CARES ACT

CDBG-CV3 PROPOSED FUNDING

SUBSTANTIAL AMENDMENT

PUBLIC NOTICE

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

The City of Waterbury has proposed the following substantial amendment to the CD YR 46 (2020-2021) Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program Annual Action Plan for the purpose of allocating the supplemental Community Development Block Grant COVID funds under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) PL 116-136 signed on March 27, 2020. The City has been allocated a third and final tranche of supplemental CDBG-CV funds in the amount of $967,560. The City’s cumulative CDBG-CV funding is $2,284,853. CARES Act funds must be used to prevent, prepare for, and respond to the Coronavirus (COVID-19).

CDBG-CV3 Allocations:

1. Brass City Harvest (359 Mill Street): $61,680.50 – Funds will be used to expand the sanitation control process, provide outreach, training, and food sanitation supplies to emergency food providing partners, purchase PPE, sanitizing agents, and fresh food for vulnerable residents.
2. Police Activity League (PAL) (64 Division Street): $41,800 – Funds will be used to increase storage space to allow PAL to prepare and serve food to the community and improve freezer and refrigeration space.
3. Safe Haven (29 Central Avenue): $12,200 – Funds will be used to purchase air purifiers with UV light to make the environment safer from the spread of COVID.
4. St. Vincent DePaul Mission (114 Benedict Street): $140,754.50 – Funds will be used to service the increasing needs of people facing food insecurity through the soup kitchen and food pantry; for staffing, installation of a UV ionizing air purification system to the HVAC to reduce the spread of COVID; and for PPE, cleaners, and sanitizers.
5. Greater Waterbury YMCA (136 West Main Street): $190,000 – Funds will be used to upgrade the YMCA’s heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) and system controls.
6. City of Waterbury Public Works Department (909 Bank Street): $300,000 – Supplemental funds will be used to transform a vacant, blighted site into a park in order to provide suitable outdoor fitness and social space where insufficient facilities are available to support social distance guidance.
7. Waterbury Youth Services (83 Prospect Street): $62,000 – Funds will be used to improve the Waterbury Youth Service’s heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC).
8. Northwest Regional Workforce Investment Board (NRWIB) (249 Thomaston Ave): $159,125 – Funds will be used provide employment and training opportunities for youth and young adults ages 14 to 21 to help address economic hardships and offset the overall family income impacted as a result of the dislocation of the primary wage earner(s) in the household caused by COVID -19 shutdowns.

In accordance with the Citizen Participation Plan (CPP), as amended in 2020, the addition of activities not originally described in the Annual Action Plan and a major reprogramming of funds of more than 5% of the grant allocation or $100,000 whichever is greater constitutes a Substantial Amendment to the Consolidated/Annual Action Plan. These supplemental funds meet these requirements. In addition, the amended CPP also provides for a five (5) day public comment period on the Substantial Amendment, the holding of virtual public hearings and meetings, and the posting of documents on the City’s website www.waterburyct.org.

The City carried out an extensive needs analysis and application process in 2020 for its first round of CDBG-CV funding under the CARES Act, and recently consulted with applicants to determine funding priorities based on existing need and applications on file. The CAC held an evaluation meeting on June 22, 2021, and they recommended the above allocations. The five (5) day public comment period will commence on June 25, 2021, and end on June 30, 2021. Comments may be submitted in writing to Christopher D. Bandecchi, Community Development Grants Director, Office of Community Development, City Hall, Room C-29, 235 Grand Street, Waterbury, CT 06702; or at cbandecchi@waterburyct.org.

The CAC will hold a Public Hearing (virtual) on June 29, 2021, at 5:30pm to receive public input. To participate you must register at: http://alturl.com/iur39

R-A June 24, 2021