Pottstown Boro Council Seeks Grant For Police Vehicle Cameras

POTTSTOWN, PA — Pottstown Borough will apply for a grant to pay for police vehicle cameras.

The Pottstown Borough Council approved the submission of a grant application for the 2020 Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) in the amount of $15,482 to be used for camera equipment in Police vehicles, in an Aug. 10 meeting.

The council also authorized its water revenue bond, series of 2020, toward financing for ongoing capital improvements to the water treatment system. The $1.3 million will pay fund ongoing financing and other costs related to the improvements, to be reported to the Pennsylvania Department of Economic and Community Development.

The borough council approved action by the Solicitor to draft a lease agreement with VIST Bank for the installation of an ATM machine on borough property located at 264 East High Street.

Also passed on Aug. 10 was additional planning toward the next phase of improvements that are part of the Keim Street Gateway Plan. Participation in the plan means compliance with the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC) in the long range plan called Connection 2040.

Participating municipalities assess the consistency of their existing community vision and planning documents with the Connections 2040 plan.

Adopted in July 2013, the Connections 2040 Plan for Greater Philadelphia is the long-range plan for the future growth and development of the DVRPC region. The Connections 2040 Plan includes land use, environmental, economic competitiveness, and transportation strategies, and puts forth a vision for investing in our transportation system, according to the DVRPC.

The state DVRPC states, "Due to funding constraints outlined in the Plan, we cannot fully afford the vision, so the Plan also identifies a set of fiscally constrained transportation projects that the region can afford over the lifespan of the Plan." Pottstown has obligated the funds provided to them through the Transportation and Community Development Initiative (TCDI) to plan for the sustainable growth of the Borough of Pottstown and recommended last night that the council approve it for inclusion in the Borough of Pottstown Master Plan.

In its July meeting the borough council agreed the borough would apply for a Multimodal Transportation Fund grant of $700,000 from the Commonwealth Financing Authority, to be used for a Borough-wide LED Streetlight Conversion Project.

Another grant in the works is for funding through a Blight Remediation Program grant of $300,000 from the Commonwealth Financing Authority, to be used for acquisition and demolition of blighted properties. The council on July 13 authorized the amount of $60,000 in matching funds for the program, as well.