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04/22/2003NEIGHBORHOOD & AFFORDABLE HOUSING ADVISORY BOARD MEETING CITY OF CLEARWATER April 22, 2003 Present: Peggy M. Cutkomp Chair Laurel Braswell Vice-Chair Stephen Jefferies Board Member Joyce L. Smith Board Member Tracy Reid Board Member Don Brackett Board Member Absent: Rev. William Graham Board Member Also Present: Howie Carroll Assistant Housing Director Michael Holmes Housing Manager Patricia O. Sullivan Board Reporter The Chair called the meeting to order at 9:08 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 Minutes Member Smith moved to defer approval of the minutes from the February 11 and April 8, 2003 meetings until May 13, 2003. The motion was duly seconded and carried unanimously. ITEM #4 – Citizens to be Heard – None. ITEM #5 – Funding Allocations - FY (Fiscal Year) 2003/04 Consolidated Action Plan Assistant Housing Director Howie Carroll reviewed the process to fund agencies to address fair housing, public facilities and improvements, economic development, public services, administration, acquisition, rehabilitation, relocation, demolition, housing education and development, the HOME Investment Partnership program, and CHDO (Community Housing Development Organization) reserves. He thanked members of NAHAB (Neighborhood & Affordable Housing Advisory Board) and TRC (Technical Review Committee). In response to a question, Mr. Carroll said as proposed, the top two rated Public Services Category agencies were scheduled to receive 60% of their requested allocations. As the second and third rated agencies had tied scores, the top three in this category will receive 60% of their requests. The next two agencies are scheduled to receive 50% of their requests. The remaining agencies receive 40% of their requests until available funds are all used. Funding for Public Services is capped at 15% of the total CDBG (Community Development Block Grant) allocation. In response to a question, Housing Manager Michael Holmes said some agencies were not rated due to required information missing from their applications. He reviewed these items, which included unclear requests, a lack of reassurance that facility improvements made with federal funds would be reimbursed, and a request for toys, which cannot be funded by this source. HOME and SHIP (State Housing Initiatives Partnership) funds are limited to housing related issues. Concern was expressed the process used to determine funding allocations for Public Services Category agencies seems unfair. Scores are based on how well an agency meets City objectives. It was stated an agency with a score of 54 received $8,890 while an agency, with the much higher score of 82, received only $4,000. It was recommended funding not be provided to agencies that score below 75 or 80. Mr. Carroll said it is up to NAHAB to determine that issue. Concern was expressed agencies with poor grant writing skills do not score well. Mr. Holmes said scoring applications is not an exact science and welcomed suggestions to improve the system. It was felt all top scoring agencies should receive some funding. Betty Cranes of Girls Incorporated of Pinellas County thanked the board for funding the agency, stating funds will support a variety of programming. Elizabeth Shaw of Gulf Coast Jewish Family Services, Inc. expressed concern the agency’s application had reflected the amount of funds necessary to receive a federal match to serve clients. Laron Barber of Clearwater Community Based Organization requested input regarding his agency’s poor score and how they can improve it in the future. He said his agency is at a disadvantage to other agencies, which know how to write grants and recommended other agencies collaborate with his agency to write grants. Alex Emmanuel, of UNO Federation Community Services, Inc. said grant applications are costly to produce. He said his agency lacks funding to present its application correctly. It was recommended that requests be limited to a percentage of available funds. In response to a question, Mr. Carroll said some funds returned last year allowed the City to fund 4 Public Facility agencies not originally identified for funding. To receive them, agencies must be ready to use available funds immediately. Unused funds greater than 150% of each year’s allocation must be returned to USHUD (Department of U.S Housing & Urban Development) if they are not drawn down by August 1. The City does not want to be in that position. In response to a concern that new groups do not know how to write grant proposals, Mr. Carroll said staff would be agreeable to host a grants workshop every fall to help agencies with the application and writing process. Mr. Holmes said staff is available to help bring grass roots organizations up to speed. Ms. Shaw said the Pinellas Grants Collaborative meets monthly at SPC (St. Petersburg College) and provides grass roots organization with seasoned grants people for mentoring. A Bridges to Grant Writing workshop is planned in June 2003. Member Braswell moved to recommend funding allocations as listed in the FY (Fiscal Year) 2003/04 Consolidated Action Plan. The motion was duly seconded and carried unanimously. ITEM #6 – New/Old Business Mr. Carroll reported staff will develop a formal action plan for 30 days of public comment before it is presented to the City Commission on June 19, 2003. The goal is to have all agency agreements executed by October 1, 2003. Member Jeffries was thanked for his service to the board. ITEM #7 – Announcements a) Upcoming Meeting - May 13, 2003 ITEM #9 – Adjournment The meeting adjourned at 9:43 a.m.