City closes out $1.6 million LCDBG HVAC project; $74.01 to be returned to state

At a public hearing, the city closed out a $1,600,000 LCDBG-funded HVAC improvement project covering the MLK Recreation Center and an event center, and announced that $74.01 in unspent funds will be returned to the state, officials said.

Thomas McGee, introduced at the hearing, gave an account of the grant and the final project status. "This public hearing is to close out the LCDBG HVAC improvement project," McGee said, adding that the small refund was tied to engineering fees that were not billed and that 100% of the construction costs had been sent to the city.

The announcement matters because McGee said closing the project will protect the city’s eligibility for future HVAC grant funding. "Closing it out will kinda get that behind you, and you won't have to worry about it in the future," he said.

A resident who spoke at the hearing lauded the work, saying it was a "great project" and thanking staff for completing the work. Officials confirmed they had received no citizen complaints related to the project.

Administratively, McGee presented a packet of closing documents for the chair to sign and said those materials must be sent to the state to complete the closeout. The chair signed the documents during the meeting and then gavelled the public hearing closed; no vote was recorded on the item.

The hearing record and the refund amount—$74.01—were noted on the record. With the closeout paperwork signed and filed with the state, city officials said they expect the project to be considered complete and for the city to remain eligible for similar LCDBG-funded projects going forward.