WHEELING — The city of Wheeling is set to distribute federal Community Development Block Grant money for the current fiscal year to several local public service agencies.

This week, Wheeling City Council heard a first reading on a total of nine different ordinances related to CDBG distributions for entitlement year 2025. Council is expected to hear second readings and vote to approve the ordinances at its next meeting later this month on Oct. 21.

Nancy Prager, director of Wheeling’s Economic and Community Development Department, indicated that this pending distribution is among the first in this round of CDBG funding for the current fiscal year of 2025-26. This federal funding, aimed primarily at providing financial assistance for low- to moderate-income areas, is allocated to municipalities from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

“We just got the agreement back from HUD,” Prager said of the city’s 2025-26 allocation. “Each year, the city receives about $1 million in CDBG funding.”

The money is distributed throughout the year to help fund several municipal projects and to assist local agencies.

Prager noted that for the annual distributions to public services, the local agencies submit requests for CDBG funding from the city back in the spring. This fiscal year, nearly $120,000 will be distributed to a total of nine local agencies that serve the community.

Legislation is set to provide $10,000 to the Soup Kitchen of Greater Wheeling for food, $4,600 to the Seeing Hand Association for workshop supplies, $10,000 to the House of the Carpenter for materials and supplies for youth reading programs, $14,700 with the Greater Wheeling Homeless Coalition to provide utilities for its transitional living facility and for program supplies, $20,000 to Family Services of the Upper Ohio Valley for food and food containers, $10,000 for Catholic Charities for food and supplies.

Russell Nesbitt Services Inc. wouldl get $25,000 for replacement of tubs with walk-in showers in various group homes, $5,000 to YWCA for scholarship programs and $25,000 to Wheeling Health Right for pharmaceuticals, dental supplies and medical supplies.

Prager noted that other CDBG monies for this fiscal year will be going to a number of different projects in the city, including roof replacement projects at the Wheeling Island and 36th Street municipal swimming pool facilities, restroom improvements at the upper market house at Centre Market and other eligible projects.

“Those projects will be going out to bid sometime later during this fiscal year,” she said.

In other action this week, Wheeling City Council unanimously approved a resolution to enter into a lease agreement with SWN Production Company LLC for a portion of municipally owned real property pertaining specifically to mineral rights. A public hearing regarding the proposed lease was held prior to this week’s meeting of Wheeling City Council, but no one came forward to speak on the matter.

The lease involves various parcels of property throughout the city equating to approximately 45.5794 net mineral acres. The agreement will allow SWN Production Company to develop oil, gas and other minerals through the lease, which excludes surface rights.