Jim Thorpe Borough Council tabled a vote Thursday night on a master site plan for future improvements at Memorial Park.

The vote came after Councilman Jay Miller voiced concerns over the cost of the plan, almost $50,000, which would be completed by Barry Isett and Associates.

“I just don’t see $50,000 worth of work in this proposal,” Miller said. “That’s just my opinion, but I’m just not seeing it.”

The borough received a $25,000 grant to put toward the plan last year through the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. As part of an upcoming facilities project, the borough intends to tear down its current public works garage, currently located at Memorial Park, and build a new one near its water plant on the west side of town. The empty space at the park would leave room for additional recreational opportunities, which is what the master site plan was intended to outline.

“We already know we’re going to tear down the garage and put in more basketball courts or picnic tables or new playground equipment,” Miller said. “Why do we need a $50,000 plan to tell us what we already know?”

Borough Manager Maureen Sterner said by having a master site plan, Jim Thorpe would have more leverage to secure future grants for new playground equipment and related items for the park. Should the borough decide not to do the site plan, it would have to give the grant money back.

“We got our most recent playground equipment around 11 years ago through a grant and it’s been used hard,” John McGuire said. “I think doing the plan this is the right way to go so we can get more grants to upgrade our equipment. It would be a wrong step for the park not to do so.”

Giving the grant back, other officials said, may put the borough at the back of the line if it asks for state grants in the future. Miller said he would still like to see the borough’s building committee have a discussion with Barry Isett to see if they could add in more work for the $50,000 price estimate. Councilwoman Edith Lukasevich agreed with Miller, saying she also didn’t see $50,000 worth of work in the proposal.

The borough also discussed the option of allowing other companies to submit cost proposals for the site plan.

“If companies know you have a grant, you’re probably going to get around that same price,” Solicitor Jim Nanovic told council.

Although the vote was tabled, Council President Greg Strubinger encouraged the governing body to keep moving forward with Memorial Park improvements.

“We’re going to have a new space there with the garage being torn down and I’d like to see something positive happen there,” Strubinger said. “I think it would be nice to have a plan in place for when the building is torn down.”