Luzerne County Council OKs voting system, 911 upgrade

Times Leader (Wilkes-Barre, PA)

Dec. 4--Luzerne County Council approved two major, manager-recommended contracts Tuesday -- a $3.6 million paper-trail voting system from Dominion Voting Systems Inc. and a $24.7 million 911 emergency radio upgrade from Motorola Solutions Inc.

However, another administration recommendation to keep Bethlehem-based Brown & Brown of Lehigh Valley as insurance broker for two more years was rejected by a council majority.

After thanking a Brown & Brown representative in the audience for the company's service, county Manager C. David Pedri exercised his authority to recommend the company ranked second: Pittston-based Joyce Insurance Group.

Joyce Insurance submitted a proposal to charge $50,000, or $10,000 less than Brown & Brown, officials said.

Council ended up tabling the decision after several citizens questioned the sudden change without a formal proposed contract and public presentation by the company. Councilwoman Sheila Saidman asked for a Joyce Insurance representative to appear at a council meeting next week.

Saidman said she was rejecting the Brown & Brown recommendation based on Councilman Matthew Vough's recent inquiry about whether any county-based companies had responded to the request for proposals.

In addition to Saidman and Vough, the following council members voted against Brown & Brown: Rick Morelli, Chris Perry, Robert Schnee, Jane Walsh Waitkus, Patrick Bilbow and Tim McGinley.

Council members Stephen A. Urban, Linda McClosky Houck and Harry Haas voted for Brown & Brown.

The broker seeks insurance providers and administers claims for county coverage. Brown & Brown has been county broker since 2013, and Pedri said a committee of employees recommended retention of the firm after reviewing proposals.

Voting system

The same eight council members rejecting the Brown & Brown contract supported the Dominion voting system contract, with the other three opposing it.

The selection of Dominion went against the county election board and a county manager-assembled selection committee's recommendation to purchase a system from Election Systems and Software, or ES&S. Hart InterCivic also had submitted a proposal.

The state is mandating that counties select paper-trail machines by the end of this year and start using them by the April 2020 primary.

"I think we're making a good decision, and we have to make a decision," Morelli said.

Haas said he wasn't supporting the contract because he values the committee/board recommendation for ES&S and is still angry about the governor's mandate to "foist this upon us in this very critical election year."

Saidman said she won't vote for ES&S because she found its funding of advisory board trips for the prior county election director a "troubling" ethics concern.

Ten council members voted for the 911 radio contract, with Urban providing the lone opposition.

The 911 emergency radio system allows emergency responders to exchange messages throughout the 906-square-mile county. Switching from a 20-year-old analog system to a new digital one will end radio interference, open up more radio channels and improve radio coverage that is inconsistent or nonexistent in some parts of the county, officials have said.

Urban said he does not believe a full system replacement is necessary and expressed other complaints.

Council also spent about three hours discussing proposed 2020 budget alterations and listening to feedback from managers in impacted departments, although it delayed voting on all but two minor ones until next week.

To avoid a 5% tax increase, council must come up with $5.25 million in reductions or receipts by the budget adoption, which is scheduled for Dec. 10, officials have said.

Haas withdrew his proposed amendment -- the highest presented by any council member -- to not pay an additional $1.5 million subsidy to the employee pension fund. Haas had suggested freezing next year's subsidy at the current $9.35 million.

Haas said a lengthy presentation from fund representatives Tuesday made it clear the county is legally required to provide adequate funding.

Fund actuary Greg Stump told council the contribution is necessary to help close a more than $100 million gap between assets and future liabilities that emerged years ago. As with other plans, costs are rising with increased life expectancy, he said.

Pension fund investment adviser Richard J. Hazzouri, of Morgan Stanley, pointed to the challenging "up and down" investment climate.

The 2019 year-to-date return was 15%, which exceeded the fund's 7% target. However, the fund had a negative 6% return in 2018. That leaves a 9% return over the two years, or 4.5% annually, he said.

Luzerne County Community College

Council also discussed a proposed $62,000 increase in the county's annual allocation to the Luzerne County Community College. The county currently provides $6.2 million.

McClosky Houck said the county has provided significant financial support because it is a "wonderful institution," but she questioned the urgency of an increase when college President Thomas Leary received a 9% raise after Pedri included the request in the proposed county budget.

The $15,300 raise increased Leary's compensation to $184,960, according to past published reports.

Pedri said he rejected the college's initial request for 3% more but sought 1% because the county contribution hasn't increased in more than a decade and the college indicated a higher allocation could help boost the institution's state funding.

Saidman also said she was "concerned" about the timing of the raise amid a requested county increase.

He acknowledged the college's subsequent granting of a raise for Leary came as a surprise and said the decision is up to council.

Reach Jennifer Learn-Andes at 570-991-6388 or on Twitter @TLJenLearnAndes.

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