Council opens public comment period for 2026 CDBG annual action plan

The Rochester City Council opened the public comment period on the city's 2026 Annual Action Plan for Community Development Block Grant funding and left the public hearing open until the council meeting of Nov. 3, 2025.

The plan lays out the city's proposed use of HUD entitlement funds for 2026, prioritizing housing rehabilitation, public services, non-housing community development, planning/administration and fair housing. City staff said the estimated 2026 CDBG-related resources total about $826,000, including roughly $150,000 in program income from the single-family rehab loan program.

Brent Svenby of the community department told the council the steering committee reviewed 11 public-service applications and recommended funding six agencies from an estimated $101,400 public-service allocation. Svenby described the committee's scoring criteria (timeliness, effectiveness, alignment with the consolidated plan and whether the activity had been funded previously) and noted the city published notices and held an open house; he said the city received no attendees at the July 28 open house but planned another public open house for Wednesday, Sept. 24.

Svenby said the draft allocation breakdown proposed approximately 57.4% for housing rehab activities (about $464,600), 12.3% for public services (about $101,400), 18% for administration (about $150,000) and roughly 12% for infrastructure targeted to low- and moderate-income neighborhoods (about $100,000). He told the council that HUD requires eligible activities meet national objectives and income targeting (households below 80% AMI).

Council members asked clarifying questions about project listings and program administration. Council member Keane pointed out an administrative omission on the summary page (a project listing); Council member Palmer asked how a proposed $10,000 carbon monoxide/smoke-detector distribution program would work. Svenby said the fire department would administer that program and that recipients would be income-qualified using existing documentation (tax returns, W-2s or similar) consistent with CDBG rules.

The council left the public hearing open and directed staff to return Nov. 3 to close the comment period and consider formal adoption of the 2026 Annual Action Plan and allocations.

The action does not allocate final funds; it opens the public comment period and sets a date for final council action.

Notes: HUD regulations and the city's consolidated plan govern eligible uses and income targeting for CDBG funds; the council must adopt a final Annual Action Plan after the public comment period.