The Luzerne County Council might reduce the income requirement for its heating/utility assistance program to make more county homeowners and renters eligible, according to the agenda for Tuesday’s meeting.
Council had set aside $2.5 million in federal American Rescue Plan funding for the special public relief program, which gives $290 to each approved household.
Initially, the minimum income requirement was set higher to target residents who are usually excluded from other utility aid.
However, the nonprofit Commission on Economic Opportunity (CEO), which is managing the program for the county, is now proposing a reduction of the minimum income based on the level of applicant response.
Since the program was activated in December, 1,291 households have received assistance totaling $374,390, CEO Executive Director Jennifer Warabak said on Monday.
“The proposed change will enable CEO to help more households with a heating or utility need, especially low to moderate income households that are not eligible for the Low-Income Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP),” the agenda submission stated.
If approved, households of the following sizes will be eligible if their gross annual income falls between these minimum and maximum ranges, according to CEO:
• Single, $21,871 to $43,740
• Two, $29,581 to $59,160
• Three, $37,291 to $74,580
• Four, $45,001 to $90,000
• Five, $52,711 to $105,420
• Six, $60,421 to $120,840
• Seven, $68,131 to $136,260
• Eight, $75,841 to $151,680
In comparison, the current minimums range from $29,160 for one person to $101,120 for a household of eight.
The maximums remain the same under the new proposal.
Approximately 900 household applicants were not approved for the county program due to various reasons, Warabak said.
About 100 earned too much.
Another 128 had incomes below the current minimum and also the new proposed one. These applicants were referred to the LIHEAP program, she said.
Warabak said she was surprised that many eligible households had not applied for LIHEAP, including some elderly residents. Now that they are signed up, they will automatically receive an application for that recurring program later this year.
The largest number of unapproved applicants did not provide all required information, such as proof of income or a heating/utility bill, she said.
CEO follows up with reminders. For example, a household only recently submitted a utility bill for an application submitted in December, she said.
“We need that documentation. This is a problem we see in many of the programs we manage,” she said.
CEO is ready to accept applications under the new income ranges Wednesday if council approves the change Tuesday night, she said.
The nonprofit also will repeat past outreach efforts by contacting state legislators, libraries, municipalities and other groups to help make the public aware, she said.
Applicants do not have to be delinquent on their utility bill, be out of fuel or demonstrate any hardship to be eligible.
Funding recipients must reside in the county household seeking the funding and be responsible for paying the household’s main or secondary heating source. Renters are eligible unless their utility services are factored into their rent.
If given the green light, the $290 payments will be made to the applicants’ chosen utility, covering all types of heating and deliverable fuels.
Applications and additional details can be found at ceopeoplehelpingpeople.org.
The CEO is also requesting the council to extend the deadline for completing the assistance program from the end of June to December 31.
The council has already approved some extensions for other programs funded by the American Rescue Plan, and there are several additional requests on the agenda for Tuesday.
Other matters
The council’s voting session begins at 6 p.m. at the county courthouse on River Street in Wilkes-Barre. Instructions for remote attendance are available on the council’s public meetings page at luzernecounty.org.
As previously mentioned, the council is poised to vote on confirming the appointment of James Rose, a West Pittston resident, as the new head of the administrative services division with an annual salary of $98,000. This division head is responsible for overseeing the election bureau and seven other departments, including human resources, purchasing/acquisitions, information technology, GIS/mapping, licensing/permits, community development, and tourism. Two proposed legal settlements are also on the voting agenda for Tuesday:
• A $20,000 settlement ($12,500 to be paid by the county and $7,500 covered by Walter Griffith) to resolve a 2020 defamation lawsuit brought by the former county election director Shelby Watchilla against the county and Controller Griffith over his statements made during his tenure as a county councilman.
The council had unanimously rejected a $55,000 settlement offer to Watchilla that was proposed in April 2022.
• A $45,000 settlement for Joshua Miller to settle litigation he brought in federal court, alleging in part that his constitutional rights were violated by county prison employees, according to the agenda. Miller had been temporarily incarcerated in the county prison in early 2016 pending the resolution of a criminal matter in which he was the defendant, it said.
The Luzerne County Council may consider lowering the income requirement for its heating/utility assistance program to expand eligibility to more homeowners and renters in the county, as indicated in the agenda for Tuesday’s meeting.
• A $45,000 settlement to Joshua Miller to end litigation he filed in federal court alleging, in part, that his constitutional rights were violated by county prison employees, the agenda said. Miller had been temporarily incarcerated in the county prison in early 2016 pending resolution of a criminal matter in which he was the named defendant, it said.
