LISBON, Ohio – In partnership with the village of Lisbon, the Columbiana County Port Authority will apply for funding through the Ohio Department of Transportation for sidewalk work.

Brittany Smith, executive director of the port authority, advised board members during their meeting Monday that an application will be filed for $250,000 in Transportation Alternatives Program funding.

If awarded, the funds will be used for installing sidewalks throughout the Dickey Drive cul-de-sac, west up Saltwell Drive to state Route 45, and state Route 45 to Rose Drive.

Smith said the port authority’s staff is working with the village and its engineer, Howells & Baird, to finalize cost estimates and specifications for the project.

Traffic counters were installed last week across Dickey Drive and Saltwell Road to obtain the most information. “We were surprised to see that the daily average vehicles into the cul-de-sac was 1,888 and on Saltwell Road, 3,432,” Smith said.

This, she said, makes an even greater case for the need to install sidewalks to keep pedestrians off roadways.

In response to Smith’s report, the board approved a motion authorizing her to apply for and execute documents for the TAP funding.

The board also approved a letter of commitment for in-kind services allowing the Ohio APEX Accelerator at Youngstown State University to use the port authority’s training room.

Smith explained that the Mahoning Valley Procurement Technical Assistance Center partnered with the Small Business Development Center at YSU in 2016.

In 2023, according to Smith, PTAC rebranded to the APEX Accelerator and focuses on assisting businesses with government contracting, with clients ranging from seasoned contractors to those new to the market businesses.

“By providing one-on-one counseling to businesses, they can determine business readiness levels and identify potential opportunities to compete in winning bids and understanding contract clauses and compliances,” she said.

With the letter of commitment in place, the APEX program will be able to use the port authority training room for individual meetings and counseling sessions with businesses in Columbiana County, and Smith said they will use this in-kind space toward their Department of Defense grant, which funds its services.

Smith addressed the addition of the new Lake to River region, saying it has been an “outstanding benefit to our work this year.”

“Their team has been exceptionally responsive, collaborative and engaged, working closely with us on an almost daily basis,” she said.

Smith said the port authority staff is excited to meet and begin working with Dani Robbins, the new CEO of Lake to River Economic Development. “We especially appreciated the partnership and leadership of interim CEO Alexa Sweeney Blackann and wish her the very best,” she added.

“We believe it is important to invest in our partner to show our support for its mission to support economic development across our county and region,” Smith said.

In the letter of commitment, Smith said the port authority is proud to be a member of Lake to River and pleased to commit a $25,000 contribution toward its mission.

Smith noted that the port authority is self-funded and receives no tax revenue. “This makes our investment all the more meaningful and reflective of the value we place on Lake to River’s mission,” she said.

In a final report to the board, Smith said she was excited to announce the Columbiana County Port Authority Growth and Investment Series, set to begin in 2026.

Informational and networking sessions will be hosted each quarter to discuss the port authority’s powers, as well as financing tools, economic development initiatives and more.

The targeted audience will include community leaders, business leaders, local banks and local developers.

“Our goal moving forward is to market the port authority to continue promoting economic growth and development in our county and region,” Smith said, adding that more information will be released soon.