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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2010-12-07 Bd Comm minutes4a 1 MINUTES APPROVED HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION OCTOBER 21, 2010 - 6:30 PM EMMA HARVAT HALL, CITY HALL MEMBERS PRESENT: Andrew Chappell, Andy Douglas, Scott Dragoo, Charlie Drum, Jarrod Gatlin, Holly Jane Hart, Michael McKay, Rebecca McMurray, Rachel Zimmermann Smith MEMBERS ABSENT: None STAFF PRESENT: Tracy Hightshoe, Linda Severson OTHERS PRESENT: None RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE CITY COUNCIL: None. CALL TO ORDER: The meeting was called to order by Chairperson Michael McKay at 6:30 p.m. APPROVAL OF THE SEPTEMBER 16. 2010 MEETING MINUTES: Chappell motioned to approve the minutes as amended. Drum seconded. The motion carried 8-0 (McMurray absent). PUBLIC COMMENT FOR ITEMS NOT ON THE AGENDA: None. STAFF/COMMISSION COMMENT: Hightshoe updated the Commission on a Community Development application that had been approved by City Council. The business, The Paper Nest, is a book binding and custom-design printing operation planning to open up in the back of Beadology sometime in November. HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION OCTOBER 21, 2010 PAGE 2 of 7 Hightshoe said another application had also been approved but that it is on hold pending private financing of a portion of the start-up costs. That business is intended to be a dog training/kennel operation. (McMurray arrives) ANNUAL REVIEW OF THE 2001-2015 CONSOLIDATED PLAN (a.k.a. CITY STEPS): An annual meeting seeking public input is required as a part of this process. This year's meeting was held at the Neighborhood Centers of Johnson County. Hightshoe summarized and categorized the comments received. Hightshoe said that most of the comments received concerned transportation and housing. Hightshoe said that transportation is currently listed as a medium priority in the plan because the amount of funding available for public services is not sufficient to alter bus routes or make major changes to the local transportations system. All other comments received concerned items that were already listed as high priorities in the CITY STEPS plan. Hightshoe said that all of the comments were shared with the department heads, the interim and incoming City Managers, and the school district. McKay said that there had been an extended discussion about the need for increased computer literacy. He noted that a computer literacy program is actually being offered by the local library at this time. Hightshoe said that it is surprising how many adults do not have basic computer skills, which can be a serious barrier to employment. She noted that many businesses have online application processes. Hightshoe said that it is sometimes the case that applications will be denied because an applicant took too long and the computer timed out. She also noted that a number of households do not have Internet access, and that the local school district uses the Power School Internet system as its primary means of communication. Hightshoe said that AmeriCorp volunteers had discussed the difficulty of securing computer lab facilities at night in order to teach computer literacy classes, and Hightshoe said the City would be working with them on that issue. Douglas said he realized that HCDC did not do much on the transportation side of things but asked if Hightshoe had been in communication with the Transit Department as these types of comments were heard every year. Hightshoe said that for Transit to run an additional route they need a certain number of riders committed to that route as it is a very expensive proposition. Hightshoe said she thought a pilot program involving vouchers fQr cab rides had been discussed but she was not sure if that came about or was successful. Hightshoe said Transit does receive the comments each time, but that she believes they are limited in what they can do to address the issues due to funding. There were comments at the meeting that transit to the downtown area is excellent; it is when transfers and north-south travel come into play that things get difficult. McKay said that time of day is also an issue as people with second shift jobs might be able to get to work but have no way of getting home. No amendments were proposed at this time to CITY STEPS. DISCUSSION OF THE CDBG SPECIAL ALLOCATION REVIEW AND TIMELINE: McKay said that he and Hightshoe had met the previous week to try to determine a sensible structure for this process. Fie said that they had come up with a plan for the Commission to consider. McKay said that a great number of applicants are expected so there is a great deal of sorting to do; he said more than $15 million in applications are expected for $2.9 million in funding. McKay said he and Hightshoe had created a chart for rankings with a limited number of criteria for assessment. He said they would like input from the Commission on the criteria HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION OCTOBER 21, 2010 PAGE 3 of 7 and language. Hightshoe said that as a Commission they need to first decide if they want to use any kind of evaluation criteria, and if so, then decide what criteria that would be. Hightshoe said there would be a broad range of projects applying: housing, economic development, public infrastructure, public facilities, etc. A consensus of the Commission indicated that they wished to use evaluation criteria. Hightshoe explained that the current sample has a total of 35 possible points for each application, with staff answering the first two questions. The rating scale gives five as the most positive rating and one as the most negative. Hightshoe said that she and Steve Long had been fielding a high volume of questions regarding the available funding and the application process. Hightshoe said that the applications are due October 29th and that she and Long will create a table categorizing projects as they come in. She said that this table and the applications will be distributed to Commission members right away. Hightshoe asked if the Commission wanted to have more than one meeting in November to work on this allocation. Zimmermann Smith said that it made sense to see what came in and to determine based on that how many meetings were necessary. Hightshoe said that after applications were submitted staff would arrange meeting dates based on Commissioner availability. Drum asked if the applications had already been designed and distributed, and Hightshoe said they had. Drum said he thought it would be helpful to get applicants' opinions on the design format and content of the application. Zimmermann Smith said that she would like to know a brief history of funding allocations for applicants, since often times the same groups and organizations return for funding each year. Hightshoe said she could print off the approved funding allocations for the last five years.. McKay asked if it made sense to pencil in a few possible dates for second meetings in the month of November while Commission members were present. Zimmermann Smith asked if it had to be on a Thursday. Meetings were tentatively set for the 16th and 18th of November. Chappell asked if it would be possible to start the meetings a little earlier than 6:30 if there was a feeling that they would be lasting a little longer than usual. Douglas said he had a commitment on Tuesdays, so he would be late regardless. Hightshoe said that it was hoped that the City Council would have a recommendation on these applications for their December 16th meeting; she said that would leave time for a meeting the first week of December if necessary. Hightshoe asked if the Commission thought it would like to meet with the applicants, or if they thought they may want to do question and answer sessions with just a few of them. McMurray said she thought it depended on the applications received. She said that a number of applicants will have applied numerous times in the past and have had to state their cases each time. Dragoo said that for him it depended on how many projects staff felt they could handle; he said that he would not necessarily need to meet with ten applicants, but might want to meet them if there were only five. Zimmermann Smith said that it would not really be fair to meet with only a few of the applicants; even if Commissioners had heard from some applicants in the past, they should be afforded the same opportunities to make their cases as new applicants. Drum said that his opinion is that it should be like the normal allocation process, in which applicants make themselves available for questions, but that presentations should not be the focus. Chappell said that he did not want to encourage an on-going dialogue; rather there should be a Q&A session; the applicant would be welcome to listen to discussions after that was concluded but would not be allowed to give further input. Drum said that in the regular allocation session HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION OCTOBER 21, 2010 PAGE 4 of 7 the applicant really cannot speak unless spoken to, which is helpful in keeping things moving along. He said that it was during discussions that questions actually come up, so it is helpful to allow applicants to answer as needed during that time. McKay said that what he liked about Chappell's suggestion was that it required Commissioners to have done their homework and have their questions ready for the applicants. Hightshoe recommended that applicants not be allowed to submit materials after the application date. She said the idea of the application process is for applicants to make their arguments in the application and supporting documentation. McKay asked who would be in favor of Chappell's suggestion of having a question and answer session and then moving on. Zimmermann Smith said she could agree with that idea but suggested that applicants remain available for any questions that come up. Drum said that McKay's point about Commissioner prepared-Hess is one that is well-taken. Chappell said that his thought was that the first hour of the meeting would be devoted to any questions Commissioners had for any of the applications and after that applicants could stay or go. Chappell said that any questions came up after that time could be communicated through staff who would forward the answers to the Commission. A general consensus was reached for that format. Hightshoe asked if anyone had any suggestions for the evaluation criteria. Chappell said his preference would be to see #6 slightly reworded to allow for a more innovative definition of "innovative." He said that a lot of these projects are going to get all of the 35 points or none of the 35 points. Chappell asked if the five point spread was large enough to differentiate between projects, and suggested that ten might make that easier. McKay said that with this many applications it is possible to have 15 or more applications with 35 points. He said that at some point it will come down to judgment. McKay suggested sticking with the five point spread, with Commissioners keeping in mind that the rankings are just a tool to guide decisions. Hightshoe said that she might put a disclaimer out to applicants explaining that ranking points are not the sole factor considered by the Commission. Drum asked if there was a limit to how many projects could be funded. Hightshoe said she would speak with Long about it very soon. McKay noted that he would hate to exclude small agencies based solely on a pre-set number that had been established regarding how many projects would be funded. He said that he hoped the Commission would allow itself a little flexibility in that area. Zimmermann Smith asked how much staff time was involved in administering a given project. Hightshoe said that acquisitions required little staff oversight; all other types of projects required approximately the same amount of time regardless of the funding amount because of the federal regulations involved. Zimmermann Smith noted that there will be a diversity of project-types so setting a number in advance may not be necessary. Hightshoe encouraged members to use the opportunity to fund some innovative projects that the Commission might not have been able to fund in the regular allocation process. Hightshoe noted that there would be approximately $150,000 in Aid to Agencies funding for next year and the current minimum allocation is $2,500 (these funds can also be used for any CDBG eligible project). Drum said that being able to give significantly more aid to local agencies could make a big difference to those organizations. DISCUSSION OF THE FY12 AID TO AGENCIES FUNDING REQUESTS: REVIEW PROCESS: Linda Severson led discussions on this topic. Severson shared a spreadsheet of recent Aid to Agencies allocations and FY12 funding requests. HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION OCTOBER 21, 2010 PAGE 5 of 7 Severson said that the City of Iowa City has supported human services through Aid to Agencies funding for years, though it is typical that the funding mandate is actually that of the County. Severson explained that the agencies complete one form under the Joint Funding process to apply for funding from the City of Iowa City, the City of Coralville, United Way and the Johnson County Board of Supervisors. Severson explained that the way that allocations are spent has been left rather flexible, which is something that agencies appreciate as often times their funding is tied to a specific use. Severson said that Aid to Agencies does, however, ask what the money will be used for and has found that agencies need it for a wide variety of uses. She said that United Action for Youth often uses it as matching funds for grants, while the Free Medical Clinic often uses it for utility bills. Severson said that allocations range from about $5,000 to $60,000 and funds about 19 agencies. Severson explained that CDBG projects tend to be of the one-time "brick and mortar" variety, whereas Aid to Agencies tends to fund the same sort of needs for the same sort of agencies each year. Severson said that the City Council had previously had two Council members review applications and make determinations; however, this year they are experimenting with allocating through HCDC, as it was seen as a logical extension of what HCDC already does. Severson explained that she does quarterly reports for each allocation and submits them to City Council and will do so for HCDC as well. Severson said that this year's exact allocation amount has not been determined, but said that approximately $425,000 was allocated in FY11 and expects the number to be the same this year. She said that City Council has recently begun setting aside $10,000 as a contingency fund for agencies that have small, unexpected expenses. She cited Shelter House and the bed bug infestation they are experiencing as one possible example of how such a contingency fund might be applied. McKay asked if it was the case that these agencies were of the mindset that the same level of funding will available to them each year and create their budgets accordingly. Severson said that was the case. She said that initial approval does not necessarily mean that year-to-year funding is a given; however, there is a certain expectation attached to it. Chappell asked if the agencies were discomfited by the fact that there is now a completely different process and body reviewing these applications. Severson said that she is not sure that all of the agencies are actually aware that there has been a change in the process, as the process is somewhat removed from them. She said that questions & other communications between the Commission and the applicant would typically go through staff. Chappell noted that there are significant drops in funding for some agencies from FY10 to FY11, and asked if there was anything the Commission should be aware of in regard to those, given the stated expectation of continued funding. Severson said that the allocating Council members .had reduced MECCA's award based on the fact that the City allocation was 1 % of their total budget, and a decrease for them might not be as devastating as it would be for a smaller agency. Hightshoe asked if it was the case that Severson wanted HCDC to formulate allocation recommendations at the November meeting. Severson said that it could be flexible because the City Council starts reviewing budgets in January. At that time, a total number will be approved and the Commission will figure out how to break that amount down. Severson said she could see if the recommendation could be pushed back as far as January. She said that after the process is over they can discuss as a group if this is something HCDC can take on on an ongoing basis, or if the process needs to return to the purview of the City Council. Severson said she was trying to be respectful of what Commission members had originally signed on for in the face of a particularly busy allocation year. HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION OCTOBER 21, 2010 PAGE 6 of 7 Severson said she would get back to the Commission on specific timeframes for the allocation discussions. MONITORING REPORTS: • Mayor's Youth Empowerment Proaram -Facility Rehab. & Operations (McMurray) McMurray said that approximately $80,000 of the $90,000 allocated to MYEP for facility rehabilitation has been spent. The hope is that the project will be completed by the end of November. Hightshoe noted that MYEP was actually able to complete more on their exterior than they had originally though as they were able to secure donated labor for the roof work and hired their own student/clients for debris removal. She said there were hoops that had to be jumped through to clear the volunteer contractors and labor, but that it had been worked out satisfactorily. MYEP has spent $940 of the $2,625 allocated for operations. The money was spent on funnel cake making equipment; the other equipment should be purchased by the end of October. • ISIS Investments LLC -Rental Housina (McMurray): McMurray spoke with Salome Raheim of ISIS Investments and was told that they had spent $107,750 of the $208,000 they were allocated. They have purchased, rehabilitated, and leased two of their homes to Spanish-speaking families that are working closely with aSpanish- speaking caseworker. The timeline for the other two homes is to have them purchased, rehabilitated and leased by December 15t and June 30tH ADJOURNMENT: Zimmermann Smith motioned to adjourn. Drum seconded. The motion carried 9-0. The meeting was adjourned. Z O V H Z W a O W W O ~_ Z U 0 Z Q _Z N OTC O U W W O U `' Z ° Q N 0 Z W H Q o X X X X X X X ~ X X ~- x o x x x x x x x r' ~ x x x w O x x u, O w O w O , ' ~"~ c X X ~ X X X X X ~ o x x o x x o x x o ; N x x x x x x x x x M X X X X X X 0 X X M X X X X X X X X X N N X X X X X X X X X r N ~ M N M •- ~ O N M ~a ~( W o N ~ `- O ~ OO o N ~ a-- O ~ O ~ O ~ O N . N ~ H W ~ O O O O O ~ O ~ O O O O O O O ~ O ~ O Q ' D W Z Q J U V W m Z = F- - Q Q ~ ~ ~' _ ~ ~ V w N Q = Q -~ J O V ~ ~ ~ m z Z Q ~ J ~ O w a > > H z ~ ~ a _ ~ ~v Q Z ~ D = Y ~ ~ V ~ ~ N~ D V C7 L ~ ~ w a~ ~~ C ~ ~ Q Z w~ ~ ~ O i O c c ~ N~ a`z° 11 II YI X z