ACTION REQUESTED:
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Communication from the City Manager and the Director of Community Development with a Request from the CDBG Public Services Advisory Commission to APPROVE the COVID-19 CDBG PUBLIC SERVICES PRIORITIES AND APPLICATION.
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BACKGROUND: On an annual basis, the City of Peoria receives Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). In addition to the annual allocation, the City of Peoria was awarded an additional $1,087,562.00 through the CARES Act to prevent, prepare for, and respond to COVID-19. Typically, a maximum of 15% of the overall CDBG allocation is designated for public service activities; however, HUD has issued a waiver suspending the 15% cap for 2019, 2020, and CDBG-CV (Coronavirus) funds. The CDBG Public Services Advisory Commission is the City Commission that selects which priorities will be funded, reviews applications, and makes funding recommendations to City Council regarding public services activities.
The City Council approved a CDBG outline on April 28th which included $300,000 dedicated to public services intended to prevent, prepare for, or respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.
A survey was sent out to past applicants for CDBG Public Services and also distributed electronically via the City of Peoria website, Appreciate Peoria website, and City of Peoria Facebook. The survey was available online from April 29th to May 12th and asked for input regarding increased community needs caused by COVID-19.
At their May 15th meeting, the CDBG Public Services Advisory Commission reviewed the survey responses and selected 11 priorities:
o Child Care Services
o Employment Training
o Food Banks
o Health Services
o Legal Services
o Mental Health Services
o Senior Services
o Services for Abused and Neglected Children
o Services for Persons with Disabilities
o Services for Victims of Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, or Stalking
o Youth Services
The Commission also reviewed, condensed, and modified the CDBG Public Services application, timeline, and materials for clarity and content. The Commission requests City Council approval of the COVID-19 CDBG Public Services application that incorporates the recommended priorities.
For your reference, below is an outline of items needed prior to launching the City's HUD-funded COVID-19 programs. Per HUD regulations, we are unable to begin one item without having completed prerequisite items, as you will see below:
• Currently, we are waiting on HUD to approve the 2020-2024 Consolidated Plan, which was approved by City Council on 3/24/2020 and submitted to HUD on 4/1/2020. HUD must approve this plan before we can complete the next task:
• In order to allocate the nearly $1.1 million the City received in CDBG-CV (Coronavirus) funding through the CARES Act, and to reallocate CDBG funding from 2018 and 2019 to support the City's COVID-19 prevention/preparation/response, the City must amend the 2018 and 2019 Annual Plans as well as the 2020-2024 Consolidated Plan. Please know that we continue to await official guidance from HUD regarding what these amendments must include. We have been told for several weeks that this guidance will be forthcoming but have not been made aware of an official release date.
• Once both Annual Plans and the Consolidated Plan are amended, a public comment period will be opened. The public comment period for the 2019 Annual Plan and the 2020-2024 Consolidated Plan will close after 5 days. However, because the HUD waiver amending timelines for public comment does not apply to 2018 funding, the 2018 Annual Plan public comment period must stay open for a total of 30 days.
• After the 30 day comment period has closed, the amendments to all three plans will be submitted to City Council for approval.
• Once City Council has approved the amendments to all three plans, the City will submit the plans to HUD for approval.
• HUD must approve these plans before they can distribute the CDBG-CV funding and before the City can begin disbursing funds to HUD-funded COVID-19 programs.
FINANCIAL IMPACT: $300,000 of CDBG funding (a combination of reallocated 2020 CDBG funds as well as CDBG-CV funds) will be distributed to eligible not-for-profits, 501(c)3 organizations, and government agencies that operate programs serving the residents of the City of Peoria.
NEIGHBORHOOD CONCERNS: A public comment period will be held per HUD requirements. Additionally, meetings of the CDBG Public Services Advisory Commission are open to the public, even when held virtually.
IMPACT IF APPROVED: The CDBG Public Services Advisory Commission will proceed with their responsibility to receive, review, and recommend to the City Council the use of CDBG funds for needed public service programs that prevent, prepare for, or respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.
IMPACT IF DENIED: The CDBG Public Services Advisory Commission will not be able to proceed with the CDBG-CV Public Services application process as outlined, and an alternative will need to be identified.
ALTERNATIVES: None identified at this time.
EEO CERTIFICATION NUMBER: All awarded public service subrecipients will be required to have valid EEO numbers.
WHICH OF THE GOALS IDENTIFIED IN THE COUNCIL’S 2017 - 2032 STRATEGIC PLAN DOES THIS RECOMMENDATION ADVANCE?
1. Financially Sound City
2. Safe Peoria
3. Beautiful Peoria
WHICH CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTOR(S) FROM THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN DOES THIS RECOMMENDATION IMPLEMENT?
1. Have an efficient government.
2. Reinvest in neighborhoods.
3. Choose an item.
DEPARTMENT: Community Development