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City moves ahead with $159M CDBG-DR program; council approves consultant contracts
Summary
Council unanimously approved consultant agreements with Horn LLP and ICF Inc. to support implementation of a six‑year, $159 million Community Development Block Grant–Disaster Recovery (CDBG‑DR) program for storm recovery and mitigation.
City Council unanimously authorized consulting agreements to help implement a six‑year, $159 million CDBG‑DR disaster recovery program aimed at storm recovery, housing repairs and public‑infrastructure mitigation. The council approved two vendor agreements — Horn LLP and ICF Incorporated — and supplemental appropriations of about $12.9 million to cover consultant services that will be billable to the grant.
Why it matters: The CDBG‑DR award will fund residential recovery (rehab/reconstruction/elevation), emergency reimbursements to affected households, rental housing and mitigation projects. Federal CDBG‑DR programs carry complex compliance rules, and the vendors will provide capacity, program administration, intake infrastructure and technical assistance so the city can distribute money quickly and compliantly.
What council approved: Horn LLP will provide program management for residential recovery and public‑infrastructure mitigation programs; ICF will provide technical assistance and capacity building. The consultant work will include intake center design, a “no‑wrong‑door” customer approach, bilingual case management, an intake call center, and environmental reviews required by HUD. Council also approved a supplemental appropriation to the CDBG‑DR fund to cover the vendor agreements. Vote: unanimous.
Public outreach and prioritization: Administrative staff said the programs prioritize households earning below 80% of area median income and will provide expedited disaster relief reimbursements (up to $15,000 per household, short‑term), while also standing up longer‑term recovery programs for elevation, reconstruction and mitigation. Staff plans in‑person intake centers, bilingual staff, evening/weekend hours and online tracking for applicants so households can see application status.
Next steps: Staff expects HUD action‑plan approval from federal officials around the HUD 45‑day review deadline and will return to council in September with the full grant agreement, staffing plan and appropriation details. The city expects program launch in early 2026 after hiring, intake center selection and portal development.
Funding notes: Some consultant costs will be billed to a 5% administration cap; other costs will be direct activity delivery charges within the grant programs. Staff emphasized that the vendor support reduces compliance risk and helps get funds to households faster than the city could alone.
