Back in January of 2016, when voters made a sweeping change to West Easton Council, one of the top priorities of the incoming council was to aggressively seek grants that would improve West Easton, while preserving our working capital.
Appearing at Monday’s Council Meeting was Northampton County Executive Lamont McClure to present West Easton with a check for a $75,000 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG). The grant will be applied to planned road work and to repair curbs around drainage grates that have deteriorated and are crumbling.
With that $75,000, West Easton has obtained nearly $500,000 dollars in grant monies, in just under 4 years. That’s money which has allowed improvements and repair to West Easton without having to raise taxes to pay for them.
This was achieved despite our angry Constable who has actually written our state representatives, urging them not to support West Easton receiving grants.
That number may seem paltry to larger communities with multi-million dollar budgets and million dollar projects, but for our little borough, it’s an accomplishment that has allowed West Easton to become a better place to live, while keeping taxes from rising.
Our awarded grants have been used toward roads, drainage improvements, police department funding, sidewalks, the new public works garage, park improvements, and other projects that were once put off, “because West Easton can’t afford it,” as was previously told to residents before 2016.
Some of the projects were fully funded using grants:
The War Monument Park Memorial Fountain, at a total cost for design, installation, and landscaping improvements, that came to $22,800, was done with grant money.
The 2nd Street drainage project, which cost more than $124,000 was fully paid for with a grant.
The sidewalks added to Gerald Gross Park were also paid for with a grant.
Though not fully covered, new recycling bins distributed to residents were 90 percent funded with a grant.
Grant money averaging more than $100,000/yr is a benefit that’s new for West Easton and a gift to homeowners who enjoy a low millage of 11.7. Previous to 2016, few grants were applied for and opportunities to obtain grant money were simply ignored.
Hopefully, more grants will be coming, including a grant applied for that will, if delivered as requested in our application, pay for Phase II of the Public Works Garage. The decision on that grant will be made next year.
This post was updated 11/7 for clarification and corrections.
Disclaimer: On January 4, 2016, the owner of WestEastonPA.com began serving on the West Easton Council following an election. Postings and all content found on this website are the opinions of Matthew A. Dees and may not necessarily represent the opinion of the governing body for The Borough of West Easton.
