October 30, 2019
By: Dwayne Page
DeKalb County is one of 59 counties that has been awarded a ThreeStar grant.
The grant is for $50,000 to used for city park improvements in DeKalb County. County Mayor Tim Stribling informed the county commission of the news Monday night during the regular monthly meeting and he commended Chamber Director Suzanne Williams for her role in writing the grant with his assistance.
“The ThreeStar grant for DeKalb County in the amount of $50,000 in part will be used to develop park plans for cities within the county to address health, safety, and economic development. Grant funds shall also be utilized to purchase technology equipment, supplies, materials, and any other equipment necessary for implementing park plans. We have increased the amount of grant DeKalb County has received the last three years from $10,000 to $15,000 to $50,000 and there is no match required by the county. We are very pleased DeKalb County was one of the 59 counties to receive the ThreeStar grant” said County Mayor Stribling.
Governor Bill Lee and Department of Economic and Community Development Commissioner Bob Rolfe made the announcement on October 3.
In total, TNECD is awarding $2.4 million in funding to Tennessee communities through this round of the ThreeStar grant program.
The grants will be used for a variety of local community development initiatives, including education, workforce development, health, entrepreneurship and economic development programs, among others that are prioritized by the communities.
“These 59 ThreeStar grants will help counties all across Tennessee invest in vital community development initiatives,” Lee said. “I’m eager to see these programs strengthen the quality of life, access to workforce training programs, and economic opportunities for our residents in rural Tennessee.”
“The ThreeStar grant program has a proven track record of success, and I’m pleased to announce this year’s grant recipients,” Rolfe said. “TNECD is proud to assist communities that are committed to improving their workforce readiness and quality of life with these types of innovative local programs.”
ThreeStar promotes economic and community prosperity through collaboration to positively impact every Tennessean. For the third time in the past four years, all 95 Tennessee counties gained ThreeStar certification.
To be eligible for ThreeStar grants, each county must meet all ThreeStar certification requirements, develop an asset-based strategic plan and design a program to implement a goal from its strategic plan. The 59 counties were selected out of 78 applications.
“TNECD is committed to helping communities in areas that they prioritize on a local level,” Jody Sliger, TNECD’s Community Development Director, said. “We are proud to partner with these 59 communities and support a wide range of community development programs all across our state.”
The Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development’s mission is to develop strategies that help make Tennessee the No. 1 location in the Southeast for high quality jobs. To grow and strengthen Tennessee, the department seeks to attract new corporate investment to the state and works with Tennessee companies to facilitate expansion and economic growth.