Scranton council adopts countywide stormwater MOU after residents press for drains and infrastructure work

The Scranton City Council voted unanimously to ratify an intergovernmental memorandum of understanding with Lackawanna County to develop a countywide stormwater management plan, after residents urged faster fixes for recurring flooding, clogged storm drains and other infrastructure needs.

The resolution, adopted as item 7 c, was read into the record and passed by roll call with all members voting yes. The measure authorizes the city to participate with the county on a regional stormwater plan and was brought forward by the committee on rules for final passage.

The vote followed extended public comment in which residents tied the measure to persistent local problems. Joan Hoduanas, a long-time Scranton resident, told the council the city is overdue on stormwater work and called for a regular program to clean storm drains and address intersections that pond during heavy rain. "We need a program to clean those storm drains throughout the city on a regular basis so they don't get clogged," Hoduanas said, and noted that creation of a stormwater management authority is "about time." Mike Mancini and other speakers also raised concerns about the financial impacts of stormwater planning and the prospect of new fees; Mancini called the proposal a potential "rain tax" and asked council to consider local fiscal burdens before acting.

Council members and staff framed the MOU as a planning and cooperation step rather than an immediate tax or project authorization. The chair of the Committee on Rules recommended final passage of the item before the vote. Council members then completed a roll-call vote recorded as yes by all present, after which the president declared the item legally adopted.

Public commenters also connected the MOU to other infrastructure issues before council: clogged drains at Colfax and Rosslyn, ponding at the corner of Spruce (Biden) Street and Penn Avenue and repeated complaints about flooding near the cathedral and other intersections. Council members acknowledged those concerns and said follow-up with public works and relevant departments would continue, but the adopted MOU itself is a cooperative planning agreement with the county rather than a direct funding authorization.

The MOU’s passage marks a formal step toward a regional plan; speakers at the meeting urged the council to prioritize on-the-ground fixes — clearing drains, repairing storm infrastructure and accelerating creation of any municipal stormwater authority — while clarifying that future projects, fees or enforcement actions would require separate votes.