ashtabul

State Rep. Sarah Fowler Arthur (R-Ashtabula) encourages cities and entities throughout Ashtabula County to apply for the Vibrant Community Program. The program focuses on distressed communities that face hardships regarding economic development and job creation. Fowler Arthur has identified three cities within the 99th Ohio House District that are eligible to apply.

“Our communities of Ashtabula, Conneaut and Geneva are eligible for this grant that could go a long way in helping with economic growth within our region of the state,” said Fowler Arthur. “I hope the cities, businesses, non-profits and others take a look into this opportunity as it could certainly be a chance to improve job creation within these areas.”

The program is run through JobsOhio and is meant to uplift areas with significant reinvestments for those that have had difficulty with attracting private investments and job creation due to a lack of resources.

JobsOhio has noted eligibility has qualified nearly 100 cities that have populations between 5,000 and 75,000. Additionally, the poverty rates must be at or above the state’s average poverty rate, and eligible applicants include businesses, non-profits, developers, port authorities or local governments.

In total, the grants offer up to $2 million for these development projects that are going to these identified distressed areas.

For Ashtabula, Conneaut, Geneva and other entities within the cities interested in applying for future rounds of the Vibrant Community Program, please contact JobsOhio Regional Network Partner Bill Koehler at bkoehler@teamneo.org or at (216) 363-5420.