Springfield City Council — April 10, 2023

0:03 amen I'm going to call the Springfield City Council work session to order with Rocco mayor Ben Gordon here councilor Weber here councilman sir Doyle here councilor Visionary here and we are expecting councilor wildly here shortly uh we have one item at night which is on the back page which is the fiscal year 2024 Community Development block grant annual action plan Aaron great thank you good evening mayor council um I'm here tonight with the draft fiscal year 2024 Community event block grant action plan um I'll note I'm looking for your direction um on what to put forward and this will come back to you May 1st during regular

0:49 session for final adoption um so each year the city receives Federal funding through the dbg Community Development block grant program to put forward eligible activities that address the needs of low and moderate income persons here in Springfield the federal program guides how these funds can be spent while local cities and jurisdictions are able to determine what activities to prioritize locally I'll note as part of this process we follow the city's public participation process um under the five-year Consolidated plan for receiving these funds it's part of that process the council created an advisory

1:36 committee the Community Development advisory committee also I might say cdac and that committee was created and exists as part of this public effort they are appointed by Council and hold public carings as part of this process to hear from the public what needs exist and to make a recommendation to Council on our annual action plan in past years the city has released a requests for proposals as part of this process and receive applications from Community groups or a portion of cdbg funds and this committee has served as the evaluation committee for those applications in recent years we've seen costs increase for local programs particularly the home repair program

2:22 and we have not seen a corresponding increase in cdbg funds so this year staff anticipated that we would not receive we would only receive enough cdbg funds that cover the costs of existing programs and we did not put out an RFP this year I'll note however there are still projects that Council has awarded funding in in Prior years that are still ongoing and staff continue to work toward completing those projects uh that list is included in the packet I've also included their allocation for those projects as part of attachment two um just to give you an idea of not only what this action plan is recommending but also what carryover funds from prior

3:08 years exist that we're still working on those funding as you'll see in blue and the packet they're just not um recognized in this action in this particular action plan I will note thanks to counselor Weber I do want to highlight that attachment 3 the draft action plan is currently outdated I included it because it was the draft plan that went out for public comments and since it went out for public comment we received an updated funding amount from HUD that's reflected in attachment to and we received additional program income loan repayments that could be put toward other projects that again is included in attachment too so directional receipt tonight will help inform how I update attachment 3 how I

3:55 update the annual action plan and then you'll see that coming back to you May 1st um so as part of the public process the Community Development advisory committee met twice this year once in February again in March and held a public hearing at each meeting um I'll note as part of that public hearing process the committee did receive input from Relief Nursery that they are working toward a project that is in need of additional funding and they will be looking to the cdbg program for that request they are not ready yet they have not submitted a request but they did want to come in during the public process to inform the committee what they're working on to note and it's

4:40 included in your packet they've seen demands for services at their site on 42nd Street increase that they are as I think described bursting at the seams and need additional classroom space and additional office space in order to offer the programs they do um at the March 22nd committee meeting the committee discussed that funding recommendation or that funding request potentially as well as what was previously put forward for the draft action plan and ultimately the committee decided to keep funding on existing projects but wanted to recognize that all of these um sort of plans we put

5:25 forward can be amended there's just an additional public process to amend them so if there is an additional request for funding the committee can reconvene can review that request and can make a funding recommendation to council and again ultimately it's council's decision for how you would like to potentially change a recommendation but we do need to submit something by May 15th to HUD and May 1st is the last regular session that we can bring something to council to meet that deadline so I am here tonight for any questions Direction um I'm again using the table and attachment two there's a column that says cdb recommendation and ultimately would like to either hear your input on

6:10 that or make any recommendation or any changes so one of the questions that I had was the the home repair program the committee had 315 000 allocated to it I did we go through 315 000 last year could you help me yeah a great question so the home repair program has been sort of the we've seen that demand increase we're projected to spend 275 000 this year and so when the committee met recognizing that difference of about 40 000 it was sort of a conversation during that March 22nd meeting about where to put it and they wanted to without having an additional project they knew was going to move forward they felt comfortable saying let's put it in

6:55 the home repair program if there's additional opportunity to do more Outreach or to expand that program we can but if the request comes in maybe we know we're going to grab it from there we'd like to recommend funding a different kind of project and help me with uh the in the last couple of years we've talked about two programs you know the the down payment assistance in the home repair program and one of them wasn't really spending its annual allocation that was down payment assistance program right okay that was also so yeah that was also a conversation um I we were hoping so last year Council put forward a hundred thousand dollars as part of the down payment assistance program with the idea that we would revamp the way we gave out those funds and so we increased the limit to 25 000

7:41 per household um we did not we worked with Dev Northwest to sort of identify them as sort of a a better means of putting those funds out the door because they could then mix it with sort of other funding opportunities um and the client tells the clientele that they work with in terms of helping folks focus on their financial goals um we unfortunately didn't get that program really started until this past winter and so we have had one successful down payment that got out the door um so far so it's hard to really know what is the demand over the course of a year um again the committee felt comfortable keeping it where it was right now with that allocation but understanding if a request came in then that may be part of

8:27 the conversation to say should it still be funded at where it's at oh yeah other questions uh Victoria hi um so one of the things that I've been hearing and I think it kind of ties into the um camping ordinance stuff that we've been talking about as well is the possibility of some type of a day Center being created in Springfield that would help those that that are homeless and you know it ties in with the 24-hour move and all the stuff that we might be discussing and so um I had had it mentioned to me by several people in the community that that a day Center even something like

9:12 the mission you know like um what they have in Eugene having something like the mission East or whatever it is in Springfield and so if someone had that idea and had a plan is there money and there's ability that the cbdg funds could be allocated in a way that would tie into that um yeah great question um I yes short answer is yes um that first in an attachment to the Consolidated plan strategy column that First Column increased the supply of affordable housing it's a it's a bit of a shortened term but um shelter in that sense is tied into that and so if there was a project that came forward and Council wanted to put

9:58 funding toward buying land or buying a building or helping to repair or construct something like a day use Center if it was overnight shelter we could put it there there's another strategy support a human services delivery system that is under the strategy that could also be used toward creating a day Center um I will I'll just highlight in this table you can see there is funding carryover being put toward the Catholic community services Oasis project and that is to create a day Center for homeless family families so the same type of funding could be put toward another day Center or a different use in that sense but yes that is kind of the

10:44 the aim of the program covers that it's just a question of is that need and is that project ready I guess um yeah because I saw the um under the strategies for the five-year Consolidated plan from 2020 it says emphasizes goals and strategies to meet priority needs of renters homeowners and people experiencing homelessness and non-homeless special needs and then there was another area under Community Development where the Community Development goals um are intended to satisfy the HUD objectives by providing Human Services creating jobs and improving access to public facilities and I know that the mission does that I mean they really help people um get you know who are kind of down and

11:31 out get get some options and some choices to be able to get their life on track so it just seems like hopefully somebody in the community will hear this and will come up with some type of an RFP to you guys to do that so thanks all right anybody else so so I'm looking if I recall under our housing strategy which we put together quite a while ago and it says it basically we're trying to focus on performers women with children [Music] and I'm looking for that on this attachment in regards to a says here Springfield housing strategy and I'm looking at the other projects that I'm

12:18 am I missing something or is that where'd that go so it's a good question it's not that project Anne's heart um is not being funded with cdbg funds so I do struggle sometimes to convey what we're working on in the full umbrella of all the funding sources so this packet is really just talking about the narrow Federal Community Development block grant funding um Anne's Hearts is coming in under the arcba funding that representative widely sort of put forward through the legislature um all of that is feeding the housing strategy that is saying council is working on all of these efforts um but it is currently not that project

13:04 is currently not being funded this evening I understand that okay but it doesn't change the strategy I mean as far as we've stated in those meetings that the priority would be that population because the county would be responsible for the other populations my understanding that's their priority our priority would be okay we're going to help accounting Human Services housing needs and we're going to put our efforts on or in women with children we didn't say accept such and such and I'm trying to figure out where did that the priority of the women with children I don't recall it being saying only from this area but it was the General

13:49 strategy for the city does that make any sense can you yeah I mean when you have you're you're indicating that that these have all these other projects have different funding streams and that and I understand this is not June's heart or whatever it is I understand that part but I'm looking at the prioritization of what the cdac is looking at and I don't see where they are trying to prioritize the population we said we're going to prioritize so how did their priorities change or do they ever change that just me not remembering right but I usually remember right so I think on that piece when we talk about priorities that are um

14:35 identify through let's say the Consolidated plan for example that Victoria mentioned The Five-Year Plan um families with children I wouldn't say it highlighted any different than someone else so low income on house there isn't exactly a families with children Focus within the formal plan I think it's been Council direction as opposed to that I'm aware of in the work that I don't think there's anything directly that has identified families with children in a formal document I think it's been more conversations with the county and that may be how um you know I don't know if that's if that factored into how Ann's heart was chosen I guess for for this

15:22 um I think for the most part the cdac is given the opportunity under the RFP application so like different applications come in I think that's where I've seen them sort of look at what is Council I looked to the council liaison to say what is Council priority and how do we how do we compare the projects that are in front of us um but they this doesn't really have that opportunity in terms of down payment assistance or home repair or social services they weren't asked to and I don't know how it would be factored in sort of a population priority even though they're eligible to be served yeah and I remember that we put together a city put together printed a very large area of our very illustrative

16:08 handout our brochure that's had be remembered yeah I have it up here oh yeah there you go thanks and it was very clear where we really wanted to put our resources and our energy towards and then when I see stuff like this and then some of the other things being discussed and whatnot it seems to have gotten diluted down so maybe it's more of a what information is feeding like where is information feeding which so my you know in putting together the housing strategy I think on the staff side our effort was putting forward what council had directed or approved projects to work on and so then that fed the housing strategy and so I don't I

16:55 don't recall anything in the housing strategy calling out specific demographics but rather calling out projects that had been previously funded and so not everything with cdbg on the community development side is necessarily called out in the housing strategy it was really just pulling the housing pieces so that's where land acquisition you see in the housing strategy is there and that's reflected here has increased the supply of affordable housing down down payment assistance and the home repair program I think are both reflected in the housing strategy but these other pieces about the day Center for homeless families or Human Services contribution because they're not housing focused we didn't include them in the strategy so it it may be a number of like overlapping Venn

17:41 diagrams if that's oh I I think of it yeah [Music] what these committees are being advised and so that way they go with that same direction with Council and so and you just mentioned at home I didn't see on here a day Center anywhere um attachment to page one of one um under strategy five supported Human Services delivery system um you'll see a project CCS Oasis so that is the day Center for homelessness okay there it is with children um I mean I think ultimately when Council decides

18:26 on which projects to fund we'll see priorities come out of that but I don't know that we've ever received enough applications through an RFP process to solicit I mean council is well welcome to give that direction I think um but we haven't asked for it or received it I guess in the past to sort of funnel applications in a certain way absolutely and the end funds are 981 000 or is that those are the 981 is what currently we have on hand that we are working towards those uh those activities listed um the question before council is how would you like to allocate the next column over which is 622 000 just recognizing the city has 1.6 million

19:11 dollars total of cdbg funds all right okay sells me there's mud which just to clarify can be reallocated 100 points just through projects and field doesn't because they're no longer either viable or moving forward for whatever reason exactly yeah Steve the latest on this committed those people took every one of these items apart very carefully instead of but any other comics okay a couple more things so I'm good

19:58 with the OS with the allocation that they chose and you know putting that out for public comment knowing that we're going to adopt it it um we've already put it out for public comments so at this point it would just be for your adopters yeah um could you talk a little bit more about the 95 000 869 because I think this is kind of this is some context for everybody would be I think really helpful because this is a point that comes up a lot in the Human Services World sure um so one of the strategies um listed that Council adopted as part of the five-year Consolidated plan is to support a human services delivery system and one way to do that is what's called

20:45 contributing toward public services or social services so you can give money to a non-profit and help them pay for staff that is serving a low-income population in Springfield um what is it included here is some of the background information and guidelines from HUD but HUD limits the amount of dollars of your cdbg allocation that you can put toward Public Services that's about 15 with like a longer formula sort of attached to that um given what we have heard from Council given the cap at 15 percent put forward each year to say great we're going to give our 15 to the county because they manage Social Services the

21:32 city does not we're not in the business of doing it we're not an expert on it and they sort of run the system for the county in terms of understanding what are the needs as a whole and how can we pool funds from each of the cities that the county receives from the state from the federal government and pull it pull it all together to ultimately sort of distribute to through rfps or to non-profits or two certain projects that the county is sort of working toward and so that Human Services contribution has been going toward um it doesn't pay for staff costs for the city and it doesn't pay for staff costs for the county it goes directly to four non-profits and that is Catholic community services Access Center

22:17 um on 10th and G it goes toward Relief Nursery it goes toward food for Lane County and the fourth is open safety Alliance which was women's space and so each of those agencies get a portion of these funds to help pay for staff that staff when staff is direct actually working on sort of sort of client management for Springfield residents so I think this is I think this is an important piece right because a lot of times we talk about our strategy about you know focusing on you know families with children and then people go okay what do we do regionally well this is some of the money that we part we we give to the county to support the broader Regional system as well as there's a lot of us that sit on you know Regional committees and you know particip you know and participate in the

23:02 conversation regionally yeah that was the part that I was going to add just to just we say I'm going to want to explain what you just said um just to say that that in addition to us like contributing to the Human Services Commission we are also part of the decision making and Sort of hope to particularly on the Human Services Commission um the Springfield folks who sit on that which is me and I think um councilor Doyle is now on that um are sort of provide that sort of policy Direction in collaboration with our County in Eugene city folks so it's a it's a way for us to make sure the county does what the county does but we still have some direction over that so yes and and the key here is right the

23:49 Human Services issues that the counties go that are counting not the County government is going through requires a regional response um the two other questions that well I guess one piece of Direction I Would love to give back to the committee this is also money that is used for economic development and in the last couple of years we've not seen you know an allocation towards Economic Development and going into the next year right like it would be nice to help facilitate develop an economic development project just simply because we haven't seen one in a couple years from the staff side the other thing that when we look at the home repair program I know those those projects very sort of substantially in size right some of them are pretty tiny if if we um evaluated

24:36 whether or not it would be cheaper in some cases just to pay pay for it out of General funds than the the compliance and Regulatory P you know all that extra regulatory pieces that go along with using federal funds we haven't I would say um I love the question um I would say of all of those activities that's a it's minimal I think we do go through an environmental review process for each time we use them but it's more in the I would say land acquisition and the day Center for homeless families is is where a lot a lot of the weight is but good question um I think it's okay Perfect all right any other questions Joe on the um the public and privacy and

25:22 low-income neighborhoods part of it where we talked about the city that is going to do that tree planting project is in this 85 000 was towards us that's that money has been shelved and is going to continue going forward yes it's being carried over um I talked to Ben Gibson and they hadn't really planned it yet for this winter but it's in works for wanted to disappear things yeah all right perfect then we are good to go um we are adjourned and then we are going Victoria we're going to switch over to the executive session link and then we're going to reconfigure the room for Effective how do I get that link because I didn't I don't have that can somebody email

26:07 that to me yeah yes we're on it thank you things