Housing Repair Grants Awarded to City Employees Among Others
In a recent wave of grant allocations that has raised eyebrows, several Jamestown City, New York employees found themselves among over 200 locals who bagged grant funding for housing projects. At least nine of the recipients were city workers, a surprising revelation given that past practices typically discouraged employees from tapping into such locally-managed financial programs.
This summer, an impressive sum of over $500,000 was released under the Housing Repair Mini Grant assistance program, thanks to the American Rescue Plan Act. The act, a vital economic stimulus package, was drafted to aid the nation’s recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. To qualify for the grant, applicants had to be residents of Jamestown, aiming to elevate their homes to meet or exceed the standards dictated by both New York State and the City of Jamestown Building Code, as specified in the detailed 10-page application form.
When the dust settled, a total of 207 applicants each walked away with the maximum available award of $2,500, cumulatively exhausting the initial $500,000 grant pool. Among those cashing in were Kasie Foulk, the Deputy Director of Housing Policy and Development, and Ellen Shadle, the city’s Principal Planner. Both Foulk and Shadle are stationed in the Department of Development, the same department responsible for collecting grant applications. Adding more fuel to the fire, a city firefighter and a police officer also secured a piece of this fiscal pie.
Crystal Surdyk, Jamestown’s Director of Development, quickly clarified the landscape. She emphasized that Foulk had no role in reviewing or approving her own grant application. According to Surdyk, there’s no existing statute within the city’s Code of Ethics or municipal law that categorically excludes city employees from benefiting from state or federal grant programs.
“We believe that assessing city employees’ applications and awarding them the same grants as any other eligible taxpaying property owner is not just ethical, but also fair and just,” said Surdyk. “These individuals are not only city employees; they are also integral members of our community, our neighbors, our families, and our friends.”
Further defending the allocation, Surdyk noted that grant recipients are co-investing in the improvements to their properties, essentially stimulating a broader economic benefit for the entire city. “These upgrades will likely maintain or even enhance the property values across Jamestown, a win-win for everyone involved,” she added.
Eligibility for the grant was clearly outlined: homeowners must not have any existing code violations, they must have owned and lived in the property for at least one year, they should be up-to-date on their mortgage payments, and they must hold a homeowner’s insurance policy.
The grant funds are versatile and can be deployed for a range of repairs and upgrades, including but not limited to, fixing porches, sidewalks, and driveways, house painting and siding, and removal of junk and debris.
