Clinton County commissioners approve switch to homeowner rehab for 2024 CDBG application; announce America250 events and student fossil recognition

Clinton County commissioners on June 5 authorized changing the county’s 2024 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) application from a proposed water-filtration-plant generator replacement to a homeowner-occupied housing rehabilitation project, and heard updates about America250PA events and a student fossil project from Bucktail High School.

Elizabeth Widdey, Clinton County community and development housing coordinator, told commissioners that the state Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) found the proposed generator replacement ineligible and recommended converting the application. "We can change that to the homeowner occupied housing rehab, and it would supplement our home grant application that we put in earlier, allowing us to help a few more people that are low to moderate income," Widdey said. Commissioners moved and approved the change; no opposing votes were recorded.

The change would allow county staff to direct CDBG resources toward repairs and accessibility improvements for owner-occupied homes in the county, Widdey said, including addressing code deficiencies, ADA accessibility improvements and energy-efficiency work. Widdey described the amendment as a supplement to an existing homeowner grant application already submitted by the county.

Widdey also briefed commissioners on Clinton County participation in America250PA, the statewide program marking the United States’ 250th anniversary. She said all county municipalities were emailed an America250PA resolution and encouraged to adopt it at their local meetings. Two municipalities — Chapman Township and Coalbrook Township — had already adopted the resolution, Widdey said.

The county is seeking designs from Clinton County artists for a ‘‘Bells Across PA’’ art series sponsored in part by FirstEnergy. Widdey said the selected design will be applied to a three-foot bell sculpture, the selected artist will receive a $1,250 honorarium, and the sculpture will be featured on America250PA and Clinton County websites. Applications are available at clintoncountypa.gov (look under the America250PA materials) and must be submitted by July 1, 2025, at 5 p.m.; Widdey said the county expects to present the selected design at the July 10 commissioners meeting.

Widdey congratulated Bucktail High School student government and its ecology class for a student-led project seeking state recognition for a locally found fossil. She said America250PA has recognized the project; the transcript records the name of the fossil as "Heinepriton baseti" and states the students will present their proposal to the state Senate and will travel to Washington, D.C., later this month on an invitation from U.S. Senator John Fetterman. Commissioners and staff praised the students’ work.

Why it matters: converting the CDBG application redirects federal-block-grant-eligible resources to home repairs that directly support low- and moderate-income homeowners' ability to remain in their homes and to address safety, accessibility and energy concerns. The America250PA items are county cultural and outreach initiatives that could provide artist stipends and public recognition for local history and student work.

Additional details: Widdey said the county’s CDBG application change was requested after DCED determined the original generator-replacement project ineligible for CDBG funding; the transcript does not specify the dollar amount of the CDBG request. The America250PA artist honorarium is $1,250; the bell will be approximately three feet tall; application materials and submission instructions are posted on clintoncountypa.gov.