County to apply for annual grant to assist with affordable housing, economic development

Gadsden Commissioners recently held a required public hearing on the use of the county’s annual Community Development Block Grant.

Citizens were given an opportunity to provide input on the county’s community and economic development needs and to describe how the Community Development Block Grant Program can address and identify those needs.

The Community Development Block Grant program provides funding to local governments for community improvements.

The county may submit a grant application in one of three categories: housing (repair/replace substandard housing), neighborhood revitalization (repair county infrastructure) and commercial revitalization (downtown street improvements).

The Florida Small Cities Community Development Block Grant Program is a competitive grant program that awards funds to eligible cities, counties, towns and villages.

Growth Management Director Justin Stiell said the objective of the program is to develop viable communities by providing decent housing and a suitable living environment and by expanding economic opportunities, mainly for people with low or moderate income.

Stiell said the maximum amount that the county can apply for is $750,000.

In addition to applying for the aforementioned categories, Stiell said the county can also apply in the economic development category.

He said those funds may be used to provide a business with a low interest loan or can be used to construct an access road or water and sewer line extensions.

Stiell said the economic development grant funds can also be used to construct a building that is leased to a new or expanding business.

As it was a public hearing - allowing citizen input - Commissioner Anthony Viegbesie asked if there were any comments from the audience.

There were none.

There will be a second public hearing in June, where citizens will be given another opportunity to provide input.

Commissioner Brenda Holt noted the county applying for the grants does not prohibit local municipalities from being able to apply for the same grants.

“Some of the cities have not been applying for housing, for economic development grants,” Holt said. “Those are things they can still do.”

The grant application deadline is in July.

In other matters, the commissioners also unanimously gave approval for the design of a pavilion for the Gadsden County Recreation & Multipurpose Sports Complex in the St. Hebron community.

Commissioner Kimblin NeSmith noted that the county already has parks with existing pavilions.

He asked if there is something unique about this specific design or if the county has standard pavilions.

Justin Ford from Dewberry Engineers said there has been some discussion about moving away from the utilitarian pole barns to a more aesthetically pleasing pavilion, so that it feels more like a park than like a utilitarian shed.

“We could draw something up and it’s not formally designed, but in talking to your building department they said no, to meet all the codes and to formally issue the permit, everything needed to be signed and sealed by an engineer, and obviously that’s not something that I do,” Ford said.

He said he reached out to a subcontractor for a formal design and the $3,750 is exactly the cost the subcontractor gave him.

“Once this is done you can certainly reutilize it over and over and over, once you have these signed and sealed plans, but to meet the requirements for the building department and for the building code, they asked us to provide this,” Ford added.

Ford said the county has been using pre-engineered pole barn kits in the past.

He said it will be more expensive to construct the new pavilions, but they will be more appealing.

Holt asked if there will be one for each district. She said if there’s not one for each district, she couldn’t vote for it.

Dixon said there are plans to upgrade all the parks in the upcoming fiscal year budget.

Holt said she’s still trying to get a bathroom at the county’s park in the St. John community.

She said she had more requests for St. John and Robertsville Parks that she thought would have been brought back before the board by now.

“I’m making that point to say when one gets done, five get done,” Holt said.

The board voted 5-0 to pay $3,750 to Dewberry Engineers’ subcontractors to design the pavilion.

Erin Hill - erin@gadsdencountytimes.com

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County to apply for annual grant to assist with affordable housing, economic development

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Coming into effect…. New Florida bills to take effect on July 1

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