Walnutport has received an additional $100,000 in grants, a portion of which it plans to use to buy a new tractor with boom mower.

Borough grant coordinator Michael Wentz detailed the grants at Thursday’s council meeting.

Borough council on a 5-0 vote agreed to rescind a motion from the Nov. 7 meeting to purchase a new tractor with boom mower using the statewide Local Share Account grant up to $182,000.

Afterward, council on the same measure then agreed to purchase a new tractor with boom mower using the statewide LSA grant (and other grants) up to $224,000.

Wentz, who also serves as the borough’s public works director, explained that as of this year, the John Deere Company is not putting the transmission the borough wanted in that series tractor, so it has to go to a different series and costlier tractor.

However, Wentz noted that the borough recently received an additional Grow Northampton County grant in the amount of $50,000 that it will use toward the tractor.

The balance will be made up in a trade-in on the tractor the borough currently owns.

The borough has a 1995 tractor with a 15-foot boom mower that is uses to cut at the canal, and it’s getting harder to get parts for the mower.

Wentz also noted on Thursday that the borough received an additional $20,000 Northampton County public safety grant for radios for the police and fire departments.

In November, council approved the purchase of 40 emergency service radios for the police and fire departments through a statewide LSA grant of up to $200,000.

Council in October received $150,000 to buy the radios for the police and fire departments.

In November 2023, Wentz, who also serves as fire chief of Diamond Fire Company in Walnutport, said the Lehigh County Communications Center will be changing radio frequencies, which means the borough has to buy all new radios.

He said at that time if the borough wouldn’t receive a grant, to equip the police department alone would cost the borough $130,000.

Wentz said the Diamond Fire Company has to do the same, and added that cost is projected at $240,000.

He said at that time the plan was to apply for a $300,000 grant; of that, $170,000 would be for the fire company and $130,000 for the police department.

The borough received a $30,000 Northampton County public safety grant for a new police car.