Graham County holds initial CDBG public hearing; staff, consultant outline eligible projects and timeline

The Graham County Board of Supervisors held an initial public hearing Feb. 3 on the County’s Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) rotation and solicited project ideas for the county's upcoming application cycle.

William (Bill) Osborne of Segoe (the council-of-government consultant) told attendees CDBG funds can support housing, infrastructure, community facilities, public services and planning. He said Graham County’s rotation allocation is approximately $291,000 and explained that projects must meet federal CDBG national objectives, typically benefiting low- and moderate-income persons or addressing slum and blight or urgent health-and-safety needs.

Osborne described several CDBG funding streams available statewide — including colonias set-asides, state special projects and regional accounts administered through the council of governments — and stressed that some competitive funds require projects to be shovel-ready and to have completed environmental review. He also noted that Department of Housing-administered CDBG funds generally require Davis-Bacon wage compliance for construction contracts.

Osborne said the county may submit up to three projects in certain rotations and urged participants to raise ideas during the hearing or in writing so the board can consider them when drafting a resolution to apply. He said a typical schedule calls for a resolution to apply around April 1 and applications to be due in August, though the county may be slightly behind that timetable.

Several supervisors, staff and members of the public suggested project ideas during the hearing. Suggestions included street and drainage improvements (20th Avenue, Willie's Way, 40th Street, Clifton Street), fairgrounds parking and concession-area upgrades, sidewalks and ADA access improvements, lighting for walking paths on Ray Lane and Golf Course Road, shoulder improvements on Ray Lane and Hot Springs Road, owner-occupied housing rehabilitation programs, playground improvements at county parks, and parking and soccer-field improvements at the fairgrounds. One resident raised concerns about growth in a subdivision near Eden and urged road improvements on Hot Springs Road.

Osborne and county staff said they will accept written project ideas and encouraged stakeholders to submit proposals ahead of the next public hearing. They explained that projects not entered into the initial public hearing record generally cannot be considered later without an additional public hearing. The board did not adopt a resolution to apply at the Feb. 3 meeting; staff said a resolution to apply would be considered after the county compiles potential projects and conducts any required low-mod surveys or environmental prework.