BY JULIE BENAMATI
The Tribune-Democrat
August 11, 2008 11:50 pm
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NANTY GLO – In this day and age of shrinking populations and stagnant tax bases, small, rural municipalities such as Nanty Glo are finding it increasingly difficult to stand alone.
Now, they are starting to follow a trend where local governments cooperate with their neighbors in an effort to purchase expensive equipment, collaborate on projects, combine work forces or apply for grants.
Samuel Sulkosky, Nanty Glo’s borough manager, said he and Councilman Steve Szymusiak recently visited Vintondale Borough Council members to see if they would be interested in collaborating to buy an $80,000 boom mower.
Described as a lawn mower with an arm extension, it would be used primarily to maintain vegetation along Nanty Glo’s levees. It can also be used to cut trees, trail areas and rights of way.
“(The borough) is responsible for the levees, and the state Department of Environmental Protection inspects them,” Sulkosky explained. “It takes all week to cut the levees just once, and those boom mowers can do it all in just a few hours.”
And while the borough has utilized Cambria County prison labor to do the job in the past, Sulkosky said inmates may not always be available.
He said the borough has applied to DEP for a matching grant to purchase the mower, and if successful, the borough will have to pay about $40,000 for its share.
And since neighboring Vintondale also has a levee system, Sulkosky and council members thought they might be interested in accessing the mower.
“Vintondale Borough got an award this year for the most improved levee in the state,” Sulkosky said. “They did a lot of work to bring it up to snuff.
“I started thinking maybe we would include (Vintondale), because the grants are looked at more favorable with intergovernmental cooperation.”
While members of Vintondale Borough Council could not immediately be reached for comment, Sulkosky said he and Szymusiak were pleased with the response from Vintondale.
“There was never any discussions or issues on doing anything together with Vintondale and Nanty Glo in the past, as far as I know,” Sulkosky said. “They were sort of shocked, I think.
“But they were very nice, and willing to listen, because they are under tight financial constraints like everyone else.”
Sulkosky said the borough has already applied for the grant to purchase the mower, and he is hopeful that the two communities will reach a common ground that may lead to future partnerships. He has also been talking to other neighbors, such as Jackson and Blacklick townships.
Being a good neighbor is nothing new to Jackson Township, which formed Central Cambria Coalition about three years ago together with Ebensburg Borough and Cambria Township. Manager Dave Hirko said local government partnerships are the best way to go, especially in this region.
“Cooperation is a big plus in getting grants,” Hirko said, adding that the coalition has received about five or six grants since it formed – grants that they would otherwise probably not have received.
“It has been very beneficial,” Hirko said. “We would be open to working with anyone, including Nanty Glo, where it would make sense.”
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