Middletown officials ask grantee and staff to revise CrossStreet grant budget after proposal shifts aid away from residents

At a Middletown municipal meeting, the mayor and members reviewed a proposed revision to the CrossStreet Training and Academic Center grant budget and asked the grantee and city staff to return with a revised spending plan aimed at increasing direct assistance to residents.

Claire, a city staff member who presented the revision, said the grant’s performance end date was extended from Dec. 31, 2025, to Dec. 31, 2026, and that CrossStreet’s revision uses actual expenditures to date plus projected spending through the new end date. Claire reported actual expenditures through a recent draw of $600,736.81 and referenced projected remaining expenditures of $653,986.89; she presented a revised budget figure of $691,464.19 and described line items for payroll and benefits, travel ($15,009.97), supplies ($17,011.05), rent and utilities ($25,014.74), and insurance ($37,029.47).

The vice chair, Pam, voiced concern that the allocation for "individual assistance" had dropped by nearly $200,000 under the proposed revision: "My concern is the individual assistance based needs dropped by almost $200,000," Pam said. A committee member asked why staff costs had risen and what activities staff perform beyond administering support under the ARPA-funded program.

Reverend Anderson, speaking for the grantee, said staff perform extensive casework and coordination that extend beyond paperwork: they help clients complete applications, negotiate with landlords and mortgage companies, assist with securing housing and furniture, coordinate memoranda of understanding with partners, and provide financial counseling. Reverend Anderson said some positions were reduced from 40 to 30 hours and that the original grant planned for three years but the program now covers five years, which affects staffing needs. "We've already assisted over 1,100 families," Reverend Anderson said when describing program activity.

Claire and Reverend Anderson provided partial payroll figures: Claire said payroll and related expenses through July 31 for advance one totaled $247,166.40 and that additional payroll-related amounts for advance two push combined payroll-related expenditures above $368,000 to date; Claire said the advance-two figures were not yet final and that staff would provide a fuller, updated breakdown.

Claire also reported assistance-line items in the revision as presented by CrossStreet: $9,000 for transportation, $456,956.31 (category not specified in the transcript), and $22,250 listed as individual assistance; Claire said these numbers were derived from actual expenditures and projections and would be reconciled in a subsequent report. Claire told the meeting the revised percentages reflected actual spending patterns rather than the historic allocation method.

Members agreed that the roughly 28% projected for assistance seemed low and asked Claire and Reverend Anderson to work together to identify whether more of the remaining 15 months of funding could be directed to individual assistance. Clerk (S3) confirmed the body would need to vote on any revised budget when it was returned for formal consideration.

The meeting did not take a formal vote on the budget revision; the body approved only the minutes from a prior special meeting and adjourned. The grantee and city staff are to return with a detailed breakdown and a proposed revised budget for a future vote.