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PUBLIC HEARING REGARDING AMENDMENTS AS SPECIFIED IN THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT (CDBG) 2007; 2008; 2010; 2011; 2012; 2013; 2014; AND 2015 ACTION PLANS TO BE SUBMITTED TO THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT DESIGNATING THE USE OF $225,395 RELINQUISHED BY FOOD AND SHELTER, INC., TO ALLOW FOR INCLUSION OF TWO NEIGHBORHOOD PROJECTS.
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BACKGROUND: On June 14, 2015, City Council approved Contract K-1516-127 with Food and Shelter, Inc. in the amount of $225,394. These Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds were to be used to assist with the construction costs associated with the administrative offices/day shelter being constructed at 201 South Reed. On July 19, 2016 April Heiple, Executive Director of Food and Shelter, Inc. notified the City of Norman that during the Food and Shelter Board of Director’s meeting on July 18, 2016, the board voted to relinquish the funding that was awarded due to the increased costs that would be incurred by complying with the federal regulations that were associated with use of the CDBG funds. That correspondence is attached.
In addition to other Federal Regulations, the CDBG Program is required to follow an established Citizen Participation Plan. This Plan provides procedures for how recommendations to HUD are made by the City Council for the use of CDBG and HOME funds. The City of Norman Citizen Participation Plan requires that if there is a designated project on an approved Action Plan that is being cancelled, or if a new project that has not been previously approved is being added, a formal amendment must be requested by the Norman City Council to HUD. Action Plans were previously approved for the program years 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015 and have funds remaining that are proposed to be reprogrammed for two neighborhood project activities. A listing of accounts is an attachment to this item. The previous Action Plans pertaining to these program years did not have these activities approved; therefore, an Amendment is required for programming.
DISCUSSION: As outlined in the Citizen Participation Plan, each year a fifteen person Community Development Block Grant Policy Committee is established by nomination and election of citizens that represent the low and moderate income neighborhoods in Norman, the non-profit agencies that serve the disadvantaged as well as at-large members from the community. It is this group that is charged with the development of the Action Plan that is ultimately submitted to the Norman City Council for consideration and then submitted to HUD for approval. Beginning with a meeting in August 2016, this Policy Committee began investigating how these returned funds could be best utilized. Over the course of eight meetings, potential uses of these funds were included with the discussions pertaining to the development of the FY2017-2018 Action Plan.
On April 5, 2017 the CDBG Policy Committee unanimously approved these proposed Amendments. The two projects included in the amendments are horizontal saw cut sidewalk cutting to bring existing sidewalks into ADA compliance where uneven and park improvements to Cate Park.
There were two specific locations selected for the horizontal saw cutting projects estimated at $75,000 each in the following locations:
Old Silk Stocking, Original Townsite, Miller, and First Courthouse Neighborhoods.
Generally bordered on the north by Robinson, east border is 12th Ave SE, south border is Boyd Street, and west border is the ATSF Railroad. Each of these neighborhoods is included in the designated CDBG Target Area which is 55.24% low and moderate income.
Colonial Estates Neighborhood.
Bordered on the north by Alameda, east border is 24th Ave SE, south border is Lindsey Street, and the west border is 12th Ave SE. Although this neighborhood is not included in the designated CDBG Target neighborhood, the location includes five block groups that is 67.8% low and moderate income and has a disproportionate percentage of minorities and ethnic groups compared to the remainder of the city. It is this location that HUD required us to do specific outreach to regarding our Housing Rehabilitation programs as part of our Fair Housing efforts. The neighborhood primarily was developed in the late 1960’s and 1970’s and the majority of the streets have sidewalks that have conditions that would benefit from this program.
The Park Improvement Project will consist of the expansion of the walking trail in Cate Park which will include several exercise stations. $75,000
Execution of these proposed projects will be 100% funded by the CDBG program and coordinated with the Public Works Department and the Parks and Recreation Department. See Attachment B for detail on general ledger accounts and balances.
RECOMMENDATION: Approval of the Amendments to the 2007; 2008; 2010; 2011; 2012; 2013; 2014; and 2015 Action Plans of the Community Development Block Grant Program as proposed.