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City holds CDBG public hearing, highlights grant recipients and awards playground and water projects
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Summary
At a May special meeting, Orange city staff held a public hearing on the 2025 Annual Action Plan for Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding, heard statements from local nonprofit recipients, and moved forward on CDBG-funded projects including a Sunset Park swing set and Sunset Addition water and sewer work.
Orange City Council held a public hearing on the 2025 Annual Action Plan for the city’s Community Development Block Grant at its special meeting May 6, receiving testimony from nonprofit recipients and moving forward with several CDBG-funded projects.
The hearing reviewed the city’s anticipated CDBG allocation for program year 2025; city staff said the exact entitlement amount had not been released. City staff presented a 10-year overview showing CDBG funding fell from $512,000 in 2005 to $312,000 for the current year, while local organizations said they continue to serve more residents despite cuts.
Representatives of three nonprofit recipients described services supported by CDBG and how the funds are used. Dawn Burley of Gold’s Greater Orange Area Literacy Services said the grant supports GED and English-as-second-language instruction for roughly 40 people, helping them qualify for employment. Alice Webster, assistant director at Stable Spirit, said CDBG funds support a hippotherapy program that pairs equine-assisted activities with speech, occupational and physical therapy for four students weekly. Melissa Campbell, executive director of the Jackson Community Center, said her organization uses CDBG support for free tax-preparation services and a summer youth tutoring program that served more than 50 people this tax season.
Council and staff also moved to award two CDBG-related contracts. Council approved a resolution awarding Miracle Recreation Equipment Company $17,740.21 for purchase and installation of a swing set at Sunset Park; city staff said the purchase will be paid from CDBG funds. Separately, the council awarded the Sunset Addition Water and Sewer Line Improvements contract to DBS Constructors LLC for $1,137,511.50 and approved using $344,511.50 from the city’s enterprise fund to cover the portion not funded by a CDBG construction grant tied to Tropical Storm Imelda. Public works staff said the project will rehabilitate water and sewer lines in a community that has faced long-standing infrastructure problems and will install remote-read water meters as part of the work.
The public hearing record was left open for citizen input during the meeting; staff encouraged written comments on CDBG priorities for the coming program year. No formal changes to the Annual Action Plan allocation were made at the meeting; staff said the city will finalize the plan once the federal allocation amount is received.
The council closed the public hearing after testimony and moved the related project awards and procurement items forward by vote.
