Warren County will receive $15,000 in the form of a ThreeStar Community Grant. The funds will be divided between two education programs and two economic develop workshops.
“Because Warren County is a level three ThreeStar Community, we can get a $15,000 reimbursed grant from the program,” said Warren County Executive John Pelham, chairman of the Joint Economic and Community Development Board which met Wednesday.
JECDB members debated in March and April on how to spend the grant, selecting Citizens for Progress $9,000, Morrison Library’s Summer Reading Program $1,000 and two economic development workshops $2,500 each.
The ThreeStar Community program is offered by the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development. The grant is reimbursable, meaning the county will have to pay for the projects and then submit paid invoices to the state in order to be reimbursed.
ThreeStar funds can only be used in specific areas such as software upgrades, training for teachers or SRO officers, a reward program for students, activities that improve math scores, obesity education or activities that encourage exercise, etc.
The ThreeStar program helps communities improve in areas such as economic development, efficient government, public safety, education, workforce development, health and welfare. Communities must show annual improvements in some of the areas to continue to be named a ThreeStar Community.
Warren County is currently a level three, ThreeStar Community. Level three communities are eligible for a $15,000 grant from the state, while communities considered a level one or level two receive more.
To remain in the program, communities must have a development board consisting of county executives, mayors, and representatives from industry, agriculture, education, etc., meet quarterly, and submit an annual application.
Pelham says the program is being changed and the levels removed.
“I went to a ThreeStar workshop in Cookeville,” he said. “Apparently, the program is being revamped. Every community in the program will be $10,000 next year — that’s across the board. They have removed the levels.”
Another change will be the need for the county to establish an Audit Committee, says Pelham.
“I have been given the guidelines to set up the Audit Committee,” he said. “The county is required to do it. I’m not aware of the city having the same requirement. Just the county.”
When Warren County is audited, Audit Committee members review the audit. If there are any findings by the auditor, the committee recommends changes to the Warren County Commission in order to correct the findings.
JECDB has until the end of June 2014 to get the invoices into the state regarding reimbursement on the $15,000 grant.