The City of Yakima was notified in September of 2020 that we will receive a supplemental award of Community Development Block Grant Cares Act allocation (CDBG-CV). This award is $618,993. The city will draw the administrative allowance of 20%, which will make approximately $495,195 available for addressing COVID related needs. The first round of CDBG-CV funds were allocated to YCDA for small business assistance (micro-enterprises of 5 or fewer employees). With additional funding from other COVID related relief funds, YCDA has been able to help all qualified businesses and non-profits that applied.
With this second supplemental round of funds, city staff suggest improvements to two community centers that will reduce or eliminate airborne contaminants, specifically COVID-19. The building air quality improvements include air purifying systems, as well as new exhaust and air flow supply equipment. Both the Henry Beauchamp Community Center and the Washington Fruit Community Center have aged filtration and air purifying systems, with inadequate air supply flow to protect community residents from airborne contaminants.
Each community center's air improvement system is estimated at $130,000, with HBCC to be installed in 2021 and WFCC in 2022. This would leave approximately $235,000 which could be allocated to area food banks or the Meals on Wheels program, now in tremendous need due to COVID-19. |