By Stephen Smoot
Last week, Region Eight Economic Planning and Development Council opened its monthly gathering with news of two grant opportunities.
Executive Director Melissa Earle first discussed the POWER grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission. In a communication to Region Eight, ARC co-chair Gayle Manchin stated “ARC’s POWER initiative helps strengthen Appalachia’s coal communities while giving residents a say in their own futures.”
Manchin added that “these communities have long been critical economic drivers for both our region and the entire country.”
Applicants must provide a letter of intent by Sept 12 and a final draft of an application by Oct 22. Communities with historical connection to coal mining and production can apply. Mineral County, for example, has seen coal mining in the western part of the area. Earle explained that “they are used for just about anything you want to do. If you use your imagination, you can fund about anything.”
Samuel Canfield from the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection shared information about the Chesapeake Bay Trust’s Watershed Assistance Grant Program. The Chesapeake Bay Trust states that “this program provides support for watershed restoration project designs and permitting and for watershed planning and programmatic development.
One of the types of projects suggested is for “stormwater management practices” to help communities find solutions for drainage and related problems.
Only communities in the Chesapeake Bay watershed may participate. The Trust will hold a virtual information session on Sept 19. Not only local governments, but also non profits, faith-based organizations, conservation districts, and both public and higher education may apply.
Earle announced that a popular area program may have fallen victim to federal budget cuts aimed at shrinking the national budget and debt. The Senior Community Service Employment Program (or SCSEP) has served the area for approximately 30 years, providing workforce training opportunities for seniors who wish to return to a job.
She explained that the point lay in “getting them back into the workforce and get them hired again,” then later added “it kept them out, kept them involved, got them a little extra money.”
Earle explained that Region Eight received a communication from the National Council on Aging that stated “the Department of Labor has not yet issued the TEGL (Training and Employment Guidance Letter) releasing SCSEP funding. NCOA felt funds would come in July, but that did not occur.
An NCOA release from March asserted that both chambers of Congress “agreed to provide funding equal to levels appropriated for the previous year for aging services,” including SCSEP. No news release from NCOA since then has referred directly to the program or its funding.
The United States Department of Labor shared in that July 1 TEGL that “DOL is still reviewing the remaining $307, 072,086 available for national grantees,” keeping the program in limbo for now. Earle shared that the staff person administering the program left for another position due to the uncertainty surrounding the future of SCSEP.
Council members discussed a request for a letter of support from an organization known as the Southeast Energy Resilience Accelerator that seeks to expand exploration into green hydrogen energy and also use of nuclear and other technologies. Three Georgia Tech-based institutes help to make up part of the consortium. After discussion, Council members voted to decline to provide the letter of support.
Next Earle shared the contributions of newly hired intern Olivia Yost. The Potomac State College students lost internships at both Potomac State and Eastern West Virginia Community and Technical College due to funding cuts, but found a work home at Region Eight. Yost assisted with the design of a new exterior sign and website. Earle noted “she can do a lot of things.”
Council President and Mineral County Commissioner Roger Leatherman added that ”I would concur with your assessment of her skill set.”
Hardy County Commissioner Dave Workman and Grant County Commissioner Scotty Miley discussed the ongoing sediment, debris, and plantlife accumulations filling the bed of the South Branch, South Fork, and North Fork rivers.
Miley shared that when Governor Patrick Morrisey came to Petersburg for the Tri-County Fair, that officials took him to Welton Park to see for himself the issue. The Hardy and Grant County commissions, as well as Gerald Sites from the Potomac Valley Conservation District have warned both residents and state leaders of issues for years.
“He has committed some support for us,” shared Miley, who added “now we need to come up with a plan. Workman stated that the National Resources Conservation Service provided a “prohibitive” cost estimate of $750,000 to remove the danger, but also pointed out “that’s a multi billion dollar bridge.”
The discussion came just two days after the Pendleton County Commission voted to purchase the old Franklin Elementary School building to move some County offices to a higher elevation away from the South Branch River. The rising riverbed and frequent rains have created minor flooding problems for the area all summer.
Council members heard from Myra Vance, director of the Foster Grandparents Program, that funding had come in for that program. Ashley Anderson, who directs the Upper Potomac Area on Aging, shared that she will hold a regional meeting for her 15 county directors. Additionally, she will speak on a panel at the annual conference of the West Virginia Association of Senior Center Directors.
Keith McIntosh reintroduced himself to the Council in a new role. He had formerly served as United States Senator Joe Manchin’s State Projects Director. The Jefferson County resident now serves with the State’s Division of Economic Development.
