City Manager’s Update: Community Development Block Grant (CDBG)

One of Mount Peasant’s strengths is the Historical Downtown District, which holds the distinction of being both a National and Texas Main Street City. Centered upon the Titus County Courthouse, built in 1895, Downtown Mount Pleasant is a charming place to enjoy shopping, dining and obtain other services.

The City is committed to helping ensure that our Downtown District is recognized as a great place to visit, not only by residents, but by visitors throughout the Northeast Texas region. This benefits the "Main Street" businesses as well as businesses throughout our City.

One effort now underway is to pursue grant opportunities such as the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), which has been available to cities for nearly 40 years for community improvement projects such as sidewalks, streets, and water and wastewater lines.

Here are a few important facts:

• The CDBG grant we are currently pursuing is a $500,000 sidewalks grant to install and/or repair sidewalks to make our Downtown more walkable.
• This is the first time the City of Mount Pleasant has submitted a CDBG application in at least 10 years, while many cities apply annually. The City will submit an application by this year’s deadline of September 1, and every year going forward in a proactive approach to strengthening our community.
• With this CDBG grant, the City will pay for the engineering design portion, which is $75,000. The construction of the sidewalks will be $445,000 of the grant.  
• The grant writer retained to help the City is Wesley Traylor of Tyler-based Traylor & Associates Incorporated. Founded in 1974, the firm serves approximately 100 local government entities throughout Texas and has successfully managed over $500 million in federal or state-assisted projects.
• If we receive the grant, Traylor & Associates will be compensated $49,000 out of the $500,000 to administer the grant process, which includes submitting and filing of all reports during the construction process.
• Traylor & Associates will be compensated $49,000 only if the City receives the grant. They will not receive any compensation if the grant application is denied.
• Regarding the engineering design portion: three engineering firms gave the City a proposal to do the design work for the construction of the sidewalks.  A team of three city staff members and one City Councilmember reviewed and rated each proposal.  
• The rating committee chose Schaumburg and Polk Inc., an engineering firm with offices in many cities, including Tyler, out of which they will do the work for this grant.

We feel hopeful about this grant attempt; and excited about the progress being made in the City. I will be sharing frequent updates with you going forward, but I also welcome the opportunity to personally visit with anyone who has questions or concerns. I am here to serve this great community, and you can reach me at ethatcher@mpcity.org or call me directly at 972-951-0993.

Sincerely,

Ed Thatcher, City Manager