Sarasota commissioners approve draft plan to spend $210 million in storm-recovery CDBG-DR funds; Phillippi Creek dredging set as top infrastructure priority

Sarasota County commissioners voted unanimously Feb. 25 to publish a draft action plan and unmet-needs assessment for the county's second allocation of CDBG-Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funds tied to the 2024 storms Debbie, Helene and Milton. Staff told the board the allocation from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development totals $210,094,000 and must be submitted to HUD within 90 days of the federal register notice. The draft plan organizes funds into housing, infrastructure (including navigation channels), mitigation, planning and administration, and will go out for a 30-day public comment period.

Why it matters: HUD requires 70 percent of the grant to benefit low- and moderate-income households and allows a 15 percent mitigation set-aside. The county must show tiebacks to the 2024 storms and demonstrate that the money addresses unmet needs; staff said the clock for spending begins only after HUD approves the action plan. Commissioners said speed and…