Some grants you get; some you don’t.

Slatington borough manager Dan Stevens said he thought they would get some money through a grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development’s 2022 Multimodal Transportation Fund Program, but they didn’t. The money would have gone toward a $1.5 million stormwater drainage and road repair project in North Slatington near the high school. Without the grant, the borough will have to delay the project.

“The roads are in desperate condition up there,” he said, mentioning Shadow Oaks Lane as being one of the worst.

The borough has been working on stormwater drainage in North Slatington, but still had some work to do. They didn’t want to repave the roadways, which had been torn up to put in new stormwater drainage lines, until all of the work was done. Otherwise, they would be cutting up newly paved roads.

One grant the borough did get that came as a little bit of surprise was the Transportation Alternatives Set-Aside Funding grant. The borough will receive $400,000 to help cover the costs of restoring the 100 steps and stormwater drainage.

“We’ve always had problems with drainage there,” Stevens said. “This will improve stormwater drainage and restore the steps.”

Stevens said the work won’t be done this year, because there are details to work out and it is too late in the season to seek bids for the project. He anticipates the work will begin in 2023, but they have a couple years to use the grant.

In other business, the borough selected AJ Kerekes Roofing in Cherryville to replace a section of the roof on the municipal building on Walnut Street. Kerekes had the lowest quote at $16,750.

The borough completed its first inspection of commercial grease traps. It is a new program, Stevens said.

“Everybody knows we have to control the amount of grease going into the sewer,” he said.

Grease from commercial businesses such as restaurants from Slatington, Walnutport and Washington Township can end up in the sewer treatment plant in Slatington. Grease is very hard to treat.

The council members approved:

• Hiring attorney Lisa Young as the interim solicitor. Stevens said she has 20 years of experience in municipality law. She replaces Edmund Healy, who died unexpectedly in April.

• The resignation with regret of part-time police Officer Kevin Torres resigned.

• Purchasing a chip reader for stray cats and dogs in order to return them to their homes.

• Hiring Daniel Szczesny as a part-time seasonal worker for $15 per hour.