(Matt Drzik/Beaver County Radio)
At their August 9 council meeting, the city of Beaver Falls learned of several grants awarded to the city to help out with purchases for the Library Park project, the Fire Department, and removal of blight in the city.
The largest of these grants was announced by City Manager Charles Jones toward the end of the 44-minute meeting. “I received a letter from the Board of Commissioners,” Jones stated. “I’m pleased to announce that we’re going to receive a little over three million dollars towards stormwater and blight remediation.” The $3 million grant was approved through a request through Pennsylvania state funding from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).
Jones also announced a match grant of $30,000 from the DCNR for Library Park; matching a $30,000 expense that was approved by council on Tuesday evening. “As everyone knows, COVID has skyrocketed the cost of construction,” Mayor Kenya Johns spoke, “so costs that were not even feasible–if we’re being honest–are now definitely not feasible. So this is just kind of offsetting some of the final costs of last-minute trying to finish the project.”
The Beaver Falls Fire Department also had good news in regards to grant funding: “Our fire department did receive a COVID-19 Crisis Emergency Medical Services grant in the amount of $37,237,” Chief Mark Stowe announced. “That was a nice shot in the arm for us; that will purchase medical equipment and defibrillators, things like that for our department.”
Several properties were purchased in the city at the Council Meeting, including the sale of a Short 10th Street property to Alex & Danielle Lathom, an 8th Avenue purchase by Steven Cable, the purchase of a 19th Street Property by Lyudmila Tarshik, and the consolidation of a patch of land on 7th Avenue by Matt Nance of Tiger Pause. Nance plans to turn the area into a fenced parking lot.
The council also approved General Fund expenditures of $497,415.16, approved updated Civil Service Rules And Regulations for both the Fire Department and the Police Department, and consulted with Widmer Engineering in regard to the MS4 Stormwater Management Program. Jeffrey Lansberry was hired to join the city’s Department of Public Works effective on August 15.
The next Beaver Falls City Council meeting is scheduled for August 23 at 7:00 PM.