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Luzerne County seeking to avoid Plymouth special election

<p>NEWPORT TWP. &#8212; State and municipal officials Wednesday met with representatives of three state agencies to discuss the &#8220;devastating impact&#8221; that the closing of the State Correctional Institution at Retreat would have on their towns, taxpayers and the region&#8217;s economy.</p><p>State Sen. John Yudichak, D-Plymouth Township, said the meeting was held to discuss issues confronting all stakeholders that would be adversely affected by the prison&#8217;s shutdown.</p><p>Wolf&#8217;s administration and the DOC in August announced their current proposal to close SCI-Retreat, which has 384 full-time employees and had a prisoner population of 1,057 as of the most recent state report, released last month.</p><p>Yudichak announced last week that the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections will hold a public hearing on the proposed closure of SCI-Retreat on Thursday, Nov. 21, in Nanticoke. The hearing will be held at the Nanticoke Municipal Building, 15 East Ridge St., from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Yudichak said the hearing is required by Act 133 of 2018.</p><p>Yudichak said that Gov. Tom Wolf said the process will follow the guidelines set in Act 133.</p><p>Department of Corrections Executive Deputy Secretary for Institutional Operations Tabb Bickell was placed in charge of the process amid ongoing outrage over profane remarks made by DOC Secretary John Wetzel during a public hearing on plans to close the state prison, located in Newport Township.</p><p>Together with Bickell&#8217;s assignment to the role, the governor&#8217;s office announced last week that the DOC is developing an expanded schedule of community meetings to gain more input from employees, businesses, legislators, and community leaders, but did not elaborate regarding a timetable.</p><p>Yudichak said Wednesday&#8217;s meeting, held at the Newport Township Municipal Building, was attended by himself and representatives of Sen. Lisa Baker, R-Lehman Township; Rep. Gerald Mullery, Newport Township; Shickshinny Borough and Sewer Authority and Conyngham Township. He said Bickell attended the meeting, along with representatives of the Department of Corrections, Department of Community and Economic Development and the Department of Environmental Protection.</p><p>&#8220;It was a very positive meeting,&#8221; Yudichak said. &#8220;We provided detailed information on the devastating impact that closing SCI Retreat would have on the community.&#8221;</p><p>Yudichak said a strong argument was made by the Shickshinny Sewer Authority, which expanded its facility to accommodate the prison. He said if the prison closes, the authority would have to raise rates significantly, putting a severe financial burden on users.</p><p>Yudichak said Newport Township would face cutting its police department because of the loss of revenue.</p><p>&#8220;Newport Township would lose cops on the street,&#8221; Yudichak said.</p><p>Yudichak noted that Newport Township also lost significant revenue when K.M. Smith Elementary School was closed last year.</p><p>Yudichak said the bridge leading to SCI-Retreat is about to undergo an inspection. He said Luzerne County Manager David Pedri pledged county support to assist in the inspection. It&#8217;s not known how long the inspection would take and to file the report, but Yudichak said the DOC plans to make its decision on SCI-Retreat by the first week in December.</p><p>&#8220;Detailed notes were taken and a report of the meeting will be compiled and issued,&#8221; Yudichak said. &#8220;We have been assured that the process has been restarted and will be legitimate. No decision on SCI-Retreat&#8217;s future has been made at this point.&#8221;</p><p>Yudichak said more meetings will be held before the Nov. 21 public hearing.</p><p>In a recent Times Leader story, the governor&#8217;s office released a statement indicating that closure of SCI-Retreat remains &#8220;only a proposal.&#8221;</p><p>During the initial process, the DOC pledged to offer SCI &#8217;s employees positions at about a half-dozen other state prisons that are within 65 miles if the facility does close.</p><p>Yudichak said, &#8220;The fight to save SCI Retreat has never stopped since the proposed closure announcement was made in August.&#8221;</p><style>
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<div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/web1_TTL082819SCI-Retreat1-2-1-5.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">SCI Retreat in Hunlock Creek. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/web1_TTL082819SCI-Retreat1-2-1-5.jpg</photo0><caption0>SCI Retreat in Hunlock Creek. </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Bill O&#8217;Boyle</p><p>boboyle@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Bill O&#8217;Boyle at 570-991-6118 or on Twitter @TLBillOBoyle.</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Stakeholders, state officials discuss impact of closing SCI-Retreat