Walnutport gets $300K for new vacuum street sweeper

Walnutport has received $300,000 as part of more than $386,000 in Local Share Account grants approved by the Commonwealth Financing Authority.

The office of Rep. Zach Mako, R-Lehigh/Northampton, announced Wednesday that the LSA funds were approved by the authority for Walnutport and North Catasauqua boroughs in Northampton County.

Walnutport received the grant to purchase a new vacuum street sweeper which will have the ability to lift the grating from the catch basins and storm inlets and clean within them to cut down on the debris on the streets and prevent debris from entering the storm sewer system and waterways.

The sweeper also would be available for use by neighboring municipalities in order to provide a regional benefit.

Borough grant coordinator Michael Wentz said the vacuum street sweeper is a welcome addition for the borough.

“This is going to allow us to clean all our storm inlets out,” Wentz said. “This is going to be purchased with no money out of the liquid fuels or borough budget.”

North Catasauqua was awarded $86,450 to improve the area around the Delaware and Lehigh (D&L) Trail along Main Street in the borough. More specifically, the funding will be used to construct a retaining wall to create suitable public space above the entrance to the trailhead.

Local Share Account grants support economic development, job training, community improvement and public interest projects through gaming funds under Act 71 of 2004. These specific grants come from Monroe County, which funds projects in Monroe and its contiguous counties.

The 183rd District includes portions of South Whitehall, Washington, Whitehall townships and Slatington borough in Lehigh County. It also consists of Allen, Lehigh and Moore (part) townships, and North Catasauqua, Northampton and Walnutport boroughs in Northampton County.