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09/19/2000NEIGHBORHOOD & AFFORDABLE HOUSING ADVISORY BOARD MEETING CITY OF CLEARWATER September 19, 2000 Present: Warren Hunt Chair Stephen Jefferies Vice-Chair William Graham Board Member Howard Groth Board Member Mayme W. Hodges Board Member Milly Joplin Board Member Peggy M. Cutkomp Board Member Joyce L. Smith Board Member Absent: William Turner, Sr. Board Member Also Present: Nina Bandoni Assistant Housing Director Brenda Moses Board Reporter The Chair called the meeting to order at 10:00 a.m. at City Hall. To provide continuity for research, items are in agenda order although not necessarily discussed in that order. ITEM #3 - Approval of the Minutes Member Groth moved to approve the minutes of the special meeting of July 5, 2000, as recorded and submitted in written summation to each board member. The motion was duly seconded and carried unanimously. ITEM #4 - Citizens to be Heard - None. ITEM #5 – Staff Presentations Subrecipient Activity Reports Assistant Housing Director Nina Bandoni reviewed the subrecipient activity reports and reported that the reports do not include September 2000, statistics. The report includes the agencies and programs they provide, dollar amounts budgeted to them, and their year to date expenditures. Career Options and the Strive program applications for funds were pulled and those moneys were carried over into this year’s budget. In July, 2000, WorldChangers was included in the funding process. Ms. Bandoni said staff discovered that subrecipient reports have reflected Countywide statistics rather than Clearwater statistics. Staff will schedule a special meeting with subrecipients to review proper reporting procedures. In the future, staff will only highlight those subrecipients who have not turned in reports. Those subrecipients will be required to report to the NAHAB (Neighborhood and Affordable Housing Advisory Board) regarding the deficiencies. Staff has included a statistical report and demographic information about the clients the City serves. The Loan Report provides a list of the housing pool providers and includes $646,000 in SHIP (State Housing Initiative Program) expenditures for downpayment closing assistance and home repairs, and $50,000 in the CDGB (Community Development Block Grant) program for owner-occupied rehabilitation. The report also provides economic development loan activity information. Staff will provide the NAHAB with a legend explaining the abbreviations on the report. In response to a question, Ms. Bandoni said although budgeted funds for the year was $804,000 and expenditures were $278,000, staff expects the September agency reports will reflect that all funds budgeted have been spent. She said the Homeless Emergency Project is the only organization that has not met their goals. Neighborhood Revitalization Strategy Ms. Bandoni said with HUD’s approval of a Neighborhood Revitalization Strategy, the City would be able to provide more funding to social service agencies from the CDBG budget. If the plan is adopted, more funding for social service agencies will be added. She reviewed the Neighborhood Revitalization Strategy. Staff collected crime, income levels, and a variety of other statistics related to individual communities, and identified specific geographic boundaries. Meetings were held in North and South Clearwater to obtain input from communities regarding their vision for the future and revitalization. Concerns from the community were related to employment, business opportunities, availability of employment services, job skills training, education, places to meet, places to offer and operate various programs that would be centrally located for all residents, individual and family support services, services for small businesses, etc. Staff concluded that North and South Greenwood had a higher number of lower income families and other challenges that require additional HUD and community assistance. A report was compiled which includes data regarding family compositions, incomes, housing conditions, property values, etc. Staff feels HUD will accept the information in the report and will allow the City to provide some additional services to help those neighborhoods. Ms. Bandoni encouraged the NAHAB to contact her regarding any input regarding the Neighborhood Revitalization Strategy, as it will be made available to residents through the citizen participation process and ultimately presented to the Commission and to HUD. It was commented that a lot of time and effort went into the process. Member Groth moved to recommend that staff proceed with the Neighborhood Revitalization Strategy process as presented to the Commission and to HUD. The motion was duly seconded and carried unanimously. Amendments to the Consolidated Plan Ms. Bandoni said 2 amendments have been proposed to the Consolidated Plan. Two organizations, the City’s Economic Development Department and CNHS (Clearwater Neighborhood Housing Services,) have requested either inclusion or amendments to their funding in this year’s plan. The City’s requested funds would be matched by the EDA (Economic Development Administration) for testing and a $70,000 planning study in North Greenwood that would result in the application of new projects to assist the area. HUD indicated if this request were included in the Consolidated Plan, funds would have to come out of the Housing Department’s administrative budget. In the interim, staff received a ruling from HUD that would allow the City to move the $35,000 from the Economic Development rehabilitation budget into the Economic Development line item for the grant. Member Smith moved to recommend approval of the amendment as presented by staff to move $35,000 from the Economic rehabilitation budget into the Economic Development line item. The motion was duly seconded and carried unanimously. Ms. Bandoni said the second amendment involves CNHS. Their budget this year was $150,000 for small business loans. They have requested $60,000 of that money be set aside in a loan loss reserve against a $400,000 line being offered by the SBA (Small Business Association) program. The loan funds would be offered Countywide and loans funded under this program would generate jobs and business opportunities for low and moderate income residents in Pinellas County. City staff would be involved in the loan selection and monitoring process as under the current program. CNHS would underwrite and service the loans. The change would result in fewer direct loans to small businesses in Clearwater. An average loan under the proposed amendment would generate 1 to 3 new jobs, for a total of 53 new jobs. The loans would range from $2,500 to $25,000, resulting in 26 loans. Clearwater would like to encourage more small business development within the City limits. Staff’s concern is that the proposal allows CNHS to use City funds for a Countywide program. Staff said Pinellas County cannot participate in a partnership with the City this year, but is receptive to funding the program next year. Discussion ensued and concern was expressed that there is a need in Clearwater for creation of small businesses and jobs. It was felt the City's funds should not be used to subsidize a Countywide economic development program. Member Groth moved to recommend approval of Amendment #2, with the exception that the funds are for Clearwater only. Discussion ensued regarding the motion. It was suggested a new amendment be submitted. It was remarked that the language in the proposed amendment is unclear. Ms. Bandoni said CNHS will service the loans and the $60,000 would only be used in the event of a loan default. Member Groth withdrew his motion. Member Jefferies moved to recommend approval of Amendment #2, with the caveat that up to $60,000 be set aside in loan loss reserve as loans come up, so long as businesses are located within the City. The motion was duly seconded. Concern was expressed that the amendment was being changed and a new amendment should be presented for discussion and approval. Ms. Bandoni said staff can approach CNHS based on today’s discussion and determine whether they wish to move forward with the proposed amendment. In response to a question, Ms. Bandoni said there is no limitation of the timeframe for a business that receives funding to remain in Clearwater and hire Clearwater residents. She said only one company participating in the Economic Development loan pool has moved out of Clearwater. Upon the vote being taken, Chair Hunt and Members Jefferies, Groth, Joplin, Smith, Graham, and Cutkomp voted “aye”; Member Hodges voted “nay”. Motion carried. ITEM #6 - Old Business – None. ITEM #7 - New Business 2000/2001 Meeting Schedule Ms. Bandoni said as NAHAB meetings are held every third Tuesday of the month in Chambers when other meetings are frequently scheduled, the Clerk’s office has requested the NAHAB meetings be changed to the second Tuesday of the month. Discussion ensued and one member indicated she could not attend meetings the second Tuesdays of the month. Discussion ensued regarding quarterly meetings, dispensing with evening meetings, and an alternate location for meetings. It was remarked that residents do not attend evening meetings scheduled at various location throughout the community. Member Joplin moved to discontinue the neighborhood evening meetings. The motion was duly seconded and carried unanimously. Member Hodges moved to recommend that NAHAB meetings be scheduled quarterly. The motion was duly seconded. Ms. Bandoni said unless staff has pending business for the NAHAB’s review, quarterly meetings should suffice. Upon the vote being taken, the motion carried unanimously. Ms. Bandoni said even if meetings are held quarterly, if scheduled on the third Tuesday of the month, another location may be required. ITEM #8 – Announcements/Board Comments Beth Eschenfelder, Director of the Mustard Seed Foundation, thanked staff and the NAHAB for the opportunity to attend meetings. ITEM #9 - Adjournment The meeting adjourned at 10:54 a.m.