LISBON — The Columbiana County Port Authority board authorized CCPA Executive Director/CEO Penny Traina to officially apply for the $2 million in funding to expand ongoing residential water well sampling in the East Palestine area.

The Columbiana County Health District had been told about the federal appropriations grant several months ago and joined forces with CCPA this summer to access the funds.

The agreement between the two county entities called for CCPA to apply for the grant through the Environmental Protection Agency and provide administrative services for the East Palestine Derailment Response Residential Well Sampling Project. The county Health District will conduct the actual water well sampling covered by the grant to monitor drinking water quality.

Under the contract, the CCPA will receive up to 7 percent of the awarded grant amount for administrative services, with 3 percent of the awarded grant amount going to the health district as compensation for work performed.

CCPA Assistant Director Brittany Smith said Monday that CCPA received the go-ahead to finally apply for the funding through the OEPA Community Grants Program. She explained that after the train derailment in East Palestine, a water sampling program was developed in coordination with several federal, state and local agencies to monitor drinking water quality in priority zones near the incident. The expansion will allow for water sampling in areas outside the priority zones. She had no time estimate for when the money will be awarded or when the program will begin.

In other business, the CCPA board also authorized Traina to execute a sub-recipient agreement with the Youngstown Business Incubator for the county’s share of a grant awarded by the Appalachian Regional Commission for a project known as Rising Tides. Smith said Columbiana County will receive $50,000 to conduct outreach with local manufacturing companies for the program aimed at workforce training.

She wrote in her report to the board that “this initiative is focused on providing comprehensive technical assistance and training in advanced manufacturing to manufacturers located in the eastern Ohio counties of Ashtabula, Trumbull, Mahoning, Columbiana, Jefferson, Belmont and Monroe in order to position them for entry into the microchip, advanced energy, defense and aerospace industries.”

“We’re thankful to the YBI for reaching out and including Columbiana County,” Traina said.

Smith also updated the board on the most recent workshop with Town Center Associates and officials from the county’s seven walkable downtowns, which include Salem, Leetonia, Columbiana, Lisbon, East Palestine, East Liverpool and Wellsville.

“Very well received, very well attended,” Traina said.

Smith shared some numbers from TCA, regarding the downtowns having 592 units, with 124 vacant and only six of those 124 available for sale or lease. She said the hope is that more of those vacant units will become available for more downtown businesses. The next workshop with TCS will cover building conditions in the downtowns.

In other matters, the board renewed two separate leases with the Community Action Agency of Columbiana County for space in the lower level of the CPA building on Lincole Place for 4,423 square feet of space for $3,685 per month and an additional 2,577 square feet of space for the CAA food pantry for $2,147 per month. The board agreed to extend the oil and gas lease agreement with Hilcorp Energy for an additional three years for 39.599 acres of CCPA mineral rights in Elkrun Township.

The board approved a third adjustment to the 2024 budget, reducing the amount to $2,553,785. The 2025 budget was approved for $2,339,507.

The next meeting for the CCPA board will be 5 p.m. Jan. 27.