Plum Rotary Club Might Assist with Soccer Field Lighting Costs

The Plum Borough Soccer Association might be glad to hear that council approved a plan to provide financing for new field lighting at Larry Mills Park, and the Rotary Club hopes to pay for some, if not all, of the costs of the $80,000 project.

All council members present at Monday's meeting voted in favor of providing financing for the project and allowing the association to pay the borough back. Council members Mike Dell and Christine Scardina-Gazzo were absent.

The project is slated to begin within weeks, according to borough manager Mike Thomas.

The plan for financing is contingent upon the borough entering into an agreement with the soccer association at a later date, according to assistant borough manager Greg Bachy.

Thomas, who also is vice president of the Rotary Club, said the service organization would step forward to help the soccer association with the costs of the lighting.

“We’d like to partner with the soccer association,” he said. “We would pay the soccer association through funds from community days.”

If possible, Thomas indicated the Rotary Club would pay for 100 percent of the project, which would be financed for 10 years.

“That would depend on the success of community days in the future,” he said.

The Rotary Club recently has taken over Plum’s Community Festival, bringing it back as a two-day event. The festival was held at Larry Mills Park this year and previous years.

Thomas reported that the Rotary and other organizations raised $20,000 through this year’s festival, held July 29 and 30.

That money is slated to support community projects—specifically an amphitheater at Plum’s new municipal complex—and scholarships for students in the borough.  

The soccer association was instrumental in the festival’s return, according to Thomas.

“The soccer association really stepped up to the plate,” he said. “They were awesome for community days.”

Support of the lighting would fit into Rotary’s mission of helping the community as well, Thomas said.

At council’s work session last week, officials said the soccer association ultimately would pay for the lights and is able to provide a $12,000 down payment.

Contractor Musco Lighting won’t fund an association, but will fund a municipality. As a result, the borough will finance the project and enter a lease agreement with the soccer association.

Thomas said the Rotary has yet to talk to the soccer association about the possibility of picking up the lighting project tab.

“But we’d like to do that,” he said. “I can’t imagine why they wouldn’t.”