Lackawanna County Land Bank approves property acquisitions, conveyances and $15,000 stipend for director

The Lackawanna County Land Bank approved five resolutions and authorized steps to convey and manage several properties, and the board approved a $15,000 stipend for the land bank director at its meeting.

The board approved Resolution 25-013 to acquire additional property from the tax claim office repository list; Resolution 25-014 to convey certain land bank-owned property under the property purchase program; Resolutions 25-015 and 25-016 to rescind previously approved conveyances and acquisitions; and Resolution 25-017 accepting the county's February-end financial audit. All five resolutions were approved by voice vote with the ayes prevailing; the transcript did not record individual vote tallies or named movers and seconders for the recorded roll calls.

Why it matters: The approved actions affect which properties the land bank will add to its inventory and which previously planned sales or conveyances will be halted. The board also authorized county-level financial oversight by accepting the February-end audit. Separately, the board approved a one-time $15,000 stipend for Ralph Pappas, identified in the meeting as the land bank director, to acknowledge his additional duties tied to the land bank and related county redevelopment work.

What the board reported: Director Ralph Pappas reported that the land bank has conveyed 275 properties inside the city of Scranton with two properties pending; he provided a neighborhood breakdown reported during the meeting: West Scranton (80), South Scranton (67), North Scranton (72), Green Ridge (24) and East Scranton (19). The land bank has conveyed properties to a mix of municipalities and nonprofit organizations; the transcript lists recipients including United Neighborhood Community Development Corporation, Scranton Lackawanna Resource Development Corporation, Ronald McDonald House, and multiple townships and boroughs named on the record.

Pappas said the land bank acquired four properties at a judicial tax sale held May 2: 911 Battle Street; 11 Odyne Poplar; 1433 Fellows Street; and a property in Throop that came to the land bank on behalf of the Lackawanna River Basin Sewer Authority. Pappas said the Agency for Community Empowerment has expressed interest in rehabilitating 1433 Fellows Street and that he is working with Jim Wansack and that group to convey the deed to the agency if rehabilitation is pursued. He also said the land bank is working with Sherry (city staff) and the Scranton Redevelopment Authority to identify repository properties suitable for affordable housing construction.

Fees and demolition fund: Pappas told the board that commissioners passed an act on March 5 (identified in the meeting as Act 48 of 2024) that imposes a $250 fee on the sale of certain properties; he said a sheriff sale scheduled for June 6 may be subject to that fee and that he has asked Sheriff McAndrew whether the fee will be applied starting June 5. Pappas said commissioners are expected to consider legislation in coming weeks to add a $15 recording fee on mortgages and deeds to create a demolition fund for countywide demolition projects; he described that fund as intended to support demolition across the county, not solely land bank projects.

Stipend motion: A board member moved and another seconded a motion to award Pappas a $15,000 stipend for the second consecutive year, citing his multiple duties shared across agencies and redevelopment work; the board approved the motion by voice vote. The transcript does not identify the moving or seconding board members by name in the record for that motion.

Discussion vs. decisions: The record shows discussion about property dispositions, potential rehabilitation of specific judicial-sale properties, coordination with city and redevelopment staff, and forthcoming fee-based funding mechanisms. The formal decisions recorded were the five resolutions listed above and the stipend motion, each adopted by voice vote.

What was not specified: The transcript did not include roll-call vote counts or the names of motion movers and seconders for each resolution. Countywide totals cited in one part of the presentation were unclear in the transcript; the article reports only the Scranton-specific totals and neighborhood breakdowns stated aloud. Details of timeline or conditions for the potential conveyance of 1433 Fellows Street to the Agency for Community Empowerment were described as contingent on receiving the deed and further internal steps.

Next steps: Pappas said he has sent paperwork to prospective participants (noted in the meeting as Jessup Borough) to participate as repository partners and is awaiting return of the paperwork. The board set its next meeting for June 11, 2025, at 11 a.m., as posted at adjournment.