Lincoln Heights held its required first public hearing for the 2024–2026 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) cycle on April 8, where interim village manager Mr. Lemon reviewed submission deadlines and proposed projects and asked residents and council for priorities.
Mr. Lemon said the village must submit project requests to Hamilton County by April 30 and that a second local hearing is scheduled for April 22. “One of the requirements as part of this process is to have public hearings. We have to have two,” he said, and asked the council and public to help prioritize projects for the three‑year cycle.
Staff presented a preliminary wish list that includes a new salt bin, asphalt paving in the public works area, Memorial Field lighting and scoreboard repair, a home‑repair/code‑enforcement grant, tree‑planting, and continuation or expansion of public Wi‑Fi. Mr. Lemon said he would check with Hamilton County about eligibility of the public‑Wi‑Fi proposal because the county prefers certain project categories.
Several council members and participants suggested specific street and sidewalk repairs to include on the list, identifying sinking sections of Wayne Avenue between Chamberlain and Byrd and bumpy dips near Mangum and Chamberlain. Council discussed the need to prioritize projects across the three‑year CDBG cycle and acknowledged that not every requested item could be scheduled for year one.
No members of the public spoke during the hearing, and the mayor closed the hearing at about 7:57 p.m., returning the meeting to the regular agenda. Mr. Lemon again encouraged residents to bring suggestions before the April 22 hearing so staff would have time to develop applications for Hamilton County’s April 30 deadline.
What happens next: staff will collect suggestions through April 22, draft the application materials with prioritized projects and submit the village’s CDBG requests to Hamilton County by April 30.