Barrie Council approves application package seeking roughly $27.7 million in CDBG-DR funds

The Barrie City Council on Wednesday approved a package of CDBG‑DR applications that together seek approximately $27,692,833 to support housing, infrastructure and planning projects tied to flood recovery. City staff described the program as a multi‑year federal grant with a six‑year spending window for awarded projects. "This is a huge federal grant," the city manager said during the presentation, noting the award timeline and two application rounds. The city manager told the council the application pool is organized into three broad buckets: housing (the largest), infrastructure and planning grants, with a small administrative line to cover project management and single‑audit costs. He said the housing request totals about $23 million and infrastructure roughly $3.5 million, with planning grants reduced to fit the city’s overall cap. The manager also noted the city’s application tries to mirror the state and county emphasis on housing in the program and that the CDBG‑DR rules require projects be completed within roughly six years of the award. The council voted individually on eight hearings tied to the application: Prospect Heights, North End Gateway, 355 North Main Street (downtown housing), Willie Street Bridge mitigation, Harrington Avenue debris rack and flood‑plain expansion, stormwater planning and Potash Brook/Courier Park design. All resolutions carried. The manager said staff tightened the two planning grant requests — stormwater and Potash Brook — from earlier budgets to stay within the application cap while keeping housing and the two flood mitigation infrastructure projects fully funded. The council approved the long‑term redevelopment plan required for the grant application and authorized the manager to execute related contracts and procurements in the packet. The manager cautioned that award decisions will come from the state review board and that published dates may change; staff expects an initial review around late November. "We may or may not hear around that date," he said. The approvals authorize staff to submit the applications and negotiate grant terms; final award decisions and project implementation will depend on state and federal review and any subsequent council approvals required by law.