The Warren County Commissioners revisited a budget item from 2007 during Wednesday's meeting, voting to redistribute $40,000 from the county's Main Street Program to the Warren-Forest County Economic Opportunity Council.

During a public hearing held before the commissioners' regular meeting, Lorri Dunlap, the county's grant specialist, informed the commissioners that the $40,000 in Community Block Development Grant (CBDG) funds the county allocated to the county's Main Street program in 2007 has gone untouched.

The funds were allocated as part of the county Main Street's facade improvement program.

"To date," Dunlap said, "none of the storefront owners have taken part in this program. The storefront owners are very supportive and gung-ho, until they have to put their hands in their own pockets."

Dunlap suggested that the commissioners transfer the funding to the EOC for transitional housing in Youngsville for victims of domestic violence in lieu of losing the money due to lack of use.

"This happens from time to time, in terms of Ms. Dunlap coming to us and saying that a modification needs to be made," Commissioner John Bortz said prior to voting to approve the reallocation during the regular meeting. "But this isn't typical where nothing has been done with a project. It never took off."

Bortz made the motion to reallocate the $40,000 grant to the EOC, seconded by Commissioner Terry Hawk. Commissioner Chairman John Eggleston was not in attendance due to illness.

In other business, Bortz reported that he had no update to give regarding an evidentiary hearing in a case involving oil and gas developers, Warren County, environmental groups, and the U.S. Forest Service.

Judge Sean McLaughlin scheduled a hearing for August in the case between plaintiffs Minard Run Oil, Pennsylvania Oil and Gas Association (POGAM), Allegheny Forest Alliance, and Warren County, and defendants U.S. Forest Service, the agency's local and national leaders, Allegheny Defense Project (ADP), Forest Service Employees for Environmental Ethics, and the Sierra Club.

McLaughlin ordered the hearing after listening to arguments from defendants in favor of dismissing the suit and from plaintiffs asking for a preliminary injunction against a settlement in a prior lawsuit.

According to the terms of that settlement between the Forest Service and the environmental groups listed as co-defendants in the current suit, the Forest Service agreed to perform the appropriate level of National Environmental Policy Act analysis before approving future oil and gas development projects on the Allegheny National Forest (ANF).

"As of yet, there has been no ruling on the matter," Bortz said. "I would expect (McLaughlin) would have an answer by the end of the month, but the judicial process runs on its own schedule."

The commissioners went on to approve:

transferring a lease for the county's communications tower located on Bull Hill to R. Andrew Moore, who recently purchased the parcel of land on which the tower is located. Moore will be paid $1,000 a year for 2010-2011 and $1,100 from 2012-2016.

an agreement between the Sheriff's Department and the Pennsylvania State Police for the state police to provide certain hardware and equipment to the Sheriff's Department to facilitate operations together.

a lease for $1 for the Tionesta Valley Snowmobile Club to use the county's trail groomer to groom public snowmobile trails.