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Luzerne County Council discussed but never voted on a payment in lieu of taxes last week when it approved a tax break for a $500 million project in Hazleton and Hazle Township.
				In a follow-up inquiry, council Chairman Tim McGinley said an agreement for a supplemental payment from the developer was not yet finalized and likely will be presented to council for review at its Feb. 9 meeting.
				Under the break, new structures will be added to the tax rolls after 10 years, though taxes on the land must be paid throughout the decade.
				An attorney said the developer &mdash; Hazleton Creek Commerce Center Holdings LLC &mdash; would be willing to pay $10,000 to the county annually in addition to the taxes on the land.
				The project involves construction of five warehousing and manufacturing structures totaling 5.5 million square feet on a tract badly scarred from past coal mining and two dumps.
				Board appointments
				Council filled numerous vacant seats on county boards, authorities and commissions during its meeting last week.
				A summary of those appointed or reappointed:
				&#8226; Convention Center Authority, which oversees the Mohegan Sun Arena in Wilkes-Barre Township: Eugene Rafalli and Thomas Woods
				&#8226; Industrial Development Authority: Rodney Kaiser, Karen Martinelli, Brian Matyjevich and Frank Paczewski
				&#8226; Transportation Authority: Thomas Bindus and Gary Polakoski
				&#8226; Northeastern Pennsylvania Health and Higher Education Authority: Jeffrey DeRocco
				&#8226; Conservation District Board: John Hanish and Gary Moyer
				&#8226; Children and Youth Advisory Board: Denise Acosta, Niurka Delarosa, Maylan Nicholson and Eileen Song
				&#8226; County Community College Board of Trustees: Erin Keating
				&#8226; Convention Center and Visitors Bureau Board: Anthony Brooks
				&#8226; Farmland Preservation Board: Nancy Snee
				&#8226; Luzerne/Wyoming Counties Area Agency on Aging Advisory Board: Liza Behrens, Charlotte Kitler, Angel Mathis, Phyllis Mundy, Robert Nealon, Henry Pennoni, William Runner, James Sernak, Donald Warren and David Yonki
				&#8226; Luzerne/Wyoming Counties Drug and Alcohol Executive Commission: Bruce Lefkowitz
				&#8226; Luzerne/Wyoming Counties Mental Health and Developmental Services Program Advisory Board: Linda Armstrong, Craig Mark and Tom O&rsquo;Neill
				Flood authority
				A council majority also voted to appoint Gordon Dussinger to the county Flood Protection Authority, a board of five citizens that oversees the Wyoming Valley Levee system.
				Four of the 11 council members had instead supported the reappointment of past county Emergency Management Agency director Kevin O&rsquo;Brien, with Councilman Harry Haas saying the authority &ldquo;just lost a lot of wisdom&rdquo; with the departure of O&rsquo;Brien.
				McGinley provided further explanation on his rationale after the meeting.
				While thanking O&rsquo;Brien for his service, McGinley said he wanted to select Dussinger because he resides in the Wyoming Valley flood zone, unlike O&rsquo;Brien. Also, McGinley said he is trying to avoid reappointment of board members who have served two terms on any board unless there are no other qualified citizens interested in filling those vacant seats.
				O&rsquo;Brien was first appointed to serve on the flood authority in 2012.
				Council seats
				Haas will fill a council seat on the Riverfront Parks Committee. Council Vice Chairman Chris Perry was appointed to a council seat on the board of Hazleton area economic development agency, CAN DO Inc.
				Meetings 
				The county Election Board is scheduled to meet virtually at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday.
				Council&rsquo;s County Code Review Committee has scheduled a meeting at 4:30 p.m. Thursday, also virtual, to focus on continued revisions to the county&rsquo;s administrative code. The committee plans to focus on which election-related duties are handled by the election board, county administration and council.
				Directions for attending both sessions are posted under the calendar at the bottom of the main page at <a href="https://www.luzernecounty.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">luzernecounty.org</a>.

Luzerne County may receive additional compensation from developer in tax break