Mr. Haller, you ask: “What motivation does the city have to not use CDBG money for street repairs?”

That is what I asked back a few years ago when this program had first gotten underway, and that is what I asked last Tuesday night! For some reason, that is also what no one was willing to address back then, and no one is eager to address now.

Just for your information, it is up to THE CITY to make A PLAN (which may be modified every year) as to how they want to use the money under this program. The parameters are quite wide, including: “to meet one of the following national objectives for the program: … prevention or elimination of slums or blight, or address community development needs having a particular urgency because existing conditions pose a serious and immediate threat to the health or welfare of the community for which other funding is not available.”

Our streets, and the combined sewer system, are certainly “blights” on our community and a barrier to “community development”, as is the condition of some of our firehouses. In addition, the condition of at least one firehouse is a “threat to health and welfare”. We have no other funding available (unless it is “tucked away in some of our other accounts.”).

It only becomes “disallowed” to use the CBDG funds for such items IF the “PLAN” that WE submit (or OUR yearly revision) does NOT include these things!!!

**************************

Yes!  Throughout the life of OUR plan the following have been included among what we asked for and received: Neighborhood beautification; purchase of foreclosed homes at auction and the rehab and resale of same; downtown facades and similar items; updating and repair of homes in blighted neighborhoods (and I believe this has included homes on SOUTH MAIN STREET, although I am unsure exactly which ones); demolition of abandoned or condemned structures; home ownership programs for residents who might otherwise not qualify; and the like.

You can see what this year’s planned expenditures are by watching the 1/20/2009 council meeting here: http://tvmiddletown.blip.tv/#1698606. This info is shown when Ginger Smith approaches the dais, about 1 minute and 58 seconds into the broadcast on the little timer just below the lower left-hand corner of the picture.