Carbon County officials approved four contracts totaling almost $220,000 for projects through the Community Development Block Grant program and then spoke about the importance of keeping this program active.

On Thursday, the commissioners awarded contracts for projects in Bowmanstown, Franklin Township, Lower Towamensing Township and Palmerton.DBI Services of Hazleton was awarded a street improvements/guide rail replacement project in Bowmanstown at a total cost of $32,286.Lehigh Asphalt Paving and Construction Company of Tamaqua submitted the winning bid of $84,942.09 for street improvements, State Road reconstruction in Franklin Township; as well as the low bid of $63,244 for street improvements, Pine, Lower and Lesher streets reconstruction in Lower Towamensing Township.Billitier Electric of Rochester, New York, was awarded the contract for the Palmerton Fire Company emergency generator with a bid of $37,774.The commissioners then spoke about the fact that the federal program is on the chopping block."It saddens me that recent news reports are ... this administration wants to cut out things like the Community Development Block Grant program," Commissioner William O'Gurek said, adding that this program helps Carbon County communities considerably."I'm saddened by the suggestion that these are not worthwhile programs," O'Gurek said."I would invite anybody to see the programs we conduct here under the block grants to see the success of those programs."He urged residents to pay attention to how the federal legislators vote on the upcoming budget, which may contain these cuts."If they vote to cut those programs, in my mind, they would not be voting in the best interest of the people here in Carbon County," O'Gurek said.Commissioners' Chairman Wayne Nothstein echoed his colleague's thoughts, saying residents need to contact their congressmen and senators to tell them how they support the CDBG program."We are the people at the bottom of the pile who always suffer when the federal government cuts funds," Nothstein said.Commissioner Thomas J. Gerhard said that he believes there are funds that definitely need to be cut, but the CDBG program, as well as LIHEAP are not two of them that should be cut.