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<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; The public will have to wait until next year to learn about proposals to sell or lease the city&#8217;s sewer system.</p><p>The public meeting scheduled for Tuesday was cancelled due to the unavailability of information on a possible lease by the Wyoming Valley Sanitary Authority.</p><p>City council Chairman Mike Belusko Thursday said the meeting was called off and would be rescheduled until after Mayor-elect George Brown takes office in January.</p><p>Brown, who pushed for a public meeting, said he agreed with the decision to cancel it.</p><p>&#8220;It doesn&#8217;t make sense to have a meeting if the residents can&#8217;t hear both sides,&#8221; Brown said.</p><p>The meeting was to be held at 6 p.m. at Genetti&#8217;s Best Westen Plus on East Market Street across from city with a presentation by PFM Financial Advisors LLC of Harrisburg on the status of the proposal supported by outgoing Mayor Tony George as a solution to the Wilkes-Barre&#8217;s financial problems.</p><p>Council heard from <a href="https://www.wilkes-barre.city/sites/wilkes-barrepa/files/uploads/11.19.19_pfm_status_update_on_citys_financial_situation_potential_sewer_monetization.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">PFM last month</a> about the effects of a possible sale and was informed rates would increase if the public asset, in need of millions of dollars in capital improvements, was acquired by either of the interested private utility companies, Aqua Pennsylvania Waste Water Inc. and Pennsylvania American Water Co. As an alternative to a sale, council asked PFM to revisit a lease with WVSA that was initially looked at, but later dropped because the numbers were not satisfactory to the administration.</p><p>&#8221;We found that PFM does not have the lease numbers council was looking for,&#8221; Belusko said.</p><p>Belusko added that the other four council members were notified Thursday and agreed to the cancellation.</p><p>Council will still hold a combined work session and public meeting beginning at 5:30 p.m. on Dec. 19, Belusko said.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Wilkes-Barre City Council chairman Mike Belusko</div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/web1_belusko_toned-2.jpg</photo0><caption0>Wilkes-Barre City Council chairman Mike Belusko</caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/web1_TTL101819george-brown3.cmyk_.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Wilkes-Barre Mayor-elect George Brown</div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/web1_TTL101819george-brown3.cmyk_.jpg</photo1><caption1>Wilkes-Barre Mayor-elect George Brown</caption1><photoCredit1></photoCredit1></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>

Public meeting on Wilkes-Barre sewers cancelled, Mayor-elect Brown to reschedule