Elgin grant process hits familiar note
Elgin leaders have begun their annual process of doling out grant money from the federal government - and a wealth of requests will force the city to make tough choices.
The nearly $1.5 million requested from various agencies is more than the $850,000 the city expects to receive from the Department of Housing and Urban Development's Community Development Block Grant Funds.
"They're all worthwhile," Mayor Ed Schock said.
The largest request - and one that likely will be granted - is for $530,000 for the city's residential rehabilitation grant program, which helps families with no- or low-interest loans for repairs and bringing properties up to code.
In the past 12 years, the city has allotted an average of $572,000 to the program, with a high mark of $719,000 in 2000-01, according to city documents.
The Northern Illinois Food Bank, which plans to break ground on a new $13 million facility in Geneva this May, has asked for a $200,000 grant and is the largest request outside if the city itself.
The food bank doles out more than 27 million pounds of food a year and from Dec. 1, 2008, to Nov. 30, 2009, the food bank distributed more than 600,000 pounds of food in Elgin.
"This represents over (a) 50 percent increase in food distributed over the same period the previous year, indicating a significant rise in demand," the food bank wrote in its application.
Schock said he would rely on the city staff's recommendation.
"The question is what else doesn't get done? (The full) $200,000 would leave us short in other areas," Schock said. "We always run out of money (for residential rehabilitation). I don't want to starve that fund."
The city also has requested $75,000 to administer the grant program.
The city council will take its first look at grant requests Wednesday, hold a workshop on Feb. 10 and must make a final decision by March 31.
Other funding requests are: $100,000 to renovate science labs at St. Edward Catholic High School in Elgin; $50,000 for a pavement project at the Renz Center; $100,000 to help pay for fire alarm/sprinkler upgrades at the Buena Vista Tower; $18,000 for security upgrades at the Association for Individual Development; $35,000 for housing rehabilitation for Habitat for Humanity; $31,000 for a retaining wall at the Ecker Mental Health Center; $50,000 for the emergency shelter program at PADS of Elgin; $55,000 for roof repair at the YWCA of Elgin; $37,000 for building upgrades at the Community Crisis Center; $95,000 for exterior site improvements at the Well Child Center; $56,000 for roof replacement at the Housing Authority of Elgin and $30,000 for foreclosure prevention and counseling for the NHS of the Fox Valley.