Aug 11, 2005 By Patty Yauger 4 min read

CONNELLSVILLE – The city will participate in a new neighborhood revitalization initiative created to help communities develop and implement long range plans. Mayor Judy Reed announced Wednesday that Connellsville was one of 22 state locations to be selected for the Blueprint Communities program during a ceremony held this week in Harrisburg.

“I was very honored to represent the city (in Harrisburg) and very excited about this wonderful opportunity,” said Reed. “(The program) entitles the city to receive some very intense training to help us set goals and objectives; where you want your community to go.”

The local committee to take part in the training session includes Reed, city clerk David Pinkosky, city redevelopment authority executive director Ralph Wombacker, businessman Dick Oglevee and PNC Bank representative Michele Ruth.

Reed applauded Gov. Ed Rendell for his role in supporting the initiative.

“He’s very interested in the revitalization of older communities such as Connellsville,” she said.

Reed said the training opportunity allows the city to develop a strategy to upgrade neighborhoods and strengthen economic development.

“I’m hoping to improve (existing) housing; replace housing that has been destroyed by the arsons or that have fallen into disrepair,” she said. “We’ve lost a lot of our tax base.

“We also need to learn how to showcase our assets such as our river, our bike trail and our railroad.”

The Federal Home Loan Bank (FHLB) of Pittsburgh, in cooperation with other funding and program partners, began the development of the Blueprint Communities program approximately two years ago, according to Neil Cotiaux, FHLB spokesman. This is the first year for the program.

The program allows a team of community representatives to undergo five days of minimal cost training conducted by The Heartland Center for Leadership Development, an independent, non-profit organization based in Lincoln, Neb.

“The purpose (of the training) is for each community team to step back, look at their relative leadership skills; look at their degree of capacity for fostering change and then once they have done that assessment begin to devise a very holistic, strategic plan for sustainable growth in the community,” said Cotiaux. “By sustainable growth, we mean not choosing one or two small facets of activity in a given community that need to be addressed, but pulling back and looking at all of the interchangeable parts.

“Things such as affordable housing, small business growth, safe streets and healthcare; all of which, when put together and addressed holistically, create the proper environment for making the community a much better place to live and work.”

Cotiaux said about 60 communities met the training guidelines that included population figures, community leadership and the capacity to develop and implement a plan. He said 28 communities submitted applications with 22 selected for participation in the program.

“All 22 communities selected have a common thread and that is a serious approach to holistic community revitalization,” he said.

“When we looked at the applications, we saw that each of these 22 (applicants) were dead serious about making progress as quickly as they can.

“They showed an ability to pull together a diverse team of leaders and displayed an understanding of the commitment to the program. This is not a walk in the park; it is going to take hours and hours to complete. They all demonstrated a willingness to undertake this rigorous work.”

The long-range plan is to be completed by the end of the year. The communities then will be able to seek both financial and technical assistance from FHLB program and funding partners, said Cotiaux.

Rendell, he added, pledged to open doors for each of the 22 teams to help them achieve their goals laid out during the training session.

Reed, meanwhile, said she was anxious to begin the process.

“I’m very excited for the city,” she said.

In a related matter, council approved the expenditure of $500 for the designated city representatives to participate in the program.