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STEUBENVILLE -- The Jefferson County Port Authority's executive director announced Wednesday that the U.S. Economic Development Agency has awarded the agency a $400,000 grant for its 2023-2025 Jefferson County Coal Recovery Initiative.
The EDA's official notification said the funding will support the port authority's strategic plan to help the region recover from the July closure of the W.H. Sammis Power Plant, located in Stratton.
Robert Naylor, executive director, said after the meeting, "The port authority believes this is an opportunity to help a county and a region still feeling the effects of the loss of coal and coal related jobs. Part of the funds will be used for a strategic plan to develop a vision for our county and our region moving forward.
"(The grant) will help us to drive economic development in a sustainable fashion. The port authority is excited about the opportunity presented to set a vision for Jefferson county moving forward."
The port authority is expected to contribute $100,000, and the match from the EDA will make for a total project cost of $500,000.
The notification email from the EDA said the Sammis Plant's closure "prompted local leaders to seek assistance to help its port authority inventory assets, support existing economic development initiatives and develop a business retention and expansion plan as well as a coal recovery and resilience plan to help understand how best to respond to this economic shock."
Board member Brenan Pergi said of the award, "That's a big accomplishment, and it really lays the future direction and strategy for the port authority."
Following that, board member Mike Gill said the plant's closing and displacement of 140 employees is a "terrible situation," adding that the former employees "are going to need the workforce development."
Separately, the port authority's board of directors approved a motion to issue a request for proposal for an architect to inspect the Jefferson County commissioners' 13-acre site, managed by the port authority, in the Jefferson County Industrial Park. A separate motion to pursue funding for a speculative building through a combination of JobsOhio's Ohio Site Inventory Program and ODOD's Rural Industrial Park Loan Program was also passed.
Prior to that, Naylor said gap analysis provided by Ohio Southeast Economic Development revealed that Jefferson County has no 100,000-square-foot buildings. Options for the port authority moving forward, Naylor said, include submitting requests for information from developers, pursuing the OSIP and RIPL programs or having a realtor facilitate a developer coming in.
Naylor said it is best to have options for a speculative building in terms of size on the 13-acre site. However, Gill suggested a study should be done on the site to see what area is developable. Naylor said that information was already available through the Abandoned Mine Land Pilot Program.
The board ultimately decided to advertise for an architect, and it agreed to pursue the joint grant and loan programs, which Naylor said have loan forgiveness and can be done simultaneously with the architect business. Commissioner Dave Maple, who attended the meeting, warned board members about putting too much time in between the present and action on the site.
Also, the board approved sending a letter requesting that the commissioners designate the port authority as the lead entity for the fiscal years 2024 and 2025 ODOD Brownfield Remediation Program. Naylor said this comes as the Ohio State Legislature signed and approved $175 million in additional moneys for the program, requiring that a lead entity for the program be assigned by a board of county commissioners in a county with a population below 100,000.
Maple said other organizations that could fill that role include the Jefferson County Land Bank or the Brooke Hancock Jefferson Metropolitan Planning Commission.
However, Naylor said the port authority applied last fiscal year and received more than its amount. In addition, Pergi said that brownfield work has been a "point of success" for the port authority, and board chair Bill Lucas said the port authority has the most recent experience with brownfield work.
Maple expressed concern over the port authority spreading its resources too thin but said he would support the port authority if it is confident, as long as its role as lead entity does not interfere with its bringing in jobs.
Naylor said the brownfield work will not impede. As the lead entity, Naylor said the port authority will issue an RFP for a consultant that will be responsible for reporting and will be reimbursed through a draw request from the ODOD. Also, Naylor said that through a U.S. EPA Brownfields Assessment Grant, the port authority was able to identify areas in need of brownfield work, a "natural precursor to future development."
In other business:
• The board approved a motion to approach the commissioners and Steubenville City Council with a requests of each to increase the port authority's funding by $10,000. The commissioners last year gave the port authority $140,000, while the agency's other source of funding, council, allotted $40,000.
• Naylor said in his director's report that the JSW Steel USA Ohio Inc. bond issuance is going to be funded between late October and the middle of November. Lender's consents are being secured, Naylor said, the largest of which has been secured, with the rest coming after.
• The port authority is moving forward with the Appalachian Community Grant Program, Naylor said, with all initial project vetting complete. The port authority will be contacting projects that are ineligible for funding under the program -- included in Ohio House Bill 377 -- and notifying them that they will be maintained and submitted to the Ohio Mid-Eastern Governments Association, which will seek alternative funding sources for them. The program application's due date is set for Jan. 6, 2024, Naylor said, meaning the application portal may not open until the middle of November.
• Naylor said he is working with port authority fiscal adviser Gary Folden on the port authority's registration with SAM.gov, the U.S. government's System for Award Management, though efforts are taking longer than expected.
• Steubenville Mayor Jerry Barilla, Maple, Lucas and Naylor had an introductory meeting with a developer interested in the Fort Steuben Mall, Naylor said.
• The board approved a $116,212.49 invoice for Civil and Environmental Consultants Inc. for services rendered for the Ohio Department of Development Brownfield Remediation Grant Program, in addition to approving submission of the invoice to ODOD for reimbursement.