Commissioners OK CDBG plan, St. James Haven funds

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16 hours ago

Crawford County Commissioners Eric Henry and Scott Schell approved business as usual Wednesday with Chris Seeley absent, including Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) plans and an allocation to St. James Haven in Meadville.
The CDBG process has begun and, according to Samantha Travis, deputy director of planning, the office solicited project ideas at a public hearing on May 28. The county's planning office administers CDBG funds for the county, the cities of Titusville and Meadville, and Vernon Township.
The office has not yet received its 2025 allocation from the Department of Community and Economic Development. Travis expects it to be similar to last year's, which was $270,000 for the county. Funding is determined by a formula legislated by Act 179 in 1984. At least 70 percent of it must be used to benefit low- to moderate-income households.
The office will accept project ideas through July 31 and will host another public hearing in September. Commissioners will vote on the CDBG application in October, Travis said. On Wednesday, they approved the plans, policies and resolutions that will be needed for the CDBG application process.
Also on Wednesday, commissioners OK'd an allocation of $8,996 to St. James Haven.
'If you don't know, St. James Haven is not funded by anything from the government. It's all by their own money, their own support from their Sisters in Erie. It's a good project,' Henry said, thanking Sue Watkins from Human Services for her help on the county's side, facilitating the project.
Watkins said the county has provided St. James Haven with retained revenue to purchase shelter supplies and waterproof its basement.
St. James Haven, an outreach ministry of the Sisters of St. Joseph in Northwestern Pennsylvania, is a temporary shelter in Meadville that accommodates up to 14 men each night. It also provides meals and connects individuals with local agencies.
The county fairgrounds will receive some work as commissioners OK'd payment using a safety grant to Shields Asphalt Paving to lay asphalt inside Gate 3 for $11,560. The driveway is used for handicap-accessible parking and is in bad shape, according to Henry and maintenance director Mark Phelan.
Commissioners approved the purchase of a replacement pair of E-GLOVES with a one-year warranty for $1,605 for the Crawford County Correctional Facility. The current pair is around three to four years old, according to Warden Jack Greenfield, and needs repairs that would cost $1,970. Greenfield said the gloves, which send a small electric shock into the individual they touch, are a great deterrent, decreasing or stopping the use of force when used. The amount will be paid using commissary funds.
Other approvals included adopting the planning office's safety action plan, ratifying a service contract with Civic Vanguard for Geographical Information Systems work, and paying local companies for their work with the Construction Industry Workforce Program.
The next meeting will be a work session at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday in the commissioners conference room.