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COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT (CDBG) PROGRAM - Administrative Services Director Dava Kohlman, Administrative Analyst Tom Provine and Lorie Ann Adams, Adams Ashby Group
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Requested Action(s)
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a) RESOLUTION - Request adoption of a resolution approving an application for funding and the execution of a grant agreement and any amendments thereto from the 2023 and/or 2024 funding year of the State CDBG Program
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Financial Impact:
If awarded this grant, there will be no fiscal impact to the General Fund as the funding outlined includes all General Administration and Activity Delivery Costs. If the County is not awarded the grant, the costs incurred for project engineering design will remain paid from General Fund through budget unit 1076-532333 ADA Compliance.
Background Information:
On 6/27/23, the County held a public hearing to consider an application for the 2023 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program. Staff was given approval to submit an application for an Over-the-Counter (OTC) shovel-ready project for the Sky View Water District. On 7/7/23, the County was advised that the 2023 Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) would only be accepting waitlisted projects and no other new applications would be accepted until the 2024 NOFA was issued, at which time, the application on behalf of Sky View Water District could be reconsidered.
On 1/31/24, the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) announced the availability of an additional $19 million in funding available through the federal Small Cities Community Development Block Grant Program (CDBG) for the 2023 funding year. Under this NOFA amendment, CDBG funds are provided as grants to Non-Entitlement Units of General Local Government (UGLGs) for Project Applications for CDBG limited eligible activities. Applications for the new OTC, shovel-ready projects open on 3/1/24 and applications for new projects are due on or before 4/30/24. Awards will be made on a first-come, first-served basis so it is critical to submit an application as soon the grant opens.
Upon receipt of the amended NOFA, staff and Adams Ashby Group began working with Sky View Water District to make this deadline; however, their project has some unresolved issues so the District is not ready to proceed with this round and will wait until the fall NOFA is announced. There is a very short window to identify an alternate eligible project that meets the national objectives of these funds and is shovel-ready to proceed at time of application. Shovel-ready status means that the project has all engineering and environmental complete and is ready to go out to bid within 60 days of the execution of the State agreement.
All CDBG activities must meet one of the following National Objectives:
• Benefit low- and moderate-income persons
• Aid in the prevention or elimination of slums and blight
• Meet certain urgent community needs
The objectives of the CDBG program are to develop viable communities by the provision of decent affordable housing, a suitable living environment, and to expand economic opportunities, principally for the benefit of Low- and Moderate-Income (LMI) persons, families, households, and neighborhoods.
The County held a Public Hearing on Tuesday, February 20, 2024 to review the funding available, receive public input and consider the proposed project. The project being proposed by staff for this funding is the complete repaving of the parking lot at the Walnut Street Complex which will include Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) improvements to the parking lot and sidewalks within the complex. The Walnut Street Complex houses multiple divisions of the Health Services Agency, the Probation Department, the Juvenile Justice Center, the Agriculture and Animal Care Departments, and the Ag Extension. This project meets the national objective of benefiting low- and moderate-income persons due to the services provided by a majority of the departments in the complex.
At the Public Hearing, Grant Administrator Lorie Adams of Adams Ashby Group gave an overview of the CDBG grant goals and objectives and its eligible uses. She provided information on future funding and opened the meeting to the public to ask questions and make suggestions for future planning.
This current meeting of the Board of Supervisors is to provide an opportunity for questions, concerns, or other comments to be made known to the Board and to take action to direct staff to apply for the funding currently available under the CDBG NOFA Amendment #1.