Under new business the board approved a contract to remediate lead hazards at 623 East Avenue, Lorain, awarding $74,376.50 to Jim Metc Construction and closing out the county’s 2023 CDBG Lead-Safe project. Commissioners and staff also discussed process issues after staff reported more than 400 applications for CDBG lead projects and several awards that appeared to benefit landlords.

Why it matters: the program aims to make housing lead-safe for vulnerable occupants. Commissioners said delays in application processing and consultant-driven procedures created equity concerns and that policy changes should be made before the next grant cycle to prioritize homeowner applicants.

Details: staff said three bids were received for the East Avenue project and that the award includes a contingency for unforeseen change orders, funded from the county’s LSO account. Community development staff and the commissioners described the administrative timeline: applications can take months to vet and approvals to issue; the consultant-driven workflow and scheduling were cited as contributors to long processing times.

Board response: commissioners said the county will work with the consultant and the legislature (staff said a legislative oversight inquiry had been requested) to revise program policies and improve fairness, prioritization and speed of delivery. The board noted that returning unused grant funds to the state would stop the project and that staff recommended proceeding to avoid forfeiture.

Ending: The resolution awarding the contract passed by voice vote. County staff said they will pursue policy changes to improve application prioritization and the consultant’s processes for future grants.