Hearing on city block grants set for Tuesday

November 22, 1999|By DAN KULIN /Staff Writer

A public hearing on the Hagerstown Community Development Block Grant programs for next fiscal year is scheduled for 7 p.m. Tuesday at City Hall.

The hearing is the first step in developing the list of activities that will be funded through the CDBG program in the next fiscal year, which begins July 1, City Community Development Department Manager George Andreve said.

"The hearing is an opportunity for anybody to come in and say what the community needs," Andreve said.

Andreve said people can come in requesting money for specific programs or projects, or to point out a community need.

While not everything will be able to be funded through the Community Development Department, city officials want to know all the concerns of residents, Andreve said.

A proposed list of projects to be funded will be announced around the end of April as part of the City Administrator's proposed budget, Andreve said.

The City Council has the final say in what projects are funded.

For the current fiscal year, the Community Development Department has budgeted about $3.1 million for programs including $777,490 for the city's Single Family Homeownership Program, about $39,000 for work at the City Fairgrounds Park and $7,500 to help pay for a security guard at the REACH - Religious Effort to Assist and Care for the Homeless - cold weather shelter.

Written comments or project recommendations can be sent to the Community Development Department at City Hall 1 E. Franklin St. Hagerstown, MD 21740. Written comments must be received by Jan 18.

For further information, or to obtain a funding request form, contact the City Community Development Department at 301-739-8577, extension 136.

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