Woodbury County accepts $600,000 CDBG; county to pass funds to local center

The Woodbury County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously on Sept. 2 to approve a contract with the Iowa Economic Development Authority to accept a Community Development Block Grant of $600,000 that will be administered through the county and passed on to a local community center as subrecipient.

Ryan Ericson of board administration told the board the Iowa Economic Development Authority awarded the grant and that Woodbury County will be the recipient while the local center will serve as subrecipient. "This contract is between Woodbury County and the Iowa Economic Development Authority and is really step one in several steps that need to be done before the funds can be released," Ericson said.

Ericson laid out next steps: the county must execute a subrecipient agreement with the center and secure a grant administrator. "We most likely will need to get a grant administrator and I'm working with Simco to get a contract with them so we can get the grant administration done correctly," he said.

Board members had no substantive questions on the packet and approved the contract by motion. The board chair called for the vote, which passed 5-0.

Why it matters: CDBG awards fund locally defined community development activities such as housing, infrastructure, and public services; the board’s approval allows county staff to move forward with agreements and grant administration that will determine how and when the grant dollars reach the subrecipient.

What happens next: County staff will prepare a subrecipient agreement with the center and pursue a grant administration contract (Ericson identified Simco as the likely administrator). No release of funds was reported at the meeting; Ericson described the contract as an initial procedural step required by the state authority.