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One city, two opposing economic outlooks for Wilkes-Barre

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<p>NUANGOLA &#8212; Borough officials announced Tuesday that legal complaints have been filed in Luzerne County Court against five property owners accused of failing to comply with either code or sewer regulations.</p><p>Councilman Michael Johnson said the &#8220;nuisance properties&#8221; are either dilapidated or in a state of disrepair. In the case of the Mulhern property on Gay Avenue, Johnson said legal action also stems from a failure to connect to the sewer system as well as property maintenance issues.</p><p>Initially, there were about 10 property owners who were targeted, Johnson noted. But after being notified, five agreed to clean up their land. The other properties involved in the court complaints: the Gittens property on Nuangola Road; the Markewicz property on Ridge Avenue; the Scott property, Nuangola Avenue; and the Walters property, Ridge Street.</p><p>Johnson&#8217;s comments came after council chairman Joseph Tucker decided &#8212; due to lack of a quorum &#8212; to postpone the regular meeting to 7 p.m. May 23.</p><p>In addition, Tucker announced that while the borough was rejected for a second consecutive year in its efforts to secure a state gaming grant, the Nuangola Lake Association was successful in obtaining $39,500 for pavilion renovations. Tucker said an application for that grant was filed through Nuangola; the association then paid filing fees to the borough.</p><p>Tucker said the borough also sought $110,000 to finance the purchase of a new dump truck and make repairs to its equipment garage but its application was rejected by officials at the state Department of Community &amp; Economic Development. Tucker said protest letters were sent to state Rep. Gerald Mullery, D-Newport Township, and state Sen. Lisa Baker, R-Lehman Township. But Nuanogla was still shut out when the gaming grants were recently awarded.</p><p>Nuangola&#8217;s need for a truck increased in March when a 2002 dump truck caught fire and was extensively damaged during snow clearing. The truck has been declared a total loss. Selective Insurance, the borough&#8217;s vehicle insurer, issued a check for $15,320 for the truck.</p><p>Previously, officials had received estimates of over $70,000 for a new truck.</p><p>In other business:</p><p>&#8226; Discussion prior to the meeting centered on the May 16 primary in which Tucker, an incumbent Democrat, is seeking re-election, as are Republicans Regina Plodwick, Mark Gandzyk and Johnson. Ted Vancoski is also on the Republican ballot. And Tom Williams, a former state director with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, is on the Democratic ticket.</p><p>Four council seats are up for grabs.</p><style>
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<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Tom Huntington</p><p>For Times Leader</p></bylineMeta></div>

Nuangola targeting ‘nuisance properties’