Pearland City Council discusses potential Community Development Block Grant allocations

Pearland City Council discussed potential Community Development Block Grant allocations for the city at its March 22 meeting.

The city of Pearland will receive annual allocations as well as COVID-19 stimulus allocations this year. Combined, the allocations amount to nearly $1.58 million for fiscal year 2021-22. All funds must be spent to serve the low- to moderate-income community, to remove slum and blight, or to respond to an urgent need such as natural disasters. The COVID-19 stimulus allocations must be spent in a way that addresses these U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development requirements and the COVID-19 pandemic.

The city has the potential to spend the routine allocations on drainage, housing rehabilitation, code enforcement and water line replacements. It can spend the COVID-19 allocations on rental assistance, food delivery for the elderly, medical health programs and facility improvements, including improving the Knapp Center, which offers recreational programs for seniors.

A few council members expressed a desire to concentrate funds on helping the elderly in the city, including spending funds on the Knapp Center.

“I do think we have a specific need in our community as it pertains to children and to seniors,” Council Member Luke Orlando said.

Orlando was interested in potentially expanding or having a satellite for the Knapp Center to more easily serve seniors across the city.

Council Member Tony Carbone was interested in relief the city can offer in the aftermath of Winter Storm Uri. The city is planning on stepping up housing rehabilitation, Grants-Special Projects Administrator Joel Hardy said. Hardy presented the agenda item.

The city has to complete the first public hearing for the funds by April 12. The deadline for the submission of the final action plans to council is July 12.