CITACOG launches County Ambassador role, details grants and local projects for Northumberland County

Kim Wheeler, executive director of the Central Pennsylvania Council of Governments (CITACOG), told the Northumberland County Board of Commissioners that CITACOG is launching a County Ambassador program to provide a single point of contact and regular touch points between the regional council and county leaders.

Wheeler said the program will not replace existing program staff but will serve as an overall liaison to bring data, coordinate partners and convene meetings. "The County Ambassador Program is a way for CITACOG to provide consistent regular touch points with County Leader, through a designated point of contact in our organization," Wheeler said.

The presentation also reviewed CITACOG’s 2024 activity report for Northumberland County and the organization’s four main program areas: business services, transportation, community services and residential services. Wheeler said the council funnels federal funds into the region and provides technical capacity that often does not exist at the county level.

Among figures and projects Wheeler highlighted: business finance loans totaling about $1.2 million in Northumberland County that led to two business expansions and approximately 20 jobs; assistance with two economic development projects (a hotel renovation in Shamokin and a historic exterior project in Sunbury); six Keystone Opportunity Zone approvals covering six properties and 103 reported employees; roughly $552,000 in private investment tied to those properties; and 35 businesses obtaining government contracts through CITACOG-related efforts.

On transportation, Wheeler said the joint rail authority improved grade crossings between Shamokin and Sunbury in 2024, replacing nine crossing surfaces and installing or upgrading signals at multiple crossings. She noted a roughly $5.1 million figure tied to those rail improvements and referenced ongoing MPO (Metropolitan Planning Organization) and PennDOT coordination on road and transit priorities, including a Transportation Alternative Set-Aside award for Sunbury and support for the Stop Hopper microtransit service operated by Rabbit Transit across three counties.

In community development, Wheeler reported $867,748 in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) investment in 2024 across 24 active CDBG projects in Northumberland County, including blight elimination, housing rehabilitation, stormwater and sewer projects in communities such as Shamokin, Mount Carmel, Sunbury and Milton. She also cited a regional EPA Brownfields award of about $1.5 million for environmental assessments and remediation planning, which will support later redevelopment activity.

On housing and residential services, CITACOG’s housing development corporation secured about $1.35 million in Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency (PHFA) Housing Options Program funding for the Georgetown Heights senior housing project in Dalmatia, which Wheeler said will fund energy-efficiency upgrades and a rooftop solar array. The housing rehabilitation program completed 50 home rehabs in 2024 under HUD HOME and Whole Home Repair programs; weatherization crews completed 25 homes with about $170,934 in investments; and approximately $20,000 of Whole Home Repair funds were used for workforce training.

Wheeler closed by noting next steps for the new ambassador role: CITACOG will follow up with county staff to set regular meetings and to identify other points of contact. "Tyler is gonna be in touch with you about setting up a more regular time to meet with one or all of you," she said.

The presentation was followed by brief commissioner comments and no formal action. Commissioners asked for and received clarification on jurisdictions served and program details during the discussion.