The Community Development Block Grant program is flexible enough to provide communities with the resources to address a wide range of development needs.

Last week, the Ripon City Council approved to reallocate $47,000 in 2018-2019 CDBG from the Senior Center Retrofit Project fund to the Pine Street / McKee Court Handicap /Sidewalk project and the Senior Center Parking Lot Rehab project.

A public hearing was held prior to action.

CDBG public works project funds — about $65,500 — had already been allocated to the Senior Center Retrofit Project fund back in February 2018.

“Since that time, the City finished the previous CDBG project (Pine Street / McKee Court and Senior Center Parking Lot) — that project came in over the City’s CDBG grant fund balance,” said Engineering Supervisor James Pease in his report.

San Joaquin County CDBG staff gave the City the OK to allocate the grant funds from 2018-2019 to cover the shortfall.

“The City is working through the Senior Center Retrofit project design with our contracted architectural consultant,” Pease said.

He added that staff will not have an accurate budget for the Retrofit project until the design is complete and the project goes out to bid.

“At this point, after the reallocation there should be approximately $106,000 in CDBG funds left for the Retrofit project. If the project bids come in above that amount, the City can always allocate the 2020-2021 CDBG funds towards the same Senior Center Retrofit project,” Pease noted.

Staff is currently in the process of obtaining proposals for the removal and repair projects.