125810306_web1_125810306-77e953e21d9a4782ab9eeeccfea7c8bc

Rookie WR Claypool scores 4 TDs, Steelers top Eagles 38-29

125810126_web1_125810126-0c62736edfdb4051b481031660421b05

French Open: Perfect in Paris, Nadal overwhelms Djokovic to tie Federer

It&rsquo;s a busy week for meetings in Luzerne County government.
				County Manager C. David Pedri is set to release a proposed no-tax-hike 2021 budget Tuesday before county council&rsquo;s 6 p.m. virtual meeting.
				The first 2021 budget work session will follow Tuesday&rsquo;s voting meeting, focused on reviewing the administration&rsquo;s requested allocations for retirement, debt service and the budget reserve.
				Instructions on attending Tuesday&rsquo;s meeting are posted under council&rsquo;s online meeting section at <a href="https://www.luzernecounty.org/1279/Public-Meetings-Online" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">luzernecounty.org</a>.
				Council is scheduled to adopt next year&rsquo;s budget on Dec. 15. An online schedule of all public budget hearings and work sessions between now and then is on council&rsquo;s page.
				Other Tuesday agenda items
				In addition to the budget introduction, the adoption of a hazard mitigation plan also is on council&rsquo;s Tuesday meeting agenda.
				The 353-page plan is required every five years to highlight natural and man-made dangers facing the county and actions to reduce risk. The document is posted as an <a href="https://www.luzernecounty.org/AgendaCenter/Luzerne-County-Council-2" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">attachment to council&rsquo;s agenda</a>.
				Another matter up for a vote Tuesday: Councilwoman Linda McClosky Houck&rsquo;s proposed resolution for council to initiate an inquiry into the county election bureau.
				McClosky Houck told her colleagues an inquiry is warranted due to the recent premature unsealing and discarding of nine mail-in overseas military ballots by a temporary worker and other concerns that have been raised.
				She proposes an inquiry of policies, practices and procedures involving all aspects of bureau operations, including its supervision, staffing and handling of ballots to &ldquo;ensure the conduct of authentic and valid&rdquo; county elections. An ad hoc committee of at least three council members selected by the council chair would oversee the inquiry.
				Council also is slated to formally declare vacancies on two boards due to the resignations of Brandon Pernot on the Forty Fort Airport Advisory Board and Attorney Sean Robbins on the county Transportation Authority.
				Wednesday&rsquo;s meetings
				The county Election Board will meet virtually at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, with a link to attendance instructions under the authorities/boards/commissions online meetings section at <a href="https://www.luzernecounty.org/1282/ABC-Meetings-Online" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">luzernecounty.org</a>.
				Board members plan to discuss the status of preparations for the upcoming Nov. 3 general election, including replacement sites for more than 20 polling locations that are unavailable, primarily due to the coronavirus pandemic. A list of all proposed locations is posted under the <a href="https://www.luzernecounty.org/1323/2020-General-Election" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">2020 election link</a> on the election bureau&rsquo;s page.
				For in-person voting, the plan is to restore most of the 144 pre-coronavirus pandemic polling places. The number of voting sites had been temporarily reduced to 58 in the June 2 primary to alleviate concerns about proper social distancing and pandemic-related shortages of poll workers and polling places.
				At 6 p.m. Wednesday, council&rsquo;s Act 13 Committee will meet virtually, with attendance instructions posted on council&rsquo;s <a href="https://www.luzernecounty.org/1279/Public-Meetings-Online" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">public meetings online section</a>.
				This committee seeks and reviews applications from municipalities and other outside entities seeking a portion of the county&rsquo;s Act 13 natural-gas funding for recreation projects or efforts to combat gypsy moths and other pests.
				Thursday meetings
				The county Retirement Board, which oversees the employee pension fund, will meet virtually at 4 p.m. Thursday. While county online meetings are typically through the Microsoft Teams platform, this one will be via Zoom. According to the legal ad, the Zoom meeting ID is 983 4634 3213. The phone is 1-929-436-2866 for those accessing the meeting that way.
				At 6 p.m. Thursday, the county Cares Commission will hold a virtual meeting, with the link for attendance on council&rsquo;s <a href="https://www.luzernecounty.org/1279/Public-Meetings-Online" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">public meetings online section</a>.
				The commission focuses on drug and alcohol abuse and recovery and homelessness.
				Monday holiday
				County government buildings are closed Monday for the Columbus Day holiday.
				No county auction
				The county has indefinitely halted a public auction of some unused, county-owned property that had been planned for the end of October.
				County Chief Solicitor Romilda Crocamo recently told council&rsquo;s Real Estate Committee she researched options for a virtual auction or rental of a large space for a live auction and believes they would be cost-prohibitive. The county could end up losing money because it&rsquo;s still unclear if any properties will sell, she said.
				The committee agreed to her recommendation to wait until the pandemic reaches a stage that a live auction can be held inside the courthouse.
				The administration came up with a list of approximately 56 mostly undeveloped properties that can be auctioned pending a determination on their fair market value minimum bids.

Packed Luzerne County government meeting schedule this week