Lansford Borough Council is again looking for funds for the design of a splash pad at the pool complex at Ashton Park.

Council on Wednesday applied for a $25,000 state gaming grant to hire a company to prepare a site and development plan for a splash pad.

Last year, council shifted its focus away from a new pool with a $3 million price tag that it feared the community couldn’t support in the long term to a more affordable splash pad for summer recreation.

Council applied for grant funding for a splash pad late last year, hoping to start work this summer, but was told by state officials that grants likely wouldn’t be funded without a site plan, council President Bruce Markovich said before the meeting.

There was also nothing in the grant application saying that a site plan was required, he said.

During the meeting, Markovich told council and members of the community that the borough is now working with Brenda Sacco, who recently joined the Carbon County Chamber and Economic Development Corp.

Sacco has experience with three community splash pads and two pools during her previous roles working in northeastern Pennsylvania, Markovich said.

“We’re going to work with her,” he said. “But we can’t do anything without the drawings. We can’t do anything without the site plan.”

Resident Rose Mary Cannon noted that the borough is still going to have expenses, such as pool chemicals, with a splash pad. Markovich said the cost is about half.

Councilwoman Gwyneth Collevechio pointed out that the cost is less, as the water and chemicals recycle in a splash pad. The borough also doesn’t have the expense of hiring lifeguards, as it did with operating a pool.

Council approved the application for a Local Share Account Monroe Grant to fund the splash pad site development plan.