CPED committee reviews 2027 CDBG recommendations, reallocates small awards amid cuts

Youngstown’s planning and economic development committee reviewed staff recommendations for the city’s 2027 Community Development Block Grant allocations and discussed several adjustments as federal rules and limited funds constrained awards.

Staff told the committee the overall funding pool is slightly reduced from last year and that recommendations were compiled using a scoring rubric aligned with the city’s five-year Consolidated Plan and annual action plan. "We were careful in our scoring," an agency official said, adding the rubric weighs financial health, compliance and program capacity.

The committee heard that some organizations previously approved by CPED were recommended to receive the same awards this year. To support program growth, staff proposed trimming awards to Loop and Best Purpose and shifting modest amounts (roughly $1,500–$2,000) to increase funding for the Thrive program; staff said this preserved funding continuity for established grantees while allowing room for a growing program.

Staff highlighted one exception: the SMARTS program, which staff recommended for a $40,000 award because of measurable program growth and summer event activity. "We went ahead and gave her the $40,000," an agency official said, and staff said monthly reporting and client address documentation would be required to verify that at least 51% of beneficiaries are Youngstown residents, as required for public-service eligibility.

Several larger projects were not funded or were recommended to seek other sources. The Youngstown Cityscape brew project, which requested $75,000 this year, was not funded because staff said substantial prior money remains in the project account and additional investment has been placed in the public facilities program. Staff said the YMCA project remains far short of the funding needed to start construction and that a city award this year could not be held for the long-term timeframe required to spend millions more.

Staff also outlined coordination with Mahoning County and YNDC on lead remediation and roof-replacement programs, noting eligibility differences: some county programs are lead-specific and require evidence of lead hazards, while other city-funded roof programs serve households that remain on the existing waiting list.

On administrative spending, staff said they planned to stay within a 15% admin cap this year and described how rolling older administrative balances across years can help avoid triggering a 20% cap in any single year. Staff also described routine fund management practices — including shifting at-risk older balances into debt service to avoid HUD recapture — saying, "I always shuffle it to debt service," a finance official said.

A committee member moved to accept the recommendations and forward them as legislation; the Chair seconded. The transcript records the motion and second but does not record a vote or final action in the committee meeting text provided.

Speakers are referenced using functional labels where the transcript did not provide full personal names or titles. Staff said they will provide additional detail on prior years’ drawdown history and fund balances on request; the recommendations were characterized as staff’s proposed legislation to be considered by City Council.