Ithaca City IRA staff told the committee that roughly $205,000 in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds can be reprogrammed immediately, with a high-end estimate of about $235,000 depending on pending vouchers and returned awards. Staff framed the work as necessary to meet HUD timeliness requirements and avoid a larger spend‑down shortfall.

"What I'm, in essence, proposing is that we discuss how to reprogram 205 k right now," said Speaker 3, the IRA staff presenter. Staff also said the agency submitted a spend‑down workout plan to HUD that was accepted and noted the IRA currently is not meeting a roughly $75,000‑per‑month expenditure rate needed before May.

Why it matters: HUD requires jurisdictions to demonstrate timely use of CDBG allocations. Staff said the agency faces a shortfall in achievable spending and must prioritize projects that can be contracted and expended quickly, or the city risks further restrictions on future funding use.

Staff presented a set of candidate projects, giving priority to those with existing contracts or solid cost estimates, and flagged NEPA (National Environmental Policy Act) and contracting timelines as gating issues. Committee members repeatedly urged that projects chosen for reprogramming be able to document implementability and near‑term expenditure.

Southside Community Center emerged as a top priority in the committee’s informal ranking. Staff described repeated malfunctions of Southside’s fire panel and electrical system that triggered frequent false alarms and required a 24‑hour watch during the summer. "The fire panel currently is very erratic … there needed to be a 24 hour watch over the summer," Staff (Speaker 3) said. A city staffer (Speaker 6) estimated a replacement could be in the $75,000–$100,000 range and suggested bundling additional electrical outlet upgrades while crews are mobilized.

Committee members also discussed an overage on Cass Park restroom and pavilion work. Staff reported updated information identifying a project gap of about $246,000, which would require Common Council action on the capital project. Staff advised that some IRA support could be useful but would not fully cover the overage.

Another recommendation that drew support was contributing to a Cleveland Avenue housing project that has already incurred about $50,000 in unbudgeted expenses; committee members saw reimbursement as a way to move those funds quickly because costs were already documented.

Members conducted an informal straw poll and indicated the strongest combined support for: (1) Southside fire‑panel replacement, (2) some contribution to the Cleveland Avenue project, and (3) a partial contribution to Cass Park, while retaining flexibility to shift funds if projects fall out of the pipeline. Several members emphasized that public‑service reprogramming could be handled as a non‑substantial amendment more quickly and could be addressed separately.

What’s next: Staff will refine cost information, confirm Common Council timelines for projects that require capital increases, and present formal recommendations to the IRA/board for authorization. The committee’s conversation was advisory; staff said final action and any substantial amendments would be subject to public notice and a 30‑day comment period where required.