COUDERSPORT –– Efforts to bring an essential emergency services training course to the Seneca Highlands Career & Technology Center are still underway, said Potter County Commissioner Susan Kefover.

During the commissioners meeting held Thursday, Kefover reported on progress being made to secure funding to launch the program. The initiative has brought in the bulk of the $500,000 needed to start the program, with nearly $400,000 raised to date.

Municipalities across the region have been contacted to pitch in funds for the program. Kefover reported that in Potter County, the townships of Genesee, Roulette, Keating and West Branch, the Borough of Ulysses and county government have pledged funds to reach the goal.

“This is really filling a tremendous need that has been identified in rural communities across the state of Pennsylvania,” Kefover said.

The initiative was launched by McKean County Commissioner Carol Duffy, and municipalities in McKean, Potter and Cameron counties have pledged support.

Kefover also reported on a recent meeting of the Rural Development Council, a group formed under the umbrella of the Pennsylvania Governor’s Advisory Council on Rural Affairs, which included an update on Gov. Tom Wolf’s initiative to expand broadband accessibility across the Commonwealth.

Of the more than 800,000 people without access to broadband, more than 500,000 live in rural areas of the state. To bring service to the last 20 percent of residents without broadband, it is likely to cost about 50 percent of the total cost of upgrading systems to broadband capabilities for everyone throughout the state.

In the United States, Pennsylvania is ranked 27th in availability of broadband, and 24th in ability to expand services.

A detailed report was recently compiled identifying what is working in other states and regions and what more could be done in Pennsylvania to bring residents up to speed with the rest of the country. Across the country, only 6 percent of Americans have no access to broadband services. In rural areas, the percentage jumps to 14.5 percent, and the number is likely even higher in rural Pennsylvania.

Also at the meeting, the commissioners approved a memorandum of understanding between the North Central Regional Planning and Development Commission and the counties of Cameron, McKean and Potter to collaborate on the development of a multi-county comprehensive plan. By developing a plan together, the three counties will save a significant amount of money and there can be cooperation and planning that involve all three areas.

Comprehensive plans are later used to help secure grant funding to implement the projects and programs identified as beneficial to the community and demonstrate a level of planning that is often necessary to earn grant awards.

The document serves as a blueprint for townships, boroughs and other entities when planning for infrastructure, land use, facilities, industries and a host of other projects.

“This offers more clarity to what we’re planning on doing over the next ten years,” said Commissioner Doug Morley. “This type of plan helps us with funding from the federal government and the state—to show them during the grant process that these are the things we’re focused on.”

In other business, the commissioners accepted a grant agreement with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs for the 2017-18 Veterans’ Trust Fund grant in the amount of $11,250. The grant will be used to cover some of the costs associated with bringing the Moving Wall, a half-sized replica of the Vietnam Memorial Wall in Washington, D.C., to Potter County for this fall’s Vietnam Veterans Appreciation events.

Commissioner Paul Heimel said that planning for the event, which will take place from Sept. 13-17, is going well. Planned events include a memorial ceremony, an appreciation dinner, ceremonies at the Moving Wall, outreach events, and a demonstration of the Potter County Veterans Gravestone Restoration project.  

The next meeting of the commissioners will be held at 11 a.m. April 12 at the Gunzburger Building in Coudersport.