MILFORD, PA — Pike County’s access to $250,000 in federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program money is changing this year, coordinator Marvin Brotter explained at a September 16 public hearing at the commissioners meeting.

As in the past, 85% of the funding goes to services for low- and middle-income populations, but this year unlike in the past, municipalities with income-eligible levels of population, determined by the census, will not be receiving the funding. Instead the funding is being awarded to organizations based on proposed projects.

This year, Brotter proposes block grant allocations including: $189,000 for housing rehabilitation, $10,000 for planning, $27,500 for administration, and $23,241 available for public services.

Townships, boroughs and other agencies must respond to the county with requests for funding by September 30, when they will be reviewed for selection. Advertisement for the proposed funding plan with the deadline for comments and the date of the final public hearing will take place by October 9. County approval of the application will take place prior to October 30.

In other business, the commissioners heard Mikki Weiss of the county’s Tick Borne Disease Task Force announce an October 10 symposium including medical and scientific authorities speaking on the “pandemic” of these diseases. For more information, call 570/296-3369. To make reservations email, jhughson@pikepa.org .

Jordan Wisniewski, operations and training manager at the Pike County Training Center, announced the kick-off celebration of the county’s emergency services marketing/recruitment program, at the center in Blooming Grove on September 24, at 6:30 p.m.

George Painter of Camp Speers in Dingman Township also addressed the commissioners on the camp’s history, local programs and re-organization through the Philadelphia YMCA.