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Job seekers from variety of backgrounds attend Times Leader Career Fair

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Lottery Numbers for Tuesday, Sept. 13

<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; City council is set to approve legislation establishing a new human relations commission to address complaints under an anti-discrimination ordinance introduced last month.</p><p>The ordinance expanding protections to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people and other parties is up for a vote on its second and final reading at Thursday night&#8217;s regularly scheduled public meeting. It would go into effect 10 days after passage.</p><p>The ordinance gives council the authority to appoint up to 15 members to the commission. Residents and people who work full-time in the city are eligible to sit as unpaid members for overlapping three-year terms. The commission will review and address complaints regarding reports of discrimination in housing, employment and the use of public accommodations.</p><p>Wilkes-Barre would be one of a few local municipalities providing protections that exceed state and federal levels.</p><p>A similar law, Senate Bill 1306, was the focus of a hearing last month before the state Senate Labor and Industry Committee in Harrisburg. Council has a resolution pending for Thursday that urges state lawmakers &#8220;to work expediently&#8221; to enact similar anti-discrimination legislation. The state law would supercede the city&#8217;s.</p><p>Following state rules, the city will apply for a $3 million Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program grant authorized for Wilkes University. The university will match the grant for its Engineering Initiative Project on campus.</p><p>Much like with Local Share Account grants distributed annually from gambling revenues from the Mohegan Sun Pocono casino in Plains Township, the host municipality applies for the funding for a specific project. The city will prepare and submit the RACP application on behalf of Wilkes.</p><p>Other matters council will vote on at the public meeting are:</p><p>&#8226; Authorizing an annual Winter Services Agreement with the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, which will authorize PennDOT to pay the city $52,571 to maintain approximately seven miles of state roads.</p><p>&#8226; Authorizing an agreement with the lowest responsible bidder for the demolition of 150-154 Kidder St.</p><p>&#8226; Authorizing the city to sell surplus police department equipment and vehicles through a yet-to-be-determined qualified auction service.</p><p>&#8226; Increasing the fee to remove a boot placed on the wheel of a vehicle for unpaid parking fines from $50 to $100.</p><p>&#8226; Setting annual cart fees at the Hollenback Golf Course to $400 for residents and $450 for nonresidents.</p><style>
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<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Jerry Lynott</p><p>jlynott@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Jerry Lynott at 570-991-6120 or on Twitter @TLJerryLynott.</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Wilkes-Barre city council to vote on anti-discrimination ordinance