Council holds first hearing on 5-year consolidated plan, affirms focus on pedestrian and accessibility improvements

Glenn De Vries, the Community Development Director, opened a public hearing on the five-year consolidated plan and the annual action plan for Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds, a federal entitlement administered through HUD. De Vries said the consolidated plan is required every five years and the annual action plan details how the city will spend that year’s allocation.

De Vries said staff and consultants prepared a needs assessment based on the city’s comprehensive plan and other data, and that HUD and the city’s consultant advised limiting administrative time and repeating the same focused approach each year so more dollars reach projects. He asked the council whether they were comfortable continuing the ongoing focus on projects that address needs for low- and moderate-income persons, particularly pedestrian and accessibility improvements highlighted earlier in the meeting.

Council members voiced support for the continued focus on pedestrian and accessibility improvements; staff noted the city’s annual CDBG allocation varies and cited $308,000 in a previous year and $234,918 for the current year. Glenn De Vries said the program requires strict accounting and limited pooling of funds and that staff would monitor funding levels to ensure the program remains worth the administrative effort.

The hearing received no public testimony on the CDBG plan during the meeting; De Vries said a final public hearing would occur in summer when the final plan is ready for council action.