SCHENECTADY Council floats ideas for extra grant funds provided by feds BY KATHLEEN MOORE Gazette Reporter Reach Gazette reporter Kathleen Moore at 395-3120 or moore@dailygazette.com
For once, the City Council has a nice problem — more money than it had planned to spend. Now council members are considering a potpourri of ideas for the $2.3 million Community Development Block Grant, which came in with $105,000 more than expected. They’d like to fund jobs programs, spend on neighborhoods and encourage homeownership. Everyone, it seems, has their own plan for the money — and no plan is the same. “Right now, we don’t have a consensus,” Councilman Joseph Allen said. Still, the rules for the federal grant may solve that problem. They can only spend a certain percentage of the grant on each category — such as housing and public services — and so they may have to spend small amounts of money on each council member’s favorite project. So far, council members seem to agree to fully fund the Quackenbush and Front Street pool programs, which were to be cut by 20 percent this year. Removing their cuts would cost $9,300. That leaves plenty of money for other projects. Councilman Thomas Della Sala suggested the city focus on neighborhood revitalization: paving, demolishing buildings, improving drainage. “Anything that will improve the neighborhoods.” He wants the council to see this year’s unexpected grant as an opportunity to actually start work on the city’s crumbling neighborhoods. “We keep talking about it. We haven’t done enough because we haven’t had the money to do it,” he said. “Here’s a chance. Even though it’s not a lot of money, it’s something.” C o u n c i l w o m a n B a r b a r a Blanchard wants to fund a $25,000 study of Project Strive, which boasts an 80 percent success rate in getting residents permanent jobs. “I don’t know how they do it,” she said, but added that the success rate makes it worth studying. “And we have an obligation to provide jobs programs in CDBG and we aren’t,” she said. But Allen said he doesn’t want to spend money on unknown projects. “I really don’t know much about it, this Project Strive,” he said. “And if it’s going to be run by SICM, I have questions.” .........................>>>>......................>>>>......................http://www.dailygazette.net/De.....r01400&AppName=1
Isn't this the same story as the one the gazette posted on the 18th?? Or is this just an update?
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
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