County holds public hearing on Community Development Block Grant flood‑relief application; staff outline tentative priorities

The Dickenson County Board of Supervisors opened a public hearing on applying for an emergency Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) made available by the Commonwealth of Virginia for flood relief. County staff said the funding opportunity is time‑sensitive and remains a moving target while agencies prepare an application.

A staff presenter said the county is working with the Cumberland Plateau regional entity and that the state had opened emergency funding to assist counties that experienced flooding, although a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) declaration had not been issued. "We're limited in what we can apply for, but one thing we're working with the PSA on is gonna be some permanent fixed mount generator for some of their substations to help with future events. And then, communications was an issue, so we're working on some communication stuff as well," the staff member said.

Staff added that while initial expectations suggested private‑bridge repairs might be eligible, later guidance indicates those private‑bridge costs are unlikely to qualify under the current funding stream. The hearing was opened for public comment; no in‑person speakers registered during the period noted in the transcript and the board closed the hearing after a short public comment window.

No formal action to apply was recorded on the meeting record at that time; staff said they were still developing application options and would return with details as the funding opportunity clarified.