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HomeMy WebLinkAboutRecommended Changes to CDBG Citizen Participation PlanCITY OF PALM DESERT COMMUNITY SERVICES DEPARTMENT STAFF REPORT REQUEST: City Council approval of recommended changes to the City of Palm Desert's Community Development Block Grant Citizen Participation Plan. SUBMITTED BY: Frankie Riddle, Senior Management Analyst DATE: December 9, 2004 CONTENTS: 1. Staff Report 2. Citizen Participation Plan Recommendation: By Minute Motion, (1) approve recommended changes within the Citizen Participation Plan, (2) adopt amended Plan, and (3) open 30-day public comment period. Executive Summary: The recommended amendments within the Citizen's Participation Plan will allow staff to work more efficiently and timely with regard to implementing changes to Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) programs/projects, and it will allow staff to reprogram funds up to $25,000 (This could be one project or three or four small projects.) without having to place projects on hold until the 30-day pubic comment period and a public hearing before City Council. This will not impact larger projects or amounts over $25,000. Discussion: The City of Palm Desert is in its second year of being a Direct Entitlement City for Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Part of the City's responsibility as being a Direct Entitlement City is reprogramming funds and approving new programs and projects throughout the year as changes occur. The City recently reprogrammed funds from various subrecipients that were either unable to expend funds or only expended a portion of the funds leaving a remaining balance of unspent funds at the end of the program year. Funds not expended within City Council Staff Report December 9, 2004 the allowed time frame required reprogramming to other programs or projects. In order to reprogram these funds the City must follow the guidelines as established within the Citizen Participation Plan. Due to the recent need to reprogram funds, staff became aware of the need to modify the Plan in order for the CDBG Program to function more efficiently. The recommended changes within the Plan are bolded and underlined on page four and five of the Plan. Staff recommends that City Council approve the amendments to the Citizen's Participation Plan, adopt amended Plan, and open 30-day public comment period. Submitted By: Frankie Ri Senior Management Analyst Department Head: Robert P. Kohn Director of Special Programs 4 r: Sheila R. GillVan Assistant City Mana�, Community Services Approval: Carlos L. O a City Manager CITY OF PALM DESERT CITIZEN PARTICIPATION PLAIN CITIZEN PARTICIPATION PLAN: In May of 2003 the City of Palm Desert adopted the Citizen Participation Plan to provide for community input into the process of the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program. The City of Palm Desert encourages and solicits the participation of its residents and other local agencies/government in the process of identifying projects for funding by (CDBG) each year. In order to ensure maximum participation, the City has adopted this Plan consisting of the following: A. LOCAL GOVERNMENT CONSULTATION: An important element of the Consolidated Plan process is in consultation with adjacent local governmental agencies. The City of Palm Desert has in the past, and will in the future, coordinate consultations with other governmental agencies in order to have a better understanding of the needs of the community. During the planning process of the Consolidated Plan, it was determined, through this outreach effort, that the City's community needs are consistent and similar with other agencies and that these needs will be met through implementation of each jurisdiction's planning efforts. B. AMENDMENT PROCESS: The following amendment process will be followed if a substantial change to the Final Statement of Community Objectives and Proposed Use of Funds is proposed: "A public hearing, noticed ten (10) days in advance, will be held for public discussion regarding the substantial change. The proposed changes will be available for public review once the public hearing has been noticed. Staff will incorporate pubic input received orally or in writing into the Amendment to the Final Statement of the staff report. City Council will review public input and solicit public comments at its hearing and if Council approves, adopt the amended Final Statement. Three copies of the amended Final Statement with the date and a letter explaining the amendments signed by the City Manager will be sent to the City's HUD representatives." C. GRANTEE PERFORMANCE REPORT (GPR): The GPR is an annual summary report required by HUD, which documents quantifiable project progress including statistics on CDBG beneficiaries, funds expended and program income. HUD uses this report to evaluate the City's CDBG performance. The GPR will be made available for public review fifteen days prior to its submission to HUD. 2 D. PUBLIC HEARINGS: The City of Palm Desert uses public hearings to obtain citizen's views and to respond to proposals and questions at all stages of the program. A hearing is held on the preliminary statement of community objectives at which the City's housing and community development needs are reviewed, past policies and projects are discussed and projects to assist the City to meet its goals are discussed. A preliminary selection of objectives and programs is then made and published for public review and comment. All hearings are duly noticed. Agendas and staff reports are available in advance, and the meetings are held in the City Hall, which are fully accessible to the handicapped and equipped with a sound system to ensure that all members of the public can hear the proceedings. The City provides citizens with advance notice of all meetings related to the CDBG and makes copies of all related materials available for public review as soon as the notice is published. Notice of all public hearings will be published in the Desert Sun at least ten (10) days prior to the hearing date. Notices will also be posted in public places throughout the City, including City facilities, the Palm Desert Library, and county facilities located within the City. E. PLAN AVAILABILITY TO THE PUBLIC: The City encourages all citizens to participate in the decision making process but particularly those low and moderate -income residents of older neighborhoods at which the program is targeted. In order to reach as many residents and community groups as possible, a letter will be sent to community organizations and individuals who have expressed an interest, or participated in the program in recent years. In addition, a display advertisement will be published in the Desert Sun as soon as the amount of funding available for the next year is known. This should be at least a month prior to publication of the preliminary statement of community objectives. F. PUBLIC ACCESS TO RECORDS: Prior to adoption of the City's Consolidated Plan, and thereafter, the City will make available to any resident, public agency, and interested parties adequate information concerning the process and program availability. Information requested by persons interested in the Consolidated Plan will be adequately provided in a timely manner. Given the public nature of the Consolidated Plan, access to public records will be afforded in compliance with federal law. G. TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE: Community groups and particularly lower income groups frequently lack the time and knowledge necessary to develop a proposal for CDBG funding that satisfies statutory requirements. The City has designated one staff person to coordinate CDBG activities in the City, including answering questions and assisting individuals and local groups to participate in the program. This assistance will also be extended to the same groups with regard to implementation of the City's Consolidated Plan. H. PROCEDURES FOR COMPLAINTS: Once project have been funded and are underway, the City is committed to ensuring the satisfactory execution of each project. Staff is available to explain the program and discuss projects. Staff will provide a timely response to all written or verbal complaints, usually within fifteen working days. A file of citizen comments on the CDBG program will be kept, and the information summarized for review by the City Council when making program decisions for the next year. 1. DEFINITION OF SUBSTANTIAL CHANGE: Once adopted by City Council, the Final Statement of Community Objectives and Proposed Use of Funds becomes the Community Development Block Grant Program for the following fiscal year. This statement includes project descriptions and funding amounts. During the course of program preparation, changes in either project funding or project description may be initiated. HUD requires each CDBG grant recipient to develop and make public a definition of substantial change in accordance with 25 CFR 370.805. If changes to the Final Statement are minor and do not alter the purpose, scope, location or beneficiaries of an activity as described in the final statement, no amendment process is necessary. However, if changes in project funding or activity fall within the following definition of substantial change, the amendment process must be followed when making these changes. Substantial change shall mean: 1. Any project that is cancelled in an amount of $25.000 or more; or 2. Any proposed project that provides services to a clientele other than the clientele originally described in the CDBG application; or 3. Reprogramming of funds that exceed $25.000 (this does not include transfer of funds between the same project from one program year to the next); or 4. Any project that meets a community need other than that identified in the CDBG application; or 5. The addition of any new project not included in the Five -Year Consolidated Plan or One -Year Action Plan. rd Exceptions: 1. Anv Droaram or Droiect that requires immediate action. Citv Council may approve the Droaram'or aroiect based on emerdencv need. Once aDDroved by Citv'Council at a Dublic hearing, the proiect may move forward without the 30-dav public input period. J. ANTI -DISPLACEMENT POLICYIDISPLACEMENT PLAN: The City will not contemplate any activity that is likely to cause involuntary, permanent displacement of business or persons. However, if unforeseen involuntary, permanent placement should occur directly from a CDBG funded activity the City's displacement policy will be implemented consistent with state and federal relocation and acquisition statutes. The Anti -displacement Policy shall be included in the Final Statement of Community Objectives and Proposed Use of Funds. K. ONE YEAR ACTION PLAN AND FINAL STATEMENT OF COMMUNITY OBJECTIVES AND PROPOSED USE OF FUNDS: The One -Year Action Plan shall consist of the required elements required in Section 91.220 (24 CFR Part 91, et. Al) and a final statement which shall include: 1. Summary of the Community Development Plan; 2. Summary of last year's CDBG Program; 3. Proposed amount of program funds available, including expected program income and revolving loan funds; 4. Range of eligible activities benefiting low and moderate -income persons; 5. CDBG Anti -displacement Policy; 6. Plan to assist persons and businesses actually displaced by CDBG activities; 7. Use of any additional HUD funds received since adoption of last year's final statement and a summary of any substantial change in the use of CDBG funds proposed for the new CDBG programs or occurring during last year's CDBG program; and 8. Descriptions of proposed projects including specific clientele or area application (i.e., citywide or census tract and block). L. ELIGIBILITY: Project eligibility will be determined through the project proposal application process. A CDBG project proposal application will be made available to non- profit agencies and City departments. The completed project proposal applications will be reviewed for eligibility according to HUD regulations as well as appropriateness with an identified community need. 5 M. ACCESSIBILITY: All meetings are held in facilities, which are fully accessible to the handicapped. At meetings where it is likely that the attendees are non-English speaking, the City will provide an interpreter to ensure that residents can understand and participate in the proceedings. C