Development

DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS

Alabama State Data Center Affiliate

ATRC is one of 27 designated Alabama State Data Center affiliates throughout the state.   As a data center affiliate, ATRC provides consultation on data use and handles requests for economic and demographic data.

Alabama State Data Center Website: http://cber.cba.ua.edu/asdc/

Alabama Entrepreneurial Research Network Partner

ATRC is a member of the AERN whose goal is to enhance small business development in rural areas.

AERN Website: http://aern.cba.ua.edu/

Rural Transportation Planning Organization (RPO)

The Alabama Tombigbee Rural Planning Organization is a joint project between the Alabama Tombigbee Regional Commission and the Alabama Department of Transportation.  At this time, the RPO process is advisory in nature.

The RPO serves as a formal link between the ALDOT and the local governments and allows more opportunity for the rural areas to communicate with the ALDOT. The objectives of the RPO are:

• To improve communication between the rural areas and the ALDOT,
• To develop documents that will be useful to the ALDOT and the local governments,
• To improve transportation planning in the rural areas,
• To construct needed highway and bridge projects in the rural areas,
• To increase highway safety.The Alabama Tombigbee Regional Commission (ATRC) manages the Alabama Tombigbee Rural Transportation Planning Process (RPO). The RPO is composed of three committees. The Policy Committee is the official decision making body of the process. The Policy Committee is served by two advisory committees: the Technical Coordinating Committee (TCC) and the Citizens Transportation Advisory Committee (CTAC).

The area served by the RPO includes the ten counties served by Alabama Tombigbee Regional Commission: Choctaw, Clarke, Conecuh, Dallas, Marengo, Monroe, Perry, Sumter, Washington, and Wilcox.

Bylaws

Public Involvement Plan

Work Program

Committee Meeting Schedules

Grant Writing and Administration

The Development Division provides technical assistance to local governments in the preparation and submission of grant applications and the administration of grants. These grant programs include:

• Community Development Block Grants (CDBG)
• Delta Regional Authority (DRA)
• Economic Development Administration (EDA)
• Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF)
• Recreational Trails Program (RTP)
• Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP)

Planning

The Development Division offers planning services to its member governments.  These services include comprehensive planning, hazard mitigation planning, and transportation planning.

ATRC CEDS 2022

Mapping

ATRC’s Development Division offers Geographic Information Systems (GIS) services to its member governments.  Currently, members of the staff are involved in mapping public water infrastructure in the region.

Revolving Loan Fund Program     

The Alabama-Tombigbee Regional Commission Revolving Loan Fund Program (RLF)

is a locally controlled source of capital used to finance start-up and expanding businesses whose projects will create and retain permanent jobs and leverage private sector investments.  As borrowers repay their RLF loans, the principal and interest payments are returned to the fund for lending to other businesses to create more jobs and investment opportunities.

This loan program was initially capitalized by a grant from the Economic Development Administration.  A loan from the USDA Farmers Home Administration (now USDA Rural Development) for the establishment of an Intermediary Relending Program and an appropriation from the State of Alabama legislature have also provided funding for the Revolving Loan Fund Program.

The ATRC Revolving Loan Fund Program service area is within the ten counties of the Alabama-Tombigbee region, which are Choctaw, Clarke, Conecuh, Dallas, Marengo, Monroe, Perry, Sumter, Washington and Wilcox.  Businesses eligible must be located within this region.

The ATRC/RLF was not established to compete with the banking community or to be a lender of last resort.  Instead, it was established to provide gap financing between what the bank/participating lender can reasonably lend on a project and what the business can provide in equity.

The ATRC/RLF is administered by staff members of the Alabama-Tombigbee Regional Commission and a Revolving Loan Fund Board, consisting of representatives of the ten counties of the ATRC region.  Final approval of all RLF loans is at the discretion of the RLF Board.

Some of the ATRC/RLF guidelines/requirements are listed below.  This is a sampling of the type of guidelines that must be met in order for a loan application to be approved.

• Business start-up or expansion must result in the creation/retention of permanent jobs.
• RLF can finance up to 1/3 of the total project cost.
• Business must provide at least 10% of the project cost in equity.
• Below prime rates are available.
• Principals and business must be creditworthy and generate sufficient cash flow to repay the debt.
• Principals of the business must provide personal guarantees.

RLF Brochure: ATRC Revolving Loan Program Brochure

For further information contact:

Alabama-Tombigbee Regional Commission, RLF Program
107 Broad Street
Camden, AL  36726                            Phone:  334-682-4234