Tiffin council hears CDBG briefing and public pitch for 'Heavenly Park' as city readies April selection

Tiffin City Council on Monday heard a detailed briefing on Community Development Block Grant rules and timelines and a public presentation about a proposed neighborhood park that organizers hope to fund at least partly with CDBG allocation money.

Judy Day, grants and community engagement coordinator for the Seneca County Collaborative, told the council Tiffin typically receives an allocation grant in even years, and the city has received about $150,000 in past cycles. “As long as an eligible project is submitted to the state, it will be funded, hence the name allocation grant,” Day said, explaining the allocation program and the three national CDBG objectives (low- to moderate-income benefit, elimination of slums or blight, or urgent need).

The presentation outlined eligible uses — from owner-occupied rehabilitation to public facilities — and described competitive grant programs the city could pursue in later years: neighborhood revitalization grants (up to $750,000) and critical infrastructure grants (up to $500,000). Day said the application window should open in mid‑May and that the application deadline is typically in mid‑June; the council set a committee-of-the-whole meeting for April 6 to select a project and hold the second required public meeting.

During oral communications Pat Damonte, a former United Way director, presented on behalf of a nonprofit called Heavenly Pizza Gives Back that has secured a donated parcel adjacent to Heavenly Pizza and is raising private funds for “Heavenly Park.” Damonte described a three‑part design: a youth/adult game area (cornhole, table tennis), a small performance stage, and an accessible playground that would include wheelchair‑accessible gliders. “Our project will establish an inclusive family entertainment center where community members can share their values, enjoy beautiful outdoor spaces, and provide a safe environment where every family and child can engage in recreational activities,” Damonte said.

Day said some project proposals have been submitted by nonprofits and some are city‑sponsored; she flagged a St. Mary’s Catholic Church sidewalk project as potentially eligible and said one submission from the Commission on Aging fell outside city limits and therefore was ineligible. Day also noted the city conducted a needs‑assessment process that produced a report with roughly 120 participants; that report will be available to council and the public ahead of the April meeting.

The council’s next steps are procedural: choose which project to nominate in the April 6 committee‑of‑the‑whole meeting, open a public meeting for comment on the chosen project, and submit the application by the mid‑June deadline. If the council selects a project for the allocation grant, Day said the state will fund it if it meets eligibility rules.

The presentation and public comment together put neighborhood park improvements and accessible playgrounds on the near‑term agenda for council consideration.

The committee-of-the-whole to review CDBG options is scheduled for April 6 at 6:00 p.m. in council chambers; a second public meeting and the formal application will follow.