Council discusses CDBG projects and homeownership

The Fallon City Council discussed on July 16 Community Development Block Grant projects and heard from the Nevada Rural Housing authority.

The council held the first of three public hearings related to state CDBG applications during fiscal year 2025-26 as presented by City Engineer Derek Zimney.

Zimney said that most recently $405,045 was received in CDBG funds to reconstruct a portion of Court Street. The full roadway reconstruction and installation of a curb, gutter and sidewalk was completed earlier this year. Another $172,000 was awarded last year as a planning grant for the design of a portion of Kaiser Street. That project is in the beginning stages of requesting designer qualifications. 

Two additional CDBG public hearings will be held Sept. 24 and Feb. 25, 2025.

The council also approved a resolution providing for the transfer of the city’s 2024 Private Activity Bond Volume Cap to the NRH. The organization provides a means of financing the cost of single-family residential housing that will provide decent, safe and sanitary dwellings at affordable prices for persons of low and moderate income.

Beth Dunning, the NRH director of community development, thanked the council for its past support of NRH programs, one of which has supplied almost $1 million since 2006 to fund down payment assistance for Fallon homebuyers.

Mayor Ken Tedford asked Dunning for information about the program’s spending data in 2023 within the Fallon area. Dunning didn’t have that data at hand but said she would send it after the meeting. Tedford emphasized that local real estate agents and bankers are aware of the NRH programs, but only one Realtor consistently uses them.

“Awareness isn’t good enough for me; you need to make them believe in the programs,” Tedford told Dunning. “I have a passion about people getting into a home. A whole generation of Nevadans have been skipped in homeownership.”

Applications and information for NRH programs are available at nvrural.org.

The council also approved a resolution authorizing the city officers and staff to arrange for the sale of general obligation sewer refunding bonds Due to the favorable terms currently available, city staff anticipate saving about $150,000 over the term of the refinancing.