Bluff council directs staff to pursue CDBG application prioritizing asbestos abatement at Cooperative Cultural Center

Bluff’s town council on Tuesday directed staff to continue preparing a Community Development Block Grant application that would prioritize asbestos abatement at the Cooperative Cultural Center (CCC), pending confirmation that the town’s income survey qualifies it for funds.

The decision followed a staff update from Malia, who said the application is due at the end of the month and that she will deliver a draft for council review. “Asbestos removal, actually. I think that, we should apply for the CCC, the Cooperative Cultural Center, and I think that asbestos removal would be great,” said Speaker 2 (Malia), recommending a targeted, achievable request given the regional pool of funds.

Why it matters: CDBG funds are federal dollars administered through the state and are restricted to projects that benefit low- and moderate-income areas. Council members emphasized selecting projects with existing planning and budgets to shorten the application work and improve the town’s chance of award. Bluff’s likely award in past rounds has been in the roughly $100,000 range from a regional pot of about $500,000.

Staff explained eligibility hinges on an income survey the state uses to determine whether Bluff meets low/moderate income thresholds. Speaker 3 summarized the randomness of the sampling: “It’s a complete coin flip,” referring to which addresses are selected and whether those households skew higher or lower than the town average. The town needs about 54 respondents; staff had submitted an initial batch and were completing follow-ups after the administrator returned additional randomized addresses.

Details and constraints: Malia reported asbestos abatement estimates near $30,000–$50,000 and recommended asking up to $50,000 to allow a margin for rural pricing. Council discussed other potential CCC uses (daycare, aging center, business incubator) and noted that while some programs may be favored by other grant programs, CDBG eligibility must be scoped to benefit Bluff residents within town limits. Staff also said construction projects can allow multi-year spending plans of up to two years.

Next steps: Staff will finish the remaining income surveys, submit the application by the month’s deadline, and circulate a proposed project description and dollar amount to the council before the next meeting so the council can vote on which activities to include if the town is found eligible. No formal vote on project selection was taken at the work session.

What was not decided: The council did not adopt a formal motion at this meeting, and the town’s eligibility for CDBG remains contingent on the survey results and state tabulation.