County to get update on disaster relief block grants Tuesday
By Steve Herring
Published in News on January 15, 2018 5:50 AM
Wayne County commissioners will be updated on the county's nearly $17 million Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Relief program when they meet on Tuesday.
County Manager Craig Honeycutt will provide the update during the board's formal session that starts at 9 a.m.
It will be preceded by an agenda briefing at 8 a.m.
Both will be held in the commissioners' meeting room on the fourth floor of the Wayne County Courthouse Annex.
The county has been awarded $16.94 million over the next two years in federal Hurricane Matthew disaster funding and could be eligible for up to a total of $25.4 million over the next three years.
The award is through the state Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Relief program that is funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
As such, at least 70 percent of the money will have to be spent on housing for low-to-moderate-income families.
The Hurricane Matthew Housing Recovery Application Centers opened on Nov. 30 in Wayne, Cumberland, Robeson and Edgecombe counties -- the counties hardest hit by Matthew.
In addition to taking applications for all housing activities under the CDBG-DR project, intake counselors also determine eligibility for the HUD housing assistance.
The initial $16.94 million would be budgeted over two years for:
* Infrastructure,
$2,858,558. This is for flood and drainage activities.
* Multi-family rental,
$1,250,000.
* Neighborhood facilities,
$1.1 million. This includes $700,000 for a new Seven Springs Fire Station. The county had applied for $1 million. Another $400,000 is for generators. The county had applied for $450,000.
* Housing recovery,
$8,831,442. Rehabilitation costs are limited to $50,000 per unit.
* Administration, $400,000.
* Planning, $1 million.
* Economic development, $1.5 million. These activities will be administered by the state Department of Commerce.
During January, the county will be working with the city of Goldsboro and the town of Mount Olive on the sub-grantee agreements between the municipalities and the county.
Goldsboro and Mount Olive will be responsible for implementing the activities directly benefiting their citizens. They will also be responsible for satisfying all of the HUD compliance requirements that apply to the expenditure of the CDBG-DR funds they will receive from the county.
Also this month, county officials will be meeting with Goldsboro and the towns of Fremont and Pikeville regarding their storm drainage projects that are included in the CDBG-DR.
Following the two-year period the state Division of Emergency Management will review the status of the county's program and budget to determine possible future allocation up to the $25 million total.
In other business Tuesday, DWI Task Force Sgt. Jayson Hill with the Wayne County Sheriff's Office will talk about that program, and Senior Games Health Fair by Wayne County Services on Aging Director Paula Edwards and Senior Games Ambassador Stasia Fields will talk about the Wayne County Senior Games.