Columbiana council affirms continued participation in Shelby Urban County CDBG entitlement

Columbiana’s City Council voted July 7 to continue the city’s participation in the Shelby Urban County Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) entitlement program, approving resolution 07-26-01 after brief discussion.

Mayor Davis said the resolution keeps Columbiana eligible to submit projects for county-administered CDBG funds and recalled that the city previously received a large award for sports-complex lighting. “We have received money from this group,” the mayor said, noting that a past grant — written by Charlene — produced “over $700,000” for new lights at the sports complex.

The council described the county-level agreement as routine: Shelby County seeks to maintain its urban-county entitlement status with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and participating municipalities enter a cooperation agreement so the county can allocate CDBG dollars among member cities. Mayor Davis said the resolution simply affirms Columbiana’s desire to remain part of that cooperative arrangement and be considered to receive funding when it is available.

A council member moved to accept resolution 07-26-01 and the motion received a second; the council voted in favor with no recorded opposition. The city did not specify any particular project tied to the vote on July 7.

Background: The federal Community Development Block Grant program provides flexible funding for housing, community development and infrastructure projects; in Columbiana’s case, a prior successful application paid for lighting at the city sports complex, the mayor said.

Next steps: With the resolution approved, Columbiana remains eligible to submit project proposals for future CDBG allocation cycles administered through Shelby Urban County. The council did not schedule further action specific to a new project at the July 7 meeting.