Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - Minutes - Community Development Advisory Commission - Meeting Date: 8/21/2014 MINUTES CITY OF GLENDALE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE GLENDALE CITY HALL—ROOM B-3 5850 W. GLENDALE AVENUE Thursday,August 21, 2014 6:00 p.m. MEMBERS PRESENT: Cherie Hudson, Chair Pattie Johnston, Vice Chair Matthew Versluis Chuck Jared Marcellous Sanders Sue Pederson John Torres Ronald Jauregui Shirley Wong Sharyn Nesbitt Dorlisa Dvorak MEMBERS ABSENT: Cathy Cheshier STAFF PRESENT: Erik Strunk, Director, Community Services Department Rebecca Daniel, Community Action Program Manager Gilbert Lopez, Community Revitalization Manager Mona Francis, Community Revitalization Supervisor Elaine Adamczyk, Community Housing Services Manager Jana Kelly, Community Housing Supervisor Elizabeth Garcia, Community Revitalization Coordinator Call to Order Chair Hudson called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m. II. Roll Call Chair Hudson conducted roll call. Mr. Strunk introduced himself and staff. Mr. Strunk swore in Commissioners Jared, Versluis, Jauregui and Nesbitt. III. Minutes Minutes of the Community Development Advisory Committee August 21,2014 Page 2 Committee-member Jared motioned to approve the May 15, 2014 meeting minutes as written. Committee-member Johnston made the second. The motion passed 9 — O. [Committee-member Torres and Saunders were not yet present.] IV. Business from the Floor None. V. Presentation on Scope and Mission of CDAC Mr. Strunk gave a PowerPoint presentation on the role and scope of the Committee, which included the following information: • The Basics - from the official ordinance: o The Community Development Advisory Committee shall consist of thirteen (13) members including one (1) representative from the Glendale Elementary School District, five (5) representatives of low-income residents/neighborhoods, and seven (7) members representing City Council. o Appointments to the Committee shall be made by City Council and shall be for two-year terms. o The Council shall appoint a chairman from the members of the Community Development Advisory Committee, which will serve at the pleasure of Council. At the organizational meeting of the Committee, the members shall establish rules and regulations to govern its affairs and such rules and regulations shall designate: • Other officials of the Committee, the time and manner of the election, the terms of each office and the duties of each officer. • The time, place and manner of notice of all regular and special meetings. • The manner of adoption, amendment, and repeal of the rules and regulations of the committee. • Any and all other provisions necessary or desirable to aid the Committee in conducting its affairs. o The Committee can advise, counsel and aid the City in developing, implementing and evaluating the City's Community Development Block Program. o The Committee can advise, counsel and aid the City regarding rules, regulations and policies governing the maintenance and operation of housing programs and proposals for development of additional housing. o The Committee can advise, counsel and aid the City in developing, implementing and evaluating the City's Community Action Program and community needs assessment. • Roles and Responsibilities o Research Issues • Decisions are based on expertise and study of specific issues. Minutes of the Community Development Advisory Committee August 21,2014 Page 3 o Recommend decisions and policies that are in the community's best interest • Purely advisory • Do not establish, but recommend public policy • Members are not elected officials • Recommendations and actions are subject to approval • Practical Responsibilities o Connect with residents o Help define and advocate for social/human services o Share information with elected officials/staff o Attend community meetings and special events o Participate in City events and activities o Serve the public with respect o Do not take things personally o Actions and behaviors will affect how the public views decisions as a member [Committee-member Saunders entered the meeting at 6:20 p.m.] • Staff Responsibilities o Provide timely information and support to the CDAC o Officially represent the City at community functions o Administer and manage committee policies o Communicate issues as appropriate o Discuss developments with the Chair/Vice-Chair Committee-member Jared asked if all meetings in the future would begin at 6:00 p.m. and commented that last fiscal year the meetings were 6:30 p.m. Mr. Strunk noted that this evening's meeting was changed to 6:00 p.m. due to the amount of material to be covered. Mr. Strunk announced that future meetings would return to the 6:30 p.m. starting time. Chair Hudson inquired as to how meetings are advertised to the public and commented that there are usually no public attendees at the meetings. Ms. Francis stated that the meeting announcements are posted in the Glendale Star and on the City website. Committee-member Saunders stated that some residents may not have a computer or purchase the newspaper. Ms. Francis agreed and added that at an upcoming meeting, the Committee-members can brainstorm other ways to advertise the Committee-meetings. Mr. Strunk commented that a discussion could be held in regards to ways the Committee- members can assist with outreach to the public to encourage meeting attendance. [Committee-member Torres entered the meeting at 6:25 p.m.] Mr. Strunk announced that he, Mr. Lopez and Chair Hudson will attend the September 2nd City Council meeting to obtain the Council's funding priorities for the upcoming CDBG funding cycle. Minutes of the Community Development Advisory Committee August 21,2014, Page 4 Mr. Strunk announced that City achieved a score of 95 out of 100 in the recent public housing inspection and congratulated staff. VI. Overview of Human Services Division Mr. Strunk provided a high level overview of the various responsibilities of the Human Services Division, which included the following information: • Organizational Facts: o The Human Services Division is functionally located in the Community Services Department. o It consists of Community Revitalization, Community Housing and the Community Action Program. o Each of these sections provides direct community services that ensure residents receive access to resources and community programs that support self-sufficiency and build strong programs. o Organizational charts were presented. Mr. Strunk stated that the Human Services Manager position is vacant and is expected to be filled soon. [Mr. Lopez entered the meeting at 6:30 p.m.] o Information was presented regarding budgets for Community Revitalization, Community Housing and the Community Action Program for the last five fiscal years and also staff counts. Committee-member Nesbitt asked if City employees must reside in the City. Mr. Strunk replied in the negative, adding that this used to be City policy but was rescinded a while ago. Mr. Lopez gave a presentation on Community Revitalization, which included the following information: • Mission: Plan, fund, and operate programs to help low and moderate income Glendale residents - individuals, families and children... o Acquire safe, decent housing o Improve their living environments o Improve their neighborhoods • Leveraging Dollars to Make a Difference o Community Development Block Grant(CDBG) o Home Investment Partnerships Program (HOME) o Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP) o Some programs are run in-house o Great prudence and expedience is taken with the use of federal funds • Public Services o 15% of CDBG can be used for Public Services such as • YWCA Home Delivered Meals • Glendale Boys & Girls Club Minutes of the Community Development Advisory Committee August 21,2014 Page 5 • Public Facilities Improvements o Boys & Girls Club New Club House o Catlin Court Right of Way Improvements o Glendale Homes Utility Replacement Project • Infrastructure Improvements o Sidewalk Improvements o Traffic Circles o ADA Curb Ramps • Housing Rehabilitation Programs o Single Family Rehabilitation o Replacement Housing o Infill Housing Program o Roof Repair/Replacement o Exterior Improvement Program o Lead-Based Paint- Assessments/Mitigation • Community Service Programs o Emergency Repair Program -partnership with Habitat for Humanity o Glendale Home Accessibility Program - ABIL • Housing Replacement - Pictures displayed • Voluntary Demolition/Blight Removal - Pictures displayed • Infill Housing - Pictures displayed Ms. Daniel gave a presentation on the Community Action Program (CAP), which included the following information: • Basics o One of thirteen state Community Action agencies o $1.6 million in direct service delivery o Rent, Utilities, Weatherization and Mortgage Assistance o Homeless Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing o Collaboration with over 60 different social service agencies and other community partners to service residents in need • • Primary Functions o Community Services o Emergency Services o Housing Programs o Case Management services that target low-income individuals and families within the Glendale city limits. This is strictly adhered to due to state and federal guidelines. • Community Services o Glendale CAP educates clients on the importance of training and education for job success or seeking employment 1 o Employment related and skill development: • Maricopa Workforce West Valley Center • Maricopa Skill Center, DES Job Service Minutes of the Community Development Advisory Committee August 21,2014 Page 6 ■ Jobing.com, City of Glendale Human Resources, the Goodwill Career Center, the Southwest Skill Center • Emergency Services o Utility& Deposit Payment Assistance o Eviction Prevention Rent Assistance: The $75,000 CDBG grant for this program was fully utilized o Mortgage Foreclosure Prevention o First Month Move-In Rent Assistance and Rent Deposits for the Homeless o Homeless Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing • Community Partnerships o Agency Collaboration Group Meetings are held throughout the year o Cooperating agencies are important partners. Many times, clients are assisted with both CAP and faith-based resources to resolve a crisis. • In 2013, CAP and the agency collaboration group provided holiday assistance totaling $19,860 in direct assistance to low-income families in Glendale. This includes Thanksgiving/Christmas food baskets, CAP Annual Holiday Back-Pack event and the Annual CAP Agency Resource Fair at which over 1,000 people attended and 250 turkey dinners were distributed. • FY 2013-14 Statistics o 1,027 households participated in Energy Conservation Educations workshops o 930 households were provided with food-related referrals o 697 households were provided with employment education or job training referrals o 195 households were provided with medical-related referrals o 700 households were provided with housing, home repairs, advocacy, transportation, local church or other special needs referrals o 362 households were enrolled in a utility discount program o 244 households were provided with child support referrals or afterschool/Head Start youth programs o 51 home visits were completed last year for homebound clients o CAP received 3,948 resident referrals • CAP Holiday Assistance - Pictures displayed Committee-member Versluis inquired as to the demand for services. Ms. Daniel reported a small drop compared to the numbers of 2008. Ms. Daniel stated that her department sees 90 people a week and is extremely busy. Committee-member Torres inquired about staffing in the department as reported in May. Ms. Daniel stated that the process is underway to hire for one vacant position and there is a temporary employee assisting the department as well. Ms. Adamczyk gave a presentation on Community Housing. Ms. Adamczyk praised her staff on the achievement of the 95% score on the recent HUD inspection. Minutes of the Community Development Advisory Committee August 21,2014 Page 7 • Goal: To provide safe, decent and affordable housing for Glendale residents who would otherwise live in substandard housing or would be homeless. Accomplished by stewardship of federally-funded rental assistance programs via: o Conventional Public Housing o Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers • Conventional Public Housing o Three low-income rental communities, totaling 155 apartments: • Cholla Vista Apartments: 5320 W. Maryland Avenue - 34 units • Glendale Homes - 52nd Avenue/52nd Drive between Ocotillo Road and McLellan Blvd. - 70 units • Lamar Homes - 61st Avenue and West Lamar Road- 51 units • Conventional Housing Statistics o 383 persons, 189 persons younger than 18 years old o Currently 140 families o Average: 2.74 persons per family o $565,000: HUD budget this year which is 89% of last year's budget o $300,000: Rental income, which can fluctuate o $274,269: From the City's General Fund, which provides 24% of Public Housing funds • Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program o 3,420 persons, 1,552 persons younger than 18 years old o $7,800,308: HUD funding for rent only o 1,054 Glendale vouchers o Additional 300-400 "port-in" families • Currently 1,314 families in Glendale • Average 2.6 persons per family o $800,000-$900,000: Paid monthly to landlords o Opportunity to live in homes and apartments throughout the community o Provides subsidized renters the same housing choices as non-subsidized renters o Over 600 Glendale landlords • Must have current City Sales Tax License • Must have County Residential Rental Registration • Program Comparison o Section 8 • Private landlord • City pays subsidy directly to landlord • Family must still pay their portion, based on 30% of annual adjusted income o Public Housing • City is the landlord • City collects the rent • City does all the maintenance • Subsidy is in lower monthly rent based on 30% of annual adjusted income Minutes of the Community Development Advisory Committee August 21,2014 Page 8 Ms. Adamczyk displayed pictures of the Glendale Homes circa 1952 and 2014. Committee-member Torres inquired as to the highest amount of subsidy for Section 8 rent. Ms. Adamczyk replied that for a four-bedroom, $1,480 is the "Payment Standard." The rent charged by a landlord is "gross rent," which includes the rent and a utility allowance. An example is $1,280 for rent and$200 for utilities. Ms. Adamczyk invited the Committee-members to contact her at any time with questions. VII. Review of Key Calendar of Events for FY 2014-15 Mr. Lopez distributed the calendar for FY 2014-15. Mr. Lopez stated that there may be changes to the calendar dates. The dates for the CDBG hearings may possibly be moved up earlier in the fiscal year. VIII. CDAC Annual Action Plan Mr. Strunk asked the Committee-members for suggestions regarding specific tasks or objectives regarding a work plan for the Committee. Mr. Strunk stated that suggestions can either be expressed at the monthly meetings or sent to staff members at any time. Chair Hudson wondered if she was allowed to reach out to Committee-members after the meetings for feedback on the meeting. Mr. Lopez and Mr. Strunk cautioned Chair Hudson against the practice to avoid any issues with the Open Meeting Law. Mr. Strunk stated that Committee-members can feel free to express comments or feedback during the agenda item for Committee Comments and Suggestions. Chair Hudson would like to further review the role and purpose of the Committee in addition to the CDBG hearings. Committee-member Jared suggested the Committee-members attend other events in the City. Mr. Strunk will have a list of events/activities forwarded to the Committee- members and will also pursue the purchase of nametags for the Committee-members. Committee-member Saunders would like information from the Transportation Committee. Mr. Strunk stated that Committee-members are welcome to attend other Committee meetings as private citizens but again, must be careful not to attend in a group to avoid a quorum or issues with the Open Meeting Law. Ms. Daniel invited the Committee-members to attend the Glendale Family Agency Fair to observe the event and to be a presence to the attendees. Minutes of the Community Development Advisory Committee August 21,2014 Page 9 Committee-member Dvorak suggested visiting a local food bank to see an agency at work firsthand. Mr. Lopez stated that the Committee could visit an agency as a group as part of a meeting or retreat. The meeting would have to be posted. Committee-member Tones stressed the need to keep CDBG funding in the City of Glendale. Committee-member Torres stressed the importance of visiting agencies that apply for CDBG funds in order visually see that the funds being utilized as the agency states. IX. Staff Updates Mr. Lopez commented on the following: • Ironwood Village: The grand opening will be held on September 4th at 9:00 a.m. and all Committee-members were invited. The total project cost was approximately $16 million with$2.1 million from CDBG funding. • Staff will begin working on the Five Year Consolidated Plan. • Due to a timing issue, $46,000 will be moved to Habitat for Humanity for Emergency Repair funding from Housing Rehabilitation funding. A detailed report will be provided next month. Staff will follow federal regulations for the re-appointment of the funds. Mr. Strunk invited all Committee-members to the September 2nd City Council meeting, along with himself, Mr. Lopez and Chair Hudson, to obtain the Council's funding priorities for the upcoming CDBG funding cycle. X. Committee Comments and Suggestions Committee-member Jared stated that at a recent HOA meeting, a resident asked him about HOA grant funds. Mr. Strunk stated that the Neighborhood Improvement Grants are no longer available due to budget issues and that Commission has been disbanded. XI. Adjournment Committee-member Torres motioned to adjourn at 8:01 p.m. Committee-member Jared made the second. The motion passed 11 —0. Respectfully submitted, Recording Secretary Denise Kazmierczak