Commission authorizes staff to sign EDA paperwork for $2.5 million Boyd Boulevard stormwater grant

The La Porte Redevelopment Commission on June 9 authorized Craig Phillips, staff member, to sign documents required to register the commission as a co‑recipient on a $2,500,000 Economic Development Administration grant for the Boyd Boulevard Stormwater Improvement Project.

Phillips told commissioners the commission previously applied for and received $2,500,000 from the EDA and that the federal awards management process requires the commission to be registered as an entity and to submit the same documentation originally provided for the grant. “We previously applied for, and received a grant for $2,500,000 from the EDA for the Boyd Boulevard Stormwater Improvement Project,” Phillips said. He added the commission owns one parcel in the project area — “I believe it's the pond, the Retention Pond parcel” — and the city owns an adjacent parcel, so both owners must be part of the federal paperwork.

Phillips said staff prepared a packet of documents and a mayoral letter requesting the commission be added as a co‑recipient rather than a sub‑recipient; he asked permission to submit the six documents and any subsequent materials that the federal agency may require. The commission approved the requested authority by voice vote, 3-0.

The public record provided at the meeting did not include the six documents or the mayoral letter; commissioners did not discuss specific federal compliance requirements, matching-fund obligations, or a project schedule during the public meeting. For more information about the EDA award, including the grant agreement, required federal registrations and any local match requirements, contact the city or the commission's staff.