Roseville council hears public testimony as CDBG application period closes; Citizens Advisory Committee recommends full funding for subrecipients

Roseville City Council held a public hearing Jan. 28 to close the application period for the fiscal 2025–26 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program and to receive recommendations from the Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC).

The CAC recommended fully funding every subrecipient request it received, city staff said, while reminding council that the city’s final allocation remains an estimate. "I estimate conservatively. We have $25,000 either side of that $545,000 estimate," said Mr. Kamekia, the city staff member presenting the CAC recommendation. Council did not vote on final funding at the hearing; staff said action is scheduled for a later budget meeting.

The hearing drew three nonprofit presenters who described demand for services that rely on CDBG support. "With the number of older adults in Macomb County rapidly increasing, the need for support and services for frail and aging adults continue to increase dramatically," said Sheila McCann, volunteer coordinator with Interfaith Volunteer Caregivers and a Roseville resident. McCann described IVC’s Safe at Home project, which provides chores, minor home repairs and routine housekeeping for low- and moderate-income seniors and adults with disabilities. She told council IVC completed 30 tasks in Roseville in the first six months of the 2024–25 funding year and requested additional funds to double that work in 2025–26.

Christina Drozem, finance director for Maggie’s Wigs for Kids in Michigan and a Roseville resident, asked the council to consider $1,200 in CDBG support to sponsor a wig for a child in the city. Krista Carpenter, director of Hearts 4 Homes, said the nonprofit has helped 14 Roseville households over the past two years and described the organization’s work on security deposits and eviction prevention for low-income and homeless families.

Council and staff discussed statutory program caps and administrative limits. Mr. Kamekia said the CDBG program limits public-service subrecipient allocations to 15 percent of the city’s award and caps administrative expenses at 20 percent. He told council that the total subrecipient requests the CAC recommended to fund amounted to $51,940 against the 15 percent cap of $81,750 under the current estimate.

Speakers also addressed uncertainty around federal funding. "The CDBG program is federal funding...the pause essentially would touch the entire program," Mr. Kamekia said, adding he would continue planning as though funds were available. City attorney Mr. Tomlinson cautioned that a court injunction had affected the federal pause and advised subrecipients not to rely on grant awards until federal guidance is finalized: "There has been a pause on the pause...we really don't know where the money is coming from. I would just caution these organizations not to rely upon it at this point."

No CDBG allocations were approved at the Jan. 28 meeting. City staff said they will bring the CAC recommendation back for council action at a future budget meeting (staff identified April 22 as the meeting at which final approval is expected).