Clifton Heights council OKs two grant applications, hires grant writer and funds fire-company radio upgrade

Clifton Heights Borough Council voted Tuesday to authorize two state grant applications to pay for sidewalk, curb and corridor improvements along Springfield Road and the Baltimore Pike corridor, approved a $6,000 service contract to secure grant funding, and agreed to provide $20,166.42 to help the Clifton Heights Fire Company purchase upgraded radios.

Council approved a resolution to submit a Pennsylvania Department of Transportation multimodal transportation grant application (Resolution 2025-13) and a separate resolution to submit a Local Share Account (LSA) statewide grant application (Resolution 2025-14). Council also voted to retain Grant Success Lab for a one-time fee of $6,000 to prepare and submit the LSA application and related materials.

The action follows extensive discussion about sidewalk and curb work on Springfield Road, where the Upper Darby School District installed stormwater infrastructure but — according to borough staff and the solicitor — did not include sidewalks and curbs in the scope of the school-related work after bidding. Borough staff and the solicitor told council that PennDOT has the final permit authority and that PennDOT and the school district determined sidewalks and curbs were not required in the permit. Council members said the borough still considers the sidewalks and curbs necessary to make the school’s stormwater system function as intended and to protect adjacent properties from runoff. Borough officials said the multimodal grant and the LSA application are intended to “fill in the gaps” where the school project left off; staff estimated the corridor grant request would be in the neighborhood of $500,000 to complete curbs, sidewalks, paving, lighting and signage along the corridor from Baltimore Pike through Sycamore and toward the borough line.

On the radio funding, council authorized a one-time capital contribution of $20,166.42 to cover the difference between radios and equipment the county provided and the full package required for Clifton Heights Fire Company to participate in the countywide 911 radio upgrade. Borough discussion noted the county is working toward a countywide radio transition and that the target for full county deployment is mid-December. The motion to provide the fund contribution passed on a roll-call vote with all council members recorded as voting yes.

Votes at a glance
- Resolution 2025-13 (PennDOT multimodal transportation grant application): authorized. Moved by Councilman Canavan; seconded by Councilman Swan. Vote: unanimous (recorded aye votes by Resnick, Braun, Council President, Barelli, Gorman, Cannon, Swan, Fagioli). Note: the resolution instructs staff to prepare and submit the multimodal grant application for sidewalk, curb, paving and related corridor work where the school project did not include sidewalks.
- Resolution 2025-14 (LSA statewide grant application): authorized. Moved by Councilman Gorman; seconded by Councilman Connor. Vote: unanimous.
- Service agreement with Grant Success Lab (grant writing/application preparation): approved. One-time fee: $6,000. Moved by Councilman Fagioli; seconded by Councilman Gorman. Vote: unanimous.
- Financial assistance for Clifton Heights Fire Company (radio upgrade): approved. Amount: $20,166.42. Moved by Councilman Fagioli; seconded by (record indicates a second). Roll-call recorded unanimous yes votes.

Discussion and context
Borough staff explained the school construction project on Springfield Road replaced stormwater infrastructure but — after a permit review with PennDOT — did not include curb and sidewalk replacements the borough expected as part of the school’s land-development work. The borough’s solicitor and engineer described seeking to enforce the borough’s land-development agreement and said that, while PennDOT makes the permit determination, the borough remains concerned that without curbs and sidewalks the stormwater system will not function as intended and property owners could face damage or future code issues. Council instructed staff to pursue the state grant opportunities as a way to obtain funds other than local tax dollars.

The manager and council also discussed the borough’s broader capital program, noting recent investments in a renovated park and nearly complete pickleball courts. The mayor announced a ribbon-cutting for the Diamond Street play area on Thursday, Oct. 23, and credited $80,000 from the state Department of Community and Economic Development and more than $400,000 in capital funds for the project.

What’s next
Staff will finalize and submit the PennDOT multimodal and LSA grant applications per the authorized resolutions. The borough will continue discussions with the school district and PennDOT about the scope of work on Springfield Road; borough officials said they have not given up on seeking curb and sidewalk work as part of the school project but view the grant applications as the fastest path to close gaps. The fire-company radio funding will be processed so the volunteer department can purchase the additional equipment needed to join the countywide radio system upgrade, which the county expects to roll out by mid-December.