2015 WVC All-State Selections

web1_TTL102815GSOC-WyoArea-Dallas3.jpg

Girls Soccer: Dallas, Crestwood to square off in District 2 quarters

<p>Delays filling an executive director position and other employee vacancies are hurting the Area Agency on Aging that covers Luzerne and Wyoming counties, members of its citizen advisory board warned Luzerne County Council members Tuesday.</p><p>The alert comes on the heels of similar concerns at Children and Youth, another county human services agency.</p><p>The state recently downgraded Children and Youth&#8217;s license to provisional status, citing &#8220;serious concerns&#8221; and &#8220;regulatory violations&#8221; discovered through inspections sparked by a child&#8217;s death. The county and state largely blamed staffing shortages and enacted a corrective plan that includes intensified recruiting of caseworkers and possible raises to fill numerous vacancies.</p><p>Phyllis Mundy, a former local state representative who serves on the Area Agency on Aging Advisory Council, told the county council several issues are preventing county aging from serving elderly residents in the &#8220;most efficient manner,&#8221; including:</p><p>&#8226; Failure to hire staff in a timely manner</p><p>Waiting for state Civil Service applicant eligibility lists slows the hiring process, but the county also has delayed completion of forms needed for selected applicants to start work, Mundy said. She cited a two-month delay obtaining start dates for applicants recommended to fill two vacant care manager positions, saying the lag is &#8220;unacceptable.&#8221;</p><p>&#8226; Vacancies force elderly clients to wait longer for assessments to access agency services</p><p>Eleven positions must be filled, she said.</p><p>&#8226; The agency has been without an executive director since mid-January</p><p>Teresa Osborne left the position after several weeks in January for a promotion to secretary of the state Department of Aging.</p><p>&#8226; Non-union staffers have not received pay increases in seven years</p><p>Some managers are leaving or seeking demotions to union positions because they will make more money.</p><p>&#8226; The administration&#8217;s delays signing budget transfers have hampered the receipt of funding and forced the agency to return funding in the past.</p><p>Raises and other expenses in the agency&#8217;s $13.5 million budget are paid by state and federal funding and a $15,000 earmark from Wyoming County, with no contribution from Luzerne County, said Mundy, who was accompanied by several other advisory board members.</p><p>Councilwoman Kathy Dobash requested a briefing from the advisory council at a council work session next month, saying the council was in the dark about Children and Youth problems and must stay on top of aging department concerns.</p><p>Human Services Division Head David Schwille told the council he believes there are seven vacant aging positions. Four applicants have been offered positions, and the administration is in the process of setting up interviews for the remaining three, he said.</p><p>Schwille said background clearances and other required forms typically delay start dates about a month, and he did not know the reason for the two-month delay cited by Mundy.</p><p>Interviews for the aging director position will be set up within two weeks, he said. Schwille said the selection of a new director was put on hold while he was on leave, and issues with the applicant vetting process at the state level caused further delays.</p><p>In other business Monday:</p><p>&#8226; Dobash&#8217;s motion to terminate county Manager Robert Lawton was not placed on Monday&#8217;s voting agenda due to an issue with the council bylaws and procedure.</p><p>&#8226; A council majority rejected Councilman Tim McGinley&#8217;s proposal to provide raises to non-union workers now instead of addressing the matter as part of the 2016 budget. McGinley suggested partially granting increases for 119 employees who are compensated below industry standards based on an outside analysis. He also wanted to provide $1,000 raises to about 40 non-union workers who weren&#8217;t identified as below standard.</p><p>Some citizens and council members raised concerns about the timing and ability to continue funding the increases in 2016. Councilman Stephen J. Urban also said the plan may result in raises for some newer employees &#8212; not only those on staff for seven years without increases.</p><style>
.neFileBlock {
	margin-bottom: 20px;
}
.neFileBlock p {
	margin: 0px 0px 0px 0px;
}
.neFileBlock .neFile {
	border-bottom: 1px dotted #aaa;
	padding-bottom: 5px;
	padding-top: 10px;
}
.neFileBlock .neCaption {
	font-size: 85%;
}
</style>
<div class='neFileBlock'>
<div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/web1_Luzerne-County-Seal-Logo.jpg">
<div class="neCaption"></div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/web1_Luzerne-County-Seal-Logo.jpg</photo0><caption0></caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Jennifer Learn-Andes</p><p>jandes@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Jennifer Learn-Andes at 570-991-6388 or on Twitter @TLJenLearnAndes.</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Advisory board warns of staffing concerns at Luzerne County’s aging department