Walnutport remains aggressive in its pursuit of grants.

Borough council on Thursday unanimously approved a resolution for a Statewide LSA Gaming Fund grant funding for radios for the police department.

Borough grant coordinator Mike Wentz said the Lehigh County Communications Center will be changing radio frequencies.

“We have to buy all new radios within the next two years,” Wentz said. “If we get the grant, we’re good.”

Wentz said if the borough doesn’t get the grant, to equip the police department alone would cost the borough $130,000.

“These radios are expensive,” he said. “You’ve got to buy the radios.

“It’s time to talk about it. It’s becoming reality.”

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

After the meeting, Wentz said that the fire company previously applied for a grant for the radios.

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

Yard waste recycling

In other grant-related matters, council on Thursday agreed to purchase and order remaining equipment and supplies from the 902 grant.

Afterward, council approved Wentz, as Public Works Director, to oversee the yard waste program/facility.

The borough was previously awarded a $27,000 Department of Environmental Protection 904 Grant for recycling commodities last spring for the purpose to run a yard waste center and continue the leaf collection program.

Wentz said that the borough previously received $100,000 to go toward the purchase of a truck for yard waste recycling.

He said in April that the borough had a DEP grant for yard waste, which is a 90/10 grant in which DEP pays 90%, and the borough 10%.

At that time, Wentz requested a motion to apply for a Grow NOCO Grant for up to $50,000, which would cover the borough’s 10%, with money left over.

Boom mower

Also on Thursday, council approved a resolution for Statewide LSA gaming funds grant for new boom mower for the canal.

Wentz said after the meeting that the borough has a 1995 tractor with a 15-foot boom mower which it uses to cut on the canal, and that it’s getting harder to get parts for.

Block grants

Wentz told council that the Willow Avenue water line replacement/upgrade and street paving project eventually turned into the 645 Lehigh Gap Street project.

“For the last 10 years, Walnutport was an entitlement (community),” he said. “(This time), We were (less than) 1-percent off (from qualifying as an entitlement community).”

Wentz then asked council if it still wanted to pursue block grants moving forward, as in order to get funding for a specific block grant, you have to take a street and get 100% participation, and if the number falls right, it’s a go.

“At one time, everything north of Main (Street) was entitlement,” he said.

Council President Mike Gaston said he “was game.”

Gaston then suggested putting the matter on next month’s council meeting agenda.