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Cleveland holds public hearing on $750,000 TDA Community Development Block Grant; water-plant repairs top options
Summary
City staff and grant administrator GrantWorks outlined options to use an estimated $750,000 from the Texas Department of Agriculture Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) for infrastructure — principally repairs to one of two water plants — and invited public comment during the hearing.
Cleveland opened a public hearing on a potential application to the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) for Community Development Block Grant funds for program year 2025–2026. City staff and GrantWorks described a roughly $750,000 grant opportunity and two priority projects under consideration: repair of water plant 2 (including well no. 8 and a ground storage tank) or repair of water plant 3 (an east-side ground storage tank).
City Manager Scott and Nick Fanning of GrantWorks briefed the council and the public on eligibility and program details. Staff said the TDA award under discussion would be $750,000; the city’s match would likely be in the 5–10% range depending on population (staff estimated roughly $75,000 at 10%). Fanning explained that the program targets small, rural communities; funds can be used for infrastructure (water, wastewater, streets, drainage, parks), economic development, housing and certain social services, subject to program rules.
Public questions focused on service areas for the two water plants; staff responded that the two systems are connected and that one plant serves the entire city while the other serves the east side (both plants would benefit from improvements). No formal action was taken at the hearing; staff said a notice seeking engineering services will publish and that two council members would later serve on an engineer-selection committee.
Why it matters: The TDA CDBG award would fund capital work on aging infrastructure without requiring the city to fully finance an entire replacement. Council and staff framed the application as part of a multi-pronged approach to improve water and sewer reliability and to leverage other grants recently secured.
Next steps identified at the meeting: - Publish a notice for engineering services (staff said the notice will run in the local paper on the coming Thursday). - Receive and score engineering RFQs by the February 10 deadline, then return recommended selections to council in February. - Council to appoint two members to the selection committee (Councilmembers Rachel Hall and Mac Waters volunteered during the meeting).
No vote was required; the hearing record will form part of the city’s application to TDA.
