Lewis County receives 2022 ThreeStar certification

 

Pictured above are Chamber Board members Dee-Dee Lower Lee, TCAT Hohenwald President Kelli-Kea Carroll, Lewis County Mayor Jonah Keltner, Stan Smith, Chamber Parlimentarian, Senator Joey Hensley, Tyler Hinson, Chamber President, Lewis County Chief Operating Officer David Thomas, Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Debbie Landers and the Elephant Sanctuary's Operations and Outreach Manager Todd Montgomery.

Lewis County has been certified by the State of Tennessee as a ThreeStar Community for the year 2022.

Last week while representing the State of Tennessee, Senator Joey Hensley met with our Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors to present them with Lewis County's ThreeStar Plaque.

ThreeStar is a strategic community development program developed by the state to assist communities in preparing for, and building, a better future.

Participation in ThreeStar is required for the county and city to participate in state programs including Tennessee Main Street, Tennessee Downtowns, TNECD Tourism Enhancement Grant, TN Placemakers Entrepreneurship Program, Select TN Property Evaluation Program, Site Development Grant Program, Marketing Assistance Program and others.

ThreeStar certified counties and cities are eligible for CDBG and Fast Track Incentive discount (for eligible projects) on the business development ability-to-pay match calculation. A ThreeStar bonus amount is also calculated on eligible funded projects. The savings and bonus amount, as well as project type and grantee, are listed in the chart below.

Certification in the ThreeStar program is based on annual documentation of local activity, evaluation and biennial participation in coordinated local goals and activity planning.

Participating counties qualify for a four percent discount on eligible projects they are pursuing every year in which they fulfill the requirements of the ThreeStar Program.

According to Jody Sliger, the Community Development Coordinator for Tennessee, Lewis County Government has received a little over $109,000 in financial benefits on the last three Community Development Block Grant projects the county has pursued because of its ThreeStar status. The City of Hohenwald has also saved over $143,000.

Additionally, earlier this fiscal year Lewis County Government was awarded a $50,000 ThreeStar grant that will be used this summer to construct a small boat launching ramp and develop a gravel parking lot at the County's Buffalo River Blue Way property at the Mouth of Grinders Creek. That is a fully-funded grant and requires no match from local taxpayers.

 

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