Additional public input sought for grant allocation

COEUR d'ALENE - Officials are asking for more public input on how the city of Coeur d'Alene should allocate close to $300,000 in federal grant money.

The funds come from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's Community Block Grant - a long running program which distributes money throughout the nation to be used for community development. Coeur d'Alene received $291,050 in federal grant money for 2015. The grant is managed by the Panhandle Area Council.

Sherri Wastweet, PAC Project Administrator, told The Press Friday that turnout was low at public forums held on Thursday evening and Friday morning.

"We need to know what they, as citizens of the city, would like to see those dollars spent on," Wastweet said. "I'm practically begging people to come to these events because we need more input."

If there is a lack of input from the public, Wastweet said herself and city officials will "go with our best guess and what we feel is important."

Wastweet added that the funds allow for some "flexibility," as long as they meet at least one of three objectives established by HUD: benefiting low and moderate income residents, aiding in the prevention of blight, or disaster relief for a flood or major fire. Once the objective is met, the project can be funded if it falls within the scope of eligible activities such as housing rehabilitation and economic development.

A public hearing will be held on the fund allocation during Tuesday's meeting of the Coeur d'Alene City Council. Wastweet said the meeting will be similar to the forums, but have more detailed information on proposed allocations for the CDBG funds.

The project administrator also encouraged residents to take a Housing Needs Assessment - a 15-minute survey that seeks input on housing and other community issues. BBC Research and Consulting was hired to conduct the assessment, which opened March 2 and had 227 responses as of March 24.

"We will use that information for the next five years to help us determine allocations and what's important to focus on," Wastweet said.

The survey can be found by clicking the "Housing Survey" button on the city's website at www.cdaid.org. Hard copies of the survey are available at the St. Vincent de Paul Help Center, 201 E. Harrison Ave., and in the city hall customer survey center.