By Ted Schnell • BocaJump | Feb. 10, 2012
Mayor David Kaptain warned area nonprofits that the funding they have become used to receiving from the city is growing more uncertain, and that some federal funding that has been available in the past may disappear as well.
Kaptain’s warning came after the Elgin City Council approved a list of 10 projects, including a number for local nonprofits, for Community Development Block Grant funding, which sets the stage for a 30-day public comment period beginning Feb. 12. A final public hearing is scheduled March 21, after which the council is expected to take final action on the selections.
Later, Kaptain said the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development, the agency overseeing the Community Development Block Grants, may revisit the program. “That money could go away, so we need to be more cautious,” he said.
The city’s share of Community Development Block Grant funding for 2012-13 is projected at $695,000. That marks the second reduction for Elgin, whose funds totaled $769,123 in 2011-12, which was a 16 percent cut from a year earlier.
The council held its first required public hearing Jan. 11 on the program. The city has received 12 applications totaling $849,000, about $154,000 less than the estimated sum the city expects to receive.
The applicants, the project name, amount requested and amount recommended are:
- City of Elgin, PNS Residential Rehabilitation Grant Program — $295,000 / $292,196
- City of Elgin, PNS CDBG Program Administration — $63,000 / $63,000
- YWCA of Elgin Architectural Services — $60,000 / $60,000
- Well Child Center HVAC Replacement-Phase 1 — $52,100 / $52,100
- The Larkin Center Roof and Driveway Replacement — $88,075 / $50,600
- PADS of Elgin Emergency Shelter Rental — $55,000 / $50,000
- Association for Individual Development Safety and Rehabilitation Improvements $40,104 / $40,104
- Renz Addiction Counseling Center Window Replacement Project — $33,000 / $33,000
- Senior Services Associates Rental Reimbursement — $32,844 / $29,000
- Wayside Cross Ministries Daytime Homeless Shelter Rental — $47,900 / $25,000
Cut from the list were NHS of the Fox Valley Housing Recovery Program, which had sought $42,000; and Feeding Greater Elgin, which was seeking a $40,000 rental reimbursement.
Note: A technical problem prevented BocaJump’s Cover It Live coverage of Wednesday’s Elgin City Council meeting from being accessed. The issue has been corrected, and you may review that coverage at http://elgin.bocajump.com/Articles/bocajump-to-live-blog-city-council-tonight.
