SULLIVAN COUNTY, NY — Christmas came early to municipalities and businesses across Sullivan County, as funding from the 11th round of the Regional Economic Development Council (REDC) was awarded.

The REDC initiative channels state funding to job creation and community development projects across New York through 10 regional councils. Sullivan County belongs to the Mid-Hudson regional council.

The REDC system was established in 2010, and has distributed funding on a yearly basis since then. Gov. Kathy Hochul announced $196 million in funding for the program’s 11th round on December 14.

A number of infrastructure projects across Sullivan County received funding through this process.

The initiative awarded a total of $1.25 million to the O&W Rail Trail project, which has been working to create a continuous trail linking rural downtown centers and villages following the historic path of the Ontario and Western Railway.

The Open Space Institute received $500,000 in funding to conduct a feasibility study of the entire length of the O&W rail corridor, covering 57 miles and stretching from Kingston to Port Jervis. In addition, the Town of Fallsburg received a total of $750,000 to construct a bridge over the Neversink River, thereby completing a 14-mile section of the O&W Rail Trail.

The Town of Delaware received $2 million for the construction of a new wastewater treatment plant. The town’s current plant was constructed within a floodplain, according to the state’s list of awardees, and the new plant will be constructed on higher ground, protecting it from the more extreme weather that will result from climate change.

Bethel received $149,186 for the renovation of its town hall. The proposed renovation looks to meet Passive House standards, one of the most stringent measures of energy efficiency, and will be powered and heated entirely with renewable energy from the town’s solar panels.

Funding was also provided for improvements to local water and sewer systems. Fallsburg, Thompson, Rockland and Liberty received $50,000,  $1.585 million, almost $1.467 million and $787,700 respectively, for installation of disinfectant systems, improvement surveys and other upgrades.

Several non-municipal organizations also received funding through the REDC initiative.

Roscoe Central School District received $25,000 to study a potential merger with Livingston Manor School District. The two districts began sharing sports programs in spring 2011, and are led by the same superintendent, John P. Evans.

The Sullivan Catskills Visitors Association received $329,531 to develop and initiate its “Beyond Summer” marketing campaign, which aims to extend the tourist season in the county into the fall and the early winter.

The Sullivan County Land Bank received $54,690 for plans to redevelop the Broadway Theater in Monticello. The land bank aims to identify a developer and an operator to renovate the theater, which has been abandoned for over two decades.

And Kittatinny Canoe received $150,000 to renovate its Barryville campground into Camp Fimfo, or “Fun Is More Fun Outside.” The renovation will include improved RV and cabin sites and “new amenities that enhance the natural, historic, cultural and recreational assets of the region,” according to the list of awardees.