Mayor Harry Tutunjian announced today his recommendations for the distribution of Community Development Block Grant funding, including $1.2 million towards reinvestment in South Troy and $165,942 towards the expansion of recreational facilities like Knickerbacker Pool and Frear Park.

The recommendations are part of the 2010 One Year Action Plan, up for vote before the City Council.

According to the Mayor's recommendations, it appears that this year's CDBG funding has increased by over $800,000 when compared to last year's CDBG recommendations. According to Deputy Director of Public Information Jeff Pirro, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development discovered internally last year that it was under-allocating funds to certain cities, like Troy, and as a result has given Troy more money this year to correct that.

Additionally, $250,000 of the extra money is a result of the city no longer having to make loan repayments to Vulcan Properties as part of the River Triangle Building Rehabilitation.

Councilman Mark McGrath, R-District 2, released a statement in support of the investment in Knickerbacker Pool, saying "I support this plan with the understanding that our kids are our most important asset."

Below is the full list of recommendations released by Tutunjian. What do you think? Are there areas that could use more CDBG funding? How do you feel about the reinvestment in South Troy?

Project	Applicant	Amount
Planning and Administration		$410,000
CDBG Program Administration	City of Troy (Housing)	$400,000
Homelessness Management Information Systems	Corporation for AIDS Research, Education, and Services, Inc.	$10,000
Neighborhood Livibility		$750,000
Street Improvements (Street Paving)	City of Troy (DPW/Engineering)	$300,000
Code Enforcement	City of Troy (Code Enforcement)	$300,000
Elevator for Wheelchair access to 15-17 3rd Street	Independent Living Center of the Hudson Valley	$50,000
Vacant Building Demolitions	City of Troy (Code Enforcement/Public Works)	$100,000
Recreation		$165,942
Refurbish Kncikerbacker Pool Locker Room & Bathrooms	Recreation Dept.	$20,000
Frear Park Pavilion Restroom	Recreation Dept.	$40,000
Frear Park Tennis Court Resurfacing	Recreation Dept.	$40,000
Frear Park Fountain Repair	Recreation Dept.	$30,000
City-wide Park Fencing	Recreation Dept.	$35,942
South Troy Area Reinvestment		$1,200,000
South Troy Reinvestment Target Area	City of Troy Enginnering/ Housing	$1,200,000
Decent Housing		$100,000
Homeowner Housing & Energy Improvement Program	City of Troy (Housing)	$100,000
Public Service		$180,000
After School Child Care and Summer Camp Scholarships	Troy Youth Association, Inc.	$25,000
School Age Child Care Program Scholarship Fund	Lansingburgh Boys & Girls Club	$25,000
After School Program & Teen Program	Troy Boys & Girls Club	$25,000
Roarke Connections	Roarke Center (Catholic Charities)	$20,000
Daycare for Working Poor Families	Catholic Charities: Sunnyside Child Dev.	$20,000
Ready for Work Program	YWCA	$15,000
Joseph's House & Shelter	Joseph's House	$30,000
Unity House Domestic Violence Career Development	Unity House of Troy	$20,000
Homelessness		$90,498
Domestic Violence Shelter Operating Expenses	Unity House of Troy	$24,998
TAUM Furniture Program	Troy Area United Ministries	$13,000
Joseph's House & Shelter	Joseph's House	$32,500
Women In Transition Program	YWCA	$20,000
HOME		$755,942
HOME Administration	City of Troy (Housing)	$70,915
HOME Homebuyer Incentive Program	City of Troy (Housing)	$100,000
HOME Homebuyer Incentive Program (South Troy)		$200,000
Making Homeownership A Reality	THDC-THA	$350,027
THDC CHDO Operating Expenses	THDC-THA	$35,000

The city filed a federal lawsuit in U.S. District Court against the River Triangle Company on Nov. 24 demanding a judgment which would direct the company to comply with a "full and just independent accounting of all moneys received and disbursed" by the company over the last 20 years in relation to their ownership of the Dauchy and River Triangle buildings on River Street.

The lawsuit also called for the company to pay whatever sums appear to be owed to the city after the financial audit is completed.
Sections of the court document also noted that the company could owe up to $8.4 million to the city from a Urban Action Development Grant, a Section 108 loan from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and additional mortgage fees.

The document also specifically alleged that the RTC had not used its best efforts to lease space in the available buildings and denied leases for potential tenants in light of the fact that the city had agreed to pay loan payments to HUD if the company's cash flow was lower than their semi-annual payment amounts.

To date, the city has paid roughly $5 million for the majority of the RTC's payments through federal Community Development Block Grant funds.

Mark Simmons, a principal partner of the RTC, declined to comment on the matter because he said that had not yet seen the lawsuit and had no knowledge of its contents.