Tom Connolly, Swatara township commissioner questioned Dauphin county commissioners during public participation Wednesday morning May 14, 2014.

Connolly questioned the commissioners on how the county awards local share gaming grant funds and specifically why the county would award grant money to Schiavoni Park located in a flood plain area along Swatara creek, the dedication of the park scheduled for Saturday May 17, 2014 was cancelled due to flooding.

Commissioners Haste, Hartwick, and Pries voted on June 6th 2012 to award:

Grant No. 2012-15: Swatara Township – Construct and expand recreational facilities at Schiavoni and McNaughton Parks - $200,000.00.

Tom Connolly. The park was under water.

Swatara township purchased the 14 acre parcel from Mario P. Schiavoni for $102,000 on April 3, 2009.

From the Swatara township web site.

SWATARA TOWNSHIP RECEIVES COMMUNITY CONSERVATION PARTNERSHIP GRANT AWARD FROM THE PA DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION AND NATURAL RESOURCES

Swatara Township, thanks to a grant from the PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR), has purchased fourteen (14) acres of Swatara Creek Greenway land that was owned by Mr. Mario Schiavoni. The Schiavoni Tract is a beautiful wooded parcel of land located right along the Swatara Creek on the opposite side of the Hummelstown Trail.

DCNR is the primary source of state support for PA recreation, parks and conservation initiatives. Grant funding from DCNR assists hundreds of communities and organizations across Pennsylvania to plan, acquire and develop recreation and park facilities, create trails and conserve open space. DCNR Deputy Secretary Cindy Dunn said "These grants allow us to partner with communities so that they can expand and improve the wonderful assets that make the places we call home vibrant and attractive." Funding for this grant comes from the Keystone 93 Growing Greener Fund.