Seminar Teaches Leaders To Tap Federal Funds
By Angie Herrington
Chattanooga Times/Free Press
November 5, 2003

PIKEVILLE - Southeast Tennessee leaders said they'll be better equipped to rake in federal funds for their communities after a two-day seminar this week on how to tap into grant programs.

U.S. Rep. Lincoln Davis, DTenn., organized the seminar at Fall Creek Falls State Park. It brought representatives from federal and states agencies together to talk to local leaders about how to obtain grants. About 100 county and city leaders from Rep. Davis' 24-county district attended the event.

Sequatchie County Mayor Connie Easterly said federal grants have helped bring water lines and other projects to her county.

She said the information from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency speaker about brownfield revitalization grants sparked her interest. The brownfield grants help clean up contaminated property for reuse.

"We have an old school with asbestos, and it would make a super-fine business and economic center," Ms. Easterly said.

Rep. Davis said federal grants are often the only source of money for projects in rural areas.

"My hope was by bringing together all the different agencies that help rural areas, it would help them get their fair share of federal and state funding," he said.

Jasper Mayor Billy Simpson said his town soon will benefit from a water line project funded with the help of federal grant dollars.

"We'll take on 92 new customers when it's completed, but it'll have the capacity to take on a lot more in the future," he said.

Eric Birdwell, chief of the Palmer Fire Department in Grundy County, said his department recently received federal and state grant money to build a new firehall and buy equipment.

"I think this (the seminar) is a great idea because there's so many grants out there that people may not know about," he said.

Joe Guthrie, executive director of the Southeast Tennessee Development District, said some of the most valuable information local leaders can take from the seminar is the agency's contact numbers.

"Anytime you can bring the funding sources closer to elected officials, it's good," he said.

Agencies at the seminar: Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Housing and Urban Development, Department of Education, Economic Development Administration, Department of Agriculture, Appalachian Regional Commission, Natural Resources Conservation Services, Department of Homeland Security, TVA, TN Department of Tourist Development, TN Department of Economic and Community Development.