Appalachian Regional Commission
The Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) is a federal-state partnership that works with the people of Appalachia and their respective Local Development District such as OMEGA to create opportunities for self-sustaining economic development and improved quality of life by promoting regional strategies for partnerships, progress and prosperity. Since the ARC’s inception in 1966, OMEGA has assisted in obtaining over $75 million in ARC grant awards. The ARC funding has in turn leveraged over $140 million in other local, state and federal funds.
Economic Development Administration
OMEGA is an Economic Development District (EDD) that receives funding from the US Department of Commerce, Economic Development Administration (EDA) through EDA’s Partnership Planning Grant Program. As a certified EDD, OMEGA plays a key role in facilitating applications for the following EDA Grant Programs:
Public Works and Economic Development
Economic Adjustment Assistance
Planning Assistance
Technical Assistance
Community Development Grants/Loans
Our Community Development Specialists work one-on-one to assist individuals, local officials, and non-profit organizations with the preparation of grant proposals as well as providing grant counseling. Counseling can assist the grant writer, grant writing teams, advisory boards and others with answers to questions relative to grants and funding sources, grant applications, drafts and final grant formats.
Regional Transportation Planning Organization
In July 2013, Ohio Mid-Eastern Governments Association became one of the five non-MPO (Metropolitan Planning Organization) regional councils in Ohio taking part in a two year pilot program to establish Regional Transportation Planning Organizations (RTPOs) in Ohio. The purpose of this pilot program was to provide the rural areas of Ohio, that are not within the service boundaries of an MPO, a method by which to provide meaningful input to transportation planning activities taking place in Ohio. The pilot program was successfully completed in June 2015.
On January 27, 2016, Governor John Kasich formally designated OMEGA as an RTPO, along with our four other partner organizations, pursuant to United States Code, Title 23, Section 135(m). This designation covers the Ohio counties of Carroll, Columbiana, Coshocton, Guernsey, Harrison, Holmes, Muskingum, and Tuscarawas. This RTPO designation provides for the OMEGA Executive Board, consisting primarily of local elected officials, and the Ohio Department of Transportation to conduct an ongoing regional transportation planning process focused on promoting and enhancing the OMEGA region’s economic, social, and natural environments.
