DALTON — At March’s Dalton Council meeting, councilman Brian Malamud announced that he spoke with Paul Bechtel, environmental scientist of McLane Associates, about the planning process of updating Streamside Park.
He said that he will get approval to apply for a Department of Community and Economic Development grant in the amount of $250,000 to utilize the assessed value of the Novak property at 210 Lackawanna Trail. He said that council may use in-kind services for the grant match.
“It’s a 15% match for $250,000, which is roughly $37,500,” he said. “The assessed value came back well over that, so understanding that we are moving portions of the amenities of the park whether it will be a nature trail or eventually DCNR or DCED thinks there’s a possibility of running the trolley trail through there. By utilizing that piece of land, that assessed value then is able to be used for in-kind services.”
Malamud said that the application by DCED has to be submitted by the end of May.
Council president Bill Brandt lauded the idea of in-kind services.
“I think it’s fantastic, honestly,” he said.
In her planning report, councilwoman Elizabeth Bonczar said that Bill Guest, secretary of the planning commission, requested in a letter to approve the designation of the former Abington Valley Baptist Church as a historical structure within the borders of Dalton borough. She said that engineer Rich Sopko reviewed and deemed it acceptable to repurpose the building.
Council voted to accept the church building as historic.
In her public relations report, Secretary Lauren Kinney announced that she submitted for dot.gov utilization of the borough’s webste to be www.daltonboroughpa.gov.
Also, Bonczar announced a recycling project, which was brought up during the Abington Council of Governments meeting. She said that ACOG will try to obtain a blueprint and bring it to council.
In his finance report, Mayor Aaron Holzman said that the finance committee received the LSA grant money of $41,280 for a police car. He also announced the liquid fuels fund for the year to be $49,547.31.
