Two projects in Packer Township will receive financial help through Carbon County.

Earlier this week, county officials attended a public hearing in Packer Township to hear public comment on the redirection of $80,000 in Community Development Block Grant monies from a road resurfacing project in the township to two projects the Joe Andreuzzi Community Park and the Weatherly Community Library.Commissioner Thomas J. Gerhard, who is a former Packer Township supervisor, attended the hearing on behalf of his colleagues, who were unable to make it because of the inclement weather.Gerhard said Thursday that the funds, which have not yet been released, will be split between the two projects on request of the township.The initial $60,000 project that the county approved was determined to be ineligible because it didn't meet requirements, Commissioner William O'Gurek noted, adding that CDBG funds, which are managed by the county, can be designated to any non-entitlement municipality for a project that meets certain guidelines.Packer Township is a non-entitlement community, meaning it does not have a population of 4,000 or more with a low to moderate income base."We decided that the money should stay in Packer Township since that is where it was originally allocated," O'Gurek said.Gerhard said that was when the park came into play.An additional $20,000, which was left over from a project at Mauch Chunk Lake Park was added to the $60,000; but supervisors felt $80,000 for just the park would bring resident comments.Because of this, it was determined that the library, which is currently working on opening its new location on Brenkman Drive, was a good recipient.Carbon County Planning and Development Director David Bodnar is now working with the township and library to determine a project at the library that will meet all guidelines for the funds.Carbon County tries to distribute the nearly $250,000 it receives through the state annually to non-entitlement communities that are in need of help funding a project. Communities over a 4,000 population are called entitlement communities and receive funding automatically.O'Gurek reiterated what Commissioners' Chairman Wayne Nothstein said last week, that the county tries to distribute money as evenly as possible so that municipalities eventually get funding for some projects.Nothstein added that over the years, the county tries to help three to four municipalities a year for smaller funded projects, but the state said they may want to look at allocating money to one large project a year.In other matters, Gerhard said that 12 dogs were adopted during the month of February.A few notable adoptions included Michael, a 2-year-old pit bull mix who was at the shelter for 10 months, as well as two other dogs who were each there five months.The county lowered the adoption fee to $50 for the month of February in honor of Adopt a Dog for Life month.