Report to Mayor and City Council
Tuesday, December 15, 2020
Consent
SUBJECT:
Title
CONSIDER APPROVING THE RESUMPTION OF THE CITYWIDE ADVISORY COMMISSION TO VIRTUAL REGULAR MEETINGS AS NECESSARY TO FACILITATE REQUIREMENTS FOR CITIZEN PARTICIPATION IN FEDERALLY FUNDED HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS (CITY COUNCIL)
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I. SUMMARY
In March 2020 the City Council suspended the operation of all non-essential commissions and committees due to the COVID-19global pandemic. During the pandemic, however, programs and services funded through the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) continued and in fact were expanded. Regulations of the U. S. Department of Housing and Community Development (HUD) require that jurisdictions receiving CDBG funds submit a report on the program year’s activities, known as the Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report (CAPER) to HUD within three months of the close of each CDBG program year, or by the end of September annually. In light of the pandemic, HUD extended the submission deadline for the 2019-2020 CAPER to the end of December. HUD regulations and the City’s own Citizen Participation Plan, require that a draft of the CAPER be made available for public review and comment and that a public hearing be held prior to the submission of the CAPER to HUD. For these reasons, staff is requesting reactivation of the Citywide Advisory Commission to fulfill its roles of facilitating the requirements for citizen participation in the Federally funded housing and community development programs at the discretion of City Council (including the conduct of public hearings), and providing a forum for the exchange of information and input on the Community Development Block Grant program; specifically to conduct the required public hearing on the CAPER.
II. RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
TAKE the following actions:
1. APPROVE the resumption of the Citywide Advisory Commission to virtual regular meetings as necessary.
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III. ALTERNATIVES
TAKE any other action the City Council deems appropriate.
IV. BACKGROUND
In March 2020 the City Council suspended the operation of all non-essential commissions and committees due to the COVID-19 pandemic. During the pandemic, however, programs and services funded through the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) continued and were expanded with additional CDBG funding made available through the CARES Act.
Under the regulations applicable to CDBG grantee jurisdictions (specifically in Title 24, Section 91.520 (a) of the Code of Federal Regulations), jurisdictions receiving CDBG funds are required to submit a report on the program year’s activities, known as the Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report (CAPER), to the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Department (HUD) within 90 days of the close of that program year (or in Carson’s case, at the end of September). On April 29, 2020, Acting Assistant Secretary of HUD John Gibbs, citing the nationwide COVID-19 health emergency, issued a memorandum to the grantee jurisdictions extending a waiver of the normal deadline for submission of the CAPER and extending it to 180 days following the close of the program year (or until the end of December).
HUD regulations and the City’s own Citizen Participation Plan, require that a draft of the CAPER be made available for public review and comment and that a public hearing be held prior to the submission of the CAPER to HUD.
City Ordinance 08-1399, adopted February 6, 2008, provides that the Citywide Advisory Commission shall act in an advisory capacity to the City Council, staff, and City consultants on those matters that deal with evaluation of community-wide issues in relation to Community Development Block Grant funding, census activities, and special funding requests. This includes the following:
• Playing a role in developing needs data and recommending the establishment of priorities among needs;
• Assisting in refining long- and short-term community development objectives;
• Discussing and expressing preferences among specific program options;
• Reviewing and commenting on community development strategy;
• Facilitating all or a portion of the requirements for citizen participation in Federally funded programs per Title 24 Section 91.105 of the Code of Federal Regulations, at the discretion of the City Council (including the conduct of public hearings); and
• Providing a forum for the exchange of information and input with the City Council and local citizens on the Community Development Block Grant program, census activities, and special funding requests.
Beyond conducting the CAPER public hearing, it is not anticipated that the Citywide Advisory Commission would need to meet again before the review of requests for 2021-2022 CDBG funding, likely in February or March 2021.
V. FISCAL IMPACT
Funding to cover stipends for Commissioners’ attendance at meetings has been appropriated in the Fiscal Year 2020-2021 Community Development Department expenditure budget. However, the pandemic has necessitated various nominal staff costs for Information Technology support and Community Development staff that were not included in the adopted department budget. The following estimate for the remainder of the fiscal year:
|
Dept. |
Description |
FY 2020-21 (6 Months) |
|
|
IT |
Zoom facilitator, tech support |
$ 248.60 |
|
|
CS |
Overtime: Clerking, agenda management |
$ 279.82 |
|
|
Total |
$ 528.42 |
|
The Community Development for stipends Department has sufficient savings within its adopted operating budget to cover these expenses.
VI. EXHIBITS
None
Prepared by: Keith Bennett, Housing Analyst, Saied Naaseh, Community Development Director