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At its monthly meeting on Monday, July 28, Lebanon City Council passed two resolutions that will guide the city’s use of federal Community Development Block Grant funds.
The CDBG program, administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, aims to improve the quality of life for people with low or moderate incomes, revitalize urban centers, and address the health and safety needs of low-income communities.
Municipalities such as the city receive grant funds from HUD and are responsible for distributing them to eligible individuals and organizations in accordance with HUD guidelines. Private companies, nonprofit organizations, and individuals are not eligible to receive CDBG funds directly from HUD.
In past years, the city has used CDBG funds for crime prevention and police, street improvements, home buyer assistance, housing rehabilitation, code enforcement, water main improvements, a homeless shelter, and general administration.
Speaking at the monthly pre-council meeting on Thursday, July 24, community and economic development administrator Janelle Groh told council that the city expects to have about $715,929 of CDBG funds available in 2025. She proposed that those funds be spent as follows in low income neighborhoods:
- $100,000 for crime prevention
- $200,000 for milling and repaving city streets
- $130,000 for property maintenance code enforcement and to stabilize neighborhoods
- $151,929 to purchase and rehabilitate or demolish blighted properties
- $130,000 for planning and administrative costs of the program
On Monday, council passed a resolution authorizing the 2025 spending plan as part of a five-year consolidated plan that will govern the city’s use of CDBG money through 2029.
In a related matter, council also approved an amendment to the city’s 2023 CDBG spending plan to allow the city to use $45,000 of unspent 2023 money for current public facility and recreation projects. Mayor Sherry Capello told council that this money would be used to pay part of the cost of rehabilitating Northeast Playground on East Canal Street.
Other business
- Through June 30, the halfway point of the city’s budget year, Capello reported that revenue and expenditures were at 64% and 40%, respectively, of 2025 annual budget projections.
- Capello told council that she has reappointed downtown businesswomen Guadalupe Barba, community and economic development administrator Janelle Groh, city councilman Joseph Morales, and former city councilman Richard Wertz to the city’s Design Review Board for additional five-year terms, effective July 22. The seven-member board approves proposed murals and street art in the city.
August council meetings
Council’s next pre-council work session will be on Thursday, Aug. 21, at 4:45 p.m. Pre-council meetings are non-voting. Council’s next regular monthly meeting will be on Monday, Aug. 25, at 6:30 p.m.
Pre-council and regular monthly meetings are open to the public and held in the City Hall multi-purpose room, 735 Cumberland St., first floor, Lebanon. Meetings are also streamed live on the Lebanon PA City Council YouTube page.
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