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Mayor Derek Slaughter views the infusion of nearly $25.5 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds as a way for the city to improve neighborhoods and further economic development.
Specifically, he was appreciative that the City Council approved a land bank for the purpose of blight remediation of residential, commercial and industrial properties.
Currently, the administration is waiting for word from council on the amount of American Rescue Plan allocation to finance the land bank.
The allocation would provide the land bank with the amount of capital necessary to address starting to get properties that are "under water" from a tax perspective.
Then, the Redevelopment Authority, which has not had the capital necessary, will be empowered to purchase the property to be either leveled or possibly sold to a certified developer to repurpose.
That will put these properties back on the tax rolls, he said.
Besides that, Slaughter is excited to see plans moving ahead for those living near the often-flooded Grafius Run.
City engineer Jon Sander continues to work with Wood Engineering and other engineers on a long-term flood-mitigation plan.
The plan may involve the engineering design specifications to go before council and acquisition of properties for the purpose of building retention ponds.
The ponds would capture the flood water and lower the volume of it as it heads into the city and goes beneath ground, flowing through the interior of the Central Business District before ending up at Hepburn Street discharge point, Sander said.
"It is another project talked about forever that we are finally starting to see movement on," Slaughter said
The council is looking at allocating a portion of the funds for restoration of baseball/softball fields at Brandon Park, a city asset.
"They (the fields) are in terrible shape and the community has spoken on that and we want to get those back in playing condition," he said.
The restoration of the ballparks would be an economic boom, as well as allow Williamsport Area Little League teams who otherwise play in Old Lycoming Township a place to call their home field.
This article is based on a video interview conducted by the Williamsport Sun-Gazette, which can be found on the Sun-Gazette's Facebook and YouTube pages.