SKOWHEGAN – The Somerset Economic Development Corp. is temporarily joining forces with the Kennebec Valley Council of Governments to seek a state grant to hire a staff.

The group, consisting of town managers, selectmen and economic directors from most of the towns in Somerset County, will sign on with KVCOG “to minimize a duplication of effort,” SEDC representative D. Dwight Dogherty, said Wednesday.

The county group is pursuing a two-year grant of up to $100,000 to hire an economic development director and secretary for 2001-2002.

The SEDC and the county also will chip in toward funding the positions, with the county providing office space in the county courthouse for the SEDC staff.

The partnership is for the grant purposes only, he said. It includes a letter of support from KVCOG stating that it approves the SEDC’s efforts and would not be able to fulfill those needs itself.

Dogherty said the SEDC has hired Charles Roundy of Augusta to prepare the grant proposal. Final approval to the partnership must be given by the SEDC membership and the executive committee of KVCOG.

If the grant is successful, quarterly meetings will be held between the two agencies, said Dogherty.

“The only negative that could possibly come from this,” he explained, “would be if we are both competing for the same money from the Maine Department of Economic Development. That is not likely.”