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Shawnee Council OKs use of leftover COVID CDBG funds to expand storage and volunteer workspace at Shawnee Community Services
Summary
Council approved a substantial amendment to the 2020 CDBG action plan to allocate remaining COVID‑era CDBG funds for a storage‑conversion and covered storage project at Shawnee Community Services, approved a grant administration agreement and authorized advertising a design‑build contract. The project relies on roughly $198,000 of CDBG‑CV funds and a $7,500 local contribution.
Shawnee — The City Council voted Tuesday to amend the city’s 2020 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) action plan to use remaining COVID‑era CDBG funds for facility improvements at Shawnee Community Services, authorizing staff to manage design and construction and approving a grant administration agreement with the nonprofit.
The amendment allocates just over $198,000 of remaining CDBG funds awarded in 2020–21 for a storage‑conversion and covered‑storage project at the agency’s facility. Assistant City Manager Lauren Grasshopper said staff identified roughly $206,000 available when including local contributions and in‑kind city staff time, and that the grant funds must be spent, not merely obligated, before a September 2026 expenditure deadline tied to the original award.
‘‘This was a very specific set aside that does require a tieback for any projects that are funded with this money, to meet sort of the standard program requirements for the CDBG program, as well as prevent, prepare for, or respond to the coronavirus,’’ Grasshopper told the council during the presentation.
Sylvia Terry of Shawnee Community Services described the agency’s operations and why the storage work is needed. She said the organization distributes large volumes of food and runs other programs that require protected space for donations and volunteer processing. ‘‘Last year, we picked up and distributed 285 tons of food,’’ Terry said. She told council the pantry served 2,626 households (about 6,542 people) so far this year and that the group has spent roughly $22,000 buying food in 2025.
The storage conversion is described in staff materials as about 1,600 square feet (approximately 1,000 square feet currently paved and unusable for covered storage). Project elements include adding a roofed, ventilated workspace, a new dumpster enclosure, fence and gate adjustments, and concrete work to accommodate trash‑truck access. Staff said the city would administer the design‑build contract and provide some staff time in kind; the nonprofit committed up to $7,500 toward the project and plans local fundraising through its mayor’s Christmas‑tree recipient campaign.
Council members questioned program eligibility, service area and administration. Grasshopper said the city will administer the grant with assistance from the grant administrator, Sophia Young, and confirmed the construction funds for design and construction are federal CDBG dollars, not general city funds. Council members also recommended designing the structure so it could be enclosed later if demand grows.
The council approved three related motions by voice vote: to adopt the substantial amendment adding the Shawnee Community Services facility improvement to the 2020 CDBG action plan; to approve a grant administration agreement with Shawnee Community Services for the CDBG‑CV project; and to authorize staff to advertise the design‑build project for bids. Staff will proceed with bidding but will not move forward if bids come in substantially above the identified funding.
