muuWjhGlB6XbL3Q6tiMKfmaQtyGjGSwiojIZOftN-xKamW1uhifcLSxtPipORYEtygwiTffuj4YkXI5ZdyU7e0I499gnI2p3E13DpWUuGxuWLFNIPBjbF2IBbjY~UWGW5vlInXVLINuQ9C1Zg9uNB3yMk6E35IMz75RJSTG3kulvEu92xk6zmgSPekT~r44g0KvNIOaA4r-DeMd8LBMHHQ6fIAr9~FPVxVhEtqJDftK7dS16t-eNi1pB3Ba6f5-0JkEYntwNU3rGjL9vbqt7CCxA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","","date","2025-03-14T15:13:48Z","article","Speakers at Wilkes‑Barre City Council’s public discussion urged a pause on homeless encampment sweeps after city contractors cleared an encampment in Kirby Park earlier the same day.

Anthony Farah and April Fowler told council members that the sweep provided only short notice and left residents of the encampment with insufficient time and support to secure belongings or find alternatives. Farah said the people affected were given just two or three days’ notice for a sweep that had earlier been postponed because of flooding, and he described the recent action as “inhumane.”

“Homeless encampment sweeps are not only inhumane, but also a misguided way to addressing a much bigger social issue,” April Fowler told council, urging the city to stop removing encampments until it can provide housing and services or a better‑coordinated transition. Commenters said personal items, identification documents and medicines are often lost during sweeps, complicating outreach and service referrals.

Farah asked the city to disclose how much it spent on private contractors used for the removal and to institute a hold on sweeps until the city develops more supportive alternatives. Council did not record an immediate policy change; staff did not offer specific expenditure figures at the meeting.

Councilmembers and staff did not dispute the comments but did not announce a suspension of sweep activity. The mayor and other officials noted that some encampment clearances have been delayed in the past for safety reasons (for example, when flooding threatened an encampment) and that the city coordinates with public works and other departments for park maintenance and public‑safety reasons. Commenters said better notice, storage options for property and coordinated social‑service referrals are needed to reduce harm when clearances occur.

No formal motion or vote was recorded on the issue at Tuesday’s meeting. Several speakers asked the council to consider a moratorium on sweeps until the city establishes clearer protocols and funding disclosure for contracted removals.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","City of Wilkes-Barre Council Regular Session 3.13.25","oneSentenceSummary","Speakers criticized a recent sweep of a homeless encampment in Kirby Park as inhumane and urged the city to pause sweeps and disclose contractor spending; council offered no immediate reversal but heard multiple pleas.","taxTitle","Wilkes-Barre, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania","taxId",56675,"location","headline","shortSummary",{"_32":74,"_34":35,"_36":37,"_38":75,"_40":76,"_42":77,"_44":78,"_46":79,"_48":80,"_50":81,"_52":82,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":83,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":84,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":67,"_71":55,"_72":55},6277941,"Residents press council on speeding, parking and e‑bike safety as police enforcement limits surface",475,1381000,1856000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2643469-3a131513d212e0015e2e543fd921b866&start=1381&end=1856","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2643469-3a131513d212e0015e2e543fd921b866/thumbnail_1381000.jpg","/articles/6277941/Wilkes-Barre/Luzerne-County/Pennsylvania/Residents-press-council-on-speeding-parking-and-ebike-safety-as-police-enforcement-limits-surface","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6277941-00780dcfa493cd3709bc6b379884dd61/orig.mp4?Expires=1769864935&Signature=jx2sy0eQmX6UTtIXLo1OtKZXDiyL8TxrP5IwcUTnQm~XkoRe8Lv1Gt2KAn2HlQsPPz1C1X7Ud~2RmGIPRqXbRTcjTkn5JPs5dDslo1b8h8QYrIkLYPfC5rYowzofgc3mersUQeFMDxAJYzwnanhwXBQWZnyhFtlmQrhSnAT1lTiPYkwqEiztMMVTCZDFadKz8YfmuaRZNwY68BI3nnAgsuy98lTZSnpCxbyx7hTfkSl7jaSO1dHBkzGKfZ7pbSy~fVzLFVuzEL1dkDv0xx~p8KYu06I1CZ6QQjzgzmxT4UHs9HkRSHWtQa4MVUtAyscNkAdA5NqeS66yRSvbgkOdwA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Residents at Tuesday’s Wilkes‑Barre City Council meeting urged action on speeding, illegal parking and unsafe e‑bike and vehicle behavior in neighborhood streets, and council members discussed enforcement limits and technology options.

Several residents from Saint Clair, Mead and nearby streets described repeated high‑speed driving in 25 mph zones, drivers running stop signs and double‑parking that blocks traffic. “They do 50 miles an hour — it’s supposed to be 25,” said Anthony Bonavina of 89 Saint Clair Street, who told the council he feared for children playing in the street. Jim Burton and other commenters described drivers coming through stop signs at high speed near school zones.

Speakers and some council members urged immediate remedies such as temporary stop signs with flashing lights to test whether traffic calming helps. Council members cautioned that traffic controls must follow state and PennDOT rules; the council’s traffic committee handles stop‑sign placements and PennDOT requires engineering justification for them.

A speaker who identified himself as a former police officer said municipal enforcement faces a legal limit: Pennsylvania state law currently does not permit municipal police to use radar to issue speeding citations. “Pennsylvania municipal police cannot legally use radar to write citations,” he said, adding that state police can use radar but municipal departments cannot. Council members urged residents to raise the issue with state legislators if expanded enforcement tools are desired.

Council members also discussed technology investments. Mayor George Brown said administrators are evaluating systems similar to the camera and gunshot‑detection installations used in Hazleton, and the police chief has been involved in the review. “We are looking at installing cameras in certain areas,” the mayor said, adding that new camera systems can help locate a noise source within seconds and distinguish fireworks from gunshots.

Residents also raised related quality‑of‑life complaints — trash and recycling left in windblown bags, broken sidewalks near recently planted street trees and double‑parking near businesses — asking for better enforcement and public education. Council members suggested putting temporary traffic measures on the next meeting agenda and pursuing route and signage reviews via the traffic committee.

No formal council action was recorded on traffic policy during the meeting; council members directed staff to put temporary stop‑sign testing and traffic‑committee items on future agendas and to continue evaluating camera systems with police input.","Multiple residents raised speeding, parking, recycling and e‑bike safety concerns. Council discussed enforcement limits for municipal police, temporary stop signs and possible camera/gunshot detection systems.",{"_32":86,"_34":35,"_36":37,"_38":87,"_40":88,"_42":89,"_44":90,"_46":91,"_48":92,"_50":93,"_52":94,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":95,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":96,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":67,"_71":55,"_72":55},6277947,"Wilkes‑Barre council adopts mobile food facility rules; approves license fee proration",682,9606,692000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2643469-3a131513d212e0015e2e543fd921b866&start=9&end=692","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2643469-3a131513d212e0015e2e543fd921b866/thumbnail_9606.jpg","/articles/6277947/Wilkes-Barre/Luzerne-County/Pennsylvania/WilkesBarre-council-adopts-mobile-food-facility-rules-approves-license-fee-proration","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6277947-11f2406ba2ebbb911e912a0ee9cd92e7/orig.mp4?Expires=1769864935&Signature=UFgyDjJh-ylASoL8Bt5wqPRQtV3vX6FuR4OzX6XpjH1b8iiGFMr-RvyOWn0GfgNLPgsX2StIN~LmKs6LSO5C6axitG~UPL6DnOnwrJ1Dwehy3H3l4fxIeQDfJETlxIDPjvfKCXvtBOPML70DZjT8FIhpmRmKtCxhLZnSwhfjCzg4qam5Yb8tZHht6bwgey9qnYupZo~kCkLqzuVZ~8H8D~VBg0yg7-Gt1XGygXeXorp98GgeFdhLI1-fp5hIZcU6MiHRXJ54sktxmTNYyCuIyN37MhtgfHxObFrIhER5FcbMRbzfEhm34m8vw4HYO6-hrtjv7ZJwX3k8x4QXvX2~0Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Wilkes‑Barre City Council on Tuesday approved a new mobile food facility ordinance intended to register and regulate food trucks operating in the city and separately approved an ordinance that changes the calendar for restaurant license renewals.

The measures, described by council members as an effort to bring unregulated mobile vendors into the city’s licensing and health‑inspection framework, were adopted after public comment that ranged from safety and noise concerns to warnings that new rules could burden small businesses.

Council members said the mobile food facility ordinance will require registration, inspection and payment of applicable fees for trucks operating in the city. “This is about paying the licensing fee,” Councilman Brooks said during public comment and council discussion. Supporters of regulation said the draft text also addresses nuisance factors — lights, amplified music and outdoor tables — and can be adjusted later if problems persist. “We put in there about the lights. We put in there about the music. We put in there about the tables without having a restroom,” Councilman Mirren told the council during debate.

Several residents urged limits on late‑night operation. Tom Gagatek and James Steezenitz told council members they had observed trucks operating into the early morning hours and said that presence near homes can raise concerns about safety and noise. A former police officer who spoke at the meeting said he was “comfortable” with midnight closing but worried about operations after midnight and raised questions about refrigeration and generator use in parked trucks at night.

Other public commenters urged caution so rules do not shut down small‑business startups. “These ordinances crack down on small business owners,” said vendor Anthony Farrah, who said regulation could make it harder for entrepreneurs to start operations when brick‑and‑mortar rents are high.

Councilmembers responded that the purpose of the ordinance is to create a regulatory framework where none existed since 2021 and to allow enforcement of taxes, noise and public‑health standards; they said hours could be revisited after implementation. Members repeatedly directed residents to call police for trucks operating in front of private homes and the health department for daytime sanitary concerns.

Votes at a glance: the council approved both ordinances at the meeting. The mobile food facility ordinance (Council File 1) passed on a 3–2 vote after a motion by Councilman Mirren and a second by Councilwoman Maclay. The fee proration ordinance (Council File 2), which sets restaurant licensing to a calendar‑year renewal cycle, passed unanimously by recorded voice vote.

Details of council action, as stated in the meeting record, are limited to the ordinance descriptions and the roll calls; the ordinances themselves and any implementing rules or administrative procedures will be available through the city clerk’s office.

Council members said the health department will retain its existing inspection and enforcement authority for sanitary conditions, and the new licensing rules are intended to work alongside those inspections rather than replace them. Council and staff also noted that the health department’s capacity to inspect trucks at all hours is limited and that operational details such as permanent electrical hookups and refrigerated storage will be clarified with health‑department staff.

The council adopted both ordinances during the meeting’s regular session and closed discussion to move on to other business.","City council adopted a mobile food facility ordinance to register and regulate food trucks and approved an ordinance changing restaurant license proration. Council and residents debated hours, sanitation and enforcement before votes.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Residents call for halt to Kirby Park encampment sweeps after short notice removal

Residents press council on speeding, parking and e‑bike safety as police enforcement limits surface

Wilkes‑Barre council adopts mobile food facility rules; approves license fee proration