Budes holds CDBG public hearing on April 25

As part of the process in applying for a new round of federally appropriated Community Development Block Grant funds, the Town of Bude has announced a public hearing will be held on Tuesday, April 25.

The meeting, which is open to the community, will take place at 9 a.m., in the Bude Town Hall council chambers, which is located at 125 Railroad Avenue.

Town Clerk Ellisha Ford confirmed Mississippi — as a whole — had been allocated around $25 million by the U.S. Congress to be made available to towns, cities and counties across the Magnolia State on a competitive basis for eligible community activities.

“These funds, which will be distributed through the Mississippi Development Authority, are set aside to benefit low- and moderate-income persons with these funds being used specifically for public facilities and economic development,” Ford said.

Details related to eligible expenditures of the funds and program requirements for the town to meet in the application process will be outlined during the scheduled hearing.

“This initial meeting will primarily be to obtain citizen input into the formulation of the application through the Southwest Mississippi Planning and Development District,” Ford went on to say.

All comments related to the town’s filing for the funds are welcome and must be submitted in writing prior to the close of business on Tuesday, May 2.
Written comments, to Ford’s attention, can be mailed to the Town of Bude, P.O. Box 448, Bude, MS 39360.

Individuals with special needs, including those non-English speaking persons requiring a translator, must contact Ford at 601-384-2600 and outline — in detail — such needs at least three days prior to the public hearing.

In February, Bude’s board of aldermen voted to pursue CDBG funding to continue repairs to its sanitary sewer system.

The town has used previous rounds of CDBG money to rehabilitate its wastewater infrastructure, including pipes and manholes, along a portion of Railroad Avenue.

A previous inspection of Bude’s sewer system found numerous problems — ranging in severity from minor to major — involving broken pipes along with roots and obstructions as well as stormwater infiltration during heavy rainfall events.