[This transcript was generated automatically from audio using AI and hasn't been reviewed by a person -- it can contain mistakes, including plausible-sounding sentences that were never actually said. Treat it as a starting point, not a verbatim record.]

[0:04] I'd like to call this meeting of the Dachwanakoni Board of Commissioners on September 22, 2010 to order, and invite everyone who is able to stand and join in the Pledge of Allegiance.
[0:37] to accept the minutes as presented and dispense with the reading.
[0:42] So if it's been moved and executed, is there any discussion hearing none?
[0:46] All those in favor and to keep by saying aye.
[0:48] Aye.
[0:49] Opposed?
[0:49] Okay.
[0:50] Synonymous.
[0:51] At this point on our agenda, we afford the public the opportunity to comment on agenda items.
[0:56] If you have a comment that you'd like to make in it is not related to the agenda,
[1:00] please be patient.
[1:01] You'll be afforded that opportunity to make the comments later on in the meeting.
[1:05] Is there anyone here that would like to make a comment about an agenda item?
[1:10] Okay.
[1:11] What would be an agenda item?
[1:15] All right.
[1:17] It appears that there isn't anyone here that would like to speak on an agenda item.
[1:20] So we move on to proclamations.
[1:22] The first proclamation declares life insurance awareness month.
[1:30] Okay,
[1:38] current commissioners' proclamation, whereas the vast majority of Americans recognize
[1:42] that life insurance helps safeguard their families, financial security, and nearly 80% of
[1:47] US households have some form of life insurance coverage.
[1:50] The life insurance industry returns $5 trillion in assets distributed among all segments
[1:56] of the economy as a primary source financial retirement security to more than 75 million
[2:01] families.
[2:02] is now, therefore, we, Michael J. Walsh,
[2:04] a co-ordial by, and an A.J. Munchak,
[2:05] commissioners of the County of Blackwanna, Pennsylvania,
[2:07] do hereby acknowledging proclaim, September, 2010,
[2:10] as life insurance awareness month
[2:11] in the Blackwanna County.
[2:13] John McCarrie.
[2:15] John?
[2:15] You had to come forward.
[2:27] John, would you introduce your colleagues,
[2:29] and then we'll do a photograph?
[2:30] You can introduce them for right there.
[2:32] Okay.
[2:33] I'm John McCarrie from New York Life Insurance,
[2:35] and I have Luke Petnado, and also Bruce Newjaca.
[2:39] Okay, thank you.
[2:40] Thank you.
[2:40] If you have any special policy to reach to...
[2:42] Yes, we do.
[2:43] You know, they're going to need it, I just wonder.
[2:46] That's good.
[2:51] Come on up with us.
[2:53] First to take a pistol now, but I don't know.
[2:55] Always national units, Melia.
[2:56] That's no right. How are you?
[2:58] How are you?
[2:58] Good.
[3:05] It's time the old guy on the board.
[3:09] I'm like my jacks on their old guy.
[3:11] Yeah.
[3:18] I've got one check by two years.
[3:21] That's right, huh?
[3:22] You're about to arrive in the country.
[3:25] Here's good genes.
[3:26] Good to see you.
[3:27] Thank you very much.
[3:29] No, John.
[3:30] We're tired to get us together.
[3:31] Absolutely.
[3:32] He's a good guy.
[3:32] He's a good guy.
[3:32] He's a good guy.
[3:33] He's a good guy.
[3:33] He's a good guy.
[3:34] He's a good guy.
[3:34] He's a good guy.
[3:35] I'm trying.
[3:37] I'm trying.
[3:37] So that's a good question.
[3:38] That's a good question.
[3:39] That's a good question.
[3:41] That's a good question.
[3:41] Thank you.
[3:43] You do it.
[3:44] Sure.
[3:45] Okay.
[3:46] The next recommendation is declaration for family day in Lackawanna County.
[3:54] And I'd like to read the proclamation, Mr. Munchek, has asked me to.
[3:59] Whereas the use of illegal and prescription drugs and abuse of alcohol on nicotine constitute
[4:03] the greatest threats to the well-being of America's children.
[4:06] Whereas, 15 years of surveys conducted by the National Center on Addiction and Substance
[4:11] Abuse Casa at Columbia University have consistently found that the more often children and teenagers
[4:16] need dinner with their families, the less likely they are to smoke, drink, and use illegal
[4:22] drugs.
[4:22] Whereas, frequent family dining is associated with lower rates of teen smoking, drinking, illegal
[4:28] drug use, and prescription drug use.
[4:31] Whereas the correlation between frequent family dinners and reduced risk for teen substance
[4:37] abuse is well documented and whereas parents who are engaged in their children's lives
[4:40] through such activities as frequent family dinners are less likely to have children who
[4:45] review substances.
[4:46] Now therefore, we, Michael J. Wash, O'Corey, D. O'Brien, and A.J. Monchak, commissioners of the
[4:50] county of Leica, I wanted to nearby.
[4:52] If knowledge and proclaim September 27, 2010 as Family Day in Leica, I want a county and
[4:57] I'd like to ask Jeff Zareechach from the Drug and Alcohol Commission to come forward
[5:02] and Jeff, you may have a remark or two that you want to make before we do the photo.
[5:05] Is that correct?
[5:06] Yes, that's correct.
[5:07] Thank you.
[5:09] Thank you.
[5:09] Thank you, commissioners, and good morning.
[5:10] Jeff, please.
[5:12] Thank you, commissioners, and good morning.
[5:14] Family Day 2010, a deity dinner with your children is a national movement promoted by the
[5:19] National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse, beginning in 2001 as a grassroots initiative
[5:24] and has grown to become a nationwide celebration.
[5:27] The program is based on research by Columbia University
[5:30] that conclusively demonstrates that the more kids eat dinner with their families,
[5:35] the less likely they are to smoke, drink, use drugs,
[5:38] and even postponing the onset of substance abuse decreases the likelihood of developing addiction
[5:44] and lessens the damage that alcohol and drugs have on the developing brain.
[5:49] Parents and families participating in the celebration have committed to become a family day star
[5:54] with the word star being an acronym for S spend time with kids by having dinner together
[5:59] to talk to them about their friends and interests in dangers of alcohol and drugs,
[6:05] A, answer their questions and listen to what they have to say, and or recognize that parents
[6:12] are the power to help kids stay substance-free.
[6:16] Cities in many other counties like ours across the nation are proclaiming Monday, September
[6:21] 27th 2010 as family day along with Lackawanna County and they will be recognized nationally
[6:28] on the website of the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse.
[6:32] Also in Lackawanna County will provide them over 2500 placements for local restaurants
[6:38] to have them advertised for the event on September 27th.
[6:42] I want to thank commissioners again, family engagement at the dinner table is simple and effective
[6:46] to help prevent substance abuse among our youth and it's certainly appropriate to promote
[6:51] it in this way.
[6:53] Jeff, would you like to come forward to your photo?
[6:55] Thank you.
[7:18] We move to the resolution portion of the agenda.
[7:20] The first item is approving current payables.
[7:22] Miss Elkins, good morning.
[7:24] Good morning, Commissioner.
[7:25] The answer is that the board of commissioners of Blackwanna County does head-by approve the following
[7:30] payables.
[7:30] Lackawanna County General Fund, numbers from 1-1-4-2-7 through 1-1-6-9-6-3-inclusive,
[7:38] totaling $8,181,633 cents, electronic fund transfers to all pay-well accounts,
[7:46] totaling $6,162,187.74 cents.
[7:52] Thank you.
[7:53] Mr. Emotion?
[7:54] So much check-up has been moved and seconded, is there any discussion?
[7:58] Hearing none, all those in favor, indicate by saying aye.
[8:01] Aye.
[8:02] Opposed?
[8:02] Okay, unanimous.
[8:03] Next agenda item.
[8:04] Approving the financing by the Abington Township Municipal Authority of Capital Projects
[8:08] to benefit Lackawanna College, Ms. Elkins.
[8:11] Commissioner, this is a rather lengthy resolution, so I'll be reading a condensed version.
[8:17] A resolution of the Board of Commissioners of the County of Lackawanna, Pennsylvania approving
[8:21] the financing by the Abington Township Municipal Authority of certain capital projects
[8:26] from the benefit of lack-warnage union college.
[8:29] Whereas the Abiton Township Municipality Authority is a municipality authority.
[8:34] Incorporated pursuant to a resolution of the Township
[8:37] of Abiton Township, lack-warnage union college, lack-warnage college,
[8:44] has represented to the authority that it operates
[8:47] up by the college which provides services on a non-sectarian basis
[8:51] and is a non-profit corporation existing under laws
[8:54] the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, whereas the county approves the financing of the 2010
[9:00] project for the benefit of the college. Now, therefore, be it resolved by the boy
[9:05] that follows. In connection with the financing of the 2010 project by the authority, the
[9:10] board hereby declares it to be desirable for the health, safety and welfare of the people
[9:15] of the county, and in the area served by the college and the 2010 project to have the 2010
[9:21] project provided by and financed through the authority.
[9:25] The board hereby empowers authorizes and directs this chairman or in his absence any other
[9:31] member of the board to execute and deliver an approval of applicable representatives
[9:36] in the form attached here to.
[9:38] The approval grants are hereby shall not in any way pledge or obligate the credit or tax
[9:44] and power of the county, nor shall the county be liable for the payment of the principal
[9:48] or interest on any obligations issued by the authority in connection with the 2010 project.
[9:57] Is there a motion?
[9:59] Some of the shagaps have been moved and seconded.
[10:01] We have Ryan Kuzlanski here today to talk to us about this and to assure us that by taking an action here today,
[10:08] the county is not going to be obligated in any way.
[10:12] Is that correct?
[10:12] I can assure you that that's what taxpayers want to hear.
[10:16] Absolutely.
[10:17] I'll see you one more time, absolutely.
[10:19] I stated in the resolution, there is no obligation on a county to make any payments with respect
[10:23] to this loan.
[10:24] As you've seen in the past for other tax free deals, it is a tax code requirement that
[10:28] the elected officials that have jurisdiction over the project approve any tax exempt financing.
[10:34] You've seen, you know, these approvals have a number of occasions.
[10:36] This is for life-longing in college as we've done before for the college and for other commissioners,
[10:41] but there is no obligation on a county.
[10:44] Based on the location, fiber, and medicine, they're going to tear down the
[10:48] distant structure or just remodel it. No, acquire it in remodel it for dormitory space.
[10:54] It's already utilized and must be at least rent it. Right now the college leases
[11:01] that space and suddenly the medical school is using it right now so they're
[11:05] going to acquire it, take it back, and use it for dormitory space. Thank you.
[11:08] There's some other miscellaneous capital projects but that's the lion's share
[11:14] So they will create jobs, too, with the construction associated with this, and that's it.
[11:18] They have renovations to do, there are other renovations on the college.
[11:22] They're looking at cafeteria spaces as well.
[11:24] Okay, very good.
[11:25] Okay, any discussion?
[11:27] Hearing none, all those in favor to keep us in mind?
[11:29] Aye.
[11:29] I host, Kate, your name is.
[11:31] Thank you very much.
[11:32] Shaky questions.
[11:33] Yep, best.
[11:33] The next agenda item is approving and affirming the Lackawanna County VOJO victims of juvenile crime grant.
[11:40] We have resolved with the Board of Commissioners of Black Wanakownee, does hereby approve and
[11:45] affirm the District Attorney's Office submission of a sub-grain to the panel of the annual
[11:49] crime and commission on crime and delinquency for the Black Wanakownee Rojo Victims of
[11:55] juvenile crime grant for the period of 7-1-20 term to 6-30-20-11 in the amount of $25,608.
[12:05] Okay.
[12:07] Is there a motion?
[12:08] So much seconds.
[12:09] It's been moved and seconded.
[12:10] And we welcome the District Attorney's Grant Administrator, Jill Sumer.
[12:14] Morning, commissioners.
[12:15] Good morning, Jill.
[12:16] Of this range is for the salary of our victim advocate in the juvenile division of the DA's office.
[12:23] There's no match required for it.
[12:26] I always like to make that very clear.
[12:28] I know.
[12:29] It's important for us to do that too.
[12:31] The matching requirements on our side?
[12:33] No.
[12:34] We don't know, no, no.
[12:35] I just have a flip over.
[12:37] It's fully funded.
[12:39] Thank you.
[12:40] OK, all right.
[12:42] Well, are there any questions?
[12:44] K-hearing none.
[12:46] Are those in favor?
[12:46] And you can go to the same item.
[12:48] I write.
[12:48] I put in or K-Chemes, Mr. Jedi and Jenn Diadem approving
[12:51] an authorized and lack of one-accounting victim
[12:53] witness services grant consultants.
[12:56] Be it resolved that the Board of Commissioners of Black
[12:58] 1 in county does hear by approved
[13:00] an authorized redistricted attorney's office
[13:02] to submit a sub-gram to the Pennsylvania Commission on Climbing to Win Quincy,
[13:07] for the lack of one-accounting victim, witness rates, and services act grant for the dates
[13:12] of 1-1-20-11 through 12-31-20-12 in the amount of $200,686.
[13:21] Here's their motion.
[13:22] So moved.
[13:23] Here's been moved in second, and once again, Joe.
[13:27] Commissioners, this one as well, there's no match required from the county.
[13:31] It's 100% funded through the state and this one is for our adult victim advocates
[13:38] To you know process the victims through court. Yeah, and it's just a continue renewal of a grant. Yes
[13:44] We get this year this grant every year
[13:48] Funds the victim witness program on an annual basis with no match by the county. Correct. Okay. It's their salaries any discussion
[13:56] Hearing none, all those in favor and to keep by saying aye.
[13:59] Opposed?
[14:00] Kate unanimous.
[14:01] Next item, approving and authorizing the submission of an application for a section
[14:05] 108 loan guarantee funds.
[14:09] Whereas the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania has developed a program for the use of section
[14:13] 108 loan guarantee fund in accordance with federal regulations and whereas public entities
[14:19] may apply for section 108 loan guarantee funds through the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
[14:24] and whereas under the PA section 108 long guidelines funds must be used for
[14:30] eligible activities which benefit low and moderate income persons and whereas the
[14:35] county of La Guana has held public hearings to receive input on the proposed
[14:39] use of section 108 long funds and whereas funding is needed to finance the
[14:45] construction of a technology incubated facilities by Scrantone Guana
[14:49] industrial building company, and whereas the group called Project, the primarily benefit
[14:55] at low and moderate income persons in the county of Wankawana.
[15:00] And whereas the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, food department of community and economic developments, P.A. Section 108, long program, will make the payments necessary to ensure the county of Blackwanner will not lose the further community development, life-grade allocation, as a result of the county's participation in the SIDCO project. Now, therefore, do it resolved by the board of clinicians of the county of Blackwanner, Pennsylvania, that a few by the proves the filing of this application,
[15:29] for a section 108, long guarantee in the amount of $3,900,000 and be a further resolved
[15:37] if a county of Blackwater shall loan the section 108 loan proceeds to slipco and be a further
[15:43] resolved if the chairman of the board of commissioners of the county of Blackwater
[15:47] is authorized to find and is directed to file this application, including all assurances
[15:53] and certifications with the Pre-A Department of Community and Economic Development.
[15:58] He had further resolved that the chairman of the Board of Commissioners of the County
[16:01] of La Colana is hereby authorized to execute a contract for loan guarantee assistance
[16:07] under Section 108 of the Housing and Community Development Ants of 1974 as amended and
[16:13] as such commentary now, loan agreements and other instruments and documents as needy
[16:18] It's an answer to a fax rate before going to part with us.
[16:22] Okay, is there a motion?
[16:24] So moved.
[16:25] Second.
[16:26] It's been moved and seconded, and we have here with us this morning, Andy Swift.
[16:29] We'd like to welcome and ask you to talk a little bit about this.
[16:33] We first began discussing section 108 loans when the Basque Off Department stories came before us.
[16:41] And it caused people in the community to realize that there were opportunities for others under this program.
[16:48] and you're bringing a project to us here today, which involves no guarantee I'm
[16:52] a part of the county, but before it's the opportunity to start a very important project
[16:56] and I know Commissioner O'Brien has long been an advocate of, so
[17:00] do you want to talk to us a little bit about it? Thank you Michael. Good morning
[17:03] commissioners. My name is Andy Srip, vice president of the Greatest Grant Chamber of Commerce
[17:07] and SIPCO. SIPCO is the industrial realm and arm
[17:10] of the Greatest Grant Chamber of Commerce. In our 65-year history of SIPCO
[17:15] So we have developed 13 parks and 7 buildings that are the 1.2 main square feet.
[17:20] Some of the projects that we have developed are the Prudential Buildings, Bank of America,
[17:25] Diversified General Dynamics to name a few.
[17:28] But we also constructed the Scrant Interplacer on a lot of our new, which is an incubator
[17:32] building and for anchor tenants.
[17:35] The anchor part of the building for the incubator part of it is 100% occupied and our six
[17:43] years the building has been anywhere from 85% to 100% occupied. We would like to construct
[17:49] another similar facility called the Technology Inquisitor Facility. We're going to be building
[17:54] in the Justice Mad Business Center when the parks we have developed, which is in just a
[17:59] bill. The site consists of 13.6 acres and it's Kareezy until the year 2021. The new building
[18:07] would be $43,000 square feet. It's a one-story steel and glass office building. We will have
[18:13] ten incubator offices and up to eight anchor tenants. We have two. The design is completed
[18:21] and we can start the site work this year once we get our final permit. Construction will
[18:26] start in the spring of 2011 and be completed at the end of 2011. The toilet project cost is
[18:33] $8.3 million, we're requesting Rock Want Accounting to apply for the 108 loan to the
[18:39] tune of $3 million, 900, $3,000 on behalf of SIPCO.
[18:43] The reason why we're asking you to be the applicant is because we're not eligible to apply
[18:47] for the funding.
[18:48] It will be a 20-year loan, approximately a 1.5 percent.
[18:52] These are head funds which apply the federal stimulus package.
[18:55] This will be at no cost to the county with no contingent liability to Rock Want Accounting.
[19:01] I've submitted Wendring to you for the new building, any questions?
[19:05] Just want to make a comment on the facility. One of the things that we've tried to do,
[19:10] you always come here and you want to create jobs and you want to work to do that.
[19:15] And the three of us have been working hard in that area.
[19:17] And this is really one of the major steps in doing that moving forward.
[19:22] To have a technology incubator in our county where we've seen great success
[19:26] in a loser-in-county technology incubator in our incubator downtown
[19:30] Scranton to offer additional small businesses that are growing and starting the
[19:35] opportunity to flourish in a facility like this is a great first step.
[19:40] Now there's a lot of people in our county who are out of work and a lot of people
[19:43] in our county who are looking for the next great challenge for themselves and to
[19:48] be able to locate that idea and incubate in a facility like this and
[19:53] is going to provide them with tremendous opportunities to start businesses and not have a lot of the overhead that they would otherwise have if they weren't in a KOEZ space in an incubator.
[20:05] So we appreciate your vision in this area and your willingness to go and build it.
[20:11] You know, a lot of people kind of talk about these things a lot, but the Chamber is taking it on and getting it done.
[20:17] And I just wanted to sincerely thank you for that, because there is a great deal of
[20:23] technological-related businesses in our region, and for them to have a stadium facility
[20:28] like this is really going to be a positive development in our county.
[20:34] Thank you.
[20:34] Thank you.
[20:37] I just want to make sure there's something, when we're done, there's another subject.
[20:41] I just have to make another quick statement here, this is so compatible with the construction
[20:48] that's taking place at the colleges and universities, including the medical school, where
[20:53] right now we're worth $200 million worth of construction is underway.
[20:57] This technology incubator is something that's very consistent with that, with the kind
[21:02] of community and the kind of jobs that we're trying to create because we know that there
[21:07] There are people facing some really dire circumstances out there, so an eight million dollar project
[21:12] which will help to create jobs that are future-oriented, that aren't dead-end, but are in the direction
[21:19] of the way that this economy needs to go is the right anecdote here, and we thank you
[21:25] for bringing this project to us and giving us the opportunity to support it.
[21:29] Commissioner Munchek?
[21:29] Let's vote on this and I have something else for you.
[21:31] Okay, then we're voting on the approval of an application for a section 108 loan for
[21:41] SLIPCO.
[21:41] Those in favor, do keep us saying aye.
[21:44] Aye.
[21:44] Opposed?
[21:45] Okay, unanimous.
[21:46] And on the item that involves SLIPCO, they're involved with the Mount Pleasant site here
[21:54] downtown, I assume.
[21:55] Is that correct?
[21:56] Yes.
[21:56] We developed that part also.
[21:57] That's one of the 13 parts that SLIPCO has developed.
[22:00] Okay.
[22:00] Now, I'd like one of your representatives to meet with either the commissioners and Mr.
[22:07] John Eastman, our director of public works for sake of a better word.
[22:15] He's wears a lot of hats.
[22:16] But the point being is that the county is responsible.
[22:20] We've taken it on from various agreements, the solving and plowing during the winter time of the various industrial parts.
[22:27] Some of them, I don't know if there's all of them.
[22:29] And I'm just wondering, are we obligated for the Mount Pleasant one also?
[22:33] No.
[22:34] No.
[22:34] The road within the Mount Pleasant Corporate Center will be dedicated
[22:38] over to the city's grant.
[22:40] So the government obligation there.
[22:41] Okay, God.
[22:42] Thanks.
[22:43] You're welcome.
[22:44] Thank you.
[22:45] That is a very good question.
[22:47] I'm glad you asked that.
[22:49] That's what I knew for a question.
[22:50] Yeah.
[22:51] Okay.
[22:52] Don't get carried away, Commissioner.
[22:54] I'm sure you are.
[22:55] I'm not here just to look good.
[22:56] I'm sure you've goofed up before this meeting's over.
[23:00] Next agenda item, approving provider contracts
[23:03] for the Department of Human Services, Ms. Elkins.
[23:06] We have resolved to avoid the commissioners
[23:08] of Black One Accountee.
[23:09] Does hereby approve the provider contracts
[23:11] between Black One Accountee Department of Human Services
[23:15] and Capric Social Services and Catherine McCauley Center
[23:18] for the Homeless Assistance Program
[23:21] for first school year July 1, 2010
[23:23] through June 30, 2011.
[23:26] Okay, is there a motion?
[23:28] Similar to check, it's been moved and seconded,
[23:30] and we get a chance to welcome Trees Osborne,
[23:34] the director of human services for Lackawanna County,
[23:36] to brief us on what we will be voting upon.
[23:39] Good morning, commissioners.
[23:40] The contracts, as was just described for the homeless assistance
[23:44] program that allows us the opportunity with monies
[23:46] we receive from the Department of Public Welfare
[23:48] to provide shelter and rental assistance via two
[23:51] community programs, Catholic Social Services and Catholic
[23:54] from Callie Center or Catherine McColle Center, I'm sorry, for individuals who are at
[23:59] risk of or who are homeless within our community.
[24:03] Okay.
[24:04] Do you have a dollar amount?
[24:06] You know, commissioners, I'm sorry to say in front of me, I don't have a dollar amount.
[24:09] Okay.
[24:09] I'm hoping that they're written within the contracts before myself.
[24:12] Okay.
[24:13] Okay.
[24:14] I'm sorry.
[24:15] I wouldn't have asked that question.
[24:17] You better prepare that.
[24:18] I should be ready for it again.
[24:20] Okay.
[24:21] Any questions?
[24:22] Sorry.
[24:22] comments? Yes, please.
[24:28] It's an actual exceed amount of 115,000 per version housing.
[24:33] 15,000 per case management total 141,000 that exceed. Thank you. Any other discussion?
[24:42] Hearing none. All those in favor, indicate by saying aye.
[24:45] Aye. Aye. Opposed? Okay. Thank you.
[24:49] The next agenda item is authorizing submission of application of Pennsylvania D.C.E.D. for funding
[24:54] for the Student Rehabilitation and Renovation Project.
[24:59] Whereas the board of commissioners of Blackwanda County does who have the desire to undertake
[25:04] the following project, the Student Rehabilitation and Renovation Project, and whereas Blackwanda
[25:10] County does ideas to apply to the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development
[25:14] for a grant for the purposes of carrying out this project.
[25:18] Whereas the application package includes the document entitled terms and conditions
[25:23] of grants and a document entitled signature page for grant agreement.
[25:27] And whereas the applicant understands the conditions of the document,
[25:31] entitled terms and conditions of grants, including appendices referred to barren,
[25:37] will become the terms and conditions of a grant agreement between the applicant
[25:41] and the Department of Community and Economic Development if the applicant is awarded the grant.
[25:46] Now, therefore, we have resolved that the signature page for the grant application and grant
[25:51] agreement may be signed on behalf of the applicant by the Board of Commissioners.
[25:56] We have further resolved if this official signed the signature page for the grant application
[26:01] and grant agreement prior to passage of this resolution, this grant of authority applies
[26:06] is retroactively to the date of signing.
[26:09] The upper result is the applicant has awarded a grant
[26:13] for signature page for grants application
[26:15] and grant agreement signed by the above official
[26:18] will become the applicant grantee's executive
[26:22] executed signature page for the grant agreement
[26:24] and the applicant grantee will be bound by the grant agreement.
[26:28] The upper result, any amendment to the grant agreement,
[26:32] may be signed on behalf of the grantee
[26:33] The Bible for so-for at the time of signing a new amendment have the title specified
[26:38] above and the grantee will be found by the amendment.
[26:43] Mr. Motion, so if Shagant has been moved in seconded, we welcome David Levelle here
[26:49] today from the community and economic development business consultant.
[26:55] We always like to welcome staff members from throughout the various county departments
[27:00] and give folks a chance to see them and to hear what projects they're working on, so David,
[27:05] would you like to tell us about what we're applying for here today? Absolutely. Good morning,
[27:10] commissioners. We have applied for a $4 million grant that is going to be requesting funds from
[27:18] the local share count in Monroe County, which is drawn from attacks on gaming funds and the
[27:24] boundary, which you can see now,
[27:27] is a grant for a match, a $4 million match, which will
[27:32] be drawing from a bond issue that was based on the hotel tax.
[27:36] And these are much needed repairs to the stadium and are really hoping to get this project
[27:42] moving.
[27:43] Are there any questions?
[27:44] Yes.
[27:45] Are you talking about the stadium?
[27:49] I'm going to talk to Martin.
[27:50] Yes.
[27:50] Okay.
[27:51] So I don't identify.
[27:52] That's our mayor's name.
[27:52] Oh, yes.
[27:53] Okay.
[27:54] Okay. All right. So this is the, so this is a viewing query report which requires 13 million repairs.
[28:02] This is to get us, we have a bond issue out there that's 4 million.
[28:07] Yes.
[28:08] Need the remaining funds.
[28:12] And this would be seeking a match of that 4 million to bring us up to 8 million on that.
[28:17] Yes. Yes. The total project would be 8 million going to work in the cost of the viewing goal project.
[28:21] Thank you.
[28:23] All right.
[28:23] Any further discussion?
[28:25] No.
[28:25] I just, for Mr. Barnes, just in this resolution, I think for future reference, we should identify
[28:33] the location.
[28:34] It's just a stadium rehabilitation.
[28:37] Thanks.
[28:38] Okay.
[28:39] Thank you.
[28:40] Any further discussion?
[28:42] Hearing none.
[28:43] All those in favor, indicate by saying aye.
[28:45] Opposed?
[28:46] Okay.
[28:47] Junanimous.
[28:47] Thank you.
[28:48] The next agenda item, approving an agreement between Lackawanna County and University of Pittsburgh's
[28:53] child welfare education for a leadership program, the C-W-E-E-L-Zophanes.
[28:59] I think that the Zophanes are the commissioners of Lackawanna County to have served by approving
[29:03] agreement with the University of Pittsburgh for its child welfare education for the leadership
[29:08] program on behalf of the School of Social Work and Student Fire and E-Data.
[29:14] Okay, is there a motion?
[29:15] So if the case has been moved in seconded, I don't think there's a representative here from children in youth, but this is the program where we sponsor county employees to receive graduate degrees to the University of Pittsburgh School of Social Work.
[29:33] It's been very, very successful and we've done this with some regularities so there's familiarity with it.
[29:41] And there's one more employee now that's going to go through this program.
[29:45] So is there any further discussion or any need for any amplification?
[29:49] Okay, then we're going to vote on it.
[29:51] All those in favor, indicate by saying aye.
[29:53] Aye.
[29:54] Opposed?
[29:54] The next agenda item is approving the Medical Assistance Transportation Program Contract.
[30:00] Resolving. We resolved for the Board of Commissioners of Lake Wanakowni. Does anybody approve the contractual
[30:06] levationship for medical assistance transportation program with Lake Wanakowni coordinated transportation,
[30:14] venture powers, loads, rent, scrum counseling center, NHS, tribe county human services,
[30:29] Lake
[30:29] health care for kids at the same amounts as the 2009 through 10 contracts.
[30:34] The term of this agreement shall be from July 1, 2010 through June 30, 2011.
[30:41] Okay, is there a motion?
[30:43] It's a motion.
[30:44] Okay, it's been moved and seconded.
[30:45] We get a chance to introduce to the number, number of the county team.
[30:51] It's John Townshale, who's a manager of coordinated transportation.
[30:55] John, do you want to tell us about what we're voting on here today?
[30:58] Yes, commissioners. Good morning. When we had the bid opening in May, the contracts were deemed
[31:04] non-responsive because of lack of information that was presented to us. The best way to proceed with
[31:13] the contracts through FIFF World to just continue working out last year's contract and have a
[31:22] That's new transition that way, so that's the purpose of that.
[31:26] I see the controller here.
[31:28] We give the controller the mic.
[31:30] I know he's very modest, but Mr. controller, if you have someone to say,
[31:34] he's very accurate in that the controller was office or solicitor.
[31:39] We were here at the bid.
[31:40] There were other sponsors to the format of the bid.
[31:44] And they were stopped by us to negotiate with the current vendors.
[31:49] Okay, so this was done in cooperation and we thank the controllers obviously. We thank you and canning for your assistance on this.
[31:58] So I guess if there are any questions, we're going to vote on this. So I vote in favor. Indicate by saying aye.
[32:06] I opposed. Okay. Thank you. Thank you.
[32:09] Okay, now we come to the appointment part of the agenda and the first item is an appointment
[32:17] to the Lackawanna Heritage Valley Authority.
[32:21] We have resolved with the Board of Commissioners of Lackawanna County as here by a point
[32:25] the following individual to the Lackawanna Heritage Valley Authority to fill the unexpired
[32:31] term of Jack Delayell, term to begin immediately an expires on January 2, 2011.
[32:36] Dominic Keating, Thungmore.
[32:40] Okay, is there a motion?
[32:42] Some of his movement, the movement's secondary.
[32:45] Is there any discussion?
[32:47] Hearing none, all those in favor, indicate by saying aye.
[32:51] Aye.
[32:51] Aye.
[32:52] Okay, it's unanimous.
[32:53] And Dominic Keating, we all know those of us who know him,
[32:58] is a real, real, real, real person, and a real,
[33:02] has a real, then dedicated interest in local history.
[33:05] So I know that we have to be happy with this appointment.
[33:08] The next item on the agenda will be an appointment to the Rackowanna River Basin sewer authority.
[33:15] We have resolved to prepare the commissioners of Rackowanna County.
[33:19] Desire by appoint the following individuals to the Rackowanna River Basin sewer authority
[33:24] to fill the expiry term of Joseph Ternchak and the unexpired term of Richard Galardi.
[33:29] Joseph Mercatelli, music, time to begin immediately and expire in December 31, 2012.
[33:37] Edward Gowardy, Pac-Fell, time to begin immediately and expire on January 5, 2014.
[33:44] It will be a motion, so moved and seconded is any discussion?
[33:49] Mr. Chairman, as we were discussed, please explain the requirements resident, you know,
[33:56] borrow requirements.
[33:58] Yes.
[33:59] Yes.
[33:59] Thank you, Mr. Muncher.
[34:02] We have, in the sewer authorities, representation goes back to town and music and troupe alternate,
[34:13] They share a representative and they've alternated representation and Mr. Mercatelli is from
[34:19] Lucic and Blakely has their own representative and that's Mr. Calardi.
[34:29] But I mean that's we're voting on Mr. Mercatelli and we're voting on Mr. Calardi.
[34:34] So are there any additional questions hearing none?
[34:37] Are those in favor and to keep us saying aye?
[34:39] I vote.
[34:40] Okay.
[34:41] Thank you.
[34:42] unanimous.
[34:43] Next agenda.
[34:43] Appointments to the Waiperana County Agricultural Land Preservation Board.
[34:48] You have resolved with the Board of Commissioners of Waiperana County.
[34:52] Does hereby appoint the following individuals to the Waiperana County Agricultural Land
[34:56] Preservation Board.
[34:58] The following long have a term to begin immediately and expire on March 23, 2012.
[35:04] Well, we'll catch Derman, Mary Booth, Donado, Madam Frontier, except Margaret Hall, Dalton.
[35:12] Thanks for your motion.
[35:13] So most seconded.
[35:14] Seconded.
[35:14] It's been moved and seconded.
[35:15] Any discussion?
[35:17] Hearing none, all those in favor?
[35:18] And to keep us in eye?
[35:19] Aye.
[35:20] Aye.
[35:20] Okay.
[35:21] It's unanimous.
[35:22] All right, now we move to the motion section of the agenda.
[35:24] I make a motion to advertise for Bids for the Earsworth Park Development Project.
[35:29] Second.
[35:29] He has been moved and seconded.
[35:31] Mr. Bill Davis is here.
[35:32] And he's going to tell us about this project.
[35:35] Morning, commissioners.
[35:36] Good morning.
[35:38] This was a project that we've previously announced.
[35:40] It's the development of a soccer field, softball field, ADA access, walking trail, and eventually a bombless playground.
[35:52] This project's been delayed due to permitting issues.
[35:55] There was a wetland mitigation that we had to do as well as our DEP permitting.
[36:00] that we're close to finalizing that and we'd like to put it out to bed.
[36:05] Okay. Any discussion? I'm sure that everyone in the last section of Archbald
[36:12] and in the mid-decker valley will be happy to see a soccer field there
[36:17] and the soccer field and an accessible walking tour. So it's good news.
[36:26] No further discussion, all those in favor, indicate by saying aye.
[36:30] Aye.
[36:31] Okay.
[36:31] The next agenda item is I'd like to make a motion to advertise for bits for the Covington
[36:36] Park Phase 2 development project.
[36:38] Second.
[36:39] It's been moved and seconded.
[36:40] Mr. Davis.
[36:42] This is another recreation project at Covington Park.
[36:46] The first phase which we've already started includes a baseball field, a restaurant facility
[36:54] parking. The second phase is going to include a soccer field, a baseball practice field,
[37:00] a ballless playground, a pavilion in office, walking trail, and access road in parking.
[37:07] And do you want to talk about where the funding is coming for these projects?
[37:11] Certainly, no local tax dollars are involved. It's basically a grant from the State's going
[37:19] and renal program and the length of trust we're using
[37:22] as the local match.
[37:24] We've been talking at various meetings about the fact
[37:27] that these projects, while they're not large in terms
[37:31] of dollars, they do collectively they become large.
[37:35] And they do help to stimulate a really stagnant economy.
[37:40] So we're happy about the fact that some jobs will be created
[37:45] for some people while this work is being done
[37:46] and some live-risk recreation activities will be afforded people in archfals and mid-vary
[37:54] as well as people in the local area.
[37:57] So, any additional discussion?
[37:59] Hearing none, all those in favor indicate by saying aye.
[38:01] Opposed?
[38:02] Okay. The next motion I'd like to make is to advertise for bids for the Rocky Run Stream Improvement project.
[38:08] Second.
[38:08] It's been moved and seconded, Bill Davis again.
[38:11] Commissioner was in 2006, there was flood damage to Lucky Run Stream, and at that time,
[38:19] the Lachlan County applied for a Pima grant to do a restoration project there. We actually
[38:26] have previously did this project, but because the grant stipulated that we had to use the money
[38:35] to put it to a pre-existing condition.
[38:38] We didn't feel that that was, you know,
[38:41] we thought that if it happened once,
[38:42] if it happened again, we should redesign it.
[38:44] DEP finally agreed with this
[38:47] and then we had to redesign the project.
[38:49] And that's why there was a delay in doing it.
[38:51] We're almost through a permitting process now
[38:54] and I hope this, you know, start this fall.
[38:57] And again, this is a federal grant.
[38:59] It's FEMA through FEMA, the state arm
[39:02] and it's approximately $500,000 grant for this project.
[39:07] And it's more construction dollars
[39:09] and more opportunities for people to work on the project.
[39:15] So is there any discussion hearing none?
[39:18] All those in favor?
[39:19] And to keep a single eye?
[39:20] All right.
[39:20] Opposed?
[39:21] Okay, unanimous.
[39:22] Before you move, Mr. Davis,
[39:25] I can see that someone listening to this broadcast
[39:28] will have been at the park
[39:30] and would have been at the park on Saturday, last Saturday, for the cross-country meet, and
[39:40] it was really so well done. The organization, the parking, the weather, the participation
[39:48] was really magnificent and congratulations. I appreciate it. I know that at various times
[39:54] all three of us have had a chance to be over there and see the good work that you've been
[39:59] doing and the special events that have been taking place there and it's truly marvelous.
[40:04] Taxpayers deserve it and I want to thank you for it.
[40:08] Thank you.
[40:09] Appreciate it.
[40:10] Okay, thank you.
[40:11] The next agenda item is the opportunity for the public to address the board.
[40:15] This is the time when folks who want to talk about things that weren't necessarily
[40:19] or that went out on the agenda are afforded that opportunity.
[40:23] So anyone who would like to come forward in an orderly manner, please come forward.
[40:28] and express what's on your mind.
[40:32] And first identify yourself.
[40:34] Yeah, we need names and addresses if you don't mind.
[40:37] Sure.
[40:38] Jessica Durkin, and I live in Scrazen.
[40:41] My address is 952 North Webster Avenue.
[40:46] And I answer before you guys about...
[40:50] I'm giving that in March.
[40:51] I'm with New American Foundation,
[40:53] which is a Washington, D.C. Public Policy Institute.
[40:57] and so I'm studying media policy and at the time I've not started a project yet
[41:02] but that project that I was supposed to do is done and so I wanted to share it
[41:06] with you guys and turn it in some minutes for the record.
[41:10] What I do is I did a Screenson Media Case Study where I took a really actually
[41:14] Screenson and like I want to count it and I took a look at the media here,
[41:20] you know, radio, television, print, online, and I think it's much,
[41:28] the budget just sort of assessed it.
[41:30] And what we did with the America, I'm one of several fellows
[41:33] across the country, we looked at other cities too.
[41:36] So, as friends, I was actually kind of lucky in this respect because
[41:39] it was among like Seattle, we looked at Seattle, we looked at the Triangle,
[41:50] And a few other cities too, and what we did was, now I think we're going to work in a
[41:54] stat now.
[41:55] Anyway, so part of this also was taking a look at the assets here and with respect to
[42:00] like broadband and I know that you guys, or you all did some past the, was it the, the
[42:07] Wi-Fi?
[42:08] I actually want to get an update on that too.
[42:11] So in general, that's what it is.
[42:12] And so, you know, I ended up with a case study and it's, you know, Scranton, our bottom
[42:18] one is that it's an industrial city with a media ecosystem yet to take advantage of digital
[42:23] opportunities.
[42:24] So there's a bit of a curve ahead, I think, to come up to speak to some other cities
[42:29] in the same size or larger.
[42:33] So that was one thing.
[42:34] The other thing we did was we had a forum, we hosted a ship, the ocean, the forum at the
[42:39] University of Scranton in May, and we brought together about 22-23 people, you all couldn't
[42:45] make it, you were invited, but you had obligations.
[42:48] Where we invited people from a center case,
[42:50] use office, some other local representatives,
[42:54] and media.
[42:57] And we all just talked about what does
[42:59] grant need to make things better, or different,
[43:03] if it even needs anything at all.
[43:05] There was consensus that there is a lot of
[43:08] information improvement.
[43:09] Considering layoffs, I'm a former Times Tribune reporter.
[43:12] I was laid off a year and a half ago.
[43:14] you know, advertising dollars. The models are not sustainable anymore. The traditional
[43:20] media models are not sustainable. And then there's also the explosion of like, you know,
[43:24] blogs and online news. So that was part of the discussion and I just wanted to touch
[43:32] base with you guys. I may have a project I'd like to, you know, we can talk about offline,
[43:36] but I do have some ideas for the fall for here that we can maybe talk more about this.
[43:41] Thank you.
[43:42] Yeah, so what is going on with the Wi-Fi?
[43:45] Well two things I want to mention to you.
[43:46] One is the technology incubator which we spoke about earlier in the meeting,
[43:50] which hopefully will have to offset some of those issues with respect to technology
[43:56] and it not being tapped yet because I agree with you.
[43:58] It still needs to be tapped more so we're working hard with respect to that with the chamber.
[44:03] And the Wi-Fi access really in one of the final rounds to determine whether or not
[44:10] we're going to receive a very large grant to assist us in doing, you know, an extraordinary
[44:19] RIFI project here.
[44:23] So we're in the finals, we're down at a wire so we don't know if we're going to get it out.
[44:27] We're keeping our fingers crossed, we should know before the end of the month I believe is the time table
[44:35] or maybe mid-act children. So we're keeping our fingers crossed that what we received
[44:40] grant there and if we do think a lot's going to change in our county with respect to
[44:45] why I find it's a variability. So we'll see. We're keeping our fingers crossed. So we
[44:49] could talk more about it if things work out there. So stay tuned on that. Okay.
[44:56] Okay, thank you,
[44:57] Sir, thank you.
[44:58] Thank you.
[45:00] Okay. Thank you. Is there anyone else who wishes to speak today? Yes? Okay.
[45:12] Hello, commissioners. I'm Lorraine Cummings. I'm from Scrantons. Move this over to the front of it. There you go.
[45:21] Thank you for your understanding. Lorraine, do you want to say where you found your address? 513? Okay. Let's go. Let's go. Okay. Thank you. A little bit nervous. Okay.
[45:33] We'll just slow down and you'll be fine.
[45:36] Well, first of all, I'd like to thank you
[45:38] to Tracey Hart for our help with all of our lives.
[45:42] Thank you.
[45:44] We're planning another, an October 10th.
[45:47] If I'd like to give you an invitation to come and speak.
[45:54] Do you want to explain your route,
[45:55] explain what you're doing?
[45:57] Well, our route is basically educational.
[46:00] So we'd like to try and help people know what's
[46:04] happening in a country. What you're working on.
[46:09] You're looking at me on that.
[46:11] Just a little bit more. Explain what your organization is. You have to tell the public.
[46:17] We're just trying to, so we could fill out one and what it is you're doing.
[46:21] What we like to do is have power. It's grand and cheap. And what we represent
[46:27] is a growing number of Americans that are concerned with what's happening in
[46:32] context. Okay. Do you have any questions? I don't know.
[46:39] I don't think so. Okay. Is there
[46:43] a possibility for either meetings or commissioners?
[46:51] Yes, right. Well, one of the, you know,
[46:54] the principal reason we haven't done is that you've been here for most of the meeting and we've
[46:59] had an interaction with John Tavshow from where there's transportation, Treesau's born from human
[47:05] And services, David, it's very good and it's difficult to bring the staff out in the evening
[47:13] people who are scheduled for day works.
[47:15] That's been the reason that's been the logic for meeting during the day.
[47:21] Okay.
[47:22] It's much easier to access through my members and that was one of the questions that they
[47:27] had asked me about because we're trying to attend most of the school board meetings and
[47:31] commission meetings and it's hard because we're all working parents so thank God we have our jobs but
[47:37] you know it's difficult so attend. If there is a possibility of ever going into the evening we
[47:43] would appreciate something for the purpose. We do have budget meetings in the evenings okay.
[47:49] And that's that's a very important time and so watch for the the budgets when the budget meetings
[47:55] from their schedule here, a few weeks from now, and they will all be in the evening except
[48:01] one hearing here during our regular meeting, I think we have one.
[48:06] So before, there would probably be at least three opportunities around the county at various
[48:10] locations for evening meetings coming up.
[48:13] Okay.
[48:14] One of the questions that I had was in regards to the Internet was just up here, the Wi-Fi.
[48:21] I watched your meeting for me.
[48:23] And Mr. Munchek had a question for Mr. O'Brien, are we getting into the Internet business?
[48:32] And that question isn't addressed.
[48:34] So are we?
[48:36] Well, what we're doing, I don't know what we're getting into business, but we're trying
[48:41] to provide is our first responders, police departments, or educational.
[48:46] I heard that part of it, but will you be in charge of any part of the Internet?
[48:51] What is broadband can you explain that?
[48:54] Our goal is in charging the Internet.
[48:56] That's his baby.
[48:57] That's not ours.
[48:58] He's the founder.
[48:59] We're going to keep that separate.
[49:03] That's quite funny, but it didn't answer the question.
[49:08] The FCC just ruled that we cannot regulate Internet neutrality.
[49:13] So how is it that we in the county can control any part of our Internet?
[49:18] We don't have any intention of controlling the Internet in any way.
[49:22] So what would this include?
[49:27] The Wi-Fi grant would provide us with the opportunity to put Wi-Fi throughout the county.
[49:33] You can't do it now?
[49:34] No.
[49:35] Because we don't have the funds to put that technology on towers.
[49:40] So we don't have, can you purchase it from other companies?
[49:48] We don't utilize private companies to manage our emergency management infrastructure.
[49:55] What we do is we do that.
[49:58] So we provide our 911 and other things that we do.
[50:02] What we're trying to do is we're trying to put computers in police vehicles and ambulances and others and have them be able to talk to each other.
[50:10] Right now, we have a way.
[50:13] Can you answer it?
[50:16] Not through Wi-Fi, not through computers.
[50:19] So you can't pull up if you have security cameras at a certain location.
[50:24] You can't view those from your car.
[50:27] So for example, if there was an issue in this building where there was an emergency
[50:31] and we had first responders coming the building, they'd be blind coming in the here.
[50:35] What this would provide them with the opportunity is they would have a laptop computer
[50:38] So in their vehicle, they'd be able to pull up the county building, look at the cameras
[50:43] and see exactly what the situation was that they were getting themselves into.
[50:48] So it gives them advance from warning, which was coming up.
[50:51] I'm sorry, I'm pleased to hear from you.
[50:53] Police departments and emergency responders around the country have this type of access.
[50:58] We'd like to bring that access to our county.
[51:00] So other counties provide this for police officers throughout their counties?
[51:05] Yes.
[51:05] Yes.
[51:06] Is there information on that that I can find?
[51:08] Sure.
[51:09] Go on to the Internet.
[51:11] Well, where are you going to find information?
[51:13] Is that from other local people?
[51:15] I don't see any information.
[51:17] I didn't see any information.
[51:17] I didn't see any information.
[51:17] I didn't see any information.
[51:18] I didn't see any information.
[51:18] I didn't see any information.
[51:19] Okay.
[51:20] And it was basically to provide information in service to the public.
[51:25] Well, it's something you were discussed, correct?
[51:27] That's something we've discussed.
[51:29] Okay.
[51:29] So, that would be getting into the Internet.
[51:31] It all depends on what if we get a grant or if we don't.
[51:35] I don't worry about the use force, so it's premature to get in the details of this
[51:39] program.
[51:40] Yes, I knew that you won't be getting into public internet.
[51:42] It's my question.
[51:44] So that people need free internet in the county.
[51:47] I mean, if that would be taking a business away from other companies, correct?
[51:50] No, we're not.
[51:51] I'll always focus not right now.
[51:53] There's keeping our fingers crossed that we get a grant that then could provide us with
[51:57] the opportunity to provide our emergency responders or educational institutions
[52:01] and others with access that their president don't have.
[52:04] But when I watched your video, you can discuss how people in real areas don't have access to
[52:11] Wi-Fi.
[52:12] But they do have access to the Internet.
[52:15] So it's not correct that they don't have access to Internet programs.
[52:20] The senior areas do not have access to Internet programs.
[52:24] Over the telephone rooms, they don't have access to Internet programs at all to Wi-Fi
[52:38] I'm not in the business all I'm telling you is explaining to you why the grant has been provided and that's still allowing him.
[52:45] So this grant will not, you can guarantee me that this grant is not going to be for the third purpose of providing free internet access to anyone other than your police force.
[52:55] correct. The only thing that I'll guarantee you the right is that we'll keep my fingers crossed
[52:59] and get the guarantees we've made later. Okay, but that isn't one of the purposes and you're
[53:05] providing the service correct. You've received my answer. I said that in the past day with the
[53:12] public move, you're having to pay for the Internet service. I'm not going to go back and forth
[53:17] and debate with you all day. The last thing I'll say on the subject is this, and I don't know
[53:23] You're getting an answer when I'm going to give you.
[53:26] Keeping our fingers crossed, we'll get to that time.
[53:29] We'll know more about it.
[53:30] And exactly how we launched that type of activity.
[53:35] So we can let you know that later if you've read it,
[53:39] we'll be laying it out.
[53:40] So then you can come and ask questions at that point.
[53:42] But there's not going to lay out at this point.
[53:44] And we don't know where it's going or whether we're going to get it.
[53:46] So you're just not going to get more of an answer in that.
[53:48] It's a rain.
[53:48] Yes.
[53:50] Normally what we do is speakers come up and they make their presentation and at the end
[53:54] we make our comments so that we don't go back and forth because the other people here
[53:59] that may want to speak and we don't like to put a time limit on it because you want
[54:05] you to feel comfortable to be able to say what's on your mind but we won't go back and
[54:09] forth.
[54:10] So do you have another question?
[54:12] I understand now but that's kind of like Nancy Pelosi's response to we have to pass the
[54:16] before we read it, you know, wait a second, wait a second, wait a second, you've had
[54:22] the floor. There's no need. You've been treated with courtesy, which is there. You own
[54:28] this government. Now, appreciate it and act respectfully, Nancy Pelosi, who's Nancy Pelosi?
[54:35] This is like one of county government, okay? And you've had your chance. So now, do you
[54:40] have other questions? You're more than welcome to come and say what's on your mind and to
[54:45] ask questions, but we don't need to invoke the names of people from outside these rooms.
[54:50] I don't believe there is simply an answer, sir.
[54:52] But commissioner O'Brien said to you, that that was what he was prepared to say today
[54:58] that he had knowledge of and what he's advocating for.
[55:00] Now, we don't always get what we want, but is there another question that you want to ask?
[55:05] I would just like to know what grants for applying for and why.
[55:08] I mean, if we don't know why we're applying for the grant, and why how are going to use it?
[55:13] He explained why we're applying for the grant.
[55:18] I appreciate that.
[55:19] I was in that conversation with the fact
[55:21] that you're applying for it for help in our police department.
[55:25] So if they can get internet access in their vehicles,
[55:29] that's the only reason we're applying for it.
[55:31] That's the next question.
[55:32] That's it.
[55:33] That was it.
[55:34] Did you ever chance to see what you wanted to say?
[55:37] Yeah.
[55:37] I just didn't prepare the answer.
[55:39] I don't know.
[55:40] I mean, I'll continue to watch for that to see what the grant is entitled to, but that was going to make a sense.
[55:46] Okay. All right. Thank you.
[55:47] Thank you for taking us a bit back and forth. I appreciate that.
[55:50] Thank you for expressing what's on your mind.
[55:52] Thank you. Have a good day.
[55:54] Thank you.
[55:54] Okay. Is there anyone else here that would like to speak?
[56:06] Good morning, gentlemen. I'm Attorney John McGee.
[56:08] I reside at 224 North Abington Road Clarks Street.
[56:11] Good morning. Welcome, John.
[56:12] Thank you.
[56:12] I want to talk about AAA base car.
[56:17] Let's be clear, the only reason that the New York Yankees would insist on buying the
[56:22] AAA base car franchise is to give them the ability to relocate the franchise at some
[56:27] point.
[56:28] Otherwise, they could work out an alternative arrangement that would give them 100% of the
[56:32] economic benefits by remaining here.
[56:35] Let's not share the code it.
[56:36] Let's not try to rationalize it any other way.
[56:39] Let's not mislead the public.
[56:41] On July 22, 2010, the Commonwealth Court issued a
[56:45] order directing SWB Yankees to disclose public information regarding
[56:52] concessionhoods. Honorable Johnny J. Butler,
[56:55] in issuing the opinion, said, quote,
[56:58] the stadium authority was created for the benefit of the people of this
[57:01] Commonwealth, for the increase of their commerce and prosperity, and for the
[57:06] improvement of their health and living conditions.
[57:07] and quote, the New York Yankees and the New York Yankees were not created for that purpose.
[57:13] That's why ownership of the franchise should not be in the hands of the New York Yankees
[57:17] or the New York Yankees or the New York Yankees or the New York Yankees or the New York
[57:23] Yankees because the franchises here, if the franchise were not here, they couldn't care
[57:27] less about the people of Blackwater County.
[57:31] In 1988, when money was needed to complete the construction of the then new stadium in
[57:39] music, Bill Giles, the president of the Philadelphia Phillies, offered to buy the franchise
[57:44] as a way of helping to contribute funds.
[57:47] Like one of the county commissioners at that point said no, if the like one of the county commissioners
[57:52] had not done that, then in 2006 when the Phillies moved to downtown, we would have had an
[57:58] and be stadium and no franchise for the Yankees to come to.
[58:04] 25 years ago, Joe Quirky and Raya Burigi adopted a model
[58:07] of Columbus Franklin County, Ohio,
[58:10] where the government entity owns a franchise.
[58:13] The advantages that Franklin County, Ohio
[58:19] can take the franchise profits,
[58:20] concessions, parking, and revenues,
[58:22] and product back into the stadium.
[58:24] But most importantly, it was so that the private sector
[58:28] would not own the franchise in Northeastern Pennsylvania, which would enable it to relocate
[58:34] it to another community with a higher population base or higher disposable incomes.
[58:41] In September 2006, Commissioner Cordell signed an agreement giving New York acres and
[58:46] New Delhi the option to buy the franchise.
[58:50] In March of 2007, after being a Commissioner for two years, Commissioner Washall, you said
[58:56] that quote 25 years ago this community committed to the principle of public ownership of its
[59:01] baseball team. You said, in my opinion, that principle is still valid and every effort
[59:05] should be made to protect it no matter what the stage of negotiations between the parties.
[59:12] You said, now is the time to stand up and be counted.
[59:17] On October 30, 2007, one week before
[59:20] the County Commission's election, Mr. O'Brien and the televised debate, you said quote,
[59:26] So Mike Washington and I are certainly 100% opposed to the sale of our AAA franchise.
[59:32] This franchise was purchased with tax dollars.
[59:35] This is the tax payers franchise.
[59:37] It's our franchise.
[59:38] We're not selling it.
[59:39] End quote.
[59:41] In January 2008 shortly after you took off assignment with you privately and advised you
[59:45] of the legal arguments for terminating the management agreement and the option agreement.
[59:50] In March of 2008, I advised your attorney who headed up your base on negotiating team
[59:55] as well. And after a year and a half had passed without any of
[1:00:00] Report on your part to terminate the option agreement. I released on September 10, 2009, a public report detailing how the New York Yankees and me in the way violated the professional baseball contracts and violated the federal Unitrust laws. And I recommended a course of action to eliminate that option.
[1:00:21] I presented that report at a public hearing, baseball hearing which you held just a year ago. And at that public hearing in response to my Releasing Report Commissioner O'Brien, you said, quote,
[1:00:32] We continue to be opposed to the option. We favor the elimination of the option and quote.
[1:00:39] However, some time between September 2009 and June 2010,
[1:00:44] you changed your position without the closing or a change to the public.
[1:00:48] You had an obligation to disclose that position, so that the public at that point could have given you input
[1:00:54] regarding alternatives to the sale to franchise.
[1:00:57] In June 2010, you had a private meeting in New York with New York Yankees in the way at
[1:01:02] which tune you agreed in principle to sign a franchise in New York Yankees in the way.
[1:01:08] On July 28, 2010, when I publicly confronted you with this information at a public hearing,
[1:01:14] you attempted to justify your change in position by stating that you had had no other way of
[1:01:18] providing funds with which to renovate the stadium.
[1:01:21] This was the very first state that you disclosed this to the public that there was a change
[1:01:27] for reposition that you had maintained publicly for more than two and a half years.
[1:01:32] Since that date, I have been publicly advocating to say that the management rights as an alternative
[1:01:37] to a sale of the franchise.
[1:01:39] You can sell the management rights for a one-time lump sum up to $3, and move rental payments
[1:01:46] annual contributions to repair capital improvement fund can be made.
[1:01:52] Since that date, I have also been advocating the hiring of attorney Eric Kramer and
[1:01:56] I trust attorney to initiate legal action to have the option agreement invalidated.
[1:02:02] First of all, contrary to the assertion of Randy Levine of the New York Yankees, either I
[1:02:07] or Eric Kramer has recommended any legal action against the New York Yankees.
[1:02:12] Any litigation would be against Mandelae and SWB Yankees.
[1:02:17] Second-line attorney claimer has pointed out that the contracts with SWB Yankees require
[1:02:23] mandatory mediation in front of an independent mediator before any litigation is instituted.
[1:02:30] This could result in a rapid resolution of the issue depending upon the recommendation of
[1:02:34] the mediator after the four cases presented by attorney claimer.
[1:02:38] On September 10, 2010, the New York Yankees came into town to put on a PR stunt in design
[1:02:45] to intimidate the state of authority so that the state of authority would refrain
[1:02:48] from instituting any legal action.
[1:02:51] But the first thing that Mr. Levine said at that September press conference was quote, we
[1:02:56] would love to say that we could stay here for the next 30 years.
[1:03:00] But we signed into the rules of professional baseball, a play development contract which
[1:03:05] So it only allows us to say that we will be here for four years at a time.
[1:03:09] But if we didn't have that agreement in those rules, I might be saying something a little bit different."
[1:03:15] Well, there is a professional baseball agreement, and there are those rules that have to be complied with.
[1:03:21] So even if the New York Yankees own the franchise and sign a 30-year lease, the longest period of time with the New York Yankees can commit to providing players is for four years.
[1:03:30] For example, for years and now the New York Yankees could sell its 50% interest in
[1:03:34] SWB Yankees to the end of the way, the New York Yankees would then be free to provide
[1:03:39] players under a player development contract to an owner of a AAA franchise in another
[1:03:42] city.
[1:03:44] Also on September 10, 2010, Mr. Roshal, you publicly admitted that you opposed any effort
[1:03:51] to stop the sale.
[1:03:54] This position is a complete reversal of your campaign pledge not to sell the franchise
[1:03:59] to the private sector for profitability.
[1:04:02] You're also state of the EU policy government ownership of the franchise.
[1:04:06] I have stated consistently since 2006 that I oppose the sale of the franchise to a private
[1:04:12] sector for profit entity since by definition it gives away the right to relocate the franchise
[1:04:18] to another community.
[1:04:21] I have stated consistently since 2006 that the franchise should be owned by a public private
[1:04:26] non-profit foundation.
[1:04:27] I suggested it could have 17 members.
[1:04:30] The board could be appointed to members by the county of black and one of two members
[1:04:34] by the county of Luzern.
[1:04:36] 13 members at large could be appointed initially by representatives of the chambers of commerce
[1:04:42] or board trustees of local hospitals and colleges.
[1:04:46] And that after that the board would select its own members.
[1:04:50] I suggested also as part of that that a management company could be hired to retain the profits
[1:04:55] after annual payments are made to the state and the authority.
[1:05:00] I suggest that as part of that that the sale, any future sales could be approved by any
[1:05:05] future sale to franchise would have to be approved by the state and the authority,
[1:05:08] the foundation, the county of lack one and the county of LaZone, and that the proceeds of
[1:05:13] the sale would be split 50, 50 between the counties of lack one and LaZone as was agreed
[1:05:18] to in 1986.
[1:05:21] In response to Mr. washer and Mr. Brian's concern about having to sell the franchise in
[1:05:27] order to maintain the stadium, I suggested instead that the management rights be served.
[1:05:35] You should put this to the Yankees by the management rights, not the franchise rights.
[1:05:42] If they choose to buy the regent rights, that tells us that they want to stay.
[1:05:46] They'll have to run a first-class operation and make money here because they won't have
[1:05:50] of the ability to relocate the franchise to another community.
[1:05:54] And if they say no, then begin to leave the proceedings
[1:05:56] to firmate the American contract and the option agreement.
[1:06:01] SWB Yankees and Mendeley Baseball
[1:06:03] and operating the franchise here have run
[1:06:05] the operation into the ground with the lowest attendance
[1:06:08] in the 22-year history of the franchise,
[1:06:10] despite the team finishing in first place
[1:06:12] for four consecutive seasons.
[1:06:15] The agreement between Mendeley and the stadium authority
[1:06:17] states that the stadium authority can end its contract
[1:06:20] with Mandelae. If the state of authority doesn't have a play development contract with the New
[1:06:25] York Yankees, instead of having the opportunity to terminate the relationship with Mandelae
[1:06:30] by communicating with the New York Yankees, Mandelae, without the state of authority's authorization,
[1:06:36] sign on behalf of the state of authority, a renewal of the play development contract with
[1:06:40] the New York Yankees, thereby giving Mandelae itself a four-year renewal of its contract with
[1:06:45] the Stating Authority.
[1:06:46] The end of the way has a clear conflict of interest in this regard, and when the Stating
[1:06:51] Authority members were indignant because of what had happened, Mr. Washer, you stated
[1:06:55] that you could understand why they followed Dignit, but you had marched in Stating Authority
[1:06:59] not to allow their indignation to interfere with its business relationship with the New
[1:07:03] York Yankees, which Mr. Washer has referred to as the most well-known brand in professional
[1:07:14] Mr. Walsh, are you doing business with the company when I say you?
[1:07:18] Why is the county of Lackawanna and the state of authority doing business with the company
[1:07:23] that required a kickback from the state of authority as a condition of doing business
[1:07:27] with the state of authority?
[1:07:29] New York Inc. has insisted on a kickback disguised as a management agreement.
[1:07:34] Under the professional baseball agreement, there is a contract which is collectively barged
[1:07:39] every several years between major league baseball and minor league baseball.
[1:07:44] And one of the provisions in that contract says that there's a certain percentage
[1:07:47] of ticket sales for every dollar that is sold at the minor league level,
[1:07:52] there's a certain percentage that is the go to the major league fund.
[1:07:57] That agreement also states that there's not to be any other agreements
[1:08:00] in addition to that. But yet when the Yankees came here,
[1:08:04] they wanted to make sure that they got some money directly.
[1:08:07] And so they insisted on the formation of a management company so that they could pull out 50% of the profits
[1:08:16] between me and the light and themselves because they knew that they could not impose that condition directly.
[1:08:22] So they used that management agreement as a device to pull money out that they weren't entitled to.
[1:08:28] The Yankees had pulled out hundreds of thousands of dollars over the last several years
[1:08:32] and you've done nothing to recruit those dollars.
[1:08:35] When Mr. Costanza took money from Lackawanna County that he wasn't entitled to, you took
[1:08:41] the appropriate steps to get that money back, yet you've done nothing to confront the
[1:08:45] New York Yankees regarding this arrangement by which they pulled out money towards their
[1:08:50] entitled to.
[1:08:51] When are we going to stand up?
[1:08:53] When are you going to stand up to the New York Yankees in the middle of the way, instead
[1:08:59] of being a spokesman for the New York Yankees?
[1:09:02] Why are you doing business with the company to conspire to violate the federal antitrust laws
[1:09:06] by insisting on the right to buy the franchise as a condition of signing a plurid development
[1:09:10] contract?
[1:09:12] As I mentioned, Attorney Kramer has suggested that we would first file a notice of the
[1:09:17] mean for mediation before an independent mediator, before there would be any litigation.
[1:09:24] Why are you doing business with the company that refuses to comply with two corridors
[1:09:28] directors directing it to comply with the Pennsylvania right to Noah, a company that refuses
[1:09:33] disclose concession bids, concession contracts, restaurant contracts and naming rights contracts.
[1:09:41] Last night when I was preparing my remarks for today, the song, The House I Live In, kept
[1:09:48] going through my mind, it was a 1945 song recorded by Frank Sinatra.
[1:09:54] They had significance to me because my father sang that on Veterans Day in front of the
[1:09:59] Courthouse in 1858. It starts out, what is America to me? A mean, a map, a flag I see,
[1:10:08] a certain word democracy, what is America to me? My dad served in World War II. My uncle
[1:10:15] served in World War II. My cousin's husband was killed in Vietnam. Thousands of veterans
[1:10:21] who like one county fought to allow us to live in a democracy. And then a democracy we all
[1:10:27] have responsibilities. Candidates for public office have an obligation to
[1:10:31] set forth their positions in a campaign. Voters have a responsibility to elect
[1:10:37] those candidates based on those positions. Elected officials have an
[1:10:41] obligation to fulfill the sacred pledges of campaign promises and the public must
[1:10:46] hold accountable those elect officials who do not keep those sacred pledges.
[1:10:56] Just one
[1:10:57] I am stated in a televised debate as I said before.
[1:11:01] Mike and I are certainly 100% opposed to the sale
[1:11:04] of our AAA franchise.
[1:11:05] This franchise was purchased with tax dollars.
[1:11:08] This is the taxpayer's franchise.
[1:11:10] It's our franchise.
[1:11:11] We're not selling it.
[1:11:12] We met with Mandalay.
[1:11:13] They understand our position with respect
[1:11:15] to not selling the franchise to them.
[1:11:17] That's what you said.
[1:11:19] You two commissioners made that sacred pledge
[1:11:21] to the people of Lackawanna County.
[1:11:24] If you sell that franchise,
[1:11:29] Then you will be violating that sacred pledge not to sell the franchise, and by doing so you will be engaging in an act which is the equivalent of
[1:11:37] desecrating the graves of every veteran who fought in wars to perform our way of government. If you sell that franchise in violation of that sacred
[1:11:46] pledge not to sell the franchise, you will be engaging in an act and it's the equivalent of spreading in the faces of every resident of Blackworn
[1:11:52] in the county, whether they vote for you or not.
[1:11:55] And if you sell that franchise,
[1:11:56] then violating that sacred pledge,
[1:11:58] not to sell the franchise,
[1:11:59] you've been engaging in an act
[1:12:02] that is equivalent to telling every young person,
[1:12:04] don't register to vote,
[1:12:05] don't participate in the election process,
[1:12:08] don't respect our democracy,
[1:12:10] because we elected officials
[1:12:11] or nothing more than betrayers of the public trust.
[1:12:14] What you're doing is not democracy in action.
[1:12:17] What you're doing is not America to me.
[1:12:19] Thank you, Mr. McGee.
[1:12:22] Is there anyone else?
[1:12:32] I mean, Ray, but would you identify yourself with your name and address?
[1:12:34] Oh, Mike.
[1:12:35] Yeah.
[1:12:35] Thank you.
[1:12:36] My name is Ray Nierhud.
[1:12:37] I live a four-mind charge street in Scranton.
[1:12:40] I also become part of the Tea Party, and I want to follow up to what Ray was saying earlier.
[1:12:50] There will be a Tea Party event held at the courthouse square on the Union Street side on
[1:12:59] 10, 10, 10, 10, October 10, 2010, at 5.30.
[1:13:05] The purpose of it is, obviously, is educational, but it's also to discuss things that come
[1:13:10] up.
[1:13:10] For instance, today there was a couple of subjects that Lorraine bought up that could be a discussion.
[1:13:17] First, you know, I've been involved in local government for a long time.
[1:13:27] I guess I put my first local government job back in 1976 down in the Harrisburg area,
[1:13:32] and I've served as a number of positions, including city manager of some cities and so
[1:13:37] forth.
[1:13:39] One of the things I always noticed in council meetings or board of supervisors meetings were
[1:13:46] always in the evening, and those of us who worked for the local government, we knew that
[1:13:51] as a manager or supervisor that we would be in the position that we would need to attend
[1:13:56] evening meetings with that, and those meetings were held so that the citizens would have access.
[1:14:02] Many of the citizens who worked during the day cannot gain access or come to a county or
[1:14:09] a council meeting otherwise because they're working and that's the purpose for citizen
[1:14:15] access, not, you know, public meetings of elected bodies are not necessarily set up for the
[1:14:24] convenience of the employees, the public employees, but should be set up for the access and the
[1:14:31] convenience of the citizens of it. So I just want to make that point. I understand, you
[1:14:37] know, I can understand because as a public servant, I think right during the evening meetings
[1:14:42] I never feel with my family life too, but that was part of what I've signed on for. Okay.
[1:14:49] I do have a question on the Wi-Fi. A Wi-Fi grant, a grant, is willing to indicate or should
[1:14:58] indicate whether yes or no.
[1:15:00] We're going to be strictly for public safety, which I wholly support. I think that our police officers, our firefighters, and our emergency responders, the AMG and so forth do need access. I'm wholly supportive of that. My concern is public access. We recently had in Washington a lot of talk of the fairness doctrine, which is anything but fair. It was really an infringement on freedom of the press.
[1:15:29] and on the freedom of the other ways.
[1:15:32] And you know, any food government gets involved
[1:15:35] in communications in that way.
[1:15:39] If Wi-Fi became a public entity owned by government,
[1:15:45] government does have a tendency
[1:15:47] to put rules and regulations on.
[1:15:50] And those rules and regulations are often
[1:15:52] interfere with the freedom of individuals.
[1:15:57] For instance, I know when the Department of Education was started as a federal level, this
[1:16:02] was just a funding mechanism, but now it pretty much mandates what goes on in our schools.
[1:16:09] I know child left behind.
[1:16:13] So the question really is, does this quote stimulus grant, and I do know that the president
[1:16:19] had indicated that he wanted to use a stimulus and he wanted to do broadband across the
[1:16:24] U.S. and so forth. Is this and does this propose to have public access to Wi-Fi? That's
[1:16:34] the question. Does the grant indicate that?
[1:16:40] And, you know, that could be a subject that we could well speak on on 10, 10, 10. Because
[1:16:45] it is one that everyone needs to have concern with. Wi-Fi is available. Well, these services
[1:16:51] is all available. I can take my laptop and if for instance if I have Verizon wireless I can
[1:16:57] go out and just about anywhere the Verizon wireless is and use my laptop. I've got access
[1:17:02] but it's a private company and it doesn't have, it doesn't come with the strings of government
[1:17:07] to often put some things.
[1:17:11] So otherwise that's really all I wanted to say and I want to thank
[1:17:16] you. I don't know if you have any answer to my question or not.
[1:17:20] Thanks for coming. I will appreciate it.
[1:17:23] Are there any other questions you want to leave with us?
[1:17:25] Well, that's really it, you know, because I think people of this country really are starting
[1:17:31] to be concerned about it.
[1:17:32] We will answer the word in which we normally do it after you've made your comments and left
[1:17:39] with hosting everyone, okay?
[1:17:40] Okay.
[1:17:41] Thank you.
[1:17:41] Thank you very much.
[1:17:43] Thank you.
[1:17:44] It's anyone else here who has something that they have on their mind that like no one
[1:17:50] that she must get off her mind, attorney no one in there, but you identify yourself,
[1:17:56] you give your address, please.
[1:18:00] I definitely will, I'm really sure that it really is happening up here.
[1:18:04] I'm no one in there, my address is 305 Eastern grocery in Denver and I'm here before the
[1:18:11] three of you today, just to state that there's a neighborhood in Demor, and many of the owners
[1:18:20] in this neighborhood in the patch, Madison Avenue, my Marla Avenue, and Grove Street are
[1:18:29] opposed to the placement of the county morgue or the possibility of the placement of the
[1:18:34] county morgue in new neighborhood.
[1:18:36] From me, the newspaper, on the screen time, she may be aware that last month, the
[1:18:41] zoning hearing board, I've done more, re-zoned a residential property to a commercial property.
[1:18:49] And I have a few of that decision to the Court of Common Please on behalf of my brother, his wife,
[1:18:54] and some real estate holding companies that we own that are in the neighborhood.
[1:18:58] The fellow other neighbors who are opposing this commercial use in especially the county
[1:19:05] morgue in their neighborhood and they all testified at last week's hearing and the
[1:19:11] neighbor to testify against the morgue being placed in this neighborhood all within
[1:19:16] the same block or within a block radius.
[1:19:19] The people who testified, oh, this morgue is great, this great site, don't even live in
[1:19:23] the neighborhood. And I had the opportunity to talk to Commissioner Brian, and I understand
[1:19:30] talking to him that you haven't made a decision as a board, that you've received proposals,
[1:19:36] netbeds, and you're weighing your options. And I'm just here to ask you on behalf of that
[1:19:41] neighborhood to really consider if by chance we lose the appeal against the zoning hearing
[1:19:47] board and down one, you really go and talk to the neighbors and talk about what their concerns
[1:19:52] are because it is a neighborhood. There's only, in the black, where this is placed, there are two businesses. And that's it. And P.P.
[1:20:02] Now, everything else, people who are in that neighborhood, they have single units or they have duplexes.
[1:20:11] And I was just, and I think the neighbors are very concerned that this was a done deal because two employees of the corner's office
[1:20:17] spoke on behalf of the applicant at last week's hearing before the zoning board, and I'm
[1:20:23] trying to placate them and say, no, they did that on their own, this wasn't an endorsement
[1:20:28] by this board, but I think that the public and especially these neighbors need to hear
[1:20:34] it from the three of you, that you're just investigating, trying to save money, their
[1:20:39] other options, their other proposals, and this isn't a done deal for the county work.
[1:20:44] And I thank you for having me today.
[1:20:47] And we thank you for being here.
[1:20:49] Thank you, no one may.
[1:20:50] Is there anyone else that would like to make any remarks?
[1:20:56] Okay.
[1:20:57] Well, we now afford the commissioners the opportunity to make any comments at this point on the agenda.
[1:21:06] I think the work comments made back and forth when the rain started.
[1:21:10] So I don't think we need to address the rain's comments, but that's the private of each
[1:21:18] individual here.
[1:21:19] But is there anyone that has anything in response to Mr. McGee?
[1:21:24] I have a couple of items.
[1:21:28] Mr. McGee, I'm not going to address the questions you put forth to make colleagues.
[1:21:33] We're not going to go back and forth either.
[1:21:35] You're going to just make a presentation like or comments you and commissioner of buying in or me, but we're not making the right questions for him.
[1:21:43] Are you going to engage in questions?
[1:21:44] Yes.
[1:21:45] All right.
[1:21:46] I'm not going to respond to his questions for you to my colleagues, but there's two questions.
[1:21:57] There are a couple of questions that John, I'd like to, if you don't mind, kind of like
[1:22:05] talk around it and throughout the release, are you at the opinion that we need in Australia?
[1:22:13] Do you believe we need in Australia?
[1:22:15] I haven't looked at the reports from you and Coral, I have looked at the reports from regarding
[1:22:22] their opinion that the possibly $13 million used to be put into it, which would not enhance
[1:22:30] if you were the state of experience. I was at the fellow healing. I heard them say that
[1:22:34] there are mechanical systems in sound that need to be replaced. So I understand what
[1:22:41] that means, what we've done, and I agree with that. With respect to any other changes that
[1:22:49] would fall and fall and see the payment space, it depends how those costs would be incurred
[1:22:55] and what the funding source would be.
[1:22:57] Okay, now, and then I can say, okay, if I don't think that's representative to the public,
[1:23:02] to my knowledge.
[1:23:03] Well, no, I'm just asking, you talk about, you're interpreting the agreement, you're interpreting
[1:23:09] the options, you're interpreting the original franchise agreement, and I'm not going to
[1:23:13] point to point on that, I have opinions on several of the things that you just said
[1:23:17] but I'm at least doing an agreement that the stadium, or at least a partial agreement
[1:23:25] if I can put you on record, that approximately 13 million, if the county, excuse me, if
[1:23:31] the NPSA, not the proper stadium authority, which owns the field, which owns the franchise,
[1:23:39] if they have to go through at a minimum, which are $13 million of repairs.
[1:23:48] The question then comes to, if you agree with that, where do you think that the MPSO,
[1:23:58] which has to rely on accounting, where are we going to get that money to fund that?
[1:24:04] that, examine the possibility of selling the management rights on a long-term basis.
[1:24:09] I'm sure that Mr. Resnick of the baseball and adhesion team has presented some numbers
[1:24:15] to the commissioners with respect to projections for financial revenue is going forward.
[1:24:22] So I think that that's one of the things that should be done.
[1:24:26] But you would mention that about selling the management right.
[1:24:28] Okay.
[1:24:29] And the last time I met a cover with you, do you have any conception of how
[1:24:34] much taxpayer money has been put into that stadium operations etc since 1986. Now you said
[1:24:43] stadium and you also said operations. Excuse me, let me rephrase that, Your Honor. You know how
[1:24:51] much taxpayer money that the county commissioners devoted, gave land or whatever to the MPSA for the
[1:25:00] building the operations, et cetera, of the stadium and the team.
[1:25:12] I think you have to
[1:25:13] distinguish between... I know you've said, Commissioner, somewhere between the range
[1:25:16] of $13 to $15 million, but I think that you ought to point out that there's a difference
[1:25:22] between payments that have made to retire burned issues to make capital improvements
[1:25:30] Distinguished from subsidizing any operations disagree with you because if we have to take
[1:25:36] a taxpayer dollar and give it to the NPSA whether it's for a bond payment whether it's
[1:25:41] for a little grass or whatever it's still a taxpayer dollar.
[1:25:46] Now I'm going to answer your question that I knew the answer to before I asked you.
[1:25:50] On the books, and this is only since ladies and gentlemen, 2003, on the books, there's
[1:25:57] $13 million, $950,000, on the books, that the Muckett and PSA owns the county of Lackawanna.
[1:26:11] Now from 86 to 2003, no one knows how much was up because the accounting systems and
[1:26:18] the diversion and the way the money was spent, we have no idea if it's a million or 20 million.
[1:26:25] Again, I would do know when my administration took over an old firm, we went back to 2003
[1:26:31] and that's the best we could do.
[1:26:33] So since 2003, it's 14 million dollars of the taxpayers' money that is owed for the
[1:26:40] maintenance operations, whatever bond payment you call it, came out of your pocket towards
[1:26:46] our facility and its team.
[1:26:49] Prior to that, I had no idea, no conception.
[1:26:53] And that was my point.
[1:26:54] We don't know how much it's going to cost to, well, excuse me, we know it is going to renovate
[1:27:02] the stadium, approximately 13 million, we're not sure we're going to get the money for
[1:27:06] that.
[1:27:09] So, again, when I say we, the commissioners, because we have to support the stadium up to
[1:27:14] it, depending on what their actions, they can't buy money without us, and they have them
[1:27:21] in the past.
[1:27:22] What the MPSA is going to do with this option of agreement, I frankly don't know right now.
[1:27:27] I have not talked to any of the members.
[1:27:31] But I want to get those two things.
[1:27:33] John, you did mention a very, very sad state that for the playoffs, the playoffs, the number one team,
[1:27:42] took the vision championship for a four-show year since I've been here, there's 1,300 people.
[1:27:49] Now, you can blame it on mandalay, you can blame it on the Yankees, you can blame it on
[1:27:54] the stadium authority.
[1:27:56] But the declining and the spent times at an exposé for sake of an example went from an
[1:28:04] average of 8800 fans in the first year that the Yankees were here, down to around 3,000,
[1:28:13] and this year it's going to be even worse.
[1:28:15] blame all you want to blame, but the interest isn't there. It's not there. And if you
[1:28:21] bring in the acres going to bring in the farm team from Seattle and Mariners who are
[1:28:28] the Washington Nationals, I don't see how that's going to improve. So I just want to
[1:28:33] relate to us. Thank you, John. It's much like if I could just point out one statement.
[1:28:38] As of December 31st, 2003, the Auditorial Financial Statements of the Stadium Authority in
[1:28:45] the Auditorial Financial Statements of the County of Lackawanna showed that $1.5 million
[1:28:50] was owed by the Stadium Authority to the County of Lackawanna.
[1:28:53] So, if you look at the Auditorial Financial Statements that were done independently by two separate
[1:28:58] companies, you'll see that figure.
[1:29:00] Yeah, Mr.
[1:29:05] Irvine,
[1:29:08] I'll come back on other items.
[1:29:15] Okay, let's talk about, let's see what I want to talk about first.
[1:29:21] This is the first thing I want to talk about is the, this should face what I'm trying to say to the Wi-Fi.
[1:29:29] I think we've talked about the Wi-Fi.
[1:29:30] We're going to learn more about the Wi-Fi as we get closer to the grants.
[1:29:33] And you have plenty of opportunities to come back to us and share in a dialogue online,
[1:29:38] meaning that the meeting and not at the meeting as well.
[1:29:40] So you'll have opportunities for that as we move forward.
[1:29:44] On the morgue, I think it's going to be important for you when we are.
[1:29:49] Just we put out a proposal.
[1:29:52] We're waiting to see how those come back.
[1:29:55] We have not made a decision.
[1:29:56] We haven't brought anything to the commission's meeting to make a decision.
[1:30:00] I have spoken to a few neighbors in that community who have raised concerns. With that, I'm
[1:30:08] hoping that anyone who is thinking about doing a more than that location will talk to the
[1:30:14] neighbors and explain everything to the neighbors. So I think that that is an important part
[1:30:20] of the past as an, and I'm hoping that anyone who is interested can gain, gain, gain,
[1:30:27] or questions from the neighbourhood. So that's an important element and I'm always willing to talk to every neighbourhoods or the other two commissioners here who have concerns about anything that we're doing.
[1:30:38] So we welcome those conversations. I'm not happy that two members of the coroner's office who went to a meeting on behalf of anyone who's submitting a proposal.
[1:30:49] I don't think that that was appropriate to do that prior to us making any kind of decision.
[1:30:53] and I thought it's central one signal.
[1:30:57] You know a lot of people bring good ideas to us.
[1:31:00] And in this situation, ideas have been brought to us.
[1:31:04] But that doesn't mean the pain of getting the work.
[1:31:08] I know of a few examples of my head work.
[1:31:11] People brought a great ideas and they ended up not being the entities
[1:31:16] that have received the work.
[1:31:19] So I think that people should be really of that or anyone who says that there is a done deal.
[1:31:27] There isn't and we're going to review it very, very closely and hearing that the issue is here with respect to the neighborhood.
[1:31:34] We're going to review them with even additional scrutiny because of that.
[1:31:38] Because I think that's inappropriate for members of any county office staff to go in to speak on behalf of any potential recipients.
[1:31:47] And so we're going to be talking more about that going forward.
[1:31:52] I'm based back.
[1:31:54] Oh boy, there's no...
[1:31:57] This is a loose-leave situation.
[1:32:01] There's no victory here, no matter what we do.
[1:32:05] We're...
[1:32:06] It's not a good position to be placed in.
[1:32:10] Back in 2007, during the election had significant conversations
[1:32:13] with a training of getting others with respect to baseball and discuss what our thoughts were with respect to baseball.
[1:32:21] Made those comments known to me in a way as well with respect to the option and the fact that we didn't like it and we didn't want it moving forward.
[1:32:29] When we came into office, the first thing we did, one of the first things we did, I don't know when it was timing,
[1:32:34] but one of the things we did was we retained the sources of viewing clear.
[1:32:38] So what we wanted to find out from you in court was whether or not we needed a new stadium.
[1:32:48] And they came back and said, no, we don't need a new stadium, but you need not for
[1:32:53] a lot of improvements and be shocked by that.
[1:32:57] Because looking at the stadium, it looks good when we're there and when people come in,
[1:33:01] they wonder, why do we need a new stadium?
[1:33:02] You know, this looks nice.
[1:33:03] But all of a sudden, they went behind what looks nice and noticed that all the electrical
[1:33:08] was bad, the plumbing was bad, we had issues with code enforcement. People were cooking
[1:33:13] food in areas that they shouldn't be cooking food in. I mean, there are all these issues
[1:33:17] emerged when they did a big study, and they said to us, listen, you need to do $13 million
[1:33:23] now just to get this thing up to stuff. That all $13 million is code enforcement or code
[1:33:29] improvements, but a lot of them were code improvements. So they said, this is to get it up to
[1:33:34] Well, yeah, so then the question is, okay, well, 13 million, all right, and how long is that going to get us?
[1:33:39] Well, that would get us to the day that you do them.
[1:33:43] But this is an old facility.
[1:33:44] So you're going to have to put millions of dollars in this facility and room forward, millions.
[1:33:49] It's going to be the way that you have to do it.
[1:33:51] So you have to adjust that, and you have to be thinking about that.
[1:33:54] Okay, so we know that.
[1:33:56] So now we come out of this meeting with you and Colin.
[1:33:58] Come out of the whole space study with you and Colin, which is on the county website if you want to see it.
[1:34:04] We come out of that, and now all of a sudden, we find ourselves in a situation where
[1:34:09] no, we don't need new stadium, but oh, by the way, you need 13 million really quickly,
[1:34:14] and then after that, you're going to need more.
[1:34:17] So that's where we are.
[1:34:19] Then it starts raining heavily, and the field can't take the water.
[1:34:24] So now we figure out, and now we find out, from my really good spot, we need to replace
[1:34:30] the field.
[1:34:31] And if we don't replace the field, the team would be relocated.
[1:34:35] Pretty simple, pretty simple.
[1:34:37] If they can't play in a field, on a field, you can't play here.
[1:34:40] And then we can form this in that.
[1:34:42] So we went and spent $1.2 million.
[1:34:44] And we didn't have budget to replace the field.
[1:34:47] And we spent $1.2 million to replace that field to keep baseball here.
[1:34:52] And if we replace the field, baseball wouldn't be here.
[1:34:55] Make no mistake about it.
[1:34:57] And if you tell us it would be, there's a big accurate.
[1:34:59] It wouldn't be here. We wouldn't have this but here. We really close the field.
[1:35:06] After we
[1:35:07] close the field, now we have this $13 million in repairs, which by the way, we don't have
[1:35:13] our money. We just approved today an application to try to get 4 million that we've got. Now
[1:35:18] absolutely, now we have 8. Still short. We've been in the worst economic crisis in this country
[1:35:24] since a great depression, we've reduced the size of this government by 32%, cut the budget
[1:35:29] by $4 million, cut the workforce drastically, and here we are having to spend $1.2 million
[1:35:37] on a field.
[1:35:39] Now some people might think that the economy is going to turn around and get better real
[1:35:42] quick, but I'm not banking on it, and I don't think we're going to count it on our cash
[1:35:46] bills either.
[1:35:49] We can't bank on the fact that we're going to have money five or ten years down the road
[1:35:53] to keep this facility open, because we'll get another letter.
[1:35:57] We'll get another letter.
[1:35:59] If we can't repair the lights in five years, there will be no baseball here
[1:36:03] because they can't play in the dark.
[1:36:05] If we can't keep that facility in the electrical up to code in five or ten years,
[1:36:10] there will be no baseball here because it needs to be closed
[1:36:13] because the code enforcement officers won't let us play in the facility.
[1:36:17] If those seats crack and continue to crack and break apart,
[1:36:20] At some point we're not going to be able to buy a replacement seat on eBay.
[1:36:25] We're simply not going to be able to because they don't make their seats anymore.
[1:36:29] After we built it, those seats went out of fashion and they're not made.
[1:36:33] When we have to find a seat, we either take it from the upper deck and we try to get one on eBay.
[1:36:38] At some point those seats are going to deteriorate and when I can be sitting in the stadium.
[1:36:42] So at that point, we won't have baseball here.
[1:36:46] Now, do I like the situation we're in? No.
[1:36:49] I don't. Do I want? Does anyone want to sell the team? Nobody wants to sell the team.
[1:36:55] But we've got to be realistic here with respect to expectations about baseball moving forward.
[1:37:00] You know what the easy answer is here? There's a politically easy answer.
[1:37:03] John McGee laid it out. We're the easy one. How is it?
[1:37:07] How is it the matter of what in the Yankees is in a fair amount of easier?
[1:37:11] That's the easy political experience answer. Make no mistake. It makes good arguments.
[1:37:16] I agree with 99% of them, make no mistake, but that publicly-experient answer may not be the best answer for this for a long term here, or for keeping it.
[1:37:28] We need to show right now and demonstrate leadership, and that leadership is going to demonstrate through our actions.
[1:37:34] We do not have a deal on the table that we believe is a deal that we can work with as we move forward.
[1:37:41] But when we do have that, we're going to take that to a public hearing.
[1:37:44] We're going to explain it.
[1:37:45] We're going to explain why we either are for it or against it.
[1:37:48] We'll make a recommendation in stating authority as to whether or not we believe they should
[1:37:52] be for it or against it.
[1:37:53] I have no idea sitting here today what's going to happen here with baseball.
[1:37:56] I don't know if we're going to have a deal or if we're not.
[1:38:00] The fact that John McGee laid out a few of us, that's just not correct.
[1:38:03] Just not correct, not correct.
[1:38:07] with respect to, you know, June 2000's and meeting we agree to celebrate us.
[1:38:12] It's not true.
[1:38:14] He wasn't in the room.
[1:38:15] He hasn't talked to anybody who was in the room.
[1:38:17] Because it wasn't true.
[1:38:19] It didn't happen.
[1:38:20] That's not what was said.
[1:38:22] We didn't agree with anything in that room.
[1:38:25] We didn't agree with anything to do.
[1:38:27] With all of the options, we're going to see which one is the best of the bad.
[1:38:33] That's what's going to go on here, but we don't have that yet, we're not there yet.
[1:38:38] And what we do, we're going to look at it very, very closely.
[1:38:41] We don't want to solve the team.
[1:38:43] We don't want to do that, you think we want to do that?
[1:38:45] No.
[1:38:47] We don't.
[1:38:48] But we also have to face the fact that the long term in this stadium, while it may look nice today,
[1:38:52] come five or 10 years from now, it's not going to look so nice.
[1:38:56] Because all the repairs and the back office stuff that's going on now,
[1:38:59] is going to be front and center a few years from now, because it's going to start bleeding
[1:39:04] over and then you're going to start noticing and you're going to start seeing it.
[1:39:08] A goal here isn't to save baseball for the next five years.
[1:39:11] A goal here is to save baseball period.
[1:39:14] Because in five or ten years, the question is going to be asked,
[1:39:17] based on the action we take now.
[1:39:20] Whether or utilize a government of $20 million or not,
[1:39:23] whether we're able to get $20 million in some point in the future to do it or not,
[1:39:27] whether or not baseball is here in five or ten years.
[1:39:31] Whether or not we require to raise taxes to keep baseball.
[1:39:34] Or is that the discussion that we're going to have five or ten years from now?
[1:39:37] Five years from now is the discussion going to be, well, okay,
[1:39:40] to keep baseball where we have to raise taxes, that's amount.
[1:39:43] Because we don't have any money.
[1:39:44] There's no money here.
[1:39:46] There's no luck.
[1:39:46] And it's going to come up under disaster.
[1:39:47] There's zero money.
[1:39:49] The company doesn't have any money.
[1:39:52] Let's call that a state of spade.
[1:39:54] We never want a borrowing capacity.
[1:39:56] We don't have it. It's done. It's non-existent. So we can't just turn it on.
[1:40:02] So what we're going to do is we're going to continue to look at this as closely as we can.
[1:40:07] And we're going to try to make the best possible decision for the taxpayers of this country.
[1:40:11] I don't know what that decision is going to be. Maybe Mandela won't be here in a few years. Maybe they will be.
[1:40:16] I don't know. I don't know. But I do know that we're thinking a lot about it. We're working hard on it.
[1:40:22] And we're going to try to make the best possible decision.
[1:40:26] That's all I have for Commissioner.
[1:40:27] Thank you.
[1:40:28] I'd like to make some comments about the stadium as well.
[1:40:35] I
[1:40:38] have great admiration for the work that Jan McGee has done before I became a commissioner.
[1:40:45] I thought the stadium should have been called Jan McGee Stadium and I still believe that
[1:40:50] baseball would not be here if it weren't for Jan McGee.
[1:40:53] There's absolutely no question.
[1:40:55] Doesn't make John feel any better.
[1:40:57] Doesn't make John like me anymore.
[1:40:59] But that's what I believe in my gut.
[1:41:02] And I know that my gut is rising.
[1:41:05] But period, new paragraph.
[1:41:09] But I don't agree with everything that John said here today.
[1:41:13] And I have to say what I do think here today,
[1:41:17] because I'm a custodian like the other two commissioners here
[1:41:21] like the stadium authority of the assets of this county in this case the acid is the stadium and
[1:41:28] the franchise. John, first of all I have to tell you, I know the commissioner Brian said it but I
[1:41:34] like to say it too. I'm going to say that it's pretty reckless to come here and say that we met in
[1:41:40] New York in a secret meeting and agreed to sell the franchise, agreed in principle to sell the franchise.
[1:41:48] It's more than the fact that you were in the room, you're just wrong, you're dead wrong,
[1:41:53] nothing like that happened.
[1:41:54] If that had happened, Commissioner Munchack would be pushing us off the platform here,
[1:42:00] because he would have said, I didn't know about that.
[1:42:03] And the stadium authority would be saying, I didn't know about that.
[1:42:06] No such action took place.
[1:42:09] It's very important to get that out there.
[1:42:11] But, you know, we do have meetings with people, and you don't necessarily have those meetings
[1:42:16] out on the street corner to discuss how to get the best possible deal if a deal is possible
[1:42:22] for the taxpayers.
[1:42:23] So, I want to get out there that you're just wrong about that, and that did not happen.
[1:42:29] And there's no deal with under consideration right now.
[1:42:31] You know, it sounds nice when you say things like, well, if the fillings about the franchise
[1:42:36] they wouldn't be here.
[1:42:37] But, John, that's pretty good that you know that.
[1:42:40] That's pretty impressive.
[1:42:41] You know that if the fillers had purchased the franchise, they would never have gone
[1:42:46] to Allentown.
[1:42:47] You know, what I've been told is that the fillers became dissatisfied with conditions here,
[1:42:52] and the lack of responsiveness on the part of government to their desires.
[1:42:57] Now maybe their desires were unreasonable.
[1:42:59] I'm not advocating for the fillers, but I'm saying that when you have government ownership,
[1:43:05] When you have government ownership, private business just doesn't want to do business with
[1:43:10] you.
[1:43:10] They find it too hard to do business with you.
[1:43:13] We don't need to go into that because every one of us has our own interpretation of that.
[1:43:18] But I'm quite sure that you don't know whether or not the Phillies would have still been here
[1:43:21] if they had purchased the franchise.
[1:43:23] I also think that you say it all very convincingly, John.
[1:43:27] You say the sale of the management rights, and you throw it up there as if somebody would want to buy it.
[1:43:32] You know, by the management rights, the fact of the matter is that we're all saying
[1:43:40] that there's no attendance and we're laest in the league, and they were acting like
[1:43:44] if there's some value to the management rights, if someone's going to buy something where
[1:43:49] someone else is already losing money, I don't think it works that way.
[1:43:53] The management rights, this would not be the time to sell the management rights, a time
[1:43:58] to sell management rights would be when the management rights have some value and when someone
[1:44:01] in the private sector thinks they can make some money off the management rights.
[1:44:05] So it sounds real nice, but it isn't so.
[1:44:08] Oh, you sell the management rights, and you're going to refurbish the stadium.
[1:44:12] Well, let me give you some real numbers.
[1:44:14] Some real numbers.
[1:44:15] It costs about a half a million dollars to borrow six million dollars.
[1:44:19] That's what we're paying.
[1:44:21] And we're going to struggle to pay it.
[1:44:23] And these are dollars that are very, very precious, and they can be used for other initiatives
[1:44:28] in the community that will take place because we're going to spend that. Commissioner Brian
[1:44:32] mentioned the $1.2 million through the field. That's part of the $6.2 million borrowing
[1:44:38] that's costing us $500,000 a year. So at a minimum, if you double that, you're going
[1:44:45] to be talking about $1 million a year. It's just not going to happen. And you know, you
[1:44:50] talk about a sacred pledge.
[1:44:55] I don't know where that comes from. If every person that
[1:45:00] We took office. Could never change a position or take a new position. Our government will be frozen. Businesses change course of direction. When conditions change, you know, where we arrived here, unemployment and lack of one accounting was a little more than half of what it is now. We've made the efforts. We've cut the size of county government employee sample over 30%. I mean, it's incredible. And it's still not enough to, in order to
[1:45:29] bring the the money's here that we desperately need. We're told by the library board that the library
[1:45:35] tax does not bring in enough money to fund library services. We've got to look at all of it. We've
[1:45:42] got to look at the libraries as well. We can't just look at baseball over here and say, you know,
[1:45:47] we said that this was what we're going to do and this was the answer in 2007. No, that's not it.
[1:45:53] And Commissioner O'Brien said it well, you know, the easy thing to do would be to say,
[1:45:57] Let's take the John McGee position. Well, what they're trying to sell those management rights
[1:46:02] But we know something about valuation. We know something about the economics of the situation
[1:46:08] Commissioner Monshek
[1:46:10] You know one of the things that he did that's very very important and he did it and he did it alone
[1:46:18] Was he went back and did an audit of what was
[1:46:23] expended from 2003, December 31, 2004, and 2003, and you've come up with $13 million.
[1:46:34] Now, in addition to that $13 million, plus, there was a bind issue for $18 million
[1:46:40] in the stadium.
[1:46:41] It was built.
[1:46:41] These are real dollars.
[1:46:43] Here you have a fan base that's evaporated.
[1:46:46] We can talk about the reasons that it's gone.
[1:46:49] It's gone, and we have expended close to 40 million, we can account for our $18 million bond issue.
[1:46:59] $13 million of Commissioner Munchack has calculated.
[1:47:03] $6.2 million on the recent borrowing.
[1:47:06] We have a fiduciary responsibility to do what's right for the taxpayers here
[1:47:12] and what's right for the future growth and development health of this county,
[1:47:16] the fiscal health of the county.
[1:47:17] Now, again, there's no deal on the table.
[1:47:22] I wish that there was something that we could talk about, that there was something that
[1:47:27] we could propose, that there was something that we could advocate for.
[1:47:33] And we're in pretty serious condition here as all I'm going to say.
[1:47:38] And while I appreciate the comments and have to be respectful of, in the case of John,
[1:47:44] where these comments are coming from.
[1:47:47] I also am glad you came today to afford media opportunity to say some things that I haven't
[1:47:53] said and that needed to be said.
[1:47:56] Do you know we sat with the governor and the governor said, hey, look, this $20 million
[1:48:01] they want to give you when the jobs that will be created in your community by a $40 million
[1:48:05] project if you can do it.
[1:48:07] I can spend it anywhere in the commonwealth.
[1:48:10] I'm not begging you to take these funds.
[1:48:12] these these monies you know I hear people say well why can't we take those
[1:48:17] monies and using for road construction or libraries this capital money this
[1:48:22] capital money and I mean for if when I say that I mean for services as opposed to
[1:48:26] construction these are capital dollars they can only be used for capital purposes
[1:48:32] so like families we're just we're 209,000 families that's what we are the
[1:48:39] population of Lackawanna County, and we're working to create the best possible
[1:48:45] situation for the people of Lackawanna County who are struggling
[1:48:49] mightily, most in most cases, and that's why we are where we are. So that's all I
[1:48:55] have to say about baseball.
[1:48:59] Well, Mr. Chairman, I, some items are made, but
[1:49:05] with a rely-on baseball, you know, it's been in the papers, it's been on TV, I had a message
[1:49:11] for our colleagues in Gersharn County.
[1:49:15] My understanding they went to court to try and
[1:49:20] stop any action taken by the, I assume, the NPSA multi-purpose stadium authority and the
[1:49:35] have chosen that option. Mr. Steve Irman, who is a, I consider a good
[1:49:41] fundamental last year, I provided him with copies of the original three-page
[1:49:47] franchise agreement, the sales agreement, the option agreement, everything, and
[1:49:53] explain to him because he still thinks that he owns 50% of the team.
[1:50:00] The same
[1:50:04] case closed, they can go to court and do all they want, that's what's going to happen.
[1:50:10] And LaZone County, except for the $1 million economic investment back in 86, has contributed
[1:50:17] nothing to the operation of the team or the stadium in La Corona County.
[1:50:25] They refuse at the time when the cost came up, way back when when Commissioner's Court
[1:50:40] I think it's very sad when a friend is there and they think that if there's a show,
[1:50:56] and if it's the $13 or $14 million, you want six and a half million dollars, not
[1:51:03] to get it because in the option agreement in the sale it says that the money will be applied
[1:51:09] to debt owed by the MPSA and that debt is locker on a county to the tune of $14 million,
[1:51:20] $13.9 million change. So they're not going to get raised in the taxpayers' money of the
[1:51:33] defend us. So I'm very disappointed in my colleagues on here. Mr. Chairman, the other
[1:51:41] items I have can wait, but as I forsake
[1:51:49] of poverty in time, I'll say them for the
[1:51:53] middle. We appreciate the generosity of the gentleman from downtown Scranton, giving
[1:51:59] is time over to General and to his right, Melanie, you brought up the matter of the
[1:52:08] morgue which was addressed by Commissioner O'Brien, you know everything we're doing is
[1:52:15] we're willing to investigate cross-savings wherever we can find them and that's
[1:52:20] reflected in support of an investigation. There should be no assumptions as to where the
[1:52:26] more will end up or if it would be moved at all but it wasn't initiated by us, it was initiated by
[1:52:37] the coroner's office but were the ones that have to advertise it and that's why it was advertised by
[1:52:44] us and we thought it was a good idea to advertise and to find out if there were ways to save money and
[1:52:50] that's what it's about and we appreciate the dignified way in which you brought it to us and
[1:52:55] And Ray, near Rich, hello again Ray, I just want to say one thing about evening meetings.
[1:53:04] One we do our budget evening meetings and nobody in my three budget years would 5, 6,
[1:53:12] 7, 8, whatever I've been here for, or 5, or 10, or whatever, too long, anyone agrees with
[1:53:19] that, it's just embarrassing and maybe this year we'll do better with that.
[1:53:25] But here's the other thing I want to say about that you know, there was no public access TV when night time meetings began to be held and
[1:53:33] When you have a
[1:53:36] A paid staff which we are
[1:53:39] What happens is we're out at night working because that's people we're here during the day all day
[1:53:46] It's not just for the convenience of the staff. I didn't state that well we were in night we're at meetings throughout the week
[1:53:52] And they're not scheduled by us.
[1:53:55] They're scheduled by the towns or by the school boards or by the boroughs or by the civic
[1:54:00] organizations.
[1:54:01] And so if we're scheduled, if it's only one night, it might be that night when a commissioner's
[1:54:06] meeting was scheduled and somebody expected us to be in Blakely for an event or in Musick
[1:54:11] for Event or wherever, in North Pocano area.
[1:54:14] So that's the reason for daytime meetings, whereas school boards and burial meetings, those
[1:54:21] Those are people that they work full-time at jobs, real jobs in the real world, and then
[1:54:26] they make themselves available in the evening for their communities.
[1:54:29] So you need to take that distinction at least, process it for a little while, as I know
[1:54:35] you will, because I know you will, and I know what a thoughtful person you are, and know
[1:54:40] that that's why we meet the way we meet.
[1:54:43] Okay, is there any other business that needs to come before this body?
[1:54:48] Hearing none, I think I could entertain a motion for adjournment.
[1:54:53] So it's time to move to the second.
[1:54:55] It's all in favor.
[1:54:55] Any committee saying aye?
[1:54:56] Aye.
[1:54:57] Opposed?
[1:54:57] unanimous.
[1:54:58] adjourned.