City staff presented the proposed 2025–26 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) allocations at the July 23 meeting and opened a required public hearing. The city’s draft plan reflects committee recommendations and the statutory limits on eligible spending categories.

Key figures and recommendations: staff reported the annual CDBG allocation figure as $4,447,763. The citizen review committee recommended limited public‑service funding equal to the statutory 15% cap; proposed public‑service awards in the presentation totaled $67,164.45 (including proposals for Step Up Suncoast and Meals on Wheels). Non‑public‑service projects recommended for funding included Manatee County Habitat for Humanity (request $250,000; recommended $106,565.74) and a code/blight‑focused police position. The police department position was recommended for full funding; the transcript did not record a single explicit dollar amount for the recommended police position in staff’s slide text (staff described it as fully recommended by the committee).

Debate and public comment: Councilmembers asked whether Habitat funds could be used for new home construction; planning staff clarified CDBG rules: rehabilitation and acquisition are eligible, while new construction generally is not (new‑construction funding is available from other programs such as SHIP). Council and some members of the public asked for clarity on whether the police code/blight position is an eligible CDBG use; police and code staff explained the position’s role in coordinating outreach, addressing encampments and supporting code enforcement—operations that the committee judged to be allowable because the duties tie to code‑level blight mitigation and public‑service prevention activities.

Process and next steps: Staff reminded council this was the published citizen‑participation public hearing; final plan adoption is scheduled for Aug. 13 after the required advertising and public comment period. Council indicated support for the approach while asking staff to supply additional detail on eligibility and recommended amounts before final approval.

Ending: Staff will publish the proposed plan, accept public comments during the 30‑day period, refine recommended budgets and return to council for final adoption at the Aug. 13 meeting.