Finance committee reviews Williamsport’s 2025 Annual Action Plan; staff highlight parks, housing and bike-path priorities

City staff on April 8 asked the Finance Committee to approve the 2025 annual action plan that will be the first year of the city’s 2025–2029 consolidated plan for Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and HOME Investment Partnerships funds. The plan lists street reconstruction, City Parks bike path phase 1, a Scott Street pocket park linked to Habitat for Humanity homes, and HOME-funded owner-occupied rehabilitation, homebuyer assistance and CHDO set-aside as year-one priorities.

Jamie Schroeder, a CITECOG consultant, described the package as the product of extensive consultation and said the plan preserves familiar goals — community facilities, infrastructure and employment — while positioning the city to start environmental reviews so funds may be put into action once HUD allocations arrive. Schroeder said approving the plan will allow staff to begin environmental review work so that when the HUD allocation is received the city can move quickly on construction and other activities.

Valerie Fessler of community development and Councilmember Liz Meeley discussed program priorities and capacity. Fessler said the department is rebuilding staff and program processes and that the city has “new thinking” about how to tailor programs to current housing and community needs. Fessler and other staff noted the city has program income returned to its HOME account; staff described that balance as roughly $900,000 (approximate) and said they are exploring ways to use that pool without risking HUD noncompliance.

Councilmembers raised whether microenterprise assistance or microenterprise loan programs might be revived. Jamie Schroeder said the last microenterprise activity was in the 2019 program year and that the program was closed out in 2020; she added that the city currently has a revolving loan fund with repayments ongoing but that reviving an active microenterprise lending program would require underwriting criteria, program policies and significant staff capacity. She said microenterprise loans are feasible but require verifying a business owner’s income eligibility under HUD rules, which can be intrusive and administratively heavy.

The committee also discussed use of subrecipient agreements, and staff cautioned that subcontracting to community partners reduces city labor for direct work but does not eliminate the city’s HUD compliance responsibilities. Several members encouraged outreach to local organizations — including Habitat for Humanity and potentially a reconstituted Lycoming Neighborhood Development Corporation — to deploy housing rehab and homebuyer assistance.

Scott Williams, the city’s new assistant director of community and economic development, was noted as an incoming staff resource who has prior county planning and active-project experience; staff said his experience with a pilot bike-lane program will help the City Parks bike path planning and coordination.

No formal committee vote on the 2025 annual action plan took place during the April 8 meeting; staff said the plan will be submitted to HUD after allocations are known and after committee and council approvals as required.