On a 9-1 vote, with Commissioner Ann Murguia voting no, the Community Development Block Grant funds from last year were reallocated at the Feb. 25 Unified Government Commission meeting.
The projects approved, totaling $608,000:
• Heartland Habitat for Humanity, $250,000 for exterior home repair to 25 single-family homes owned by low- and moderate-income persons.
• UG Public Works Safe Routes, $280,000 for sidewalks to Frank Rushton, Hazel Grove and Frances Willard elementary schools.
• UG Public Works Transit Sidewalks and ADA Ramps, $78,000 for partial funding of one of these sites, either Richmond Avenue and 4th Street, Kansas Avenue and South 65th Street, North 3rd Street and Oakland Avenue, or North 13th Street and Troup Avenue.
There was little discussion on the funding on Thursday night.
Commissioner Angela Markley referred to it as the reappropriated money that was not allocated at the end of last year’s budget season.
Three applications were approved. They were chosen by the staff since the money needs to be spent fairly promptly, Commissioner Markley said.
Another round of CDBG applications will be part of the current budget process, which is starting now, according to UG officials.
In answer to a question from Commissioner Hal Walker, Markley confirmed this reallocation was originally assigned to build new housing in the Highland Crest area of Turner.
Mayor Mark Holland said there was still CDBG money assigned to the Highland Crest area project – from the year before last year’s budget, about $500,000.
According to the UG agenda several CDBG applications for this reallocation were not recommended for funding, largely because of timeliness of expenditures or other issues pertaining to the use of HUD dollars.
The projects that did not receive CDBG approval Thursday night included:
• Bethel Center for new entryway on 7th Street-$131,000
• Boston Daniels Center new youth center startup-rehab of bldg. and operating costs-$90,000
• Catholic Charities for Hope Distribution Center-interior lighting for food warehouse-$7,178
• Downtown Shareholders-grant funding to new businesses-$84,711
• Franklin Center-design and rehab of center-$750,000
• Mt. Carmel-Maintenance and upgrades of 8 transitional housing units-$116,000
• Northeast Economic Development Corp.-Acquisition-Rehab, Minor Home Repair-$180,000
• St. John the Divine-Stabilization of church-$50,000
• UG Parks-Parkwood Pool expansion-$200,000
• UG Parks-Argentine Recreation Ctr.-Upgrades to accommodate Fitness Center-$300,000
• UG Parks-JFK Recreation Center-Bridge walkway maintenance-$50,000
• Wyandot Inc.-Rehab Single Family House for PACES-$52,550
According to UG officials, the UG staff will communicate with applicants who were not chosen and give them a reason they were not selected. Some applicants could reapply for future CDBG grants, where there is more time allowed, according to the UG.
For an earlier story on this, see https://wyandotteonline.com/re-do-of-cdbg-fund-grants-announced/.