Several residents used public comment at the May 22 Wilkes-Barre council meeting to question the city’s handling of the Sterling Lot redevelopment and to raise concerns about the city’s pension fund performance.

Resident Sam Troy cited a news article and asked whether the city’s minimum municipal obligation (MMO) is being met after a reported roughly $4.2 million first-quarter pension loss. Mayor George Brown said the reported loss covered only the first quarter and preceded the city’s new money managers taking over; he told the meeting, “The pension fund... was during the stock market situation where it tanked. Now it's been coming back.” The mayor added that aggregate pension holdings are at a historically high level and that markets have been recovering.

On downtown development, commenters criticized the council’s 2018–2019 handling of the Sterling Lot sale and removal of a reversion clause, warning the city lost leverage over the parcel. Resident John Sikosky said the council “terribly voted for a bad project” and noted the loss of the reverter clause means the city may lack contractual control over future use. Mayor Brown responded that the developer (referred to in the meeting as “Mr. Sila”) purchased a different, nearby building for a hotel and that “the new hotel already has financing to complete it” and “they're not looking for LSA money” and it “is not a KOZ.” He said the Sterling site is expected to be put up for sale so another developer could pursue it.

Why it matters: the Sterling Lot and downtown hotel projects involve long-term redevelopment plans and public expectations; pension-fund health affects municipal budgets and taxpayer obligations. Commenters called for more transparency and expressed skepticism about developer commitments and past council decisions.

Next steps: The mayor urged critics to attend press conferences and pension-board meetings for direct information; no new council action or financial commitments were made at the meeting during public comment.