Month: September 2020

Request for Proposal - Flood Elevation Professional Surveying

Request for Proposal – Flood Elevation Professional Surveying

Posted on by DNS Admin

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

SEDA-Council of Governments (SEDA-COG) is soliciting proposals for professional surveying services to provide Elevation Certificates to residents of various communities as part of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). It is our desire to continue offering homeowners the opportunity to purchase Elevation Certificates, through SEDA-COG, at what we hope will be a discounted rate.

The scope includes all tasks necessary to provide a completed Elevation Certificate to each homeowner, including a determination of latitude, longitude and elevation (referenced to the appropriate datum), properly executing and sealing the form, and attaching the building photographs. All work and submittals shall be conducted in accordance with FEMA’s NFIP guidelines and OMB No. 1660-0008 “Elevation Certificate and Instructions” (Expiration November 30, 2022). Work must be performed by a Professional Land Surveyor or Professional Engineer licensed in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Our focus is the following communities:

    • Town of Bloomsburg, Columbia County
    • Borough of Lewisburg, Union County
    • Borough of Danville, Montour County
    • Borough of Milton, Northumberland County
    • Borough of Selinsgrove, Snyder County

Please note homeowners from other communities not listed above may elect to participate in this Elevation Certificate program through SEDA-COG. Any work performed in communities other than those specified in this proposal will be addressed with a contract amendment if/when warranted and agreeable to both parties.

For each household, three copies of the certifications, including original signature and seal, shall be provided to SEDA-COG.

If you are interested in providing these services to SEDA-COG, we are requesting that you submit a proposal to include the following:

    1. 1. A fixed fee per household (by community) for completion of the Elevation Certificate, including field work, completion of the certificate in accordance with the FEMA guidance, and provision of three copies of the Elevation Certificate, with original seal, to SEDA-COG.
    2. 2. An anticipated timeline from notification of a certificate request to issuance of the completed Elevation Certificate. It is the expectation of SEDA-COG that each certificate would be available within 30 days from notification. If you feel this request is unreasonable, please provide an alternate estimated timeline.
    3. 3. A sample of a completed Elevation Certificate.
    4. 4. Proof of Insurance.

Proposals should be clearly marked and submitted no later than Friday, October 16, 2020, 4:00 PM, to:

Geralee Zeigler, Flood Resiliency Program Analyst
SEDA-Council of Governments
201 Furnace Road
Lewisburg, PA 17837

Questions may be addressed to Geralee Zeigler, 570-524-4491 or gzeigler@seda-cog.org.

2020-Flood-Surveying-RFPDownload
State grant program now includes digital needs for businesses

State grant program now includes digital needs for businesses

Posted on by DNS Admin

A state grant program that helps companies increase export sales is funding new activities because of COVID-19 travel difficulties.

The Global Access Program (GAP) is now providing grants for e-commerce, digital marketing, marketing media design, and certain certifications.

SEDA-Council of Governments’ (SEDA-COG) Export Development program assists businesses with application development, submittal, reporting, and reimbursement, among other assistance. 

Since the program began eight years ago, SEDA-COG has helped 63 companies to be awarded 103 grants totaling $371,525.

Noelle Long, director of SEDA-COG’s Export program, encouraged small- to mid-sized companies to apply for these funds.

“Businesses are having to adapt to the rapidly changing environment with the pandemic, and the GAP grant program has also adjusted to suit their needs since digital marketing is more important than ever. SEDA-COG is committed to continuing to empower businesses through this crisis and connect them with as many opportunities as possible,” Long said.

The reimbursable grants can be awarded up to $5,000. SEDA-COG’s GAP funds are available through next September.

Specifically, the grant now can be used for:

E-commerce and digital marketing

  • Design and development of website, with an international focus
  • Oversight and maintenance and monitoring fees for search engine optimization
  • Online market listing fees
  • E-commerce platform fees, including hosting and/or maintenance fees
  • Expenses to set up websites to accept international payments

Payments for Design of Marketing Media

  • Design of company digital international marketing, including social media and digital ads
  • Translation of marketing media, including audio and video
  • Google Analytics

Certifications: CE, CEE, GDPR, UL Canada, ATEX Testing/Certification, Japan Haz/Loc Certification, IECex Testing/Certification


The program continues to offer grants for the following activities:

  • Overseas trade mission participation (in person and virtual)
  • Overseas trade show exhibition (in person and virtual)
  • Domestic trade show exhibition (in person and virtual)
  • Foreign market sales trip
  • Subscription to U.S. Department of Commerce services
  • Compliance testing
  • Federal services that directly support exporting

GAP is administered by the Pennsylvania Office of International Business Development (OIBD). The program is funded in part through a grant with the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). For more information, visit https://dced.pa.gov/programs/global-access-program-gap/.

SEDA-COG’s Export Development team serves the businesses and communities of central Pennsylvania by encouraging and facilitating economic development through growth in world trade. It is funded by the state Department of Community & Economic Development’s Office of International Business Development and Partnerships for Regional Economic Performance.

For more information about SEDA-COG’s Export Development Program, contact Noelle Long at export@seda-cog.org or 570-524-4491. 

Lycoming County Levee Rehabilitation RFP

Lycoming County Levee Rehabilitation RFP

Posted on by DNS Admin

 

Contact:  Heather Kelly-Weisen, SEDA-COG

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

Lycoming County is requesting proposals for the purchase of Professional Engineering Services.  These services include all necessary design and specifications for the bidding of and contracting for an expansion to the Lycoming County Levee Rehabilitation Project. Complete proposal details, including the required proposal format, and project related details may be obtained by contacting:

Heather Kelly-Weisen, Project Coordinator
SEDA-COG
201 Furnace Road
Lewisburg, PA 17837
hkellyweisen@seda-cog.org

Proposal details are also available at www.lyco.org – Request for Bids and www.seda-cog.org – News, Notices, Publications.

Proposals will be accepted until 5:00 PM prevailing time, October 16, 2020. Submitted proposals will be opened at the Lycoming County Commissioners’ Meeting on October 20, 2020 at 10:00 AM, at the Lycoming County Executive Plaza Building, 330 Pine Street, 2nd Floor, Williamsport, PA17701. To attend this meeting virtually please go to the following link:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSRDCV2YEbfonPDRfPMnEuw

Proposals shall be on the forms required, sealed and clearly marked on the outside, “Lycoming County Levee Rehabilitation Services Proposal,” and submitted to:

Lycoming County Controller’s Office
48 West Third Street
Williamsport, PA 17701

Proposals that are faxed or e-mailed to SEDA-COG or Lycoming County cannot be accepted.

Lycoming Levee RFQDownload
SEDA-COG awarded grants to study natural gas plant in Clinton County

SEDA-COG awarded grants to study natural gas plant in Clinton County

Posted on by DNS Admin

A proposed multi-million-dollar natural gas synthesis plant in Clinton County that would create hundreds of jobs is closer to reality thanks to two grants awarded to SEDA-Council of Governments (SEDA-COG).

SEDA-COG applied for and was awarded the grants on behalf of KeyState Opportunity and Frontier Natural Resources, both of Bellefonte, to conduct third-party studies for the KeyState Natural Gas Synthesis Plant in West Keating Township.

A $471,270 U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) grant will help fund a $785,450 phase II engineering study related to the design, permitting, construction of the plant as well as workforce development.

An $84,000 USDA Rural Business Development grant will help fund a market study to validate product demand, logistics, and economics.

If built, the plant would provide hydrogen, ammonia, and urea for industrial, medical, agriculture, and transportation uses. It would create a combined 800 construction and permanent jobs.

SEDA-COG Executive Director John Brown said this project can greatly impact the local economy and thanked the granting agencies, particularly EDA Regional Director Linda Cruz-Carnall, EDA Economic Development Specialist Chris Casper, and USDA PA Rural Development’s State Director Curt Coccodrilli.

“SEDA-COG is pleased to partner in this effort that could bring hundreds of jobs to the area and directly reenergize the local economy, especially in this difficult time,” Brown said. “We thank the USDA and EDA for seeing the economic merits of the project and awarding the grants.”

KeyState CEO Perry Babb described the project’s impacts.

“KeyState is a historic project in both economic and environmental impacts. Onsite Marcellus natural gas production, combined with state-of-the-art methane emissions remediation, is used to create low-carbon and GHG-reducing products, and great long-term manufacturing jobs. CO2 is captured and stored a mile underground, a first in Pennsylvania, and manufacturing becomes the new ‘green jobs,’ and a low-carbon future for natural gas is born,” Babb said.

If the studies confirm the plant’s feasibility, phase III final engineering will commence and SEDA-COG will help identify funding to build out the necessary infrastructure, as KeyState finalizes investors to help build the plant.

“Both of these studies will help to attract investors and public funding,” Brown said.

The plant would be in a federal opportunity zone which provides tax benefits for investing capital gains in low-income community census tracts. The incentive offers deferral, reduction, and potential elimination of certain federal capital gains taxes.

The plant’s construction could be upward of $400 million. The studies are expected to be completed early next year.

As a community and economic development agency, SEDA-COG enhances the quality of life and economic advantage for residents and businesses in 11 central Pennsylvania counties through its vital partnerships and initiatives. SEDA-COG also is an advocate for the interests of its communities at the state and federal levels. For more information, visit www.seda-cog.org.