MANATEE COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF GOVERNMENT RELATIONS COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT DISASTER RECOVERY (CDBG-DR) NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING FOR DRAFT SUBSTANTIAL AMENDMENT TO THE CDBG-DR ACTION PLAN Anyone who requires a reasonable accommodation, such as an auxiliary aid or service for effective communication, to participate in the County’s programs, services, or activities should contact Carmine DeMilio, ADA Compliance Coordinator, at (941) 748-4501, ext. 6016 or carmine.demilio@mymanatee.org, at least 3 business days prior to any applicable scheduled meeting. If you are deaf/ hard of hearing and require the services of an interpreter, please contact the Florida Relay Service at 711. ACTION AND PUBLIC HEARINGS Notice is hereby given that Manatee County (the County) is presently seeking public comment on its Draft Substantial Amendment to the Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) Action Plan (the Plan). The Plan describes the methods the County will use to distribute funds it expects to receive from HUD for recovery efforts in Manatee County as a result of Hurricanes Debby, Helene, and Milton. The draft substantial amendment updates the Home Recovery Program to include homeowner reimbursement as described on page 81 of the Plan. Manatee County will hold two public hearings as follows: Public Hearing 1 LOCATION: Palmetto Branch Library 923 6th Street West Palmetto, FL 34221 DATE: Thursday,August 20,2026 TIME: 6:00 p.m. A public hearing to collect public comments and engage residents and stakeholders of Manatee County will be held on August 20, 2026, beginning at 6:00 p.m. at Palmetto Branch Library, located at 923 6th Street West, Palmetto, FL 34221. This meeting location is physically accessible to individuals with disabilities. Public Hearing 2 LOCATION: South Manatee Branch Library 6081 26th Street West Bradenton, FL 34207 DATE: Wednesday, August 26, 2026 TIME: 6:00 p.m. A public hearing to collect public comment and engage residents and stakeholders of Manatee County will be held on Wednesday, August 26, 2026, beginning at 6:00 p.m. at South Manatee Branch Library, located at 6081 26th Street West, Bradenton, FL 34207. This meeting location is physically accessible to individuals with disabilities. PURPOSE Manatee County has prepared a Draft Substantial Amendment to the Lasting Manatee CDBG-DR Action Plan. This amendment proposes updates to the Home Recovery Program, specifically expanding eligible recovery activities to include homeowner reimbursement. These changes are intended to better support residents in addressing eligible disaster-related housing needs resulting from the 2024 Hurricanes Debby, Helene, and Milton. The County’s CDBG-DR efforts remain branded under the “Lasting Manatee” initiative. The purpose of the public hearing is to afford members of the general public an opportunity to provide comment on the Draft Substantial Amendment to the Lasting Manatee CDBG-DR Action Plan. The Draft Substantial Amendment may be reviewed online at: www.lastingmanatee.org. A hard copy of the Plan and drafted amendment may be viewed at any Manatee County Library location, except the children’s Little Discovery Center location, on or after Monday, August 10, 2026. Library locations can be found online by visiting the Manatee County website at www.mymanatee.org/connect/locations/library-locations, or by contacting the Manatee County 311 Information Service at the telephone number (941) 748-4501 or the email address 311@mymanatee.org. COMMENT PERIOD Now that the Draft Substantial Amendment to the CDBG-DR Action Plan was published on July 31, 2026, there will be a 30-day comment period to provide residents and stakeholders an opportunity to submit feedback on the proposed updates to the Plan. Comments concerning the Draft Substantial Amendment can be submitted as follows: • In person at the public hearings detailed above • Via email at: info@lastingmanatee.org • Online at: www.lastingmanatee.org • Via telephone at: (941) 742-4787 • Via mail at: Manatee County, Government Relations Attn: Lasting Manatee 1112 Manatee Avenue West Bradenton, FL 34205 Comments will be accepted until Saturday, August 29, 2026. SUMMARY Lasting Manatee (CDBG-DR) is committed to ensuring all stakeholders, especially low-and moderate-income persons and those from the most impacted communities have meaningful access to and engagement with recovery efforts and opportunities. In accordance with the County’s Citizen Participation Plan and the requirements of applicable Federal Register Notices, members of the community are encouraged to participate and share feedback on the Draft Substantial Amendment. All comments received during the comment period will be considered and incorporated as appropriate into the final version of the amendment to the CDBG- DR Action Plan. NOTICE OF FRAUD The HUD Office of the Inspector General Hotline is (800) 347-3735 or (800) 877-8339 (TTY). This hotline provides callers with information on how to report fraud, waste, and abuse complaints. The Manatee County Confidential Fraud Hotline at (314) 615-7000 is another avenue for citizens, vendors and County employees to report suspected fraud or waste of public funds or resources for reporting issues involving Manatee County Government only. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION All program materials including this Public Notice and the Draft Action Plan can be found online at the Manatee County CDBG-DR website: www.lastingmanatee.org.