Council weighs options for roughly $150,000 in CDBG funding; walking track emerges as priority

Everman staff asked the City Council on Nov. 11 where to direct an estimated $150,000 in federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds and presented multiple eligible uses.

Staff explained that CDBG funds historically supported waterline projects and that $150,000 would typically cover work such as one residential block of waterline replacement, but staff urged council to weigh alternatives. A walking-track replacement on the north side was offered as an eligible project; staff estimated a full north-side replacement would cost about $300,000, and recommended phasing the work across years if council chose that route. “One eligible project for these funds is the walking track… The cost would be about $300,000 but we can spread these projects out and do them in segments each year,” staff said.

Other options discussed included ADA-compliant curb cuts and sidewalks (staff cautioned the city is applying separately for a Safe Streets grant that would cover new sidewalks), new restroom facilities at Johnson Park (staff noted CDBG funds generally require new construction, not renovations), HVAC upgrades with antimicrobial or positive-pressure systems, and playground or park improvements provided they are outside restricted floodway areas.

Council members expressed interest in prioritizing the walking track and asked staff and the city engineer to provide a list of candidate projects, cost estimates and visual concepts for the next meeting. Staff said a consensus (not a formal vote) would be sufficient for filing the CDBG application by the approaching deadline and that formal action could follow later.

Staff also warned that projects inside a floodway typically trigger extensive environmental review and can consume a large share of grant dollars.