The Woodward News

Local News

October 18, 2011

OEDA schedules grant workshops

Gary Engel Woodward News

Woodward, Okla. — Several workshops concerning Rural Economic Action Plan (REAP) grants have been scheduled in the area this month.

The seminars are sponsored by the Oklahoma Economic Development Authority (OEDA) based in Beaver.

OEDA Executive Director Larry M. Bostic said city representatives can apply for REAP grants for infrastructure improvements and county officials can make applications on behalf of rural areas.

The Woodward session is at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 25 at NWOSU-Woodward. Other meetings that day are at 10:30 a.m. at Gage City Hall and 2 p.m. at Seiling City Hall.

On. Oct. 26 meetings are set for 10;30 a.m. in the OEDA board room in Beaver, at 2 p.m. in the Laverne City Hall and 6:30 p.m. at Northwest Tech Center in Alva.

Two meetings are planned on Oct. 28 in the Panhandle - 10:30 a.m. at Keyes City Hall and 2:30 p.m. in Hooker City Hall.

OEDA is encouraging communities to send at least one representative to one of the workshops.

The agenda for the workshop includes discussion of economic grant opportunities with the Oklahoma Water Resources Board, from the Oklahoma Department of Commerce's Community Development Block Grant program, the federal Economic Development Administration, USDA Rural Development and other state and federal programs, Bostic said. More than $1 million is available for grants.

The REAP program is used to stimulate economic growth in small communities, Bostic said. Grants are designed to provide funding for unincorporated areas and communities with a population of 7,000 or less. Towns with a population of 1,500 or less are given priority.

"This is money that the state has appropriated to assist areas that don't have big enough budgets to support such work," Bostic said.

Bostic said in the past, REAP grants have funded street repairs in Mutual, water line improvements in Fort Supply and upgrades to the Mooreland City Hall.

OEDA serves Woodward, Beaver, Cimarron, Ellis, Dewey, Harper, Texas and Woods counties.

Along with community development, OEDA also assists Area Agencies on Aging, rural fire defense programs, graphics and maps for public information systems, employment and training programs and more. Some grant money can be used for these purposes, Bostic said.

Woodward's Bill Fanning, an OEDA trustee serving cities and towns, said while the city of Woodward is typically too large to qualify for REAP grants, there have been benefits from other municipal grant programs in which the OEDA assists.

For example, "there was almost $2 million for the Siemens Company," Fanning said. "The whole project is valued at $3 million."

Siemens announced earlier this year it is moving into a 64,000-square foot building in the Woodward Industrial Park, where it will store and distribute wind energy parts.

For more information about the meetings call Bostic at 580-625-4531 or by email at oedaxdir@ptsi.net.

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