Tampa officials briefed on proposed $709 million CDBG-DR allocation and next steps

Tampa — City officials briefed the Tampa City Council on a proposed federal Community Development Block Grant–Disaster Recovery (CDBG‑DR) allocation, explaining the scale, timetable and guardrails for spending and urging patience while the county completes an action plan and HUD review.

Chief Financial Officer Dennis Rojero told council members the allocation the city is planning around is $709,300,000, but stressed the program is moving rapidly at the federal level and the details are not yet final. “This is a completely different animal that just happens to share the 4 letter c d b g,” Rojero said, contrasting CDBG‑DR with the city’s routine CDBG program.

Rojero and mobility and planning staff said the money is routed to the county (Hillsborough County is the grantee to HUD), that the county will submit an action plan to HUD after local public meetings, and that project-level details will follow HUD approval. He said the federal framework reserves about 15% for mitigation set‑asides, roughly $35 million for administration in an early estimate, and requires roughly 70% of funds to benefit low‑ and moderate‑income (LMI) persons or areas.

Council members pressed staff on where projects such as pump‑station resiliency, homeowner elevation or tree maintenance would fit. Rojero said projects already planned that meet mitigation or recovery nexus tests may be eligible, even if repairs otherwise would be funded by FEMA. “You can take two roads,” he said, describing the distinction between FEMA repairs for past damage and CDBG‑DR spending to prevent future damage (for example, elevating a property rather than replacing flooded drywall).

Staff emphasized the county is drafting the action plan now and that public input will be sought at county‑led meetings this summer; tentative schedules discussed in the briefing put county commission review and a submission to HUD in the weeks after those meetings. Rojero and consultants warned the plan and line items will change as HUD reviews the action plan and as local needs and timelines are reviewed.

Council members raised concerns about whether CDBG‑DR funds would support infrastructure such as stormwater pond upgrades, vaulting open ditches, or road and paving work that affects drainage. Rojero and a mobility official said the current, high‑level categories in the draft action plan are broad (infrastructure, mitigation, housing, economic revitalization) and that specific mitigation projects — vaults, culverts, pump stations, and other stormwater work — are likely to be part of later project‑level submissions.

Council members also pressed staff about timing and expected cash flow. Rojero urged caution on precise timing but said the federal process is moving faster than usual and that council will see more detail as the county finalizes its action plan and as HUD completes its review.

For now, staff recommended treating the action plan as an initial, flexible framework: the county will submit a broad plan to HUD, HUD will approve or request changes, and specific projects and budgets will be refined and returned for local approvals and allocations. Rojero said public meetings and additional briefings to council are forthcoming; he also said the city is coordinating with Plant City and Temple Terrace on priorities.

Ending: Councilmembers asked staff to return with more concrete project lists and timelines after the county’s draft action plan and the summer public meetings. Staff said they will share the county’s schedule and provide council briefings as project‑level proposals emerge.