The Friars Point City Council approved applying for state community development grant funds for to make housing improvements during Tuesday’s meeting.
Mayor James Washington said he believed the CDBG funds were an estimated $200,000 and came as a result of the COVID pandemic.
“CDBG got some money,” Washington said. “It’s my understanding that’s the money that came under the COVID bill.”
Applying for the grant would not commit the town of Friars Point to improving any specific houses.
“The only thing we are saying is we’re doing the application and saying we want it, we need it,” Washington said. “We’re begging for it.”
How much the grant could be worth remains a question mark.
“They may not have a max on it,” Washington said. “You just submit it. I don’t know what the criteria are at this point. If they say $10 million I’m going to apply for $10 million.”
If Friars Point receives CDBG grant money, homeowners will be able to apply for some of the funding to be used on their homes. Those who rent homes cannot apply for any of the funding.
Once homeowners apply for some of the grant funding, individuals at the state level will determine how the dollars will be distributed.
“No one around the table is going to have anything to do with it,” Washington said.
Washington said the state determining the homes that receive funding for improvements would make sure decisions are not made based on friendship.
“That’s going to get that personality out of there,” Washington said.
Washington also said the town received $240,000 for a CDBG grant to deal with sewage issues.
“That’s a sewage project that comes under a small municipalities grant,” Washington said.
Companies will submit their bids to do the work on Jan. 12, 2021.
“That’s the day we’re going to award the bid to the lowest or best bidder,” Washington said.
Cook Coggin Engineers, Inc., the engineer for the town of Friars Point, will be making recommendations on what company to use after the bids come in.
