Huachuca City holds public hearing on FY2026 CDBG uses; residents urge Activity Center, water and park projects

The Huachuca City Town Council held a public hearing March 21, 2026 to gather ideas for an anticipated FY2026 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) regional award of about $516,000. William Osborne, representing the Southeastern Arizona Governments Organization (SEAGO), summarized eligible uses — water and sewer improvements, street and sidewalk work, community facilities, housing rehabilitation, public services and planning or engineering — and explained how the regional account and competitive State Special Projects (SSP) programs work.

Osborne told the council the regional account rotates among member jurisdictions and that SEAGO provides technical assistance and application preparation. "We prepare applications, reach out to city staff for locally known details and communicate with ADOH," Osborne said. He emphasized that projects should be shovel‑ready where possible and recommended compiling a prioritized list for the council to adopt by resolution so SEAGO can include it in the regional application.

Mayor Johann Wallace opened the hearing to the public and asked speakers to state names and addresses for the record. Residents proposed a range of projects — modernizing the Activity Center (including reinstalling a kitchen and improving ADA access), replacing or assessing aging water infrastructure and installing 'smart' water meters, improving parks and removing goat‑head weeds, creating safer walking routes between lower and upper Huachuca City, and expanding library and after‑school programming. SEAGO and town staff noted that SSP grants can fund engineering and design to make larger projects competitive later under CDBG.