Rep. Cartwright's funding requests for important community projects in Pennsylvania's Eighth Congressional District to the House Appropriations Committee are listed on this page.
Under guidelines issued by the Appropriations Committee, each Representative may request funding for up to 10 projects in their community for fiscal year 2022 – although only a handful may actually be funded. Projects are restricted to a limited number of federal funding streams, and only state and local governments and eligible non-profit entities are permitted to receive funding. Additional information on the rules governing FY22 Community Project Funding is available here.
In compliance with House Rules and Committee requirements, Rep. Cartwright has certified that he, his spouse, and his immediate family have no financial interest in any of the projects he has requested.
Rep. Cartwright has requested funding for the following projects:
SUBCOMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, JUSTICE, SCIENCE AND RELATED AGENCIES
Lackawanna County Gun and Gang Reduction and Intelligence Project (GGRIP)
Request: $2,000,000
Recipient: Lackawanna County Government, 123 Wyoming Avenue, Scranton, Pennsylvania 18503
Project Description: This request is for community project funding for the Lackawanna County Government, which proposes the development of a targeted and multifaceted approach to aggressively combating violent drug, gang and gun violence within Lackawanna County. The project will allow for the hiring of additional law enforcement and legal staff to expand the existing efforts of multiple stakeholders, effectively focus these labors to increase efficiency and collaboration in and among various partner agencies, and ensure these efforts result in successful prosecution of cases. It will allow for the purchase of the resources and technology needed to achieve these goals, while ensuring the security of local law enforcement as they put themselves at risk to increase the safety of their local community. The proposed project will also work to raise community awareness of these issues, decrease negative perceptions of law enforcement, and increase community engagement through educational efforts and participation in public events by law enforcement personnel throughout the community.
LINK to Rep. Cartwright certification of no financial interest
City of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania's Community Policing Technology and Equipment Initiative
Request: $2,100,000
Recipient: City of Wilkes-Barre, 40 East Market Street, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania 18711
Project Description: This request is for community project funding for the City of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania’s Police Department which is looking to improve its community policing 2 efforts by purchasing new tasers and dash cameras that are synced with the police officers’ body cameras and begin recording automatically when the tasers are drawn from their holsters or the police vehicle sirens are activated, as well as the ShotSpotter Respond system, the leading gunshot detection, location and forensic system will be purchased. This software system analyzes audio signals throughout the city for potential gunshots, determines the location of the sound source, verifies if the sound is a gunshot and then sends alert notifications to the police department. This tool has been used in other cities which resulted in a drop of gun assault victims, and the reduction of violent crimes along with homicides. This new technology and equipment will provide police officers and the general public with video accounts of the police encounters and increase transparency and accountability with all interactions. Additionally, the recordings enhance police officer safety, reduce the liability of police departments, provide video evidence to improve conviction rates, and can be used for the training of police officers.
LINK to Rep. Cartwright certification of no financial interest
SUBCOMMITTEE ON FINANCIAL SERVICES AND GENERAL GOVERNMENT
Project Elevate
Request: $1,000,000
Recipient: The Greater Wilkes-Barre Chamber of Business and Industry, 7 South Main St., Floor 3, Suite 4, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania 18701
Project Description: This request is for community project funding for Project Elevate which encompasses the development of a physical location in the heart of the Wyoming Valley to serve as the launching pad for the re-imagined, post COVID, economic and social revitalization of northeastern Pennsylvania. It features a unique and innovative ecosystem that creates jobs, launches businesses, inspires entrepreneurs and unites individuals within the community – no matter their race, color, gender or age – to engage in a collaborative problem-solving methodology to uplift the community, and solve the most pressing economic and social issues facing our region.
LINK to Rep. Cartwright certification of no financial interest
SUBCOMMITTEE ON HOMELAND SECURITY
Shared West End Emergency Services Facility
Request: $2,000,000
Recipient: Chestnuthill Township, 271 Route 715, Brodheadsville, Pennsylvania 18322
Project Description: This request is for community project funding for Chestnuthill Township to build a new Shared Emergency Services Facility that will be multifaceted and centrally located within the community. The new building would serve as an all-in-one facility with space for the West End Volunteer Fire Company, West End Community Ambulance Association, and a Regional West End Emergency Operations Center (EOC) that would serve as the EOC for Chestnuthill, Jackson, Eldred, Ross, Polk and Hamilton Townships and provide an administrative backup location for the Monroe County Control Center (MCCC) as well as the Monroe County Office of Emergency Management (MCOEM). This facility will be centrally located in the Chestnuthill, Jackson, Eldred, Ross, Polk and Hamilton Region of Monroe County, more specifically in the Village of Brodheadsville, at the intersection of SR715 and Firehouse Lane. This project would provide a new and improved facility for ten emergency service organizations within Monroe County.
LINK to Rep. Cartwright certification of no financial interest
SUBCOMMITTEE ON INTERIOR, ENVIRONMENT AND RELATED AGENCIES
WVSA Warrior Creek Stream Restoration and Abrahams Creek MS4 Stream Restoration & Creek Street Stormwater Basin Retrofit
Request: $7,010,800
Recipient: Wyoming Valley Sanitary Authority, 1000 Wilkes-Barre St., Hanover Township, Pennsylvania 18703
Project Description: The Wyoming Valley Sanitary Authority (WVSA) has recently expanded their purpose and powers to include stormwater management to address a regionalized approach to compliance with Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems (MS4s) regulations. In that regard, WVSA has developed a Regional Chesapeake Pollutant Reduction Plan (CBPRP) that represents a regional effort by WVSA to meet the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP) MS4 permitting requirements for 31 member municipalities located in Luzerne County within the Authority’s service area. There are two projects that will be completed: the Warrior Creek Stream Restoration Project and the Abrahams Creek Stream Restoration & Creek Street Stormwater Basin Retrofit Project. The proposed Warrior Creek Stream Restoration Project will satisfy, in part, permitting requirements covered by WVSA’s CBPRP that addresses local surface waters impaired for sediment and/or nutrients from urbanized stormwater discharges. The proposed Warrior Creek Stream Restoration Project is a green infrastructure project that will stabilize and restore approximately 5,450 linear feet (LF) of stream located in Hanover Township, Luzerne County, PA. This stream restoration project will provide a projected 245,000 pounds of sediment reduction per year, as well as reduce annual nutrient loads. Goals for reducing sediment and nutrient loads are identified in the CBPRP as required by the 31 municipalities’ MS4 permits. The proposed Abrahams Creek Stream Restoration & Creek Street Stormwater Basin Retrofit Project will satisfy, in part, permitting requirements covered by WVSA’s CBPRP that addresses local surface waters impaired for sediment and/or nutrients from urbanized stormwater discharges. The proposed Abrahams Creek Stream Restoration & Creek Street Stormwater Basin Retrofit Project is a green infrastructure project that will enhance and restore a stormwater extended detention basin to provide water quality treatment, and stabilize and restore approximately 1,575 linear feet (LF) of the stream that the basin discharges to. The basin is located in Swoyersville Borough, Luzerne County and the stream is located in nearby Wyoming Borough, Luzerne County, PA. This green infrastructure project will provide a projected 209,000 pounds of sediment reduction per year, as well as reduce annual nutrient loads. Goals for reducing sediment and nutrient loads are identified in WVSA’s CBPRP as required by the 31 municipalities’ MS4 permits.
LINK to Rep. Cartwright certification of no financial interest
SUBCOMMITTEE ON LABOR, HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, EDUCATION AND RELATED AGENCIES
YMCA Mental Health & Substance Abuse Support Services
Request: $1,836,730.50
Recipient: The Greater Scranton YMCA, 706 N. Blakely St., Dunmore, Pennsylvania 18512
Project Description: This request is for community project funding for each local YMCA to contract with at least one mental health/substance abuse organization in their community to provide services at the Ys facilities, as well as hire specialized staff to offer added therapy services focusing on the prevention and/or treatment of mental health disorders and drug use, and tobacco and alcohol use among children. Although open to all, the Ys will target low-income community members who may not have access to services, or who may desire alternative service options. Research shows preventative services can reduce hospitalization rates and medical expenses, leading to savings for taxpayers. Through leasing vehicles, the Ys will provide services to community members who cannot access a Y.
LINK to Rep. Cartwright certification of no financial interest
Eradicating Food Insecurity in the Hazleton Area
Request: $1,164,000
Recipient: The Hazleton Integration Project, Inc., 225 East 4th St., Hazleton, Pennsylvania 18201
Project Description: The Hazleton Integration Project (HIP) will utilize a STEAM-based education model to eradicate food insecurity in the Greater Hazleton Area. Age specific STEAM labs will maximize innovative approaches to problem solving and serve as centerpieces to drive and sustain this effort for years to come. Student-led committees will research root causes of food insecurity and drive solutions by incorporating community gardening, logistics, marketing, communication, legislation, and the food supply chain. Additional emphasis 2 will focus on the impact of food insecurity and poverty on mental health. Hundreds of our areas economically disadvantaged high schoolers will be mentored throughout by university students. The project strives to embolden and equip our youth with tools to face the challenges of an increasingly complex, technologically driven world. The initiative has received 11 endorsements from elected officials, business groups, social service organizations, and three universities.
LINK to Rep. Cartwright certification of no financial interest
Recovery To Work Initiative
Request: $3,000,000
Recipient: Wayne County, PA, 925 Court Street, Honesdale, Pennsylvania 18431
Project Description: This project creates a regional hub for treatment and rehabilitation for individuals struggling with addiction and behavioral health challenges. This property provides a unique opportunity to develop a best-practice recovery-to-work model for treatment and rehabilitation that integrates both drug & alcohol and behavioral health facilities with housing, career training, and job placement. Supporting the recovering individual through a longer, stepped-down approach along with access to human services, housing, career development and jobs will mitigate risk factors and address social determinants that affect recidivism and successful outcomes. This project would help to pay for construction of four buildings that would be used in a multitude of capacities to address much-needed drug recovery, mental health and work training initiatives in Wayne County and the surrounding region where such facilities are non-existent or few and far between. The county has already set aside more than $3 million in funding for this project, but the total cost is nearly $10 million. The construction cost alone is $7.8 million so to be able to receive $3 million toward this would be a huge achievement. This initiative would save taxpayers money in the long run as it would offer treatment to drug addicts and those with behavioral health issues and would offer job training to former inmates to keep recidivism low and prison and unemployment costs low. By keeping people who need help out of hospitals and prison would be a huge help to already strained federal and state budgets.
LINK to Rep. Cartwright certification of no financial interest
Lackawanna College Center for Technology Innovation
Request: $2,000,000
Recipient: Lackawanna College, 501 Vine St., Scranton, Pennsylvania 18509
Project Description: This project establishes the Lackawanna College Center for Technology Innovation (LCCTI). This project will serve as a technical and vocational education center for Northeast Pennsylvania. Programs at the LCCTI will include a college-level student program, high school program, and a training site for STEM, industrial technologies, and trades employers for continuing education students. The Center will feature five laboratories to train students for careers in Gas & Electric Vehicle Technology, Smart Design Building Systems, Robotics & Automation, Augmented Reality/Virtual Reality (AR/VR) multimedia and Cybersecurity & Information Technology. The Center will host a variety of affordable, short-term training, stackable certificate, and degree programs for traditionally-aged and continuing education students, as well as Tech-Up, a program that will provide high-priority occupation training opportunities to high school students, enabling them to earn academic credit and complete an Associate Degree or industry certification. By offering industry-aligned curriculums in coordination with employers, the LCCTI will be an education-driven workforce development solution for 3 Pennsylvania's 8th District and the Commonwealth. The project will support social and economic development in the 8th District by accelerating Scranton's post-pandemic economic recovery, increasing downtown commerce, and contributing to the revitalization of Scranton's Providence Section. Aligned with Lackawanna College's signature low prices, LCCTI training programs will be affordable and accessible to economically and educationally disadvantaged persons. The project is an investment in the future of Pennsylvania's workforce education strategy and aligns with U.S. and local development goals.
LINK to Rep. Cartwright certification of no financial interest
SUBCOMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION, AND HOUSING & URBAN DEVELOPMENT AND RELATED AGENCIES
Moosic Fire & Police Facility
Request: $5,500,000
Recipient: Moosic Borough, 3727-41 Birney Ave., Moosic, Pennsylvania 18507
This project involves demolition of an existing Greenwood Hose Company structure and construction of a combination fire and police facility in the geographic center of Moosic Borough in order to support service demands that surpass the capacity of current facilities. The existing structures need replacement for space, safety, handicap accessibility, and emergency services efficiency considerations, as well the Borough’s ability to adequately serve and protect public housing.
LINK to Rep. Cartwright certification of no financial interest
