Luzerne County Council adopts responsible-contractor ordinance with amendments after hours of public comment

Luzerne County Council on Wednesday adopted a responsible-contractor ordinance (RCO) that sets new qualifications for firms bidding on county-funded construction projects, following more than two hours of public comment and debate.

The council approved two amendments before passing the ordinance. One amendment says that if no bids for a project come from contractors who meet the ordinance’s qualification criteria, “the requirements of this ordinance shall be considered null and void for that specific project” and the county may select the lowest qualified bidder under its standard purchasing rules. The council also raised the project-size threshold that triggers the ordinance from $250,000 to $500,000.

Council members discussed the ordinance at length, and both supporters and opponents of the measure spoke during a packed public hearing. Supporters — mainly construction-trade union representatives and apprentices — argued the ordinance would improve safety, ensure trained workers and protect taxpayer dollars. Opponents — including representatives of merit-shop contractors and the Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) of Eastern Pennsylvania — said the rule would exclude many local firms and…