Travis County Commissioners Court

June 26, 2012 - Item 1
Agenda

View captioned video.

Item number 1 is a public hearing to receive comments regarding Program Year 2012 Action Plan and Substantial Amendments to the Program Year 2011-2013 Consolidated Plan and 2006-2010 Action Plans including proposed usage of Community Development Block Grant funds available through H.U.D.
I move the public hearing be open.

>> Second.

>> All in favor?
That passes by unanimous vote.
Good morning.

>> Good morning.
Christy moffett, Travis County health and human services.
I'd also like to introduce.

>> Alba, Travis County health and human services.

>> And alba is here today.
We had a request to have some spanish translation available so what I'd like to do, we're not going to translate the entire power point.
There is a power point in spanish available on the table as well as in english, and so I'm just going to ask alba to make that announcement in spanish as well, but she will be available to translate any comments if necessary today.

>> [speaking in spanish]

>> What's alba name?

>> Alba.

>> Media, we need to give alba a little more volume, I believe.
Okay.

>> So today we are here to talk about the cdbg program.
We have beginning on June 18th two comments went -- or two documents went out for public comments.
The draft of the 2012 action plan and the substantial amendment to the 2011-2013 consolidated plan and 2006-2010 action plan.
So in terms of how we got here today, back in February we began with five public hearings seeking input on community needs and uses of funds.
And that occurred, one of those meetings occurred here at Commissioners court, the other four occurred in the different precincts.
We also solicited project ideas and the deadline for submission was March 31.
During April and may staff evaluated the project ideas and we also started one primary survey during that time.
And then in June we came to the Commissioners court and provided some project recommendations.
Those recommendations were approved on June 5th and are included in the draft action plan.
So where we are today are -- is the 30-day comment period.
We have two public hearings.
Today is the first of those and the next one is on July 10th.
And then we will come back to Commissioners court after we receive all the comments and come back for final approval in August for an August 15th submission.
So we're required during this public hearing to give you a little information about cdbg.
So the purpose of cdbg is to improve affordable housing options, community facilities and services and also to revitalize neighborhoods.
And at least 70% of the funds must benefit low to moderate income residents and our cdbg service area will change starting in October to not only include the unincorporated areas of the county but also the village of webberville.
So just to be clear, this map I don't think shows up well.
It shows up well on your screen.
The gray areas are considered unincorporated areas so we are working in outside of any city limit in Travis County with the exception of the village of webberville.
Eligible activities for cdbg include things such as economic development, public services, which we traditionally would call social services, redevelopment, which you would also consider improvements like rehabbing roads, those kinds of things.
Planning activities and also housing.
Ineligible activities include acquisition, construction or reconstruction of buildings for the general conduct of government, construction of new housing by units of general local government, certain income payments and political activities.
So last year the cdbg priorities were set when we completed the consolidated plan for program years 2011 through 2013.
Three high priorities were identified including infrastructure, housing and community services.
And then three medium priorities were established for populations of specialized needs and services, businesses and jobs and facilities.
Essentially high and medium means if it's high, we are likely or going to spend money and medium basically says that we might be -- we might spend money in that area.
For program year 2012 h.u.d.
Has awarded the money, 20% of which can go towards administration of planning which supports staff cost.
15% can be funded toward social services and 65% must go towards development activities such as housing and infrastructure improvement.
Additionally related we had project savings over the period from 2006 to 2010 totaling $227,935.
And so part of that -- part of the action that's up for public comment is redirecting those dollars to a different project now that those other ones are completed.
Additionally with the substantial amendment we are amending the consolidated plan to include the village of webberville and to our cdbg service area.
That was the result of them joining the urban county through urban county renewal.
To reallocate the project savings, as I mentioned before, and also to delete a project for youth and family assessment flex spend dollars.
This project has been on the table for a couple of years, but they've been able to provide the same level of service without those funds and so we felt like a good use of the dollars was to go ahead and put it into another type of project.
So in terms of the summary of recommendations, we are recommending the funding of street improvements, phase 26 a three phase project.
Phase 2 is pave construction for half of the roads and if there is any easement for the right-of-way that's required.
It's not necessarily likely but we might have to use some for drainage.
And we are not allowed to require people to donate that easement.
We're recommending a little over $400,000 for home rehabilitation.
We're recommending $106,000 for the continued expansion of social work services.
This will serve about 400 people living outside -- or in the unincorporated areas of all four precincts who do not have great access to social services and that funds the equivalent of 1.5 ftes of the social work staff already existing at the community centers.
Additionally for the first time we're recommending fair housing counseling as a public service.
This would be going to Austin tenants council to help further support and expand looking at discrimination in housing to make sure people have equal access and if there's any concerns about discrimination they can help them through that process.
And then $179,268 for administration and planning which I might add $15,000 of that fund would also go to Austin tenants council for training and outreach related to fair housing discrimination as well.
Then we also have three alternate projects.
For projects that might not be completely ready for funding but we think if we can get everything in line it would be a good project to proceed with.
The first of the alternate projects is water connections for las comitas.
This funding would help with design of that water connection system as well as any septic tank improvements that would need to occur.
Right now we are in the middle of reviewing their primary survey that they completed and turned in to us by June 1st.
And once we get that finished, we'll know whether or not the area is even eligible for consideration.
But what we wanted to do was put them in the cue so if we were able to determine the area was eligible.
And if there were project savings throughout the year that we would be able to reallocate.
All we would have to do is come back to Commissioners court for vote for reallocation of funds.
This project is about 31 households out in precinct 4.
Then also we're recommending up to $300,000 for home buyer assistance.
We have a project where we do downpayment assistance and shared financing to make homeowners -- homeownership more affordable.
And finally an additional funding for home repair if we find that we need that.
So next up after the comment period, public comment will be reviewed and considered and the final preparation of the document, we'll come back to court in early August for final approval.
The final versions of the documents will be available on August 15th.
And h.u.d.
Will give us their decision on our submission no later than September 30th.
There's my contact information.
With that.

>> This is a public hearing.

>> Yes.

>> Interpreter?

>> [speaking in spanish]

>> Persons who wish to give comments should come forward at this time.

>> [speaking in spanish]

>> If you would give us your full name, we would be happy to get your comments.

>> [speaking in spanish]

>> Okay.
There are four seats available.

>> [speaking in spanish]

>> Mr. Dillon.

>> Full name, jim dillon.
All this h.u.d.
Money that started out as our money goes to washington, d.c.
In the form of excessive taxation which, by the way, is the reason that we started killing british people over 200 years ago and ran them out of our country.
Excessive taxation and other acts of oppression.
Always returns after a large portion of it is sliced right off the top and put in the hands of congressman john carter, for example, and people like that, returns to local areas with strings attached.
Unwelcome strings attached to this funding.
The well put together and probably very expensive brochure explaining where all this taxpayer money is going to go or not explaining it, depending on your perspective, shows on page 8 that 40% of the funding, by their own admission, is allocated towards administration, planning, overhead, staffing, per diem for the fire marshal to travel to england for a couple weeks, activities like that at the taxpayer expense.
And I hear a the lot of whining and crying about the social services and the programs that are going to be imposed on the people whether they want them or not.
And I can say that if housing costs are unfair or there is inequality in wages, which there is.
I think a later agenda item involves a pay increase for all of you all when the typical working people in this area have gotten --

>> Let's stick to this item.

>> Yes, sir.
I would say that if the county cares about housing equality and income equality and fairness, then they should consider not bribing companies like apple with tens of millions of dollars and pay their employees admittedly $11 an hour so that those employees who have a full-time job and actually perform work could afford to buy a home or rent a home on their own initiative without government interference.
We are sick and tired of government interference.
And as I mentioned before, we had a revolution over that very item and it can happen again.
I'm only warning you because I care about you.
I don't want to see blood in the streets in this country.
But when the people are pushed, working people who pay for all your very nice programs, which would be great if we could afford them, but we're in the middle of a great depression and you want to send people from the county on an all expenses paid vacation to england and create affordable housing while giving apple billions so that they can pay the people in this community to work for -- for slave wages and not be able to afford housing, that's getting very old.

>> Thank you.

>> Yes, sir.

>> Mr. Reeferseed.

>> I would like to echo everything mr. Dillon had to say and I wish I could be so articulate about it, but about those -- he was getting to the point about the money.
And we need to just you, you, all of you need to just stop these consulting fees paid on these slimy tax deals like f1 and --

>> Mr. Reeferseed, this is community development block grant funds program.
Your testimony has to be relevant to this item.
Mr. Dillon, we need your chair.

>> Oh, yes, sir.

>> For the other residents who have come to testify on this item.
Mr. Reeferseed, if it's not relative to item number 1 --

>> I do have on this what presentation was just so wisely given by that wonderful -- we have great people working for you guys, but my question was on page 11, they've got fixing the houses for -- I think she said 400,000, but the figures here add up to -- if the two -- if you add the two columns together, that adds up to, you know, almost 500,000.

>> I said a little more than 400.
I was doing the addition very quickly.

>> I know.
Just a tiny thing.
But you said a couple things down there, the 28,000, who allocates that?
You know, the -- it's kind of a -- rather whimsical.

>> It's not whimsical.
I'm just trying to be brief in my comments.
Its intention is to do what's called fair housing counseling.
There are people -- so there's -- people can either go in tenants counsel or they have an 800 number or a local number and essentially that if it's determined that someone may have experienced discrimination in access to housing, that they will help move them through that process.
Up to including doing what's called testing with they try to re-create that discriminatory event by having people go in.
But it's -- I apologize if it sounded a little flip.
It's not.
It's a very particular type of assistance that will help to ensure that people can gain access to housing no matter their skin color, race, religious belief, sexual orientation, any of that.

>> Great.
We can all agree on that and I want to thank you.
I didn't mean to put out the spot there.
But that's really just what I was looking for, the kind of information.
And just briefly, you said on page 12, the -- I think at this time 48 -- 485 that is divided into 31 households?
Am I right about that?

>> It's not a total cost.
I don't know how many people.
We are still moving through that survey, but it's 31 households and it's to do design and looking at the septic tank.
It's a similar-type project we typically do at cdbg.
It's not out of our normal scope.

>> Okay, great.
Sounds really wonderful.
I want to say thank you for heading this up and also I'm totally in favor of the repair of houses and this is one of those things we should be doing.
So thanks for the project and you are doing a great job as usual.

>> Thank you, mr. Reeferseed.
Yes, sir.
Your name, please.

>> My name is avila martinez.
I'm from

>> [inaudible].
I came here to say, like, really nice for other people to help us on the project of the water.
It's really kind for the people that are helping us and -- and thank you.

>> Thank you very much.
Yes, sir.

>> I'd like to thank the Commissioners for all the help that you've given us here.
I know you have probably gone out more than you normally should do and that's something we appreciate a lot especially living in the community where we don't have water and we have to look for different ways to find that water.
But we appreciate it.
There's trying to think of better words to say, but the only word that really comes out is thank you for everything that you are doing.

>> Thank you.

>> That's good enough.
We appreciate it.

>> Thanks for your advocacy.

>> Mr. Priest.

>> Thank you, judge, Commissioners, morris priest speaking on my own behalf.
I just want to say that I do think that this is a tremendously large amount of money in one respect when you look at it, but in another respect it's really a very small amount of money.
And when you look at all the staff services and support and the administrative, just basically layering of governments.
And I know, judge, you had mentioned this in one previous hearing, I believe it was about handing out calendars and toil terrorist tot terrorist to veterans and many veterans think that's a waste of money.
There is a lot of waste in these programs and, you know, the veterans really don't need a pocket calendar or shampoo or soap.
They actually need other things such as when they call the veterans administration here in Travis County, now, I'm not talking about the v.a.
Administration, but when they call these folks just to get a number, ollie or any of these people, sometimes that's people don't know some of the most basic things that could help people.
You know, we've had this resolution last week and this week and there's really not a connecting services.
Sometimes an organization like this, cdbg, could just if nothing else point and direct people to services that are already doing, but I do think it's -- when you look at the overall program, I too believe that it's -- you know, we have a lot of duplications.
We see this in this Travis County community development block grant program and we see a lot of duplications in the veterans administration.
And those duplications translate, you know, just in this bigger and bigger government that's with this excessive spending.
When we see what we actually get in the end, it's very little and serves very few people and it's usually just the ilk of the controlling political party at the time.
But I did want to say that I do find it appalling that they print the literature in spanish and english, and it is pertinent, but that we can't get information from campo.
And I'd like the board to -- the court to address those type things when we have these things --

>> Thank you, mr. Priest.
Thank you.

>> Would like to know where there's such a disparity in information when it comes to things like this.

>> Thank you very much.
Yes.

>> Hi, good morning, Commissioners, iliana and I'm a volunteer with las suppose comitas.
Most of you remember it was because Commissioners were considered closing the water outlet by 183 in southeast Austin.
So thank you for leaving it open not just to them but to the many out there that are still going out there and filling up their tanks for water.
Due to that last meeting we were here, we have -- I want to thank everyone that has reached out to las comitas and the media and other organizations such as u.t.
Has reached out to us and pointed news the direction of cdbg.
So thank you all for all your support.

>> Thank you very much.

>> Thanks for your organizing.

>> My name is jeanette parker.
I was here with iliana.
As far as duplication, we're just glad you all put us in here and are helping us out.
People have been coming out to our land and talking with us and meeting with us and trying to help us get water and we're going to be one of the alternate projects, I believe, in the future, and I don't mind the money you all are going to spend on us, I don't mind it at all.
I just want to say thank you.

>> [laughter]

>> Thank you.

>> Thank you.
There are two seats available if you are here to give comments on item number 1.
Okay.

>>

>> [speaking in spanish]

>> A year ago she was here asking to help -- for help to have water at her spot.

>> [speaking in spanish] I remember that a year ago we were very desperate because we did not have any response on what would happen with the water.

>> [speaking in spanish] I want to thank you for continuing to keep that waterline open.

>> [speaking in spanish] and I do want to remind thaw in terms of the hours that that's available, there are people who are still having difficulties.

>> [speaking in spanish] many people work and so the hours are not responsive to that need of being available outside of those work hours.
Many people are still without water because of those hours.
Of availability.

>> [speaking in spanish]

>> So I know that our project is on track, but I would like to ask for your help with the availability on those hours so that people who work can have access to water right now.

>>

>> [speaking in spanish]

>> And I wanted to thank everybody, all the organizations and individuals who are helping us with this water project and just remind that right now there is a need around those hours and thank you.

>> Thank you very much.
And I think that what we need to do, judge, is probably my staff needs to get together with the t.n.r.
Staff so we can talk about those hours.

>> >

>> [speaking in spanish]

>> Thank you.
Anybody else?
Item number 1, public hearing.
H.u.d.
Funding.
Plans for spending.
And what's the action scheduled?

>> We will -- we're not going to come back and do any action until around August 7th with the court.
One more public hearing on July 10th and then we'll come back one more time in August for final approval.

>> [speaking in spanish]

>> Thank you very much for your input.
Thank you very much for your input.

>>

>> [speaking in spanish]

>> I move the public hearing be closed.

>> Second.

>> All in favor?
That passes by unanimous vote.

The Closed Caption log for this Commissioners Court agenda item is provided by Travis County Internet Services. Since this file is derived from the Closed Captions created during live cablecasts, there are occasional spelling and grammatical errors. This Closed Caption log is not an official record the Commissioners Court Meeting and cannot be relied on for official purposes. For official records please contact the County Clerk at (512) 854-4722.