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Wilkes-Barre ended April with more than $9 million balance

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College Corner: Dante Biasi wraps up comeback season at Penn State

<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; City council whisked through its work session in 14 minutes Tuesday night, covering the agenda items and issues raised by the five members.</p><p>There was limited discussion on the five resolutions and two ordinances to be voted on at Thursday night&#8217;s public meeting.</p><p>The city has less than 30 days to submit its Community Development Block Grant and HOME programs&#8217; budget totalling $1,526,978 for this year, giving council some urgency to act on one of the ordinances.</p><p>Joyce Morrash-Zaykowski, the city&#8217;s director of the Office of Community and Economic Development, said if the plan is not submitted in time the city is not eligible for the federal funds to pay for infrastructure improvements, firefighting equipment, demolition of blighted properties, public services and housing.</p><p>The other ordinance deals with &#8220;cleaning up some language for the sale of city property,&#8221; said city Administrator Ted Wampole.</p><p>Two of the resolutions are for the disposal of municipal records.</p><p>Two more resolutions cover the temporary suspension of ordinances pertaining to noise and the curfew for minors so that the South Wilkes-Barre Residents&#8217; Association and the South Wilkes-Barre Skyhawks Soccer can hold its summer movie series at the Gordon Avenue Soccer Complex.</p><p>George Brown, president of the residents&#8217; association, said it will be the second year for the free movie series that&#8217;s open to the public. The series runs from June 15 to Aug. 10.</p><p>&#8220;There were no problems at all last year,&#8221; Brown said, except for the rain.</p><p>The last resolution authorizes the city to enter into an agreement with PennDOT for a Highway Occupancy Permit for the new IHOP restaurant on Kidder Street. The city will not have to pay for the permit, according to the resolution.</p><p>Council members notified Wampole of pothole problems and blighted properties in their districts.</p><p>Councilman Mike Belusko asked why the city was behind on the collection of yard waste.</p><p>&#8220;I don&#8217;t think I can give you a definitive answer on that,&#8221; Wampole said. But the city should be caught up with the pickups by next week, he said.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Wampole </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/web1_Ted-Wampole-7.jpg</photo0><caption0>Wampole </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div></div>
<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>

WB council to vote on CDBG budget, relaxing outdoor movie curfew