County staff reports,CDBG‑funded code enforcement pilot completed 20 abatements; remaining encumbrance reported

Marion County staff told commissioners July 15 that a pilot program using Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds to support code‑enforcement abatements in low‑income census tracts has completed 20 cleanups so far.

Charles Rich, a program manager with Community Services, said the board approved using CDBG funds at a workshop last year to help complete code‑board adjudicated abatements that had been delayed by owners who could not pay. The county committed $200,000 of CDBG funding to the pilot, which paid for abatement contractors and supported one code‑enforcement officer assigned to the effort.

Robin Huff, Code Enforcement manager, showed before‑and‑after photos and summarized spending: according to her presentation, approximately $130,696 of the $200,000 CDBG allocation remained encumbered in purchase orders for abatements that are in process; the county’s general‑fund contractual services account for abatements had spent about $114,915 and had about $50,000 remaining for the fiscal period. Huff said staff had completed 20 cleanup projects and had several additional purchase orders in process.

Commissioners praised the results and asked staff to share briefing material with board members and absent colleagues. The board did not take a formal vote on the update; it was presented for information.

Why it matters: The pilot uses federal housing and community development funds to remove blight and address code violations in lower‑income neighborhoods, tying directly to the county’s proposed CDBG clearance/demolition allocation presented at the same meeting.