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County Manager Proposes Merging GIS and Planning & Zoning to Improve Efficiency; Council Asks Logistics Questions
Summary
County staff proposed unifying GIS/mapping and planning & zoning functions to streamline permitting, improve MPO support and enable cross‑training. Council members asked about space, timing and connection to the ongoing government study.
County management and planning staff told Luzerne County Council that merging the GIS mapping team and the planning and zoning department could improve efficiency, reduce duplication, and strengthen the county’s role in the regional metropolitan planning organization (MPO).
Dan Reese, interim planning and zoning director, described operational overlaps: GIS staff routinely perform mapping and recording tasks that support planning and zoning work. Reese said that merging would allow cross‑training, reduce the need for outside consultants, and improve the county’s ability to manage transportation and land‑use planning. He noted staffing shortages in planning and that recent recruitment produced few eligible candidates.
Manager Ramilda Crocomo said the proposed unification is a first step toward a larger infrastructure division that could include community development and environmental services; she cautioned that major moves (such as relocating GIS equipment) should await recommendations from the Pennsylvania Economy League strategic-plan process because of equipment, space, and budget considerations.
Councilmembers asked practical questions about where staff would be housed, whether GIS would move to Penn Place, costs and timing, and how the change meshes with the government study commission’s charter work. Staff said some cross‑training could start immediately, but significant structural changes would await the government study's results and PEL recommendations.
Ending: Council expressed general support for better integration but asked staff to return with logistics, cost estimates, and a plan coordinated with the pending strategic‑planning work.
