Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) can be used to fund a variety of projects benefitting low- and moderate-income households. Officials want to use some of the funding to repair the east side of South Walnut Street, pictured above, where the sidewalk is deteriorating and has become hazardous.
(Photo submitted)
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City Council Monday approved emergency legislation that will allow the city to apply for money to improve sidewalks in two areas of the city.
Council approved legislation authorizing City Manager Terry Emery to apply for $150,000 in Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) to improve the sidewalks along East Fourth and South Walnut streets.
Each year the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development provides money to states to benefit low- and moderate-income households and to prevent or eliminate slums or blight. Funds can be used to address a wide range of needs. Homes making less than 80% of the annual median income, as defined by HUD, are considered low- to moderate income. In Ohio, the funds are administered through the Department of Development.
At Monday’s meeting, City Engineer Kyle Hoyng explained that every two years, the city has the opportunity to apply for $150,000 of CDBG funding. He said that in the past the city has “typically” used CDBG money for capital projects, specifically mentioning streets, water and waste water projects.
“For the most part, for the last three or four rounds we have used it on sidewalk improvements in the Uptown and that’s kind of the project we are proposing this year,” Hoyng said.
Hoyng said the city will apply to use the money this year to install sidewalks on East Fourth Street. The engineer said there is “a gap” in the sidewalk along the north side of East Fourth Street.
Hoyng said Happenstance Brewing, which is under construction in the 400 block of East Fourth Street, will provide sidewalk to the edge of its property. He said the CDBG money would be used to connect the sidewalk from there east to its current end east of Olive Street.
The other area to be addressed using CDBG money is on South Walnut Street, between Fifth and Sixth streets.
Hoyng said brick pavers on the west side of the street have been “taken over by vegetation, weeds and grass.” The pavers will be removed, refurbished and reinstalled.
He said the sidewalk on the east side has “crumbled up and is uneven.” He said it is not compliant with Americans with Disabilities Act standards and has “multiple trip hazards.”
Hoyng provided a series of photos to help council understand how deteriorated the sidewalk had become.
Council President Donald Boerger asked if there was “any opportunity to do street trees” along East Fourth Street.
Hoyng said that could be considered, but it likely would not be covered by the CDBG money and the city would be responsible to bear that cost.
“We can look at adding some street trees as well,” Hoyng said. “I don’t know if that would be an eligible expense, but it’s something, if we are doing sidewalks, we might be able to find some money in our streets capital budget to put some trees there as well.”
Boerger asked if street trees could be added to Walnut Street as well. He said the tree lawns, between the street and the sidewalk are “very wide so they could have some huge, mature trees there eventually some day.”
Council added an emergency clause to the resolution, meaning that if approved following the third reading, it would become effective immediately. Hoyng said that is necessary because the application is due by June 12.