Hatboro to Seek Facilities Funding

While Hatboro's consultant finishes a comprehensive analysis of borough-owned facilities, the governing body on Monday night authorized staff to execute state grant applications that could cover 50 percent of the projected $3 million expense of renovating aging buildings.

Council President John Zygmont told Patch that Thomas Committa Associates Inc., - or TCA - is expected to wrap up the facilities study by mid-January. The "rough cost estimate" from the "very preliminary" review indicates that renovating borough-owned properties could cost $3 million, Zygmont said, adding, "I don't have a breakdown" of each building's cost.

Zygmont said he did not know if TCA's early estimates called for the demolition and . Authorized under the council's previous Democrat-controlled body, that study called for the approximate $2 million demolition and reconstruction of the police station.

Despite not knowing for certain what TCA will recommend, the council, at Zygmont's urging, voted in favor of having Acting Borough Manager Fred Zollers coordinate with Sen. Stewart Greenleaf to "make a submission on behalf of council in the amount that he basically feels Sen. Greenleaf might sponsor" toward the borough's facilities modernization project. 

The submission deadline is Dec. 14, Zygmont said. If the grant is awarded, the borough would be responsible for a 50 percent match, he said. 

Councilwoman Patty Fleming asked if the projects could be broken down individually and applied for separately so Hatboro would have a greater possibility of being awarded the funding. 

"None of the individual components looks like it’s going to come in at a million bucks," Zygmont said, adding that in order to be considered projects must cost a minimum of $1 million.