Norwich approves grant recipients, tax credit program applicants
Norwich — The City Council on Monday approved a spending plan for the city’s $1.1 million federal Community Development Block Grant and endorsed 11 other proposals seeking state Neighborhood Assistance Act tax credit investments.
The council made only one minor change before voting unanimously to approve a recommended list of CDBG recipients Monday. Programs supported include perennial allocations to city and private nonprofits providing human services assistance to residents, upgrades to city public housing, improvements to city parks and job training programs.
Norwich Public Works will receive two separate grants, one totaling $182,843 for improvements to Prospect Street in Greeneville, less than the $358,634 the department had requested for the project, and $84,700 to replace the fence at Columbus Park on Franklin Street. The Columbus Park grant total includes $33,795 in CDBG money left over from a previous COVID-19 recovery grant.
The city Recreation Department received $97,322 from the CDBG COVID-19 recovery grant to improve a basketball court and parking area on Lake Street, about a block from Columbus Park. The Recreation Department received another $37,974 in COVID-19 recovery dollars to create a walking track at the Taftville Park.
The council approved the $172,000 recommended for various programs run by public service agencies, including Norwich Human Services. The only change made to the funding list was to eliminate $15,000 from the Norwich Human Services “rapid rehousing” homeless prevention program and add that money to the $45,000 recommended for the agency’s job training program, called Norwich Works, bringing that program to its original full request of $60,000.
Alderman Derell Wilson said Norwich Human Services officials assured him they could use other grant sources to fund the rapid rehousing program.
The CDBG money also funds the community development office administration at $168,840 and the office’s property rehabilitation and code correction program, funded at $225,000.
Norwich community development office coordinator Kathryn Crees recently retired. City Manager John Salomone said a staff member from the city finance department will take over the financial components of the federally regulated office while the city seeks applicants for a new permanent coordinator.
The city does not control funding for applications to the Neighborhood Assistance Program, but approval by the City Council allows the 11 applicants to seek state tax credit investment money from local corporations, including Norwich Public Utilities, for various projects. Each investment is limited to $100,000 in tax credits.
Applicants approved Monday included United Community and Family Services to replace windows in the agency’s headquarters in the historic Samuel Huntington mansion, Norwich Historical Society for three projects for energy-efficiency upgrades to three 18th century buildings in Norwichtown, Norwich Arts Center for a roof replacement and the Connecticut Radio Information System for services to people who are blind or reading impaired.
The Neighborhood Assistance Act is administered by the state Department of Revenue Services.
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