The San Luis City Council on Aug. 21, 2025, approved Resolution No. 23‑69 to submit an application for Community Development Block Grant regional account funds and later approved Resolution No. 23‑70 to commit local leverage toward Merrill Avenue Phase 2.

Humberto Arcos, grant coordinator for the economic development department, told the council the CDBG regional account offers the city funding for projects that meet one of the program’s national objectives: benefit to low‑ and moderate‑income persons, prevention or elimination of slums and blight, or addressing urgent community needs. Arcos said the regional account would award the city funds to apply to Merrill Avenue Phase 2 and that the application was due Sept. 1, 2025.

During the public hearing on the application, resident James Allen Jr. raised concerns about privately owned properties in need of signage and maintenance that could delay emergency response; Arcos and the council did not record a specific corrective action on that comment in the meeting record.

The council adopted Resolution No. 23‑69 to submit the application. In a related action, Arcos said the city expected to receive $464,289 from CDBG and asked the council to commit $640,742 in local funds to complete the Merrill Avenue Phase 2 work, which Arcos said would include repaving, curb and sidewalk replacement, and sewer manhole repairs. The council adopted Resolution No. 23‑70 committing the local funds. Both votes carried unanimously.

Why it matters: The combined grant and local match would fund public‑works improvements on Merrill Avenue intended to address infrastructure, accessibility and blight issues noted in the presentation.

Limits: The presentation summarized project tasks and funding amounts; final project design, bidding, and construction schedule were not included in the meeting transcript and will be developed through the grant and procurement process.

What to watch: Staff will need to file the CDBG application by the stated deadline and then return to council with grant award details, contract documents, and a construction timeline if the grant is awarded.