By Gary Gould
VIEW Staff Writer

ATLAS TWP. — Officials here have a problem — how to spend nearly $60,000 in federal money.

Sounds easy enough, but the catch is it can only be spent on projects that meet certain guidelines.

The township will hold a public hearing at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 20, just prior to the regular Atlas Township Board of Trustees meeting, to talk about how it will spend approximately $60,000 in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) money.

Clerk Tere Onica said while it may sound easy enough to spend free money given to the township, the reality is the township often doesn’t get to use more than a fraction of the funds because it is difficult to find uses which fall within federal guidelines.

“It is very difficult to use this money for us,” Onica said. “We need to find a way to keep it here. We usually end up giving it away.”

She said often the money ends up being given to Davison Township, though some is put toward the Davison Senior Citizen Center which allows Atlas residents to use that facility.

Supervisor Paul Amman is asking residents with ideas on how the money can be spent to attend the Oct. 20 meeting and share their thoughts so the money can stay within the township.

“There are so many strings attached to this money that planning how to spend it isn’t fun,” he said.

According to government websites, CDBG funds are allotted for local community development activities such as affordable housing, anti-poverty programs and infrastructure development.

CDBG, like other block grant programs, differ from categorical grants made for specific purposes in that they are subject to less federal oversight and are largely used at the discretion of the state and local governments.
Money from CDBG funding may be used for community development activities (such as real estate acquisition, relocation, demolition, rehabilitation of housing and commercial buildings), construction of public facilities and improvements (such as water, sewer, and other utilities, street paving and sidewalks), construction and maintenance of neighborhood centers and the conversion of school buildings, public services and economic development and job creation/retention activities.

CDBG funds also can be used for preservation and restoration of historic properties in low-income neighborhoods.

Onica said of the money typically allocated to Atlas Township, only 15 percent qualifies for use at the Davison Senior Citizens Center and the rest is either given away or goes back to the federal government.

The guidelines are so strict that even attempts to use the money on the Goodrich Ladies Library have been rejected.

“We have just not been successful in these efforts,” Onica said.

Amman asked that residents who have suggestions on how to spend the money submit their thoughts to Onica in writing, either by letter or email, prior to the Oct. 20 meeting. Her email address is tonica@atlastownship.org.

The township offices are located at 7386 S. Gale Road.

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