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Foreclosure program mulled Commissioners wary about using Housing Trust Fund to help people stay in homes. By JENNIFER LEARN-ANDES jandes@timesleader.com
Luzerne County commissioners said Wednesday they’re hesitant to dip into the county’s Housing Trust Fund to save a new mortgage foreclosure prevention program, but they agreed to explore options. The issue came up during the commissioners work session because the county court is seeking $162,940 from the trust for a new foreclosure mediation program that claims an 80 percent success rate. The state and federal government cut funding for the foreclosure program, jeopardizing its continuation. Roughly $128,000 is needed for foreclosure counseling, and the rest would cover financial assistance of up to $2,000 per homeowner. The trust fund was set up in 2002, using a fee on mortgage and deed recordings for the Growing Homeowners Initiative. The initiative provides a match of up to $7,500 toward down payments and/or closing costs for people who participate in counseling and meet income guidelines and other conditions. Commissioners agreed to pay the Housing Development Corporation $73,656 from the trust this year to counsel new home buyers. Only nine homes were
POLICE BLOTTER WILKES-BARRE – A woman was arraigned Tuesday in Wilkes-Barre Central Court on charges she stole a generator from The Home Depot on Spring Street. Bambi Friday, 33, address not
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purchased through the program so far this year, officials said. Commissioners want to see if this corporation could also provide foreclosure counseling at no ad-
ditional expense.Commissioners also want to research if funding is available from other governmentfunded homeless prevention programs administered by the Commission on Economic Opportunity, which is one of the entities paid to provide counseling in the foreclosure program. In other business Wednesday, county Budget/Finance Chief Joan Pusateri presented an overdue second-quarter budget report and said county finances are “in fairly good shape.” County spending was $393,000 over budget projections as of June 30, while receipts were $3.4 million higher than expected during the same period. Budget overruns in several areas were discussed during the work session. County Controller Walter Griffith presented almost $524,000 in pending payments that exceed budgeted amounts. For example, property tax refunds for assessment mediations stemming from the countywide reassessment are about $22,000 over budget, not including $101,683 in refunds on 25 properties that will be approved next week, Griffith said. Griffith also requested an investigation of bids for fire extinguisher maintenance, saying the company that submitted the lowest bid was listed at the wrong amount, which means another company is slated to receive the award. Commissioners asked county Purchasing Director Frank Pugliese to review the records before Tuesday’s meeting.
listed, was charged with two counts of disorderly conduct, and one count each of retail theft, criminal attempt to commit retail theft and criminal conspiracy to commit retail theft. She was jailed at the Luzerne County Correctional Facility for lack of $3,000 bail.
Police allege Friday stole a generator from the home improvement store on July 14. She was confronted by store loss prevention officers outside the business, according to the criminal complaint. A preliminary hearing is scheduled on Aug. 25 in Central Court.
IN OTHER BUSINESS
Commissioners also plan to vote Tuesday to: • Use community development funding to clean up a parcel at 51 E. Main St., Newport Township. The property is in limbo because it did not sell at back-tax sales, said county Community Development Director Andrew Reilly. The previous owner demolished a structure on the property but left rubble and other debris, he said. • Lease eight parking spaces for the county community development office at the Irem Temple parking lot on River Street for $259 per month, with the rent to be paid to the Greater WilkesBarre Development Corp., an arm of the Greater Wilkes-Barre Chamber of Business and Industry. County Controller Walter Griffith said commissioners should deduct the rent from outstanding loans owed by the chamber. Commissioners had granted the chamber an extension to repay $4.7 million in loans until the economy improves. • Pay $295.71 to a county deputy sheriff who moved a door and removed a wall to expand the evidence room in the sheriff’s office. Griffith had refused payment, saying the expenditure was not properly authorized in advance. If commissioners approve the expense, Griffith said he will consult with his solicitor before deciding if he will issue the payment.
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ures, about the people who don’t make it through their program and would be walking in the neighborhood.” Attorney Charles McCormick, solicitor for the board, noted the function of the zoning hearing board is not to provide a judgment of the quality of use of the building. He said the board was considering a change of a non-conforming use for children to the same use for adults. The location is the former site of BridgeView, an inpatient treatment center for children with severe mental health issues that was operated by Children’s Service Cen-
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tion officer and tested positive for marijuana, according to the violation report. Arrest records indicate investigators were aware at the time of the pair’s arrest on Aug. 1 that they were allegedly responsible for a two-day crime spree that began with the carjacking and assault on Dougherty. Investigators alleged the three men used the Chevrolet to burglarize businesses in the townships of Hanover, Hunlock and Newport within sevPLYMOUTH TWP. – State police at Wyoming said a white 2000 Dodge Ram van, Pennsylvania license plate YYS-1036, was stolen from Route 11 and West Main Street sometime between 10 p.m. Monday to 7:50 a.m. Tuesday. The van contained more than $10,000 in tools, state police said.
THURSDAY, AUGUST 18, 2011 PAGE 9A ter. It closed earlier this year. Maj. Charles Deitrick, second in command for the Salvation Army’s Rehabilitation Counseling Centers, said the present building is 99 years old and in need of repairs. He said the new location provides increased safety and more upto-date facilities. The property is fenced, has parking for 53 vehicles and has a camera surveillance system. The Salvation Army withdrew its plan to buy the former Valley Crest property from Luzerne County for $4.7 million in February after Plains Township refused to grant a zoning variance needed to open an adult rehabilitation center. Jerry Balara, the facility’s business administrator, said much of the preliminary work for the new building has been completed – including envi-
ronmental, engineering and architectural studies. He said the Salvation Army program is a “continuously operated facility which requires by its nature long-term commitment of four to 12 months by each beneficiary or program participant.” Balara, Deitrick and Maj. Kathleen Wadman said the program helps the participants to make life choices and changes that, upon re-entry to society at large, will enable them to maintain themselves as productive citizens. The applicants must be and remain drug- and alcohol-free. All participants are tested at random and upon suspicion of any drug or alcohol use, they said. Balara said the program is funded through Salvation Army Thrift Stores and donations.
eral hours on June 26. State police at Shickshinny said the car was found torched in a wooded area near Zachery Road and state Route 239 in Huntington Township on June 27. Banks admitted to investigators he poured gasoline on the vehicle before he set it on fire, according to arrest records. Like Brannigan and Owens, court records show Banks had obstructed police and failed to appear for a hearing on a probation violation. Arrest records say Banks tried to prevent officers from apprehending his brother, who was involved in a disturbance in the parking lot of Weis Plaza
in Nanticoke in June 2006. He was sentenced to six months probation after he pled guilty to an obstruction charge. Banks was sentenced in July 2010 for driving under the influence of marijuana after he crashed his vehicle on state Route 239 in Mocanaqua in November 2009. A probation violation was filed against Banks when he failed to pay fines and meet with a probation officer. An arrest warrant was issued for Banks when he failed to appear for a probation violation hearing in November. When he was captured, a county judge in May gave him five months to pay $1,200 in fines.
Anyone with information about the van is asked to contact Trooper Kevin Seidel at 697-2000. HAZLE TWP. – State police at Hazleton said they arrested Joseph Pawlowski, 25, of West Hazleton, on evidence of drunken driving when he was stopped
for a traffic violation on Pardeesville Road at about 2:35 a.m. Tuesday. WILKES-BARRE – City police said a screen on a Red Box, a video rental machine, was smashed Wednesday outside Turkey Hill on Hazle Avenue.