Clarket council authorizes $500,000 downtown revitalization grant application, designates blighted area

The Clarket City Council voted March 4 to pursue a Texas Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Downtown Revitalization Program award and to designate a portion of downtown as a blighted area to improve the city's chances for funding. The council approved a resolution authorizing submission of the DRP application to the Texas Department of Agriculture and agreed to a proposed local commitment of $50,000 toward a potential $500,000 grant.

City staff (unnamed) told the council the program penalizes recent repeat recipients and that Clarket received funds in 2019; that timing improves the city's scoring this year. The staff presentation identified priority work on the west side of the square along East Goliad — from the Knox Furniture area toward the square — citing steep slopes, trip hazards and ADA barriers. "For $50,000, we get $500,000 of grant funds," the presenter said, describing the 10 percent local commitment the application would seek to secure maximum points.

Council members also approved a separate resolution designating a downtown area as blighted, listing problems the staff presentation said are detrimental to public health, safety and welfare: deteriorated walkways and steps, lack of ramps and handrails for people with disabilities, inadequate lighting, vacant buildings and access violations on Milam, East Goliad, North Sixth and North Second streets. The staff presentation said that formalizing the blighted designation would expand eligibility for certain grant programs, including the DRP.

To prepare the application, the council approved hiring Traylor and Associates as the grant writer; the presentation said Traylor received the highest points in the scoring and was less costly than an alternate applicant. A council member moved to select Traylor and Associates and the presiding official seconded; the presiding official announced that the motion carried.

The council took the actions after a public hearing on the DRP in which roughly 20 people attended, staff said. The council did not specify a construction timeline in the meeting; details on exact project scope and construction phases were not specified in the presentation and would depend on grant award and subsequent project planning.