Augusta city council on Oct. 1 approved an agreement with Ransom Financial Consultants not to exceed $8,500, to conduct income surveys and related work needed to pursue a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) for sidewalks.

City staff said the recent sales tax ballot language was updated to allow use for sidewalks, but the sales tax revenue will not be available until about September–October 2026. Staff recommended proceeding now with surveys and application work so the city can pursue a large sidewalk package and seek other funding to reduce local match pressure.

Ransom will perform randomized LMI (low‑to‑moderate income) surveys in a target area staff identified, covering about 748 households in mostly residential neighborhoods east of downtown. Staff said the Department of Commerce has preliminarily approved the city's methodology and authorized the survey step. The CDBG community facilities category can award up to $1.5 million with a minimum local match of 20 percent.

Staff noted the sidewalk project area intentionally excludes most of downtown State Street, where sidewalks are generally in better condition and repairs are smaller in scale. The city is also working on a Safe Streets for All (SS4A) plan and an ADA transition plan; staff said those efforts overlap and staff will try to incorporate any recommendations from those plans into final engineering prior to bidding should timing permit.

Council approved the contract and authorized Ransom to begin survey work and initial grant preparation.