Lebanon City proposes $715,929 CDBG budget, backs pilot county housing director with modest city contribution

Lebanon City on Tuesday held a public hearing on three Community Development Block Grant items including a 2025–2029 consolidated plan, the 2025 annual action plan and an amendment to the city’s 2023 annual action plan.

City community development staff member Janelle Groh said the 2025–2029 consolidated plan “identifies the community development and housing needs in Lebanon and outlines strategies and goals for investing our Community Development Block Grant or CDBG funds over the next 5 years.”

The nut of the 2025 annual action plan is its first-year budget: Groh said it allocates $715,929 in CDBG funding — the city’s estimated $695,929 2025 entitlement plus $20,000 in program income — and proposes the following distribution: $104,000 for public services (crime prevention and increased police engagement in low- and moderate-income neighborhoods), $200,000 for milling and resurfacing of city streets in qualifying areas, $130,000 for code enforcement, $151,929 for acquisition and rehabilitation or demolition of hazardous and blighted properties, and $130,000 for planning and administration.

The administration budget, Groh said, also includes a proposed city contribution to help fund a new county-level Housing Development Director position…