SPRINGDALE -- The City Council on Tuesday approved awarding $130,478 in federal grant money to nine nonprofit agencies providing services directly to residents, but it took a vote from the mayor to pass.
The money is 15% of the $869,863 the city will receive for the fiscal year 2023 through the Community Development Block Grant program of the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development.
The federal housing department works to develop "vibrant urban communities" by providing pleasant and healthy living environments and expanding economic opportunities for people with low and moderate incomes, the department's website reads.
Several council members said they prefer to award just 10% to nonprofits and instead use the money for housing rehabilitation.
The council vote was 4-3 in favor of approval of the action plan. Rex Bailey, Brian Powell, Mark Fougerousse and Randall Harriman voted for the measure, with Jeff Watson, Mike Lawson and Mike Overton against it. Council member Amelia Taldo Williams did not attend the meeting.
Mayor Doug Sprouse cast the final vote for approval of $130,478.
Any action by the council requires five votes to pass, according to state law, explained City Attorney Ernest Cate. "The mayor can be the fifth vote if he chooses," Cate said.
The city plan for disbursement of all the grant money also includes 10% or $86,986 for administrative costs; 30% or $260,958 for improvement of public facilities; and 46% or $400,163 for housing rehabilitation.
Previous city councils set the limit for nonprofits at 10%, said Overton, a longtime council member.
Last year, the city awarded 14% or $117,031 to nonprofits.
But the amount the city awarded to nonprofits was increased during the pandemic, said Patsy Christie, director of the city's Planning Department. Two staff members in her office administrate the grants.
Rehabilitating houses was hard during the pandemic when contractors, their crews and supplies were hard to acquire. Also, more people needed help -- with food, emergency housing, utility bills -- which the nonprofits were supplying.
"The pandemic was hard on all of us," Christie said. "The nonprofits got some extra money to spend, but they saw a lot more people with problems."
Lawson said after the meeting that affordable housing is important to him. If the program comes to the end of the spending year with extra, the city could give more to the nonprofits.
"The nonprofits are doing great, great work," Lawson said. "Affordable housing is a great service to Springdale. We need all we can get."
The block grant program allows cities the opportunity to use the money to upgrade public facilities with cultural, recreational and health amenities.
The city in about two weeks will see $273,617 of its money spent to resurface the courts at the Miracle League Park in the Randall Tyson Recreational Complex. The ball field and accompanying playground are barrier-free and accessible for people with disabilities.
Supplies for this project caused the delay, said Dean Allen, the city's CDBG program manager.
The city plans to use $250,000 of the total 2022 appropriation to build a bridge over Spring Creek on Dean's Trail.
(The trail is named for Dean LaGrone, who determined the trail route; not Allen.)
A public facility improvement for 2023 has not been determined.
"Our goal has been -- and always will be -- to preserve the older housing stock," Allen continued.
The primary objective of the housing renovation program is to assist low-income homeowners with repairs or improvements to homes built before 1972, reads information on the city's website.
Program goals include reducing the homeowner's monthly utility expenses, eliminating unsafe, unhealthy, unsightly conditions. The project will leave the home meeting current energy efficiency standards, building codes or housing standards, the website continues.
In the 2021 program, the grants paid $622,413 to rehabilitate 40 homes, an average $15,560 per single-family dwelling. This affected 142 family members.
Eleven homeowners are on the waiting list, and multiple houses are in various stages of work.
Rehabilitation takes about 30 to 60 days, Allen said, and is costing about $30,000 a house, and 25-30 houses were completed in 2022.
In other business, the council:
Approved an update to the form-based zoning code for downtown Springdale. The code includes guidelines for building parking downtown, signs and cottage cluster developments.
Approved a $152,120 purchase of 10 Miovision traffic signals. The money will come from the budget of the Public Works Department.
Approved a $25,750 contract with Hight Jackson Associates for architectural services to renovate the ground level of the city's Recreation Center. The money will come from the city's general fund.
Approved $39,510 to purchase 18 new automated external defibrillators for the Fire Department through the state's Inter-local Purchasing System. The money will come from Act 833 funds.
Agreed to spend $28,000 to buy 22 iPads and cases from Verizon for Fire Department vehicles. The money will come from the Act 833 fund, which returns to fire departments tax money residents pay in their homeowners insurance, fire insurance and property taxes.
More News
NoneCommunity Development
Block Grants
The following nonprofit agencies will receive money from the Community Development Block Grant program of the Housing and Urban Development department. The city of Springdale administrates the grant program locally.
Feed the 479, $13,953
Bread of Life, $22,953
VFW Post 2952 Auxiliary, $13,953
Hydration for Life, $6,253
Compassion House, $22,953
CASA of Northwest Arkansas, $8,953
Northwest Arkansas Continuum of Care, $7,553
Community Clinic, $10,953
RootED Northwest Arkansas, $22,953
Source: City of Springdale