Tamaqua Borough Council will use funds from this year's Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) to perform major repairs to the women's wash house at the H.D. Buehler Memorial Pool. Council made its decision during the second public hearing regarding this year's CDBG synopsis and application held Tuesday.

Council President Micah Gursky said that the entire CDBG grant process, provided via the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, normally takes about a year, and then another year or so for the project to be let out for bid and work to start.The condition of both wash houses had drawn attention of many residents after the purchase of a new water slide at the pool. That project, which cost $95,000, was funded by a $60,000 grant from the John E. Morgan Foundation and $35,000 from the CDBG program."Its condition is worse than that in the men's bath house, and we view it as a higher priority," said Dave Mace, chairman of the recreation committee. "Our long-range plan would be to upgrade the men's bath house to match the women's, but we will only be able to do that as funds become available for that project."Most of the project is expected to involve repairs to the women's bath house walls, showers, toilets and changing rooms.Applications for this year's CDBG funds are due on or about Sept. 20. The borough is going to apply for $104,286. Of that, $59,862 will go toward work on the women's bath house; $25,654 will be allotted for clearance and demolition projects in the borough; and $18,770 (18 percent) will go toward administrative costs of the entire program.