Schoharie CDBG Grant Inches Closer

SCHOHARIE - The Schoharie Village Board held their regular meetings last Tuesday, where they convened to discuss the next steps of their CDBG grant, Parrott House news, and a new designation from the state.

The grant offers federally-sourced money to improve a local small business in Schoharie’s community. The recipient of the grant, Harva Co., is looking forward to a new machine and the creation of four new jobs. 

With Julie Pacatte, the executive director of Schoharie Economic Enterprise Corporation, the Village accepted the grant’s award last month, but more steps need to be taken before they receive the funding.

Mrs. Pacatte explained that the Village is currently in the administrative plan review stage, which involves the members of the Board implementing two new proposed actions - an amended procurement policy and a fair housing policy.

Though the public was baffled by these requirements, Mrs. Pacatte elaborated by saying that the fair housing was needed because it ties into the agency from which the grant originated, while the procurement policy is more of an acknowledgement of federal rules about their funds.

While members Jeff Palmer and Peter Johnson were confused by some of the wording in the housing policy, SEEC promised to provide the Village and its residents with circulated pamphlets to allay any of their hesitation. 

With their minds put to rest and not wanting to hold up the grant any longer, the Board unanimously voted to adopt both of the resolutions, allowing SEEC to progress ever further.

In other news, Mrs. Pacatte gave an exciting update about the construction around the Parrott House.

Although the owners are still trying to close on their financing, they have dutifully kept up with their repair work. Though not visible to the public from the outside, they have completed the windows, flooring, roof work, and framing.

Although Mrs. Pacatte still cautioned that construction will take about a year, the Board was hopeful to see the work done and wish the owners the best in their endeavors.

Finally, the Board received news from the state about their official pro-housing certification.

In a recent push by the governor, many grants for smaller municipalities are now locked behind this certification, including the Downtown Revitalization Initiative and NY Forward. This conundrum alone makes this designation more important than ever before. 

Luckily, the Village is now certified as such, something that they say is unique in the county, and the Board plans to apply for these grants as soon as they’re able before the early deadline in October.