DeSIGRA approves dozens of grants, launches $37,644 municipal security-camera pilot

The DeSIGRA board in Delaware County approved multiple one-time special grants, a package of 2025 emergency-services awards, routine invoice payments and a pilot municipal property security-camera grant program during its meeting. Treasurer Andrew Nelson reported an opening balance of $801,320.68 and an ending balance of $477,101.08 before the board approved the payments and grants.

The board approved one-time special grants that included $25,000 to Chespene Health Services (subject to county council approval) and a mix of $12,500 awards to organizations including the Pennsylvania Immigrant Family Unity Project (PAIPUF), the Delaware County Conservation District, the Darby Creek Valley Association, the Delco Sustainability Office and Solarize Delco. A $10,000 award to Save the Corridor was also approved subject to county council review.

Board members approved a long list of 2025 emergency-services grants to municipal police and fire departments. Approved awards in that category included $7,500 to Eddystone Police Department; $5,000 to Yeadon Borough Police Department (transcript: “Yeaton”); $7,500 to Upper Chichester Township Police Department; a Prospect Park Police Department award recorded in the transcript as "$16.89" (clarified below); $2,500 to Lower Chichester Township Police Department; $5,000 to East Lansdowne Police Department; $2,523 to the City of Chester Bureau of Fire; $2,500 to Eddystone Fire Company No. 1; $7,500 to Newtown Township Police Department; $4,835 to Lansdowne Police Department; $7,500 to Upper Darby Township Police Department; $5,000 to Darby Township Police Department (transcript: “Derby”); $2,500 to Lower Chichester Fire Company; and an award to MediaFire and Hook and Ladder Co. No. 1 recorded in the transcript with an unclear amount.

The board approved payments for routine vendor invoices, including invoice 1025 for $13.50 to Mejgan Technologies; invoice 92545 for $2,332.50 to Brinker Simpson; transaction 2729568 for $89.92 to "20 first Century Media Philly cluster" for a notice of a special meeting; a second-quarter 2025 invoice for $2,625 to Daley Law Firm; and invoice 53320 for $1,848 to Barbican Thornton and Company for CPA audit services.

A new grant category was created as a pilot program to fund municipal property security-camera systems. The board authorized an initial allocation of $37,644 for the pilot and set a per-municipality maximum award of $7,500. The program, as described in the approved motion, covers internal or external camera systems for municipal-owned or -leased property and requires a quote or invoice and municipal minutes showing system approval with each grant application. Grants will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis until the initial allocation is exhausted; additional allocations would require a future board vote. The board also authorized the solicitor to place an advertisement in the Spirit newspaper on or before Aug. 15, 2025, announcing the municipal security-camera grant.

The board allocated up to $150,000 for an arts-and-culture grant category, amending the motion to specify that eligible organizations provide arts or cultural services and that each recipient may receive up to $10,000. The board set a deadline of Aug. 31 for applications (subject to extension if the advertisement is delayed) and authorized the solicitor to place an advertisement in the Spirit newspaper on or before Aug. 1, 2025.

Treasurer Andrew Nelson presented the financial report and motioned to approve the June 2025 treasurer's report. He told the board, "We had a statement beginning balance at $801,320.68," and later recorded a statement ending balance of $477,101.08 after $325,331.20 in disbursements and $1,111.60 in interest and credit payments. A board member asked whether the balance included the second-quarter payment; the treasurer replied that it did not.

A councilman who identified himself as a Prospect Park councilman disclosed his service and said he received no direct financial benefit from the Prospect Park Police Department award; the solicitor advised that there was no direct financial benefit.

Several motions were explicitly noted as "subject to county council approval" in the meeting transcript; the board did not finalize those items pending county council review. The board conducted no executive-session votes during the recorded portion of the meeting and adjourned after approving the listed items.

Clarifying details from the transcript: the Prospect Park Police Department award amount appears as "$16.89" in the transcript; that figure is likely mis-transcribed and should be clarified in county records. Several municipal and organizational names in the transcript were spoken with varying spellings (for example, "Yeaton" likely refers to Yeadon Borough; "Derby" likely refers to Darby Township). The treasurer noted that two grantees had checks to pick up and that no next-generation grant agreements remained outstanding once those checks are collected.

Next steps identified in the meeting: applications and advertising for the two new categories (municipal security cameras and arts-and-culture grants); county council action for grants marked as subject to council approval; and follow-up information on FDIC coverage requested by a board member.