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November 10, 2021

WILKES-BARRE — Luzerne County Council has approved a revision to the county flood protection authority’s articles of incorporation that will allow the authority to expand its scope
countywide.

Council’s approval on Tuesday paves the way for the flood authority to someday take over maintenance of Duryea’s flood control system.

The authority maintains the Wyoming Valley flood protection system along the Susquehanna River, which protects portions of 12 municipalities in a designated floodplain.

Property owners in the floodplain pay a levee protection fee that is the authority’s sole source of revenue to maintain the flood control system.

Prior to Tuesday, the authority could help municipalities outside the floodplain with flood mitigation measures — paid for through a dedicated mitigation fund — but it could not perform maintenance tasks.

Earlier this year, Duryea officials approached the authority to help bring the borough’s levee system along the Lackawanna River into compliance with federal standards. The borough proposed to pay the authority to maintain Duryea’s levee system once it is upgraded.

The revised articles of incorporation permit the authority to “undertake any/all flood protection actions (it) deems necessary and financially feasible to protect the residents of Luzerne County as a whole.”

When the revision was proposed months ago, council Chairman Tim McGinley said he wanted to make sure that levee fee revenue could not be used to pay for projects outside the floodplain.

On Tuesday, authority Executive Director Christopher Belleman said the levee fee may only be used to pay for maintaining the flood control system along the Susquehanna.

“The statute is very clear,” Belleman said. “We need to keep the funds separate.”

Council approved the revision along with an amendment from Councilwoman Linda McClosky Houck that eliminated language noting the authority is empowered by the state Municipality Authorities Act.

That language is redundant, since the authority must comply with that act whether or not its articles of incorporation are revised, Houck said.

Councilman Harry Haas said he preferred not to change the wording.

“We live in strange times,” Haas said. “The concern is … the folks paying the levee fee. You almost have to be redundant in this day and age.”

Councilman Walter Griffith said he wants to make sure Duryea has a dedicated funding source to pay the authority to maintain the borough’s levee system.

Council approved Houck’s proposed amendment 6-5. Kendra Radle, Matthew Vough, LeeAnn McDemott, Stephen J. Urban, Chris Perry and Houck voted yes.

Haas, Griffith, McGinley, Robert Schnee and Sheila Saidman voted no.

Council then voted 7-4 to approve the revision to the articles of incorporation, with McGinley, Urban, Griffith and Haas opposed.

August 18, 2021

PLAINS TWP. — It looks like the Luzerne County Flood Protection Authority will have a new home next year.

On Tuesday, the authority board approved the $565,000 purchase of a property at 1989 Wyoming Ave. in Forty Fort, where the authority plans to relocate its office and “command center,” authority Executive Director Christopher Belleman said.

The move will result in “significant reductions in our housing costs,” Belleman told board members.

The property, owned by Cecily Sesler, of Erie, was formerly used as a state police training center, Belleman said. It is adjacent to the authority’s levee maintenance garage near the Forty Fort sports complex, he said.

The board approved the execution of a sales agreement contingent on the authority obtaining financing. Belleman and board member Richard Adams said they are confident that will not be an issue.

“We are currently pursuing and evaluating financing options for the purchase and proposed improvements to the Forty Fort address,” Belleman wrote in a follow-up email.

The authority will remain in its present location on Laird Street in Plains Twp., where it has rented office and warehouse space since 2016, for at least the rest of this year.

It must provide 90 days’ notice if it intends to vacate, Belleman said. Also, while the Forty Fort building is in good shape, the interior “will need to be modified to best fit the administrative needs of the authority,” he said.

The sales agreement stipulates the authority will pay $5,000 per month in rent the first four months at the Forty Fort location.

The estimated settlement date for the purchase is Nov. 11.

At the Laird Street site, the authority pays $3,724 per month to lease 3,032 square feet for administrative offices. It also pays $3,236 per month to lease 10,000 square feet of warehouse space to house equipment and supplies.

The purchase will help the authority’s long-term financial position, Belleman said.

The authority will build equity in a property it owns rather than renting space, he said.

Also, the property includes about 2,000 square feet of space that can be leased out, to achieve further savings, Belleman said.

“We are positioning the authority to obtain significant savings in our housing costs, which will benefit our ratepayers,” he wrote.

The authority maintains a 16-mile flood protection system along the Susquehanna River. Its sole source of income is a levee maintenance fee paid by property owners in a designated flood plain.

December 28, 2020

The Market Street Bridge will remain closed until Jan. 4 as a precaution, since worst-case projections call for the Susquehanna River to crest above the major flood level of 30 feet at Wilkes-Barre this weekend.

“It appears we could have a repeat of last week’s forecast for this weekend,” said Christopher Belleman, executive director of the Luzerne County Flood Protection Authority. Belleman announced Monday that the bridge, which connects Wilkes-Barre and Kingston, would stay closed for another week.

The bridge closed Friday and crews placed large aluminum flood panels at both ends of the structure, since projections last week called for the river to crest at 34 feet, well into the “major” flood stage as categorized by the National Weather Service.

As it turned out, a rapid drop in temperatures curtailed snow melt upstream of Luzerne County, so the feared flood did not materialize. The river crested at 25.63 feet at Wilkes-Barre on Saturday.

But round two could be coming soon.

Weather forecasts call for a storm to potentially dump several inches of rain on the region on Thursday, when temperatures could reach the 50s.

That could lead to flooding concerns this weekend, Belleman said.

He said he spoke with a National Weather Service meteorologist, who said there is still much uncertainty in the forecast. The weather service will not feel confident about its forecast until Wednesday, Belleman said.

Given that and the fact that some computerized simulations show a chance of major flooding, Belleman said he had no choice but to keep the bridge closed throughout the week.

“I don’t like to keep the closures up longer than necessary since Market Street is a major road for commerce and emergency vehicles,” Belleman wrote in an email. “But under the circumstances I think this is necessary for public safety.”

Flood concerns last week also focused on Solomon Creek.

Wilkes-Barre Mayor George Brown ordered the closure of flood gates along the creek at South Franklin, Regent, Waller and Barney streets.

Crews reopened Barney Street on Monday, but city officials will decide Tuesday whether to remove flood barriers at the other locations, Brown said.

The mayor said he wants to consult with the weather service before making that call. He said he does not want to take down flood barriers along the creek if they would need to be installed again days later.

Projections and preparation

The latest projections for river levels and precipitation may be viewed at: https://tinyurl.com/y7u5vjee.

Projected river levels for the next seven to 10 days are listed under Additional Information.

The flood authority and emergency management officials monitor those projections closely, and consult with the weather service whenever a potential flood event looms, Belleman said.

“Some models under-predict and some models over-predict, and that is where the uncertainty lies at times,” he said.

Last week, most models showed peak river crests that ranged from minor to major flood stage, but well within the design capacity of the levee system near Wilkes-Barre, which is rated to provide protection from a river crest of 41 feet.

However, one model simulation showed a slight chance of a crest of up to 44 feet. For the upcoming potential flood event, the highest projection, given just a 5% chance of verifying, is about 37 feet.

The flood authority examines all data available, Belleman said.

“Just because one model shows a major flood event we don’t necessarily immediately respond,” he said. “We only respond after looking at the data, talking with NWS, evaluating our available resources, and then moving forward once we have assimilated the information.”

Also, it takes a couple of days to assemble all the resources needed to prepare for a major flood, Belleman said.

“Always, if there is significant uncertainty, we will err on the side of public safety,” he said.

May 16, 2020

WEST PITTSTON – Residents in the Garden Village can expect as much as a 15% discount on flood insurance due to the new status the borough has received on May 1 after two-years of working toward an improved rating with the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP).

In 2011, Tropical Storm Lee flooded West Pittston at a record level damaging more than 900 structures creating shy of $100 million in damage. When floodwaters receded, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) determined the borough had serious deficiencies in the their implementation of the NFIP requirements therefor placing West Pittston on probation resulting in high insurance premiums.

“What that meant was in addition to the insurance premium, each and every person with flood insurance had to pay an additional $50 penalty,” Jim Brozena, engineer and West Pittston resident, said.

Brozena, the former Luzerne County Flood Protection Authority executive director, is the consulting engineer for West Pittston. He is best known for his contribution to the Wyoming Valley Levee Raising Project while with the county. Related Video

After the 2011 flood, West Pittston, with the guidance of FEMA, developed a long-term recover plan revealing 21 projects that would help the borough become “a clean, safe and progressive community rooted in family values and historical traditions.”

West Pittston Tomorrow was created at that time to help in implementing the 21 projects such as CodeRED®, a system to alert residents by phone in case of an emergency or general announcements regarding the borough.

“In 2016, West Pittston finally got off probation and it took the Zone Hearing Board a few years to clean issues regarding permits but it finally all got straightened out to get to that point,” Brozena said. “In 2018, FEMA returned to West Pittston to conduct a Community Assistance visit to check on the borough’s status finding the borough in good standing.”

Prior to the 2018 FEMA findings, borough officials were interested in becoming in a disaster resistant community.

“In order to accomplish this West Pittston put together a multi-pronged approach together,” Brozena said. “That includes the levee feasibility study, a project beginning to kick off gathering all the data with all properties in the flood plan regarding the ground elevation is and what the first floor elevation is and when all of it’s done it can be analyzed to say what is the best means of providing damage resistance to flooding.”

West Pittston’s participation in the FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, the FEMA Flood Mitigation Assistance Program, and the Luzerne County HUD CDBG-DR Program resulted in acquiring and razing 25 flood-damaged properties in the borough.

“West Pittston leadership, hard work and accomplishments in flood-plain management are to be celebrated because of the additional protection in the borough’s actions provide to its citizens and properties,” Nicole Lick, FEMA Region III Deputy Division director for Mitigation, said.

As a result of the borough efforts, it was determined by the NIFP’s Community Rating System, West Pittston achieved a Class 7 Community Rating System (CRS) participant ensuring residents a discount toward flood insurance premiums.

“On May 1, we were brought into the program and West Pittston is one of only 40 communities in the entire Commonwealth of Pennsylvania out of 2,500-plus municipalities,” Brozena said. “There are only five in all of Luzerne Co.”

The Class 7 rating qualifies NIFP policyholders to receive the Borough’s Special Flood Hazard Area (Zone A) of a 15% premium discount and a 5% discount in Zone X. The total savings to Borough residents exceeds $26,000 per year.

Recently West Pittston partnered with the Luzerne County Flood Protection Authority (LCFPA) to install a staff and radar gauge on the Spc. Dale Kridlo Memorial Bridge (formerly known as the Fort Jenkins Bridge).

“I administrated the CRS Program along with Alan’s (Brezinski, West Pittston Flood Plain manager) help,” Laura Holbrook, LCFPA mitigation specialist, said. “Alan and myself put in most of the work, with consultation of Jim (Brozena). We created a lot of various plans for the borough in order to receive credit through the CRS Program to get that 7 Classification. We put in about a year’s work to get it from a 10 Class to 7.”

According to Holbrook, West Pittston will be audited once a year in order to maintain a 7 Class.

“Moving forward with the community outreach part of it, which is the big part, it will be West Pittston Tomorrow along with West Pittston Council with the guidance of Alan (Brezinski) in order to keep our 7 Class status,” Ellen Quinn, West Pittston Council president, said.

Holbrook said West Pittston could improve classification having great potential to reach a Class 6, creating additional savings on flood insurance premiums.

“I’ll be making sure we’re in conformance,” Brezinski said, in maintaining a 7 Class. “We have to cross our “t’s” and dot our ‘i’s” including public outreach to issuing permits and enforcing ordinances.”

“We love working with the Flood Authority,” Quinn said. “They have been very helpful and Laura, along with Jim and Alan, have put in a tremendous amount of time into this project.”

West Pittston Tomorrow, along with Brezinski will be overseeing the CRS.

“I would like to thank Laura, Alan and Jim for getting this program started and following through and getting it accomplished,” Quinn said. “It’s very exciting that West Pittston is coming into the CRS at a 7, a 15% reduction is flood insurance, it’s very exciting.”

September 17, 2019

After concerns were raised by both sides, the Luzerne County Flood Protection Authority on Tuesday delayed approval of a new intergovernmental cooperation agreement with the county.

Instead, authority board members and officials plan to invite county representatives to a work session to review and revise the proposed agreement.

Drafted by several authority and county representatives, the proposed document would replace a vague agreement that was only a few pages and implemented in 1998, when the authority was under the county’s wing. The authority, which oversees the Wyoming Valley Levee, has since become a standalone entity with its own staff and leased offices in Plains Township funded by a fee on levee-protected properties implemented in 2009.

In addition to establishing flood response duties, the proposed agreement calls for the authority to consider moving into the county-owned Penn Place building in Wilkes-Barre at a lower rent when the Plains Township lease expires and for the county to explore allowing the authority to purchase health and property insurance coverage through the county.

County Manager C. David Pedri said the administration requested a delay because the county solicitor’s office did not receive the final proposed written agreement until Monday and must still review it. County council approval would be required for an agreement to take effect.

Several flood authority members questioned some of the wording and argued some provisions should be added and deleted.

Unpaid levee fees

As of Dec. 31, the authority was owed $910,754 in delinquent levee fees.

The authority discussed but opted not to pursue an idea of publicly posting lists of defaulters.

Instead, the board agreed to compile a report on the highest delinquencies and present it to Portnoff Law Associates for more enhanced collection efforts.

Attorney David Dugan, of Portnoff, told the authority his company pursues liens against defaulters and has the option to proceed to a sheriff’s sale of a property if collection efforts are unsuccessful. Dugan said after the meeting several sheriff sale actions have been filed, although he was not aware of any properties auctioned due to delinquent levee fees because those sales were continued.

Flood maps

Authority Board member Kevin O’Brien asked what can be done to compensate for a height shortfall on two levee stretches that could impact flood insurance rates.

The levee was designed for 41 feet with a required additional 3-foot safety buffer called a “freeboard” on top, and the system held up when the Susquehanna River rose to a record 42.66 feet in September 2011.

However, subsequent federal analysis concluded two of the three levee stretches — Wilkes-Barre/Hanover Township and Plymouth —fall a few inches short on the freeboard requirement due in part to increased storms, development and sediment and tree growth in the river. As a result, rates are expected to rise for levee-protected property owners who want to purchase flood insurance along the two stretches.

Authority Executive Director Christopher Belleman said the authority will pursue a grant to perform a survey and explore affordable options to address the freeboard deficiency. Making the levee higher may be too costly because height requires widening at the base for stability, often leading to property acquisition, he said.

O’Brien said he’s not an engineer but believes pavement a few inches thick atop the stretches could be a solution. Belleman said curbing may be possible, but he won’t know until a study is completed.

March 15, 2019

PLAINS TWP. — Chris Belleman, executive director of the Luzerne County Flood Protection Authority, is asking elected officials at all levels to support the authority in its pursuit of grants to improve its flood-fighting mission.

Belleman called the officials together at a breakfast Friday at The Woodlands Inn to explain the need to complete two projects that will improve flood protection along the county’s 16-mile levee system.

During his presentation, Belleman first explained the need for the authority’s “Closure Structures Modifications Project.”

He said there are 20 levee openings that are necessary to accommodate roads, railroads, pedestrians and other purposes. He said 12 of those openings require the installation of pre-fabricated steel and aluminum closure structure components — stop-logs, panels, posts, portal doors, etc. — to close the opening. Another eight openings require the installation of nearly 8,000 sandbags to close.

Belleman said the authority wants to eliminate three openings and convert four of the sandbag closures to a pre-fabricated sliding gate. He said that would significantly improve efficiency through a reduction in critical labor, material and time — some 1,000 man-hours — in closing the openings during an emergency.

The total project cost is estimated at just over $1 million.

The locations and a breakdown of estimated costs:

• Wilkern Street, Exeter Borough, $181,000
• Off Swetland Lane, Wyoming Borough, $98,700
• Off Stites Street, West Wyoming Borough, $29,000
• Norfolk Southern RR, Edwardsville, $296,300
• Norfolk Southern RR, Wilkes-Barre, $139,200
• Beade Street, Plymouth Borough, $48,100
• North Railroad Street, Plymouth Borough, $159,800

Belleman said the authority has submitted a 2019 Federal Emergency Management Agency Flood Mitigation Assistance grant application. FEMA will announce grant recipients in April.

“We have been told that our project is the top-rated project in the state,” Belleman said.

Tom Makowski, of Borton-Lawson Engineering and a former Luzerne County commissioner, said as the Wyoming Valley goes, so goes Luzerne County.

“If we would have another flood like we did in 1972, we probably would never recover,” said Makowski, referring to the massive destruction of the Agnes flood.

U.S. Rep. Matt Cartwright, D-Moosic, said it makes sense to spend $1 million to ward off a potential $15 billion in damages from a high-water event.

“We are already behind this,” Cartwright said. “We have offered our support for approval of the FEMA grant.”

Second project

The other project the authority hopes to complete is the renovation of its Delaney Street maintenance facility in Hanover Township. The authority has only one levee maintenance facility in use, located in Forty Fort, which services the entire 16-mile flood protection system.

Belleman said the second building would supplement the upstream Forty Fort location and better serve the communities of South Wilkes-Barre, Hanover Township and Plymouth Borough and also improve efficiency of operations.

The authority purchased the former storage building from Hanover Township for $7,500 in June 2017. Belleman said the total project cost is $612,800.

He said 12 communities with a combined total population of nearly 100,000 are located behind the levee system: Exeter, Edwardsville, Forty Fort, Luzerne, Pringle, Plymouth, Swoyersville, Wyoming, West Wyoming, Kingston, Hanover Township and Wilkes-Barre.

“If the business community lacks confidence in the ability of the LCFPA to protect their investments, then the consequence would be a slow exodus of businesses and families from the 12 communities,” said Belleman.

Rep. Gerald Mullery, D-Newport Township, understands how important the effort is.

”I fully support these initiatives,” said Mullery. “We have the opportunity to better protect more than 14,000 residential, commercial and industrial properties with a reasonable investment in our local authority. This is the type of return on investment that taxpayers expect and deserve.”