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01-25-2017 CDBG MinutesCDBG Minutes January 25, 2017 Page 1 of 4 CITY OF ORANGE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT PROGRAM COMMITTEE MINUTES WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 25, 2017 6:30 P.M. Weimer Room, Orange City Hall MEMBERS PRESENT MEMBERS ABSENT STAFF PRESENT Megan Penn Mary-Ellen Manning Mary Ellen Laster Eva Perez Fernando Rico Janice Mickelson-Weilmuenster David Gillanders (Alternate) I.CALL TO ORDER The meeting was called to order at 6:36 P.M. II.ELECTION OF CHAIRPERSON Alternate Committee Member Gillanders nominated Megan Penn to serve as Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Committee Chair. Committee Member Rico seconded the motion. Without objection, Megan Penn was selected as the Community Development Block Grant Committee Chair for 2017. Motion carried, 5-0 (absent Committee Member Manning). Committee Member Rico nominated Janice Mickelson-Weilmuenster to serve as Community Development Block Grant Committee Vice-Chair. Alternate Committee Member Gillanders seconded the motion. Without objection, Janice Mickelson-Weilmuenster was selected as the Community Development Block Grant Committee Vice-Chair for 2017. Motion carried, 5-0 (absent Committee Member Manning). CDBG Minutes January 25, 2017 Page 2 of 4 III.APPROVAL OF MINUTES – MARCH 2, 2016 Committee Member Rico moved, seconded by Alternate Committee Member Gillanders, to approve the March 2, 2016, Minutes as presented. Motion carried, 5-0 (absent Committee Member Manning) IV. REVIEW OF FY 2016-2017 CDBG ACTIVITIES Ms. Laster handed out the current 2016-2017 CDBG list of allocations, highlighting the recipients and the projects undertaken and those soon to be undertaken by Public Works; advised that the Public Works projects tend to run about a year to a year and a half behind, noting some of the projects take longer to design; and added that the weather has delayed some of the Public Works projects. She noted that Public Works will start the bid process in February for the wheelchair ramps. Chair Penn asked if the After-School Community Program is contracted out to The Friendly Center. Ms. Laster indicated it is; advised that the Department is still applying as a City project, but that the program is being carried out by The Friendly Center; and she mentioned that in order to reduce the cost of this program, City Council directed it be outsourced a couple of years ago. She added that it has been successfully carried out. Committee Member Mickelson-Weilmuenster asked if the senior center ceiling project had been completed. Ms. Laster stated that it has not yet been done, but stated that it will need to be completed in the current fiscal year; and advised that a project walk-through is scheduled for 10:00 a.m. on February 1st. Committee Member Rico stated that he’d like to participate in that walk- through. V.REVIEW OF FY 2017-18 CDBG FUNDING REQUESTS Ms. Laster highlighted this year’s program applicants; and stated that if nonprofit agencies have facilities that need improvements, she encourages those agencies to apply for that funding under the Public Facilities/Improvements/Rehabilitation category because there is no cap and it is a lot easier to compete for funding under that category. She highlighted the limited number of nonprofits which have applied this year for CDBG funding; and stated that all the nonprofits can make their presentations at the February 1st meeting; that the Committee will not need to meet on February 8th, therefore cancelling that meeting; that the City Departments will present their requests at the February 15th meeting; that the February 22nd meeting will be available if there is a CDBG Minutes January 25, 2017 Page 3 of 4 need to add a meeting; that the CDBG Committee will make its recommendations on March 8th; and that those recommendations will be presented to City Council on April 11th. She advised that she will email a revised meeting schedule to the Committee members. Ms. Laster stated that she hopes to know by the March 8th meeting how much money the City will be receiving. Alternate Committee Member Gillanders expressed his belief that the list of applicant agencies this year is because of too little funding for the large amount of paperwork and time needed to accept CDBG funding. He stated that a lot of time and effort goes into applying and reporting and that the agencies typically go after larger pots of money to make it worth the effort and time; and he added that CDBG requires a lot of reporting. He advised that most agencies lost a large amount of HUD funding. Ms. Laster supported Alternate Committee Member Gillanders comment that a lot of agencies aren’t willing to put in the effort for limited funding that requires heavy documentation reporting. She stated that new agencies were added to her long list of potential CDBG applicants; but noted that these agencies are just not following through with the application process; added that some agencies don’t have a way to certify the incomes of their clients, which is a HUD requirement; and she stated that the required documentation is a labor-intensive task that a lot of agencies are not willing to undertake. She noted that she has come across some challenges with agencies’ reporting, advising that this is being addressed and corrected; and stated that the agencies are aware of their obligation to make sure their documentation is complete and correct. Ms. Laster mentioned that a large goal of HUD is to eliminate homelessness by funding more permanent housing applications. Ms. Laster briefly reviewed this year’s funding applications; and she noted that the Committee Members have been invited to visit the Riley house to see the improvements that were done with last year’s CDBG funding. She mentioned that if an agency is not able to verify the household income, then those client numbers are not to be included in the final recipient count for HUD/CDBG. Committee Member Rico commended Ms. Laster for the work she is doing with this program, pointing out that this program used to be run with at least three City employees. Ms. Laster stated that she will provide at the next meeting a copy of the ratings sheet and the 4-Year Funding History. VI. PUBLIC COMMENT None. CDBG Minutes January 25, 2017 Page 4 of 4 VII. ADJOURNMENT At 7:36 P.M. the meeting was formally adjourned.