Council considers CDBG funding requests

At its regular meeting on Thursday, the Sierra Vista City Council considered Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding requests during a public hearing held at the meeting.

The City anticipates receiving about $250,000 in CDBG funding for Program Year 2025, which according to grant guidelines must benefit low and moderate income persons; prevent or eliminate slum and blight; or meet an urgent need.

The Neighborhood Commission reviewed applications for funding, ranking a request from Catholic Community Services for money to fund sidewalks, a concrete pad, outdoor seating, a grill, and lighting for a series of tiny homes for families surviving domestic violence as the highest priority. A request from the City of Sierra Vista to refurbish the splash pad surface at Len Roberts Park was ranked second, and another City request to rehabilitate the Len Roberts fitness loop and one from St. Vincent DePaul to rehabilitate the thrift store parking lot tied for third in priority.

Regarding a request from Cochise Western Model Railroad Organization for improvements to Fort Avenue, the Neighborhood Commission suggested the project would be a better candidate for the next round of Federal Transit Administration accessibility grants given the cost of the project and relatively isolated community benefit.

The Neighborhood Commission also recommended unanimously that 70% of the funding available for public services go to Better Bucks of Sierra Vista to support its Better Work Program as a new applicant and relatively new nonprofit. They recommended the remaining balance be allocated to the United Way of Sierra Vista and Cochise County’s Emergency Crisis Fund. Public services are capped at 15% of the overall CDBG grant amount, which would be $37,500 of the anticipated $250,000.

They also recommended that $188,179 in positive funds from last year’s CDBG funding, due to lower than anticipated costs for the Montebello Fire Safety Improvement project, be spent developing a park on City land located on Fab Avenue.

Organizations presented their request for Council consideration at yesterday’s meeting. The City will host two more public hearings to discuss funding requests and Council will vote on CDBG funding allocations at a future meeting.

In other business:

Mayor Clea McCaa proclaimed March 9 through 15 as Girl Scout Week in Sierra Vista.
Council adopted a notice of intent for the increase of sewer fees. The sewer fund is an Enterprise Fund where the fees for the service need to cover operations of the system. A public notice will be posted for 60 days before a public hearing is held.
Council accepted the resignation of Karen LeMay and appointed Karen Flynn and reappointed Joelle Buffa to the Environmental Stewardship Commission.
Council reappointed Anthony Isom to the Transportation Commission.
Council reappointed Ana Smith, Douglas Phillips, Aaron Hennequin, and Rebecca Smith to the Tourism Commission.