Community Development Advisory Committee (CDAC)

AGENDA City of Hot Springs Community Development Advisory Committee (CDAC) VIRTUAL TELECONFERENCE and IN-PERSON SPECIAL MEETING Monday, May 4, 2020 1:00pm City Hall Lobby, 133 Convention Blvd, Hot Springs, AR 71901 1. CDBG Administrator Michelle Sestili will call the meeting to order and take a roll call of CDAC members, teleconference and in-person participants for the record CDAC Members: Terry Kent, Leslie Ramsey, Kelly Thomason, Kelly Cowart, Alice Marshall 2. New Business: A. Michelle Sestili will provide an overview of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) and associated HUD requirements/waivers:  Additional $254,473 in CDBG-CV funding through the CARES Act to respond to COVID-19  Eligible CDBG-CV expenditures can be reimbursed back to March 27, 2020 and through 2021  Ability to reallocate fiscal year 2019 and 2020 funds to COVID-19 response activities. The City of Hot Springs has not opted to pursue at this time.  Suspension of the 15% public services cap through 2020  Suspension of the timely spend down requirement for 2020  Ability to hold virtual public meetings and utilize expedited 5-day public comment periods by amending the Citizen Participation Plan  CDBG-CV funds to be accounted for the in last HUD approved Annual Action Plan (2019)  COVID-19 response activities to be tracked under a new Consolidated Plan objective As moderator, Michelle Sestili will call on each CDAC member then resident participants for questions and comments. B. Substantial Amendment to the CDBG Citizen Participation Plan Refer to the Citizen Participation Plan document or click here https://www.cityhs.net/DocumentCenter/View/11601/CDBG-Citizen-Participation-Plan-Proposed- Amendment-April-2020-in-response-to-COVID-19 Michelle Sestili will discuss the proposed changes to the Citizen Participation Plan including:  Page 6, last paragraph: Addition of virtual hearing accommodations for persons with disabilities or limited English proficiency.  Page 7: Addition of the lobby of City Hall and online as locations where plans may be made available for public review  Page 7: Consolidated Plan and Annual Action Plan public comment periods of at least 30-days has not changed in non-emergency situations  Page 9: Amendment requirements has not changed  Page 9: Addition of 5-day public notices for fiscal year 2019 and/or fiscal year 2020 CARES Act related substantial amendments  Page 10: Better definition of the types of disasters or emergencies that may necessitate expedited amendments to now include terrorism and infectious diseases such as COVID-19   Page 11, paragraph 1: Use of 5-day public comment period for disaster/emergency related expedited amendments instead of the usual 30-day public comment period. Prior Citizen Participation Plan was 14 days for disaster/emergency related expedited amendments.  Page 11, paragraph 4: Virtual hearings as an allowed method for citizen participation in case of emergency  Page 12: Examples of eligible activities that may be undertaken to respond to COVID-19  Page 14: Addition of the availability of the Citizen Participation on the City’s website  Page 14: Addition of public review and comments on Changes in Use of Real Property. These procedures have been in place and used in the past, but were not described in the prior Citizen Participation Plan.  Page 15: Addition of public review and comments on Environmental Review Records. These procedures have been in place and used in the past, but were not described in the prior Citizen Participation Plan. As moderator, Michelle Sestili will call on each CDAC member then resident participants for questions and comments. CDAC will publicly discuss and consider recommending the Substantial Amendment to the Citizen Participation Plan to the Hot Springs Board of Directors with or without revisions, or remand to the CDBG Administrator for substantial changes. C. Substantial Amendment to the 2019-2023 Consolidated Plan Refer to the 2019-2023 Consolidated Plan Proposed Amendment document or click here: https://www.cityhs.net/DocumentCenter/View/11658/2019-2023-Consolidated-Plan-Proposed- Amendment-May-2020-in-response-to-COVID-19 Michelle Sestili will present the proposed amendment. The Consolidated Plan serves as the City’s 5-year CDBG strategy and grant application to HUD. The Consolidated Plan includes housing and community development needs analyses, consultations with the public and area organizations, and outlines objectives that will be addressed with CDBG funds. When the Consolidated Plan was adopted in June of 2019 it did not plan for or include an objective to respond to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) public health crisis. In order to account for and track COVID-19 related funding, expenditures and activities an objective must be added to the Consolidated Plan. This proposed amendment adds that objective and related public service goals to provide healthcare, homeless assistance and food programs to prevent and respond to the COVID-19 public health crisis. Page 2 of the 2019-2023 Consolidated Plan Amendment details where the objective and goals were added throughout the document. As moderator, Michelle Sestili will call on each CDAC member then resident participants for questions and comments. CDAC will publicly discuss and consider recommending the Substantial Amendment to the 2019-2023 Consolidated Plan to the Hot Springs Board of Directors with or without revisions, or remand to the CDBG Administrator for substantial changes.  D. Substantial Amendment to the 2019 Annual Action Plan Refer to the 2019 Annual Action Plan Proposed Amendment document or click here: https://www.cityhs.net/DocumentCenter/View/11599/2019-CDBG-Annual-Action-Plan-Proposed- Amendment-April-2020-in-response-to-COVID-19 Michelle Sestili will present the proposed amendment. The City of Hot Springs receives CDBG funds annually from and is required to submit an Annual Action Plan detailing how funds will be spent. Title 24 of the Code of Federal Regulations Section 91.505 requires the City formally amend prior Annual Action Plans whenever changes in spending are needed. An April 1, 2020 HUD memo indicated that CDBG-CV funds and activities should be detailed in a substantial amendment to the last approved Annual Action Plan, which for the City of Hot Springs is the fiscal year 2019 Annual Action Plan. This amendment involves allocating the additional $254,473 in CDBG-CV funds to be used to prevent, prepare for, and respond to the coronavirus (COVID-19) as authorized by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (CARES Act). The substantial amendment describes and accounts for proposed CDBG activities and expenditures in the prevention and response to COVID-19 for needs that were not originally considered or planned in the 2019 Annual Action Plan. This substantial amendment proposes funding for 3 citywide activities to prevent and respond to COVID-19: • $126,825.00 Heath Services: Provide funding for health services, needs and supplies resulting from COVID-19 to include, but it not limited to Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and testing supplies and equipment for clinics to serve Hot Springs low- to moderate-income residents  $76,824.00 Homeless Assistance: Provide assistance to aid homeless individuals in the Hot Springs area with isolation/quarantine lodging, services, needs, and supplies as a result of COVID-19  $50,824.00 Meal Programs: Provide meals on wheels / grab and go food services to low – to moderate-income residents As moderator, Michelle Sestili will call on each CDAC member then resident participants for questions and comments. CDAC will publicly discuss and consider recommending the Substantial Amendment to the 2019 Annual Action Plan to the Hot Springs Board of Directors with or without revisions, or remand to the CDBG Administrator for substantial changes. 3. Old Business: A. 2020 Annual Action Plan Refer to the 2020 Annual Action Plan document or click here: https://www.cityhs.net/DocumentCenter/View/11649/2020-CDBG-Annual-Action-Plan Michelle Sestili will provide an overview of recent changes to the 2020 Annual Action Plan. On April 24, 2020 the Whittington Valley Neighborhood Association withdrew their 2020 CDBG application for the replacement of the Baseball Trail Park Walking Trail. The Association noted in their letter that the City of Hot Springs would undertake repairs to the walkway using city funds, with the end goal of an overlay of the walkway. Removing the $52,000 Baseball Trail Park Walking Trail application from the 2020 prioritized list moved all applications up the list. The $40,800 Chelsea Street Sidewalk & ADA Accessibility project can now be fully funded. This leaves a balance of $17,633.78, which we are proposing be added to the 2020 CDBG Planning & Administration fund rather than leave unencumbered. This would increase Planning & Administration from $60,000 to $77,633.78, which is still under the 20% cap. There are several reasons more funding may be needed:  Additional labor and advertising costs related to the amendments discussed today  Potential for future amendments  Administration, tracking and reporting of extra CDBG-CV funds with rule exceptions  Special open application periods, reviews and subgrants for health, homeless and food service providers to deliver CDBG-CV funded public services  Additional subrecipient technical assistance, management and monitoring  Beneficiary eligibility paperwork verifications for public services  Planning & Administration funding cannot be carried over from year to year. Unspent 2020 Planning & Administration funds will be reprogrammed to other eligible projects through an amendment in 2021. 3 CDBG Applications exceed the amount of funding available and remain on hold should additional funds from cancelled or under budget projects be realized before 12/31/2020: As moderator, Michelle Sestili will call on each CDAC member then resident participants for questions and comments. CDAC will publicly discuss and consider recommending the Substantial Amendment to the 2020 Annual Action Plan to the Hot Springs Board of Directors with or without revisions, or remand to the CDBG Administrator for substantial changes. . B. Updates  HUD approved the 2019 Consolidated Annual Performance Evaluation Report (CAPER) on April 29, 2020  The drop-in place restroom for Linden Park has been ordered. Delivery is expected in August.  A bid has been released for sidewalks at Garden Street, Dell & Ravine at Park intersections, Arbor Street, Cedar Street, Linwood at Hobson (Jones School area), bus shelter pad on Hobson near Lacey and bus shelter pad at Ouachita Behavioral Health & Wellness. Bid opening date May 18, 2020.  A bid will soon be released for the clearance of 13 condemned structures  On hold, until social distancing measures are no longer needed: Home Buyer Education Classes, Ouachita Children’s Center Roof Replacement and the RA Psychle 4C Elderly & Disabled Lawn Care program. As moderator, Michelle Sestili will call on each CDAC member then resident participants for questions and comments. 4. Adjournment