CLEARFIELD – The first public meeting regarding Clearfield Borough’s Community Development Block Grant 2020 allocation was held Thursday evening with council present.
Lisa Kovalick of the county Planning and Community Development Office said that this year the allocation is $112,565 and reminded council that the funds can be used for a variety of community development projects including public improvements, rehabilitation of housing units, mitigation of blighted areas and energy conservation, to name a few.
She said no less than 70 percent can be used to assist projects where at least 51 percent of those who benefit are of low to moderate income.
In the past, the borough has designated funding for various projects including street improvements in East End and spot blight demotions with 2015-2016 funds, spot blight demolition with 2017 funds and street improvements to correct storm drainage in portions of west side with 2017, 2018 and 2019 funds.
Kovalick also noted that some of the money this year can be used for COVID-related purposes
Also, in the past, some of the money has been allocated towards the Stinky Run project when the state Department of Environmental Protection promised that the project would be completed within the required three years the borough has to use the money.
However, as has been the case in the past 25 years, the project has been delayed and some of the money has had to be reallocated or the borough would lose the funding.
Kovalick said if the borough decides to allocate funding towards the project this year, the state Department of Community and Economic Development has said they will request a meeting between DCED, the borough and DEP to ensure that DEP gets the project done.
Borough Council Member Jim Kling said that he has been part of borough operations in some way for many years, and DEP has been making promises regarding Stinky Run for 25 years and he hopes this time different people in Harrisburg are in charge.
Public comment regarding the funding will be accepted by the planning office until Sept. 23, and another public meeting will be held at a later date.
A brief meeting was convened also to modify the 2017 and 2018 funding that had been allocated to Stinky Run.
For 2017, $58,179.74 had been allocated and will now be added to the Flood Protection Project for Orr’s Run, and the amount for 2018, $90,023, was also added to the Orr’s Run project.
The total cost of the Orr’s Run project is $245,006.74.