LISBON - Approximately $364,806 in federal dollars for Appalachian counties are being sought this year to fund nearly $1.68 million in local projects, according to Columbiana County Commissioner Penny Traina.
Traina reported on the projects at this week's meeting after noting she was recently re-elected president of OMEGA, an organization of 10 Ohio counties that are part of the federally designated Appalachian region. As such, these counties and communities within them are eligible to seek federal Appalachian funds, with OMEGA recommending which projects to fund.
According to Traina, the following local projects are being recommended for Appalachian funding this year:
- Salem Community Hospital, seeking $74,246 as part of a $559,227 project to purchase equipment for a behavioral medicine program.
- County Airport Authority, seeking $43,555 as part of a $871,087 project to resurface and rehabilitate runways.
- Kent State University, East Liverpool campus, seeking $51,005 as part of a $102,010 project to upgrade the nursing lab.
- County Career Center, seeking $196,000 as part of a $515,000 project to make the school more energy efficient.
As a back-up project, should the other ones fail to get funded, the Salem campus of Kent State University is seeking $57,225 as part of $114,450 to purchase radiology and imaging science lab equipment.
Traina said this is just an example of the type of projects that have been funded over the years because of their active involvement in OMEGA. In the past three years alone the county has obtained $ 1 million in Appalachian funds to undertake $13 million in projects, such as at the county Port Authority's industrial park in Wellsville, the Glenmoor/LaCroft sewer project, the Bradshaw Avenue project in East Liverpool, and the Wellsville sewage treatment plant.
She said Appalachian funding is often the key to the applicant being able to access other government funding for a project, with the county airport being an example. The airport is eligible to receive a $827,532 grant from the Federal Aviation Administration to fund runway improvements, commissioners needed to put up $43,555 in matching funds.
"That's huge, because otherwise county commissioners would have to come up with that match," Traina said.
She reported the two major sources of Appalachian funding - the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) and Governor's Office on Appalachian (GOA) - are expected to be cut. Gov. John Kasich has proposed cutting GOA funding by 17.9 percent, while ARC funding is expected to be reduced by 10 percent or $76 million.
Traina reported on the projects at this week's meeting after noting she was recently re-elected president of OMEGA, an organization of 10 Ohio counties that are part of the federally designated Appalachian region. As such, these counties and communities within them are eligible to seek federal Appalachian funds, with OMEGA recommending which projects to fund.
According to Traina, the following local projects are being recommended for Appalachian funding this year:
- Salem Community Hospital, seeking $74,246 as part of a $559,227 project to purchase equipment for a behavioral medicine program.
- County Airport Authority, seeking $43,555 as part of a $871,087 project to resurface and rehabilitate runways.
- Kent State University, East Liverpool campus, seeking $51,005 as part of a $102,010 project to upgrade the nursing lab.
- County Career Center, seeking $196,000 as part of a $515,000 project to make the school more energy efficient.
As a back-up project, should the other ones fail to get funded, the Salem campus of Kent State University is seeking $57,225 as part of $114,450 to purchase radiology and imaging science lab equipment.
Traina said this is just an example of the type of projects that have been funded over the years because of their active involvement in OMEGA. In the past three years alone the county has obtained $ 1 million in Appalachian funds to undertake $13 million in projects, such as at the county Port Authority's industrial park in Wellsville, the Glenmoor/LaCroft sewer project, the Bradshaw Avenue project in East Liverpool, and the Wellsville sewage treatment plant.
She said Appalachian funding is often the key to the applicant being able to access other government funding for a project, with the county airport being an example. The airport is eligible to receive a $827,532 grant from the Federal Aviation Administration to fund runway improvements, commissioners needed to put up $43,555 in matching funds.
"That's huge, because otherwise county commissioners would have to come up with that match," Traina said.
She reported the two major sources of Appalachian funding - the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) and Governor's Office on Appalachian (GOA) - are expected to be cut. Gov. John Kasich has proposed cutting GOA funding by 17.9 percent, while ARC funding is expected to be reduced by 10 percent or $76 million.
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