Delmont officials seek grant to help develop borough recreation plan

Delmont officials will apply for a grant from the state’s Department of Conservation and Natural Resources to develop a recreation plan that will map out roughly the next decade for the borough’s parks.

The grant requires a 50% match from the borough. The estimated cost of developing the plan is just under $30,000. If the borough is awarded the grant, it would have three years to come up with the 50% match and spend the funding.

“That match can also include in-kind services, and we probably have about $2,500 or $3,000 worth of that,” Councilman Stan Cheyne said.

The recreation plan is one element of a comprehensive plan, which the borough is also looking to develop. Councilman Bill Marx wondered if a piecemeal approach to the comprehensive plan was the right way to go.

“We’re going to have to develop a budget and a plan for five to 10 years out,” Marx said. “Do we want to do this piece by piece?”

“I don’t think we have the budget to do it all at once,” council President Andrew Shissler said.

Comprehensive plans — which generally lay out a borough’s goals for the next decade or so — are frequently a required.

When it comes to grant funding, Councilman Dave Weber advocated “striking while the iron is hot, whether or not it dovetails nicely with the overall plan.”

“I think taking smaller bites of the whole picture is a good approach,” Weber said.

The DCNR grants will be awarded in the fall. If Delmont is selected, Cheyne said DCNR officials will hold public meetings in order to take public input in developing a recreation plan.

“Every month we get comments about (improving) the parks,” he said. “I see it as a way to begin applying for these grants and also addressing elements of the comprehensive plan.”