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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAccptnc of CDBG-R Funds ($92,992) CITY OF PALM DESERT SPECIAL PROGRAMS DEPARTMENT STAFF REPORT REQUEST: Ratification of City Manager Approval to Accept Community Development Block Grant Recovery (CDBG-R) Funds in the Amount of$92,992. SUBMITTED BY: Frankie Riddle, Director of Special Programs DATE: September 24, 2009 CONTENTS: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Funding Approval/Agreement Recommendation: By Minute Motion, ratify City Manager approval to accept Community Development Block Grant Recovery (CDBG-R) funds in the Amount of$92,992. Discussion: The City was originally notified by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HIfD) in March 2009 that there were Community Development Block Grant Recovery (CDBG-R) funds available to the City in the amount of $92,992; however, staff was under the assumption that the funds would be tied into the CDBG funds received for FY 2009/10. Unfortunately, the legislature decided to separate the CDBG-R funds from CDBG funds and separate the programs (CDBG vs. CDBG-R). As a result, staff was unable to advertise these funds separately and accept applications specific to this program. In addition, by the time staff became aware of this separation, there was insufficient time to submit to City Council prior to the deadline to submit to HUD for review and approval. Therefore, in order to apply for the funds, staff had to assign funds to those activities/organizations that were awarded funding and approved by City Council under the CDBG FY 2009/2010 Cycle. Under the CDBG-R Program, there is double the reporting required that is separate from the CDBG Program reporting. Staff originally planned to divide the funds up equally between the various organizations; however, per HUD's advice, staff reduced the number of organizations funded to four (4), which HUD was in favor of. The decision of which organizations to fund was primarily based on the following criteria: 1) whether the organization was funded in full or not, and 2) community need. CITY COUNCIL STAFF REPORT SEPTEMBER 24, 2009 PAGE 2 , The proposed funding breakdown is 75 percent for capital improvement projects, 15 percent for public service activities, and 10 percent for administration. (The CDBG-R funding formula is the same as CDBG.) Outlined below are the organizations and award amounts for the CDBG-R funds: FY 2009/2010 CDBG-R AWARDS Name: T e of Pro ram: Amount of Award: Pro ram Descri tion: Ranch Recovery Center Capital Improvement $69,745.00 Interior/exterior (i.e., septic system, replacement of water well, bathroom(s), and floor �oists, etc. Desert Aids Project Public Service $4,650.00 Nutrition Program with Farmers Market concept/ food distribution FISH Public Service $4,650.00 Food distribution Martha's Village & Kitchen Public Service $4,648.00 Homeless, food, shelter, counselin Administration $9,299.00 Pro ram administration TOTAL: $92,992.00 Given the process that was followed, staff was unsure if the City would receive funding; however, the City received notice from HUD dated August 30, 2009, that it had been awarded funding and requested that the Funding Approval/Agreement be signed and returned within 30 days of the date of notice. As a result, staff is requesting City Council ratification of City Manager approval. Staff recommends that City Council ratify City Manager approval to accept CDBG-R funding and submit Approval/Agreement. Submitted By: Approval: , �. � Frankie Riddle o n ohlmuth Director of Special Programs C' y Manager � CiTY COUNCILACTION APPROVED,_.✓,,,,__DFNTED RECEIVED OTHER MrFT�vc/ ' AYl'.S� / ��� ) " ' NO�S: AE35[;NT: Af,STAi1V: � VF.RIF[EI) I3Y: Ori�ie�Rtl on File with C.i te�-k's Of�ce YPjMENTUf o' `��Cif.l���l �°N U.S.Department of Housing and Urban Development " � 'u � Office of Community Planning and Development �*(IIIIIII �z Los Angeles Field Office,Region IX � 671 W.6`h Street,Suite 1000 �B4NOFVF�'�Q Los Angeles,California 90017-3101 - =_�-_._ AUG 2 0 2009 John Wohlmuth, City Manager City of Palm Desert 73-510 Fred Warning Drive Palm Desert, CA 92260 Dear Mr. Wohlmuth: SUBJECT: 2008 Action Plan Substantial Amendment Approved Project Number: B-09-MY-06-0594 The Department is pleased to announce the approval of the City of Palm Desert's Substantial Amendment to its Fiscal Year 2008 Action Plan for Community Development Block Grant Recovery (CDBG-R) Program funding. These funds were authorized by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act). The City of Palm Desert has been authorized to receive $92,992 in CDBG-R Program funding. Enclosed are three copies of the Grant Agreement (including the Funding Approval (Form HUD-7082) and Special Conditions) between the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the City of Palm Desert for the CDBG-R Program. In order to establish a Line of Credit for your CDBG-R grant, it will be necessary to execute and return two copies of the Grant Agreement, retaining one copy for your files. Failure to execute and return the grant agreements within 30 days of the transmittal date may be deemed to constitute rejection of the grant and cause for HUD to determine that the funds are available for reallocation to other grantees. Financial Mana ement All CDBG-R funds must be spent no later than September 30, 2012. Please be advised that HUD establishes a cut-off date for submission of draw requests several days before the end of a fiscal year because of systems and disbursing related issues. You will be notified of the expenditure cut-off date for the CDBG-R grant funds in 2012. Grantees are reminded that the Recovery Act was enacted to provide an immediate stimulus to the economy. The current practice by many grantees - to meet immediate cash needs by paying outstanding obligations for CDBG activities with local funds, and then to obtain reimbursement from their Line of Credit on a semi-annual or yearly basis - works against governments' fiscal constraints as well as the transparency provisions of the Recovery Act. HUD strongly encourages grantees to examine their current drawdown practices for HUD formula grant funding, and to make adjustments as necessary to ensure that CDBG-R funds are drawn down on a regular basis. HUD expects that grantees will draw down CDBG-R funds on at least a quarterly basis, assuming the existence of actual cash needs for CDBG-R activities, and consistent with federal financial management regulations. 2 Please be advised that if there is a need to establish or change the depository account to which these grant funds are to be wired, a Direct Deposit Sign-Up Form (SF-1199A) must be completed by you and your financial institution and mailed to this office. Policv Reminders Certain activities are subject to the provisions of 24 CFR Part 58, Environmental Review Procedures for Entities Assuming HUD Environmental Responsibilities. Funds for such activities may not be obligated or expended unless the release of funds has been approved in writing by HUD. A request for the release of funds must be accompanied by an environmental certification. Section 1605 of the Recovery Act requires grantees to comply with provisions of the Buy American Act for all CDBG-R assisted public buildings and public works. HUD is in the process of developing further implementation guidance for grantees regarding compliance with this provision and the process for requesting a waiver of these provisions. Section 1604 of the Recovery Act contained language that significantly expanded the applicability of Davis-Bacon Act labor standards provisions to CDBG-R funded construction work. Please be advised that Section 1205 of the Supplemental Appropriations Act signed by President Obama on June 24, 2009, repealed the applicability of Section 1604 of the Recovery Act to CDBG-R activities. All CDBG-R funded construction activities are now subject to the same labor standard provisions that apply to regular (annual formula) CDBG funding, pursuant to Section 110 of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974, as amended. Reporting Requirements The Recovery Act requires timely and accurate reporting of the CDBG-R grant. According to Section 1512, grantees must provide the following information no later than 10 days after the end of each calendar quarter: (1) The total amount of recovery funds received; (2) The amount of recovery funds received that were expended or obligated to project activities; and, (3) A detailed list of all projects or activities for which recovery funds were expended or obligated, including the name of the project or activity; a description of the project or activity; an evaluation of the completion status of the project or activity; an estimate of the number of jobs created and number of jobs retained by the project or activity; and for infrastructure investments made, the purpose, total cost and rationale of the agency for funding infrastructure investment with funds made available under the Recovery Act and name of person to contact at the jurisdiction, if there are concerns with the infrastructure investment. 3 At this time, HUD intends that grantees will enter this data into the Integrated Disbursement and Information System (IDIS), so that HUD can automatically generate the quarterly reports. However, the Office of Management and Budget has not finalized the government-wide reporting requirements for Recovery Act funds. HUD will provide guidance on specific reporting requirements at a later date. The necessary changes to IDIS to accommodate CDBG-R reporting requirements have not been fully implemented yet. In the meantime, please make sure you are collecting all necessary data, both from grantee sources and from all subrecipients and contractors, as it may be necessary for you to backfill this data into IDIS at a later date, once system changes have been made. Please be advised that if there is a need to delete or add individuals authorized to access the IDIS, an IDIS Security Access Authorization Form (February 1999) must be prepared, notarized, and returned to this office with the Grant Agreement. The Recovery Act also requires that State and local governments receiving Recovery Act funds report on the status of the environmental compliance reviews. HUD grantees are required to go to: http://aortal.hud. ov/a p ram�5/and complete the information for all Recovery Act funded activities. Information should be entered when an activity's environmental compliance review is started and when it is completed. This reporting requirement will continue throughout the implementation period of the activity. Please return two copies of the executed grant agreement to this office as expeditiously as possible, but no later than 30 days of the date of this letter. If you have any questions or require any assistance, please contact Cheryl Hamilton, Community Planning and Development Representative, at (213) 534-2576. We look forward to working with you and your staff throughout the coming year. Sincerely, G�Cj ' ' s� William G. Vasquez Director of Community Planning and Development Enclosures