Committee authorizes resiliency grant applications and regional planning contract; regional board details broadband, culvert and housing work

The Warren County Economic Growth and Development Committee voted April 22 to authorize applications for state resiliency and outdoor recreation grants and to enter into a contract with the regional planning board to support an updated comprehensive plan for the Town of Oregon.

Committee members approved permissions to apply for three state grant programs, which staff said are competitive and due June 6, and they approved a separate contract formalizing the regional planning board’s work on the Town of Oregon plan. Officials emphasized the grants’ appeal because many programs carry a high state share and comparatively small local match.

Beth, director of the regional planning board, said recent state and federal funding announcements have driven a heavy workload: “2025 has really turned out to be quite the year already,” she said, noting the board is prioritizing projects that align with county hazard mitigation and economic development goals. She explained the county is preparing grant applications that would typically provide roughly 90 percent state funding and a 10 percent local match, and said staff are developing two tentative project applications: one to target high-priority county-owned culverts using a recently completed culvert assessment dataset, and a second to upgrade small public boat-launch sites to improve resilience after storm damage.

Beth described how the planning board and county Department of Public Works (DPW) plan to overlay culvert-condition data with hazard-mitigation priorities to select projects that best fit program criteria. She said engineers from the consultant GPI are working with DPW staff to develop a single, weighted culvert-priority score from multiple engineering metrics and that a public dashboard will be made available once the methodology is finalized.

On broadband, Beth discussed the federal and state deployment processes related to the BEAD (Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment) program and the state ConnectALL office mapping. She said two BEAD-era grant areas that covered parts of Warren County were not bid on by internet service providers in the most recent round, and that the region plans to combine on-the-ground drive tests with purchase of third-party OOKLA/OOPLA measurement data to create a repeatable coverage-monitoring approach.

Other work described by Beth included workforce-housing predevelopment, a revolving loan fund that had 49 loans in its portfolio (19 in Warren County), completion of watershed and stormwater planning projects, and North Country roadway safety action plans that could qualify communities for federal implementation funding.

Votes at a glance - Resolution: Authorization to apply for DEC coastal rehabilitation and resiliency grant and two Department of State resiliency/recreation grants (resolutions 1–3). Motion to bring items together: Mr. Straub. Outcome: approved (voice vote, “aye”). Notes: Grants due June 6; tentative projects include culvert replacements and boat-launch upgrades; staff indicated many grant programs carry roughly 90% state funding and 10% local match and that in-kind services may be used where eligible. - Resolution: Authorize contract with the regional planning board to support the Town of Oregon comprehensive plan (resolution 4). Motion: Supervisor Turner; second: Supervisor Cressido. Outcome: approved (voice vote, “aye”). Notes: Contract formalizes procurement and staff support for the Town of Oregon plan.

Committee members asked about local match sources and project readiness. For boat-launch work, Beth said the county may use in-kind services from the Soil & Water Conservation District and Parks & Recreation as match; for culvert replacements she said DPW has earmarked funds that could serve as the local match. Staff said they will provide more detailed match identification and project lists at the May meeting ahead of the June 6 grant deadlines.

Ending: After the presentation and questions, the committee offered no public comments and adjourned.