MEMORANDUM

City of Lawrence

Planning and Development Services Department

TO:              David L. Corliss, City Manager

THRU:                   Scott McCullough, Director, Planning and Development Services

FROM:         Margene K. Swarts, Assistant Director, Development Services

SUBJECT:      Citizen Participation Plan Update

DATE:           September 17, 2008

As part of the CDBG and HOME programs, the City is required to have a Citizen Participation Plan.  The purpose of the plan is to encourage and insure full and proper citizen participation at all stages of the CDBG Consolidated Planning process and involve citizens in decisions that are made regarding the CDBG and HOME programs.  The Citizen Participation Plan formally designates structures, procedures, roles and policies to be followed for program participation.

Staff presented the revised Citizen Participation Plan to the Neighborhood Resources Advisory Committee (NRAC) at their September 11, 2008 regular meeting.  After review and discussion, the NRAC voted unanimously to forward the recommended revised Plan to the City Commission for their review and approval. 

The Citizen Participation Plan for the City was last updated in May, 2001 and has been updated previously through the years.  Generally, updates to the Plan have occurred as a result of name changes to the department or other minor adjustments.  The most important changes have occurred as a result of changes in the make up of the advisory committee.  Originally, the make up of the advisory committee was defined based on neighborhoods that had been targeted by the City as eligible for CDBG funding because of the condition of the neighborhood and the neighborhood area income, as well as including community members at large.  Such “targeted” neighborhoods were located in the downtown “core” of the community or adjacent to the university.  Through the years, the numbers of such targeted neighborhoods eligible for area benefits has changed.  At one time, there were as many as eight such neighborhoods; most recently, this was reduced to five.  As a result, the number of committee members has included anywhere from eleven to seventeen members.  The current and recommended configuration remains at eleven members.   

Originally, CDBG income eligible neighborhoods were “targeted” due to the fact that the areas needed infrastructure and housing improvements to maintain the integrity of the neighborhood.  Through the years, the influx of funds improved the conditions of the neighborhoods such that the idea of “targeting” has become unnecessary.  As a result, the city no longer “targets” particular neighborhoods for area benefit.  If there is an area that is income eligible for CDBG funding, application can be made for a project or activity and if recommended for funding by the committee and subsequently the City Commission, it can commence.  As more areas of the community meet the threshold of 80% median income or below, more areas of the community are becoming eligible for CDBG funding.  (Low/Mod Area Map attached.)    

The following updates to the Citizen Participation Plan are recommended.  Due to the recent combining of the Planning and Neighborhood Resources departments into the Planning and Development Services Department, the recommended name for the f/k/a Neighborhood Resources Advisory Committee (NRAC) is the Community Development Advisory Committee (CDAC).  The Community Development Division name has remained steady throughout the last several department name changes, so this appears to be a reasonable change at this time.  Other minor formatting changes are recommended as well as an addition to the “Guidelines To Be Followed by CDBG Funded Neighborhood Associations” which includes language to encourage such funded neighborhoods to produce regular newsletters. 

The primary recommendation to the Plan concerns the Citizen Participation Organization Chart.  As noted previously, the Citizen Participation Plan has evolved through the years adding and deleting groups and members based on current needs and conditions in the community.  It is time now to review the groups that make up the current process for relevancy. 

The Practitioners Panel is no longer meeting and has not for some months.  The primary purpose of that group was to facilitate the City’s Continuum of Care with regard to homelessness and homeless activities in the community.  Since the City of Lawrence “Continuum” was absorbed into the “Balance of State” of Kansas continuum in early 2008, this body has disbanded.  Those persons and agencies interested and appropriate for Continuum of Care activities and information have access to and currently participate in the Balance of State process. 

The Community Development Block Grant Review Board has been a long standing group but should be sunset as it has outlived its usefulness and is basically obsolete.  The process and procedure for homeowner rehabilitation projects has been revised such that review by the Board has become a rubber stamp with no real added value.  As a result, it is often hard to ensure there is a quorum for meetings and fill vacancies on the Board as they arise.  Additionally, such infrequent appeals that may be lodged by a homeowner can adequately be heard by the Community Development Advisory Committee during the course of their regular work. 

The Neighborhood Resources Advisory Committee will be renamed the Community Development Advisory Committee and the Purpose and number of members shall remain the same.  However, as noted in the body of the Citizen Participation Plan, the eleven member committee shall consist of six members from low or moderate income areas as designated by HUD census data and five members from the community at large.  One of the eleven members shall also be a landlord.  This membership will ensure that affected citizens in the community are offered an opportunity for input while opening up the areas/neighborhoods in the community that are eligible for CDBG and HOME funding.  New appointments in conjunction with the new Plan can be made as vacancies arise. 

The previous Citizen Participation Plan Organization Chart is attached.  If you have further questions, please let me know.

Citizen Participation Plan, May 2001 Organizational Chart