The City of Killeen still has $729,841 in federal funding on its way for COVID-19 relief.
“It is an additional allocation by HUD that we have to accept,” Killeen Spokesperson Hilary Shine said by email on Wednesday. “The 2019-20 Annual Action Plan has to be amended to reflect acceptance and allocation of the additional funding.”
The funding has been made available through the The Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act. This funding, in the form of a Community Development Block Grant through the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, is meant to help prevent, prepare for, and respond to the Coronavirus in the Killeen community.
At its Oct. 20 workshop, the Killeen City Council determined its preference for use of those funds with a split of the housing assistance/small business assistance allocation at 70%/30%. The city will bring that back for official action by the council at its meeting on Tuesday.
The 70-30 percent ratio was put forth at the Oct. 20 workshop by Councilmember Shirley Fleming, who said that a number of her constituents have contacted her about this issue.
“I think small business should have the opportunity to get some of the CDBG Funds,” Fleming said by email, adding that she believes the area on and around Gilmer Street is in need of particular attention. “It is the only right thing to do. This community is suffering because of the pandemic. We definitely need more funding for small business. This is not enough money, but a little is better then nothing. If there is any money from other sources, it should be used for our small businesses in this community.”
City council candidate Ed Skinner believes the first priority for the use of this funding should be to protect the most vulnerable.
“We should also invest in protecting our first responders,” Skinner said by email. “If funds remain they should be set aside for future use when a vaccine is available.”
Mayor Jose Segarra agreed with the proposed spending ratio.
“I think the residential side is where the biggest need is and where we can help most of our citizens in need of some relief so I think it’s appropriate that the council agreed to the 70/30 split,” Segarra said by email. “We do get some calls from citizens looking for financial help so we are glad that this is another round that was made avail for that purpose.
“I would like to see us get back to some kind of normalcy because the financial assistance is not going to continue. What citizens want is to be able to provide for themselves and their families through employment opportunities. I think we will start seeing that as more and more business begin to open up to full capacity and we get closer to releasing a vaccine for this pandemic.”
Councilmember Steve Harris said he believes the proposed ratio will be “a plus.”
“As we work to help citizens have a place to stay, it is a good idea to also remember those small business owners who are struggling,” Harris said by email. “Just as people do not want to have to leave their homes, so are there some business owners who are not ready to scuttle their businesses either. Small business success is a big part of our local economy as well.
I have heard no negative comments yet on this proposal.”
Council candidate Nina Cobb wants the grant money to be spent in the manner in which it details. More specifically, she feels the priorities should be to improve food security and healthy food availability, to develop a multi-model transportation system (including possible collaboration with private transportation companies), and to ensure that flu shots, health education, resources, such as such as free clinics, public health departments, etc.) are accessible to every homeless family or individuals who are below the poverty income or have no health coverage.
“The grant money should provide a wide range of resources to address COVID-19, such as services for senior citizens, the homeless, and public health services,” Cobb said by email. “We must meet the important community (residents) needs and safety concerns of the city, insuring that our outcomes are higher than the input.”
Candidate Leo Gukeisen noted the numerous COVID-19 rules, policies, and procedures from both the state and federal governments in dealing with how COVID-19 relief funds are to be used.
“Unless you work with these rules, policies, and procedures it really hard to fully understand what can and can’t be done with them,” Gukeisen said by email. “It would not be the right thing to speak about matters that I am not fully aware of, nor should anyone. I can only hope that our city council and city manager are doing the right things with these funds so that it doesn’t come back and hurt the residents of Killeen.”
Tuesday’s council meeting will be at 5 p.m. in the council chambers in City Hall, 101 N. College St., Killeen.
For those unable to attend the meeting in person, it will be web streamed live and archived for playback on the city’s website, KilleenTexas.gov. It will also be broadcast live on Spectrum Cable Channel 10.
