Travis County Commissioners Court
June 30, 2009,
Item 3
Number 3 a public hearing to receive comments from residents regarding the proposed usage of community development block grant, cdbg, funds for the program year 2009 action plan.
>> move the public hearing be opened.
>> second.
all in favor?
that passes by unanimous vote.
>> good morning.
maria salazar with the health and human service department.
i'm here to provide an introduction for a public hearing to get input for the proposed community development block grant projects for the program year 2009.
the community development block grant program is often referred by the acronym cdbg soiled be using the acronym throughout the presentation.
there's copies of the power point presentation on the table next to the door both in english and spanish.
first I'll give an introduction of the grant, then the program for 2009 and the floor will be open for comments.
i'll be using the power point as a guide.
first we received cdbg funds from the u.s.
department of housing and urban development every year.
we started receiving funds in the year 2006.
the overall purpose of the grant is to improve affordable housing options, improve community facilities and services and revitalize neighborhoods.
at least 7% of the funds must benefit low to moderate income residents and all of those residents must live in the unincorporated areas of the county.
eligible activities include economic development, public services, redevelopment, planning and housing.
ineligible activities include acquisition, construction or reconstruction of buildings for the general conduct of bidding and political activities in general, among others.
for the management of the grant we have a consolidated plan that establishes the strategic direction for a five-year period.
and an action plan that salvagees annual projects following the established priorities.
in 2006 the county established the priorities for a five-year period going from 2006 to 2010 and those priorities were water and sewer improvements, street improvements, owner housing production of new units, owner housing rehabilitation of existing units, infrastructure to support affordable housing development, youth services and public services.
generally speaking, this high priorities guide the proposed project for action plans but other emerging priorities are considered as well.
for example, this year staff reviewed submitted projects within the context of the economic downturn and weakened housing market giving consideration to medium priority projects such as home buyer assistance.
for the program year 2009, we're expecting to receive an estimated amount of $866,380 and we're recommending the following projects.
first home buyer assistance for the amount of $528,000.
this project will provide financial assistance to households to president bush homes in the unincorporated areas of the county,
>> [inaudible] and downpayment assistance.
this project will be administered by the Travis County housing finance corporation and it will increase affordability for 35 households.
second, home rehabilitation projects for $130,000.
and this one will provide home repair services to bring homes up to quality, housing quality standards and it will be administered by a nonprofit designated
>> [inaudible] by recipient and replace housing -- with less than $25,000 per home t third project we're recommending is street improvements in lava lane.
and this is -- this funding is in the amount of $60,000 for phase 2 of a three-year project.
this project aims to improve a road called lava lane located in precinct 4 and in particular this year's funding will cover the acquisition of right-of-way and project management time.
it will be administered by the Travis County transportation and natural resource department and will benefit 20 householdsen indirectly 1297 people that live in the block group.
the fourth group is a public service project and is in contemplation of an internal project of the family support services of the health and human services department.
and this -- this project provides social services -- social service work in the unincorporated areas of precincts 1 and 4.
and this would be -- it's recommended to be funded at the $35,000 level.
and the fifth project is a youth service program funded for $32,100.
this is flex funding flu the youth and family assessment program.
this program provides services to assist high-risk youth living in unincorporated areas by improving school performance and preventing them from falling into the juvenile justice system.
this project like the previous one will be administered by the families division of the health and human services department and is estimated to impact 30 youth.
and the sixth and final project is the administration of the cdbg grant for operating expenses in the amount of 81,282 for expenses such as travel, training, office supplies, advertising for the public comment and a portion of the salary for the cdbg planner.
and so those are the six areas of funding that were recommended for program year 2009 and program year starts October 1 and goes through September 30th, 2010.
to conclude, we're requesting comments to use on the funds that we're proposing for program year 2009.
Commissioners court will approve the final draft of the document that will be submitted to h.u.d.
in early August.
final versions of the document will be available to the public by August 15th and h.u.d.
will provide a decision on the submissions no later than September 30th of this year.
>> have we selected the nonprofit that will do the work on home repair?
>> we have not.
it goes through a competitive process.
>> okay.
would anyone like to give testimony during this public hearing?
if so, please come forward.
>> judge, Commissioners, gus pena, native of precinct 4, 2327 east 5th street and montopolis and, of course, other areas also.
anyway, one of the concerns I had and I brought it to Commissioners court and also to the city council is specifically travel.
in this economic downturn of the economy and also, you know, the problems we're having with funding at the county Commissioners court and city council and other governmental bodies, $81,280 was specifically mentioned for cdbg administration.
my question to you -- to y'all would be you mentioned travel.
one of the concerns the community has, there's been a lot of travel, a lot of travel that can be incorporated into local areas instead of going to washington, instead of going to los angeles, san diego, whatever, and gain the information that's needed in Austin and minimize the cost of travel.
could you explain the cdbg administrative portion of the -- of this grant at the tune of 81,280?
because it's not very specific.
>> sure.
most of -- I think it's probably about $39,000 is to fund -- and this is estimates.
this is off the top of my head.
about $39,000 is to fund part of the 1:00 planner.
and then most of the addmin costs go to advertising because it's fairly expensive to put the number of ads we do in the newspaper.
for travel and training, that includes us going to san antonio and h.u.d.
or to h.u.d.
in san antonio.
we have quarterly meetings there where we get updates.
and then also we go to an annual conference once a year, and that is sponsored by the national association of county, community and economic development.
and then the rest of the training is to support some committee work or any other opportunities that show up, but primarily we stay mostly in the area for training.
because h.u.d.
often offers opportunities.
usually if it's not san antonio, then it's fort worth.
>> when you mention training and travel in san antonio, I mean that's 82 miles away.
specifically what is it for per diem, gas, mileage?
what does that entail?
>> if it's an overnight stay, it would be for hotel.
it would also be for -- for per diem.
>> when I was with the i.r.s.
we did extensive travel but we tried to minimize to certain geographic areas.
you know, staying overnight in san antonio, I know it's not a hardship to travel back to Austin to come b I know it sounds like of -- for us poor folk, that barely have enough money for gas or barely making the mortgagor rent, people are questioning this type of travel expenditure.
and I'm glad to hear that the travel and training is minimized to actually maximized here locally in the surrounding geographical areas but I find it a concern and others find it a concern to go to san antonio and stay overnight for whatever.
i'm just voicing concerns from the community and how some of this funding is spent.
i know it's under the stimulus package funding.
if I'm wrong, please correct me.
>> this is the regular cdbg allocation.
>> whatever.
it still baffles the taxpayers as to how funding is used for travel when, you know, come on, overnight in san antonio, back and forth.
so I would like -- I would ask whoever it be to look at this and see if it is an appropriate expenditure.
appropriate verbiage expenditure that some of the taxpayers are questioning.
we try to minimize spending on travel and I'm glad it's being here geographically.
and the nonprofit, we're kind of concerned we get the names of the nonprofits that are going to be handling repairs after the fact.
like the u.t.
system, et cetera, after the factor school district, article in the paper we want to know whose going to be and who makes the list of whatever the verbiage is.
that's all have I to say.
it's a good program, but funding, travel, et cetera.
>> on the home repair, the plan is proposed at this time.
i guess after the plan is approved, then we will solicit competition for the nonprofit.
>> correct.
>> so if do you that kind of work, you'll have an opportunity to submit a proposal and be considered.
but part of these public hearings is for us to take final action on the plan at some point in the future, and that's projected to be August 15th.
>> that is correct.
that is correct.
but still some of the concerns, this is open court and I know you want to receive concerns from the taxpayers and how expenditures come about.
but also again I'll reiterate people would like to know who the competitors or competing agencies are.
it's good practice.
i guess they call it transparency now.
anyway, that would be a good thing to do.
thank you very much.
>> thank you.
>> yes, sir.
>> just briefly, I'm ronnie reeferseed and I'm here to -- often to back up mr.
gus pena and his commonsensical ideas.
i was just trying to write down and listen to what you all were saying was involved with this -- what's covered under the administration, 81 some odd thousand.
did I mishear you that public comments are somehow included in that figure?
>> it's advertising.
>> public advertising.
>> and why does -- why does that have to -- I understand newspapers sell a lot of money, but is there something in the grant itself that demands that newspapers are used in that way?
>> yes, we're required by federal regulations.
>> okay.
>> and we don't use the Austin american-statesman.
we are -- we purposely target areas -- because we focus on the unincorporated area, we target newspapers that target the outlying areas to reduce that admin cost.
because when we were using more expensive techniques it was considerably more.
we've actually reduced significantly the amount of our advertising costs.
>> that's grated.
i appreciate that.
you say you pay attention to it but like community newspapers and maybe even community radio.
there's low cost and there's more and more community radio --
>> [audio difficulties].
or here lately anyway.
that's one thing to maybe look into if you wanted to.
communication network 98.1 fm.
>> media, we're getting a whole lot of static in here.
>> and I thought it was me.
>> yes, sir.
>> I'm kenneth kalm, psychotherapist, certified mediator.
and a person that has sat down with a cdbg-funded social worker and she visited with ms.
sanchez.
ms.
sanchez has been a single parent.
she raised three children.
when she tried to get a septic tank for her house, she couldn't get it.
she had not been able to hear anybody in close to 22 years dealing with the kind of thing that a single parent, mrs.
sanchez, this social worker, made the lady feel comfortable.
if it had not been cdbg funds, we need the kind of thing that you are passing on and I urge that there's this running -- the money is well spent.
so back off.
the public -- the public is in favor of people like ms.
sanchez getting heard, but taking 21 years.
if the notices had of been possible -- I've written grant proposals.
it's hell of a hard work.
so back off, ronnie.
i'm upset with it.
and it's time that this kind of bugging the Commissioners and bugging the public workers, we need support for the people.
and it's time for that kind -- I say congratulations.
keep doing the hard work, but we need -- we need the public not to be represented by ugliness and questioning every little bitty issue.
it's time that we worked together, not how can we use the bible to hit somebody over the head.
it ain't -- it's okay if you want to do that, but the american indians are dead.
they are sacred --
>>
>> [inaudible] that remark.
i'm an american indian and I'm upset with that remark.
>> what I'm trying to say is that the sacred beliefs of the american indian have been ignored.
they have been protecting our society and the many, many years.
i thank you for the correction, but I'm trying to say that the -- the bible using people put an entire race into close to nonexistence.
it's well taken that you are here, but my university --
>> we're on a 2009 proposed plan.
any other comments related to it?
>> thank you.
no, sir.
i just trying to say that we really need to support the public workers and the Commissioners court in what it's trying to do.
>> thank you.
>> thank you.
>> anybody else?
during this public hearing?
move the public hearing be closed.
>> second.
>> all in favor?
that passes by unanimous vote.
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Last Modified:
Tuesday, June 30, 2009 1:31 PM