Travis County Commissioners Court
July 11, 2006
Item 5
Number five is a public hearing to receive input from residents of Travis County regarding the proposed consolidated plan for community development block grant funds from the united states department of housing and urban affairs office of community planning and development that are required to be used in unincorporated areas.
>> move the public hearing be open.
>> second.
>> all in favor? That passes by unanimous vote. This is the first of two public hearings that we'll have -- we'll have two more public hearings, I should say.
>> one more. First of two.
>> these two are in addition to many that we've heard already.
>> oh, yes, that's correct.
>> good morning, judge, Commissioners, sherri fleming, Travis County health and human services and veteran's service. As you know, our consolidated plan with services our application for community development block grant funds is currently posted, so staff will have just a brief presentation which will serve as an overview of that plan, which is available at all of our Travis County community centers, on our website and it is also available on e-mail through your offices as well as the health and human services offices for residents who might be interested in reviewing the entire plan.
>> good morning. We'll just do a very brief presentation to give everyone an overview on the intent of cdbg and what Travis County intends to do with its first year of funding. The community development block grant program is intended to improve neighborhoods and promote economic development and provide improved community facilities and services. Travis County is expecting $2,449,339 the first year, and we anticipate that the subsequent four years of funding for a total of five years will be somewhere around that same amount. The cap in the administration and planning is 20%. There is also a cap on public services, which we usually think of as social services, and that cap is 15%. And there is a minimum of at least 65% of the grant to go toward development activities, which includes housing and community development. A big part of what we did in this consolidated plan was to do an assessment of the community need. We looked at some demographic information and housing information, and all kinds of other plans and statistics for this area. A quick demographic overview of Travis County is that our population continues to grow very quickly and our racial and ethnic diversity is increasing. The incidents of poverty among hispanic or latino population in Travis County was higher than any other racial or ethnic group in 2004 with almost one-quarter of these people living in poverty. Income and education disparities are also increasing, and compared to the overall u.s. Employment performance, the Austin msa is experiencing positive employment trend, and that is expected to continue. Regarding housing needs in central Texas, the housing market is characterized by high occupancy rates and a lack of affordable rental and owner housing units for low income residents. Approximately 80% of all low income households experience a housing problem. Housing problems as confined by the u.s. Census include overcrowding in a house or incomplete facilities like kitchen and plumbing, and also cost burden of over30% of your income going toward your housing expenses. And overcrowding is present in one of four hispanic latino households in Travis County. The last three slides here are what Travis County is proposing to do in regards to our first year's allocation, and again, this is the first year out of five years, so there were a lot of really great project ideas. We hope to pursue some of them in subsequent years. The first is to promote the production of owner-occupied housing through land acquisition to the sum of 125,000. The second project would be to promote the production of rental housing, again through land acquisition, and that is in the amount of 375,000. The second would be street and road improvements, specifically bringing them up to a level where Travis County can maintain them. That is 750,000. And there's also a water sewer improvement project in north ridge acres which would cost 200,000, of which we are one of six funders. And then the final community development activity would be a letter abatement and clearance activity which again would be done through land acquisition, and imperial valley. So the total for community development activities is about one and a half million. And in public services, which again is a cap of 15%, the first project is employment training, and that would be job training, placement and supportive services through two subrecipients, capital idea and america youth works to a sum of 207,400, and youth services, the youth and family assessment center flexible funding to support families at about $10,000. And the final public services project is expansion of social services, and the family support services division of health and human services by providing additional social work services in the unincorporated areas. And finally in the area of administration and planning, for planning it will be about $180,000 to do further needs assessment for the unincorporated areas. To identify pockets of eligible low income areas and to develop projects for future years. And an administration that would be considered grant coordination, planning and other administrative functions about 309d thousand. -- 309,000. And that concludes what we're proposing to do with the first year. We'd like to open it up now for any comments that the public might have for us regarding either the needs we've identified or what we plan to do with the money.
>> I have just two points of clarification. The water sewer improvements to north ridge. When are we going to get that finally completed? I think I've heard about their needs since '95 when I got on this board. Are we going to come pretty close to completing that project?
>> our understanding at this point is that we've acquired most of the funding. I believe it was about $1.87 million, and I believe it starts in July of this year and I apologize. I cannot remember off the top of my head when the intent is, but I believe it's within the next 18 months or so.
>> Commissioner, are you aware that I think it's just water, isn't it?
>> it's just water.
>> it's just water, not wastewater.
>> yes. That's what we've been able to do in Travis County, but with our money mostly just water.
>> okay.
>> on the public service page, the 150,000, what specifically do we deliver to in that category to our families?
>> what it will be is case management. Any non-clinical counseling, information and referral to residents in the unincorporated areas it would be two social work staff focusing specifically in the areas of south and east of manor and del valle. And so primarily they would be pretty much expanding what it is that they would be doing.
>> thanks.
>> the various limitations on funding by category that you mentioned are set by the federal government, not us.
>> that's correct.
>> anything else from the court?
>> let me ask, can you tell me what is the calculation or how is the calculation determined with regards to overcrowding in a house? Is that per square footage per person?
>> it's actually one person per room, not including the kitchen or bathroom. That's how the census has defined it.
>> one person per room, not counting the kitchen and --
>> and the bathroom. So if you had a four bedroom house you could probably have five people in it without it being overcrowded if you include like the living area.
>> well, how much square footage is that per person?
>> that's the reason -- I thought it would probably be more square footage than --
>> yeah. That's just the way the census defines it when they take their count and that's where we got the statistic.
>> we all grew up in overcrowded situations and didn't realize it. [ laughter ]
>> we all grew up with bunk beds.
>> we did. And especially in this community what will happen is if a family can't keep up with their homes for whatever reason, then they move in with another member of the family, and I think that's where the overcrowdedness comes from. But you make do.
>> Gerald, were you completed? How will we determine the measurements and the effectiveness and the performance of each particular category that we designate an amount of money? Is there a time line whereby we have to look at these particular amounts that have been chosen for us to use the cdbg money. And with that how do we determine the effectiveness of the performance of the program that we've identified to be funded? How is that going to take place? How will it take place?
>> there are set guidelines by h.u.d. In terms of the things that we have to account for them. There are outcome measures and performance measures. Actually, h.u.d. Is in the process of developing their performance measures. It's a new system that they're putting in place.
>> a new system?
>> yes. There's always been a requirement for performance measures, but they're actually coming up with designated performance measures, so as we are aware of those, we will continue to add those. But in terms of tracking, we do that with an end of the year report on December 30th of each year after we spend our dollars to indicate what we've done and with the money and how well we achieved our goals. And in the consolidated plan for each activity, it also outlines an estimated number of people that we believe we will benefit with those dollars.
>> in addition, Commissioner, the activities that the court has identified have a very specific outcomes in terms of land acquisition at the end of the year or the end of the period we'll be able to see we either bought land or we didn't. So that will make it increasingly easier to be able to report to the court the outcome in addition to the measures that the staff has mentioned.
>> and all of these other things we have specific indicators to let us know that performance. For example, when we look at employment, we're looking at job training type opportunities, which is I think a very critical component of assisting persons that do need that type of help. How would that be measured? In other words, those folks that would be overseeing that would have to say, well, we train this many people again and if you have to have employment tied to employment also, these many people were hired from training. I'm making sure we have the most bang for our buck and I'm sure that's what you're looking at, but I want to make sure we don't leave anything uncovered whereby we can get the bang out of the buck. I think all these things are very critical activities that we're putting forth here, but I want to make sure that we get the bang out of every buck that we spend by measuring and getting the results at the end of the day that these particular activities are as they should be because they met the performance and we were able to actually measure. So I know we've got specifics, but then there are some that are not as specific, but we still look at the end result of those. I'm just looking for that type of answer and those type of results.
>> yes, sir. And staff will be working really closely with the subrecipients that we have identified through our presentation. These programs already have a very successful track record in the services that they're providing in the community, so in conjunction with their current outcomes. And we have to align those of course with h.u.d. Expectations, but we will work closely to ensure that we can provide the type of outcome information that the court can use to measure the effectiveness of how we've spent these dollars. But you've chosen subrecipients who have already -- who already have a track record of performance in the area that they'll be working.
>> is there any requirement that you would have to come back to the Commissioners court and say court, this is midyear with these particular monies that we have used, this is midyear of the allocation of those monies for the activities. Is there any reporting mechanism to let us know where we are during the course of the year before the next allocation come in, and if so, when would it be?
>> there's not a time line, but we internally have time lines that we will come back and report to the court. But you will see us quite a bit because once we have this plan in the can we must start working on our year two action plan. So I believe the court will have many opportunities to monitor the progress of the expenditures for this current year while looking at projects for the second and subsequent years.
>> okay. Thank you for your answers.
>> what's our deadline for submitting the plan to h.u.d.?
>> August 15th is the deadline.
>> that would be one other public hearing opportunity, and will that be next Tuesday?
>> that's correct.
>> the purpose of this public hearing today is to give interested residents an opportunity to give comments on the proposed plan. Is there anyone who would like to give testimony during this public hearing? If so, please come forward at this time.
>> move the public hearing be closed.
>> (indiscernible).
>> okay. If you would give us your full name we would be happy to get your comments.
>> my name is lynndie murphy, I'm a public health nurse. I work at the children's wellness center in del valle. I'm a resident of Travis County, but I work in an area of Travis County since 1997, and I just appreciate the opportunity to the court to be able to give comment, not so much on behalf of myself personally, but as a public health nurse my job is outreach. And I've been able to go through the provider part of giving comments on the consolidated plan, and they've done an outstanding job and I just wanted to witness the process as it goes along and encourage residents in the del valle area of the county to come and give comment because many of the dollars I believe -- I consider that area a priority of course because I work out there, but we'd just like to offer that we'd come and giveness witness as -- give witness as the process goes on through the next five years. It sound like a lot of the monies will be used for planning in the area of del valle more than actually providing sewer improvements, water improvements, housing and services to the elderly and youth. Being a part of a clinic that's primary care, we do serve children and their families and we certainly see a big need for services for youth in that area. So I guess my point is just I would like to give public testimony that I want to help with this process as much as possible and that I'll do my best to get residents out to give you public comment because I believe that in this process so far, perhaps not many of them have given comment. And I don't want to speak for them, and I will do my best to get them to come and speak to you. So thank you.
>> thank you so much.
>> she does a fantastic job out in del valle as a public health nurse, so we're very glad that she's there. What we have done is to visit some of the families in their homes to let them know about the process. We kind of know that they won't come to give testimony, but we wanted to make sure they had the information about the effort. We'll keep working on it.
>> did we have a public hearing at the del valle community center?
>> yes.
>> still the turnout was modest?
>> it was pretty good.
>> it was a rainy night.
>> what we do is try to make the public hearings in different parts of the county in addition to having some here in the Commissioners court.
>> right. And we also contacted the del valle school so that they would let their families know as well.
>> now, the next Tuesday is the last opportunity for this cycle, but as you mentioned, each year there is another full cycle, so next year another full cycle of public hearings also.
>> yes. And we will continue to receive written public comment until July 27th. And that can happen either to p. O. Box 1748, attention the cdbg program, Austin, Texas, 78767, or they can e-mail me, christie moffett at co.travis.co.us.
>> when will the actual dollars hit the treasury so all these subrecipient groups can say cool, let's go, get the land, let's get the programs going?
>> that is a good question. We're not sure. I'm thinking sometime after the start of the fiscal year at the earliest. So some time late October.
>> let us know by -- on or before October 1, right?
>> yes. I believe they have 45 days to give us notice that our plan has been accepted. I also wanted to add in reference to the comments made about del valle, part of the work that the social work unit that will be joining health and human services, their responsibilities will not only be connecting residents with services from the incorporated areas, but also tracking the service needs of those families. So we have individuals who will actually be visiting residents in the unincorporated areas in their homes, helping them to identify needs that need to bubble up through this process.
>> and helping us identify needs too?
>> yes.
>> the county function in what we call health and human services continues in addition to this -- this opportunity for federal funds, so as we identify different needs and programs and services that we really should adopt, then not only will we have access to cdbg funds hopefully, but also continuing county monies.
>> that is correct. And as new needs come forward, for those folks who might be reviewing our plan, the court does have the flexibility in subsequent years to modify its plan and modify its priorities in response to changing needs in the community.
>> would anyone else like to give testimony during this public hearing?
>> move the public hearing be closed.
>> one more next Tuesday at 9:00 or close to it.
>> I would still like to know if there's a recommended square footage per person.
>> I can try and find that out for you.
>> okay.
>> if you e-mail the whole court with the answer... All in favor? That passes by unanimous vote.
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Last Modified:
Wednesday, July 12, 2006 10:47 AM