Tamaqua Borough Council's best laid plans have gone far, far astray when it comes to Community Development Block Grant funding.

The borough is still eligible for grant funding, it's just that council can no longer use the funds for the projects they had earmarked.The borough receives approximately $100,000 in CDBG funds, with up to 18 percent eligible to be used for administrative costs. In the past, the program was administered in-house by borough employees Margaret Marino and Dan Schroeder. That is no longer an option as the county is now administering the program on behalf of all eligible communities.There is also a certain percentage allowed for demolishing blighted properties. In fact, one property on Pitt Street, another on Gay Street, and three on Spruce Street are currently in the demolition process, using funds from several fiscal years that had been banked for such purposes. The same amount of administrative and demolition funds are projected to be used in the 2015 round of funding, which the borough will apply for later this year. That's one part of the process that hasn't changed.That leaves approximately $61,000 from 2014 and a like amount from 2015 for other uses.Council had planned to use those funds to build a new bath house at the Bungalow Pool/Howard Buehler Memorial Park. But that type of project is no longer allowed under new guidelines developed in Washington, D.C.That bad news was delivered at a CDBG hearing on May 5 by a representative of the county.Wednesday night council members tossed around a variety of ideas for the funds after looking at the area of town now eligible for CDBG fund use. That area includes all of the North and Middle wards, from Catawissa to Market Street and from West Broad to Taggertsville Road.Councilman Dave Mace suggested a pedestrian walkway to link Pleasant Row and Washington Street, an idea similar to the Carriage Street Pedestrian project completed by the South Ward Neighborhood Committee.Councilman Brian Connely asked about repairing crumbling retaining walls in the Washington and Water Street areas, as well as pointing out that firefighters still need financial help with purchasing new radios, despite receiving several grants. "Those grants don't come close to providing enough radios for all of our volunteer firefighters."Tom Cara offered the idea of placing guide rails in numerous dangerous places within the borough.Council President Micah Gursky said the money could also be used for such things as handicap accessibility, affordable housing rehabilitation, paving, drainage repairs and water/sewer projects.Council directed Borough Manager Kevin Steigerwalt to prepare a list of potential, eligible projects, including street paving efforts, which they will review at their next meeting.In a street paving related matter, Steigerwalt reported that talks with the Reading Blue Mountain and Northern Railroad concerning issues with the Spruce and West Broad streets tracks have been ongoing. A plate is loose at the Broad Street crossing, causing a loud clanking noise when a vehicle crosses it. Hopes are that it will be repaired or replaced before it becomes any worse.The Spruce Street crossing is a filled with potholes. Steigerwalt suggested that borough workers mill that section and repave it, rather than having the railroad just fill the potholes. That would make for a more permanent fix, but would need the railroad's approval.Other businessApproved closing Berwick Street and Hegarty Avenue for the Citizen's Fire Company annual bazaar.Granted permission for the Tamaqua Blue Waves to use the Bungalow Pool for its summer practices.Gave Steigerwalt permission to hire up to eight summer workers.The next meeting will be held at 7 p.m. July 7 at Tamaqua Borough Hall, 320 E. Broad St.