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HomeMy WebLinkAboutResolutions - 2020-16 - 2020-16 Resolution _ Amend 2019 Action Plan allocate the award Coronavirus Aid, CDBG-CV, Community Development Block Grant Coronavirus, Amending 2014-02, 2019-17 - 5/19/2020City of East Wenatchee Resolution 2020-16 Page 1 of 3 City of East Wenatchee, Washington Resolution No. 2020-16 A Resolution of the City of East Wenatchee, Washington, adopting Amendments to the 2019 Annual Action Plan, and the Citizen Participation Plan in accordance with the requirements of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Regulations at 24 CFR Part 91 to allocate the award of Community Development Block Grant Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act “CDBG-CV” funds, amending Resolutions 2014- 02, and 2019-17 and establishing an effective date. 1. Alternate format. 1.1. Para leer este documento en otro formato (español, Braille, leer en voz alta, etc.), póngase en contacto con el vendedor de la ciudad al alternateformat@east-wenatchee.com, al (509) 884-9515 o al 711 (TTY). 1.2. To read this document in an alternate format (Spanish, Braille, read aloud, etc.), please contact the City Clerk at alternateformat@east-wenatchee.com, at (509) 884-9515, or at 711 (TTY). 2. Authority. 2.1. The City of East Wenatchee (“City”) is a non-charter code city duly incorporated and operating under the laws of the State of Washington. 2.2. RCW 35A.74 authorizes the City to administer programs to assist low income individuals. 2.3. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development regulations at 24 CFR Part 91 specify the requirements for entitlement communities operating a Community Development Block Grant Program. 3. Recitals. 3.1. On March 13, 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic was declared a national emergency and a special source of funding was provided through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (CARES Act). The funds for the CDBG program are identified as “CDBG-CV”. This funding is intended to prevent, prepare for and respond to the coronavirus pandemic. 3.2. On March 31, 2020 HUD provided waivers from 24 CFR Part 91 specific to amendments to CDBG planning documents and citizen participation programs. City of East Wenatchee Resolution 2020-16 Page 2 of 3 3.3. On April 1, 2020, HUD submitted a notice announcing that a special allocation of $83,927 in CDBG-CV funding was being awarded to the City. 3.4. On April 3, 2020, City staff contacted local service providers to determine the greatest need they are experiencing as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. 3.5. At a workshop on April 16, 2020, the City Council directed staff to reprogram $50,000 of unspent funds from the 2019 Program Year to address the COVID-19 pandemic and established their preferred distribution of those funds along with the CDBG-CV special allocation to: microenterprise business grants ($40,000), meal delivery services ($12,000), and emergency income payments for rent and mortgage payments ($81,927). 3.6. On April 30, 2020, the City notified HUD of the intention to utilize the waivers authorized in the March 31, 2020 memo for a reduced public comment period. 3.7. On May 8, 2020 a public notice of substantial amendments to the 2019 Annual Action Plan, 2015 Consolidated Plan and Citizen Participation Plan regarding the special allocation of CDBG-CV fund to address coronavirus related impacts and a notice of the May 19, 2020 public hearing was published in the Wenatchee World, the City’s official newspaper, describing the proposed amendments in English and in Spanish. 3.8. At a workshop on May 14, 2020, Council discussed the proposed distribution of CDBG-CV funds. After concluding that there was a great unmet need for financial support for small businesses impacted by the pandemic, Council recommended that the funds be reallocated entirely to microenterprise grants. 3.9. On May 19, 2020, the City Council held a public hearing to receive comments and consider adoption of the proposed amendments. THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF EAST WENATCHEE DO RESOLVE AS FOLLOWS: 4. Purpose. The amendments to the 2019 Annual Action Plan, and the Citizen Participation Plan are intended to prepare, prevent, and respond to impacts associated with the coronavirus. 5. Amendment 1. The City Council hereby APPROVES the proposed amendments to the 2019 Annual Action Plan, which is attached to this Resolution as Exhibit A. Exhibit A City of East Wenatchee Community Development Block Grant Program Substantial Amendment to the 2019 Annual Action Plan Amendment #1: Reallocation of Funds and Special Allocation of CDBG CV Funding Resolution 2020-16 Community Development Department 271 9th Street NE East Wenatchee, WA 98802 Phone (509) 884-5396 Fax (509) 884-6233 E-mail: lbarnett@eastwenatcheewa.gov Amendment to 2019 Annual Action Plan Page | 2 Background: The City of East Wenatchee became an entitlement community under Title 1 of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 in 2009. As such, the City receives federal funds annually from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) under the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program. East Wenatchee’s CDBG program fiscal year is from October 1 through September 30. The 2015 – 2019 Community Development & Housing Consolidated Plan is the overall strategic plan for the use of CDBG funds. The annual action plan describes the City’s projects for a given year based upon the general goals and objectives in the Consolidated Plan. Summary of 2019 Annual Action Plan Projects: The 2019 Annual CDBG formula allocation award was $135,695. In the 2019 Annual Action Plan, the City of East Wenatchee obligated the funds to the following projects: • $27,000 for City CDBG planning and administrative activities • $108,695 to the Columbia Valley Housing Association for up to 5 households in their down payment assistance program. Minor amendments may be made to the Consolidated Plan or Annual Action Plan when the need arises. The process for a substantial” amendment requires a public comment period and a public hearing. A “substantial” amendment to the Consolidated Plan or Annual Action Plan is defined as: ♦ Projects with budgets of $25,000 or more – An increase or decrease of more than 25% of the budgeted amount. ♦ Projects with budgets of less than $25,000 – An increase or decrease of more than 50% of the budgeted amount. ♦ A change in purpose, scope, general location, or intended beneficiaries or the addition of a new project. ♦ A change in the use of funds from one activity to a new project. The proposed amendment is considered a “substantial” amendment to the 2019 Annual Action Plan. Substantial Amendment FY 2019 Annual Action Plan Description of Proposed 2019 Annual Action Plan Amendments: The City is amending its CDBG 2019 Annual Action Plan in response to a special allocation of $83,927 from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (CARES Act). Additionally, the City will be reallocating $50,000 of unspent 2019 CDBG funds. The funds are proposed to be allocated to: • $27,000 for City CDBG planning and administrative activities • $58,695 to the Columbia Valley Housing Association for up to 3 households with their down payment assistance program (funding reduced by $50,000) Amendment to 2019 Annual Action Plan Page | 3 New projects to prepare, prevent, and respond to impacts associated with the coronavirus: • $133,927 Microenterprise business grants – it is anticipated that up to 26 businesses could be provided with $5,000 grants. Citizen Participation: On April 3, 2020, City staff contacted local service providers to determine the greatest need they are experiencing as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. On April 13, 2020, an email was received from the Community Action Council requesting funding for emergency rental assistance payments. At a public workshop on April 16, 2020, the City Council directed staff to reprogram $50,000 of unspent funds from the 2019 Program Year to address the COVID-19 pandemic and established their preferred distribution of those funds along with the CDBG-CV special allocation to: microenterprise business grants ($40,000), meal delivery services ($12,000), and emergency income payments for rent and mortgage payments ($81,927). On April 30, 2020, the City notified HUD of the intention to utilize the waivers authorized in the March 31, 2020 memo for a reduced public comment period – 5-day minimum notice. On May 8, 2020, a public notice of substantial amendments to the 2019 Annual Action Plan, 2015 Consolidated Plan and Citizen Participation Plan regarding the special allocation of CDBG-CV fund to address coronavirus related impacts and a notice of the May 19, 2020 public hearing was published in the Wenatchee World, the City’s official newspaper, describing the proposed amendments. The notice was published in English and in Spanish. (See attached Affidavits). Comments were to be submitted to Lori Barnett, East Wenatchee Community Development Department, 271 9th Street NE, East Wenatchee, WA 98802. Faxed or e-mailed comments will be accepted: Fax 509.886.6113, Email lbarnett@east-wenatchee.com. A copy of proposed amendments was posted on the City web site at www.east-wenatchee.com. The comment period ended on May 18, 2020. No comments were received regarding the proposed amendments. At a workshop on May 14, 2020, Council discussed the proposed distribution of CDBG- CV funds. After concluding that there was a great unmet need for financial support for small businesses impacted by the pandemic, Council recommended that the funds be reallocated entirely to microenterprise grants. Preliminary results released on May 15, 2020 (351 respondents) from an on-line survey being conducted by Our Valley Our Future/Nuestro Valley Nuestro Futuro, a regional planning organization, indicated that respondents priorities for the use of government funds to assist with local economic recovery efforts should be used for food assistance, housing assistance, and small business loans. On May 19, 2020, the City Council held a public hearing to receive comments and consider adoption of the proposed amendments. No comments were received regarding the proposed amendments. April 13, 2020 From: Alan Walker, Executive Director Chelan-Douglas Community Action Council 662-6156 (o) 509-929-1083 (c) alanw@cdcac.org RE: Emergency CDBG Funds: COVID-19 Response Thank you for contacting us as a community partner to help meet the needs of our residents as they confront life altering impacts associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. We have over 50-years of experience responding to and addressing the needs of our neighbors. We meet needs by utilizing a variety of Federal, State, County, City government funding; by our ability to secure local support from individuals and businesses; and by partnering with multiple area entities to coordinate services. As various local government entities secure CDBG funds to address needs in response to COVID-19 we are hoping to partner with each to utilize the funds in a coordinated, consistent effort. Hopefully, data collection, eligibility requirements, process to determine award amounts and reporting can be streamlined. This will make it much easier for people seeking help to know what they are eligible for, rather than each government jurisdiction having their own criteria. This will also help reduce the burden on our staff. Our efforts will include a local matching campaign, allowing community members to give in response to needs in the area. The greatest need is going to be rental assistance, preventing people from becoming behind on their rent and facing homelessness. Rent assistance could include a grocery store or Farmer’s Market voucher to help alleviate food insecurity, on an as needed basis. For any CDBG funds we propose: • 10% for administration (The 10% de minimis indirect cost rate is a Federally-recognized rate that non-Federal entities may use to recover allowable indirect costs on grants or cooperative agreements) • 20% for program staff support • 70% to direct support services We look forward to working with you. CITY OF EAST WENATCHEE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT Community Development Block Grant Program (CDBG) Citizen Participation Plan Amendment Adopted by Resolution 2020-16 A Plan for Public Participation Opportunities Relating to the City’s CDBG Program To read this document in an alternate format (Spanish, Braille, read aloud, etc.), please contact the City Clerk at alternateformat@east-wenatchee.com, at (509) 884-9515, or at 711 (TTY). Para leer este documento en otro formato (español, Braille, leer en voz alta, etc.), póngase en contacto con el vendedor de la ciudad al alternateformat@east-wenatchee.com, al (509) 884- 9515 o al 711 (TTY). Exhibit B City of East Wenatchee CDBG - Citizen Participation Plan (Proposed Amendment 5-08-2020) Page 1 Introduction The City of East Wenatchee has established this Citizen Participation Plan to provide a coordinated approach and opportunity for citizens to be actively involved in the process of developing and implementing the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program. This Citizen Participation Plan outlines when, where, and how citizens can access information, review, and comment on planning, implementation, and assessment activities relating to the CDBG funds received each year from the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The primary planning document for the CDBG Program is the Community Development & Housing Consolidated Plan, which is developed every five years. The Consolidated Plan serves as the guide for strategic actions to enhance the City’s housing and community development assets to benefit low and moderate income households. Other major planning documents include the Annual Action Plan which describes the specific actions and project activities the City will conduct during the respective program year using the CDBG funds, and the Consolidated Annual Performance Evaluation Report (CAPER) which describes the projects and activities produced by the City during the preceding program year. Encouraging Citizen Participation The City of East Wenatchee encourages the participation of all of its citizens in the development of the CDBG plans and in reviewing progress in implementing the plan activities. The City encourages public participation from all citizens, particularly low and moderate-income persons, including minority, non-English speaking persons, and persons with disabilities. Opportunities for involvement will be provided prior to and during the development of long-range strategic plans and annual action plans, as well as on an ongoing basis during the implementation of activities described in those plans. These opportunities include:  Participation at public hearings to discuss needs, progress on project activities, and the amount of funds available for activities  Participation in meetings with ad hoc committees and focus groups involved in planning housing and community development activities  Review and comments on proposed plans such as: o Community Development & Housing Consolidated Plan o Annual Action Plans o Amendments to Plans o Review and comment on Consolidated Annual Performance Reports (CAPER) describing progress on project activities Public participation is a two-way process providing an exchange of information between citizens, city staff and appointed and elected officials. Citizens provide information that is needed to develop and implement the Consolidated Plan and at the same time receive information regarding City proposed strategies to utilize the CDBG funds and how those funds fit into the general financial plan for the City. An informed community and informed leaders creates a better framework for community development planning. City of East Wenatchee CDBG - Citizen Participation Plan (Proposed Amendment 5-08-2020) Page 2 This sharing of information ensures that issues and concerns are openly expressed, understood, considered, and incorporated into the final product wherever possible. This Citizen Participation Plan (CPP) describes the steps that the city of East Wenatchee will take to involve the community in decisions regarding activities related to the use of CDBG funds. The goal of this CPP is to provide the public with timely information, a general understanding of the CDBG process, and opportunities to review and comment on proposals during the process - before decisions are made. Framework For Consolidated Plan & Amendments Special Public Notice Waivers for Substantial Amendments Responding to Disaster or Declaration of Emergency If substantial amendments to the Consolidated Plan and/or Annual Action Plan are necessary to address a disaster or declaration of emergency, a reduced notice and comment period may be used to accommodate rapid allocation of new funding or reprogramming of unexpended funds to expedite the availability of resources for emergency activities identified to address the event. If a disaster or a declaration of emergency occurs, public notice requirements may be altered at the direction of HUD to waive or reduce the 14-day advance notice of public hearing and the 30-day public review and comment period. At a minimum, a 5-day notice of public hearing and a 5-day review and comment period must be provided by the City to notify the public of the amendments necessary to address the circumstances of the emergency or disaster. Meetings and hearings must make reasonable accommodation to provide information to those with vision and hearing impairments. At a minimum, the meeting must comply with the state Open Public Meetings Act chapter 43.30 RCW. Consolidated Plan & Amendments The City of East Wenatchee Consolidated Plan for Housing and Community Development is a long-range strategic plan that assesses community needs, establishes priority objectives, and outlines strategies the City will pursue over a five- year period to improve the City’s housing and community development assets principally benefiting low- and moderate-income persons. The public will be advised of the availability of the Consolidated Plan and amendments to the Plan and is invited to provide comments. A notice will be placed in the Wenatchee World, the City’s official newspaper, providing 30 days for the public to comment. Comments may be sent in writing to the East Wenatchee CDBG Administer at the Department of Community Development, 271 9th Street NE, East Wenatchee, WA 98802. A copy of the Consolidated Plan may be obtained from the Department of Community Development or by calling 509.884.5396. Annual Action Plans & Amendments Each year, the City is required to prepare an Annual Action Plan for submission to HUD. The plan outlines the programs and activities the City will undertake in the coming year to implement the strategies of the Consolidated Plan. The Annual Plans describes how the CDBG funds will be used over the course of the year. The public will be advised of the availability of the draft Annual Plan and will be invited to provide comments. City of East Wenatchee CDBG - Citizen Participation Plan (Proposed Amendment 5-08-2020) Page 3 A notice will be placed in the Wenatchee World providing at least 30 days for the public to comment on the Annual Plan. The notice will be provided in English and Spanish, The notice of availability will also be mailed and e-mailed to the interested parties A copy of the Annual Plan may be obtained from the Department of Community Development or by calling 509.884-5396. Comments may be sent in writing to the same Department. From time to time, amendments to the Consolidated Plan may be necessary as conditions change. Amendments of a minor nature will be made as needed throughout the year. However, the public will be given an opportunity to comment on all substantial amendments to the plans, following the process described above. A “substantial” amendment to the Consolidated/Annual Plan is defined as: • Projects with budgets of $25,000 or more – An increase or decrease of more than 25% of the budgeted amount (unless the decrease is caused by a budget under-run). • Projects with budgets of less than $25,000 – An increase or decrease of more than 50% of the budgeted amount (unless the decrease is caused by a budget under-run). • A change in purpose, scope, general location, or intended beneficiaries or the addition of a new project. • A change in the use of funds from one activity to a new project. Annual Performance Reports Each year, the City prepares a description of how the CDBG funds were used over the past program year and describes progress on other non-funded activities of the Consolidated Plan. The public will be advised of the availability of the draft Performance Report and will be invited to provide comments. A notice will be placed in the Wenatchee World providing 15 days for the public to comment on the Performance Report. A copy of the Annual Performance Report may be obtained from the Department of Community Development or by calling 509.884.5396. Comments may be sent in writing to the Department. Access to Information and Availability of Plan Documents The City will provide reasonable and timely access to citizens, public agencies, and other interested parties of records and information on the Consolidated Plan and the City’s use of the funds under the programs covered by the Plan. In addition, the City will provide information to the public during the planning processes on proposed activities, the amount of assistance available, the range of activities that may be undertaken, and estimates of the amount of funds that will benefit low- and moderate-income persons. Copies of the adopted Consolidated Plan and the Annual Performance Report are available upon request from the Department of Community Development, 271 9th Street NE, Wenatchee, WA 98802. Technical Assistance The City will provide technical assistance to groups representing low- and moderate- income persons to assist them in understanding the requirements for developing proposals, when applicable, for funding assistance under the Consolidated Plan. City of East Wenatchee CDBG - Citizen Participation Plan (Proposed Amendment 5-08-2020) Page 4 Technical assistance may include referral to information sources, providing information on programs and activities, workshops, and one-one assistance. Complaints and Grievances Complaints concerning the CDBG Program, the Consolidated Plan, Annual Plan, or Performance Report may be made to the CDBG Administrator of the East Wenatchee Department of Community Development. All complaints made in writing will be responded to in writing within 15 days. Persons not satisfied with the response may write an appeal of the decision and request a review of the complaint by the Community Development Director of the East Wenatchee Department of Community Development. A written response conveying the results of the review to the complainant will be made in writing within 21 days. All decisions of the Community Development Director will be final. Anti-displacement and Relocation Assistance Plan The City has an Anti-displacement and Relocation Assistance Plan to minimize the displacement of persons as a result of program activities and to assist any persons actually displaced. The policy is to discourage displacement unless it is clearly necessary to achieve the Plan’s objectives and to minimize the adverse impacts of the displacement. In the event that displacement is unavoidable, persons displaced will receive the full benefits and assistance provided for under the Uniform Relocation Assistance and Real Property Acquisition Policies Act of 1970, as amended, and HUD regulations. The full Plan is available upon request by contacting the Department of Community Development and is included in the Consolidated Plan. Public Notification Procedures and Information Dissemination A variety of public notification procedures will be used to encourage involvement of citizens, other local agencies, state agencies, and other interested parties in the consolidated planning process. Overwhelmingly, Spanish represents 17.5% of the non English speaking individuals in Douglas County. Information provided will be machine translated where feasible. Larger documents will be made available in an alternative format when requested. To ensure early and continuous public involvement, a variety of methods to inform the public about upcoming public meetings, availability of relevant planning documents and reports will be used including: 1. Internet: Timely posting of information and opportunities to comment on proposals will be an important use of the East Wenatchee’s Webpage. The City will use its established web site for an internet location where interested community members may go to view, download and print: status updates, reports, meeting notices and agendas, and other project information. The web site will also include links to the Consolidated Plan, Annual Action Plans, and CAPERS. The information will be available under the “Community Development Block Grant Program” link in the “Community Development” tab from the East Wenatchee homepage at: www.east-wenatchee.com. Through the use of Google Translate or an equivalent process the information on the City’s webpage will be available in Spanish and other languages. 2. Mailing and E-mailing List: Agencies or organizations that serve low and moderate income persons, minority, non-English speaking and disabled persons will be included in a list of interested persons, agencies, and organizations who will receive notices of scheduled public meetings. The list will be maintained and City of East Wenatchee CDBG - Citizen Participation Plan (Proposed Amendment 5-08-2020) Page 5 regularly updated. Notices will be provided either by mail or email. Sign-up sheets will be provided at all meetings and events so people may provide their contact information to receive additional information or regular notices about activities they are interested in learning more about. Any party interested in being on the mailing list should contact the East Wenatchee Community Development Department, at (509) 884.5396. 3. News Releases: News releases announcing public meetings, hearings, and comment periods will be issued to local media including, but not limited to: The Wenatchee World, The Business Journal, El Mundo (a Spanish language publication), other local or regional newsletters or publications, and local radio stations. Public service announcements will be provided in English and Spanish. 4. Notice of Public Hearings and Decisions: The Wenatchee World is the City’s official newspaper. All public hearing notices will be published in the Wenatchee World. Notice of all public hearings will be published under “Legals” in the Wenatchee World classified section. All legal notices will be published in English and Spanish. Public notification of all hearings will be provided at least 14 days before the date of the hearing. The notice will include the date, time, location and purpose of the hearing. 5. Local Information Repositories: Copies of the citizen participation plan, consolidated plan, annual action plan and other project information will be made available locally for public review at the East Wenatchee Community Development Department. 6. Special Accommodation: All public notices and agendas will offer special accommodation for disabled persons and non-English speaking persons as further described below. a. Special accommodation for disabled persons to review and comment or participate in a public meeting or hearing will be provided when requested. Such accommodation may include printing materials in a larger bold font type, providing audio recordings, amplification devices, telecommunication devices, and making information available on the website in a format compatible with web readers. b. Special accommodation for non-English speaking persons to review and comment or participate in a public meeting or hearing will be provided when requested. Such accommodations may include providing an interpreter or providing information in an alternate language. For the most part, information will be provided in English and Spanish since Spanish speaking individuals are the predominant non-English speaking group within the East Wenatchee Area. Additional Public Participation Methods In addition to the public participation procedures described above, East Wenatchee may utilize the following methods to increase public involvement and to disseminate information: 1. Additional Meetings/Workshops/Open Houses: In addition to public hearings, East Wenatchee may elect to hold additional meetings, workshops, or open City of East Wenatchee CDBG - Citizen Participation Plan (Proposed Amendment 5-08-2020) Page 6 houses if it is determined that more meetings are needed to disseminate information regarding a proposal and/or to provide additional opportunities for collecting or reviewing information, gathering public comments, and providing for more public participation. 2. Focus Sheets: Focus sheets provide information specific to a topic under consideration. The City may utilize focus sheets to facilitate the dissemination of information to the public. 3. Property Ownership Roles or Voters Lists: The City may utilize property ownership roles or voters list as another means to provide meeting notices regarding CDBG activities. 4. Local News Media: The City will work with local news media to disseminate information related to the CDBG processes in addition to posting notices of public meetings and public service announcements. 5. Neighborhood Planning Groups: The City may focus outreach efforts to specific neighborhoods in an effort to invite participation from people who live and work in locations most affected by a particular proposal. Project Files and Records 1. Project Files. All CDBG documents will be available for public inspection during regular business hours (Monday thru Friday 8:00 to 5:00 p.m., except holidays) at the East Wenatchee Community Development Department. The address is: East Wenatchee City Hall 271 9th St. NE East Wenatchee, WA 98802 2. Recordings and Minutes of Meetings. All public meetings, except for the Open Houses, Neighborhood Meetings, and similar open-format meetings, will be audio recorded. Summary minutes of all public meetings involving the consolidated plan or associated activities will be prepared and made available upon request. Summary minutes will be available on the Internet under the “Current Projects” link in the Community Development tab from the East Wenatchee homepage at: www.east-wenatchee.com. Availability Citizen Participation Plan A copy of the City’s CDBG Consolidated Plan Citizen Participation Plan is available at East Wenatchee City Hall, 271 9th St. NE, East Wenatchee, WA 98802 in the East Wenatchee Community Development Department and is filed with the East Wenatchee City Clerk. The CDBG Consolidated Plan Citizen Participation Plan will also be made available on the Internet under the “Community Development Block Grant” section of the “Community Development” tab from the East Wenatchee homepage at: www.east- wenatchee.com