BOARD OKS GRANT FOR SIDEWALKS
Township officials are seeking a second chance at getting grant money to add more sidewalks in West point.
The township’s commissioners voted Monday to approve a second grant application seeking state money to build on a sidewalk project completed two years ago.
“This is for sidewalks, to extend the previously installed sidewalks that were done as part of the West Point streetscape project. Everyone that’s familiar with West Point knows there’s a gap in the sidewalks,” said commissioner Clare Edelmayer.
Last summer the township finally completed a streetscape project to add new lighting and crosswalks and upgrade the sidewalks along West Point Pike between Park Road and Jones Avenue, in a project funded by a federal grant initially secured in 2006. The second phase of the project would link those new sidewalks to those that already exist on West Point Pike at Moyer Boulevard, and run north to Sumneytown Pike.
“We have been trying for years to get some of this grant money, so we can make it over the railroad tracks, and add sidewalks and add a special signal” for pedestrians, Edelmayer said.
“That would allow the peo-
ple in West Point to walk to the township (building), and to the pool area, so we’re trying again and applying for another grant,” she said.
Township Manager Len Perrone said the $300,000 in funds requested from the state Commonwealth Finance Authority give the township a second chance at funding that extension, as another grant request has already been filed seeking money from a different state agency for the same project.
“This is in addition to another we have on file, and we have not heard from the commonwealth on. This is another grant opportunity, so we’re applying for that as well,” Perrone said.
The township commissioners voted unanimously to approve the grant application, in addition to several other items during their July 24 action meeting. A revised parental leave policy was approved by the board, and Finance Director Dave Brill said that was prompted by a request from
an employee last month for time off.
“We determined the person could take off any accrued time off they had, and sick time, but we didn’t have a separate parental leave policy” beyond state and federal laws, Brill said.
After drafting and vetting by township staff, the board voted to adopt a new policy covering both birth and adoption of a child, which would provide new parents up to two weeks of paid leave time, “that doesn’t go against their other accrued time,” Brill said.
A brief hearing was held during the July 24 meeting to hear public feedback on a new cable franchise agreement between Upper Gwynedd and Comcast, which would extend the current franchise agreement ten years through 2025. Under the agreement, Comcast provides free cable services and internet connections to certain township buildings, according to Perrone, who said the new agreement was drafted as part of a joint effort with several other municipalities, and should have no impact
on residential rates or fees.
“There’s nothing really unique about this agreement in Upper Gwynedd versus any other township. It was done on kind of a group basis,” he said. Other approvals from the board included waivers for the Nor-Gwyn Baseball league to keep lights on late for a baseball tournament on Aug. 7-14 and Aug. 16; a parking agreement with Merck to allow visitors to park on Merck properties for the Upper Gwynedd Carnival on Sept. 7-10; and appointments of residents Meredith Ziemba and Matt Duardo to the township’s Parks and Recreation Advisory Board. Two events were also approved by the board: an Ataxia charity bike ride on Oct. 15 starting at 8 a.m, and a five mile race to benefit the Wissahickon Valley Watershed Association on Nov. 4 starting at 9 a.m.
Upper Gwynedd’s commissioners next meet at 7 p.m. on Aug. 15 at the township administration building, 1 Parkside Place. For more information or meeting agendas and materials visit www.UpperGwynedd. org.