Community & Economic Development

A major task of the Community & Economic Development Department is to assist local officials in their efforts to secure funding for various public projects including:

• Residential water and sewer systems construction and improvements
• Industrial site acquisition and development
• Loans for job creation projects
• Senior citizens centers
• Wellness centers
• Utility workers training center

The Department works closely with various agencies including:

• Kentucky Governor's Office for Local Development (GOLD)
• Kentucky Housing Corporation
• United States Economic Development Administration
• Kentucky Economic Development Cabinet
• U.S. Department of Agriculture, Rural Development Division
• Kentucky Transportation Cabinet
• Kentucky Justice Cabinet
• U.S. Department of Justice
• Kentucky Infrastructure Authority
• Kentucky Division of Water
• U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
• U.S. Small Business Administration
• Federal Environmental Protection Agency
• Kentucky Department for Natural Resources
• Kentucky Heritage Council
• Kentucky Division of Emergency Management
• Federal Emergency Management Administration
• United States Army Corp of Engineers

Staff members have worked with the above agencies and others to secure funding for communities for various projects.

Steps in project development:

• Step one in project development involves identifying specific community needs and issues. This is best done at the local level with community officials, local residents, and Lake Cumberland Area Development District staff participating in the process. The scope of the project must be defined and the potential sources of financial support must be identified. Staff will gather necessary data for application writing purposes and complete the required documentation for the application(s).
• Step two - Once a project is funded, staff can assist in the implementation of the project on behalf of the applicant. This may include the following services as required by the funding agency:

• Maintaining project specific documentation
• Managing procurement of professional services
• Environmental assessment
• Acting as liaison with funding agencies
• Financial management
• Civil rights compliance
• Labor standards compliance
• Contract review
• Project benefit profile
• Project close-out
• Most of all, staff serves as a coordinator between the project engineer, local governing body, contractors, funding agencies, etc., to ensure all regulations are followed.

Lake Cumberland Area Development District has nine (9) certified administrators on staff. Fees for these services are charged based upon a percentage of the project cost.