Westland council approves 2025–26 CDBG/HOME annual plan after heated debate over sidewalks and code enforcement

Westland City Council on May 5, 2025 voted to approve the city—s 2025——16 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and HOME annual action plan and budget after an extended public and council debate over whether $104,000 proposed for code enforcement should instead fund sidewalk repairs in the Carver Subdivision.

The plan passed in two votes: the annual action plan (agenda item 5) passed 5———— against 2, and the formal resolution adopting the CDBG/HOME budgets (agenda item 6) passed 6———— against 1. Council members voting yes said the city must meet a HUD submission deadline; opponents argued the advisory committee—s recommendation to allocate $104,000 to Carver sidewalks had been overridden without adequate follow-up with residents.

The vote mattered because HUD requires an approved annual plan before it will release entitlement funds; Director Joanne Campbell told council the submission is due May 15 and that delaying the vote could jeopardize the city—s grant awards. "The annual plan submission is required 45 days prior to the start of the fiscal year, so that is May 15," Campbell said during the meeting.

Residents and community leaders urged the council to direct more CDBG money to targeted neighborhoods. Ray Warren, who spoke during public comment, said the affected neighborhoods are being "shortchanged" and warned of political consequences if the city did not act. "If you keep taking these monies away, we will be in a target zone forever," Warren told the council.

Council discussion focused on two competing objectives: (1) honoring the Community Development Citizen Advisory Committee—s recommendation to move $104,000 to sidewalks in the Carver Subdivision, and (2) preserving CDBG funds for ordinance enforcement and other subrecipient programs that the administration said were also necessary. Director Campbell and other staff said most recommended projects had already been incorporated into the administration—s proposal, with the Carver sidewalk request the principal exception.

Mayor Coleman offered to use the city—s other capital funds to complete sidewalk repairs in Carver if council approved the annual plan on the HUD timetable. The mayor said staff would survey the Carver Subdivision within four weeks and begin repairs this summer, and that the city has existing local and major roads funding available for sidewalks separate from the federal CDBG allocation.

Council members also debated how much code-enforcement work the CDBG allocation should fund. Administration staff said CDBG-funded code enforcement supports activities that are allowable only when performed within eligible census tracts; some enforcement functions remain general-fund responsibilities and cannot be paid from federal block-grant money.

The advisory committee had recommended reallocating $104,000 to Carver sidewalks rather than to neighborhood services/code enforcement. Administration supported the committee on most items but recommended preserving the code-enforcement line because it believed the city could find other local road funds for sidewalks while using federal CDBG dollars for enforcement and subrecipient programs.

Votes at a glance: agenda item 5 (approval of the CDBG/HOME annual plan) passed 5———— by roll call (Yeas: Baumann, Hart, Hornbuckle, Buscher, McDermott; Nays: Rakowski, Pro Tem Sampe). Agenda item 6 (adoption of the resolution to submit the budgets to HUD) passed 6———— by roll call (Yeas: Baumann, Hart, Hornbuckle, Rakowski, Buscher, McDermott; Nay: Pro Tem Sampe).

The council directed staff to proceed to submit the annual action plan to HUD and to provide a sidewalk repair plan and estimated cost to council promptly. Director Campbell warned that projects cannot begin until HUD approves the release of funds, which typically occurs in August.

The council—s decision resolves the city—s immediate HUD filing requirement but leaves outstanding community demands for a transparent plan showing how and when sidewalks and local code needs in target neighborhoods will be addressed.