Williamson County approves proposed 2025 CDBG projects, schedules 30-day comment period and July 16 public hearing

Williamson County Commissioners Court approved proposed projects to include in the fiscal year 2025 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) action plan after a staff presentation and public comment. The court voted 4-0 to accept the list of proposed projects with a corrected dollar figure noted by commissioners.

The action plan, presented by Sally Bardwell, the county CDBG administrator, was described as covering a program year that "begins October 25 and runs through September 26." Bardwell told the court the county "was awarded 2,000,200 and a 101 $130,000 in CDBG funding and $185,910 in Emergency Solutions grant funding," and that the office received 23 applications with a total request just under $7,000,000. She said there will be a 30-day public comment period and a public hearing on July 16; following the comment period, staff will return to the court with a full action plan to submit to HUD.

The court approved the proposed projects after Commissioner Long moved approval with a correction to a transcribed dollar amount and Commissioner Boles seconded. The motion carried 4-0.

During the public comment period, Scott Dean, commander of American Legion Post 39 and a Taylor resident, asked the court to consider funding his post through the CDBG process. "Our hall was built over almost a hundred years ago ... it is a center point of the community," Dean told the court, saying the renovation has reached "about 1 and a half almost $2,000,000" and that private and corporate donations are coming in but more help is needed.

Bardwell described the county's prioritization process for applications: projects must be eligible and principally benefit low- to moderate-income areas or individuals; infrastructure needs such as drainage, water and sewer typically rank highly; remaining funds can be allocated to public facilities and similar projects. She also noted the administration set-aside typically ranges from 7% to 10% and that she has requested a second staff position for her office; she said administration funds could be used to sustain project work if federal funding levels change.

The court directed staff to proceed with the 30-day comment period and July 16 public hearing and to return with a final action plan for submission to HUD.

The approved proposed projects list and the full action plan will be posted with the county after the public comment period.