SLIPPERY ROCK TWP — Township officials are looking into a federal grant to expand broadband service to areas without service.

July 10 is the deadline to apply to the Pennsylvania Broadband Development Authority for a share of $200 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act funding allocated to Pennsylvania to provide broadband service.

Supervisors, during a meeting Monday, May 22, instructed EADS Group, the township’s engineering firm, to look into the funding.

Most of the township has broadband service, but the area along Branchton Road from the township building to Route 8 and a few other small areas do not, said Paul Dickey, board of supervisors chairman.

The township has a cost estimate from Armstrong to extend service to those areas, and the federal money could be used to help offset the cost, Dickey said.

He said he couldn’t recall the estimate, but said it would be hundreds of thousands of dollars, and Armstrong would cover part of the cost.

“They’d pay some, and we’d have to pay a lot,” Dickey said.

In other business, the supervisors will conduct a public hearing at 2 p.m. June 26 on University Village’s additional use application to lease a parking lot to a bus company for parking.

The property is zoned for residential use, and an additional use permit would be needed for the proposed commercial use, township officials said.

In addition, supervisors appointed Slippery Rock Volunteer Fire Company Chief Ryan Hanchosky as emergency management coordinator.