Politics & Government
Saucon Valley Partnership Discusses Community Development Block Grants
Grants benefit lower income families.
The Saucon Valley Partnership—a local council of governments which consists of representatives from Lower Saucon Township, Hellertown and the Saucon Valley School District—received an update about Northampton County Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) for 2011 at its May 11 meeting.
Kim Schaffer, CDBG coordinator, said about $1.3 million dollars will be allocated among grant recipients in Northampton County.
She explained that CDBG grants benefit lower income individuals and families. An individual who makes less than $39,200 is considered lower income and a family of four that has an income of less than $56,000 is considered to be lower income by the grants.
Find out what's happening in Hellertown-Lower Sauconwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Schaffer said in 2010, Walnutport used money from a CDBG grant to update bathrooms to meet Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements and Freemansburg used grant money for park projects.
Grants are awarded for projects such as low-income housing, nonprofit services, Americans with Disabilities Act projects, road construction in lower income areas and other uses.
Find out what's happening in Hellertown-Lower Sauconwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
CDBG grants have been given to Hellertown in previous years to fund the installation of curb cuts and street reconstruction.
Municipalities need to submit a letter of intent to apply for the grant by May 20 and the deadline to apply is June 10.
More information about CDBG grants can be found on the Northampton County website, www.northamptoncounty.gov.
In other business, representatives agreed that the has been a success so far.
Lower Saucon Township Manager Jack Cahalan said he was in attendance at the May 7 trail ribbon-cutting and that there was a tremendous turnout.
Eventually, plans to install mile markers or other signs to help designate where trail-goers are may be enacted for practical purposes and safety reasons.
A final decision as to the exact type of marker has not yet been made.
The next Saucon Valley Partnership meeting will be held at 7pm June 8 at the Saucon Valley School District administration building.
