05/01/2020 - Special Neighborhood and Affordable Meeting Minutes May 1, 2020
Housing Advisory Board
City of Clearwater
Main Library- Council Chambers
100 N. Osceola Avenue
Clearwater, FL 33755
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Meeting Minutes
Friday, May 1, 2020
2:00 PM
Special Meeting
Main Library - Council Chambers
Neighborhood and Affordable Housing Advisory
Board
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City of Clearwater
Neighborhood and Affordable Meeting Minutes May 1, 2020
Housing Advisory Board
Roll Call
Present 5 - Board Member Kevin Chinault, Board Member Linda Kemp, Vice
Chair Gabby Camacho, Chair Peter Scalia, and Board Member
Camille Hebting
Absent 2 - Board Member Carmen Santiago, and Board Member Peggy
Cutkomp
Also Present - Denise Sanderson — Economic Development & Housing Director, Chuck
Lane — Economic Development & Housing Assistant Director and
Rosemarie Call — City Clerk
To provide continuity for research, items are in agenda order although not necessarily
discussed in that order.
1. Call to Order— Chair Scalia
The meeting was called to order at 2:00 p.m. Chair Scalia, Vice Chair
Camacho, Board Members Kemp, Chinault, and Hebting, attended the
meeting using communications media technology. Also participating in
the meeting were Economic Development and Housing Director Denise
Sanderson, Economic Development and Housing Assistant Director
Chuck Lane and City Clerk Rosemarie Call.
2. Approval of Minutes
2.1 Approve the March 10, 2020 NAHAB Meeting Minutes.
Board Member Hebting moved to approve the March 10, 2020
NAHAB Meeting Minutes. The motion was duly seconded and
carried unanimously.
3. Citizens to be Heard Regarding Items Not on the Agenda - None
4. New Business Items
4.1 Recommend City Council approval of the Amendment to the City of Clearwater's
2019-2020 Annual Action Plan to reallocate unencumbered funding and to budget for
additional funding provided by the United States Department of Housing and Urban
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City of Clearwater
Neighborhood and Affordable Meeting Minutes May 1, 2020
Housing Advisory Board
Development (HUD) to address needs resulting from the COVID-19 Emergency.
Under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act),
$492,592 of Community Development Block Grant Program funding
(CDBG-CV) was directly allocated to the City of Clearwater for use within
eligible programs to address community and housing impacts arising from the
COVID-19 pandemic. HUD has also provided various regulation waivers and
suspensions to provide for additional flexibility and expediency in utilizing the
funding.
The proposed amendment provides for the expenditure of$492,592 in
CDGB-CV, $130,000 of unencumbered CDBG funding from Program Year
2019-2020 and $300,000 in HOME Investment Partnership Program funding.
The funds will be distributed through four categories:
Business assistance: The Economic Development and Housing Department
(ED&H) will administer a program to provide grant funding and technical
assistance to eligible businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Residential assistance: ED&H will administer a program to distribute funds for
rental and utility assistance as well as mortgage and utility assistance to
residents whose incomes have been affected by the pandemic.
Public Services: For Program Years 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 and the
CDBG-CV allocation, HUD has eliminated the requirement to spend no more
than 15% of the respective allocation on Public Services. The proposed
amendment budgets for expenditures in excess of the 15% cap for Public
Services that mitigate or respond to impacts arising from the pandemic.
Program administration: HUD regulations provide for up to 20% of CDBG-CV to
be used for costs associated with administering these programs. The city's
General fund is not impacted by the proposed amendment.
Staff will present this item at the City Council Meeting scheduled for May 7,
2020.
APPROPRIATION CODE AND AMOUNT:
A mid-year budget amendment will establish special program 181-G2010,
CDBG-CV Fund, recognizing a budget increase of$492,592 in CDBG grant
revenues from HUD, and a transfer of$131,000 in CDBG revenues from
181-G2004, Public Facilities.
Economic Development and Housing Assistant Director Chuck Lane
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City of Clearwater
Neighborhood and Affordable
Housing Advisory Board
reviewed the request.
5. Adjourn
Meeting Minutes May 1, 2020
In response to questions, Mr. Chuck Lane said individuals needing rent and
utility assistance will know if they qualify for Pinellas County's program
based on their income bracket. Individuals needing rent or utility assistance
who are denied county assistance because they fall in a higher
income bracket, should apply for the City's rent and utility assistance
program. Information regarding the program will be available on the
City's Housing website, beginning May 11. Economic Development and
Housing Director Denise Sanderson said the City's website includes a
COVID-19 landing page that will include information on this program and all
related resources.
One comment supporting Item 4.1 was received electronically and read
into the record by the City Clerk (see page 5).
Vice Chair Camacho moved to recommend City Council approval
of the Amendment to the City of Clearwater's 2019-2020 Annual
Action Plan to reallocate unencumbered funding and to budget
for additional funding provided by the United States Department
of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to address needs
resulting from the COVID-19 Emergency. The motion was duly
seconded and carried unanimously.
Mr. Lane said the next scheduled meeting will be June 9, 2020 at 9:00
a.m. in Council Chambers.
The meeting adjourned at 2:19 p.m.
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City of Clearwater
Chair
Neighborhood & Affordable Housing Advisory Board
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