Logan council adopts 2025 CDBG action plan, adds $5,000 for warming-center feasibility study

The Logan Municipal Council on Tuesday approved the city's 2025 Community Development Block Grant Annual Action Plan and amended it to add $5,000 toward a feasibility study for a local warming center.

Amanda (Community Development staff) presented the plan and the recommended allocation of the city's CDBG award of $558,464 for project year 2025, saying, "It is proposed that $330,000 go towards infrastructure projects, $91,000 go towards public facilities, $25,000 go towards public service, and $111,000 go towards CDBG administration." She described proposed receiver projects: an ADA ramps project and a pedestrian crossing project set up to absorb leftover funding up to $200,000 each, and listed smaller grants for nonprofit and community groups.

The plan originally allocated $16,000 from administrative/planning funds to support a homelessness services and sheltering feasibility study requested by the William A. Bernard Warming Center. Community development staff noted the CDBG administration/planning category has a 20% cap and estimated the city would only have about $1,600 available for that study under the awarded amount, a shortfall from what council members believed had been discussed earlier.

Council members discussed options: approve the plan as submitted, reduce or reallocate other items, or add city funds from other budgets. Council members asked whether the award was secure; staff said an award letter was received for the stated amount but cautioned federal grants can be adjusted. Council discussion emphasized the limitations imposed by CDBG rules, particularly the 20% cap on admin/planning spending and the requirement that CDBG funds be spent in the grant year.

After debate, council members moved and seconded an amendment to add $5,000 to the available amount for the warming-center feasibility study, increasing the local contribution to $6,616. Staff warned that any additional amount would require Community Development to reallocate existing internal funds to cover administration and oversight. The amended allocation passed by voice vote.

The final action ratified the CDBG Annual Action Plan with the amended amount for the warming-center study. Staff said agreements with recipients will be written to reflect the actual award amount; if HUD or the federal funder reduces or increases the city's award, recipient agreements will be adjusted proportionally.

Council members and staff also noted that CDBG planning funds cannot be banked for use in a later year and that some projects (e.g., capital or land purchase) could be eligible under other CDBG categories if an applicant later requests funding in those categories.

The council approved the resolution to adopt the 2025 CDBG Annual Action Plan with the amendment, and directed staff to finalize recipient agreements under the award letter conditions.