County approves payables, grants, contracts and roadwork awards in March meeting

The Lackawanna County Board of Commissioners voted March 19 to approve a slate of routine and major items including payables, grant submissions, farmland conservation easements, a tax-exemption designation under LERDA and construction contracts for road and drainage work.

The board approved payables presented in Resolution 25-0080, ratified modifications to Community Development Block Grant projects, accepted two farmland preservation easements funded by the Commonwealth, approved a Local Economic Revitalization Tax Assistance (LERDA) designation for a Penn Avenue redevelopment project in Scranton, and authorized multiple emergency-management grants. The board also awarded a Main Street resurfacing contract in Blakely and Archbald Boroughs and a Gordon Avenue drainage contract in Carbondale to the lowest responsible bidders.

The collection of votes advances infrastructure and emergency-preparedness work and continues county-level participation in state and federal grant programs. Officials said several of the grant items are annual submissions that support hazardous-materials and radiological response capabilities and that the farmland easements are paid entirely with Commonwealth funds.

Among the items approved: - Payables (Resolution 25-0080): The board approved the listed general-fund payables totaling $3,032,987.08 as read into the record, and approved electronic fund transfers for payroll and other accounts as presented to the board.

- Farmland preservation easements (Resolution 25-0069): The board approved the sale and purchase of agricultural conservation easements for 20.47 acres of the Brewer Number 2 Farm (Greenfield Township) and 26.69 acres of the Rosen Grant Number 1 Farm (Benton Township). Eric Johnson, farmland preservation program administrator, told the board both easements are funded entirely by the Commonwealth and noted the county has purchased more than 80 easements since 1994, protecting “a little over 6,600 acres.”

- Community Development Block Grant ratification (Resolution 25-0070): The board ratified modifications and reallocations to five CDBG projects in Dickson City, Dunmore, Olyphant, Scott Township and Taylor. Kristin Magna, economic development director, said the reallocations reassign previously approved CDBG dollars to projects “better aligned with current community needs,” with project completion required by Sept. 20, 2025.

- LERDA tax-exemption designation (Resolution 25-0071): The board designated a property at 121–123 Penn Avenue in Scranton as eligible for a LERDA tax-exemption schedule to support reconstruction and reuse. Val Kalpin, homestead/farmstead coordinator, and developer Alec Molfes described plans to convert a previously vacant building into apartments and storefronts. The county’s participation defers newly assessed tax revenue on the eligible improvements for a 10-year period as set out in the resolution.

- State Homeland Security Grant (Resolution 25-0072): The board approved entering into a state homeland security grant agreement with the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency and the Northeast Pennsylvania Regional Counter Terrorism Task Force for a FY24 award of $806,419, which will be shared among the task force’s nine counties to support equipment and supplies.

- Hazardous Materials Response Fund Grant (Resolution 25-0073): The board approved submission of the county’s annual Hazardous Materials Response Fund Grant to support the county’s hazardous-materials program; presenters described the grant as no-cost to the county and directed to equipment and supplies.

- Radiological Emergency Response Fund Grant (Resolution 25-0074): The board approved submission of the county’s radiological emergency response grant. Emergency Management Director Tom Taylor told commissioners that Lackawanna County is a support county for the Susquehanna Steam Electric Station’s emergency planning and that the county operates radiological monitoring and reception-center capacity that the grant helps equip.

- Emergency Management Performance Grant (Resolution 25-0075): The board approved submission of the FY2025 Emergency Management Performance Grant. Director Taylor said the award helps cover up to 50% of emergency-management staffing salary and benefits.

- Otis Elevator service agreement (Resolution 25-0076): The board approved a one-year elevator maintenance agreement for the county prison with Otis Elevator at a contract cost of $5,054.28, described by the county CFO as a 3% increase over the prior year.

- Main Street resurfacing — Blakely Borough/Archbald Borough: The board awarded the construction contract to Penzi Supply Inc., the lowest qualified bidder, at $1,337,039.76. County engineer Frank Suma and roads director Larry Lukasic said the work includes paving the corridor from Keystone Avenue in Blakely to Kennedy Drive in Archbald and replacement of a failing retaining wall near Hill Street; anticipated construction start depends on gas-main work by the utility company and was estimated for late June or early July.

- Gordon Avenue drainage — Carbondale Township/Carbondale City: The board awarded the drainage-improvement contract to Waco, Inc., the lowest qualified bidder, at $328,463.70. Suma and Lukasic said the drainage work is intended to be completed before PennDOT’s planned paving project the following year.

Each motion carried with the ayes called by the chair and no recorded roll-call dissents during the meeting.