The Green River Area Development District will receive roughly $392,000, as announced Wednesday by Gov. Andy Beshear.
The Department for Local Government (DLG) has been awarded an additional $6 million from the CARES Act through the Economic Development Association (EDA). Funding will reimburse Kentucky’s 15 Area Development Districts for costs associated COVID-19.
“Our Area Development Districts are critical parts of our local communities,” Beshear said in a release. “These funds come at a crucial time when we are looking for ways to strengthen our communities and thoughtfully provide new opportunities, while continuing to keep Kentuckians safe. I am confident their guidance and this funding will help our cities and counties develop recovery plans that will help us come out of COVID-19 stronger than before.”
“We are grateful the EDA made this funding available and granted us this award,” said DLG Commissioner Dennis Keene. “Our ADDs are important development experts and strategists. I look forward to their thoughtful plans for economic advancement and recovery in our local communities.”
Recognizing the urgency to address the economic disruption caused by COVID-19, the EDA made this non-competitive funding available through their Partnership Planning Grant program to former recipients with unique capacities to respond quickly to the pandemic.
The funding will be split equally between the ADDs, totaling approximately $392,000 each. The remaining 1% each year will cover administrative costs for DLG.
ADDs will use the funding to:
- Fund regional disaster economic recovery coordinators for a two-year period;
- Develop a disaster resiliency economic plan focused on pandemic recovery and resiliency;
- Improve short- and long-term economic development plans and coordination;
- Provide technical assistance and capacity building for local governments and businesses impacted by COVID-19; and
- Offer organizational support for COVID-19 responses.
