DUBOIS – This week there were a pair of public hearings before the regularly scheduled DuBois City Council meeting about Community Development Block Grant funding.
The first was the required second public hearing for fiscal year 2015 CDBG funding. The second was for a change regarding the 2014 funding.
CDBG funding is intended to meet the needs of the city with a focus on low- to moderate-income families.
For the 2015 CDBG funding, the total allocation to DuBois City is $274,500, according to council, noting it’s down $13,811 from the previous year.
The CDBG funding will be spread out among the following four groups:
- Miracle Field Ball Park: $75,090
- Comfort Station (at City Park): $100,000
- Fire Stations and Equipment: $50,000
- Administrative Funds (up to the max allowed, 18 percent0: $49,410
According to council, the change to the 2014 CDBG funding was removing the Comfort Station, which was moved to 2015, and applying the $86,416 to Tunnel Alley Sanitary Sewer Improvements instead.
This change, council said, was due to the first round of bids for the Comfort Station being beyond their expectations. This change, council said, buys time for rethinking what to bid for and to request new bids.
“The Miracle Field Ball Park, would that be the ball park over by Showers Field for children with disabilities?” asked Councilwoman Diane Bernardo. Suplizio said it was, and it would be open to everyone.
Council also announced that the process of winterizing Showers Field would begin this week. Council said this would mean closing the bathrooms at the ball park for the season.
The council discussed the formation of a Renters Ordinance Committee. The plan, council said, is to have five area landlords, ideally nominated by council members, to represent the interests of area landlords.
Likewise, it was proposed to have Code Enforcement Officer Zac Lawhead serve as chair of the committee with representatives from the DuBois Police Department, DuBois fire departments, and emergency personnel attending, as well.