Scranton

On March 31, 2026, the City of Scranton provided council responses to questions from a March 24 meeting, addressing budget and operational matters. Key items included clarification that a $3 million line item funds the city's Workers' Compensation account as required by Pennsylvania law, that the $650K non-departmental contingency fund serves as a risk management tool for unforeseen expenses, and that the city's OPEB Trust fund balance stood at $3,451,299.51 as of February 28, 2026. The city also provided homelessness data showing a Point-In-Time count of 221 people (77 in emergency housing, 74 in transitional shelter, 10 in safe havens, and 60 unsheltered) as of January 29, 2025, and confirmed that the Parks Department would accept casual employee applications in April.

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On March 23, 2026, the City of Scranton Council responded to inquiries from the March 17 meeting regarding two major initiatives: the Meadow Brook Project in Green Ridge has secured 32 easement agreements with 12 properties still outstanding and no legal claims filed to date, and 21 properties have been demolished since January 1, 2025, with remaining undestroyed properties from the 2025 list carrying over to 2026. The city uses third-party engineering firm Barry Isett & Associates to assess demolition eligibility, with the Housing Inspectors condemning properties under supervision of Andrew Sunday or Tom Oleski; as of March 23, 2026, there are 225 condemned properties in the city, and a property must remain condemned for at least one year with no improvements before being considered for demolition.

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On March 17, 2026, the City of Scranton provided Council responses to questions from the March 10 meeting regarding pavecuts management, streetlight installation, building demolitions, and permit compliance. Key updates included: most 2025 pavecuts remain active pending final asphalt restoration in spring; a streetlight was installed on St. Frances Cabrini Avenue on March 13; the OECD team will review two properties (526-528 Mulberry Street and 429 Prescott Avenue) for potential 2026 demolition prioritization; and a digital sign permit was issued for 320 Mulberry Street with clarification that unpermitted construction would result in a stop work order. As of the report date, the city had 636 active permits and 178 active permits year-to-date in 2026.

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On March 10, 2026, the City of Scranton provided responses to council inquiries from a March 3 meeting. Key responses included: the PEL Five Year Plan is anticipated to be completed in early April; the city's OECD team is developing 2026 demolition lists, with 231-233 Harrison Avenue currently under consideration (pending follow-up on a previous court injunction) while 429 Prescott and 526 Mulberry Street are acknowledged as condemned but not currently slated for demolition; and regarding failing pave cuts, utilities are typically notified within 3 days of reports with formal violation letters requiring 5-day restoration deadlines or $1,000 daily fines for non-compliance, though repair timelines vary based on weather and logistical complexity.

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On March 3, 2026, the City of Scranton Council responded to inquiries from the February 24 meeting, addressing issues including repairs to The Lookout historic structure on Route 307 (with DPW to remove graffiti and a state grant application pending), road conditions on Wells Street and Marvine Avenue affected by the Leggetts Creek bridge replacement project (with PennDOT modifying detour signage and increased police enforcement), and scheduling of the new SRA Director to present at a March 31 caucus. Additional responses covered a security assessment for City Hall, IT email issues related to suspicious senders, and a five-year report of University of Scranton PILOT payments.

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On February 24, 2026, the City of Scranton administration responded to council inquiries from a February 17 meeting. Council President Schuster sought updates on a grant application for Engine 10 (not yet awarded), requested Pennoni Associates' attendance at a caucus regarding pavement cuts, and asked for continued resident communication on a city project. Councilman McAndrew inquired about City Hall security assessments (confirming a confidential threat assessment was completed) and email security safeguards, with the administration providing documentation showing that 146 of 148 emails from the Scranton School District were blocked by threat protocols, while two were manually cleared by the IT Director.

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On February 17, 2026, the City of Scranton provided responses to questions raised by City Council members during the February 10 meeting. Key topics included the pending grant application for Engine 10 fire station upgrades on East Mountain, coordination with Pennsylvania American Water Company (PAWC) on aging water main infrastructure following a recent break in the Hill Section, and a request for documentation of purchases and services rendered under emergency declarations (invoices still being compiled). Additionally, responses addressed a 30-day extension signed February 9, 2026 for the Fidelity Bank building purchase, and clarification that questions regarding non-respondents to an HUP Test mailing were forwarded to the Lackawanna County Tax Assessment Office.

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On February 10, 2026, the City Council received responses to questions from a February 3 meeting, primarily addressing pave cut inspections for the Green Ridge water company project and ARPA grant allocation. The city confirmed that Pennoni conducts weekly inspections of utility work, documents findings in reports tied to specific permits, and notifies utilities of deficiencies—with violations issued if issues are not timely addressed; temporary cold patch repairs are being used due to winter weather conditions preventing hot-mix asphalt installation. The administration also provided details on ARPA grant tracking through subrecipient check-ins and quarterly reports, and listed specific allocations to organizations including NeighborWorks (business façade, home buyer, and home rehabilitation programs totaling approximately $865,881) and United Neighborhood Centers (business façade and disaster relief totaling approximately $129,930).

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On January 25–February 1, 2026, Northeastern Pennsylvania experienced a significant winter storm that deposited 9.7 inches of snow in 18 hours, followed by extreme cold with wind chills dropping to -18°F, creating challenging conditions for snow removal across the region and the City of Scranton's 263 miles of public roadways. The City of Scranton issued an Emergency Declaration from January 24–February 3, 2026, to secure necessary resources and services; commercial operations resumed by January 27 and schools reopened by January 29, consistent with neighboring municipalities' timelines. The City deployed its available resources including 18 plow trucks (comprising various four-wheel drive, two-wheel drive, and tandem dump trucks) and a Department of Public Works staff of 77 members with 34 holding CDL licenses to manage the emergency response.

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This brochure provides information about the Scranton Human Relations Commission's process for filing discrimination complaints in the City of Scranton. It outlines the protected classes under the Scranton Human Relations Ordinance (SHRO), which include race, color, religion, national origin, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, age, and other characteristics in employment, housing, and public accommodations. The document describes the complaint filing process, including the 180-day filing deadline, the respondent's 30-day response period, required documentation, and the subsequent investigation and fact-finding procedures that may lead to settlement or a public hearing.

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This document outlines the process for requesting advisory opinions from the City of Scranton Board of Ethics, which provides guidance on Code of Ethics provisions and regulations. Advisory opinions are available exclusively to public officials and city employees, who must submit detailed written requests including their contact information and a thorough description of the ethical issue or question, with responses delivered directly to the requestor. Requests should be emailed to Board Solicitor Jamie Davis Schelling and Board Chair David Falchek, and are intended for clarification purposes only, not for addressing alleged violations, which are handled separately through the complaint process.

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The Monroe County Planning Commission's 2023 Annual Report documents the organization's staffing, leadership, and governance structure while commemorating the passing of former Director John Woodling and the retirement of supportive Commissioner John Moyer. The report highlights the Planning Commission's ongoing mission to sustain the county's environmental, economic, and cultural assets, as articulated in the Monroe 2030 Vision Statement, and notes the continuation of key programs including Farmland Preservation and the Open Space Mini Grant program. The Commission maintained municipal partnerships throughout 2023, providing planning and mapping services to local townships and boroughs under established intergovernmental agreements.

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The Diocese of Scranton released its audited financial statements for fiscal year 2021-2022, with Bishop Joseph C. Bambera presenting the report and emphasizing the diocese's commitment to financial transparency in response to community feedback from synodality listening sessions. The diocese was recognized by Voice of the Faithful as one of only five dioceses nationwide to achieve a 100% transparency score, with particular praise for its accessible finance webpage. The report documents how the diocese continues to serve eleven counties in northeastern and north central Pennsylvania through stewardship of donated resources and expresses gratitude to parishioners, employees, and volunteers for their financial support and prayers.

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This is a 2025 Refuse Fee Exoneration Form from the City of Scranton Treasury Department that allows property owners to request a refund of refuse fees paid on vacant residential units, condemned properties, demolished buildings, or vacant lots. Property owners must submit the completed form with their December 2025 or January 2026 utility bill (showing 12 months of usage), proof of 2025 real estate tax payment, and sign an affidavit affirming the accuracy of their statements under penalty of perjury. The form requires documentation of continuous vacancy for 12 consecutive months and includes authorization fields for Treasury staff to verify utility bills and approve the exoneration amount.

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This 2022 overtime report tracks monthly overtime costs across city departments from January through December. Police and Fire departments accounted for the largest overtime expenditures, with Police ranging from approximately $85,800 to $172,000 monthly and Fire ranging from approximately $17,800 to $73,600 monthly, while most administrative departments incurred no overtime costs. Total city overtime spending fluctuated throughout the year, ranging from approximately $137,765 in March to $246,237 in April, with a full-year total of approximately $1.6 million.

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The August 13, 2025 memo from Scranton's ARPA Director Eileen Cipriani to City Council provides a comprehensive timeline of American Rescue Plan Act implementation from Q2 2022 through Q3 2023, documenting the city's receipt of $34,373,025 in second-tranche federal funds and the launch of multiple grant programs for nonprofits, small businesses, affordable childcare, education, homeownership, and wellness initiatives. Notable milestones include the announcement of grant recipients across multiple rounds, federal reporting deadlines met, public engagement events including visits from U.S. Senator Bob Casey, and the completion of community projects such as playground transformations at Kennedy Elementary and soft openings at Novembrino and Connors Parks. The memo demonstrates the city's structured rollout of ARPA funding through an established Office of Community Development framework that included creating an interactive public dashboard and establishing various application periods for targeted economic recovery and community investment programs.

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This is a complaint form template from the City of Scranton Board of Ethics for filing allegations that a city employee or official has violated the City's Code of Ethics. The form requires complainants to identify the subject, provide detailed explanations of alleged violations with supporting documentation, have the complaint notarized under penalty of perjury, and includes instructions that all sections must be completed for processing. The form also outlines key provisions protecting complainants from retaliation, maintaining confidentiality of investigations until final determination, and ensuring due process rights for the accused.

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