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Anacortes council approves 2025 CDBG action plan; one member abstains
Summary
The Anacortes City Council voted to approve the city's 2025 Community Development Block Grant annual action plan on April 21, 2025. Council voted to forward the plan to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development; one councilmember abstained because of a board affiliation with a funding recipient.
On April 21, 2025, the Anacortes City Council approved the city's 2025 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) annual action plan and authorized submittal to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development by the May 15 deadline.
The plan was presented to the council by staff member Ms. Snyder during a public hearing required for the CDBG process. Snyder said the city held two required public hearings and a 30-day citizen comment period; the draft was published twice in the Anacortes American and the Skagit Valley Herald and posted online. She told the council no written comments were received during the participation period from March 15 through April 15.
Councilmember Fantini moved to approve the allocations as presented; Councilmember Walters seconded the motion. Ms. Cleland McGrath announced she would abstain because she serves on the board of a Family Center that is one of the plan's listed recipients: "I will be abstaining from voting because I serve on the board for the family center," she said. The motion carried on a recorded vote with five yes votes and one abstention.
Why it matters: the annual action plan sets the city's spending priorities for federal CDBG funds for the coming program year and must be approved by HUD for the city to expend grant dollars on the projects listed. Funding allocations were based on the 2024 grant year, City staff said.
Details from the hearing and council discussion: - Staff said the draft plan updates projects from 2024 and lays out proposed allocations for 2025; the document will be submitted to HUD by May 15 if approved. - Snyder said the city solicited public comment through publication and a 30-day comment period; staff reported no citizen comments were received. - Fantini said he had encountered support for the proposed uses of funds in conversations with residents. - Cleland McGrath read her conflict of interest and abstained from the vote.
Votes and next steps: Council approved the draft 2025 action plan and staff will submit the plan to HUD for federal approval. If HUD approves the plan, the city may begin implementing funded projects for the 2025 grant year.
