Local nonprofits ask Mount Clemens for share of $13,800 in CDBG funds; city staff to recommend allocations next meeting

The Mount Clemens City Commission opened its annual public hearing on Community Development Block Grant funding for fiscal year 2021 after city staff said there were no capital funds this year and roughly $13,800 to distribute to nonprofit organizations.

Brian Tingley, who presented the CDBG overview, said last year the county adopted a competitive approach to capital funds and that Mount Clemens received roughly $150,000 in the prior year for a utilities project, but that for fiscal 2021 the city was only allocating nonprofit operating funds. "We have the ability to fund up to $13,800," Tingley said, and he walked commissioners through the application process used by the county.

Several nonprofits addressed the commission. Amanda Ammucchi, a housing case manager at Turning Point, requested $2,500 to help provide emergency shelter and related services for survivors of domestic violence. Ammucchi said Turning Point provided 271 shelter bed nights to six Mount Clemens survivors in 2020 and that the local portion of those services cost about $8,130 that year.

Scott Andrews of Interfaith Volunteer Caregivers asked commissioners to continue supporting the program and noted a request of $888 that would allow the program to serve at least eight low-income residents with household repairs. Nikki Pittman, a forensic interviewer and crisis counselor at Carehaus, described Carehaus's countywide child advocacy work based in Mount Clemens and requested $7,200 to support services for 12 child victims and their families residing in Mount Clemens.

Tingley said staff planned to recommend fully funding the four smallest requests and applying the remainder to Carehaus; about $6,500 to Carehaus would result under that proposal. The commission closed the public hearing by motion; no allocation vote was taken and staff said the commission will consider formal allocations at a future meeting.