Palmerton has hired a professional as part of the next step to determine the future of the Palmerton Pool.

On a 6-0 vote, borough council last week approved a Peer Grant Consultant Contract with Sue Landes for the Palmerton Memorial Park Association Strategic Planning Grant. Councilman Randy Gursky was absent.

Landes is president of Recreation and Parks Solutions, as well as a Peer Consultant for the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.

Borough Manager Autumn Canfield said Landes will execute the plans and provide structure to help PMPA set up plans and other things they are going to need.

Councilman Andrew Hollywood said he was impressed.

Canfield said she would be remiss if she didn’t mention Clare Papay, volunteer board member of the PMPA.

“Clare Papay with the pool put together the scope of the work,” Canfield said.

After the meeting, Canfield said the project was financed in part by a grant from the Community Conservation Partnership Program and Keystone Fund under the administration of the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Bureau of Recreation and Conservation.

She said the project total is $19,800, with an $18,000 grant funded from DCNR, and $1,800 provided from the PMPA which was awarded through the Carbon County Community Foundation.

“The consultant agreement covers a comprehensive scope of work to strengthen the organization’s leadership, governance and long-term sustainability,” she said. “The PMPA identified a need to clarify its mission and vision, and establish priorities so it is positioned for successful fundraising efforts to support the needed renovations identified in the feasibility study, which will be finalized in the coming weeks.”

In May, the Palmerton Pool Feasibility Study: Community Meeting was held at the Palmerton Area Library.

At that time, study consultants from MKSD Architects and Counsilman-Hunsaker discussed findings of a study conducted on the pool.

In April, council adopted a resolution applying for a Department of Community and Natural Resources Peer to Peer grant for the PMPA organizational study.

The borough, along with the Palmerton Memorial Park Association, worked with MKSD Architects in the Lehigh Valley and Counsilman-Hunsaker, a national firm that specializes in aquatic projects, to provide a comprehensive study to aid in understanding the current condition and future options for the pool.

The community survey is to help position the borough and PMPA to see future funding to renovate and improve the pool complex.

The MKSD study was capped at $59,820, as the borough has $60,000 from a grant through DCNR.

Canfield said the PMPA previously approached council for a partnership of two grants with council through DCNR.

Both of the grants were received.

She said one is a planning grant for a feasibility study of the property leased by PMPA, which will be used as a planning document.

The other is the peer grant with DCNR providing funding to assist in the cost of a professional to update the lease the borough has with PMPA.

The PMPA is a nonprofit created for the benefit of the residents of the Palmerton area in memory of veterans who served in the military during World War I and World War II.

Completed in 1947, the PMPA facilities consist of a swimming complex with a 90-foot by 225-foot swimming pool and baby wading pool, associated bathhouse with office and refreshment stand, a small pavilion, a picnic grove with a large pavilion and a wooded nature trail surrounding the facility on 18 acres of woodland.

Papay said the borough owns the pool and leases it to the association.

Papay said the feasibility study will provide a physical/structural assessment of the pool, bath house, concession stand, parking and access for the disabled.

She added they anticipate that the completed feasibility study will enable them to apply for grant funding for rehabilitation and development of the swimming pool complex.

The Peer-to-Peer Technical Assistance Projects helps municipalities improve their park, recreation and conservation services through a collaborative process.

The grant award is $15,000, with a $1,500 match requirement that was split equally between the borough and the PMPA. The borough’s half of the match requirement was paid for by a donation from Councilman Richard Nothstein.

The Community Conservation Partnerships Program allows for a planning project for a Swimming Pool Feasibility Study.

The grant is $30,000, with a 30% match requirement that is being paid with funds from the PMPA.