LCTA Board of Directors Meeting Minutes - January 27, 2026

Luzerne County Transportation Authority

Attendance

Present

Absent

Administrative Staff

Others

Meeting Minutes

  1. Pledge of Allegiance: Board Chairman Mr. Sciandra welcomed everyone to the meeting and invited those present to join him in the Pledge of Allegiance.
  2. Roll Call: The following board members were present or available by phone for the meeting: Mr. Alshefski, Mr. Cefalo, Dr. Kepner, Mr. Polakoski, Ms. Villano, Mr. Young, Mr. Zeller, and Mr. Sciandra.
  3. Public Comment: None.
  4. Approval of Minutes: Board Chairman Mr. Sciandra asked for approval of the board minutes from the December 16, 2025 Board Meeting and the January 8, 2026 Reorganization Meeting. A motion was made by Mr. Young and seconded by Ms. Villano. Motion carried.
  5. Treasurer's Report: Mr. Sciandra asked for a motion to approve the treasurer's report pending audit. A motion was made by Mr. Young and seconded by Mr. Alshefski. All members present voted yes; motion carried.
  6. Chairperson's Report: Mr. Sciandra gave a shout out to everyone with the recent snowfall, adding that everybody did a great job getting LCTA and the buses back out on the routes.
  7. Solicitor's Report: Attorney Blazosek noted for the record that the board went into executive session at approximately 4:10 p.m. He said that during that time Mr. Fiume gave an update on real estate matters, but no final decisions were made. He mentioned that Attorney Joyce gave an update on legal matters and that personnel matters were discussed. Attorney Blazosek stated that no votes were taken or decisions made and that any actions would be subject to future board meetings.
  8. Executive Director's Report:

    Mr. Fiume said LCTA was not open on Monday due to the storm, but resumed service on snow routes. He explained that LCTA planned to be on snow routes again the following day and would decide the next afternoon whether regular routes would resume on Thursday.

    Mr. Fiume presented the following motions:

    • Motion to approve the Resolution for Right of Entry agreement with The Wright Center to place a shelter on the medical center property located at 169 North Pennsylvania Avenue, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. A motion was made by Ms. Villano and seconded by Mr. Zeller. All members present voted yes; motion carried.
    • Motion to approve the Resolution for the award of contract to WSP USA, Inc. to prepare a Bus Rapid Transit Feasibility Study. A motion was made by Mr. Young and seconded by Mr. Alshefski. All members present voted yes; motion carried.
    • Motion to approve the draft contract with Northeast Counseling Services for MATP client transportation pending final review. A motion was made by Mr. Zeller and seconded by Mr. Cefalo. All members present voted yes; motion carried.
    • Motion to approve authorization for the provision of MATP client transportation services pending finalization and acceptance of a contract at the February 2026 Board Meeting. Mr. Fiume asked for a motion to remove this item because Attorney Blazosek stated it was covered by the prior motion. A motion was made to remove this item from the agenda by Ms. Villano and seconded by Mr. Cefalo. All members present voted yes; motion carried.
  9. Committees:

    Customer Service / Public Transit Ridership Committee - Valerie Kepner, Chairperson

    Dr. Kepner said the committee did not meet because she was waiting to see what the membership of the new committee would be after the reorganization meeting. She said the committee usually meets on the first Tuesday of the month at 10 or 11 a.m., but she was open to different days and times.

    Operations / Safety Committee - Gary Polakoski, Chairperson

    Mr. Marriggi said they had a safety meeting and reorganization meeting. He said they set the upcoming meetings for the rest of the year on the second Tuesday of every month at 10:00 a.m.

    Strategic Planning Committee - Michael Cefalo, Chairperson

    Mr. Cefalo said he would have a conference that week with Mr. Fiume and Mr. Fauver about working out details on the next iteration of the strategic plan and putting together a task force around cost controls and savings in operations. He explained that he and Mr. Fauver were working on a presentation for the February board meeting.

    Personnel and Continued Progress Committee - Joe Padavan, Chairperson

    Mr. Padavan was absent from the meeting. Ms. Decker said they had a personnel meeting the prior week and discussed staff updates and performance reviews that would be worked on in the next week or so.

    Finance and Budget Committee - Joseph Zeller, Chairperson

    Mr. Zeller did not have a report at this time.

    Mr. Fiume explained that the number four motion was tied to the Children's Service Center and that approval would be needed to move forward because it was too late to get a contract together for the meeting.

    A motion was made to rescind the removal of the fourth motion by Ms. Villano and seconded by Mr. Young. All members present voted yes; motion carried.

    Mr. Fiume asked for a motion to approve the authorization for the provision of MATP client transportation services pending finalization and acceptance of the contract at the February 2026 Board Meeting regarding the Children's Service Center. A motion was made by Mr. Zeller and seconded by Mr. Young. All members present voted yes; motion carried.

  10. Old Business: None.
  11. New Business: No new business was discussed.
  12. Remarks: There were no remarks.
  13. Adjournment: With all business completed, Mr. Alshefski made a motion to adjourn, seconded by Mr. Cefalo. Motion carried.

Respectfully submitted by: Tracy Kline, Secretary to the Board