By Jim Newell

Review Editor

The Lake Orion Village Council allocated its 2020 Community Development Block Grant funds to the Oxford/Orion FISH food pantry and village code enforcement during its Nov. 12 meeting.

The council voted 6-0 to designate 70 percent, $6,534, of its total CDBG funds, $9,333, toward code enforcement in the village.

The village has used past CDBG funds for such projects as the Paint Creek bank stabilization project and sidewalk repairs on handicapped crossings, said village Manager Joe Young.

Community Development Block Grant funds are awarded to municipalities by the federal government through the U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The CDBG program “is a flexible program that provides communities with resources to address a wide range of unique community development needs,” according HUD.

The village police budget is $21,300 for ordinance enforcement, which the CDBG funds would supplement, Young said.

“Federal money is very intensive with requirements and paperwork and documentation. And for the amount of money, I’m recommending code enforcement, something we can document…so that we could use (those funds) to supplement or enhance our code enforcement throughout the whole village,” Young said. “Many cities that receive small amounts do allocate for code enforcement.”

Under federal guidelines, municipalities may also award 30 percent of CDBG funds to a public service in the community. The remaining 30 percent of the village’s CDBG funds, $2,799, were awarded to FISH.

Both FISH and Oakland County-based Haven requested that the village donate some of its CDBG funds toward their programs.

Councilmember Ray Hammond, who made the motion to award the funds to FISH, said he is an advocate of the organization and agreed with Young’s recommendation that the remaining funds should go toward village code enforcement.

“One of the strengths, to me, about the FISH organization is that they have guidelines and parameters for their clients. It’s not a never-ending circle of people coming back without moving forward with the help that they’re given. And I realize that every case is different, but I’ve had some personal experience when I was younger working in the United Way organization and sometimes you meet people who need some structure around what’s given to them,” Hammond said.

Under federal guidelines, the village is limited to awarding the public services portion of its Community Development Block Grant funds to one group per year, Young said.

“So, we can only award (funds to) one agency. Last year, we did award it to Haven,” Young said.

Haven requested funds for its services for victims of domestic violence/dating violence/sexual assault/stalking program, according to village documents.

Beginning in 1974, the CDBG program is one of the longest continuously run programs at U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).