Yellowstone County holds first CDBG public hearing; no public comments
March 21, 2023 | Yellowstone, Montana
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Yellowstone County commissioners opened a public hearing on March 21, 2023 to solicit ideas for Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) applications from communities outside the cities of Billings, Missoula and Great Falls. Tom McLean of Big Sky Economic Development read program guidance into the record, saying the Department of Housing and Urban Development "appropriates community development block grant funds to the state of Montana's Department of Commerce for competitive distribution among Montana's nonentitlement communities." The county recorded no public comments during the hearing.
McLean outlined the four Montana CDBG program categories and key program limits. He said the housing program (affordable housing development and rehabilitation) carries a maximum grant of $750,000 for some awards and requires no local match for those housing grants; a separate Housing Stability/Stabilization program has no stated maximum and awards are based on project scope and assessed need. For public and community facilities (water, sewer, nursing homes, senior centers), McLean said maximum grants are $750,000 with a 25% local match. Planning grants, he said, have a $50,000 maximum and generally require a 25% match, and the economic development category provides fixed-rate financing to help private-sector projects create or retain jobs for low- and moderate-income persons.
McLean explained the Montana Department of Commerce requires two public hearings for CDBG applications: this meeting served as a general needs assessment where citizens can suggest projects and request that Yellowstone County sponsor an application; if the county decides to support a project, a second public hearing will be scheduled to gather input from the targeted community. Notices were published March 10 and March 17 and affidavits of publication are available at the clerk and recorder's office.
The hearing closed with no oral comments from the public; commissioners moved on to routine agenda business.
McLean outlined the four Montana CDBG program categories and key program limits. He said the housing program (affordable housing development and rehabilitation) carries a maximum grant of $750,000 for some awards and requires no local match for those housing grants; a separate Housing Stability/Stabilization program has no stated maximum and awards are based on project scope and assessed need. For public and community facilities (water, sewer, nursing homes, senior centers), McLean said maximum grants are $750,000 with a 25% local match. Planning grants, he said, have a $50,000 maximum and generally require a 25% match, and the economic development category provides fixed-rate financing to help private-sector projects create or retain jobs for low- and moderate-income persons.
McLean explained the Montana Department of Commerce requires two public hearings for CDBG applications: this meeting served as a general needs assessment where citizens can suggest projects and request that Yellowstone County sponsor an application; if the county decides to support a project, a second public hearing will be scheduled to gather input from the targeted community. Notices were published March 10 and March 17 and affidavits of publication are available at the clerk and recorder's office.
The hearing closed with no oral comments from the public; commissioners moved on to routine agenda business.
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