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Downtown Belfont leader urges borough to be applicant for ARC grant as June 12 deadline nears
Summary
Downtown Belfont Incorporated president Miss Molinger told council the borough may be the more appropriate applicant for an Appalachian Regional Commission grant because of ownership and match issues; council asked staff to seek ARC guidance and consider a committee before deciding.
Miss Molinger, who identified herself in the transcript as president of Downtown Belfont Incorporated (DBI), asked the borough to consider being the applicant on an Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) grant because of ownership and match complications and the ARC deadline of June 12.
She told council DBI had submitted a Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) Main Street planning grant last August for $50,000 and received letters of support from local organizations but was not funded. That DCED grant had been proposed as part of the local match for the ARC pre-application. "If we move forward with the ARC, we need to also probably move forward with resubmitting a DCED Main Street Planning Grant in July or August or come up with other sources of match for that ARC grant," she said.
Molinger described other recent grant work and an experience with the Lumber Heritage Region where DBI did not own the train station sought for renovation; that episode prompted questions about whether a single municipal applicant would simplify finance and match arrangements. She said the ARC pre-application envisions shared staffing at the train station to provide joint services and bookkeeping for downtown nonprofits.
Council members pressed for clarity on match sources and timing. One councilor noted that the DCED Main Street grant would require a 25% match if awarded (a $50,000 request would need $12,500), and asked whether county allocations, the borough’s quarterly support for DBI, or other grants could be counted as match. Molinger said match could come from several types of planning or organizational efforts and that the county allocation might be proposed as match. She cautioned that applying creates a commitment if the borough accepts an award, noting, "you can always refuse an award," but councilors noted refusing an award after approval would be awkward.
Several councilors recommended pausing to get more information from ARC and DCED and consider the matter in committee rather than making a quick June decision. One councilor proposed contacting the ARC executive director for options before the deadline.
No motion to sponsor the ARC application was made during the meeting.
