February 7, 2008 Minutes (Development Services Conference Room)
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MEMBERS PRESENT: |
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Jeanette Collier, Marci Francisco, Julie Mitchell, Vern Norwood, Aimee Polson, Kirsten Roussel, Patti Welty |
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MEMBERS ABSENT: |
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Curtis Harris, Susan Mangan, Quinn Miller, Brenda Nunez |
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STAFF PRESENT: |
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Lesley Rigney, Margene Swarts |
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PUBLIC PRESENT: |
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Ted Boyle, Matt Green, Nancy Schwarting, KT Walsh |
Roussel called the meeting to order at 5:45 p.m.
Introductions
Members, public and staff introduced themselves.
Approval of January 24, 2008 Minutes
Polson moved to approve the January 24, 2008 minutes. Mitchell seconded the motion, which passed.
Public Service Performance Measurement
Staff handed out performance measures that were submitted by Oread Neighborhood Association (ONA) and East Lawrence Neighborhood Association (ELNA).
Members commended ONA and ELNA on their participation and activity.
CDBG Public Service Deliberations
Staff handed out the updated table of contents and noted the new CDBG allocation was $798,320, which was a slight reduction.
In order to balance allocations with the newly-determined amount available, Polson moved to fund 19, Contingency Fund for $42,408. Norwood seconded the motion which passed.
Swarts stated that Mark Hecker provided a letter in support of the NLIA request for park lighting. The new cost estimate for the light is $2500.
Roussel clarified this is regarding 3b, NLIA Light Installation at Lyons Park.
Walsh noted there is a 10% incentive for energy efficient lights.
Roussel asked Ted Boyle, NLIA President, if he had anything to add to the discussion.
Boyle said he was finally able to reach Mark Hecker, Parks and Recreation staff today. There is currently no lighting between the parking lot and the shelter house. The citizens of Lawrence use that park extensively in the summertime. At the neighborhood picnic in September people were commenting that the space between the shelter and parking lot is like a cave and there is playground equipment on both sides of the sidewalk. NLIA voted that they needed the light and identified the location. He had contacted Chuck Soules about it, and Soules told him that electricity is already running along the walkway. Hecker gave him $1200 for a cost estimate when he spoke with him today and he apparently told Swarts $2500 – he does not understand that discrepancy. In the past NLIA applied for CDBG funds to light various parks and received about $23,000 and since then North Lawrence parks have become very popular with both neighborhood residents and citizens at-large. The cost of paying for the lighting is an insignificant cost. There have been graffiti problems at the shelter house and tennis courts and lighting will help address that as well.
Roussel asked if there are any homes in the vicinity that will be disturbed by the lighting.
Boyle said there is only an empty lot across the street.
Francisco asked if the city has plans for lights that are more energy efficient such as solar or LED.
Swarts did not know. Hecker told her the new lighting fixture should match the old.
Francisco moved to fund the project 3b, NLIA lighting installation for up to $2500 contingent upon it fitting the city’s standards for “green.” Welty seconded the motion, which passed.
Francisco moved to amend 19, Contingency Fund to $39,908. Norwood seconded the motion which passed.
Roussel said the total amount available for Public Services is $119,748 and the total requests are $169,875. She noted that for the 2007 process the Committee developed a formula for funding neighborhoods. They looked at the total neighborhood population, the percent low-mod and the percent rental-occupied. She noted that neighborhoods were getting data for their grant proposals from different sources so Roussel used the Consolidated Plan numbers. Last year, the Committee ended up allocating 60% based on population, 20% based on low-mod and 20% based on rentals. She compared what neighborhoods would be allocated using the formula with their requests.
Francisco suggested discussing the overall percentage for neighborhoods. In 2007, it was around 30%.
Roussel said there is a little greater than a $5,000 difference from 2007.
Francisco asked if the group felt that neighborhood amounts should be reduced. She would like to look at capping ONA at $11,500 but would like to take some percentage to distribute to the remaining neighborhoods. It is hard to take a program like neighborhoods and cut it – they do not have the same resources that agencies do.
Welty said there needs to be a formula – rental households do not need to be part of the formula. When it comes to the end of the process if we make cuts to Public Services, it should be based on a percentage, and not a flat rate taken from all organizations. Last year the formula was used and at the very end, we cut a flat amount from every neighborhood.
Roussel suggested determining an overall percentage of public service funds the group is comfortable with allocating to neighborhoods. She also noted that the rental composition of a neighborhood creates a unique challenge – with a transient population there is a greater challenge in creating community. She feels it is very important to include something to take rental into account. But she does agree that there cannot be across the board flat cuts.
Francisco suggested moving on to agencies.
Roussel said the City Commission mentioned HCCI as a priority at the recent Study Session. As far as its place and value in the community for providing a connection between landlords and tenants/potential residents, she feels they offer an important service.
Welty said in the past HCCI has taken the biggest hits.
Roussel said last year they received $12,000 which was half of what they requested. She read the 2007 allocations for Public Services.
Norwood asked staff to explain the voluntary clearance program.
Swarts said it is an important program to help eliminate exterior blight for low-mod residents, especially elderly with problems after storms. They cannot clear debris, code enforcement cites them, sometimes they end up in court and there is no way they can take care of it themselves.
Welty moved to fund 8a, Housing and Credit Counseling, Inc. (HCCI) for $25,000. Collier seconded the motion.
Norwood said she realizes the CC talked about HCCI being a priority but funding them at their full request means other agencies are going to take serious hits and if the Committee does not try to divide the hits among all agencies it will be an injustice. She would be more open to reducing the amount instead of funding the full request.
Collier said HCCI plays a huge role in keeping people in housing and they are the one agency providing counseling to people going through foreclosure and bankruptcy. They are working on providing other types of education as well. They have a significant impact on decreasing our homeless numbers.
The motion passed.
Welty moved to fund 6a, Douglas County AIDS Project (DCAP) for $4000. Motion died for lack of second.
Roussel moved to fund 14a, Salvation Army for $30,000. Welty seconded the motion.
Francisco said looking at their request – they asked for shelter program and feeding program. Is the Committee comfortable saying we will support shelter, not food.
Collier said Salvation Army is feeding 150 people every day.
Roussel suggested just leaving it open and letting the agency decide how to spend it.
The motion passed, Collier dissenting.
Francisco moved to fund 11a, Lawrence Community Shelter (LCS) for $30,000. Motion died for lack of second.
Norwood moved to fund 11a, LCS for $20,000. Collier seconded the motion.
Francisco asked why LCS would be funded less than SA. Collier said their operations are very different.
Welty said $20,000 is even less than last year.
Norwood said some agencies are going to be funded less than last year.
Francisco said SA is being funded at the same level as last year.
Collier said in terms of shelter, LCS can only serve a few compared with SA. LCS does not purchase their food like SA does.
Francisco said that LCS guests receive a meal at night and breakfast.
Roussel said SA serves a much larger number of people.
The motion passed.
Roussel moved to fund 18f, Community Development Division Voluntary Clearance Program for $10,000. Norwood seconded the motion.
Polson asked what happens if someone gets cited and they cannot afford to remove the problem. Swarts said code enforcement pursues it to make sure it is taken care of – they may go to court.
Norwood said the Jayhawk Area Agency on Aging has some funds available for assisting the elderly with the removal of tree limbs.
Boyle said when a North Lawrence resident has a problem with this NLIA helps to take care of it.
Francisco said that is probably one of the easier things for a neighborhood association (NA) to help with. The city lets you take it to brush collection. It is only $2.00 or $3.00/load.
The motion passed, Polson dissenting.
Roussel stated that there is $34,748 left to allocate. NA requests total $44,910.
Roussel suggested coming back to the next meeting ready to tackle the rest.
Norwood noted that this is probably the smallest number of applications she has seen and it is the most difficult.
Roussel said this is when it gets tough and Emergency Services Council usually has a request as well.
Miscellaneous/Calendar Items
The next meeting is February 28 at 5:30 pm in the CC Room.
Public Comment
Boyle said regarding Uddin’s comment at the previous meeting about it being more expensive to place sidewalk in NL. How did the group take this?
Roussel said they understood that it is more expensive to install sidewalk where there are drainage ditches.
Boyle said there are no ditches or creeks in the location of the sidewalk requested by NLIA. About four years ago they applied for CDBG funds to go around the utility pole and to date it has not been done.
Francisco wants to hear back about the sidewalk improvements near Van Go.
Adjourn
There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 6:55 pm.
Attendance Record
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Member |
01/10 |
01/14 (SS) |
01/24 |
02/07 |
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Jeanette Collier |
+ |
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+ |
+ |
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Julie Mitchell |
+ |
+ |
+ |
+ |
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Patti Welty |
+ |
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+ |
+ |
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Brenda Nunez |
+ |
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+ |
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Marci Francisco |
+ |
+ |
+ |
+ |
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Quinn Miller |
E |
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+ |
E |
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Curtis Harris |
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+ |
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Vern Norwood |
+ |
+ |
+ |
+ |
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Kristen Roussel |
+ |
+ |
+ |
+ |
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Susan Mangan |
+ |
+ |
E |
E |
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Aimee Polson |
+ |
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+ |
+ |