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Elgin council to consider block grant projects

Ten organizations and the city of Elgin have submitted applications for Community Development Block Grant money available this year from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Stragglers will have one last chance to submit applications at the first public hearing Wednesday.

The hearing will take place during the committee of the whole meeting, which starts at 6 p.m. in the council chambers, 150 Dexter Court.

Mayor David Kaptain will work with Councilman John Steffen to preference projects for funding before the final council vote in March.

“We’ll be looking primarily at providing food, shelter and clothing,” Kaptain said. “That’s what we’ve done in the past.”

Safety will be another focus when it comes to funding projects like exterior lighting or security doors, Kaptain said.

The city’s funding requests, by far the largest at $358,000, are for the Residential Rehabilitation Grant Program and CDBG program administration. PADS of Elgin, Senior Services Associates, Wayside Cross Ministries and Feeding Greater Elgin applied for money to pay their rents. Other area nonprofits applied for various projects including HVAC replacement at the Well Child Center and roof and driveway replacement at The Larkin Center.

The federal allocation will not be announced officially until the spring but Elgin expects to get about $695,000 for the 2012-2013 grant year.

During the 2012 budget discussions, council members voted to allocate $150,000 of Riverboat Fund money to a similar grant program organized in-house. This program will remain separate from the CDBG funding cycle.

Kaptain said applications should be available later this month and he hopes the council will be able to turn them around quickly to disburse the money.

Instead of a few organizations with annual contracts with the city, any agency will be able to apply for funding from the new program.

“The grant program becomes more competitive,” Kaptain said. “People that never had an opportunity to compete can compete now.”

The city grants will be more flexible than the rigid federal guidelines that dictate the CDBG program. Kaptain said all the details will need to be hammered out in coming weeks and probably tweaked again before next year’s grant cycle.

“It’s going to take us time,” Kaptain said, requesting patience from residents. “There’s going to be a learning curve for us as well.”

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