By Megan Alley
Sun Staff

The Clermont County Commissioners took the final step in approving this year’s list of Community Development Block Grant Entitlement Program projects.

During their meeting on Aug. 17, the commissioners approved a funding agreement with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, which administers the program, for the following projects:

— $150,000 to Clermont County Health District for the septic system remediation program, which will provide septic system repairs or replacement to approximately seven households;

— $150,000 to the village of Williamsburg to install new sewer lines for residents with failing septic systems;

— $140,000 to the village of Owensville to widen Cross Street from 8 feet to 16 feet, through Gauche Park Drive;

— $68,000 to the city of Milford to install an amphitheater at Riverside Park;

— $71,000 to the Clermont County Community Alternative Sentencing Center to provide drug and alcohol counseling to approximately 25 people;

— $50,000 to People Working Cooperatively to pay for home repair services, including lead paint remediation, for at least 25 households;

— $50,000 to Clermont Senior Services to pay for home repair services for at least 25 senior households;

— $28,000 to Habitat for Humanity to pay for the demolition and clearing of a site in Stonelick Township that will be the future location of single-family home; and

— $15,000 to Housing Opportunities Made Equal which will assist at least 25 families with fair housing services.The commissioners also approved allocating $170,466 in administrative costs and $8,000 for the Fair Housing outreach project Cool Tools for Schools, which provides backpacks and school supplies for children who otherwise wouldn’t be able to procure those items.

Applications for this year’s CDBG funding were due to the Clermont County Department of Community and Economic Development by Jan. 6, and the department presented its recommendations of allocations and projects for approval to the commissioners on Feb. 26.

The commissioners then compiled their list of approved projects in time for Sherri Cmar, grants coordinator for the department, to draft the Annual Action Plan, which underwent a mandatory 30-day public comment period before it was given final approval by the commissioners and sent to HUD by the May 20 deadline.

The plan was subject to a 45-day review period by HUD before it went on to receive congressional approval, according to Cmar

Funds for the approved projects will begin to flow in six to nine months, according to a press release.