New Premption Violation at the county level, 26 May2010

[wa3ra]

Are you ready for this ?

The Lackawanna County Commissioners voted today to accept the proposed Rules and Regulations for all Lackawanna County Parks. The vote was unanimous.

Smoking is now banned in all county parks, as are alcohol, and...get this....FIREARMS.

This is after some of the locals finally got the parks people to realize that it is a violation...


I'll write a bigger report including a link to the video from the meeting in the PA news section in a few minutes.

[wa3ra]

Already fixed. Now it is no discharging firearms....that we can live with.

[thefirstndsecond]

Lackawanna County: $10.3 million now available in federal loans Park gun rules will get rewrite

By Charles Schillinger (Staff Writer), By Charles Schillinger (Staff Writer)
Published: June 24, 2010

Commissioners designated Lackawanna County a recovery zone Wednesday, a move that will open up $10.3 million in low-interest federal loans to local businesses and municipalities.

The commissioners' designation acknowledges the impact the recession has had on the county, which - like much of the nation - has been wracked with high unemployment and a slowed business development climate. The county unemployment rate was 9.5 percent in April, the most recent figure available.

The program, to be administered by the Lackawanna County Redevelopment Authority, will make available $6.16 million and $4.1 million in bonds to businesses and local municipalities, respectively.

The catch: Projects must be shovel-ready and be submitted to the county by July 12. The county has set a short deadline because the loans must be issued by Dec. 31. Information can be found on the county website, www.lackawanna county.org.

County officials said they hope the loans, which are tax-exempt for businesses and have an interest rate rebate for local governments, could spur movement on a project in the county that a business or municipality had put on hold, said Harry Lindsay, the county's director of planning and economic development.

Contact the writer: cschillinger@timesshamrock.com A rewrite of a county park rule that banned unlicensed guns is under way and will have input from the National Rifle Association, said Lackawanna County solicitor John O'Brien.

The rule came under scrutiny by gun-rights advocates who called it a violation of state law and potentially an infringement of gun owners' federal rights. Advocates argued the law banned all gun carrying by prohibiting unlicensed guns because there is no license to carry a firearm in Pennsylvania, only a license to carry a concealed gun.

The language on guns in the county park rules was never intended to make illegal anything that state law allows, Mr. O'Brien has said. To ensure the amended law complies with state law, Mr. O'Brien said he intends to consult with legal counsel for the NRA.
The gun rule was one of many in nine pages of new rules approved by county commissioners last month. New rules prohibit smoking, skateboarding and rollerskating, and make it illegal for children under 14 to be in the park without adult supervision. The new rules, which have not yet been posted, apply to McDade, Merli-Sarnoski, Aylesworth and Covington parks.

In other county business Wednesday:
- Minority Commissioner A.J Munchak told county department managers to expect another "bloodletting" this fall by majority Commissioners Mike Washo and Corey O'Brien, who he said will have to layoff employees to meet a pledge to present a budget with no tax increase for 2011.

Mr. Washo and Mr. O'Brien said it was premature for Mr. Munchak to say whether layoffs would be necessary and declined to comment.

- The county Salary Board promoted Marion Medalis to director of elections. The longtime deputy director of voter registration, Ms. Medalis had stepped into the director role and oversaw the May primary after former director Maryann Spellman Young resigned in December for personal reasons. Ms. Medalis' annual salary will increase from $48,720 to $55,000.

The deputy director of voter registration position will be eliminated.
- The county Salary Board approved promotions worth $11,000 for four sheriff's deputies after the union representing the deputies filed a grievance over wages. The four deputies argued they were named acting corporal or acting sergeant in November 2008 but never given pay increases.

County chief of staff Maria Elkins said the commissioners were unaware the deputies had taken on acting corporal and sergeant roles. As a compromise, the deputies agreed to back pay retroactive to only January 2010, Ms. Elkins said.

Contact the writer: cschillinger@timesshamrock.com




http://thetimes-tribune.com/news/lac...write-1.862025