Photos and story by Rick Hiduk
(Also published in the Rocket-Courier)
Wyoming County Housing & Redevelopment Authority (H&RA) grants administrator Lisa Hahn held a second public meeting in as many weeks in the board room of the Wyoming County Commissioners on Tuesday. Project funding through the Community Block Development Grants program for low- to moderate-income communities is made available by the H&RA for a two-week period each year.
Since announcing the availability of $235,412 in state funding on Oct. 16, Hahn reported that she had received only one application, and that it appeared that the Meshoppen Volunteer Fire Department was eligible for $42,486 requested to be used toward the purchase of new rescue equipment. The fire company already has $14,000 of the needed $56,486.
County commissioners Judy Mead and Tom Henry approved the application and subsequently moved that the remaining $192,926 in CBDG funding be deferred to housing rehab at the discretion of the H&RA.
Audience member Jeffry Zimmerman asked Hahn how many applications she usually receives, and she related that she has never received more than three. No applications were submitted in time last year. Zimmerman further questioned Hahn as to whether the limited number of applicants might be due to the small window of opportunity, to which Hahn replied, “No. I think it’s because it is primarily used for low- to moderate-income communities.”
Zimmerman continued by asking Hahn what might be done to increase awareness of the funding and told her that he doesn’t believe the agency is doing enough to educate the public as to the availability of the money.
“I think we could do more,” Commissioner Henry interjected, suggesting that the annual township supervisors conference might be a suitable forum for announcing the grants.
Hahn also announced that the waiting list for housing rehabilitation, to which most of the CBDG funds are earmarked, is getting shorter, but there is still about a year to 18 months delay. Exeter Township supervisor Rick Wilbur asked about the progress on an application to get a new alarm system installed at the senior building there, and Hahn was not aware of the request.
Wilbur was discouraged. “With all the hoops you have to go through, it’s understandable that people don’t apply,” he stated.
Exeter Jumps in Line for Surplus Bridge Funds
Wilbur had attended the meeting primarily to get a bridge in Exeter Township back on track for replacement. The 70-foot Lockville Road Bridge has been closed for four years. Wilbur told Wyoming County chief clerk Bill Gaylord that money had been allocated for its replacement but that it was then diverted to a project in Falls Township.
Wilbur contended that the ongoing closure creates a dangerous detour with a blind, sharp turn. Wyoming County EMA director Gene Dziak, who also serves as assistant fire chief for the Lake Winola Fire Company agreed that firetrucks and ambulances cannot make the turn and instead have to go down the road and turn around. “I would love to have that replaced,” he said of the bridge.
Wilbur’s request was fresh on the heels of recent news that Wyoming County has a surplus of unused liquid fuels funds and had not been submitting the proper paperwork to get even more money from PennDOT for which it was eligible.
Wilbur also questioned reports that the county might be forced to allocate remaining funds to the townships under penalty. Gaylord contended that bulk of the liquid fuels funds have always been given to the townships but admitted that, in recent years, the program has not been managed properly.
The $638,000 surplus, he noted, is a conglomeration of four separate accounts, maintained in that manner because the money comes from the state via different programs that often carry stipulations for use.
To satisfy Wilbur’s request, Henry said, “We have no issue giving that back.”
In Gaylord’s defense, Henry suggested that the report issued by state auditor general Eugene DePasquale was misleading, adding that DePasquale has falsely accused other counties of mismanagement as well.
Dziak was asked to contact the engineers who had done the recent repair work to the Catlin Hollow Bridge in North Branch Township and get the bridge in Exeter Township on the fast track.
Other County News
Dziak was also on hand to report that a recent disaster drill conducted by the county had gone very well. The exercise simulates the county’s response to a failure of the Susquehanna Steam Electric Station (aka – Berwick nuclear power plant) and the potential for dealing with 1,700 evacuees. The only glitch, he noted, was that a device used for scanning radiation was not the proper tool for the job and needs to be replaced.
Henry commended Dziak for a presentation the EMA director made at a recent opioid conference in Wilkes-Barre, which generated a large audience and participation by experts in the field. Dziak said that the presentation will be aired on public television station WVIA, but he is not sure when.
(Read related story here: http://www.endlessmtnlifestyles.com/?p=11781)