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Council and residents dispute how much CDBG money is at stake; staff explains CDBG vs. HOME differences
Summary
Speakers exchanged conflicting dollar figures for county urban CDBG allocations; the mayor and some residents cited different totals while city staff described program rules and said opting out would limit the citys ability to apply directly for CDBG.
A central point of contention in the committee meeting was the amount of federal funding that Lorain Countys urban designation would put into the county pool and what share might realistically reach North Ridgeville.
Several residents repeated a figure they said county officials had cited"3,000,000 to $4,000,000" in total or distributed across participating jurisdictionsbut other speakers said they had direct communications indicating a much smaller annual county allotment. Stephanie Giacovetti said she had a message from a HUD contact indicating about $780,000; Councilmember Rogerson and other speakers described the countys urban allocation in a range that staff later characterized as roughly $781,000 annually (discussed as an annual figure the county would manage), not a single combined lump sum for all years.
City staff clarified program differences: if North Ridgeville opts out of the county partnership, the city would generally not be eligible to apply directly for CDBG funding and instead could pursue HOME funds for housing activities, which have different eligibility rules and cannot be used for broad infrastructure projects. The staff member said CDBG funds can be used for public infrastructure, community facilities and economic development, while HOME funds are limited to affordable housing activities.
Because speakers used different terms and round numbers during the meeting, the precise allocation formulas and the specific dollar amount North Ridgeville would receive if the county becomes an urban jurisdiction were not resolved at the committee; the council and public were left with conflicting figures to verify from county/HUD documentation.
