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Parkersburg Finance Committee reviews CDBG, HOME budget proposal

By Evan Bevins 3 min read

PARKERSBURG - The upcoming fiscal year budget for Parkersburg's Community Development Block Grant and HOME Consortium funds got the green light from Parkersburg City Council's Finance Committee Tuesday.

Now it goes to the full council for approval next week, with time remaining for the public to weigh in as well.

The $877,696 CDBG allocation is "about a 2% reduction from last year," Development Director Ryan Barber told committee members, noting the amount is based on population and other factors.

The largest proposed allocation is $205,000 for Americans with Disabilities Act and other infrastructure upgrades within the city's parks.

"That kind of plays into the parks and rec listening tours that we held over the winter," Barber said.

He added that the Development Department will work with Public Works to address the parks' most critical needs.

The next largest items are $152,325 to continue to repay the loan for enhancements to Point Park, which is set to be paid off in 2028, and $140,000 for general administration. Barber said the latter amount is slightly higher than last year, with preparation of a new five-year action plan on the horizon.

A new program is the Safe Neighborhood Enhancement Initiative, which would allocate $50,000 to reimburse residents up to $200 if they purchase and install qualifying security cameras. People who qualify as low to moderate income, or those living in low-to-moderate-income census tracts, would be eligible.

Officers investigating crimes often canvass the neighborhood for security footage, Police Chief Matthew Board said. Increasing the number of cameras in the city would be beneficial to investigations, he said.

Participation in the program would not obligate residents to make the footage available to police, Barber said. That was one of several questions committee members had about the program, but they were generally supportive.

Barber said applications and a policy guide would be established before the program begins, likely in the fall.

"It's nothing that we're going to roll out tomorrow," he said.

The proposed budget would also allocate $127,579 to the Minor Home Repair program, $50,000 for a code enforcement officer to work in income-eligible areas, $40,000 for a business facade rehabilitation program and $40,000 for housing counseling services through Consumer Credit Counseling Services of the Mid-Ohio Valley.

Parkersburg administers the HOME Consortium, which operates throughout the county and in Vienna and Williamstown. This year's allocation is $340,496, with an additional $250,000 anticipated in program income, largely from older loans being repaid.

Proposed allocations include $100,000 to Habitat for Humanity of the Mid-Ohio Valley, the Community Housing Development Organization to which the consortium is required to contribute, and $150,000 for a rental assistance program that Barber said has a lot of applicants but difficulty finding landlords willing to participate and vacant housing. Another $100,496 is proposed for the Down-Payment Assistance Program and $100,000 for a potential low-income housing tax credit project, though Barber said a specific one has not been finalized at this point.

The committee voted 4-0, with Councilman Bob Mercer absent, to refer the proposal to the full council.

Residents can view and submit comments on the budget and the full action plan on the city's website, parkersburgcity.com, under the Planning and Development, Reports, section.

Folks can also comment during a public meeting set for 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 9, in the small conference room next to council chambers at the Municipal Building or during the public forum at the regular council meeting at 7:30 p.m.

Starting at /week.