City hires grant management team to gain GLO funding

The Facts
By GAYLA MURPHY gayla.murphy@thefacts.com
Nov 24, 2022

LAKE JACKSON — The city will use a third-party advocate to shepherd its mitigation grant application and implementation through the Texas General Land Office.

Judy Langford, president and owner of Langford Community Management Services, presented her proposal to Lake Jackson City Council for her company to manage the city’s grant program. Lake Jackson could receive at least $2.1 million to put toward affordable housing or other projects related to drainage or environmental issues.

City Manager Modesto Mundo believes the city could use the guidance of the management company because the grant application and approval process can be arduous, he said during Monday’s council meeting.

“We really wanted to bring someone on to guide us on making sure that we would have dotted our I’s and crossed our T’s,” Mundo said. “That advice came to us from other cities that says, you know, dealing with the GLO, you probably should bring someone on board to help.”

The projects the city is looking at areas considered to be low to moderate income, Mundo said.

The Pine Ditch and the East Side Drainage Project are the highest priority projects council are looking to address with the grant money, he said.

The management company would receive 8 percent of the grant amount for its services, and will not be paid until funds are rendered by the GLO, Langford said.

The company has recently and successfully helped Angleton City Manager Chris Whitaker with new affordable housing construction in the area made possible by distributed GLO funds.

“The initial part will be that we actually help the city put together the grant applications and get it posted,” Langford said.

The company will complete a request for information to submit for the grant application, and once there’s a contract with GLO, the management team will move forward to complete all other paperwork. It will see the process from beginning to closeout of the completed projects, for which GLO assigns a three-year completion window, Langford said.

The deadline to submit an application to the GLO is Jan. 9, but submissions have to be posted at least 14 days prior, Langford said.

Councilman Matthew Broaddus made a motion to approve hiring Langford Community Management Services. Councilman Vinay Singhania seconded the motion and the motion was passed with an unanimous vote.

In other business, council discussed the minimum bid allowance the city would accept for two lots located on Lake Road. The city had two real estate companies conduct appraisals on the properties top determine their market values.

For the .9657-acre lot at 902 Lake Road, Angleton Real Estate gave a value of $126,000 while TBT Real Estate recommended a value of $150,000 to $175,000.

The .4893-acre lot at 818 Lake Road came in at $85,000 by Angleton Real Estate while TBT Real Estate appraised the lot between $100,000 and $125,000.

The city also has to allot for $10,000 in sewer extension costs for the lots that are the city’s responsibility.

Mundo’s recommendation was to go with the appraisal values of $150,000 and $100,000, respectively, to help cover those sewer costs that need to be accounted for, he said.

Councilman Chase Blanchard voiced an opposition to this amount, saying he thought it was too high for less than an acre of land.

“There’s no rush to sell this land,” Mundo said. “We don’t need the funds to make any of our projects work. It just made sense that long term … if the market is not right, that’s OK.”

Singhania made a motion to approve the minimum prices Mundo suggested and Councilwoman Rhonda Seth seconded. With a nay from Blanchard, the motion still passed.

Council also approved the request by Aplin Homes to burn debris in the Northwood Phase 4 development upon recommendation by the city fire marshal.

The next regular meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Dec. 5 in the Alice Rodgers Council Chambers at City Hall, 25 Oak Drive.