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<b>First Posted:</b> 3/18/2008<br><br>By Jennifer Learn-Andes jandes@www.timesleader.comLuzerne County Reporter 


Luzerne County Commissioners may vote Wednesday to create a county health department, with the understanding that they may back out if they determine the plan isn&amp;rsquo;t feasible.
Bernard Healey, who was hired last year as a consultant to study the idea, urged commissioners during Monday&amp;rsquo;s work session to quickly seek state approval because the county faces competition for state funding. The state has been budgeted money to create one new county health department, and Healey said four other counties &amp;ndash; Lehigh, Northampton, Lancaster and York &amp;ndash; have initiated plans to create their own departments. He said Monroe County also is considering the idea.
&amp;ldquo;We&amp;rsquo;re in a race with the other counties,&amp;rdquo; he said.
Healey said he already has completed application paperwork required by the state, including job descriptions for the roughly 20 new positions that would be created. The state will need two or three months to review the application, which means the county could have a health department by July 1, said Healey, at an estimated cost of about $1.02 million.
He projects the county would receive $100,000 from non-profits, $972,000 from state funding and $165,000 from fees such as restaurant inspections, in addition to up to $300,000 in county funding.
Minority Commissioner Stephen A. Urban said he believes Healey has drastically underestimated the cost. Urban also said he still has concerns about the tangible benefits, the takeover of services already provided by other government offices or non-profits, and Healey&amp;rsquo;s lack of response to his questions about the plan.
&amp;ldquo;We&amp;rsquo;re talking about growing government when this county is financially strapped, based on the input of one person,&amp;rdquo; Urban said.
 Healey said he believes the new department could offer more programs to improve the area&amp;rsquo;s health, such as education on sexually transmitted diseases and cancer screenings.
Commissioners Maryanne Petrilla and Greg Skrepenak said they have no problem advancing the project, as long as it can be withdrawn.
Commissioners would have to appoint a nine-person board of directors to oversee the department.
In other business, commissioners said Monday that they have received proposals from three individuals and one company interested in working as the county&amp;rsquo;s public relations consultant.
Wilkes-Barre activist Tim Grier, who jokingly applied for the consultant position, was not among the four because he has withdrawn his name from consideration, county officials said.
Commissioners said during Monday&amp;rsquo;s work session that they plan to review the proposals and determine if the county will hire a consultant and/or public information officer. Interviews for the public information officer began Monday.
 Commissioners also received two requests for the Local Economic Revitalization Tax Assistance (LERTA) tax break program, which provides temporary tax forgiveness on new development.
 Freeland borough officials want commissioners to forgive county taxes for development along Main Street &amp;ndash; 100 percent forgiveness in the first year decreasing to 20 percent in the fifth year.
 Mericle Development is seeking 100 percent forgiveness for 10 years on 67.71 acres in the East Mountain Corporate Center in Plains Township.
 Urban told Rob Mericle that he believes he has received too many tax breaks over the years. Mericle said the breaks were warranted because he risks his own money investing in projects and has created many jobs.
In other business

 Commissioners also discussed plans to:
 &amp;bull; Lease space at 280 N. Sherman St. in Wilkes-Barre for the office of District Judge Martin Kane. The county will pay Bella Vista Associates LLC rent ranging from $15.35 to $19.35 per square foot.
 &amp;bull; Make the Luzerne County Diversity Task Force a permanent commission.
&amp;bull; Charge groups $400 to use the courthouse rotunda for special events or functions. The fee will cover the cost of security and building and grounds staff.
 &amp;bull; Submit documents allowing the county District Attorney&amp;rsquo;s Office to participate in a program targeting computer crime.
 &amp;bull; Authorize Mericle Commercial Real Estate Services to list for sale the county-owned Spring Brook Water Building at 30 N. Franklin St., Wilkes-Barre. The property will be sold to the highest bidder, as long as that bid exceeds the fair market value of the structure.
 &amp;bull; Provide a $1.5 million deferred payment or forgivable loan to the Luzerne County Housing Authority to build a $4.2 million, 30-unit elderly housing complex in West Hazleton.
 &amp;bull; Loan $500,000 to Terra Firma Land Development Group Inc. to purchase land at 900 Schecter Drive, Wilkes-Barre Township, for a new restaurant. The $1.08 million project will create at least 45 jobs, said county community development director Andy Reilly.
Also, a Times Leader newspaper representative asked commissioners to consider awarding the sheriff&amp;rsquo;s sale public notice advertising contract to the newspaper.


    

Jennifer Learn-Andes, a Times Leader staff writer, may be reached at 831-7333.

Consultant tells county to expedite health plan