A Heber Valley tourism official and staff attended the June 5 meeting to brief the Charleston Town Council on grant opportunities for small business support and larger rural infrastructure projects.

The presenter, described as an executive with the regional tourism office, said the governor’s office offers a noncompetitive rural business grant of about $4,000 for training and small improvements and identified a Rural Communities Opportunity grant that can provide up to $600,000 for projects such as infrastructure, equipment for businesses or training. The presenter said the larger grant requires matching funds; speakers discussed a 30% match requirement in general and one instance in the meeting referenced a $70,000 match for a $600,000 award (staff cautioned about exact match percentages and said applicants should confirm match rules in the request for proposals).

Why it matters: Council and residents discussed priorities that could be eligible for grants — improved water storage and tanks, park and trail development to support recreation‑based economic development, parking and commercial frontage improvements along Highway 9, and workforce training for local employers.

The presenter asked the council what the community wants and offered assistance preparing applications and connecting Charleston with county or regional partners. Staff and presenters said the application window for the larger program opens in the fall and emphasized competitive scoring and match planning.

The council did not commit to any particular application at the meeting but asked staff to follow up with potential projects and to work with the regional office on scope and match planning.