Knox County approves FY2026 CDBG allocations, backing Danville stormwater, Berlin Township ADA work and a $750,000 neighborhood revitalization plan

The Knox County Commissioners voted June 9 to approve the county's FY2026 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) allocation package, directing $156,000 in biannual allocation funds toward local projects and endorsing a $750,000 neighborhood revitalization application for the Village of Danville.

Julian Flowers of CBC (CDC) of Ohio, who said his organization helps Knox County prepare and administer grant applications, told the board the allocation package includes $67,800 for Danville stormwater improvements, $57,000 for Berlin Township ADA improvements, $28,200 for administration and $3,000 for fair housing activities. "The funds used in Berlin Township will remove the front porch and existing concrete block foundation and replace them with matching materials," Flowers said during the public hearing.

Why it matters: the allocation funds pay for smaller, targeted projects that Counties typically use while larger neighborhood revitalization grants fund more comprehensive work. Flowers said the Danville neighborhood revitalization request totals $700,000 for construction activities plus $50,000 for administration (all together $750,000), intended to cover sidewalks, street improvements and a restroom facility at Memorial Park.

Project details and timing: Flowers said the Danville allocation work would include 270 linear feet of 12-inch storm pipe and three catch basins on South Market Street; sidewalks were deprioritized in the allocation portion after cost estimates, with the village planning to address them through the neighborhood revitalization grant if awarded. The proposed Memorial Park restroom is a prefabricated (pre-cast) facility with electrical and water/sewer hookups; Flowers said that package is estimated at about $185,000. For Berlin Township, trustee D. Farley explained the required ADA ramp dimensions: "it has to be one inch of elevation for every foot of length," which is why the ramp is about 70 feet and carries a higher price.

Federal rules and constraints: Flowers cautioned that federal funds generally cannot reimburse work done before approval, that projects funded with CDBG are subject to environmental review, and that Davis-Bacon prevailing-wage requirements apply where federal labor standards are triggered. He said application materials will be finalized and submitted to the state by the stated deadline.

Board action: After the public hearing, the commissioners moved and approved the allocation package and the neighborhood revitalization application; the board also approved associated CDBG certifications (environmental review and a residential anti-displacement and relocation-assistance plan) required by the program. The board recorded vocal assent to the motions during votes; a roll-call tally was not specified in the record.

What's next: Flowers said announcements on awards typically arrive in September, followed by grant agreements and environmental reviews; he added that the neighborhood revitalization grant period would extend to allow construction as early as 2027 with completion expected by the end of the grant period in August 2028 if awarded.

The commissioners concluded the public hearing and moved on to other business.