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Crestwood accepts resignation of head football coach Greg Myers

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Wilkes-Barre’s budget balance drops due to pension payments

<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; City council Thursday OK&#8217;d all four items on its agenda, including applying for a $200,000 state grant to stabilize the city&#8217;s finances.</p><p>The city must come up with a 10 percent match of the grant, or $20,000, if the application is approved to continue with a third phase of the Early Intervention Program administered by the state Department of Community and Economic Development.</p><p>To date, a total of $275,000 in state grants and city matching funds have paid for the PFM Group, based in Philadelphia, for guidance through the two phases of the EIP designed to steer municipalities out of financial trouble.</p><p>In June, however, Mayor Tony George said he had no alternative but to ask the state to declare the city financially distressed under Act 47. But the DCED denied his petition and told him to exhaust all options before turning to Act 47.</p><p>City resident Sam Troy asked if the city would benefit from another round in the EIP. &#8220;From what I&#8217;ve seen, it hasn&#8217;t really helped,&#8221; Troy said.</p><p>Not all of the recommendations from PFM have been accepted, but some have paid off, responded city Administrator Ted Wampole.</p><p>&#8220;We do believe that Phase 1 and Phase 2 have helped us,&#8221; said Wampole.</p><p>PFM put together a bond deal to restructure the city&#8217;s debt service to improve cash flow and fund a portion of the Solomon Creek wall reconstruction project.</p><p>The third phase would allow the city to purchase financial software that alone would cost $20,000, explore the sale of the Wilkes-Barre Municipal Golf Course in Bear Creek Township and hire an economic development coordinator, Wampole said.</p><p><strong>Honor for Dr. Moses questioned</strong></p><p>In other business:</p><p>&#8226; A resolution to rename the Charles Street Park for the late Dr. George P. Moses drew opposition from James Burden. His son, James Jr., died in 1995 after practice with the Meyers high school football team.</p><p>&#8220;The city did nothing for my son, but they&#8217;re going to do it for a doctor who got paid,&#8221; Burden said.</p><p>Angel Jirau spoke up for the late doctor whom he called a friend.</p><p>&#8220;My heart goes out to you,&#8221; Jirau told Burden, adding that &#8220;(Moses) was more than a doctor who got paid.&#8221; Jirau said Moses helped many people on his own.</p><p>&#8226; Burden also raised questions about the dispute between the Wilkes-Barre Parking Authority and H&amp;N Investments LLC, the owner of the former Hotel Sterling property. H&amp;N is now operating the site as a parking lot.</p><p>Wampole said the city has been working with the Authority and H&amp;N to settle the dispute that&#8217;s ended up in Luzerne County Court. He said we &#8220;believe that we&#8217;ve reached an agreement between both parties and that will be resolved without it having to go to an injunction hearing tomorrow (Friday).&#8221;</p><p>&#8226; Council reappointed Jessica McClay to the Traffic Committee.</p><p>&#8226; Members also approved a 45-day public comment period on the pending renewal of the Downtown Wilkes-Barre Business Improvement District. The period runs from Thursday to Dec. 3.</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>

Council OKs $200K grant application to stabilize Wilkes-Barre’s finances