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In addition to $3.38 million freed up due to federal reimbursement of some of last year’s Luzerne County coronavirus expenses, the county also has a one-time windfall of nearly $465,000 from insurance coverage of the May 2019 county cyber attack.

A council majority tentatively agreed last week to move the $3.38 million into the reserve and the $465,000 into the capital projects fund.

Both options — the capital fund and reserve — would require council approval for the administration to spend the money.

Public hearings and a majority council vote will be required at council’s next meeting on Feb. 23 for both transfers to take effect.

In a separate fiscal matter, a council majority also agreed to apply any state and federal funding the county had received for its new paper-trail voting system toward repayment of the county debt incurred to purchase the system.

Transportation study

County Council Chairman Tim McGinley has appointed three of his colleagues to a new committee that is studying potential consolidation of the county Transportation Authority with the County of Lackawanna Transit System (COLTS).

LeeAnn McDermott, Robert Schnee and Kendra Radle will serve as the Luzerne County Council representatives, he said. Lackawanna County’s three commissioners also will serve on the committee, McGinley said.

Zoning

Council last week discussed a proposed county zoning ordinance update.

Adopted by the county planning commission in September, this ordinance applies to 21 municipalities that chose county zoning oversight: Avoca, Courtdale, Dupont, Duryea, Hughestown, Jeddo, Laflin, New Columbus, Pringle, Warrior Run, West Wyoming, Wyoming and Yatesville boroughs and the townships of Conyngham, Fairmount, Hunlock, Huntington, Lake, Newport, Ross and Union.

Luzerne borough also was covered by the county but recently opted to switch to its own zoning, county Planning/Zoning Executive Director Matthew C. Jones told council during the work session.

The number of participating municipalities may decrease to 20 because Wyoming borough also is considering its own zoning ordinance, Jones said.

Promised for years, the latest county zoning revision deleted outdated provisions, clarified definitions and incorporated the updated requirements for flood zones, Jones said.

The proposal also established a new mixed use residential business zone option along some roadways that would provide more flexibility for residential property owners to make changes, such as the addition of swimming pools, he said.

Council is expected to introduce the ordinance at its next meeting on Feb. 23, with a public hearing and majority council vote required at a subsequent meeting for its passage.

Meetings

Three county council committees are set to meet virtually this week: Real Estate, 5;30 p.m. Tuesday; Authorities, Boards and Commissions, 6 p.m. Wednesday; and Code Review, 4:30 p.m. Thursday.

Links to attend are posted under council’s public meetings online section at <a href="https://www.luzernecounty.org/1279/Public-Meetings-Online" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">luzernecounty.org</a>.

Honoring residents

At the request of the county Cares Commission, council last week passed a proclamation commending two county residents for going “above and beyond in helping their community.”

Donnie Evans was honored for raising more than $100,000 to buy protective body shields for law enforcement. Eleven-year-old Abby Lovallo, the other commendation recipient, helped Evans raise more than $3,000 to secure shields for the Nanticoke Police Department, officials said.

Luzerne County Council makes tentative plans for one-time revenue windfalls