PD News

March 7, 2010

WP grant in jeopardy if local match must be in cash

Ian Campbell Dispatch Correspondent

West Pittston Borough officials Tuesday conceded that they may not have the money to follow through with a $236,782 recycling grant if a 10 per cent matching contribution has to be in cash.

When the borough had filed for the grant, which will be used for two recycling trucks and recycling bins for the borough, the plan had been to use land and staff to cover the cost, but now the grant writer is looking clarification on that use, council noted. If the borough does have to find the matching funds it would be $24,000 from a budget already tight, residents were told.

The grant had covered trucks rather than the sort of trailer used by Exeter Borough because the narrow streets and tight parking issues made the truck and trailer combination too unwieldy, former councilman Kevin Lescavage told the meeting. Lescavage was involved in drawing up the grant application last year while still a council member.

The results of another grant came up when council was asked to appoint a representative to a five-party committee to administer the operation of a large chipper-shredder that Exeter grant writer Karen Szwast had obtained under a group application. Szwast had suggested the participating municipalities establish an operating committee for the shredder to address the use, training, and operational costs.

Council member Barry Stankus suggested a council member be appointed as representative to the committee, but council noted that there was no formal committee at this stage, and there was time to discuss what level representation was needed at the work session at the end of the month.

Council was also advised that changes to the borough’s flood maps had resulted in the removal of 67 properties from the existing flood area, but the addition of 65 new properties.

A meeting at Luzerne County Community College had revealed that although the changes in number were small, there were some streets missing from the maps entirely.

The borough had been asked to make a quick turnaround on the map alterations, Mayor William Goldsworthy noted, and council voted to allow the engineer to draw up the changes.

A request made last month to approve the sale of the West Pittston Hose Company’s ladder truck was not acted on during the March meeting either, as council had only just received the requested financial reports from the hose company.

The issue may be addressed at the next work session, with a possible decision in April.

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