NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT PROGRAM NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that on Tuesday, April 2, 2024 in the Municipal Building, located at 142 N 7th Street, Seward, NE, the City Council will hold a public hearing to provide an opportunity for public comment concerning an existing Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) project funded under the approved Economic Development Plan for the City of Seward, Nebraska for the use of Program Income of a Prior Community Development Block Grant for Economic Development. The City Council meeting will commence at 7:00 P.M. where the hearing will begin shortly after. CDBG #19-ED-01-SEDRLF Economic Development Project: The City of Seward (the “City”) awarded Bottle Rocket Brewing Company a $127,000.00 “Reuse Loan” under the Community Development Block Grant – Economic Development Reuse Loan Fund (CDBG-EDRLF), which is financed under the approved Economic Development Plan for the City of Seward, Nebraska for use of Program Income of a prior, Community Development Block Grant for Economic Development. The approved loan was used to assist with working capital for initial expansion start-up costs. The Reuse Loan was conditionally granted by the City to the Southeast Nebraska Development, Inc., a non-profit development organization (the “NDO”). The NDO utilized the conditionally granted CDBG funds to loan $127,000 to the Company. All of the CDBG funds were to be used for activities that met the CDBG national objective of benefiting low-to-moderate income persons. The company was responsible for creating 3.63 new full-time equivalent job positions, 51% of them were to be held or made available to Low to Moderate Income persons in addition to maintaining .44 FTE positions. No residences, farms, or businesses were displaced as a result of these CDBG activities. All conditions required by the awarded contract for the release of CDBG funds have not been satisfied. The job creation requirements have not been met. However, the project is complete and all funds have been requested for distribution to the business. The Company has supplied SEND, Inc. with proper documentation of eligible expenses to request reimbursement of funds. The City continues to comply with CDBG semi-annual reporting requirements. All interested parties are invited to attend this public hearing at which time you will have an opportunity to be heard regarding the grant application. Written and oral testimony will also be accepted at the public hearing scheduled for 7:00 P.M., April 2, 2024 at the Municipal Building located at 142 N 7th St; Seward, Nebraska 68434. Written comments addressed to the City Clerk at City Hall, at 537 Main Street; Seward, Nebraska 68434 will be accepted if received on or before Friday, March 29, 2024. Individuals requiring physical or sensory accommodations including interpreter service, Braille, large print, or recorded materials, please contact Derek Bargmann, City Clerk at 537 Main St, Seward, Nebraska 68434, 402-643-2927 no later than 12:00 noon on Friday, March 29, 2024. Accommodations will be made for persons with disabilities and non-English speaking individuals provided that a two day notice is received by the City of Seward. SCI — March 20, 2024 ZNEZ
