Mahoning Township received a windfall in the form of $36,000 in government grant money from Carbon County commissioners on Thursday.

The largesse came about when the borough of Weatherly found that bids, opened by the county on April 25, for a water tank refurbishing project came in too high for it to be able to pay for the work, even with the $36,000 in Community Development Block Grant money that was made available."The understanding on block grants always is that the municipality will pay anything above the cost that is allocated," said Commissioner William O'Gurek.Weatherly was unable to pay the difference between the lowest bid for the project, $67,000, and the $36,000 in block grant money. So the county Office of Planning and Development, which administers the grant, rejected the bids.That left commissioners with the decision of where to send the $36,000, which needed to be reallocated. the decision was actually easy, as there was only one other Community Block Grant project being done: repaving Beaver Street in Mahoning Township. Bids for that project ranged from $78,630.04 to $86,455.62.The best use of the grant money, commissioners agreed, would be to give it to Mahoning Township, reducing the amount it would need to pay from its own coffers for the work.In other matters Thursday, commissioners:*Opened bids for a three-year food service contract for the county prison. Trinity Services Group, Inc., Oldsmar, Florida, bid a total of $843,776; Aramark/BDS/Sales, Philadelphia, bid $1,124,554; A'viands LLC, Roseville, Minnesota, bid $1,205,512; and the Nutrition Group, Irwin, Westmoreland County, bid $1,394,208.Commissioners agreed to delay awarding the contract until May 30.*Learned from county Controller Robert Crampsie that the county's retirement portfolio value is at $67,639,483, up $841,000;*Appointed Mark Lopata, of the Nesquehoning Water Authority, and the Carbon County State Health Center to the Local Emergency Planning Committee;*Ratified notification to the state Department of Environmental Protection advising that the county will not be accepting the $250,000 Act 101 Recycling Grant. The action comes in light of the commissioner's decision to dissolve the Office of Solid Waste for financial reasons.*Approved a banner request from Mauch Chunk Trust Company for a fireworks display in Memorial Park from June 24-July 9.*Approved child care provider agreements with Kelly Ann Finnen Day Care, Blakeslee, at $19.80 to $30.65 a day; and with Stefko Child Care, Bethlehem, at $16 to $32.98 a day.*Adopted a resolution appointing individuals for posting and serving of all notices required for the 2013 Upset Tax Sale and Year 2012 Return & Claim notices.*Adopted a resolution honoring Dennis James Behler, a volunteer firefighter with the West End Fire Co. No. 2, Palmerton.