Council raises multiple neighborhood concerns: graffiti, blight, rentals, alleged nightclubs and food-truck rules

At the Dec. 19 Wilkes-Barre City Council work study session, multiple council members brought neighborhood enforcement issues to the table, including graffiti removal, blighted buildings, rental inspections after violent incidents, alleged illegal night‑club activity and questions about food‑truck rules.

Graffiti and ordinance enforcement: The mayor reminded council members that graffiti is addressed under an existing city ordinance (cited in the transcript as section 19‑122). Under that ordinance, the property owner receives a notice and has 15 days to remove graffiti before the city may abate and seek reimbursement or place a lien. The mayor asked residents to report graffiti to Lisa at 570‑208‑4237; code enforcement will issue abatement notices and follow the ordinance, weather permitting.

Blight and hazardous structures: Councilmember Merrin raised the former Stan Lane’s bowling alley property, which she said is owned by Mount Zion Baptist Church and has a failing roof and parked vehicles, including tractor‑trailers. The mayor said the city periodically notifies owners of violations and will address the complaints; the Lower South Valley Land Bank has purchased eight properties at tax sale for remediation and is working with the city.

Rental inspections and public‑safety incidents: Councilwoman McClay reported two recent shootings near her home at rental properties. Staff explained the city maintains a rental‑inspection database, but it does not capture all conversions or sudden rentals; standard rental properties are inspected on a two‑year cycle. Police or fire responses trigger posting and code notifications only when inspectors find violations that require posting. Council members asked whether police notify code enforcement for incidents; staff said routine incidents do not automatically trigger code review unless they result in a condition that requires posting.

Illegal uses and nuisance complaints: The mayor and council discussed neighborhood complaints alleging an illegal nightclub on Washington Street (neighbors reported cover charges, large gatherings and noise) and an alleged vehicle‑repair “chop shop” at 12 Riverside Drive with many vehicles and loud activity in alleys. The mayor asked staff to issue notices to owners where appropriate.

Food trucks and mobile vendors: Council members discussed drafting a local ordinance modeled on neighboring municipalities. Suggestions included requiring mercantile or business privilege tax compliance, a notarized letter from property owners for use of private sites, a distance restriction from brick‑and‑mortar restaurants, limits on continuous music, general liability insurance and health‑department inspections. Staff said the current fee for a food‑truck license is $300 with annual renewal and required health inspections; Mike Slusher was asked to pull current license and insurance records for review.

Bridge and federal projects (brief): The mayor provided a short update on the North Washington Bridge project, noting it is a federal project coordinated with PennDOT and that the city is working with federal and state representatives; no new local action was requested in the transcript.

Council directed staff to continue enforcement under the existing ordinances, follow up with owners on complaint addresses cited in the meeting and work with the city solicitor and relevant departments to draft proposed rules for mobile vendors. The transcript shows multiple neighborhood complaints and staff responses but no new ordinance or vote recorded during the work session.

Ending: Council members said they would continue to pursue code enforcement actions, blight remediation and proposed food‑truck ordinance language; staff will return with more information at future meetings.