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Outside help sought for Wilkes-Barre’s budget problems

WILKES-BARRE TWP. &mdash; There will be plenty of activity in the Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza in the coming months, just not concerts or Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins hockey games.
				At its public meeting Wednesday at the arena the Luzerne County Convention Center Authority Wednesday approved a number of interior projects while the facility remains closed because of the ongoing novel coronavirus pandemic.
				The LCCCA, which oversees the arena, agreed to proceed with the replacement of approximately 1,100 club and suite seats.
				The project is one of the facility upgrades contained in the 10-year lease agreement signed in 2019 with WBS Hockey LP, LCCCA Chairman Gary Zingaretti noted. The club seats, numbering approximately 640, are to be replaced by the start of the sixth hockey season.
				&ldquo;We&rsquo;re looking at doing that now,&rdquo; Zingaretti said. The project is not only good for the long term but also has sanitary and health benefits related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
				&ldquo;What we&rsquo;re talking about is replacing cloth seats, which certainly harbor germs and can not be cleaned as easily and thoroughly as a leather or leather-like seat,&rdquo; Zingaretti said.
				The suite seats are cloth as well, but not a required upgrade, Zingaretti said. Still, they are premium seats and it makes sense to include them in the project, he added.
				ASM Global, the management firm for the arena, has been obtaining quotes for new seats, Zingaretti said. The cost of the project to replace the seats and deep clean the concrete area where they are located is not to exceed $265,000.
				The LCCCA also approved spending up to $100,000 for more COVID-19 related projects to prepare for the reopening. They included, air purification systems for the locker rooms and kitchen, replacement of air filters and hand sanitizer stations and disinfectant wipes.
				At its November meeting the LCCCA approved spending up to $190,500 to install touchless plumbing fixtures and soap and towel dispensers, purchase Personal Protective Equipment for employees and for other COVID-19 related projects.
				The 2021 budget will have to wait until next year as Tony Ryba of the LCCCA&rsquo;s Finance Committee asked for another month to prepare it given the uncertainty on the start of the Penguins&rsquo; season.
				Zingaretti agreed there are plenty of unknowns at this point. &ldquo;As far as trying to prepare a budget now it would an exercise in futility,&rdquo; Zingaretti said.
				Will Beekman, general manager of the arena for ASM Global, said he&rsquo;s still waiting to hear from the American Hockey League for confirmation the season will start on Feb. 5. &ldquo;We continue to talk with them daily, in fact we&rsquo;ll be talking again with them this afternoon,&rdquo; Beekman said.
				The LCCCA approved the renewal of four-year contracts for solicitor and auditor. Rosenn Jenkins & Greenwald LLP was retained at an annual cost of $35,000 through Dec. 31, 2024. Snyder & Clemente was retained through Dec. 31, 2023 at a cost of 29,000 the first year and $33,000 a year for the remainder of the contract.

Arena interior work approved while facility closed for COVID-19 pandemic