Lee County commissioners direct staff to refine CDBG-DR reallocations, authorize work with Goodwill and LARC

Lee County commissioners on Jan. 7 voted to move forward with staff recommendations for reallocating remaining CDBG‑DR (Community Development Block Grant – Disaster Recovery) funds and to direct county staff to work with nonprofit applicants — including Goodwill and LARC — to refine proposals for future awards.

The action followed a staff presentation that summarized the county’s CDBG‑DR portfolio and identified about $148,000,000 currently available for reallocation from completed or undersubscribed projects. Jeanne Sutton, a county staff presenter, said the county has allocated roughly 82% of its award and has asked HUD for waivers that would reduce the program’s low‑ and moderate‑income (LMI) benefit set‑aside from 70% to 50% and allow broader use of funds for general government buildings.

The vote authorizing staff to work with Goodwill to craft a CDBG‑DR proposal passed after commissioners who had conflicts recused themselves; county staff recorded the vote as 3–0 to direct staff to work with Goodwill on a future award. Commissioners also approved a separate direction to work with LARC on a revised scope for a special‑needs shelter project. In a final, broader motion the board approved the staff recommendations on several projects and asked staff to return with detailed proposals and updated financial balances for additional awards.

Why it matters: Lee County’s $1.1 billion CDBG‑DR allocation is intended to fund recovery and mitigation following Hurricane Ian. How the county uses the remaining uncommitted funds — for additional affordable housing, infrastructure, mitigation, or nonprofit service centers — will shape the recovery footprint and where future construction and services will be concentrated.

Most important facts

- Staff summary: Jeanne Sutton said the county has roughly 82% of its CDBG‑DR award committed or awarded, counting projects with pending Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) matches, and estimated about $148,000,000 is available for reallocation across multiple silos (multi‑family housing, voluntary acquisition, critical infrastructure/public facilities).

- Waivers pending: Sutton said staff has requested HUD waivers to reduce the LMI set‑aside from 70% to 50% and to permit use…