Six contracts for Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) 2009 stimulus projects in Carbon County have been awarded.

During the county commissioners' meeting on Thursday, the board awarded contracts for a generator at Memorial Park in Jim Thorpe; repaving the South First Street parking lot in Lehighton; retaining wall work in Franklin Township; resurfacing a portion of Cortright Street in Lansford; improving the proposed ADA intersection on Lehigh Avenue in Palmerton; and resurfacing West Ludlow Street in Summit Hill.The bids for these projects were opened on Dec. 24, 2009.ARC Electric Construction Company Inc. of West Hazleton was awarded the contract for the Memorial Park generator. The company bid $86,755.Bruce George of Kunkletown was awarded contracts for repaving the parking lot along South First Street in Lehighton, as well as the retaining wall project/Court Street in Franklin Township. The company bid $26,315.76 for the Lehighton project and $71,500 for the Franklin Township project.Asphalt Paving Systems Inc. of Lehighton as awarded the contracts to resurface Cortright Street in Lansford and West Ludlow Street in Summit Hill. The company bid $48,057.75 for the Lansford project and $68,760.90 for the Summit Hill project.Luzerne County Site Contractors of Hazleton won the contract for ADA intersection improvements on Lehigh Avenue. The company originally bid $68,305.77 for four intersections, but only two are being done at a cost of $29,018.77.The CDBG program provides technical assistance to aid municipalities in community and economic development projects. Federal monies are channeled through the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development and distributed by each of the counties.Some communities, such as Franklin Township and Jim Thorpe, are automatically eligible for CDBG grants and considered entitlement communities, while municipalities such as Summit Hill, Nesquehoning and Weissport, must apply for monies for a project through the county. They are considered non-entitlement communities.To be considered an entitlement community, municipalities must have a population of 4,000, with at least 51 percent of the residents being classified as low-to-moderate income.Non-entitlement communities must compete forms the annual funding.These municipalities do not have to have a specific population but their proposed projects must meet the same guidelines as the entitlement communities.