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Escalon council accepts CDBG plan and targets raised crosswalks near Dent Elementary
Summary
In a required HUD hearing, the council accepted an expenditure plan that uses Escalon's ~$75,000 annual CDBG entitlement for nonprofit services and proposes leveraging county funds toward a ~$600,000 public-works project (raised crosswalks in a qualifying low-income census tract).
The City Council held a HUD-mandated public hearing and accepted an expenditure plan for community development block grant (CDBG) funds, staff said, with Escalon’s share estimated at about $75,000 per year. Staff recommended dedicating up to 15% of the city’s allocation to public service subgrants (examples include San Joaquin Fair Housing, Meals on Wheels, and a Mobile Farmers Market) and using the remainder, together with county pass-through funds, for a public-works project.
Staff explained the city will apply for county funding to support a roughly $600,000 project to install raised crosswalks and traffic-calming measures in front of Dent Elementary School in a census tract that meets HUD low-income requirements. The presenter noted that small nonprofits often do not apply for CDBG because the program’s reporting obligations are onerous; larger regional organizations are typically the recipients.
Council members asked staff to improve community outreach so residents know how to access services funded through CDBG and suggested staff work with providers on outreach plans. Staff said they had posted notices on local pages and reached out to nonprofit providers.
The council opened the hearing for public comment; no members of the public spoke in favor or opposition. The council then voted to adopt the expenditure plan and accept the county pass-through awards for the named nonprofits and the proposed public-works project.
