Luzerne County Council on Jan. 7 approved a series of resolutions and appointments, including modifications to American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) projects, confirmation of a Human Services division head and a contested reimbursement for attendance at the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania (CCAP) conference.

Appointments and personnel

- Council confirmed Megan Stone as division head of Human Services at a salary of $98,000. The nomination was moved and seconded and approved by roll call.

ARPA modifications and project amendments

- Council approved modifications to multiple ARPA‑funded projects. Several motions to modify ARPA awards passed by roll call; for multiple items the record notes unanimous approval. For the Shickshinney/Sikshanie Burrow project staff and outside counsel explained the request was for a period‑of‑performance extension; attorney Patrick Youngblood told council "they're not changing anything in the original project" and the project was described in council materials as the Chestnut Street Roadway and Drainage Improvement Project.

Election integrity grant budget amendment introduced

- Manager Crocamo introduced an ordinance to amend the 2024 general fund budget for the election integrity grant, explaining that a residual cash balance from the grant year needed to be reflected in 2024 so the county could apply those funds to outstanding 2024 invoices. Staff described the remaining invoices as individual, one‑time items such as a Dominion invoice, printing and equipment moves; they said the amendment increases revenue and expenses equally and does not expand the countys total budget.

CCAP reimbursement and charter dispute

- Council voted 10–1 to approve reimbursement of expenses associated with a council member's attendance at the CCAP conference. The vote followed a debate over whether the expense had required prior council approval under the county charter; the Office of Law advised the expense was appropriate because the attendee was the county's voting representative at CCAP.

Vacancies and nominations

- Council declared vacancies and moved to fill seats on multiple authorities, boards and commissions, including the Luzerne County Flood Protection Authority, Redevelopment Authority, Board of Elections and Registration, Board of Tax Assessment and Appeals, Industrial Development Authority, Conservation District Board, Accountability, Conduct and Ethics Commission, Arts Advisory Board, Farmland Preservation Board and the Luzerne County Planning Commission. Council named nominees and approved appointments by roll call; multiple votes were recorded as unanimous.

Contracts and procurement

- Council discussed and moved toward approval of a tax‑bill printing contract with Master's Touch; County staff said the recommended vendor offered per‑bill savings and address‑verification services intended to reduce returned mail and reprints.

Why it matters: The actions move multiple county projects forward, place a new manager at the head of Human Services, and adjust federal/state‑source spending to reflect timing differences. The CCAP reimbursement vote exposed a difference of legal interpretation among council members and prompted calls for clearer pre‑authorization of travel from the budget.

Quotes and clarifications

- "They're not changing anything in the original project," attorney Youngblood said of Shickshinney Burrow's ARPA request, describing it as a time extension.
- Manager Crocamo said the election integrity amendment "increases revenue and expenses by the same amount" to allow payment of invoices attributable to the grant period.

What the record shows: Several ARPA project changes were described as extensions of performance dates rather than budget revisions. The Master's Touch recommendation was presented as a lower per‑bill cost plus address‑verification reporting, expected to reduce returned mail. Council approved the listed motions and appointments during the Jan. 7 session.