French Lick staff outline home-repair grant process, $20,000 cap and schedule

Jenny, the town's program coordinator, told the council how the town will run a federally funded home-repair program that pairs state-licensed home inspectors and radon inspectors with homeowners who qualify.

She said the town will publish requests for proposals for a home inspector and a radon inspector and open those proposals at the council meeting on Nov. 17. "We're going to advertise for the home inspector and the radon inspector," Jenny said, describing an inspection report that includes photos of all sides of each house, interior ceiling photos to check water staining, HVAC and water-heater information, and a five-part summary used for bidding.

Why it matters: the program pays contractors after work is verified and reimbursed by the state; getting inspectors and bids in place is the first step to moving contractors onto roofs and into homes this winter and spring.

The town plans to release homeowner applications on Nov. 6 and accept completed, date-stamped applications in person at town hall; Jenny said applications will be due Dec. 1. She emphasized that an "interested" list of homeowners is not the same as a formal application and that only completed, submitted applications will be scored.

On eligibility and scoring, Jenny reviewed the program's point system. Applicants can receive extra points if they belong to certain priority groups (disabled household, veteran, elderly or single-parent head of household). For a single-person household she recited the income bands used for scoring: $50,300 (low), $31,450 (very low) and $18,900 (extremely low), with larger point awards for lower-income bands.

Funding and scope: the town will cap awards "at $20,000 a home," Jenny said; with the cited funding level, that cap would allow the town to support roughly 17 homes in the initial group. Jenny said funds not spent on a home (for example, if an individual job comes in under $20,000) can be returned to a pool and later reallocated to additional homes.

Environmental and procurement steps: Jenny warned the board that each selected home requires a homeowner-level environmental review and a historic-preservation screening. That process requires staff to submit forms and photos to the State Historic Preservation office and allow roughly two review cycles (30 days + 30 days), which can delay bidding. "You have to allow them 60 days to review this environmental review," Jenny said.

She described the construction procurement timeline the town is aiming for: develop a bidder's list and hold a contractor pre-bid meeting (tentatively Feb. 5, 2026), with bids for the first group of homes due around the March 2, 2026 council meeting so the town can open bids and award contracts in one meeting and start work as soon as weather and contractor schedules permit.

Payment mechanics: the grant is a reimbursement model. Jenny explained that contractors submit invoices after work is completed, the town reviews and requests a draw from the state, and funds typically take 3'3 weeks to deposit; once state funds are deposited the town has five business days to pay contractors.

Operational matters and conflict of interest: the board discussed administering applications and suggested a small selection committee made up of community-affiliated, non-elected members to score applications. Jenny confirmed that elected officials and their immediate family members are not eligible to apply or receive funding under the program.

Next steps: Jenny will publish the RFPs, confirm the homeowner informational meeting venue (library or senior center) and release applications Nov. 6. Inspector proposals will be opened Nov. 17; the board will score applications and notify homeowners afterward to schedule inspections and begin environmental reviews. The town's stated completion deadline for all grant-funded work is 2027.

What was not decided: the board did not take any formal votes during this informational session; tie-breaker and committee membership details were discussed but deferred for later action.