County opens public outreach on 2025 CDBG program; Columbia fire station remains top shovel‑ready candidate

Tuolumne County staff and its CDBG consultant briefed the Board of Supervisors March 18 on potential projects and priorities for the 2025 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Notice of Funding Availability and on use of the county’s CDBG program‑income funds.

Staff said the timing of the state NOFA is expected in the summer and that projects must be shovel‑ready to be competitive under the state program. County staff and consultant Adams Ashby Group presented several project concepts previously discussed with the board: Columbia Fire Station renovations (an over‑the‑counter safety/infrastructure candidate that staff said has plans and environmental review in hand), a Groveland Community Resource Center shade structure, transitional housing at a Highway 108 property (the Miner’s Hotel), and an economic development program for Groveland or other town centers that could include a facade program and a small business revolving loan fund. Separately, the county holds approximately $600,000 of CDBG program income; staff proposed the county use those dollars for capital gaps or revolving loan activity rather than leaving the funds idle.

Speakers at the public hearing urged support for the food bank and for CDBG applications that fund social services. Amador Tuolumne Community Action (ATCA) said current reserves will run out mid‑year without a reliable funding source and urged the board to protect food bank funding. County staff explained program income cannot be used to pay for public services in the same way NOFA funds do — program income is primarily available for capital and economic development activities — and that the county still has a 2022 CDBG contract active that is also intended to support the food bank.

Board members asked for more detail on the Columbia Fire Station project, program‑income timing and use, and for an update on capital project timelines and state deadlines. Several supervisors said they wanted a focused review of the county’s homelessness‑related capital projects and budgets at an upcoming meeting; staff committed to return in April with a consolidated update on homelessness capital projects, timelines, and legal/financial risk if projects miss grant benchmarks.

Staff set three neighborhood CDBG outreach meetings to gather public input on project priorities and reminded the board that the state NOFA could come out in June or July and will set the formal application timetable.