Century loses about $13 million in grant funds

In an effort to be transparent, Century Mayor Luis Gomez explained at its council meeting last Wednesday to a full audience that the town will not be able to rebuild the Carver Community Center or repair or rebuild any of the three bridges in Century because the almost $13 million in grants that were given to the town to complete those projects have been taken away.

An amendment was presented and approved at the meeting that will convert the grant to a planning grant, extend it to Sept. 30, 2025, remove a construction line item and reduce the budget from $3,255,000 to $514,650, enough to pay the architect, grant administrator and engineers for the design phase of the project.

These grants were granted through the Community Development Block Grant CARES Act (referred to as CDBG-CV) program, which provides grants to states and local governments to prevent, prepare for, and respond to the spread of COVID-19.

One grant was for about $13 million to repurpose the old Century High School gym that belongs to Pensacola State College (PSC) to be utilized as a hurricane shelter for the town, after PSC deeded the property to the town and repair or rebuild three bridges in the town. The second was a $3,255,000 grant to demolish and rebuild Carver Community Center and for upgrades on the Community Center on Highway 4.

Gomez said that he found out from Grant Administrator Robin Phillips that the grants had been taken away about two months ago in Pensacola 'due to Century's financial woes' according to Florida Department of Commerce. Gomez said he has been working writing letters and trying to find a way to reinstate the grants ever since he found out to see if he could get the money back. He said they based the decision on the town's past couple of annual audits.

"They took that grant for $13 million," said Gomez. "It was to include the Century gym, the bridge on Alger Road, the bridge on Jefferson Avenue and the bridge on Freedom Road."

Gomez said that the Florida Department of Commerce controls the town's grants, including the CDBG CV grants, and that the $10,500,000 for the old Century High School gym and bridge projects were given to the county, claiming Century was not able to spend the money correctly or finish the project.

"I got my answer on August 16," said Gomez. "They said you're not getting it, we're not giving it to the county to administer, it's just gone."

Gomez said there is a modification on the council table that, if approved by the council and signed by him, will pay the architect, the grant administrator and the engineer. If Gomez does not sign the document, the town is responsible for paying the half million dollars. This leaves the town with an approved design for a new building but no way to pay for it.

"Three years from now when people are saying this council and I misappropriated these dollars, Florida Commerce is pulling the strings, and the county," said Gomez. "They're doing paperwork now to get PSC to deed the property to the county, since they are going to be doing the work. I don't want people accusing this council and me of doing something that we had nothing to do with."

He said there was a deadline on the CDBG CV grant for the community center and they said the town would not be able to complete that project back that deadline, so they took the money and gave it to another municipality that can finish in time.

Phillips said she was told the construction money was pulled because the project could not be completed on time.

"We had a couple of meetings with state officials and we made it very clear that we could finish the project on time," said Phillips. "They refused to listen to my arguments. I don't know what else to tell you. I'm very aggravated that this got taken away as well. I'm just as frustrated as you are. I don't know why they took the grant, I was told it was above the heads of those I have communicated with."

Phillips said she has never had a grant pulled in the 25 years she has been a grant administrator and writer, and she's had three pulled from Century in the last six months.

Phillips said she has three other communities that have projects very much like Century's and their timelines are very much like Century's, so she doesn't know why Century seems to be singled out.

There was discussion that the town of Jay has received the same grant that got taken away from Century and the construction is underway on their community center upgrades, a project Phillips is involved in.

There was more discussion about why the grants were taken away and who was responsible for making the decision, although Phillips said she had no success in finding out. She said she is puzzled and does not know who ultimately made the decision.

"Somebody made this decision so we need to find out who that person was," said Councilman Henry Cunningham. "What they did to Century was wrong. We need to find that information out. Somebody knows what happened and we need to know who that person was. For some reason, they don't want Century to have the money."

Councilwoman Sandra McMurray Jackson made a motion to allow the mayor to sign the amendment that will allow the architect, the grant administrator and the engineer to get paid. Councilwoman Alicia Johnson seconded the motion. The motion carried unanimously.

In other business, the council unanimously approved tabling three ordinances until a public hearing can be held at the Sept. 17 meeting that will impact the town's charter, reflected in verbiage that will be included on the election ballot in the Nov. 5 election.

Councilwoman Johnson made a motion which was seconded by Councilman Cunningham. The motion carried.

The next meeting will be at 7 p.m., Tuesday, Sept. 3, at Century Town Hall. The public is invited.