Lodi council focuses on community block grants

Sept. 21--The Lodi City Council heard reports on the results of the 2016-17 Community Development Block Grant projects and looked into the grant's future during its Wednesday night meeting.

The council unanimously approved the CDBG consolidated annual performance and evaluation report for 2016/2017 along with amendments to 2017/2018 CDBG action plan. Both Councilman Bob Johnson and Councilwoman JoAnne Mounce were absent.

The report maps out the accomplishments made with CDBG funding over the past year.

The LOEL Center provided 10,313 meals to 92 homebound seniors. Second Harvest Food Bank provided 170,064 pounds of supplemental groceries, fresh fruits and vegetables to Lodi residents. The food was distributed to 1,828 low-income families, as well as 70 youths at Lodi'sBoys and Girls Club and 98 seniors at the LOEL Center.

Through collaboration with the Lodi Police Department, the Lodi GRIP Program has worked to reduce the number of gang related incidents from 82 in 2015 to 49 in 2016. CDBG funding was also used for tattoo removal to help youths step away from gang life.

The Community Partnership for Families of San Joaquin provided screening case management and group counseling to 40 youths and their families. San Joaquin Fair Housing completed mediation cases for 14 households and provided resources to 343 residents. They also facilitated one fair housing seminar for 18 property owners.

Other projects completed with CDBG funding in the past year include ADA improvements to Kofu Park, Hutchins Street Square's north entrance and Cherokee Lane. The funds also went toward alley drainage improvements and the Blakely Park restroom demolition.

With CDBG funding, 1,420 incidents of graffiti were removed from low- and moderate-income neighborhoods in the past year.

Amendments were made to the 2017/2018 CDBG action plan in order to accommodate the allocation of unused funds. The office for the Family Resource Center will not be completed and the Salvation Army's transitional housing project fell through, leaving a combined total of $117,300 unused. That amount will be reallocated, with $50,300 going toward alley drainage improvements, $22,000 going to a new roof on the Lodi House Enrichment Center, $20,000 going to HVAC improvements at the Lodi House Shelter and $25,000 going to public ADA improvements.

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