Housing & Community Development Committee

HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE April 12, 2021 MINUTES CALL TO ORDER The meeting of the Clarksville Housing and Community Development Committee was called to order by Chairperson Wanda Smith on Monday, April 12, 2021, at 3:00 p.m. in the Housing and Community Development Conference Room, 1 Public Square, Suite 201, Clarksville, Tennessee. This meeting was conducted via Zoom. ATTENDANCE The following members were connected to the meet: PARTICIPATING VIRTUALLY VIA ZOOM: Council Members Wanda Smith, Wanda Allen, Trisha Butler, Jason Knight, and Travis Holleman, Housing and Community Development Staff members Lisa Walker and Deborah Johnson, and Internal Audit Director Stephanie Fox PHYSICALLY PRESENT: Housing and Community Development Staff members Dennis Newburn, Brittney Cates, and Tammy Kilgore APPROVAL OF ELECTRONIC MEETING Chairperson Smith read the notice for the approval of the electronic meeting due to current COVID-19 concerns. Chairperson Smith then made a motion to approve meeting electronically. The motion was seconded by Councilperson Knight and passed unanimously. ADOPTION OF MINUTES Chairperson Smith asked for any questions or concerns regarding the minutes of the March 22, 2021 committee meeting. Hearing none, Chairperson Smith entertained a motion and second to adopt the minutes. Councilperson Knight made a motion to adopt the minutes of the March 22, 2021 meeting as printed. The motion was seconded by Councilperson Butler and passed unanimously. NEW BUSINESS 2021-2022 CDBG Application (Review Recommendations from the Mayor) Chairperson Smith turned the floor over to the Housing and Community Development staff members for the 2021-2022 CDBG Application Review. Brittney Cates presented a tentative timeline on the next steps in the application process. On April 23, 2021, a draft of the Annual Action Plan will be on the City’s website. May 10, 2021 will be the first public hearing for the Annual Action Plan and May 13, 2021 will be the second public hearing. May 25, 2021 will be the Finance Committee meeting and May 27th the City Council Executive Session. On June 3, 2021, the City Council Regular Session will be held to approve the Resolution to file the FY 2021-2022 CDBG and HOME funding application to HUD. July 1, 2021 will be the start to the new program year. Chairperson Smith asked for any questions regarding the timeline. Hearing none Mrs. Cates presented the CDBG Entitlement proposed breakdown for FY 2021-2022. Mrs. Cates stated that $31,637.96 had been allocated for Housing and Community Development Public Service Administration. Clarksville Non-Profit is being allocated $25,000. This is a new non-profit and will take on the job of affordable housing and community development. This non-profit is currently awaiting their 501(c)3. This non- profit will have the capability to buy and sell property and partner with developers. The Clarksville-Montgomery County Community Action Agency requested $25,000 but are being recommended to receive $30,000 due to the high need of homeless services. Clarksville Urban Ministries Safe Place, which is the 90-day transitional housing facility, requested $35,000 and the recommended funding amount is $35,000. Clarksville Urban Ministries Grace Assistance Program requested $35,000 and the recommended funding amount is $35,000 as well. Mr. Newburn stated the next category is Housing Rehabilitation Programs. In each of these categories, they going to actually have a category for program administration. The purpose of program administration is to charge staff time to these programs. In the first category of public services, the charge proposed reduced the funds available under the category to approximately $153,000. The advantage for the department is a much better understanding and from an accounting standpoint a much more accurate basis of knowing where staff time is going based on the delivery of each program. Rehabilitation Administration supports one full-time staff person, one shared staff person with another city department, as well as all other administrative expenses related to that program. Owner-Occupied Substantial Rehabilitation is a continuation of an existing program that is offered to low income qualified families who own their property and gives them the ability to access these funds on a first-come first-serve basis for substantial rehabilitation of their property to make them safe, decent, and sanitary. Emergency Rehabilitation is not new but the dollar amount has been increased significantly. This provides funding on a first-come first serve basis for HVAC repairs as well as other issues with a unit that could be considered catastrophic or life threatening. Accessibility Assistance is a new program. $25,000 is being funded on a first-come first-serve basis for families that have suffered medical catastrophes and need to have access to their homes and would not be able to afford it any other way other than accessing these funds. The last item is a Revolving Loan Fund. It is being proposed to offer a new program for landlords to access low interest rate loans for the express purpose of rehabilitation of their properties to make them more affordable for people who are looking for an affordable house that is safe, decent, and sanitary. It is anticipated to partner with some other organizations to increase this funding pool. For a first-time basis, this program will provide assistance to landlords and not directly to families with the hopes that landlords will access these dollars and have major repairs provided to their rental units. Chairperson Smith asked if there were any questions regarding the housing rehabilitation programs. Councilperson Allen asked about the Accessibility Assistance. She stated $25,000 for families that need modification done to their home is not a lot of money. She asked if there was a way to add a little more funding to that program? Mr. Newburn stated there were actually four programs that do what Councilperson Allen addressed. The Owner-Occupied Substantial Rehabilitation program is funded at $200,000. The Accessibility Assistance program only addresses accessibility issues for families that have experienced medical catastrophes and can no longer access their house in traditional ways. Emergency Rehabilitation has been increased to $100,000 and that program addresses HVAC systems that have failed and could result in safety issues as well. In terms of the dollar amount, there is almost $500,000 for all four different categories. Councilperson Allen stated she was taking about accessibility issues as it pertains to something catastrophic where a homeowner would need a ramp or need their bathroom modified. She asked if that type of assistance could happen in any of the other groups? Mr. Newburn stated it could happen in any of those other groups. Councilperson Butler asked if the slides could be emailed to each Councilperson? Mr. Newburn stated the slides would be emailed to the committee. Chairperson Smith asked on\ Emergency Rehabilitation, would a severe roof leak fall under this category? Mr. Newburn stated that is exactly what this category does. Chairperson Smith asked if there were any questions regarding the Housing Rehabilitation programs. Hearing none, the floor was turned back over to the staff. Mrs. Cates stated under the Acquisition category, $10,000 is being recommended to fund the Neighborhood Clean-up Program. This program would being volunteers and City Departments together to clean and improve public areas that have been neglected in the City of Clarksville. This will be for several areas in the community. Chairperson Smith asked if this will be used to help with the clean-up taking place on April 24th? Mr. Newburn stated we are hoping to be able to complete clean-ups like that next year. Mr. Newburn stated the last category is Public Facilities and Improvements. Under this category, $45,499.77 is being earmarked to staff time related to the delivery of the projects under this category. Clarksville Urban Ministries SafeHouse Facility is being funded for $200,000. Mr. Newburn stated as he had reported to the committee at the beginning of the application process, the Mayor had issued a challenge to this organization to provide a match of $200,000 for the development of a new facility in the community. It is anticipated that Urban Ministries be coming back shortly with the proof of their ability to match as well as the identification of a project, be it a new facility or the acquisition of an existing facility and the rehabilitation of that property. Hopefully in the next 30 to 45 days it will be determined exactly which one it is going to be. Mr. Newburn stated based on the strength of the proposal from Going Global Ministries, Kiana’s Housing is being recommended to be funded for $200,000. It is felt this particular project addresses a need in the community that does not exist. 408 Beech Street is a property that is currently owned by Housing and Community Development. We have been in consultation with the neighbors and Clarksville Parks and Recreation and are proposing that $80,000 be set-aside for construction of a new park at that location. Mr. Newburn stated that ends the Mayor’s funding recommendations thus far. The application process and final recommendations of activities will not be authorized by Housing and Community Development until after June 7, 2021. If an organization goes ahead at this point and makes preparations or spends money in anticipation of receiving CDBG funding, they are reminded they do not have a contract and the earliest they could receive a contract could be no earlier than June 7th. The final recommendations will be in writing. Anything prior to that is simply a recommendation. There are several steps that must be completed that allows the general public as well as other elected officials to provide suggestions or alterations. The City reserves the right to make changes in any activities proposed under the CDBG program including recommending new activities or making changes to the existing recommended activities including the elimination of those activities. Mr. Newburn stated we were very pleased with the proposals received this year. They were less that has been received in previous years, but that could be attributed to the changes made this year Chairperson Smith stated to let the record show that Councilperson Wanda Allen and Councilperson Travis Holleman had joined the meeting earlier via Zoom. Mr. Newburn stated the slide presentation along with the scores that were provided from the committee for review of the projects will be emailed to each committee member. Mr. Newburn thanked Mrs. Cates and all the committee members for the work that had been completed on the applications and to the organizations that submitted applications. Councilperson Allen stated she had talked to Mr. Newburn about changing the time of the meeting. She stated that since we may be going back to in-person meetings, it is very early to be present by 3:00 p.m. The meeting time change could not be voted on at this meeting since it was not on the agenda. Mr. Newburn stated he would speak with Chairperson Smith about taking an informal poll to see if a new time works for all committee members. If that is the case, the next meeting will be at 4:30 p.m. PUBLIC COMENTS (five minutes each) In accordance with the Alternative Public Comments procedure, requests must be made no less than 48 hours prior to the meeting. There were no public comments. ADJOURNMENT Chairperson Smith entertained a motion to adjourn. A motion was made by Councilperson Knight to adjourn the meeting. The motion was seconded by Chairperson Butler and passed unanimously. The meeting was adjourned at 3:22 p.m.