WANTS MORE INFORMATION – Ward 4 Councilman George Ash, at left, moved to table a resolution, Monday, which would have reprogrammed previously budgeted Community Development Block Grant funds for other uses. Council is planning a work session, followed by a special meeting, for later in the week to discuss the proposal. Ward 7 Councilman Terry Weigel also is pictured. -- Craig Howell

WEIRTON — A proposed resolution aimed at reprogramming unused Community Development Block Grant funding from a previous fiscal year was tabled by Weirton Council, Monday, with one member taking issue with how it was developed and suggesting a work session be held later this week to discuss it in detail.

Council had been asked to consider a resolution “Approving Substantial Amendment No. 4 to the City of Weirton’s FY 2019 Annual Action Plan for the Use of FY 2019 CDBG Funds and CDBG-CV Funds.”

Ward 4 Councilman George Ash, though, felt more information on the proposal was needed prior to council’s vote.

“I’d like to have a workshop on this issue,” Ash said, recommending the meeting be scheduled either for Thursday or Friday.

Ash referenced concerns he had, saying city staff developed the proposed funding changes without any input from council.

The CDBG and CDBG-CV, which focuses on COVID-19-related expenditures, is facilitated through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, with Weirton receiving annual funding allocations.

According to a draft copy of the resolution, which notes the proposed amendments were on display for public viewing from Nov. 9 to Dec. 8, “HUD permits grant recipients to revise and amend previously approved Annual Action Plans and budgets,”

The proposed amendment would provide funding for a curb cut program in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, with a fund of $77,868. The program would “fund the renovation and/or installation of ADA-compliant curb cuts city-wide, including related design and project management services.”

The funds would have been taken out of unused 2019 CDBG dollars which had been dedicated to street paving, leaving $257,180 for those purposes from that fiscal year.

In addition, $15,000 would be removed from a COVID-related food program with funds derived from the fiscal 2020 CDBG-CV budget, and $4,601.31 reprogrammed from funds set aside for the purchase of personal protective equipment. Funding would still be available for both projects.

With the reprogrammed funding, it has been proposed $17,000 would be provided to the Greater Weirton Senior Center to assist with its Heating/Ventilating/Air Conditioning project, increasing its budget to $308,321. The remaining $2,601.31 would go to the Weirton Christian Center to purchase and install two touchless water bottle filling stations.

City Attorney Vince Gurrera recommended the work session be held at 9 a.m., Friday, with a special council meeting to vote on the resolution to follow.