Barre Council launches outreach for $68M CDBG‑DR allocation; housing and mitigation eyed

Barre City Council opened a multi-meeting effort July 1 to identify projects for the federal/state Community Development Block Grant—Disaster Recovery (CDBG‑DR) funds tied to the 2023 flooding event, with an emphasis on housing and mitigation.

The city manager said statewide allocations total about $68 million, with roughly $50 million expected for Washington County, and staff urged the council to prepare pre-applications for the August portal window and to develop a short list in July.

Councilors flagged several project types they believe should be competitive: downtown multifamily redevelopment (including the site at 143 North Main Street), stormwater system upsizing and river/riverbed maintenance, North End mitigation and buyout-linked greenway concepts, and housing incentives for converting upper floors downtown.

Staff noted CDBG‑DR guidance limits acquisition for redevelopment in some circumstances, and that many mitigation projects are complex and may require matching funds or phased approaches; councilors discussed possible local matching strategies and coordination with ongoing FEMA buyout work.

The manager said regional technical assistance and a pre-application process through the state and regional economic-development partners will be available, and urged staff and council to continue community outreach to identify prioritized projects.