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HomeMy WebLinkAbout10/18/2005, PH1 - CONSIDERATION OF THE HUMAN RELATION COMMISSION'S (HRC) RECOMMENDED PRIORTIES FOR THE 2006 COMMUNIT counat D� ii b5 1 j acEnaa Repoat hemN=ba CITY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO FROM: John Mandeville, Community Development Directo914t Prepared By: Doug Davidson, Housing Programs Manage{D�). SUBJECT: CONSIDERATION OF THE HUMAN RELATION COMMISSION'S (HRC) RECOMMENDED PRIORITIES FOR THE 2006 COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT (CDBG) AND GRANTS-IN-AID (GIA) PROGRAMS. CAO RECOMMENDATION 1. Approve the CDBG funding priorities (ranked) for the 2006 program year, as recommended by the HRC. 2. Approve the GIA funding priorities(unranked) for the 2006 program year, as recommended by the HRC. Background In 2001 Council revised the City's annual CDBG review process., The purposes of the changes were to allow Council input earlier in the grant award process, to assist Council in prioritizing community needs, and to maintain an open; inclusive and fair grant application process. The HRC was also asked to be the advisor to the Council on community needs and funding recommendations for both the CDBG and GIA programs. This year the schedule was adjusted in order to finalize funding priorities prior to the CDBG application deadline of October 31'. The four main steps in the CDBG review process are as follows' 1. HRC hosts-a "Needs Workshop": The HRC hosts a public hearing to inform the public about upcoming funding amounts and how to apply for grants, to hear community views on grant funding needs, and to recommend funding priorities for CDBG and GIA (held on September 7, 2005). 2. Council priority-setting hearing: Council holds a public hearing to review and approve the HRC's recommendations regarding the CDBG and GIA funding priorities (October 18, 2005): 3. CDBG applications hearing: HRC holds a public hearing to review CDBG funding requests and recommends funding amounts to Council (scheduled for December 7,2005). /J/ Consideration of the NRC's Recommended Funding Priorities for 2006 Pare 2 4. CDBG Program hearing:. Council holds a public hearing on Draft One-Year Action.Plan, reviews and approves the HRC's CDBG funding recommendations (tentatively scheduled for March 7, 2006). Recommended Funding Priorities for 2006 CDBG and GIA Programs On September 7h, the HRC completed Step 1 by holding its combined CDBG and GIA Community Needs hearing. An audience of about 40 persons attended the,hearing and speakers addressed a wide variety of community needs (Draft minutes attached). Community needs identified included continued support for homeless services, affordable housing, senior services, and social services. After hearing testimony, commissioners reviewed last year's funding priorities set by Council. The HRC unanimously decided to re-affirm the same four ranked CDBG funding priorities with one minor modification to#4 as shown in bold. 1. Emergency shelter for homeless persons. (Maintain existing services and building resources for future needs.) 2. Enhance and develop housing affordable to low and very-low income _persons, including seniors. 3. Education concerning and/or removal of architectural barriers for the disabled and seniors. 4. Economic development (to include seismic retrofit, enhance economic stability; communication infrastructure, and provide jobs for low/moderate income persons).* The decision to add "communication infrastructure" to the economic development priority was made after public testimony and Commission discussion on emergency preparedness. The devastation in Mississippi and Louisiana was a potent reminder of the need for communications systems, such as phone support and contact services, particularly for low income persons in times of emergency. *CDBG criteria includes spot blight as a fundable activity under the definition of economic development. In the past, Council has approved CDBG funding for the adobes and the freight warehouse under the category of spot blight. The HRC also reviewed the 2005 non-ranked GIA funding priorities and decided to re-affirm the priorities with one minor modification as shown in bold. • Homeless prevention and services ■ Job training • Supportive health services (including mental health services) • Services for seniors and/or people with disabilities • Affordable child care ■ Families and/or youth at"risk Consideration of the HRG°s Recommended Funding Priorities for 2006 Paee 3 This modification was made after public comment regarding ,the need for mental. health services in San Luis Obispo. Although commissioners agreed that "health services" was meant to be interpreted broadly and that mental health services had received GIA finds in the past; they agreed to add clarifying language. ALTERNATIVES Council may choose to add or modify priorities, by motion, or take no action, thereby allowing the existing priorities to continue unchanged. ATTACHMENT Human Relations Commission draft minutes, September 7, 2005 meeting. ATICHm HUMAN RELATIONS COMMISSION DRAFT MINUTES Wednesday September 7, 2005 4:30 p.m.. City Hall Council Chamber 990 Palm Street CALL TO ORDER: PRESENT: Chairperson Janna Nichols, Vice Chairperson Stephan Lamb (arrived at 4:45 p.m.); Commissioners Maureen Forsberg, Bryan Gingg, Tom Sant, Elise Wheeler and Paul Wolff STAFF PRESENT: Monica Irons, Director of Human Resources; Doug Davidson, Housing Programs Manager; and Mary Kopecky, Human Resources Executive Assistant CONSIDERATION OF MINUTES:: August 3, 2005 ACTION: Moved by Wolff/Wheeler to approve_ the minutes of August 3; 2005 as submitted; motion carred 60. PUBLIC.COMMENT There were no public comments for items not on the agenda. BUSINESS ITEMS Item 1. QUARTERLY REPORT-HOMELESS SHELTER. Catherine Manning, EOC Director of Homeless Services, summarized events, statistics, neighborhood relations, and needs ofthe Homeless Shelter for the past quarter. Brief HRC discussion ensued. / y ATIACHMENT Human Relations Com_m_ission Minutes September 7, 2005 Page 2 ACTION: Moved by Sant/Wolff to approve Homeless Shelter funding for the fourth quarter, motion carried 7:0. Item 2. COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANTS (CDBG) AND GRANTS-IN-AID(GIA) PUBLIC NEEDS-WORKSHOP. (DAVIDSON/IRONS/NICHOLS) Director of Human Resources Irons gave a brief overview of the HRC's role in the CDBG and GIA process and explained the purpose of the workshop. Housing Programs Manager Davidson presented a detailed summary of the CDBG process. He discussed Urban County Funds, HOME and Emergency Shelter Grants, CDBG primary purpose, the CDBG Federal Objectives, eligible CDBG activities, the 2005 CDBG funding priorities, the 2006 CDBG timelin6. and the increased federal reporting requirements. Chairperson Nichols_ opened the public hearing asking for comments on community CDBG needs. Jerrv_Rioux. SLO County Housing Trust Fund, spoke to the need for affordable housing and encouraged the HRC to keep shelter for the homeless as a high priority. Karen Stenson, Long Term Care Ombudsman, spoke to the need for low income residential care for seniors. Pearl Munak, Homeless Housing Project., spoke in support of'a voucher program for seriously ill homeless persons who need bed rest during the day and night. Judy Creedon, Atascadero Christian Home, spoke in support of the development of an, adult day care facility. Shawn lson, EOC Manager of the Homeless Shelter, and Catherine Manning, EOC Director Homeless Services asked the HRC to make homeless services and housing the number one priority because the homeless numbers are growing and people were having to be turned away at night. Dee Torres, EOC Prado Center Manager, urged the HRC to continue support for the day center. Evan Mendelson, Hotline of SLO County representative, asked the HRC to support a needed 211 communication system. C.\DOCUME-1 Oslo user\LOCALS—I\Temp\.SEvrEM-1.DOC ®" Human Relations Commission Minutes September 7, 2005 Page 3 Penny Raypa. Habitat for Humanity representative, and Cheryl Flores. Peoples Self Help Housing representative, urged support for their groups' efforts to provide affordable housing for low and very low income families and to keep affordable housing as one of the top priorities for 2006 CDBG cycle. Seeing no other speakers, Chairperson Nichols closed the CDBG public comment portion of the meeting. Director of Human Resources Irons gave an overview of the GIA process. She reviewed the priority funding areas, program requirements, evaluation criteria, funding recipients and the 2005-2006 timeline. Chairperson Nichols opened the public hearing asking for comments on community GIA needs. Karen-Stensen, Long Term Care Ombudsman representative, spoke of the need to license in home caregivers and invited HRC members to attend adult abuse prevention program meetings held the second Tuesday of the month. Richard Rigciins, Harvest Bag volunteer, asked the HRC to continue support for their efforts to provide food units to low income residents. Diane Maiorano, Director of the Retired Senior Volunteer Program, urged the HRC to continue to support their organization which has provided the City of San Luis Obispo And County of San Luis Obispo with thousands of senior volunteer hours per year: Wanda McFarlane, Caring Callers representative, asked for continued support for Caring Callers who provide social contact for home-bound seniors. Jean Fisher, EOC Eviction Prevention Program recipient, and Lillian Judd, EOC representative, urged continued support for the program. Kayla Wilburn, EOC Health Services, advocated providing basic health screening services for seniors and homeless. Vicki Taylor, EOC Child Care Resource Connection, spoke in support of providing job training for child care providers. Binda_Polay, Community Counseling Center, asked the HRC to expand the priorities to include support for mental health services for low income residents. Steve.Thayer, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, suggested asking non profit agencies who apply for GIA awards how they interface with other non profit agencies. C:\DOCUME-1\slouseALOCA1S-1\Temp\SEPTEM-1.DOC /iele 1ACHMENT I Human Relations Commission Minutes September 7, 2005 Page 4 Seeing no further speakers, Chairperson Nichols closed public comment portion of the meeting. Commissioner. Sant expressed concern over the increased federal reporting requirements for CDBG funds and suggested contacting Congresswoman Capps.. Chai�erson Nichols suggested raising this issue when CDBG and GIA priorities go to Council for review. She then distributed the 2005-2007 major city goals identified by Council in the 2005-2007 Financial Plan and noted she was not advocating changing the HRC's funding priorities but only wanted HRC to be aware of Counc'il's major city goals. Vice Chairperson Lamb noted there was a conflict with the HRC funding priorities and the 2005-2007 major city goals. He pointed out the 2005-2007 major city goals were all Public Works infrastructure goals and he did not want housing and human service needs to be ignored. Director of Human Resources Irons remarked although human service needs were not part of the 2005-2007 major city goals they were still a City priority and funds had already been built into the 2005-2007 financial plan to allow resources to go toward housing and human services. She further.stated the decision was made to have fewer, clearer goals not to send the message that human services were unimportant. Chairperson Nichols emphasized the importance of making Council aware the number one HRC CDBG ranked funding priority was emergency shelter for the homeless. Commissioner Wolff argued that support to human services and housing should have been part of the 2005-2007 major city goals. Brief HRC discussion ensued and Commissioners agreed emergency preparedness and a communication system were important and should be added to the 2006 CDBG ranked priorities. ACTION: Moved by Lamb/Wheeler to adopt the following 2006 CDBG ranked priorities: 1. Emergency shelter for homeless persons. 2. Enhance and develop housing affordable to low and very-low income persons, including seniors. 3. Education concerning and/or removal of architectural barriers for the disabled and seniors. C ADOCUM E-I Wo useALOC AIS-1\Temp\S EP7'EM-I.DOC B, QTS ` +{ §kcH 9"" EN Human Relations Commission Minutes September 7, 2005 Page 5 4. Economic development (to include seismic retrofit, enhance economic stability, co mm unication infrastructure, and provide jobs for low/moderate income persons). Motion carred 7:0. Vice Chairperson Lamb stressed the need for the HRC to move forward with a new w homeless shelter, inquired about the Section 108 Loan, and the need for monthly updates. Housing Programs Manager Davidson agreed to check on the Section 108 Loan program and report back. Chairperson Nichols asked for HRC comment on 2006 GIA non ranked funding priorities. Commissioner Wheeler responded to Binda Polay's request to include mental health services in the 2006 HRC GIA priorities noting the HRC had always been supportive of mental health services. Brief HRC discussion ensued and commissioners agreed to add additional language referencing mental health services to the non ranked 2006 GIA Funding Priorities. ACTION: Moved by Wheeler/Wolff to adopt the following as the non ranked 2006 GIA Funding Priorities: Homeless prevention and services ■ Job training • Supportive health services (including mental health services) • Services for-senior and/or people with disabilities ■ Affordable child care Families and/or youth at risk Motion carried 7:0 Chairperson Nichols directed staff to place appointment of the 2006 HRC GIA Subcommittee on the October 5, 2005 agenda. Additionally she directed staff to mail yearend GIA reports to HRC liaison representatives. Item 3. UPDATE ON THE FORMATION OF A.HOMELESS-ISSUES-TASK . FORCE. (NICHOLS/LAMB) C:\DOCUME-1\slouse\LOCALS=I\Temp\SEPTEM-I.DOC ATIACHMENT Human Relations Commission Minutes September 7, 2005 Page 6 Vice Chairperson Lamb gave an update and reported the homeless citizens (as defined by HUD) one day point-in-time enumeration will be held on October 26, 2005. Brief HRC discussion ensued. Commissioner Forsberg left at 7:40 p.m. Item 4. UPDATE ON THE 2004 HATE CRIME REPORT: (WOLFF) Commissioner Wolff reported the 2004 Hate Crime Report was a statistical analysis of hate crime in California and presented a summary of the facts and figures for the past year. He noted the majority of hate crimes go unreported and offered to share the report With interested parties. Chairperson Nichols noted the 2004 Hate Crime Report was published by the California Attorney General's Office and was available on the Attorney General's website. COMMISSIONER COMMENTS Vice.Chairperson_Lamb reported the Cal Poly Week of Welcome had begun. Commissioner_Sant.expressed an interest in meeting with other agencies to explore common sense approaches to dealing federal accounting practices. There being no further business to come before the HRC, Chairperson Nichols, adjourned the HRC meeting at 7: 50 p.m. to Wednesday, October 5, 2005 at.5:00 p.m., in the Council Hearing Room, _City Hall, 990 Palm Street, Respectfully Submitted, MaryKope-* Human Resources Executive Assistant CADOCUME—I Wous rLLACALS—I\TemplSEPTEM—I DOC g