Council approves transfer of CDBG administration to regional planning group CiteCOG

Lock Haven City Council authorized an administrative contract package to transfer primary administration of the city’s Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program to the regional Council of Governments (CiteCOG). The action covers multiple contracts to provide program administration, environmental reviews, labor‑standards oversight and training services.

City staff explained the decision as a response to expanding grant activity, the complexity of CDBG compliance and limited in‑house staff capacity. Tyler Dombrowski, the city’s director of community development, said the work requires specialized, time‑consuming compliance tasks (environmental review, labor standards, construction administration) that CiteCOG handles routinely for municipalities across the region. Kim Miller, executive director of CiteCOG, and CiteCOG staff attended the meeting to describe their team and services.

CiteCOG outlined the four‑contract approach covering administrative services, environmental-review and labor‑standards tasks and training; the city will pay CiteCOG from available CDBG administrative funds and existing grant program allocations. Staff said approximately two‑thirds of the consultant work for an upcoming zoning rewrite would be grant‑funded; they also cited an approximate total of the multi‑year administrative contract package discussed at the meeting (the packet referenced roughly $117,698 over the contract term, presented as an aggregate figure in the discussion).

Council members asked for clarity about net cost implications and whether outsourcing would reduce the city’s internal capacity to pursue other grants. Staff and CiteCOG representatives said shifting routine CDBG administration would free staff time to pursue larger, competitive grants and to manage on‑the‑ground project delivery. The council voted to approve the contracts and transition administration to CiteCOG; the contracts will be executed and payments drawn from eligible CDBG administrative allocations.

Ending City staff will finalize contract documents with CiteCOG and oversee the administrative transition. The council required continued oversight and reporting back on fund balances available for administrative tasks and the impact of the transition on in‑house grant capability.