CLARKS SUMMIT — During February’s Council meeting, Abington Area Joint Recreation Board (AAJRB) member Bill Risse spoke to Council about his attempts to put together and fund qualifying projects that could benefit Hillside Park through CDBG (Community Development Block Grant). He said that the AAJRB was invited to make suggestions about projects to Clarks Summit Borough.
“I spent six months trying to work with playground manufacturers and other members of our board to come up with design and budget and have it match CDBG specs,” he said.
Risse said that he called the state CDBG coordinator Mitzi Long, who told him that under no circumstances would CDBG fund any playground that wasn’t a low-income area. He said that the average income of Clarks Summit and South Abington are too high.
Risse mentioned that he had a conversation with county CDBG coordinator Peggy Piccotti. He said that the borough, county, and the state have to approve a project. He mentioned that the county issued an RFP (request for proposal) and is looking to hire a third-party consulting firm. He proposed a few improvements including expansion of the Abington Senior Center and renovations of the dog park.
Councilman Josh Mitchell, who is a chair of AAJRB, mentioned that Council has money to utilize by the end of the year to use on improvements at Hillside Park.
“The objective is to bring back the next time he (Risse) comes back a couple of these projects further fleshed out along with approval from the county so we can vote and say ‘these are out preferences’,” he said.
