ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Economic Development District (EDD) Program
Community Development Block Grant Program

Economic Development District (EDD) Program

The U.S. Department of Commerce, Economic Development Administration (EDA) provides infrastructure, planning, and capacity building funding to its grantees towards economic development. As a prerequisite for EDA funding, grantees are required to establish a locally based, regional economic development planning process leading to the creation of a Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS). Citrus, Hernando, Levy, Marion, and Sumter counties were collectively designated as the Withlacoochee Economic Development District (EDD) utilizing a Federal 11.302 Planning Grant from the EDA on April 10, 1995. The Withlacoochee Regional Planning Council (WRPC) is the EDD administrative entity.

When submitting an application for funding to the EDA, local governments must meet at least one of the following three criteria: (1) Per capita income level of 80 percent or less of the national average; (2) Unemployment rate of at least one percent greater than the national average; (3) Special need as determined by the EDA Assistant Secretary.

At a minimum, all EDA applications must be submitted at a fifty-fifty matching funds level. The applicant must provide a dollar in actual cash matching funds for every dollar requested. However, additional grant assistance not to exceed ten percent of eligible costs can be afforded if the following conditions are met:

• The project is located in a designated Economic Development District (EDD)


• The applicant is actively participating in the economic development activities of the District


• The project is consistent with the strategy of the District


• The non-Federal share is not less than twenty percent


• The project is not a Section 207 University Center, and is not a planning project under CFR 306


• The District organization is not itself the sole project applicant, and


• The co-applicant with the District is actively participating in economic development activities of the District and the project is otherwise eligible for such incentive.

Program Responsibilities and Requirements

In addition to other EDD administrative requirements, the WRPC is required to develop and maintain the CEDS, and any subsequent supplements or revisions including: preparation of the analytic, strategic and implementation components of the CEDS, adopting the CEDS by formal action of the EDD governing board, and submitting the CEDS and any supplements, revisions, and annual reports for review by the appropriate governmental bodies and interested organized groups.

The WRPC as well as all other EDD organizations receiving EDA financial assistance must provide the following:

• Coordinate and implement economic development activities in the District, including access to information pertaining to Federal, State and Local Grant opportunities


• Assistance from Council staff in the preparation and writing of grant applications for economic development purposes


• Carry out economic development related research, planning, implementation and advisory functions that are necessary to CEDS development and implementation


• Coordinate the development and implementation of the CEDS with other Local, State, Federal and private organizations


• Carry out the annual implementation of the CEDS as applicable.

CEDS Strategy Committee

The CEDS participatory planning process includes oversight by the Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy Committee. The Committee is responsible for developing, updating, or replacing the strategy, and is the primary facilitator of the economic development planning and implementation process. Where possible, the Committee represents the major interests of the community including public leadership, business, employment and training, community organizations, women, minorities, aged, and disabled. EDA final rule requires that the CEDS Strategy Committee be a majority private sector group.

Community Development Block Grant Program

The Withlacoochee Regional Planning Council (WRPC) offers Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) application preparation and administration assistance to its member local governments. Assistance can be provided for the Housing Rehabilitation Program, Commercial Revitalization Program, Economic Development Program, and Neighborhood Revitalization Program. On a contractual basis, WRPC staff is available to provide assistance in all aspects of CDBG application preparation and administration services including but not limited to the following:

• Financial Management, approval of requisitions for payment, preparation of financial reports and requests for funds, contract management control card, and minority business enterprise contract reporting.
• Environmental Compliance, statutory checklist and format II (two) assessment, flood plains and wetlands noticing, and request for removal of environmental conditions as required.
• General Compliance, assistance with citizen participation compliance, citizen complaint policies, civil rights and fair housing compliance, handicap accessibility compliance, and general correspondence with participants and beneficiaries.
• Professional Procurement, assistance in procuring professional architectural, engineering, landscape architectural, surveying, appraisal, title, asbestos testing and abatement services in compliance with all applicable federal, state, and local requirements; including assistance with developing request for proposals, reviewing and ranking proposals, and review for public entity crimes compliance and non-inclusion on convicted vendors list.



• Construction Administration, including assistance in reviewing change orders, field orders, and monitoring the construction process for compliance with adopted project schedules and documents. (Monitoring for code compliance and inspection is not provided by the WRPC).
  
  
• Miscellaneous Assistance, including assistance with developing or modifying the Housing Assistance Plan, assistance with establishing the Citizen Advisory Task Force (CATF), assistance with surveying to determine low to moderate income beneficiaries, assistance with developing citizen participation plans and complaint procedures, assistance with developing and modifying procurement policies and procedures, assistance with property acquisition, displacement, and relocation including developing optional relocation and assistance policies, and assistance with monitoring compliance.
  
  

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