News – Page 12 – SEDA Council of Governments

Borough of Jersey Shore Looking to Expand Waitlist for Housing Rehabilitation Grant

Posted on March 28, 2023 by

The Borough of Jersey Shore had received a $500,000 housing rehabilitation grant and interested residents who live within the Borough limits should apply now to get on the waiting list for the no-cost repairs.

Qualified residents may receive up to $65,000 each for home repairs. The Borough will provide up to $50,000 of rehabilitation grant assistance and an additional $15,000 for lead-based reduction work to eligible homeowners. If it is determined that after rehabilitation the value of the property will exceed established maximum purchase price after rehabilitation, the property will then be considered ineligible for funding assistance.

In order to make the same amount of grant aid available to each approved applicant, each approved applicant shall have a total of $65,000 made available from the grant.

Interested residents may call SEDA-Council of Governments’ (SEDA-COG) Ruth Wiest at 570-524-4491 Ext. 7252.

Eligible repairs include structural, roofing, plumbing, electrical, heating/furnace, window replacement, radon and lead-based paint mitigation, and energy-related improvements. Modifications for mobility-impaired residents are also eligible within this program. Homeowners must maintain home residency over a five-year period from the date of signing in order for this service to be received at no cost.

“SEDA-COG manages the entire process for the homeowner,” said Joel Ruch, Housing Rehabilitation Manger of the agency’s Community Services Division.

Ruch continued, “Not only does the homeowner get necessary home repairs, but they also get the benefit of going through the process hassle-free as we manage the logistics from start to finish.”

Qualifications:

• Must live in the Borough limits of Jersey Shore;

• Own the home or have Life Rights to live in it;

• Meet income qualifications based on household size;

• Be current on all local taxes and municipal utility bills;

• Provide proof of homeowner’s insurance;

• If located in a flood zone, must provide proof of flood insurance;

• Live in the home an additional five years.

Additional requirements may apply.

Annual Gross Income Limits:

Family size: 1 – $42,650; 2 – $48,750; 3 – $54,850; 4 – $60,900; 5 – $65,800; 6 – $70,650; 7 – $75,550; 8 – $80,400.

Community Development & Housing Rehabilitation Fiscal Analyst

Posted on March 4, 2023April 11, 2023 by DNS Admin

Excellent benefits package including health, dental, vision, retirement, life insurance
and paid vacation & sick leave.

SEDA-Council of Governments, a public development organization serving 11 Central Pennsylvania counties, is seeking a full-time Fiscal Analyst for both the Community Development and Housing Rehabilitation Programs. Our Community Development Program provides project based technical assistance to counties and communities both within and outside of the 11-county region, overseeing the development and implementation of approximately 40 public works projects annually. Projects include but are not limited to publicly financed housing rehabilitation, water, sewer, storm water and road infrastructure upgrades, park and community facility improvements, public service, and economic development projects. Our Housing Rehabilitation Program offers services that benefit working families, elderly citizens, and the region by rehabilitating older homes. The housing program helps to administer the grant funds, help homeowners retain a contractor, and assist in the management of the construction project.

Primary responsibilities of the candidates include (but not limited to):

– General accounting duties in an Access database.
– Review of project invoices with oversight from supervisor.
– Facilitating fund draw downs for client communities to pay invoices.
– Assist with audits/monitoring.
– Monthly/quarterly/yearly reporting.
– Invoice client communities for services performed.
– Review and authorize newspaper advertisement expenses.
– Manage the tracking of newspaper advertisement expenses with support from a Program Assistant.
– Preparation and management of agreements/contracts.
– Filing assistance as needed.

Required qualifications/skills:

– Associates degree in accounting or related field.
– Experience with accounts payable, accounts receivable.
– Strong attention to detail.
– Excellent communication skills.
– High level of accuracy and efficiency.
– Excellent time management skills.
– Proficiency with Microsoft Office products; strong emphasis on Excel & Access.

Preferred qualifications/skills:

– Bachelor’s degree in accounting or related field.
– Strong grammatical and proofing skills.
– Ability to work independently in a rapidly changing environment.

Applicants are expected to supply a letter of application elaborating on experience and skills along with their resume by March 15, 2023, via mail or email to:

Amanda Owens, Human Resources Director
SEDA-Council of Governments
201 Furnace Road, Lewisburg, PA 17837
aowens@seda-cog.org.

SEDA-Council of Governments is a public development organization based in Lewisburg,
PA, serving 11 central Pennsylvania counties. www.seda-cog.org
SEDA-COG…Building strong economies & strong communities.
AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYE

SEDA-COG Business Finance Assists Snyder County Business

Posted on February 27, 2023 by

SEDA-COG Business Finance Department recently assisted Penn Dairy LLC with a SEDA-COG PIDA loan.

Penn Dairy LLC is a highly specialized manufacturer of yogurts and cheeses located in Snyder County. They recently constructed an addition to their facility to increase their warehouse capacity. This addition opened the floor space in their processing areas and has led to an increase in their production capacity.

Penn Dairy LLC’s products include whole milk, and Greek yogurts, Drinkable Kefir, Cheddar, Colby, Monterey Jack, and Mozzarella Cheese. Their cheeses have won numerous national awards. Their manufacturing facility is SQF Certified. Additional certifications include Non-GMO Project Verified, Organic, Halal, Circle K Kosher, Super Kosher and Grade A. For more information, you can visit their website at www.PennDairy.com.

John Reichard, SEDA-COG Business Finance Relationship Manager, and Tina Showers, SEDA-COG Business Finance Principal Program Analyst, worked with Jonathan Weber, General Manager of Penn Dairy LLC to bring this financing package to fruition.

“SEDA-COG is pleased to be involved in the expansion of another small business in Central Pennsylvania. We look forward to the continued success of Penn Dairy,” said John Reichard.

For more information about SEDA-COG’s loans, please contact John Reichard at jreichard@seda-cog.org or Brooks Luzier at bluzier@seda-cog.org.

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.

SEDA-COG Assists Centre County Business with EDA COVID-19 Loan

Posted on February 22, 2023 by

SEDA-COG’s Business Finance Department recently assisted Centre WISP Venture Company with an EDA COVID-19 loan to purchase fiber and equipment for a fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) project in Centre and Mifflin counties. Centre WISP Venture Company was formed in January 2019 in State College, PA by David and Laura Gibbons.

Centre WISP is an Internet Service Provider that started servicing customers located across the counties of Centre, Mifflin, Juniata, and Perry Counties in July of 2019. They serve customers in areas that were, until Centre WISP deployed service, either unserved or under-served. The business has grown to provide broadband internet access to thousands of customers. SEDA-COG provided them loans in 2020 out of the SEDA-COG Broadband RLF loan fund so they could provide wireless service in Juniata, Perry, and Mifflin Counties.

This FTTH footprint in Centre and Mifflin counties will allow them to provide what is known as “gigabit symmetrical” service. This provides 1,000 megabits upload and download speeds to connected homes. The first FTTH footprint they will deploy in Mifflin County will allow them to serve approximately 500 homes.

The second FTTH footprint that they would like to deploy following completion of the Mifflin County project, is located in Centre County. This is a smaller neighborhood than the Mifflin pilot project, but this neighborhood has underground utilities, so the deployment cost is somewhat higher per home.

They will also offer phone service for a nominal fee, and TV service through a partnership with a national TV provider, in order to be able to provide competitive “triple play” products.

The SEDA-COG EDA COVID-19 loan is for a term of 10 years with a fixed low interest rate. Centre WISP was also awarded $12 million through the FCC Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) to build fiber optic home internet in areas within Centre, Mifflin, Juniata, Northumberland, and Huntingdon counties.

Tina Showers, SEDA-COG Principal Program Analyst worked with Jennifer Heebner, SEDA-COG Program Analyst, to bring this financing package to fruition.

“Centre WISP was in a bit of a unique position during the COVID-19 pandemic, in that their business actually grew significantly. As a telecommunications provider, they were classified as ‘critical’ during the pandemic and were not forced to shut down. Their business has essentially doubled in gross revenue and customer count over the course of the pandemic. Their services are needed even more so as a result of COVID-19 and we were thrilled to be able to help them,” said John Reichard, SEDA-COG Business Relationship Manager.

“Fiber To The Home (FTTH) is uniquely suited to address broadband challenges in rural areas. This FTTH build is the first of its kind of Mifflin County and will soon be the largest in Centre County in terms of serviceable homes,” said David Gibbons, CEO and Founder of Centre WISP.

“This service is bar-none the fastest, most reliable broadband available, and we’ve kept the price point accessible too. We’re activating customers in both service areas as we speak, and they are receiving real and immediate value from this significant investment,” he continued.

For more information about SEDA-COG’s loans, please contact John Reichard at jreichard@seda-cog.org or Brooks Luzier at bluzier@seda-cog.org.

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.