ACTION REQUESTED:
Title
Communication from the City Manager and the Director of Community Development with a Recommendation to Enter into an Agreement, which Supersedes all Previous Agreements, with East Bluff Neighborhood Housing Services (EBNHS), Regarding the Use of Special Service Area (SSA) Funds for FY2015.
Body
BACKGROUND:
The City has been a major supporter and sponsor of EBNHS activities throughout the years and has demonstrated a strong commitment to the agency by providing public funds, building capacity, and leveraging EBNHS neighborhood programs.
On December 13, 2011, City Council approved Ordinance No. 16,781 levying the EBNHS SSA for FY2012. In addition to the levy, Council agreed to place EBNHS funds in escrow in order for the EBNHS to demonstrate their ability to implement specific, measurable programs and activities that directly benefit the households in the SSA.
On May 8, 2012, City Council received and filed a detailed status report by Council Member Timothy Riggenbach regarding the EBNHS efforts to achieve specific and measurable benchmarks identified by the City Council for the EBNHS FY2012 program year. On July 24, 2012, the City Council approved a request to forward a letter of commitment to the EBNHS to allocate $15,000 of FY2012 SSA funds for the FY2012 EBNHS Health and Safety Loan Program, provided the City entered into an agreement with EBNHS for FY2012.
City Council and Staff worked with the EBNHS Board of Directors during 2012 to develop a new agreement, which superseded all previous agreements. Council entered into the agreement on December 11, 2012 for FY2012 and FY2013 and approved Ordinance No. 16,916 to levy SSA funds for FY2013.
On November 26, 2013, City Council entered into an agreement for FY2014 and approved Ordinance No. 17,042. As part of the 2014 agreement, $15,000 was designated to the Health and Safety Loan Program. The Health and Safety Loan program was proposed to provide 0% interest housing loans up to $5,000 to eligible low income households that reside in the EBNHS SSA in need of emergency housing repairs.
Per the 2012-2013 agreement and the 2014 agreement, the Health and Safety Loan program was required to meet State and local requirements. In the fourth quarter of 2012, EBNHS submitted a draft of the Health and Safety Loan Program to the State of Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation for review, to determine whether or not EBNHS was exempt from the requirements of the Residential Mortgage Licensing Act of 1987. They engaged in dialogue with the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation and made multiple revisions to the program, as requested by the State.
On September 12, 2014, an interpretation (Attachment B) was provided by the State that based on the revised program (Exhibit 1), EBNHS is exempt from licensing requirements through the State of Illinois in operating the Health and Safety Loan Program. Once the revised Health and Safety Loan Program is approved by Council, as part of the attached agreement, EBNHS can proceed with issuing Health and Safety Loans. For 2012 through 2014, a total of 45,000 (15,000 per year) was placed in a City account for use by EBNHS upon State approval of the program. This is required to be matched by $45,000 by EBNHS. As a result $90,000 will be available, upon this approval, for the issuance of Health and Safety Loans by EBNHS.
Some of the notable accomplishments for 2015 include:
1. The installation of a Little Free Library at EBNHS, which is very popular with the children that walk by the house.
2. The side yard is the home to a beautiful Community Garden.
3. Hosts a homeowner seminar, held by NovaDebt and POF, twice a month for anyone interested in buying their own home.
4. Partnered with Tri County Urban League in employing five at risk youth during 2014.
5. Hired a full time Americorp worker (Jasmin Garcia) as a Neighborhood Assessment Specialist who will be involved in the day to day activities, as well as the implementation of a "Neighborhood Assessment Specialist" program.
6. Partnered with Rebuilding Together Peoria to assist three senior citizen's families make home repairs.
7. Partnered with Inasmuch to help a disabled senior citizen make home repairs.
8. Collaborated with the Fuller House to assist several veterans living in the East Bluff with home EBNHS staff and board members believe in giving their time and talents to support:
9. Helped with the Great American Clean Up in April by recruiting volunteers through the EBNHS website and staff participation.
10. Participated in the National Night Out Against Crime.
11. Coordinated with individuals needing community service hours and have arranged for donated labor to maintain the EBNHS property as well as to assist residents throughout the SSA.
12. Coordinated a Day of the Dead Celebration, as part of the Mexican Holiday observed in Mexico and throughout the world.
13. Received a grant from LISC for Certified Housing Asset Manager Training (CHAM). The EBNHS will manage eight new duplexes as part of the AG Grant project.
14. Received a grant from Ameren and the Children's Home, which provided funding for 19 families to receive Dusk to Dawn Alley lights and the electrician to install these lights.
15. Received a grant from LISC for a rain barrel for the community garden located at the EBNHS.
The same agreement adopted November 26, 2013 is proposed for 2015 (Attachment A), with the following changes:
v Changes were made to the Health & Safety Loan Program (Exhibit 1) to reflect a zero interest loan program, with loans administered by a volunteer loan officer committee.
v The Health and Safety Loan Program must be open for application within 30 days of receipt of funds from the City of Peoria. This was changed from 90 days, as noted in the 2014 agreement.
v A minimum of 12 Health and Safety Loans must be issued for 2015, utilizing SSA funds from 2012-2014 and matched EBNHS private corporation funds.
v Notice requirements for Board of Director meetings were changed from 7 days to 48 hours.
v The budget tracking report must include all sources of EBNHS income.
v All required documents and proposed terms for future agreements must be received by November 15th of each year. This was changed from September 1st, to allow time to submit everything following the EBNHS annual meeting held in November of each year.
The Dashboard report developed in 2011, serves as the EBNHS work plan (Exhibit 2). For the 2015 work plan, the following changes were made to the dashboard:
v The following requirements have been occurring as required for some time and were therefore removed from the dashboard:
o EBNHS will maintain a full time executive director
o Establish EBNHS as a core leader in the EVGC Program
o EBNHS will establish a partnership with a community development national intermediary such as LISC.
o Recruit and make every effort to maintain a full complement of board members.
v The following benchmarks were modified/added for the 2015 dashboard:
o EBNHS must issue 12 Health and Safety Loans for 2015.
o EBNHS must maintain a lending committee to as the organization's 'Loan Officer' to perform work free of charge for the Health and Safety Loan Program.
o 50% of all grant applications submitted must be for operational and personnel costs.
o EBNHS will Develop professional marketing materials educating the public on services offered including but not limited to, property management, H&S Loan Program, Neighborhood assessment program, etc.
o By year end 2015 EBNHS will have an additional 10 properties in their Portfolio, which will include the (8) IFF properties associated with the AG grant, pending AG grant contract for funds.
o EBNHS will create a property matrix to track owner/non-owner occupied properties and code violations. EBNHS will educate residents on common code violations and solutions.
o By year end 2015 EBNHS will hire a part time employee to assist Executive Director.
FINANCIAL IMPACT: FY2015 SSA funds will be dispersed quarterly per the agreement terms.
NEIGHBORHOOD CONCERNS: No public meetings were held regarding the 2015 proposed agreement.
IMPACT IF APPROVED: The EBNHS will receive EBNHS Special Service Area funds for revenue received by the City from January 1, 2015 to December 31, 2015, for the use of personnel expenses, operating expenses, and $15,000 designated annually for the EBNHS Health and Safety Loan Program
IMPACT IF DENIED: An agreement between the EBNHS and the City of Peoria would not be approved and no SSA funds would be dispersed for 2015.
ALTERNATIVES: N/A
EEO CERTIFICATION NUMBER: Renewal Pending
WHICH OF THE GOALS IDENTIFIED IN THE COUNCIL'S 2014 - 2029 STRATEGIC PLAN DOES THIS RECOMMENDATION ADVANCE?
1. Attractive Neighborhoods with Character: Safe and Livable
WHICH CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTOR(S) FROM THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN DOES THIS RECOMMENDATION IMPLEMENT?
1. Reinvest in neighborhoods.
DEPARTMENT: Community Development