May 5, 2016 3 min read

WAYNESBURG – Greene County will hold public hearings this month to gain community input on the county’s and eligible municipalities’ uses of this year’s Community Development Block Grants.

The county administers its own CDBG funds as well as those of other entitlement municipalities that receive money through the program, which include Franklin and Cumberland townships and Waynesburg Borough.

Public hearings have been scheduled for the county, Waynesburg Borough and Franklin Township. Cumberland Township, which administers its program under a cooperative agreement with the county, will announce its public hearing at a later date.

“We encourage people to come to the meetings,” county CDBG Coordinator Crystal Simmons said. “The money is available and we want to know what people think are the needs in their communities. These hearings will give people the chance to voice their opinions on how the money should be spent.”

Though the county administers the program and submits one application for the county and all entitlement municipalities, municipal officials make the decisions on which projects to fund in their communities, Simmons said.

CDBG money must be used on projects to benefit low- and moderate-income residents. It can be used to make improvements to public facilities, infrastructure, housing or recreational facilities, to prevent or eliminate blight or for any emergency community development needs. The funds traditionally are used to improve water and sewage infrastructure and, in some communities, to help fund housing rehabilitation programs.

The CDBG grant received by the county is used for projects in municipalities that do not receive their own entitlement grants, which are those with populations of less than 4,000 people.

The county will hold its public meeting May 18 in the county office building, immediately following the commissioner’s agenda meeting.

The county allocation is $217,304, which also must cover administrative fees. The commissioners made water and sewage improvements a priority in determining the use of the funds, Simmons said.

The hearing for Franklin Township will be held at 12:30 p.m. Monday, prior to the supervisors’ regularly scheduled meeting, in the township municipal building. The township’s allocation, including administration fees, is $109,891.

The hearing for Waynesburg Borough’s allocation will be held at 5:30 p.m. Monday in the borough building, prior to the regularly scheduled borough council meeting.

The borough’s allocation, including administration fees, is $84,355. Council has discussed using the money for its proposed sewerage improvement project.

The county and each of the entitlement municipalities will accept comments on the proposed use of the money until June 30.

Each of the governmental bodies will then decide how the 2016 money will be spent and a second public hearing will be held on the proposed uses of the money.

“We want people to participate in the process,” Simmons said, urging residents to attend the meetings. People also can comment on prior uses of the CDBG funds, she said. Anyone seeking further information on the program or who wants to comment on the use of the funds can also contact Simmons at 724-627-9259.