June, 25, 1998
City awaits state's OK of grant projects
By Jodi Billerman
Staff Writer
The ordinance is in effect, and the forms are being prepared. Once the city's Community Development Block Grant application is submitted early next month, all that will remain is for the state to decide what it will and will not fund.
Tiffin City Council earlier this week approved, under suspension and emergency, an ordinance authorizing the administration to apply to Ohio's Department of Development for three projects totalling $84,000 in CDBG funds.
The council approved suspension and emergency of the CDBG ordinance so that Karen Bowers, who will complete the necessary forms and applications, will have more time to finish them before the July 10 deadline.
The projects themselves were a fairly easy decision, simply because this time around there were more open slots than applicants.
Included in the city's application is $30,000 for the purchase and installation of a hot water system at Tiffin's Kiwanis Manor, a non-profit corporation providing low-cost subsidized housing for senior citizens. The new system would replace the building's 27-year-old electric hot water heating system.
''It's a good project. That's the spirit that the CDBG program is supposed to be used for,'' said Karen Bowers, who will complete all necessary paperwork on the city's behalf.
Another $12,000 is slated to assist Allen Eiry Senior Center in purchasing a new minibus. Carolyn Griffin, executive director, said the bus will cost a total of $46,220.40, of which the remaining $34,220.40 hopefully will be raised through fundraisers, donations and other grant sources.
By law, the city may choose up to three projects, not counting administration and fair housing components of the grant money. That meant the city had one open spot, which the administration chose to use for reconstruction of Carl Street.
Mayor Bernie Hohman said, ''We received only two applications, and needed a third project. That's where the Carl Street project came from.''
Hohman says the city will use the CDBG funds for to completely rebuild the street and sidewalks, which have been severely damaged by motorists driving over the curbs.
''It's similar to the project on St. Clair Street that we're doing this year. It is a low-to-moderate income area,'' so it meets the regulations of the state, Hohman said. ''It just seemed like a natural extension to extend the St. Clair project one more block.''
The remaining $15,000 of the city's $99,000 eligibility is to be set aside for administration and fair housing costs, amounts of $13,000 and $2,000 respectively.
Bowers said she expects letters of award to arrive in September. She explained, ''They send out the letters and then start generating grant agreements in October and November, depending on how bogged down they get... These projects are pretty self-explanatory. I don't look for there to be any delay.
''Realistically the money will probably be available after the first of the year.''