Jun 23, 2021 3 min read

Greene County commissioners have approved a proposal from an engineering company to provide professional services for the development of county-owned property in Crucible.

Commissioners agreed to the proposal, which will allow Remington and Vernick Engineers of New Jersey to begin preliminary work on the Crucible Development Site, during their June 17 meeting. The county-owned property sits along the Monongahela River east of Crucible, and has been unused for years.

Commissioner Mike Belding said the officials’ intent is to get county-owned property that currently doesn’t serve a specific purpose back on the tax rolls.

“Whether (the county-owned property is) leased from the county or purchased, we want to provide opportunities to businesses, developers or industry to diversify our economy and workforce,” he said. “This contract will provide preliminary feasibility of three options on this property: A solar farm, mixed residential and recreational use. Preliminary information will be used to steer future development decisions and apply from grants as they become available.”

In another matter, commissioners approved Forgivable Advance for Small Business Assistance (FASBA) Awards totaling more than $308,000 earmarked to nine area businesses.

Belding said the businesses applied for “rounds three and four” of the FASBA funding. In April, commissioners said 16 area businesses were awarded various amounts.

FASBA funding provides up to $50,000 grants for small, local businesses with 100 employees or less that have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Belding said Greene County’s Forgivable Advance for Small Business Assistance program is being used as the model program for the state.

“Other counties have turned money back into the state that they cannot get out to their businesses, and Greene County has been asked to receive an additional $400,000 to push out to our local businesses,” he said. “This will bring the total (FASBA) awards for Greene County businesses to $1.2 million.”

Commissioners also approved three additional FASBA awards to three other businesses totaling over $91,000, which Belding said are contingent upon final financial analysis.

“We wanted conditional approval so the businesses don’t have to wait any longer,” he said. “It is a time-consuming process.”

In other business, commissioners approved a supplemental bridge inspection agreement between the county and Widmer Engineering Inc. Belding said this is a deduction from a bridge inspection program, and since the inspection contract came in under budget, the county saved $68,0290.

Commissioners approved a flu vaccine administration program agreement between the county and Rite Aid for employees through the county’s health insurance program.