Community Development Advisory Committee

CDAC MINUTES March 21, 2013 3:30 P.M. Basement – 23 Union St. Members Present: Les King, Democles Angelopoulos, Robert McKeon, Edward Derr , Lynn Norris & Brian Eckenrode Others Present: Gary Evans and Susan Goldman The CDAC meeting was called to order at 3:35 p.m. Approval of Minutes Minutes have not been completed as of yet. Will be available at meeting of March 27th. Applicant Presentations Norwich Youth & Family Services - Kay Eyberse & Angelo Callis (see attached presentation) Questions:  Do you think funding for this program will eventually be included in city budget? Given the economic situation of the city this will not happen anytime soon. An investment in this program saves money in the long run. Diversion plays a key role in improving positive outcomes for youth. It reduces recidivism and cost to the community.  You will be dealing with students at NFA. Will NFA be providing you with any funding? Will not be getting any financial support from NFA. The students we will be helping will all be Norwich residents.  A component of your program is dealing with the entire family, not just the child. Do you encounter any resistance from the families? For the most part they realize that if their cooperation is necessary in order to fulfill legal obligations of the program.  Is the offender age getting younger? Yes, there are children that are as young as 8 years old that have been referred to the program. CD Office – Property Rehab Program – Wayne Sharkey & Gary Evans (see attached presentation) Questions:  Why have you selected this targeted area? Creating walkable downtowns with improved housing stock that allows for a mix of income to live in an area aids in  the economic development of a city. The housing stock improvements lend to improved perception of an area which in-turn encourages people to gravitate more to these centers. This results in increased foot-traffic, which leads to business opportunities that provide destinations for the foot-traffic.  Why the new targeted approach? The CD department has run this program for probably 2 decades. It has been very successful and improves approximately 35 units per year. It is important to note that the lead program will still allow for improvements city-wide. Our approach this year is to accomplish at least four things – decrease code and safety issues, improve the property values as well as overall aesthetics of a neighborhood, increase the amount of visible impact and participation by providing supplemental exterior improvement program and improve the perception of the neighborhoods as you enter the downtown..  Do you have a policy to reach out to minority contractors? The CDBG rehabilitation program focuses on the smaller contractors, many meeting the definition of minority. Nearly 50% of bids come from minority owned business. In addition, HUD funded projects are subject to Section 3 obligations which require contractors hiring for jobs to employ low income individuals. Our program leverages lead funding which provides certification training to contractors that is no/low cost. This process promotes the placement of low income as well as minority workers into training. The long range goal is to increase the talent and the contractor pool in the area and provide increased skill/certification of the employees.  How will you select properties in the target area? The same way we provide outreach to the community, allow for an open application period and review documentation. This documentation includes but is not limited to the following: tax payments must be current, mortgage must be current, satisfy HUD income limits, meet loan to value standards. The policy and procedures are attached for further information on basic eligibility. None of the current requirements will change and this still achieves the outcomes as stated in the 5-year consolidated plan. 25-30 units of housing per year will continue to be improved and the low-to- moderate income community will benefit.  What type of targeted outreach activities will you conduct? Press releases, mailings to abutters of past/current projects (GIS), mailings to weekly property transaction list (new homeowners), WICH morning show, Norwich Public Schools, Norwich Day Cares, Otis Library, NPU (coordinate with Energize Norwich), local banks, Insurance agents, Eastern Connecticut Association of Realtors, events such as Auto Show, Doctor Dad (Backus Hospital) Family Day, Greeneville Days, Haitian Church, National Night Out, Senior Expo and various public access TV shows.  What is mandated rehab match for Lead Program? Per the Notice of Funding Availability for FY2012, the City of Norwich was required to provide matching funds in order to obtain the highest possible score for the Lead Based Paint Hazard Control Program. “The highest amount of points are awarded when a match of 25% or greater are noted in the application.” Based on funding requested, that would require a minimum of $600,000 in construction expenditures over 3-years. As a result, we stated that $750,000, which includes the cost to run the program, would be leveraged ($250,000 per year) which is less than we historically received from the CDBG allocation. Norwich Fire Department – Chief Scandariato (see attached presentation) Questions:  What is going to be stored in the structure? Decon trailer, first response equipment. It will provide much needed security. Norwich is the designated response team for HazMat in the area and is in possession of over a million dollars of State issued equipment.  Does equipment have to be stored on-site? Are there any other city buildings that would be appropriate for storage? There is more control over security if the equipment is stored on-site. Also the equipment is more readily available for training purposes. Other locations are not functionally practical.  Will building be large enough for future storage needs? Design is for a two bay as opposed to a one bay garage specifically to address future storage needs.  What type of site work will be involved? There is some excavation of the area that will need to take place. Big Brothers – Joseph Petroff (see attached presentation) Questions:  Is there any funding through the Board of Education that you have pursued for this program? There is limited funding and the Norwich Public Schools Bridges program is funded through the school system. Continually look for other funding sources for programming. Norwich Housing Authority – Charles Whitty, Steve Garstka & Hector Ballargeon (see attached presentation) Questions:  Why did roof only last 18 years? Shingles were not installed properly and tremendous number of trees caused mold issues.  Is there proper ventilation? Yes  Are new shingles standard or moss-proof? Removed most of the trees that hung over the roof. Installing a longer life 40 year shingle.  Why are you stripping entire roof and not installing a second layer of shingles? It would be more costly in the long run to layer shingles and have to remove multiple shingles down the road. Some of the sheeting underneath is rotted and needs to be replaced. Installing another layer of shingle would just cover up rotted boards.  Are utilities paid by the tenants? Yes  Why are the rents so low? Can they be increased in order to start saving for capital improvements? 31% of the occupants are at or below the poverty level. If rents are increased many of the residents will not be able to pay their rent.  Is resident income verified? Yes, on an annual basis.  Did you receive a $500,000 grant from the State? Yes, it is for predevelopment costs and a capital needs assessment. Disabilities Network – Sharon Heddle (see attached presentation) Questions:  Are you installing metal temporary ramps? No, looked into it but they get slippery in the winter and there is a risk of theft.  Who is responsible for maintenance? Homeowner is responsible.  Will installation of ramps make client completely independent? No, many are still in need of some sort of assistance and most live with family members. SCADD – Jack Malone & Linda Ozga (see attached presentation) Questions:  Why do you only have one bid included? That bid was solicited just to get an estimate of the construction costs. If awarded the funds we will proceed with a formal bidding process.  How long do clients live at location? Up to six months then they re-integrate into the community.  Who lives at the residence? Clients come from Lebanon Pines. Not everyone is from Norwich originally. Clients are encouraged to go to half-way houses close to their community where they have support.  Are there any other bathrooms at the location? There is one small bathroom and no additional showers.  Will you be able to complete the project with partial funding? No, need the entire request to accomplish this project.  Does any of the tax from liquor sales go to funding substance abuse programs? No Our Piece of the Pie – Hector Rivera (see attached presentation)  What is the age range of your clients? 17 – 24  What type of services will you provide with Norwich funding? OPP will work with 25 Norwich youth, in which 10 will need assistance in earning a high school diploma. In addition OPP will offer components of OPP’s Workforce Development service that will enhance career competencies, including a certificate in customer service and help in work placement opportunities.  What type of follow-up exists? Track clients up to 12 months or until they turn 24 years old.  Do you work with Three Rivers Community College? Yes, we have a staff member that works with our clients that are attending TRCC. Norwich Public Schools – Bridges – Ross Anderson (see attached presentation) Questions:   What is the cost for a parent to enroll their child in the program? Approximately $5.00/week.  Is enrollment based on an open registration process? Yes, usually the slots are filled up in two days. Prior to announcing open enrollment we reach out to teachers to see if they think any of their students should be placed in a priority position.  Are staff members certified teachers? There are a few CT certified teachers. The majority come from youth development backgrounds such as coaches, at risk teen programs, etc. CD Office – Admin Budget – Gary Evans (see attached budget) Questions:  CD Admin only partially covers your administration expenses. Where does the other money come from? The CD Supervisor and Program Assistant are also partially paid from Lead Grant funding. In addition, the Program Assistant is partially paid from Property Rehab project delivery funds. New Business None Adjournment Motion was made by Les King, seconded by Lynn Norris to adjourn. Motion carried unanimously. The CDAC meeting ended at 6:40 p.m.