Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Chip Grant topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council approves partnership to pursue $300,000 CHIP funds with Clark County; members debate scope and prevailing-wage constraints
Summary
Council approved a joint partnership to apply for Community Housing Impact and Preservation (CHIP) funds with Clark County. Council discussion focused on the grant amount (about $300,000), how many homes in New Carlisle could be helped, prevailing-wage requirements, and available microloan programs.
The Nicolai City Council voted to enter a partnership with Clark County to apply for the Community Housing Impact and Preservation (CHIP) program for program year 2025. The ordinance authorizes the joint agreement and was approved after discussion of how the funds could be spent in New Carlisle.
Council members and staff explained the grant would flow from the federal level to the state and then to the county; the county asked municipalities to partner in order to access the funds. The City Manager and staff described the request as time-sensitive because the state imposed a deadline for applications. Councilmember Neil summarized the mechanics: if the county does not disperse the funds, it risks losing the allocation.
Councilmember Kathy pressed staff on how much money New Carlisle would receive and whether the city is guaranteed funds. The City Manager said the program could provide roughly $300,000 in total for the partnership and that funds would be spent under the program rules. He said projects under CHIP are often substantial and subject to prevailing-wage rules, so a small repair fund could cover fewer properties than some councilors hoped. "So if there's gonna be it could only be 4 homes because there could be 20, 30, 40 thousand dollars in repairs to that one home," the City Manager said when explaining prevailing-wage examples.
Staff noted the program includes both larger rehabilitation grants and microloan components administered or coordinated at the county level; councilors were told that smaller, county-run grant programs are also available year-round for limited repairs such as porch railings or ADA modifications. Council members said they favored pursuing the money but raised philosophical questions about federal funding and long-term effects; one council member said he struggled with whether large-scale federal rehab funds are the right long-term approach.
The ordinance was moved, seconded and approved by recorded vote (6–1). Councilman Bond cast the lone no vote. The City Manager and staff said they would coordinate the administrative details with Clark County and report back on program rules and the application timeline.
