City staff updated the Barrie City Council on Sept. 9 about competitive CDBG-Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) grant applications the city is pursuing for flood mitigation and housing projects and reported results from direct outreach to property owners in the North End.

The manager said Vermont will receive approximately $67 million in CDBG-DR funds, with roughly $54 million earmarked for Washington County and parts of Lamoille County. The first round of municipal applications is due Sept. 30, with awards expected by Nov. 20; a second application round may be open in December with decisions in February, staff said.

Key project updates
- Housing and infrastructure remain the city’s primary focus. Projects discussed include the Seminary Street/Stevens Branch housing project and multiple mitigation efforts along Prospect, Allen, Berlin and Quarry streets. The manager said the TIF administrator and project partners secured a substantial change approval from the Vermont Economic Progress Council; the TIF bond for Seminary Street infrastructure improvements will be presented to voters on the Nov. ballot.
- Staff reported they contacted all owners in a North End “triangle” of properties to assess interest in acquisition, buyout or elevation. Several owners declined buyouts; others expressed interest in acquisition or elevation. The map staff presented uses yellow outlines to indicate parcels targeted for acquisition (acquisition allows for potential redevelopment; buyout implies no redevelopment).
- Some newly eligible properties requested elevation rather than acquisition, adding to potential preservation of existing multi-family housing stock via elevation grants.

Process notes and next steps
- Staff said pre-applications were submitted on Aug. 5 and that engineering and benefit-cost analysis materials from SLR are now incorporated into final applications. The manager said ACCD (Agency of Commerce and Community Development) responded positively to several projects.
- For parcels targeted for acquisition, staff will ask property owners to sign template agreements; buyouts will follow FEMA procedures and do not require owner signatures at this stage. Elevation work will be handled through the state elevation program.
- The city will hold a CDBG-DR public hearing at a special meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 24, at the council’s regular time; staff noted the hearing was scheduled to meet statutory notice requirements.

Why it matters: the work pairs flood-resiliency mitigation with housing goals. Staff said the outreach clarified owner intent and refined the project footprint, adding some contiguous parcels that staff said increase mitigation value near bridges and waterways.

What was not decided: no final awards were announced at the meeting. Council discussion focused on implementation sequencing, how projects affect neighborhoods and ensuring redevelopment preserves existing housing where appropriate.

Ending: staff will finalize and submit applications by the Sept. 30 deadline, present the redevelopment-plan summary to support grant applications at the Sept. 24 meeting, and return to council with outcomes if awards are made.