WARREN — An Ohio House bill primarily dealing with repaying loans the state received to pay unemployment benefits also included provisions opening up $250 million in state funding to fund local water and sewer projects.

County engineers are responsible for signing off on the application for the funds, even when they are not the sanitary engineer in a county.

Trumbull County Engineer Randy Smith hosted a meeting Thursday with local government officials, development consultation companies and regional planning organization Eastgate Regional Council of Governments to start the process for applying for the funding, accessible by application to all 88 counties.

Counties only had 60 days after the bill passed to submit applications and about 50 days remain. Further complicating the short deadline to submit the projects is a lack of official guidelines for the program, Smith said.

The bill creates a Water and Sewer Quality Program under the Ohio Department of Development (previously known as the Ohio Development Services Agency) to provide grants to political subdivisions for water and sewer projects. A local match will be required for most projects, according to the Ohio Legislative Service Commission.

Other guidance provided to Smith states the projects are likely to require an one-to-one match.

Smith suggested the group of officials meet again in two weeks after the representatives consult with other government officials and start narrowing down potential projects for the application.

Local governments represented at the meeting included Niles, Warren, Howland, Brookfield, Orangeville, West Farmington, Lordstown, Hubbard and Girard, along with the building trades union. State Rep. Michael O’Brien, D-Warren, and state Senator Sandra O’Brien, R-Lenox, attended in person, while a representative from state Rep. Michael Loychik’s office attended virtually. Loychik, R-Bazetta, sponsored the bill.

Smith said it is important to put together a competitive application, and Trumbull County could have an edge by getting together now to start compiling reasonable projects. He said his office is there to assist, and to be the vehicle to move the process forward and offer support.

Tony Burgoyne with GPD Group suggested communities “dust off” projects that are “shovel ready,” and that communities are more likely to be successful if they focus on smaller projects.

Mike Keys, director of community development for Warren, said he will take the information back to the mayor and the directors of water and sewer to consult them about potential projects.

The group also discussed other funding provided for in the state budget bill.

Each county is expected to receive $500,000 each for demolition and site revitalization and $1 million for brownfield redevelopment.