News – Page 14 – SEDA Council of Governments

New Hire in SEDA-COG’s Community Development Program

Posted on January 4, 2022 by

SEDA-COG recently welcomed Sarah Biddle as a Program Assistant in their Community Development Program.

Biddle has over five years of experience planning and coordinating community events and programs and team management. She was previously the Rail Trail Coordinator and Program Director for the Buffalo Valley Recreation Authority. She was also the Assistant Manager at Iron Front Events in Lewisburg, PA. She currently serves as the field hockey coach at Danville Area School District. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Sport Administration and Sport Management from Lock Haven University in 2015.

SEDA-COG is a community and economic development agency in Lewisburg and is one of seven Local Development Districts in Pennsylvania. SEDA-COG enhances the quality of life and economic advantage for residents and businesses in the 11 central Pennsylvania counties through its vital partnerships and initiatives.

For more information, please contact Elaine Stauder, communications coordinator, SEDA-Council of Governments, at 570-522-7429 or estauder@seda-cog.org.

SEDA-COG Offers Two Programs at No Cost for Home Heating Assistance

Posted on January 3, 2022 by

With colder weather upon us, SEDA-Council of Governments (SEDA-COG) is continuing to offer Crisis program to residents who qualify for fuel assistance, the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP.) This program repairs malfunctioning heating units at no cost.

Additionally, American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) stimulus funds are being used to offer a new service, the LIHEAP Clean and Tune Pilot program for residents. Clean & Tune is a benefit available to assist homeowners and residents in cleaning and tuning their primary heating equipment and avoiding interruptions to their heating service. It will provide general service with the goal of preventing crisis calls due to loss of heating. Homeowners and residents must qualify for fuel assistance.

Residents should contact their local county assistance office to see if they qualify for these programs. It is not guaranteed that this clean and tune service will be offered next year, so it is highly encouraged to take advantage of the program while it’s available. The application period is open now through May 6, 2022.

Mandy Fox, chief of SEDA-COG’s Weatherization program, said, “With the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on employment, people who normally wouldn’t qualify for the Crisis program might this year. We encourage people to contact their local county assistance office to see if they qualify.”

SEDA-COG’s Weatherization program serves a seven-county area: Columbia, Juniata, Mifflin, Montour, Perry, Snyder, and Union.

If residents don’t qualify for LIHEAP or Crisis assistance, they may still qualify for SEDA-COG’s Weatherization services. SEDA-COG’s Weatherization services may provide furnace repair, although it is not immediate help, as it would be through Crisis. SEDA-COG’s Weatherization program can be reached at 570-522-7219.

Crisis Income Eligibility Guidelines

Family size: 1 – $19,320; 2 – $26,130; 3 – $32,940; 4 – $39,750; 5 – $46,560; 6 – $53,370; 7 – $60,180; 8 – $66,990.

County Assistance Offices
Columbia: 570-387-4232
Juniata: 717-436-2158
Mifflin: 717-242-6095
Montour: 1-866-410-2093
Perry: 717-582-5038
Snyder: 570-372-1721
Union: 570-524-2201

SEDA-COG is a community and economic development agency in Lewisburg and is one of seven Local Development Districts in Pennsylvania. SEDA-COG enhances the quality of life and economic advantage for residents and businesses in the 11 central Pennsylvania counties through its vital partnerships and initiatives.

For more information, please contact Elaine Stauder, communications coordinator, SEDA-Council of Governments, at 570-522-7429 or estauder@seda-cog.org.

SEDA-COG… Building Strong Economies & Strong Communities www.seda-cog.org

SEDA-COG Joint Rail Authority Awarded $1.5 Million

Posted on December 20, 2021December 20, 2021 by

The SEDA-COG Joint Rail Authority (JRA) will receive 1.5 million dollars through the PennDOT Rail Transportation Assistance Program (RTAP). The funds will be used to rehabilitate nine railroad bridges on four of the JRA’s railroads operated by the North Shore Railroad group.

The bridges to be rehabilitated are:

• Nittany & Bald Eagle Railroad (NBER) Bellefonte Branch: Benner Township, Centre County

• NBER Mainline Bridge: Worth Township, Centre County

• NBER Mainline Bridge: Union Township, Centre County

• Lycoming Valley Railroad (LVRR) AVIS IT Bridge: Woodward Township, Lycoming County

• LVRR IT Bridge: Muncy Township, Lycoming County

• Juniata Valley Railroad (JVRR) Burnham Branch: Burnham Borough, Mifflin County

• JVRR Maitland I.T: Derry Township, Mifflin County

• JVRR Maitland I.T.: Derry Township, Mifflin County

• North Shore Railroad (NSHR) Mainline: Rupert, Columbia County

*A map of where the rehabilitated bridges are located.*

Gov. Tom Wolf announced the approval of the grant along with 24 other rail freight improvement projects that will enhance freight mobility while creating or sustaining more than 200 jobs across Pennsylvania.

“Keeping goods moving efficiently has proven to be more important now than ever,” said Governor Wolf. “These investments in Pennsylvania’s rail system create jobs, support efficient freight travel and help keep the business community connected to the global economy.”

The SEDA-COG Joint Rail Authority (JRA) is an eight-county joint municipal authority formed in 1983 to preserve essential rail service in central PA. The JRA owns the railroad properties in public trust, which are privately operated by the North Shore Railroad group. For the past 38 years, the JRA has become an engine for high value industrial development.

For more information, please contact Elaine Stauder, communications coordinator, SEDA-Council of Governments, at 570-522-7429 or estauder@seda-cog.org.

SEDA-COG… Building Strong Economies & Strong Communities

Grant Bolsters Centre County Small Businesses

Posted on December 17, 2021December 17, 2021 by

Through the Centre County Commissioners Small Business Grant, using funds distributed under the American Rescue Plan, over 250 small businesses received assistance totaling $2.7 million dollars.

Businesses in Centre County were able to apply for these funds from July through October of 2021. Funds could help cover operating expenses incurred during 2021. Operating expenses included but were not limited to payroll, rent, mortgage, utilities, costs of goods, supplies, raw materials, etc. The average amount of grant funds awarded was $10,767.44.

SEDA-COG worked with independent contractor, Harry Mathias, for setting up the grant parameters, application, and review. Applicants were selected based on loss of revenue, having fewer than 500 full time employees, and impact felt from the COVID-19 pandemic. SEDA-COG worked in partnership with small businesses and the Centre County Commissioners to ensure they received the support they needed, including handling the accounting and distributing of grants funds.

Kim Wheeler, Executive Director of SEDA-COG says, “The Commissioners of Centre County recognized the need to support a diverse range of small businesses during an extremely trying time. SEDA-COG is grateful for this leadership in the region that had a positive impact on so many businesses and their families. The opportunity to collaborate with our member counties and coordinate this kind of support for the region’s economy is of upmost importance to us.”

“We appreciate SEDA-COG’s assistance in awarding the money so quickly to so many small businesses throughout the 4th largest county in Pennsylvania by area. Without SEDA-COG’s help, disbursement of the small business grant funds would have been delayed,” says Centre County Commissioner Mark Higgins.

Commissioner Higgins continued, “The Centre County small business community has been very appreciative of the Commissioners’ assistance. We have actually seen fewer businesses close than usual. Since so many of our businesses survived, our downtowns are now thriving. We also want to thank the citizens of Centre County for strongly supporting their locally owned businesses.”

SEDA-COG is a community and economic development agency in Lewisburg and is one of seven Local Development Districts in Pennsylvania. SEDA-COG enhances the quality of life and economic advantage for residents and businesses in the 11 central Pennsylvania counties through its vital partnerships and initiatives.

For more information, please contact Elaine Stauder, communications coordinator, SEDA-Council of Governments, at 570-522-7429 or estaude r@seda-cog.org