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Commissioners review $1.7M ARC allocation window; list of $3.7M projects sent to next meeting for ranking
Summary
Staff presented draft Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) area-development project proposals totaling about $3.7 million; the FY26 ARC allocation for the county is $1.7 million. Commissioners agreed to table ranking and transmittal to Tri-County Council until the next meeting to allow further review.
County staff presented a preliminary slate of proposed Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) area-development projects and asked the board to review and rank projects before transmitting recommendations to Tri-County Council for Western Maryland. Staff said federal fiscal-year 2026 ARC area-development funds available to Allegany County total about $1.7 million; proposal requests in the preliminary list totaled roughly $3.7 million.
Dave Norbette (ARC coordinator) walked commissioners through the preliminary project list, which included a range of workforce, infrastructure, educational and community projects. Projects on the preliminary list included a North Branch Industrial Park force-main replacement (Phase 1), site-preparation engineering for a bioenergy complex, equipment and training investments for Western Maryland Works, expansions of early-childhood classroom capacity (Humpty Dumpty), Head Start family-services support, and several Frostburg State University and Allegheny College of Maryland proposals (including ADA accessibility improvements and a mobile dental clinic proposal). The presentation noted that the county has the option to contribute local match funding and that ARC currently offered a 70% match for the county in this funding round (higher than the usual 50% match).
Why it matters: ARC funding supports infrastructure, workforce and community development projects in the Appalachian region. Staff told commissioners the county must forward a ranked list to Tri-County Council by May 16 to be considered for federal fiscal-year 2026 funding. Because requests exceed available ARC funds, the ranking determines which projects move forward for application.
Action: Commissioners voted to table the ranking and formal transmittal and asked staff to bring the item back at the next meeting (or the work session) for additional review. Staff and the chair recommended a more detailed work-session discussion to allow commissioners to ask project-level questions and identify local match commitments before final ranking.
Ending: Staff will circulate the full project details and recommended rankings ahead of the next meeting and then proceed with final transmittal to Tri-County Council if the board approves the ranked list.
