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Council adopts CDBG-DR Action Plan Amendment to prioritize leveraged projects and add $20M to sewer funding
Summary
The Town Council adopted Amendment No. 3 to its CDBG-DR Infrastructure Action Plan, reallocating funds to cover higher project cost estimates, preserve heavily leveraged transportation projects and allocate $20 million more toward the Paradise Sewer Project under a recommended funding alternative.
The Paradise Town Council voted to adopt Community Development Block Grant – Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) Action Plan Amendment No. 3, a reallocation of previously awarded disaster-recovery infrastructure funds intended to address updated project cost estimates and to protect heavily leveraged projects.
Project manager Mark Maddox (presenting as part of the infrastructure update) reminded council the town was awarded $199,000,000 in CDBG-DR funds from the state’s allocation for 2018 wildfire disaster recovery. Staff said rising construction and delivery costs have increased some project estimates by an average of 20–30 percent since the projects were first scoped. The amendment aims to preserve high-priority, leveraged projects—Pentz Road widening and pathway, Skyway widening/pathway and other projects—and to free local match dollars to pursue outside grants.
Council’s adopted alternative (Alternative 2) reduces or defers lower-priority projects (for example, Oliver Curve construction, Elliot Nunnally extension and some Forest Service Road work) and reallocates savings to increase the sewer project allocation by $20,000,000. Under the adopted plan staff will retain $1,250,000 to complete design for the Oliver Curve project so it remains shovel-ready for future grant applications; the council asked staff to continue pursuing outside grants including the federal BUILD grant and the State Active Transportation Program.
Maddox said the town intends to use CDBG-DR funds where they can serve as local matches for other grant opportunities and to maximize the number of leverageable projects. Staff stressed the plan keeps the submitted project list intact (the town originally submitted 60 projects) while changing which projects are funded now versus deferred pending further funding.
Council adopted the amendment after public comment and discussion of priorities; the motion passed unanimously. Councilmembers and staff said the amendment balances immediate infrastructure needs and long-term recovery objectives while preserving options to reinstate deferred projects if additional funding becomes available or if a federal grant award frees up resources.
