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Williamsport to contract with regional COG for CDBG intake and income verification; $75,000 draft allocation noted
Summary
City staff presented a resolution to authorize an administrative services agreement with a council of governments to carry out intake and income verification for owner-occupied rehab under the CDBG program; staff said $75,000 is the mayoral recommended allocation for 2025, and no formal vote is recorded in the transcript.
City staff told the Public Works Committee on Feb. 11 that the city is seeking authorization to execute an administrative-services agreement with a regional council of governments to perform intake and income verification for owner-occupied single-family rehabilitation funded by the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program.
Valerie Bessler (Community and Development) described the agreement as authorizing the council of governments to act "as an extension of the city of Williamsport" for intake, eligibility screening and income verification for homeowners seeking CDBG-funded repairs. "This PSA basically just allows CITICOG the ability to work on our behalf to contact the citizens of Williamsport who are interested in taking advantage of this program," Bessler said.
Bessler told the committee that the city’s draft 2025 plan, which will be available for 30 days of public comment before coming to city council for approval, currently includes a recommended allocation of $75,000 for owner-occupied single-family grants. "As of right now, we have allocated $75,000 to owner occupied single family, grants with CDBG funds for 2025," she said.
Committee members discussed capacity and alternatives. Staff said the council of governments provides a larger staff and technical expertise to meet HUD program requirements: "she is incredibly knowledgeable, and she reiterates to me consistently when we meet that she has 16 people in her department who work on behalf of the city of Williamsport to manage our CDBG program because the HUD requirements are are very extensive," Bessler said. Members noted that other local organizations, including Step Incorporated and Habitat for Humanity, also provide weatherization and home-repair services and that the city refers clients among those providers.
The transcript does not record a formal vote on the resolution. The committee discussion emphasized the administrative value of outsourcing intake and verification because of HUD’s complex requirements and the benefit of linking applicants to other local programs when appropriate.
