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Council committee discusses using CDBG funds for North Van Buren sidewalk project; $100,000 earmarked
Summary
Planning staff and councilors reviewed Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) timing, eligible uses and an earmark of about $100,000 proposed for sidewalks on North Van Buren; staff said the grant is reimbursable and must meet HUD national objectives.
Barberton City Council planning staff told council Monday that the city must spend the current Community Development Block Grant allocation by Sept. 30 and is considering using about $100,000 to add sidewalks on a short section of North Van Buren.
The planning director said the city’s fiscal year for CDBG was changed and that the city has until Sept. 30 to spend the current allocation. “This year … we have until September thirtieth of this year to spend $24, and then our fiscal year 25 starts in October,” the director said, describing the program’s timing and the recent fiscal-year change. Councilors and staff discussed how CDBG infrastructure money can be used for sidewalks in low- and moderate-income (LMI) areas and for reimbursing work performed by partners such as ODOT.
Why it matters: CDBG dollars are federal grant funds subject to HUD rules and national objectives; decisions about whether to commit funds affect the city’s ability to pay for other infrastructure and public-service priorities. Councilors questioned whether $100,000 is an appropriate portion of the roughly $689,000 allocation the city expects this year.
What staff said: The planning director told the committee that the city’s recent and current allocations total about $689,000 and that roughly $100,000 was being proposed for sidewalks on North Van Buren. Staff said the city will reimburse a partner agency for upfront work: for the North Van Buren project, ODOT would complete work and submit documentation to the city for CDBG reimbursement. The director also described an escrow arrangement: “it was a hundred and 5,359,” the director said, referring to an escrowed amount held for an ODOT project that would be reimbursed after final invoicing and acceptance.
Council reaction and next steps: Councilors asked whether other funding sources exist and pressed staff for documentation of how infrastructure funds are allocated. Staff said the annual action plan sets the budget lines for infrastructure, public services and administration and that HUD rules must be followed. No formal vote on committing the CDBG funds to the North Van Buren sidewalks was taken at the committee meeting; staff said the allocation is still “earmarked” and subject to the city’s approvals and ODOT reporting.
Background and constraints: Committee members discussed the Low- and Moderate-Income (LMI) mapping that determines eligibility; staff said in some cases projects can be justified on a household-by-household basis even if an entire block is not in an LMI census tract. Staff also noted that up to 20% of CDBG can be used for public services and that administration caps apply.
A councilor asked staff to provide a detailed breakdown of current CDBG commitments and the planned infrastructure set-asides before the council makes a final decision.
