Mitchell County holds public hearing before submitting applications
The Mitchell County Board of Commissioners held a public hearing last week in order to solicit input on the submission of applications for a Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery Funds.
According to the N.C. Department of Commerce, North Carolina was awarded $1.4 billion in CDBG-DR funding by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. This funding is designed to meet disaster recovery needs that remain after other sources of assistance has been exhausted.
North Carolina received this award on account of extensive damage from Hurricane Helene (downgraded to a tropical storm after slowing down over land).
The public hearing was held just before the Board of Commissioners’ regular twice-monthly meeting.
One member of the audience asked the board to update the public on where Mitchell County stands in applying for CDBG-DR funds. County Manager Allen Cook responded to the question.
“This is a block grant that, after a disaster, the counties in the impacted zone have an ability to get a block grant,” Cook said.
Cook explained that the hearing was scheduled is in response to a recommendation from state officials that the county get public input; however, he said, the state has not yet opened up the actual application process.
“It’s probably coming in the next couple of months,” Cook said. “When the application process comes, they want us ready for it.”
Cook said that the grants can be used for housing and other types of disaster relief.
“Some projects can go as high as $10 million; others cap out around $2 million,” he said. “But it is an opportunity for our county.”
The original questioner asked that the board considered prioritizing affordable rental housing and infrastructure for tourism and artists, such as the Bakersville Creekwalk, while applying for funding.
Katie Elkins of Mitchell County Animal Rescue asked for clarification on what kind of needs CDBG grants could be used for.
“Does this grant only cover things like infrastructure, or would it also cover the explosion in the stray animal population post-Helene, and how to deal with that?” she said.
County Attorney Four Eggers spoke about the specific limitations of the funding.
“Mr. Chairman, the grant proposed has categories for private housing, it has categories for nonprofits providing multi-family housing, and also infrastructure for local government,” Eggers said. “It would not have any additional funds for operational type expenses, even though there may be increased overhead … that Helene has caused outside those items.”
Eggers said the state has not released the documentation on these restrictions yet.
Cook said that he has heard, unofficially, that the full application may be available in February or March.