Lansford Borough Council will consider an amendment to a pass-through agreement for grants the borough received for work at Grace Community Church’s community center during its meeting Tuesday.

The borough applied for grants in the amount of $252,000 and $62,000 for the nonprofit and has pass-through agreements in place for the funding, said council President Bruce Markovich during a municipal administration committee meeting Tuesday. The agreements protect the borough from any liability related to the projects, which are being done by the nonprofit, he said.

The Community Action Committee of the Lehigh Valley requested that the borough submit any reimbursements from the state for the project to them within 15 days of receipt by the borough, Markovich said.

The CAC will be paying the contractor upfront and seeking reimbursement from the state, he said. That ensures the borough doesn’t hold the money for 30 or more days, Markovich said.

The church, which started the grant process in 2023, plans to work on improvements at the former English Congregational Church at 47 W. Ridge St., which it acquired as a community center and food pantry. The bulk of the grant funding will be for work on the exterior of the building. Markovich previously said that the church needed to do work on the building’s tower.

The state Department of Community and Economic Development also asked for changes to paperwork regarding the Brimble’s Wall project, he said.

The project began as a Community Development Block Grant project, but the borough did not have enough funds to cover the cost and received a state grant to cover the additional costs.

The county, however, continued to manage the project, but there is no agreement for the county to disburse payments, Markovich said. Both the borough’s solicitor and engineer reviewed the cooperative agreement and sent changes to the state, he said.

Parks

The borough hopes to finally have an overview and plan for Kennedy Park, Markovich said.

The borough did a get grant from the Pennsylvania Parks Association for a new design for Kennedy Park and the tennis courts. Black and Associates was awarded the contract in 2023, but changes in personnel postponed work, he said.

The firm is going to do an overview for only Kennedy Park, and it will include lights and sidewalks and other items. The borough can then apply for grants for the work, he said.

The borough should have the plan by June, and be able to apply for grants in September, Markovich said.