Hocking County holds public hearing on CDBG applications for Logan and Laurelville projects

Hocking County held Public Hearing No. 2 on its 2025 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) application on June 5, asking the Board of Commissioners to authorize application documents that would seek state-administered federal CDBG funds for projects in the City of Logan and the Village of Laurelville.

County staff told commissioners the county is eligible to apply to the Ohio Department of Development for program funding and outlined two major proposed activities for inclusion in the county application: a Neighborhood Revitalization Grant (NRG) for the City of Logan and a Critical Infrastructure (CI) project for the Village of Laurelville. Staff identified the NRG as intended to meet the CDBG national objective of benefiting low- and moderate-income persons.

Staff described the Logan NRG as an estimated $787,600 total project (all sources). The construction portion was listed as $700,000, administration $50,000 and the county allocation match $37,600. Staff said Hocking County intends to apply for the NRG program up to its county limit and indicated the county may pursue the full eligible NRG award amount ($750,000) where allowed by the program.

For Laurelville, staff described a proposed critical infrastructure project with an estimated total project cost of $582,405, including an estimated $470,000 for construction, $30,000 for administration and an allocation match of $82,400. Staff said the Laurelville work focuses on flood and drainage improvements in the downtown area and described roughly 16 catch basins and about 1,000 feet of storm piping as part of the scope (figures described by staff as approximate and dependent on final estimates).

Staff also presented required application documents: an environmental review determination (staff said planning, administration and fair-housing activities are exempt from environmental review), an authorizing resolution on county letterhead and the Residential Anti-Displacement and Relocation Assistance Plan. Commissioners voted to approve and sign those three documents so the county may submit an application to the state.

Commissioners and staff discussed that final project lengths and exact construction scopes depend on the final cost estimates and on whether other grant sources are successful for items like Church Street. Staff said final estimates will determine how much of Third Street can be included. Staff and the City of Logan said they walked the proposed Logan work with the mayor and city service director Bruce Walker and the county's consultant (DLZ).

The public hearing materials and the three application documents will be filed with the county and the state as part of the application process; staff said two of the documents can be signed later and mailed as part of the county's general business packet.

Ending: County staff said they will return final estimates and include any required signatures in general business; commissioners approved the documents to allow Hocking County to apply for the described CDBG funds.