Capito hears updates on local projects related to 'earmarks' funding

Feb. 22—PRINCETON — Sen. Shelley Moore Capito met with local leaders Tuesday afternoon to hear updates on projects that were spearheaded with Congressionally Directed Spending (CDS) and hear any concerns going forward.

Capito explained that the CDS funds were once called "earmarks," but they "got a bad name" for abuses of the system end ended about 10 years ago.

They are back, she said, but how the money is spent now is much more limited, with no earmarks for national defense, for example, and earmarks are now directed toward local and regional projects that have more of a direct impact on residents.

Capito said CDS funding can help with a big project by getting it going and provide funding to leverage more funding from other sources.

"What I want to do is get an opportunity to hear from you to see how these are going from last year," she told leaders from local entities that have benefited from recent earmarks and have ongoing projects related to the funding.

Capito, who is on the Senate Appropriations Committee, said she and Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., who is also on the committee, said she and Manchin "work very well together" in this area in getting funding to West Virginia.

One of those CDS earmarks was $2.9 million for a gas line to run from Rt. 460 to the Cumberland Industrial Park along John Nash Boulevard.

John O'Neal, Executive Director of the Mercer County Economic Development Authority, told her the gas line has been talked about and needed for many, many years, but is now on its way to becoming a reality.

"Once your almost $3 million was secured, we were able to take that and tried to find matching funds from other sources," he said. "We did secured $2 million from the state and $1 million from the county and it ended up being the full $6 million for the project..."

O'Neal said not having gas in the industrial park has hampered the recruitment of new industry as well as jeopardize existing industries as access to gas is needed.

He said 10 businesses are in the park employing about 100 people in the manufacturing sector.

"Not only will it (the gas line) help maintain existing businesses...it will also allow us to be in the hunt as we try to secure some additional companies," he said.

O'Neal said he has been working with the federal Department of Energy (DOE) and the project is designed now and the green light has been given to spend funds.

"We believe there will be dozens of businesses ... and hundreds of jobs that will be serviced by this particular project," he said, referring to growth at the industrial park and along John Nash Boulevard.

"We hope that we will be breaking ground some time this spring ..." he said.

O'Neal also told Capito work is progressing on the new sports complex project, using a $2 million earmark to get started.

"Generally speaking, it is an outdoor recreation-tourism related project with a commercial component," he said, and involve travel sports, focusing on baseball and softball.

A "sportsplex" is also included, he added, an indoor sports facility, as well as commercial development.

O'Neal said an analysis of the project reported it should generate "approximately 100,000 new overnight visitors to Mercer County."

"The project has been designed," he said, with a team working on the project for about 18 months.

The exact location of the sports complex has not yet been revealed because land is still being secured but it will be close off I-77.

"It will very much cater to travel competition," he said.

O'Neal also said he is working with other similar facilities in the broader region to avoid duplication.

Sam Lusk, Princeton's Economic Development Director, briefed Capito on the multi-use community center project beside City Hall in the old Dean Company complex off Bee Street.

The city received $2.2 million from CDS to get started.

Lusk said the total cost will be $4 million with $800,000 already set aside for the project and $1 million in bonds to pay for it all.

The facility will be located inside the Dean Company building so the work will all be in renovating the inside.

It will include three basketball courts, a classroom, a martial arts room and space for various community uses.

"The City of Princeton and the Princeton Economic Development Authority appreciates Senator Capito's visit and the opportunity to discuss regional economic development issues," Lusk said. "Her support played a crucial role in our efforts to provide a community center and other facility updates at the Princeton Municipal Complex. We thank her for all that she continues to do for our community and State."

"Discussions with local leaders who are on the ground in West Virginia are essential to my work in the Senate," Capito said after the City Hall meeting. "It was great to meet with officials from Princeton, Bluefield, and communities across Mercer County today to discuss economic development efforts and current projects. I look forward to continuing our work together in the future to grow opportunities in the region and improve the lives of residents."

Capito also visited Princeton Health Care Center, where she received a tour of the facility, met with staff, and discussed several of the center's initiatives.

"Having specific health services available in our rural communities is a vital aspect in keeping West Virginians healthy," she said in a statement after the visit. "The Princeton Health Care Center provides many necessary services that our residents rely on, and I was thrilled to receive an update on operations at the facility today and meet with their dedicated staff. I will continue to use my role in the U.S. Senate to provide the resources they need to keep operations running efficiently."

"Princeton Health Care Center appreciates Senator Capito for taking the time to tour our beautiful facility. We look forward to discussing issues that currently impact those in the post-acute healthcare sector," Princeton Health Care Center CEO and Administrator Stefanie Compton said.

— Contact Charles Boothe at cboothe@bdtonline.com

Contact Charles Boothe at cboothe@bdtonline.com