Carbon County wants the public's opinion on proposed Community Development Block Grant projects in the community.

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.According to the county commissioners on Thursday, who voted to advertise a legal notice in local newspapers, public hearings will be conducted throughout the county for the 2014 CDBG program application. Hearings are scheduled at each project location over the next month and a half.The county's application, following the hearings, must be submitted to the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development by Feb. 3.Commissioner William O'Gurek said that collectively, if all projects receive funding, it would be close to a million dollars worth of improvements in Carbon communities.According to the notice, the proposed projects for the CDBG fiscal year include both entitlement and nonentitlement communities.To be considered an entitlement community that automatically qualifies for CDBG grants, municipalities must have a population of 4,000, with at least 51 percent of the residents being classified as low-to-moderate income.Nonentitlement communities must compete for 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.Carbon County's entitlement communities are Jim Thorpe, Lehighton, Franklin Township, Mahoning Township and Palmerton.The proposed entitlement community projects include:• Franklin Township: $68,794 for water and sewer improvements on Main Road. The hearing is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Dec. 16 at the administration building at 889 Fairyland Road.• Jim Thorpe: $72,179 for water and sewer improvements on North Street and Penn Vest Loan repayment. The hearing is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Jan. 8 at Jim Thorpe Memorial Hall, 103 E. 10th St.• Lehighton: $76,868 for street improvement to reconstruct, repave and create ADA handicap corners on Stedman Avenue. The hearing is set for 7:30 p.m. Dec. 15 at the borough hall, 1 Constitution Ave.• Mahoning Township: $69,075 for street improvements. The hearing is set for 6 p.m. Jan. 7.• Palmerton: $52,275 for ADA handicap corners at Fifth and Sixth streets and Lehigh Avenue, and $24,032 for an emergency generator at the fire station. The public hearing is set for 7 p.m. Dec. 18 at the borough hall, 443 Delaware Ave.In addition, three nonentitlement communities are proposing projects.• Lower Towamensing Township: $50,118 to reconstruct/repave Pine, Lesher and Lower streets.• Packer Township: $40,285 for park equipment at the Joe Andreuzzi Community Park.• Summit Hill: $104,830 to reconstruct/repave White Street, from Market Street to Walnut Street and from Oak Street to Pine Street.Hearings for Carbon County and nonentitlement communities will take place at 7 p.m. Dec. 22, at Summit Hill Borough Hall, 40 W. Amidon St.; and at 3 p.m. Jan. 5, at Lower Towamensing Township, 595 Hahns Dairy Road.