Title
Approve the draft Urban County Annual Action Plan Fiscal Year 2014-2015, including recommendations for projects and programs to be funded, for issuance for a 30 day period of public review.
Report
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the Board of Supervisors:
Approve the draft Urban County Annual Action Plan Fiscal Year 2014-2015, including recommendations for projects and programs to be funded, for issuance for a 30 day period of public review.
SUMMARY:
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has qualified Monterey County, and the Cities of Del Rey Oaks and Gonzales as an Urban County for entitlement purposes. To receive its annual Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) grant allocation, the Urban County must adopt an Annual Action Plan, including a description of eligible projects and programs to be funded, and submit it to HUD prior to May 15, 2014.
DISCUSSION:
The Monterey Urban County was awarded an allocation from HUD of $856,820 for the jurisdictions of Del Rey Oaks, Gonzales, and the unincorporated areas of the County of Monterey for FY 2013-14. The award amount for FY 2014-15 has not yet been announced. It is expected that it will be approximately the same as for FY 2013-14 or only minimally reduced.
Each year, HUD recipients are required to submit an Action Plan to HUD which includes approved funding recommendations for projects, services, and administration. To satisfy that requirement, on December 4, 2013, a Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) was issued for CDBG funds for FY 2014-2015. On December 16, 2013, an application workshop for interested parties was held at the County Government Center. Nineteen applications for funding were received on or before the due date of January 23, 2014. On January 28, 2014, the Board of Supervisors created an Ad Hoc Committee to review and recommend funding for County projects and services and appointed Supervisors Calcagno and Salinas to the Committee. On March 6, 2014, the Ad Hoc Committee reviewed the applications received for funding and made recommendations on those to be included in the Annual Action Plan.
After the Board of Supervisors takes action, the Annual Action Plan will be made available for public comment for a period of 30 days. The Annual Action Plan will then be brought back to the Board on May 6, 2014 for review of public comments and approval. It is then submitted to HUD for final approval. A copy of the final, approved Urban County Annual Action Plan, Fiscal Year 2014-2015, will be made available on each participating jurisdiction's website and a hard copy will be available at the Economic Development Department immediately thereafter.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
The Cities of Del Rey Oaks and Gonzales partnered with the County to become a HUD designated Urban County. Each City approved applications for projects located in their jurisdictions. County staff made recommendations for county projects to the Ad Hoc Committee. Staff from the two cities and the county made recommendations to the Ad Hoc Committee in regard to programs. On March 6, 2014, the Ad Hoc Committee reviewed these applications and made recommendations on funding that are included in the Urban County Annual Action Plan.
FINANCING:
The HUD grant is a five (5) year agreement, funded annually. Current funding in FY 2013-14 is $856,820. Funding for FY 2014-15 has not been announced but it is expected that it will be the same or perhaps decrease by no more than 3%. The County expects notification of the grant award amount in May 2014. If the County complies with the grant, the County may elect to continue to receive annual entitlement funding, subject to the federal budget process.
The grant has been budgeted in the FY 2014-15 recommended budget in Fund 13, Unit Code 8200 (Community Development Grants), Appropriation Code DEO 003.
Prepared by:
_____________________________
Jane Royer Barr
Housing Programs Manager
831.755.5389
Approved by:
_____________________________
Dave Spaur
Director of Economic Development
831.755.5387
ATTACHMENTS:
Annual Action Plan