ACTION REQUESTED:
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Communication from the City Manager and Director of Community Development with a Request to APPROVE the Funding Recommendations from the CDBG Public Services Advisory Commission for the 2021 COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT (CDBG) PUBLIC SERVICES FUNDING, in the Amount of $265,000.00
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BACKGROUND: As approved by City Council on October 27th (Item # 20-269), the CDBG Public Services Advisory Commission reviewed the 2021 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) public services applications. Twenty applications were received, requesting nearly $700,000. Applications were received in the following priority funding areas adopted by Council:
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• Child Care Services |
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• Employment Training |
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• Fair Housing Activities |
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• Food Banks |
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• Health Services |
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• Mental Health Services |
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• Services for Abused and Neglected Children |
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• Services for Victims of Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, or Stalking |
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• Substance Abuse Services |
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• Youth Services |
Members of the CDBG Public Services Advisory Commission reviewed and evaluated all applications received. They had the opportunity to ask follow-up questions via email, and all commissioners received these questions as well as the agencies’ responses.
At the December 18th Commission meeting, the average scores were presented to the Commission along with some funding options as a starting point for discussion. After a detailed discussion, the Commission decided to fund 19 of the 20 applications. The ten top scoring applications received a percentage of their requested funding, ranging from 25% to 75%. The remaining nine applications received the minimum award of $10,000. One application was found ineligible because it did not request any funding for staff compensation (which was the only eligible expense). The draft minutes from the Commission meeting are included as an attachment.
The funding recommendations by program are attached. These proposed amounts are tentative and will be dependent on the City’s 2021 CDBG allocation. The 2021 HUD allocations cannot be announced until the U.S. Congress passes a full year budget for HUD. The Commission recommends that final amounts be adjusted by staff based on the percentage increase or decrease of the City’s CDBG allocation, while maintaining a minimum grant award of $10,000.
FINANCIAL IMPACT: At this time, HUD has not announced the 2021 grant allocations. City staff anticipate $265,000 to be available in CDBG Public Service funds. The Commission recommends that staff adjust grant awards once the final allocation is announced, maintaining a minimum grant award of $10,000.
NEIGHBORHOOD CONCERNS: Public hearing and public comment periods are held per HUD grant requirements each year. In addition, the Commission meetings are open to the public. The public services programs help address other neighborhood concerns by providing needed services for low-income residents of the City of Peoria.
IMPACT IF APPROVED: CDBG funds will be awarded to the programs per recommended grant amounts dependent upon the City’s 2021 CDBG allocation.
IMPACT IF DENIED: Funding will not be awarded for these activities, and an alternative will need to be identified.
ALTERNATIVES: None at this time.
EEO CERTIFICATION NUMBER: All grantees will have an active EEO certification number prior to receiving funds.
WHICH OF THE GOALS IDENTIFIED IN THE COUNCIL’S 2017 - 2032 STRATEGIC PLAN DOES THIS RECOMMENDATION ADVANCE?
1. Financially Sound City
2. Beautiful Peoria
3. Choose an item.
WHICH CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTOR(S) FROM THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN DOES THIS RECOMMENDATION IMPLEMENT?
1. Reinvest in neighborhoods.
2. Support sustainability.
3. Have an efficient government.
DEPARTMENT: Community Development