02/10/2004
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NEIGHBORHOOD & AFFORDABLE HOUSING ADVISORY BOARD MEETING
CITY OF CLEARWATER
February 10, 2004
Present: Laurel Braswell
Don Brackett
Lisa Hughes
John Sabatier
Vice-Chair
Board Member
Board Member
Board Member
Absent: Peggy M. Cutkomp
Joyce L. Smith
Tracy Reid
Chair
Board Member
Board Member
Also Present: Howie Carroll
Michael Holmes
Brenda Moses
Assistant Housing Director
Housing Manager
Board Reporter
The Chair called the meeting to order at 9:00 a.m. at City Hall.
To provide continuity for research, items are in agenda order although not
necessarily discussed in that order and are in summary format.
Election of Chair and Vice-Chair
Assistant Housing Director Howie Carroll said the Board needs to elect a new Chair and
Vice-Chair.
Member Sabatier moved to appoint Member Braswell as Chair. The motion was duly
seconded and carried unanimously.
Member Hughes moved to appoint Member Sabatier as Vice-Chair. The motion was
duly seconded and carried unanimously.
3. Approval of Minutes - November 10, 2003. and December 2. 2003
Member Sabatier moved to approve the minutes of the regular meeting of November 10,
2003, and the special meeting of December 2, 2003, as submitted in written summation to each
board member. The motion was duly seconded and carried unanimously.
4. Citizens to be Heard
Pat Daly, Personal Enrichment through Mental Community Health Services, thanked the
City for the funds her agency received from the consolidated plan program. She said
Clearwater citizens are well served by this urgent care mental health center in St. Petersburg.
Neighborhood & Affordable Housing 2003-02-10
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5. FY04-05 Consolidated Action Plan - Discussion
Mr. Carroll reviewed the proposed changes to the Consolidated Action Plan. Staff
proposes a maximum allocation that an agency can receive from the public services funds to be
$30,000. He said this year, a large portion of the CDBG (Community Development Block Grant)
funds would be used for downtown improvements. Education and financial counseling funds
will be reimbursed to organizations on a per-household served basis. Maximum awards also
may need to be determined. The City may need to cap the number of organizations approved
to provide education and financial counseling type services.
Mr. Carroll said a Technical Review Committee is being formed. Applications will be
accepted beginning February 17, 2004, at which time an application workshop geared primarily
toward new applicants also will be held. The application deadline is March 16, 2004. Staff
provides training for applicants that prepare grants and need help preparing applications. Mr.
Carroll encouraged applicants to contact his office for assistance or questions.
Mr. Carroll suggested scheduling a Board meeting at 9:00 a.m. on April 13, 2004, in
order to discuss the application process, and another meeting several weeks later. In response
to a question, Mr. Carroll said the February 17 workshop would be held in the second floor
training room at City Hall from 2:30 - 4:30 p.m. He suggested only one member of the Board
attend. Discussion ensued and Member Hughes agreed to attend that workshop. Board
members can send their comments to Mr. Carroll who will forward them to Member Hughes.
Mr. Carroll said funding for public services is very competitive. When compared with
available funds, the highest number of applications are for public services funds. He said public
. services fund make up only 15% of CDBG funding.
In response to a question, Mr. Carroll said there is approximately $65,000 - $70,000
available in the housing counseling/education services. Staff is still developing the new process
for allocation of funds, mirroring the process used by Largo and St. Petersburg.
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Mr. Carroll said a bus tour of subrecipient facilities is tentatively scheduled for March 29,
2004. Board members are welcome to suggest a list of subrecipients to visit shortly after the
applications are received. It was suggested the group visit to some of the agencies not seen
last year. Mr. Carroll said due to time constraints, it may not be possible to visit subrecipients in
St. Petersburg. Staff will provide the Board with a list of subrecipients' names and addresses. It
was remarked that if time allows, other subrecipients could provide a brief overview of their
agencies services and funding needs.
6. New/Old Business
Mr. Carroll said thanks to the hard work by staff and local nonprofit organizations, the
State awarded the SHIP Program in Clearwater a satisfactory monitor rating.
7. Announcements
Mr. Carroll said he would confirm the date of the bus tour with Board members.
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8.
Adiournment
The meeting adjourned at 9:30 a.m.
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Neighborhood & Affordable Housing
Advisory Board
Attest:
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Board Reporter
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