Scranton City Council on Thursday moved forward with a plan to use $2.8 million in federal funding for projects that include paving streets, helping the homeless and paying for neighborhood police officers.
Council voted 4-0 — with President Joe Wechsler, Pat Rogan, Wayne Evans and Bill Gaughan all in favor, and Tim Perry absent — to advance federal block grants for 2018.
The city annually gets federal Housing and Urban Development funds in three categories to help low- to moderate-income individuals or areas.
The process used to determine block-grant allocations starts with requests made by various nonprofits and city departments to the city Office of Economic and Community Development, which administers HUD funding. Those requests totaled nearly $6 million.
During a hearing, OECD made its recommendations to council on grant amounts, many pared down from requested amounts. In the largest category of funding, called Community Development Block Grants, OECD recommendations include:
• $327,050 for paving.
• $261,845 for neighborhood police officers.
• $250,000 for sidewalk/curb/lighting upgrades in an area of South Main Avenue in West Scranton slated for redevelopment.
• $100,000 for improvements to McLain Park by the North Scranton Neighborhood Association.
• $75,000 for owner-occupied housing rehabilitation/emergency work.
• $50,000 toward a lease/purchase of a Fire Department pumper truck.
• $29,000 for the NEPA Youth Shelter.
• $25,000 for city blight demolition.
• $20,000 for Arc of NEPA.
• $5,000 for the Center for Independent Living.
OECD did not recommend any grant funding for the largest non-city-government request, $295,000 by the Gen. Theodore J. Wint VFW Post 25 in North Scranton, for creation of a Scranton Veterans Memorial Park & Monument on the grounds of Scranton High School.
OECD Executive Director Linda Aebli cited several reasons for shutting out the VFW, including that such a project is not included in the city’s “Consolidated Plan” under HUD, the project does not necessarily meet eligibility criteria and there were application deficiencies.
Expressing disappointment in OECD’s recommendation, VFW Post 25 project volunteer Pat Ahern asked council to reconsider. He explained that the veterans’ memorial would not be just a monument, but also would be an educational park that aims to help teach youth about military service and sacrifice. City funds would go toward the project’s Phase 2, as Phase 1 already is underway and targeted for completion in spring, he said. The effort to create the memorial began two years ago, when veterans realized that there are hundreds of Scranton veterans who died in wars but have never been named on a local monument, Ahern told council.
“We’re going to make that right. We’re going to make it right with or without city council’s help,” Ahern said. “Now, of course, we’re here to ask for your help. We’re not going to quit on this. There’s no way possible that us veterans are going to quit on this project.”
Gaughan suggested that the city try to seek a waiver from HUD to fund, at least partially, the VFW request. Rogan agreed that council should make such a waiver request. Wechsler hoped that HUD would respond quickly, because the block grant allocations — after a 30-day public comment — will come back before council Nov. 2 for a vote on final adoption. Aebli also reminded council that putting funding toward one project means it would have to come out of other allocations.
Council now could agree with OECD recommendations or change allocation amounts, up or down.
In enacting the legislation, the council and the mayor — in either signing or vetoing legislation passed by council — ultimately get final say.
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