Groups submit 72 applications for $16.7M in LSA projects
When the annual Local Share Account hearings convene Dec. 4 and 5, representatives of municipalities and nonprofits will each spend a few minutes vetting 72 projects, whose requests this year total $16.7 million.
And as in the past decade since LSA grants were given legislative approval along with the creation of the state’s casinos, there will be winners and losers, given the amount of money that is actually available for the projects that are entered into economic development, community improvement, public interest and job-training categories.
The applicants, who are required to have matching funds for the amount they seek for their projects, are vying for a portion of a pot of money that comes from slot machine revenue at The Meadows Casino in North Strabane Township. The casino has contributed an average of $10 million per year since LSA funding was created more than a decade ago.
Despite the fact that not all of the projects submitted for consideration by municipalities and nonprofits won’t make the cut, the good news is that there will be money available for many of them.
Earlier this year, despite a failure by the state Legislature to arrive at a plan to satisfy a state Supreme Court ruling to find a more equitable way to assess local shares from each of the state’s 12 casinos, The Meadows Casino renewed its LSA commitment to the Washington County commissioners, leaving its contribution level intact.
LSA panel Chairman Jeff Kotula, president of Washington County Chamber of Commerce, noted this week that of the roughly $10 million the casino contributes to the fund, $3.5 million goes directly to the county’s municipalities, which each receive $25,000 plus $10 for each resident. That leaves the panel with an average of $6 million to $7 million to disburse for the projects it approves.
“As in years prior, we will base our funding recommendations on the guidelines that were established by the state Legislature – including project match and impact,” Kotula said.
“The Washington County commissioners want to insure that this review process produces projects that have impact as well as continue economic and infrastructure development in our county. The LSA committee is equally committed to those results.”
In the economic development category, the list of applicants includes Houston Borough, which is seeking $200,000 to improve the former Canon Mac Metals Bridge and access road. The borough has $548,700 in other funds for total project funding of $748,700.
In the community improvement category, there are 36 applicants seeking funding for a variety of projects, including a $500,000 request from Washington Area Humane Society for a new building at its North Strabane Township site. The group has $3.5 million in other funds for the $4 million project. Rotary International is asking for $381,690 from the panel for its work on the second phase of the Washington Park Main Pavilion restoration project. The group has $102,000 to put toward the $483,690 project.
There are 19 applications in the public interest category, which include a number of water and sewerage projects spread across several municipalities. The largest is from Canonsburg-Houston Joint Authority, which is seeking $500,000 toward wastewater treatment plant upgrades in Canonsburg Borough. The authority has $26,800,000 in other funding for the $27,300,000 project.
The LSA public hearings will be held in the Courthouse Annex from 1 p.m. to 4:45 p.m. Dec. 4 and 10 a.m. to noon Dec. 5.
In addition to Kotula, this year’s review panel includes: Washington County Director of Administration Scott Fergus; Washington County Director of Planning Lisa Cessna; Dan Reitz, executive director of Washington County Council on Economic Development; Bill Sember, director of operations for Washington County Authority; state Sen. Camera Bartolotta, R-Carroll Township; state Rep. Brandon Neuman, D-North Strabane; North Strabane Township Manager Frank Siffrinn; and Washington Mayor Scott Putnam.