Prescott CDBG advisory panel approves subcommittee recommendations; City restroom, Meals on Wheels among top construction awards

The Prescott City Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Citizens Advisory Committee approved subcommittee recommendations March 19, 2025, endorsing the panel’s public‑service rankings and adopting revised construction allocations that include $50,000 for an ADA‑accessible restroom at the Community Nature Center and additional awards for local nonprofits.

The panel’s CDBG coordinator, Michael Meggins of Community Development, said the committee used a working estimate of $250,000 from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to shape recommendations, and noted budget limits the committee relied on: “we based our total amount from HUD at 250,000,” he said. Meggins also told the committee that the city typically sets aside about 20% of the estimate for administrative costs and a maximum of 15% for public service activities, with the remainder prioritized for construction projects.

Why it matters: CDBG funds are federal dollars routed through HUD and allocated to local projects that serve low‑ and moderate‑income residents or improve public infrastructure. The committee’s decisions determine which local nonprofits and municipal projects are included in the city’s annual action plan before it goes to City Council and HUD.

Most important decisions

- The committee voted to accept the subcommittee’s public‑service rankings and recommendations (motion to approve moved by Jim Howell; second by Ginger Cutting). The subcommittee had prioritized three public‑service applicants as the top recipients; the meeting record shows the committee approved the subcommittee’s recommended public‑service allocations but does not list per‑applicant dollar amounts in the transcript.

- The committee considered and revised construction allocations. After discussion, members agreed to shift $15,000 from one City of Prescott construction line to the Community Nature Center restroom project, raising that award to $50,000, and to split a remaining $7,500 “pot” between Meals on Wheels and Agape House. Janie Evans moved the final package of construction allocations and Janie Evans seconded; members voted to approve the motion by voice/hand vote.

Details of the construction awards and adjustments

The committee’s final motion, read into the record, listed the revised construction funding recommendations the committee approved. The amounts recorded in the meeting transcript are:

- City of Prescott (Community Nature Center ADA restroom): $50,000 (subcommittee recommendation 35,000 plus 15,000 moved from another city project) - Meals on Wheels (kitchen equipment): $15,500 - Boys & Girls Club (safety fencing): $35,000 - Agape House (transitional housing HVAC and improvements): $22,750 - Prescott Community Cupboard (food bank construction): $25,000 - The Launch Pad (parking lot / ADA compliance, asphalt): $16,750

Committee discussion and recurring themes

Committee members debated tradeoffs between municipal infrastructure projects and nonprofit program needs. Some members expressed concern about directing limited CDBG construction funds to city projects that may already receive other municipal funding; others noted that CDBG seed funding is commonly used to leverage additional grants. For example, John Perez, a committee member, said he was hesitant to fund municipal infrastructure that he viewed as a local government responsibility, but other members noted that partial CDBG awards have previously leveraged additional funding to complete larger projects.

Members also raised procedural points: construction projects have three years to expend awarded funds before unspent amounts are returned to the city, and HUD typically notifies jurisdictions of final allocation amounts in March or April, Meggins said. The committee agreed that if HUD’s final allocation differs materially from the $250,000 estimate, staff will present an annual action plan to the committee showing any adjustments before City Council review.

Recusals and conflict‑of‑interest notes

Several members recused themselves from specific discussions where they had a conflict: Jim Howell recused from voting on Meals on Wheels because he volunteers there; Ginger Cutting temporarily stepped out of the Meals on Wheels discussion because she said she was a former board member. Those recusals reduced the number of voting members on some items and were recorded on the transcript.

Next steps

Staff (Community Development) will incorporate the committee’s recommendations into the draft annual action plan submitted to City Council. Final grant ceilings and any necessary adjustments will depend on HUD’s official allocation for program year 2025; Meggins told the committee HUD’s final allocation could be higher or lower than the working estimate of $250,000 and that staff will return with exact figures and adjustments as needed.

Quotes

“we based our total amount from HUD at 250,000,” Michael Meggins, CDBG coordinator, said as the panel began its funding discussion.

“I am absolutely fine with the subcommittee’s review,” Ginger Cutting, committee member, said when the panel considered the subcommittee’s public‑service recommendations.

Actions taken (at a glance)

- Approved subcommittee recommendations for public‑service funding for program year 2025 (motion moved by Jim Howell; second by Ginger Cutting; outcome: approved by voice/hand vote; tally not specified in transcript).

- Approved revised construction allocations (motion to approve the listed package moved and seconded; outcome: approved by voice/hand vote; tally not specified in transcript). The construction package included the awards and amounts listed above.

Ending

The committee closed the funding decisions and moved to staff announcements about the next steps in the annual action plan and consolidated plan schedules. Meggins said he expects to present the draft annual action plan — with final HUD figures and any necessary adjustments — to the committee before City Council review, likely in June 2025 rather than May.