The Pennsylvania Municipal League recently awarded the Career Recognition Governor’s Award for Local Government excellence to Pittston City Mayor Michael Lombardo in recognition for his many years of service. We congratulate Mayor Lombardo on receiving this distinguished award!
A city contractor (RLE Enterprises) has begun work on a large infrastructure project on Panama Street. This project consists of the replacement of a more than 150 year old underground stone sewer culvert. This old culvert is in poor condition and has been failing for a number of years. The nearly one million dollar project will include replacement of the stone culvert with modern plastic sewer pipe; installation of new modern manholes and street drains, new curbing and sidewalks; and repaving of the roadway. There will also be an upgrade of the water main on part of the street by the PA American Water Company. Also included in the project is installation of street drains and repaving of Quinnan’s Alley, a small roadway connecting Parsonage Street and upper Panama Street.
Work on Panama Street began in December 2020 and is expected to continue until September 2021. Residents and motorists should use caution when traveling on Panama Street when the contractor is working and should be cautious of areas of disrupted pavement until the work is completed. There will also be periodic parking and traffic flow restrictions. Please follow all posted signage in this regard.
This project is being funded from a Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Small Water and Sewer Grant awarded to the city in a competitive application processs; Federal Community Development Block Grant Funds administered by the City of Pittston Redevelopment Authority; and by the City of Pittston Sewer Maintenance Fund which is funded through the city’s annual sewer maintenance fee. The project is being administered by the City of Pittston Department of Administration; the Pittston City Department of Streets and Sanitation and the Pittston City Engineer, Reilly Associates. Please direct any questions to Pittston City Hall.
In order to raise awareness about the importance of Fair Housing, the City of Pittston will be holding a Fair Housing Essay Contest for students ages 12-16 in the Pittston Area. Students are asked to write a 2-3 page essay in 12 point font, double-spaced on the following topic:
DIVERSE COMMUNITY
The Fair Housing Act (FHA), passed by Congress in April 1968, guarantees everyone the right to rent or buy housing on a fair and equal basis.
What would it be like to live in a diverse community? How does the Fair Housing Act help create diverse communities? How would it feel to be part of a community that celebrates the differences of its members?
Submissions are due by Monday October 19th, 2020. Submissions may be mailed or emailed to: Mary Kuna, City of Pittston, 35 Broad St. Suite 202, Pittston, PA 18640 or PittstonFairHousingContest@gmail.com.
Prizes include $75 for 1st, $50 for 2nd, and $25 for 3rd, as well as, publication on the City of Pittston’s website and an award certificate.
Governor Tom Wolf announced last week new funding to revitalize the Pittston waterfront by converting an underused warehouse into a mixed-use facility with apartments, offices, retail space, and a business incubator.
“This comprehensive redevelopment project will be a noticeable update to a section of downtown Pittston that has a lot of potential, but not expansive use,” Wolf said. “By renovating the structure and surrounding area, we will be creating jobs, expanding offerings for businesses, college students and residents, while opening up opportunities for more economic development.”
Waterfront Management Group, LLC was approved for a $2 million grant to rehabilitate a 101,997-square-foot warehouse at the corner of East Street and Kennedy Boulevard. The completed project is expected to have 27 apartments, a food court supporting the students of the recently opened nearby Luzerne County Community College’s Pittston center, 28,296 square feet of office space, and a business incubator with space for 36 units. The warehouse is only partially occupied, and the 13 existing jobs will be retained while approximately 60 new jobs are created through the new uses.
“I’m extremely proud of the wide array of community enhancements in the City of Pittston and this significant investment of state funds will advance an integral commercial and residential project along the Susquehanna River waterfront,” said Representative Mike Carroll, D-Avoca. “I am grateful to Governor Wolf for his unyielding support of our community.”
The project is expected to bring economic growth through enhanced property values, a stronger local tax base, and increased commercial and residential development. The renovation will also beautify the waterfront through exterior renovations and new landscaping.
“(This) announcement of RACP funding for the Waterfront Warehouse Conversion project in Pittston is yet another positive step towards the City’s revitalization,” said State Senator John Yudichak. “The repurposing of this former warehouse facility into a state-of-the-art multi-use asset along the Susquehanna River will create the opportunity for continued economic growth in Pittston and our core cities in Luzerne County.”
Supported through the Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program (RACP), funding will support critical expansion projects, some of which will provide opportunities for additional economic development.
Read the article on the Sunday Dispatch Website
The Luzerne County West Nile Program will be conducting an ultra-low volume (ULV) mosquito control operation to reduce high populations of mosquitoes capable of transmitting West Nile Virus on August 15, 2018 in parts of Exeter Borough, Forty Fort Borough, Pittston City, West Pittston Borough, and Wyoming Borough.
The treatments will be administered via truck-mounted equipment, spraying residential and recreational mosquito habitat. The equipment dispenses AquaDUET at a rate of 0.62 ounces per acre.
The product is designed to provide quick, effective control of adult mosquito populations. The application material has a very low toxicity profile to mammals and will have negligible impact to non-target insects and the environment.
The spray will begin at dusk (pending any unforeseen circumstances) and conclude between 9:30-10:30pm.
Residents should stay indoors as much as possible during these hours only.
Certain mosquito species carry the West Nile virus, which can cause humans to contract West Nile encephalitis, an infection that can result in an inflammation of the brain. According to the Pennsylvania Department of Health, all residents in areas where virus activity has been identified are at risk of contracting West Nile encephalitis.
In 2018, West Nile virus has been detected in the following counties: Adams, Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Bedford, Berks, Blair, Bucks, Butler, Cambria, Carbon, Centre, Chester, Clarion, Clearfield, Clinton, Columbia, Crawford, Cumberland, Dauphin, Delaware, Elk, Erie, Fayette, Forest, Franklin, Fulton, Greene, Huntingdon, Indiana, Juniata, Lackawanna, Lancaster, Lawrence, Lebanon, Lehigh, Luzerne, Lycoming, McKean, Mercer, Mifflin, Monroe, Montgomery, Montour, Northampton, Northumberland, Perry, Philadelphia, Schuylkill, Snyder, Somerset, Union, Venango, Washington, Westmoreland, Wyoming, and York.
Weather conditions and other unexpected events could delay or cancel this spray operation. If conditions do not allow application on August 15, 2018, the following evening, August 16, 2018 will serve as the back-up spray date. If conditions remain unfavorable, the spray will be postponed until weather permits.
Individuals can take a number of precautionary measures around their homes to help eliminate mosquito-breeding areas, including:
Additionally, these simple precautions can prevent mosquito bites, particularly for people who are most at risk:
For more information about West Nile virus and the state’s surveillance and control program, please visit www.westnile.state.pa.us.
The Pittston City Street Department’s Public Property maintenance team recently began a series of repairs and improvements to Albert J. West Memorial Park on Swallow Street. The concession stand used by the Pittston Junior Patriots Mini-Football and Cheerleading was painted and improvements made to its exterior lighting. The running and walking track around the field is being re-graded and new cinders layed. The football field goal posts are being painted. With this being the centennial anniversary of the end of World War I in 1918, further improvements and repairs will continue to the park named for a Pittston City World War I soldier will continue throughout the rest of the summer.
CITY-WIDE YARD WASTE COLLECTION MONDAY JULY 2nd
City residents are reminded that per the recycling calendar, there will be city-wide yard waste collection on Monday July 2nd. Yard waste usually collected on Wednesday will be collected on Monday.
City Hall and the Street Department will be closed Wednesday July 4th for the Independence Day holiday. Garbage usually collected Wednesday will be collected Thursday July 5th and garbage usually collected Thursday will be collected Friday July 6th.
The Pittston Riverfront Park Remains Closed Due to Flooding and Ice Jam Damage
Water Street Bridge and the Pittston Riverfront Park Are Closed Due to an Ice Jam on the Susquehanna River.
Here is the current update from the National Weather Service:
Issuing Office: Binghamton
Source: National.Weather.Service
10:07am EST, Wed Jan 24
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BINGHAMTON NEW YORK HAS ISSUED A * FLOOD WARNING FOR THE SUSQUEHANNA RIVER NEAR WILKES-BARRE. * FROM THIS AFTERNOON UNTIL THURSDAY AFTERNOON. * AT 10 AM WEDNESDAY THE STAGE WAS 20.2 FEET. * FLOOD STAGE IS 22.0 FEET. * MINOR FLOODING IS FORECAST. THERE IS CURRENTLY FLOODING ALONG SUSQUEHANNA STREET IN WEST PITTSTON UPSTREAM OF THE GAUGE. * FORECAST… THE RIVER IS EXPECTED TO RISE ABOVE FLOOD STAGE BY 2 PM WEDNESDAY AND CREST NEAR 22.7 FEET AROUND 7 PM WEDNESDAY. THE RIVER IS BEING AFFECTED BY A LARGE ICEJAM. EXACT WATER LEVELS IN ALL AREAS ALONG THE RIVER ARE UNPREDICTABLE AND CAN VARY BY SEVERAL FEET IN ANY GIVEN MOMENT. THIS FORECAST IS BASED ON AN EXPECTATION THAT THE ICE JAM WILL PARTIALLY RELEASE THIS WATER VOLUME TOWARD, AND DOWNSTREAM OF THE GAUGE. * IMPACT… AT 22.0 FEET… MINOR FLOODING BEGINS. LOWLANDS IN PLAINSVILLE, PLYMOUTH FLATS, WEST NANTICOKE AND SHICKSHINNY FLOOD. MAXIMUM EFFECTIVE DESIGN OF LEVEE PROTECTION IN THE CITY OF WILKES-BARRE IS 41 FEET. &&
More Information
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BINGHAMTON HAS ISSUED A FLOOD WARNING FOR THE FOLLOWING RIVERS IN PENNSYLVANIA… SUSQUEHANNA RIVER NEAR WILKES-BARRE AFFECTING LUZERNE COUNTY PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS… DO NOT DRIVE OVER FLOODED ROADS OR BRIDGES… STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO, THE OFFICIAL VOICE OF THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FOR LATER DEVELOPMENTS. FOR FURTHER RIVER AND WEATHER INFORMATION, YOU CAN VISIT OURWEBSITE AT WEATHER.GOV/BGM &&
Pittston City Streets & Sanitation Department will collect live Christmas trees curbside from January 8th to 19th. Trees must be free of decorations, lights, and stands. Additionally trees cannot be in plastic bags. All trees are taken to a recycling center to be ground into mulch which is why they cannot be in bags.
The Redevelopment Authority was recently awarded a Certificate of Merit by the Pennsylvania Association of Housing and Redevelopment Authorities (PAHRA) at its Annual Conference in Lancaster for its Neighborhood Housing Initiative. The Neighborhood Housing Initiative is a cooperative effort between the Authority, City of Pittston and North East Pennsylvania Land Bank Authority to address blight, quality of life issues, housing, and most importantly to improve the City’s neighborhoods. The 2017 PAHRA Bellamy Awards are PAHRA’s highest achievement awards for housing, redevelopment and community development.
The City of Pittston would like to inform all residents that the basketball courts at Jefferson Park will be closed on Monday July 24 through Monday July 31 for the final applications of the acrylic surface and line striping.
In celebration of the Independence Day Holiday all City of Pittston offices including the Department of Public Works will be closed on Tuesday July 4th. Due to the Holiday closing refuse and recycling collections will not be picked up in the City of Pittston on Tuesday July 4th. Tuesday’s regular refuse and recycling pick-up will be moved to Wednesday July 5th, Wednesday’s regular collection will be moved to Thursday July 6th and Thursday’s regular pick-up will be moved to Friday July 7th. Regularly scheduled pick-ups will resume on Monday July 10th for yard waste, refuse and recycling. Thank you for your cooperation and enjoy a safe Independence Day Holiday.
District Attorney Stefanie Salavantis has announced that the annual Luzerne County Crime Watch meeting will be held on Wednesday, April 12, 2017 at 6:00 P.M. in the County Council Meeting Room on the 1st Floor of the Luzerne County Main Courthouse located at 200 North River Street, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. All crime watch groups are invited and encouraged to attend as well as members of the public.
The following are the guest speakers for the Meeting:
This event is being held in conjunction with National County Government Month with the focus being on Safe & Secure Counties.
Up to 2 free smoke detectors per housing unit can be picked up at the Pittston City Fire Department at 20 Kennedy Street. (Not Kennedy Blvd!)
If you need help installing the smoke detector please telephone the fire department at 570-655-6663 and the fire department will make an appointment with you to install the smoke detector.
The Pittston City Easter Egg Hunt will be held Saturday April 8, 2017, at Jefferson Park at New Street and Cornelia Street in Pittston at 1:00 p.m. All Pittston City children up to age 12 are welcome. The Hunt is sponsored by Pittston City Fire Dept., Pittston City Police Dept., and Greater Pittston Regional Ambulance.
Learn more about the event at the City of Pittston’s Facebook page or the Easter Egg Hunt Event page
Garbage and recycling collection will not take place for the rest of this week, due to the demand on our DPW to remove the massive amount of snow. Collection will resume on the normal schedule next week. We thank you for your patience and understanding as we continue to dig out.
Private contractors have begun working to remove snow off of Main Street and Broad Street. If you’re traveling through the downtown please be cognizant and careful of the heavy equipment being used. Our City plowers are still working diligently in the neighborhoods. We’re thankful for the sunshine’s help today!
Pittston City Council Meeting scheduled for Wednesday March 15th at 7:00pm has been cancelled and is rescheduled to Wednesday March 22nd at 7:00pm