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HomeMy WebLinkAbout02-23-2011 CDBG MinutesCDBG Minutes February 23, 2011 Page 1 of 10 CITY OF ORANGE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT PROGRAM COMMITTEE MINUTES WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2011 6:30 P.M. Economic Development Conference Room MEMBERS PRESENT Mary-Ellen Manning Eva Perez Fernando Rico Gina Scott Robert Tunstall MEMBERS ABSENT Alternate Darren Smith STAFF PRESENT Mary Ellen Laster Aaron Schulze I.CALL TO ORDER The meeting was called to order at 6:41 P.M. II.APPROVAL OF MINUTES – FEBRUARY 9, 2011 Committee Member Gina Scott moved, seconded by Committee Member Robert Tunstall, to approve the February 9, 2011, Minutes as presented. Motion carried, 5-0. Mary Ellen Laster highlighted the revised schedule, noting that the next CDBG meeting will be on Wednesday, March 16, 2011. III.FUNDING PRESENTATIONS BY CITY DEPARTMENTS AGENCY:COMMUNITY SERVICES DEPARTMENT PROJECT:El Camino Real Park, Prospect/Grijalva Park, and Killefer Park After-School Community Programs Request funding to supplement salaries of part-time staff. Amount Requested:$ 43,170 Total Project Cost:$172,718 Acting Recreation Services Coordinator Nichole Valdez distributed to the Committee members and staff the personalized artwork the students had made and also distributed a photographed bulletin highlighting some of CDBG Minutes February 23, 2011 Page 2 of 10 the recreation and club activities at the parks. She advised that these after school programs serve approximately 450 low-income participants at three sites in Orange -- El Camino Real Park, Prospect/Grijalva Park, and Killefer Park; stated that on a daily basis, the kids participate in various activities on a group rotational basis at any given time, such as attending the art, reading, or craft classes, which may either be guided by the recreation staff or a specialist. She noted that the children may also attend a nutrition class which utilizes a free website to teach nutrition with fun trivia games and coloring pictures; and advised that the reading classes utilize books that have been donated by various organizations, such as the Orange library system. She added that the children may also participate in various sports clubs, such as seasonal flag football, basketball, and soccer, noting that the kids are taught the fundamentals of these sports; and mentioned that they also celebrate various seasonal events throughout the year. Acting Recreation Services Coordinator Valdez stated that with the help from the Friendly Center, they offer a free tutoring program to all participants; that the tutoring program takes place Mondays through Thursdays of every week at all three sites; and that the kids are also given free snacks, such as vegetables, fruits, and dairy products. Acting Recreation Services Coordinator Valdez noted for Member Mary- Ellen Manning that the tutors from the Friendly Center offer a 1-to-4 ratio at each park site, noting the tutors are students at Chapman University. Chairman Fernando Rico asked how many staff members the CDBG funds. Acting Recreation Services Coordinator Valdez noted for Chairman Rico that it covers a total of 23 staff members, with Killefer Park having the largest number of staff paid by these funds, noting that Killefer has nine staff members; that Grijalva has eight staff members; and that El Camino has six staff members. Member Eva Perez asked if these services are primarily offered to those attending the nearby schools. Acting Recreation Services Coordinator Valdez indicated yes, but added that they will also accept students from other locations. Member Perez asked how anyone applies for these services. Acting Recreation Services Coordinator Valdez stated that the families can either visit, call the parks directly or apply online; and pointed out that the families must provide their own transportation to and from the parks. Recreation Services Supervisor Ryan Wright noted that each applicant must fill out forms to be accepted into the program. CDBG Minutes February 23, 2011 Page 3 of 10 Member Perez asked if there is a waiting list. Acting Recreation Services Coordinator Valdez stated there currently is no waiting list and that they are able to enroll anyone who applies at this time. Chairman Rico asked what the difference is in attendance from last year to this year. Acting Recreation Services Coordinator Valdez stated it is approximately the same; noted they are currently serving 405 students and that last year they were serving 475 students at this time; and noted that at the last quarter, there were 600 participants. She pointed out that the last quarter is their busiest season. Member Manning asked if there are any fees. Acting Recreation Services Coordinator Valdez stated these services are completely free to the participants. She noted that the number of participants typically declines when it gets dark earlier and in the winter; and stated that when spring arrives and it stays lighter in the evening, the numbers typically increase. Recreation Services Supervisor Wright stated that the beginning of fall and spring are their busiest times and noted that the school recess schedule impacts their numbers. AGENCY:POLICE DEPARTMENT PROJECT:Bike Patrol Program Request funds for salaries and benefits of the Orange Police Department Bike Team. Amount Requested:$120,000 Total Project Cost:$491,579 Corporal Brian Stanley thanked the Committee for this year’s support, noting it has been a successful year; stated that there were 462 arrests by the four-member bike team, 379 of those misdemeanors and 83 felonies; and that there were 276 field identification (FI) cards completed, noting these are a two-sided form they fill out on all police contacts that might be involved in criminal activity. He added that these FI cards go into the police database for tracking purposes. He advised that there were 116 transient camp abatements; explained that they try to find alternate housing for those transients who want it; that if they refuse, they get cited for setting up camp; and that if they refuse to leave, they are arrested. He explained that the camp abatements help to reduce blight. Code Enforcement Officer Michelle Echeverria explained that while it is not against the law to be homeless, they find that as the homeless travel CDBG Minutes February 23, 2011 Page 4 of 10 between their camps and where they are getting food. Some of the homeless have broken into vehicles and homes. Corporal Stanley added that some of the homeless population encountered by the police are criminals, some in the drug trade; and noted that a few they arrested this year at campsites were dealing methamphetamine and that they are still in prison for those crimes. Corporal Stanley advised that the bike team put 6,448 miles on their bikes this year. He pointed out there are some advantages to patrolling on bicycles, such as having high visibility during the daylight hours; that they are quick and quiet at night and are able to more easily observe and react to criminal activity; and that they have easier mobility in high- density areas that patrol cars cannot access. He added that the bike team is more easily able to do night surveillance than those in patrol cars. He mentioned that the bike team’s police patches are non-reflective. Corporal Stanley stated that the goals for next year are to focus on reducing the crime in high crime areas, which also helps to reduce the blight in these areas; and he noted that because of this year’s successful program, next year’s goals are similar. He advised that one thing has changed from this year’s goals, which is to focus more on a long-term, department wide crime reduction operation where the bike team utilizes the assistance of other units to target criminal activity in the CDBG areas and less on code enforcement inspections. Code Enforcement Officer Echeverria added that the four-member bike team members coordinate with the other departments in reducing crime; stated that the crime reduction operations tend to last anywhere from three to four months; and noted that the goal is to saturate these high crime areas with these various police units to identify the problems, reduce the number of victims, and prevent crime before it occurs. She advised that the bike team and another team take the lead in patrolling these areas. Corporal Stanley stated that the last two operations had 15 officers involved, a big operation for the bike team in the CDBG areas. Member Perez asked if the police are noticing more graffiti in Orange. Corporal Stanley responded affirmatively. Code Enforcement Officer Echeverria stated that the increase in graffiti is mostly due to competing gangs in various parts of town, noting they are becoming more active. She advised that the bike team works in conjunction with the graffiti removal crew, noting that their office has to notify the property owners to get the graffiti removed. She mentioned that they also perform graffiti stings. CDBG Minutes February 23, 2011 Page 5 of 10 Corporal Stanley advised that six graffiti stakeouts have taken place this year in areas that keep getting tagged; noted that once they get the business owners to remove the graffiti, a stakeout will take place for approximately a week; advised that they have only arrested a few people for graffiti but noted that other criminal occurred in the areas of the stakeouts. He explained that it is difficult to guess when the tagging will be taking place. He pointed out that some of the graffiti is being done by gangs and some of it is being done by tagging crews. He noted that the sole purpose of the tagging crews is to tag as much of the City as they can, noting that some of those tagging crews have been identified; and stated that unless they are caught in the act, it is difficult to stop these tagging crews. Code Enforcement Officer Echeverria stated that this year’s goals did not address graffiti because at the time of drafting the goals, graffiti was not on the rise in this City. Corporal Stanley stated that the bike team works closely with the gang unit because they are more easily able to sneak up on the taggers. He noted that the gang unit does have a dedicated detective to address graffiti and stated this is also a reason graffiti was not indicated in the bike team’s goals for this year, but stated they do help them on many occasions. Code Enforcement Officer Echeverria noted for Member Perez that “OCC” stands for Orange County Criminals and stated that “MASK” is also another tagging crew. Corporal Stanley mentioned that some of the tagging groups are connected to gangs. Police Department Administrative Analyst Darlene Chandler pointed out that when the taggers are arrested, the police department does get restitution through the court system. Ms. Laster inquired about the reduction in the number of bike team members from six to four. Police Department Administrative Specialist Chandler noted that two of the bike team members were placed back into patrol because of a staff shortage. Member Scott asked what issue the bike team mostly deals with. Corporal Stanley stated it is mostly drugs, prostitution, gang activity, warrants, and parolee activity. He added that the bike team rolls up on all kinds of crimes in progress because of the pure nature of their quiet and unassuming appearance. CDBG Minutes February 23, 2011 Page 6 of 10 Code Enforcement Officer Echeverria stated that the Street Terrorism Enforcement Program (STEP) cards and FI cards help the officers maintain a mental database on all they come in contact with while in the field and that they are able to refer to this information when they are following up on warrants and tickets, etc. Chairman Rico stated he has signed up for the iWatch Program, noting he has been getting regular emails; and he inquired whether there is much community interest in the CDBG areas for community watch groups. Corporal Stanley stated that the interest is lower in the CDBG areas. Code Enforcement Officer Echeverria surmised it might be a matter of getting the word out in the CDBG areas about the iWatch Program; and stated that the information might be helpful if obtained through the schools or other community awareness programs. She added that the Neighborhood Watch meetings are a good opportunity to promote the fairly new iWatch Program, which includes news, information and alerts from the police department. Corporal Stanley stated that the police department has attempted to get more CDBG area residents involved, but stated he doesn’t see much of it; and mentioned that the residents have been told the police department will help them organize their Neighborhood Watch teams. Member Perez suggested they advertise at the Community Centers where some of those parents are involved with their kids. Member Manning stated that she has distributed iWatch Program sign-up sheets to various locations, such as all post offices, car dealerships, car washes, and Starbucks. Code Enforcement Officer Echeverria stated that she and the bike team work closely with crime prevention; and noted that they do attend some Neighborhood Watch meetings, especially when they are addressing neighborhood issues. She pointed out that Neighborhood Watch is a great way to get to know your neighbors and help make the neighborhoods safer. In response to a question from Member Manning, Ms. Laster stated that elimination of the CDBG Program is not being proposed, but that funding for the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) Program would be cut substantially. (The City does not receive CSBG funds.) She noted that the current federal budget proposal includes a 7.5 percent decrease in CDBG funding, noting that the FY 2011-12 CDBG grant for Orange would be approximately $3.5 million if the reduction were implemented. She added that the Committee will use the estimated CDBG grant amount when making its funding recommendations for FY 2011-12. She noted that no decrease was proposed for the HOME Investment Partnerships CDBG Minutes February 23, 2011 Page 7 of 10 Act Program funding. (A later proposal, which was not discussed at the meeting, calls for a reduction of 8.4 percent.) AGENCY:PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT/ENGINEERING PROJECT:Tularosa Avenue Neighborhood Alley Request funds for general removal of localized, badly damaged asphalt concrete pavement and replacing it with new pavement. Pavement areas that can be salvaged will be cold planed and overlayed with a new 2-inch thick asphalt concrete cap. Direct construction costs, $261,000; Engineering and Administration, $39,000. Amount Requested:$300,000 Total Project Cost:$300,000 PROJECT:Highland Street Neighborhood Alley Request funds for general removal of localized, badly damaged asphalt concrete pavement and replacing it with new pavement. Pavement areas that can be salvaged will be cold planed and overlayed with a new 2-inch thick asphalt concrete cap. Direct construction costs, $191,400; Engineering and Administration, $28,600. Amount Requested:$220,000 Total Project Cost:$220,000 PROJECT:Compton Avenue Neighborhood Street Overlay from Lewis Street to Manchester Avenue Request funds for general removal of localized, badly damaged asphalt concrete pavement and replacing it with new pavement. The rest of the roadway will be cold planed and overlayed with a new 2-inch thick asphalt concrete cap. Direct construction costs, $187,050; Engineering and Administration, $27,950. Amount Requested:$215,000 Total Project Cost:$215,000 CDBG Minutes February 23, 2011 Page 8 of 10 PROJECT:Hewes Street Alley Reconstruction Request funds for the general removal of badly damaged asphalt concrete pavement and replacing it with new pavement. Direct construction costs, $15,660; Engineering and Administration, $2,340. Amount Requested:$18,000 Total Project Cost:$18,000 PROJECT:ADA Access Ramps at Various Locations Request funds to construct sidewalk access ramps at various locations throughout the City. The construction of the ramps will be in compliance with the federal Americans with Disabilities Act Accessibility Guidelines (ADAAG). Direct construction costs, $170,000; Engineering and Administration, $30,000. Amount Requested:$200,000 Total Project Cost:$200,000 Principal Engineer Farhat thanked the Committee for its past support; and he thanked staff for their hard work and keen knowledge of the CDBG program. He provided photographs of the proposed project areas; explained that what is unique with the FY 2011-12 CDBG funding projects is there are several alleyways; and explained that while alleyways do not carry a lot of traffic, the work on these alleyways has been deferred for such a long time that they are now in dire need of repair and rehabilitation. He pointed out in the photographs those areas where the pavement is coming off in pieces because the binding material no longer exists, noting these areas require a constant maintenance crew to patch these areas. He stated that it is time to fix these alleyways and not put them off any longer. He advised that the only roadway project being proposed is the Compton Avenue project, noting the rest are alleyways; and advised that they will also be improving 20 ADA ramp sites mainly in the Old Towne area. He explained that these ramps will be challenging because there are trees or power poles that will need to be removed and/or relocated, and noted these are barriers that prevent people in wheelchairs from gaining access. Chairman Rico asked if these corners already have ramps. Principal Engineer Farhat stated that some of those corners have no ramps and some have non-standard ramps that are unsafe and need to be fixed. Chairman Rico asked how the ramps are put in place when there are trees or power poles in the way. CDBG Minutes February 23, 2011 Page 9 of 10 Principal Engineer Farhat stated that the City will ask Southern California Edison to relocate those poles; and added that because it can take up to 12 months to remove a power pole, they try to start on these areas as quickly as possible. Chairman Rico asked if all the proposed alleyways are in the same shape. Principal Engineer Farhat stated that all of the proposed alleyways are in similar disrepair and stated that given this disrepair, the City has no option but to spend some money on them. Chairman Rico asked how the drainage is affected when these alleyways break down. Principal Engineer Farhat stated there is typically a longitudinal gutter in the middle of these alleyways that helps to get rid of the rain water, but noted that once those areas are broken up, ponding of stagnant water can become a problem after it rains. Member Scott stated that even though the alleyways do not get as much traffic as roadways/streets, they still pose an unsafe condition for people who use these alleyways. Member Scott asked how the alleyway projects are coordinated. Principal Engineer Farhat stated that a lot of people have access to their garages through these alleyways; advised that the City will give the residents plenty of notice before the project commences; and added that while they will coordinate their efforts, the residents will be inconvenienced for a short period of time. Member Manning mentioned that she has seen a lot of unregistered cars in these alleyways. Chairman Rico asked what is done if residents do not move their cars in time for the work to be done. Principal Engineer Farhat stated that the residents are advised that they will need to park their cars in the garages or on the streets, noting that access will be restricted for approximately one day; and noted that sometimes they are able to work on one end of an alley or on one direction of an alley so as to minimize the impacts to the residents. Ms. Laster asked Principal Engineer Farhat if he brought proof of public ownership of these alleyways for the Committee to review. Principal Engineer Farhat stated that that information can be found on the geographical information system and confirmed that all these public alleyways have deeds and dedications. CDBG Minutes February 23, 2011 Page 10 of 10 Ms. Laster asked that Principal Engineer Farhat submit the public ownership information for the Committee’s review. Ms. Laster noted that the next CDBG meeting is March 16th; reiterated that the Committee will assume a 7.5-percent decrease in CDBG funding; and stated that Aaron Schulze will provide an updated report card for the nonprofit agencies at the next meeting. Mr. Schulze advised that Olive Crest submitted its FY 2010-11 Subrecipient Agreement. VI. PUBLIC COMMENT None. VII. ADJOURNMENT At 7:30 P.M. the meeting was formally adjourned.