LAKEPORT >> As recovery from two years of wildfires continues, the Community Development Block Grant Program has proven both promising and confusing.
Currently, the State Department of Housing and Community Development has $7.6 million available for use, provided the projects follow the required objectives. Jeff Lucas from the Community Development Services in Lake County said the purpose is to benefit low and moderate income housing, prevent the development of inferior housing and — should there be an urgent need — aid community development projects.
The grant is reimbursable. The county will receive funding after they have applied and provide the proof of payment for recovery projects.
Lucas added that because they have only so much time to put in applications for the projects, his office wishes to complete documents for projects that are both want ready to be started and fit the objectives. One of those projects they have identified is the rebuilding of the Anderson Springs area.
“Our work now is to meet with council folks and to look at projects they would like us to do and consider,” Lucas said.
One project that has been the subject of concern but has met with issues is road repair. The county suffered significant road damage during the fires. But the funding cannot go toward significant improvements over what was in place before.
“This has been confusing to me because if you are going to repair and replace something you need to bring it up to good standards,” Lucas said.
Other projects under consideration for grant funding are the water systems in Lower Lake and in the Cobb area, tree removal, replacement of equipment and updates to area plans to help prevent concerns for the town in the future. Some projects can be performed at the same time as others or grouped together, so there does not have to be an application for each individual item.
Carol Huchingson the County Administrative Officer said the county should focus on plans they wish to fix now and see how the program works. If the experience is positive, the county can focus on other projects.
“CDBG funds are a very challenging sea to sail and to sit here and act like it’s easy to get these funds is a tremendous understatement,” Huchingson said.
District 5 Supervisor Rob Brown said the project to improve the water systems in Lower Lake would help benefit that area and other areas around Lower Lake by having a decent water supply for firefighters and the community.
“It sounds like they are pretty much ready to go with the water system in Lower Lake,” Brown said. “Whatever money we get out of this for that area is money that we can use for another district instead of using it for the fire restoration.”
District 1 Supervisor Moke Simon said other interests that may come from this are backup generators for the senior centers in the area for when the power goes out. When the fires broke out some went there for shelter, but when the center lost power they had to leave.
Lucas will continue to work with county staff to help prepare applications for projects that were discussed and fit objectives to help continue fire recovery.
