- Elizabeth Larson
- Posted On
City of Clearlake pursues grants for housing, power shutoff preparation
At the Clearlake City Council’s Thursday meeting, City Manager Alan Flora gave a report that included updates on efforts to pursue a wide variety of grants.
Flora said staff has been informed that the city has received a $268,500 grant from the California Office of Emergency Services to prepare for public safety power shutoff impacts.
He thanked City Clerk-Administrative Services Director Melissa Swanson and Police Chief Andrew White for doing most of the work on the application while he was on vacation.
The city also has preliminary approval for $160,000 in SB 2 planning grants for the purposes of increasing housing. Flora said uses include updating the zoning ordinance and new permitting software for the Community Development Department.
Flora said the city also is in line for at least $200,000 in noncompetitive Proposition 68 Per Capita Parks Grant funding. He said those funds will be used to upgrade the bathrooms at Austin Park.
Other funding the city is pursuing includes Community Development Block Grant disaster funding related to the Sulphur fire. Flora said the grant must be spent in the Clearlake zip code and it offers up to $1.1 million for multifamily housing.
He said the city has submitted the Hope Center project for consideration, and also is working on a proposal with the county for a veterans housing project on county-owned property behind Adventist Health Clear Lake Hospital.
Flora said there is another round of funding the city wants to apply for from the same Community Development Block Grant funding source for the 2018 wildland fires. He said 80 percent of $1 billion has to be spent in four counties – Lake, Butte, Los Angeles and Shasta. Rules for that funding are pending as input is being taken, he said.
He said officials are set to visit the city this week to discuss the eligible programs for the 2018 fire grants. The grant proposals have to be focused on housing, but Flora said the city will try to argue for being able to spend the funds on economic development-related projects.
On Thursday, the city also submitted an application to GoBiz and Housing and Urban Development, Flora said.
Flora said the city has been working with Lake County Economic Development Corp. on the application for the grant which covers technical assistance for opportunity zone, housing tax credit programs and researching enhanced infrastructure financing districts.
The city has a good chance of getting those funds, he said.
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