Denison’s Community Development Block Grant steering committee reviewed its consolidated annual performance and evaluation report and discussed how federal funds were spent during the past program year.

Speaker 2, staff presenting the report, told the committee that "total expenditures for this past year were $3,319,705," and that approximately $14,000 will roll over toward administration. Speaker 2 said the office used about "$32,000, a little more" on the emergency rehabilitation program and applied roughly "$24,500 to code compliance salaries," which support three code compliance officers and one manager.

The presentation noted the office received 23 applications during the year and completed 10 projects, exceeding an earlier goal of five. Speaker 2 said staff had to "get creative" and combine CDBG dollars with other funding to finish larger repairs—repairing subfloors and replacing rotted material rather than addressing only single issues like plumbing.

Committee members asked for clarification about pandemic-era funds shown on the spreadsheet. In response, Speaker 2 said some COVID-era funds from the 2020 program year were spent during earlier COVID years, some remained available through 2025 to be spent down, and that the carryover amounts will be reflected in the expenditure lines.

On program year funding, Speaker 2 said the office received a letter stating Denison will receive $277,743 for the upcoming program year but that the funds have not yet arrived. Speaker 2 explained the CDBG program timeline runs behind the calendar year (the program year labeled 24/25 corresponds to the city’s 25/26 fiscal year) and that HUD allocations have been delayed following federal administration changes.

The committee was also briefed on the Section 108 loan balance. Speaker 2 said there is one year left on the loan and that the next repayment—described inexactly as about $108,000 (the presenter also mentioned $88,000)—will be taken from the allocation, reducing discretionary dollars. "That'll leave about 89,000," Speaker 3 commented in discussion of remaining funds.

No members of the public spoke during the hearing. Following the presentation and questions, the committee closed the public hearing and moved to recommend the draft report to city council; Speaker 2 said the report will go to council on Monday, Dec. 15, and staff will submit the report to HUD by the end of the month after council approval. The committee also approved the minutes from its June 16 meeting and then adjourned.

The committee’s next procedural steps are to transmit the draft annual report to council for formal approval and to submit the final report to HUD before the end-of-month deadline.