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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 01141997 - C109 f C.1079 C.1089 0.109, and C.110 THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS OF CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA Adopted this Order on January 14, 1997, by the following vote: AYES: Supervisors Rogers, Uilkema, Gerber, Canciamilla, and DeSaulnier NOES: None ABSENT: None ABSTAIN: None SUBJECT: Correspondence C.107 LETTER dated December 17, 1996, from Michael De Sa, Superintendent, Walnut Creek School District, 960 Ygnacio Valley Road, Walnut Creek, CA 94596, advising that the District's Governing Board took action to confirm its continued land use of Dorris-Eaton School for classroom instruction(Government Code Section 53094). *****REFERRED TO DIRECTOR, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT C.108 RESOLUTION dated December 17, 1996, from Janet Weingarten, Superintendent, 8 Altarinda Road, Orinda, CA 94563, adopted by the Governing Board, Orinda Union School District, requesting that the Governing Board trustee election of November 4, 1997, be consolidated with the statewide general election of November 3, 1997, and with every statewide general election of even numbered years thereafter; and RESOLUTION dated December 17, 1996, from Ellin A. Barret, P.O. Box 187, Canyon, CA 94516, adopted by the Governing Board, Canyon Elementary School District, requesting the consolidation of its Governing Board election with the November 3, 1998, general election. *****REFERRED TO THE COUNTY CLERK C.109 LETTER dated December 30, 1996, from Steven B. Sachs, Director, Community Planning and Development Division, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, 450 Golden Gate Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94102-3448, transmitting the Annual Community Assessment Report (ACAR) for the 1995 fiscal year on the County's CDBG, HOME, and ESG programs. *****REFERRED TO THE DIRECTOR, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT C.110 NOTIFICATION dated December 31, 1996, from the County Clerk advising of vacancies in the following districts because no candidates filed for election to these positions: A. Kensington Community Services District Board (one vacancy), and Kensington Fire Protection District Board(one vacancy). ***** REFERRED TO DISTRICT I SUPERVISOR 1 + o�QPPtMENTpFypGN U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Pacific/Hawaii Office * * 0 450 Golden Gate Avenue A 2Q IIIIIIII San Francisco, California 94102-3448 619 e DAN DEvEI'p DEC 3 01996 Mr. Jeff Smith Chairperson County Board of Supervisors County of Contra Costa 651 Pine Street, Room 108A Martinez, CA 94553 Dear Mr. Smith: SUBJECT: Annual Community Assessment Fiscal Year 1995 Our office has completed the annual assessment of the County' s performance as it relates to the 1995 Fiscal Year Consolidated Plan. Based upon this review, we have determined that the County has been able to implement community development strategies to address needs originally identified in the Consolidated Plan. The County' s achievements illustrate a continued commitment to embracing a vision of community development that is responsive to the needs identified in its Consolidated Plan. HUD' s Community Planning and Development Division maintains active partnerships with State and local governments for the purpose of achieving meaningful housing and community development results . Our partnerships are forged by the laws, regulations and policies that govern our collective efforts, and by the unique characteristics that define each partner. Our primary objective is to ensure that our joint efforts result in housing and community development programs and initiatives that benefit low and moderate income families . To that end, we annually review our partnership performance . Enclosed is the Annual Community Assessment Report (ALAR) , which discusses the County' s Fiscal Year 1995 performance for the CDBG, HOME, and ESG programs . The report is based upon the information made available' to this office and does not reflect a comprehensive evaluation of specific program activities . Listed below are highlights from the report : 2 Program Strengths • The Consolidated Plan was well-written and can be easily understood by citizens . • The County funded a variety of housing, infrastructure, and public service programs which addressed identified needs . • The County has worked with the City of Richmond to revitalize North Richmond. Areas for Improvement • The County did not meet its economic development goals for the 1995 program year. • Outreach to other agencies should be improved during the development process for the annual Action Plans, and five-year Consolidated Plan. The Consolidated Plan regulations require that HUD submit its ACAR to grantees for review and comment, and that the report be made available to the public . The County is requested to review the enclosed report and provide any comments to our office within 30 days from the date of this letter. HUD may revise the report after considering comments . Our office will then issue its final performance report to the County, so that it can be made available to the public . The County can make the report available through various methods, including sending copies of the report to members of the County Board of Supervisors, to the media, or have it available at public hearings . If the County chooses not to make the report available to citizens or organizations, interested parties should be advised that HUD will make the report available upon request . The County is requested to inform our office of its decision regarding making the report available to the public . In closing, we thank Contra Costa County for maintaining a partnership with HUD -- a partnership that continues to produce meaningful housing and community 3 development results . If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me at (415) 436-6597, or your HUD CPD Representative, Kimberly Fergison, at (415) 436-8485 . Very sincerely yours, ,lg,< Steven B . Sachs Director, Community Planning and Development Division cc : Mr. Phillip Batchelor County Administrator Mr. James Kennedy Deputy Director, Redevelopment Ms . Kathleen Hamm Principal Planner Ms . Belinda Smith Chief, Community Development (. Ioq 4 Contra Costa County and the Contra Costa County Consortium Annual Community Assessment Report 1995 Program Year Part I : Summary of Consolidated Plan/Action Plan Review and Assessment Clarity of the Consolidated Plan The information contained in the Consortium' s 1995 Consolidated Plan was presented in an organized and logical format . Although the Consortium was unable to utilize the Consolidated Plan Software (CPS) to generate maps and tables, the Consortium was able to recreate the required tables and include a map which identified areas of poverty and minority concentration. It should be noted that Contra Costa County, the lead member of the Consortium, did not use CPS in 1995 , because the County is an early grantee and the required software to run CPS was delivered to the office 15 days prior to the due date of the Plan to our office . We requested that the maps be provided at a later date . However the County did not produce the requested maps . In. addition, no maps were developed for the County' s 1996 Action Plan. The County is requested to produce these maps with its next. Action Plan submission, since the maps are helpful to citizens and others who review the plan. Participation of citizens/agencies during the development of the Consolidated Plan The Consortium convened two public hearings to gather input on community development and housing needs, and at a third hearing, the Consortium' s 1995 Consolidated Plan was approved. The review of the summary of comments indicates that all of the comments at the first public hearing were from local non-profit agencies . No public comments were received at the last public hearing. The Consortium is commended for its efforts to consult with other public and private agencies regarding the needs of the Consortium residents . A total of 327 public and private agencies were sent a needs survey about current services provided and expected needs . In addition, Consortium staff attended various public forums and planning meetings in order to gain a better understanding of the needs of special needs populations . However, the Consortium was not very successful in getting input from citizens . 5 Areas of Improvement and Recommendations Strengths • The information contained in the Consolidated Plan has been presented in a logical format that should be understandable to local citizens . Recommendations for Improvement • The Consortium should intensify its efforts to increase citizen participation in the development of the annual Action Plan, and five-year Consolidated Plan. • Using CPS to generate maps which identify low and moderate income areas, areas of minority concentration and areas of high unemployment would allow interested citizens to understand the impact proposed projects could have in their neighborhoods . Part II : Summary of Grantee Performance CPD Programs Action Plan Reflects Strategy - Proposed Goals The County has stated in its Plan that those needs which have been identified as of the highest priority will be funded, and that if any funds remain, needs with a medium designation will be funded. In addition, the County is most concerned with assisting low income families with children, the homeless, the disabled and other "at-risk" groups like the elderly. Goal - Providing Decent Housing For the 1995 program year, the Consortium Consolidated Plan has identified the various housing and homeless activities to be funded with CDBG, HOME and ESG funds . The County proposed to rehabilitate 36 homeowner units throughout the County. For rental housing, the County planned to rehabilitate 20 privately-owned rental housing units . Two other rental housing projects were also proposed for funding during the program year: Brentwood Senior Apartments and Bay Point Multi-family Rental Housing. At the time the Consolidated Plan was submitted to our office, the Consortium was not sure of the exact projects to be funded with HOME dollars, but projected that HOME funds of 6 would be used for the following types of activities : new construction, substantial rehabilitation, other rehabilitation, and acquisition. For activities to assist the homeless, the County proposed to fund the following activities with CDBG funds : rehabilitation of _an emergency shelter, a group home for severely developmentally disabled, and for a battered women' s facility. Additionally, the County proposed to allocate ESG funds for the following activities : shelter operations, essential services to the homeless, shelter renovations, and homeless prevention activities . Goal - Suitable Living Environment The County proposed to fund a variety of public facilities/infrastructure improvements, as well as public services during the 1995 program year. In terms of public facilities and infrastructure improvements, the County allocated funds to renovate child care centers, a youth center and two playground restoration projects and expansion of a senior health center. Infrastructure improvements included installing fire hydrants and undertaking sidewalk improvements in Knightsen, a barrier removal activity in San Pablo, and sidewalk improvements in Bay Point . Public service activities proposed for funding during the program year can be grouped into the following categories based upon the population to be served: services for children/youths, programs for the elderly, the disabled, and assistance to the homeless . Goal - Expanding Economic Opportunities The County is very interested in using CDBG funds for economic development activities, and proposed to fund a number of projects under this eligibility category. Some of the projects selected for funding were to provide job training and then job placement, while other projects provide technical assistance to small businesses . CDBG funds were also proposed to assist businesses to purchase equipment necessary for expanding the business . Achieving Action Plan Goals Providing Decent Housing During the 1995 program year, the Consortium was very successful in implementing housing activities to assist first-time homebuyers, owner-occupied housing, and rental ^ /0q 7 housing. In addition, the housing assisted in most cases was located in areas of high concentrations of minorities and poverty. The County was able to meet or exceed its goals for the various proposed housing activities for the 1995 program year. Finally, we recognize the efforts of staff from both the County and City of Richmond, who have worked together to revitalize North Richmond. A recent example of this collaboration is the Parkway Estates project , an 87-unit, single-family development . To address the needs of the homeless and other special needs populations, the County provided CDBG, HOME,. and ESG funds for activities which represent each element of the continuum of care . Funds were used for homeless prevention activities, for emergency and transitional housing, shelter operating costs, supportive services, and permanent housing for persons who were formerly homeless . However, it is important to note that only two of the member Consortium communities, Pittsburg and Walnut Creek, appear to be utilizing HOME funds awarded to the Consortium. The review of the most recent CMIS report identifies projects located in various parts of the County, including San Pablo, Pacheco, Bay Point, Martinez, North Richmond, El Cerrito, a number of projects in Pittsburg, and one project in Walnut Creek. To date, it appears that no HOME funds have been awarded to projects in either Antioch or Concord. Creating a Suitable Living Environment Based upon the review of the GPR, it appears that the County has been very successful in implementing projects that address the needs which come under this category. For instance, the County was able to fund a variety of barrier removal projects, sidewalk and fire hydrant improvement projects, and renovations to both senior centers and youth centers . In terms of public services, the County was also quite successful in funding activities that assist seniors, youths, and the disabled. Expanding Economic Opportunities The County has had mixed results with the economic development programs funded during the program year. For instance, the two programs that were to provide technical assistance to small businesses were not very successful in providing such assistance . In one case, the subrecipient had some capacity issues, and in the other case, very few clients sought assistance . Two other program participants selected to provide training and job placement were C�. Ioq 8 determined to not have the capacity to carry out the funded activities, and the projects were canceled. A number of persons were assisted through one program administered by the County PIC, but none of the participants were able to secure business loans to start businesses . Areas for Improvement and Recommendations Strengths • The County has done an admirable job in implementing programs and projects to address identified housing, and suitable living environment needs, and as a result has met or exceeded proposed goals . Recommendations for Improvement • As lead agency for the Consortia, the County must work with other consortium members, especially An and Concord, to ensure that these communities are able to utilize HOME funds for needed affordable housing projects . • While it is commendable that the County is dedicated to undertaking economic development activities, the County should focus on activities that have a good chance of being implemented and which will provide satisfactory results . B. Other HUD Programs Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity Our FH&EO Office has determined that the County supported a variety of activities that benefitted minorities and persons with special needs during the program year. Of special note are Main Street Apartments in Oakley and Aspen Court in Pacheco . The County provided both technical assistance as well as funding for both projects . The FH&EO review of the 1995 GPR found some problems related to the reporting of direct beneficiary data for a variety of activities . The County has recently responded to FH&EO' s letter regarding this matter, and has requested technical assistance . NO 9 Regarding fair housing actions, FH&EO has reported that Contra Costa County has completed its Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice . Currently there is one discrimination complaint filed against the County which is currently under investigation. Office of Housing This past November, the Office of Housing awarded CHDC and Eden Housing $3 , 919, 900 in Section 202 funds for. the development of a 52-unit elderly housing project in North Richmond. Housing also awarded this project $1, 270, 566 in project rental assistance . The County and City of Richmond worked in collaboration to get this project funded. In addition, the County submitted a Neighborhood Revitalization Strategy Area Plan for the North Richmond area, which was approved by HUD. This approval gave the North Richmond proposal an additional 5 points in the Section 202 competition. Areas for Improvement and Recommendations Strengths • The County and City of Richmond have been highly supportive of the Section 202 project in North Richmond, and have worked in a collaborative fashion in terms of supporting the project financially, as well as in advocating for the development of this project . We commend your staff for their efforts . Recommendations for Improvement • FH&EO recommends that Contra Costa County review the reporting procedures required of subrecipients to ensure that records are maintained which document the income level and race/ethnicity of CDBG beneficiaries . Part III : HUD Evaluation and Conclusions Based upon the review of the City' s 1995 Grantee Performance Report, Consolidated Plan, HOME and ESG Annual Performance Reports which have been approved, and familiarity with the County' s programs, the County has begun the process of funding activities which address identified needs . Although no monitoring was conducted of this program year, we have no indication that the County is not complying with program regulations . Therefore, it has been determined .f c.i01 to that the City has the continuing capacity to administer the CDBG program. It would be helpful to the community if the County' s next Action Plan submission included maps which identify low and moderate income areas of the County, areas of minority concentration, areas of high unemployment, and a map identifying projects in relation to the areas of minority, low and moderate income, and unemployment . concentration. Finally, the County' s outreach efforts to citizens should be improved.