From left: Wilkes-Barre City Grants Coordinator Mark Barry, Wilkes-Barre City Mayor George C. Brown, Rep. Eddie Day Pashinski, Sen. Marty Flynn’s Chief of Staff, Brian Doughton.
Submitted Photo
Grant funding will benefit public works department
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WILKES-BARRE — Rep. Eddie Day Pashinski, along with Sen. Marty Flynn’s Chief of Staff, Brian Doughton, and Mayor George Brown, on Friday celebrated a state grant awarded to the city.
The city will use the $235,636 in state and Local Share Account grant funding, to purchase a new bucket truck with updated attachments, and a skid steer machine to meet the necessary safety regulations and to improve the productivity of their operations.
“This funding will provide our city’s workers with the updated and reliable new equipment required to address our city’s needs, in all kinds of conditions, including snow and debris removal and for internal transport,” said Pashinski, D-Wilkes-Barre. “This new equipment will provide safe, dependable, and efficient operations which will increase productivity and improve quality time management. I would like to extend my sincere thanks to Sen. Flynn for working with me to acquire this important funding needed to purchase these very important pieces of equipment for our city’s public works department.”
Sen. Flynn, D-Scranton, said, “This money not only improves city operations but also highlights our dedication to the safety of our Department of Public Works personnel.”
Mayor Brown and Wilkes-Barre City Grants Coordinator Mark Barry were also in attendance for the check presentation.
“I am very thankful for Sen. Flynn’s and Rep. Pashinski’s continued commitment to ensuring that Wilkes-Barre City is allocated state funding to purchase and replace equipment essential to the operations of the city,” Brown said. “Both the skid steer loader and the bucket truck will be utilized throughout the year. These two new pieces of equipment will ensure that our Department of Public Works crews have the latest and most up-to-date tools to complete tasks which are beneficial to both city residents and visitors alike.”
The grant was awarded by the Commonwealth Financing Authority through its Local Share Account program. LSA funding is generated from casinos located in host or contiguous counties and distributed by the Department of Community and Economic Development. The grants are designed to help economic development, job training, community improvement and public interest projects.
Reach Bill O’Boyle at 570-991-6118 or on Twitter @TLBillOBoyle.
