BUCYRUS — Crawford County Commissioners said Thursday they are seeking project proposals for community infrastructure and facilities for Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding.

Commissioners selected the Crawford Partnership to facilitate the process, and information will be made available at public hearings, in-person and virtual community meetings, and council meetings, and online at buildcrawford.org.

For Program Year 2023, Crawford County can apply to the Ohio Department of Development for up to the following amounts for the following CDBG programs:

· $220,000 in Community Development Allocation

· $500,000 for Critical Infrastructure

· $750,000 for Neighborhood Revitalization

· $750,000 for Residential Public Infrastructure

· Variable amount for the Flexible Grant Program

Tim Ley, president of the Crawford County Board of Commissioners, said was pleased to make the announcement.

“We are excited to announce the next round of Community Development Block Grant funding for our county. We want to support our cities, villages, townships, and nonprofits as they work hard to improve the quality of life for Crawford County residents.”

The process will officially begin with a public hearing on Tuesday, April 11, at 1:30 p.m. at the County Commissioners office at 112 E. Mansfield St. in Bucyrus. Program information will be presented, questions answered, and project ideas discussed.

An additional virtual public meeting will be Thursday, April 13, at 7:00 p.m. The meeting link, as well as a recording of the meeting, will be available at buildcrawford.org.

The Crawford Partnership will reach out to governments and nonprofits to identify projects and work with them to fill out a needs assessment and then individual project proposal questionnaires, both of which are available at buildcrawford.org.

The deadline for submitting project proposals is Tuesday, May 2, 2023.

Submitted projects will be evaluated by the Crawford Partnership for completeness and eligibility and selected by the Crawford County Commissioners.

Selected projects will be announced at a second public hearing on Tuesday, May 16, 2023 at 1:30 p.m. at the county commissioner offices.

Once projects are selected, the Crawford Partnership will work with the applicants to compile all the necessary documents in order for the County to submit their application by June 14, 2023.

 About the Crawford Partnership

Started in 2006, the Crawford Partnership for Education and Economic Development is a private, non-profit corporation dedicated to driving collaborative economic, community and workforce development in Bucyrus, Galion, Crestline, New Washington, and all of Crawford County.

In 2022, community was ranked in the top four percent for economic development and is pursuing an aggressive, strategic, and comprehensive agenda to become a community of choice for businesses and residents. To learn more about the Crawford Partnership, please visit us at crawfordpartnership.org