PROJECT PASSES COUNCIL

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It wasn't unanimous or pretty, but the Kohl's downtown department store project is still on its feet and the city will soon own - temporarily - the Williamsport Area School District service center at 203 W. Third St.

City Council's meeting was emotional, long and full of surprises - in large part because two lawyers began talking Wednesday night.

The end results were council votes on resolutions putting the Williamsport Parking Authority in the developer's role for the Kohl's project, executing the sale of the district's service center to the city for $1.2 million, authorizing $157,000 for additional engineering, and an agreement with PPL for utility relocation.

During the meeting, Council President J. Marlyne Whaley and Councilman Bill Hall vented frustration over what was characterized as rude behavior toward them by people unhappy that they were not blindly giving a green light for the project without a signed agreement from the Kohl's chain.

It wasn't a placid meeting and the council meeting room was jammed with mostly pro-Kohl's and pro-Mayor Gabriel J. Campana people.

In the end, council did what seemed improbable a day earlier and the catalysts appear to have been two lawyers - Council Vice President J. Michael Wiley and Clifford A. Rieders - who began talking Wednesday night and continued communicating Thursday up until the council meeting.

They worked out an agreement between the city and authority that was acceptable to both and paved the way for the purchase of the service center and release of engineering funds.

Under the terms of the agreement, the authority will buy the site from the city and reimburse the purchase cost, including debt service and all engineering costs. That includes $100,000 previously approved by council.

Councilman J. Patrick Marty abstained on all votes and the discussion because his wife has a share of one of the properties that may be purchased to develop the Kohl's site.

Whaley voted no on all four resolutions. She said there were "meetings after meetings" during which council was told not to worry and then, after two months, bad news was revealed in a closed executive session that she can not publicly talk about because it was revealed in a closed session.

"I will not be be voting for any of these," she said, adding that she remains uncomfortable with the situation and could not support the resolutions "until I'm told the absolute truth."

Hall also spoke bluntly and directly at the mayor and criticized his handling of information about the project and using council as a scapegoat when he failed to produce a legally binding and acceptable agreement with Kohl's.

"I believe what we've been given ... is politics," he said.

Hall joined Whaley and voted no on the district service center purchase, saying he found the sale price too high. Hall voted yes on the other resolutions.

All council members have expressed the hope that Kohl's will come into the city, despite their reservations about the city being involved in the project as a developer.

The parking authority has relieved the city of that role, although the mayor made clear he and his administration will still be involved.

Whaley has said previously that she believes the authority is more interested in acquiring the land than in attracting Kohl's

"I hope Kohl's comes," she said before the voting started, "but what I really think you're going to end up with is 'Plan-B' - a parking lot."