YMCA and shelter operator seek CDBG support as Marion prioritizes trail, sidewalks and downtown fixes

Members of the Marion City Jobs and Economic Development Committee on May 5 heard two applicants seeking federal CDBG-related funding for building repairs and operations.

Andrew Grimes, senior program director for the Mary and Family YMCA, told the committee the downtown rec center needs both operations funding to extend teen hours and targeted roof repairs. Grimes said the YMCA is seeking up to $50,000 to cover wages, weekend programming and materials, and separately requested $26,970 to fix multiple leaks in gym and south-addition roof sections; an estimate submitted to the committee came from Bergs and Scallow. He said the targeted repairs would extend the life of the leaking roof sections roughly two years, giving the organization time to plan for full replacement.

Randy Bettings, the YMCA's director of facilities, described three gym-area leaks that have damaged floor finishes and siding trim and said the organization has relied heavily on prior grant revenue. When asked by committee members, Bettings provided a full-replacement estimate he had seen for the gym and lower roof at about $130,000. He and Grimes said operational funding would help add weekend and evening teen hours, STEM and arts programming, and scholarships to expand participation.

Nolan Hensel, executive director of the Even Outreach Center speaking for Leapin Ministries, requested up to $130,000 to complete heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) work at shelter and support spaces at addresses discussed as 150'152 East Court Street. Hensel said electrical and fire-protection work is largely complete, but without a working HVAC system the renovated second-floor shelter cannot open; he reported 21 letters of support and contractor quotes from PL Mechanical.

Staff advised the committee the city has three primary grant channels in play: a formula allocation (community development allocation) totaling roughly $157,000 this year that will fund two guaranteed projects (each must meet a minimum spend and Low-to-Moderate-Income criteria), a competitive Neighborhood Revitalization Grant that can fund up to $750,000 across multiple projects, and a downtown-building grant with awards up to $250,000 per building. Staff reminded members that public-service or operational expenses are limited in which grant streams they can be placed (public service is typically allowable only in the formula allocation and is capped at about 15% of the total, roughly $29,000 under the current numbers).

Committee members discussed how the YMCA roof would likely fit best under a downtown grant (eligible for slum-and-blight exterior or code upgrades), while operational support would need careful framing or partial reclassification (for example, scholarships) to comply with the formula allocation rules. Members also debated whether to pursue asphalt multi-use trail construction rather than full concrete sidewalks in parts of Lincoln Park to stretch available funds and noted staff would return with engineering price-per-linear-foot estimates ahead of the May 5 selection deadline.

Staff said final project bundles and ballpark budgets will be prepared for the committee before May 5 so the committee can indicate which two projects it would choose for the formula allocation should competitive grants not be awarded. The committee held further public comment and will revisit exact dollar figures and LMI census-tract determinations at the next meeting.

The committee recorded a procedural approval earlier in the meeting to accept prior minutes and acknowledged the May 5 timeline for first-round budget selections; no final grant awards were made at committee level.

Ending: The committee asked staff to provide specific cost estimates and LMI mapping before May 5; those figures will determine which projects are entered in the formula allocation versus competitive applications.