The award goes to recognize municipalities and local government officials for their dedication and commitment to strengthen their communities and better serve their residents.
Joe Kauer worked for nine years as the manager in Heidelberg Borough, before he was hired on Dec. 1, 2014 as Ambridge Borough Manager.
The Borough of Heidlberg was awarded for Promoting Community / Economic Revitalization in working with two other towns to develop a strategic redevelopment initiative to construct a 1.5 mile streetscape project to rebuild their core business districts.
"It wasn't just me " said Kauer. " I was part of a team of three towns."
"We started that project in 2006 and it took a couple years to get grant money in place. It took a couple years to get design approval; it took another couple years to get PennDOT permitting and approval in place and construction took two years," Kauer said.
"It was nice to get a project from mind conception all the way to get to a getting a grant, design, and construction to a ribbon cutting. Then it was time to go and welcome Ambridge."
The Borough of Ambridge submitted a grant application for a five-year plan to the Beaver County Economic Development.
"We submitted a grant application for Merchant Street to do the same style of streetscape project" Kauer said.
"We are taking that model and starting all over again."
The grant application was written to redo all of the infrastructure, to beautify, and do a streetscape project on Merchant Street between 4th and 8th.