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Lottery Numbers for Thursday, March 17

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Lackawanna College announces new hire

<p>Luzerne County acting Manager C. David Pedri has re-advertised the operational services division head position at a higher salary without a past requirement for applicants to hold a Pennsylvania professional engineer license.</p><p>Pedri stressed Thursday he has not ruled out the three finalists he already interviewed but is attempting to widen the applicant pool.</p><p>&#8220;We want to ensure we have reviewed the broadest range of applicants possible,&#8221; Pedri said.</p><p>Initially $70,000 to $85,000, the salary range is $80,000 to $90,000 in the new ad posted on the open positions section of the county website, <a href="http://www.luzernecounty.org" target="_blank">www.luzernecounty.org</a>.</p><p>Applicants previously were required to be eligible for a Pennsylvania professional engineer license and obtain a license within one year of appointment. Licensing requires passage of an engineering fundamentals test, apprenticeship under a licensed professional engineer and completion of a lengthy exam, engineers say.</p><p>Pedri said he does not believe an engineer license is necessary for the management post because the division head is primarily responsible for the oversight of facilities and employees, &#8220;as opposed to engineering duties.&#8221;</p><p>The operational services division head oversees engineering, roads and bridges, planning and zoning, 911, emergency management, building and grounds and security in addition to any county environmental or recreation projects.</p><p>The county&#8217;s home rule charter and council-adopted administrative code don&#8217;t require an engineer license for the position, Pedri said. The council&#8217;s personnel code says the administration &#8212; not the council &#8212; sets qualifications for vacant positions.</p><p>The county already has a licensed engineer &#8212; Larry Plesh &#8212; on staff and access to the expertise of other licensed engineers who handle county projects as independent contractors, Pedri said.</p><p>The first two operational division heads under the county&#8217;s home rule structure met the license requirement.</p><p>Tanis Manseau, who received $85,000 in the post, was a licensed engineer in South Carolina when he was hired in May 2014 and received his Pennsylvania license in December that year, state records show. Manseau resigned in October.</p><p>Christopher Belleman, who was paid $75,000, already held a license when he was hired as operational division head in July 2013. He resigned as division head in September 2014 to become county Flood Protection Authority executive director.</p><p>Several years before home rule, the county had three licensed engineers on staff &#8212; Belleman, Jim Brozena and Joe Gibbons. Gibbons and Brozena, who also served as flood authority overseer before Belleman, left county government to pursue other work opportunities.</p><p>A majority of the 11-member county council must confirm the acting manager&#8217;s division head nominees before they take effect.</p><p>County Councilman Rick Williams, a state-licensed architect, said he has no problem with the new advertisement because someone without an engineer license may have the knowledge and skills to oversee the division.</p><p>&#8220;I support providing the administration with flexibility to find the best people to fill positions,&#8221; Williams said.</p><p>The first review of operational division head applicants is March 30, according to the new job posting.</p><p>Pedri said he expects to present a division head nominee to the council in early April.</p><p>The county is accepting applications for two other division head posts.</p><p>Human Services Division Head David Schwille is retiring April 7, and J. Allen Nesbitt recently resigned as correctional services division head.</p><p>The advertised salary range is $80,000 to $90,000 for both positions, and the first review of applicants also is March 30.</p><style>
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<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>

Pedri removes engineer requirement from vacant Luzerne County division head posting