County Awarded $290,000 in Business and Training Grants

    AUGUSTA – Governor John E. Baldacci recently announced that Aroostook County is receiving $290,000 from two Community Development Block Grants.     “The CDBG grant program is an important tool for community development in Maine,” Gov. Baldacci said. “The funds help communities compete in a challenging economy, help small businesses grow and help workers train for a new career.”
    Commissioner John Richardson of the Maine Department of Economic and Community Development presented the grants to Aroostook County Administrator Doug Beaulieu.
    The Office of Community Development presented the 2008 CDBG Special Projects Matching Funds in the amount of $250,000 to Aroostook County. Northern Maine Development Commission (NMDC) will be the administrative agent of the grant for various Small Business Development Centers to provide training and counseling to micro-enterprise businesses.
    A qualifying micro-enterprise business consists of five or fewer employees, where the owner of the business meets HUD’s definition of being low- to moderate-income. These CDBG funds are leveraged by more than $2 million in public and private funds to help foster the State’s entrepreneurial efforts for development and sustainability. 
    A 2008 CDBG Public Service Grant in the amount of $40,000 was awarded to Aroostook County on behalf of the Aroostook Family Investment Center to provide training and education to at least 20 low- to moderate-income individuals interested in pursuing careers as Certified Nurse Aide Medical Techs. Funds will be used to administer the program as well as provide transportation, tuition, books, and childcare reimbursement to qualified participants. The CDBG funds are being leveraged by another $41,000 provided through a HUD ROSS grant and Workforce Investment funding. 
    The CDBG program will award approximately $13 million to Maine towns during its 2008 program year.