Land Bank pushes to secure demolition funds before May deadline; members debate reimbursing Homeport administrative costs

Board staff urged quick action to secure remaining demolition grant money and updated the board on several brownfield and demolition projects under way.

Emily Rasper of Civil and Environmental Consultants told the board the May 1 deadline is the identification date for demolition program sites. She said the land bank has one approved site (1251 U.S. 23 North) and that a service-station property (1405) completed additional assessments showing it is eligible as a demolition (not brownfield) project. City of PAL staff were working on two additional potential submissions (77 Sciota Street and a Bennett Farm parcel) but timing for May 1 was uncertain.

Justin Abby reported that two county‑owned demolition projects now have an estimated combined cost of about $130,000 after added items such as fiber relocation, asbestos abatement and an environmental study. Board members agreed those ancillary costs are eligible for reimbursement under the program rules.

Brent Smith urged the board to submit an inventory or placeholder to ODOD for whatever information the county has available "to secure it," saying roughly $80,000 of demolition funding remained and "if we don't put something in, that money is gone forever." Board staff said submitting an inventory can protect the county's share while ODOD conducts reviews.

The board also discussed a request from Homeport seeking roughly $4,100 in additional disbursement for administrative costs that Homeport said were deducted from its grant payout. Justin Abby and several commissioners said recouping administrative costs retrospectively from land bank general funds would create a precedent and that the land bank had already reimbursed Homeport from grant funds; the board decided not to advance general‑fund payments.

Brownfield updates included a fiscal‑year 2023 Wild Oak market award that remains open because groundwater monitoring continues and a no‑further‑action letter is pending; staff expect the open grant to remain active until monitoring is complete. The meeting closed with a discussion of using the land bank’s roughly $300,000 in reserves to create a county‑run demolition program, a proposal deferred for future consideration.

Next steps: staff will continue to compile inventories for the May 1 demolition identification deadline, monitor ODOD announcements for brownfield awards, and process reimbursements when state funds are disbursed.