City of Lawrence, KS

Community Development Advisory Committee

September 14, 2017 Minutes (City Commission Room)

MEMBERS PRESENT:		Alex Delaney, Jonathan Holley, Steven Koprince, Frank Pondrom, Kendall Simmons

MEMBERS ABSENT:		Frank Brown, Jenna Coker, Blake Swenson

STAFF PRESENT:		Danelle Dresslar, Brad Karr

Chair Koprince called the meeting to order at 5:34 p.m.

1. Approval of the April 27, 2017 Minutes

Koprince moved to approve the CDAC meeting minutes from April 27, 2017. Simmons seconded the motion. The motion passed 5-0.

2. Discussion of the 2018 grant application packets

Karr discussed the 2018 grant application packets for CDBG and HOME. The application packets are the same as last year, with the dates adjusted. Dresslar said the grant estimates on the introduction letter would be adjusted down 5% to better reflect the estimated funding to be received. Dresslar said there would once again be required application review meetings, to provided technical support and additional information to each applicant. Karr indicated applicants last year were informed of additional policies which needed to be implemented by this year in order to remain eligible of funding; these policies include a Limited English Proficiency plan and acceptance of HUD’s Gender Identity policy.

Karr discussed with the committee how the past performance of applicants could affect the amount funded for this grant year. Dresslar said as federal funds are decreasing, it makes sense to see which grant recipients are utilizing the funding effectively. Koprince said he would certainly like to review the performance of the grant recipients, as the pie gets smaller and smaller each year. Karr indicated the social service agencies’ performance is based upon staff monitoring of files and the required submittal of client demographic information; neighborhood associations’ performance is based upon the timely filing of required quarterly reports and the required holding of at least one quarterly meeting. Karr indicated not all of the neighborhoods are meeting these requirements, including one neighborhood not holding at least one meeting in the last quarter. Simmons asked which neighborhood did not hold a meeting last quarter; Karr said Brook Creek Neighborhood Association did not hold a 4^th Quarter meeting. Koprince said performance should be reviewed by the committee, but he is not necessarily recommending withholding funding. Dresslar said there is a precedent of withholding funding from neighborhood associations due to performance issues, including in past years the Pinckney Neighborhood Association. Delaney said other communities do not even fund neighborhood associations anymore.

Simmons asked if the neighborhood associations’ reports and newsletters could be sent to the committee each quarter. Karr said the quarterly reports are on the city website (https://lawrenceks.org/pds/Neighbor_Perform_Report/) for the committee and public to view. Simmons said she would also like to know what type of outreach each neighborhood does, including social media, to increase participation in neighborhood activities. Karr indicated funding of the neighborhood associations in Lawrence began back in the 1970’s as a capacity building program to help associations get established and organized, but has continued now as an expected part of some neighborhood’s yearly budget. Koprince indicated the makeup of the CDAC, by design, includes representatives of low-mod neighborhoods who would have an interest in continual funding of the associations. Dresslar indicated the makeup of the committee was designed to mirror the low-mod percentages in the community as a whole. Delaney said most of the committee members who regularly attend meetings are the at-large members, while most of the vacancies are usually for low-mod representatives. Karr said it is sometimes difficult to find low-mod representatives from neighborhoods not already represented on the committee. Holley asked if the neighborhood associations knew the goal was to become self-sufficient and not continue to request funding. Dresslar said it has now become the culture created by the continuing long-term funding. Simmons agreed maybe the associations do not know the goal would be to get off federal funding. Koprince said it is a function of the CDAC to make recommendations to the City Commission on funding levels, possibly even zero funding. Karr agreed and said the City Commission can accept or alter the CDAC funding recommendations.

Dresslar asked if there were any changes the committee would like to make to the application packets. Koprince moved to approve the 2018 grant application packets. Holley seconded the motion. The motion passed 4-1. Simmons indicated she felt the application packets might need more discussion, including the goal to make the neighborhoods self-sufficient and off federal funding. Dresslar said it is not necessarily a goal the City has set, but goes back to the original intent of capacity building to help establish neighborhood associations. Delaney said the discussion of the performance and goals of the neighborhood associations is not a function of the application packet itself; those discussions should be during the review process after the applications have been received. Dresslar said it has been discussed several times before how Lawrence is the only city choosing to fund neighborhood associations. Koprince agreed the neighborhoods should be eligible to apply for funding, but it should be up to the CDAC to review the applications and decide on whether or not to continue funding, but that does not affect the contents of the presented application packet. Simmons agreed.

3. Discussion of Fall public hearing

Dresslar explained the fall public hearing would be on September 28, 2017. The regular meeting of the CDAC would begin at 5:45pm to conduct any scheduled business, then would recess to open the public hearing at 6:00pm. The public hearing is conducted on the grant year-end CAPER (Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report). The CAPER will be available for public comment beginning Monday, September 25, 2017.

Dresslar informed the committee Averill, Kapfer, and Minor all stepped down from the CDAC, effective immediately.

4. Public Comment

There was no public comment.

5. Miscellaneous/Calendar

The next meeting of the CDAC will be on September 28, 2017, and will include the public hearing on the CAPER.

Dresslar discussed the City Commission’s initiative to inventory and evaluate the role of existing advisory boards and commissions and identify opportunities to consolidate or sunset as appropriate. The CDAC is one of the boards discussed as possibly being eliminated or consolidated with the Social Service Funding Advisory Board.

Koprince felt it would be short-sided to completely eliminate the CDAC; having a public board make recommendations for funding adds some legitimacy to the process. Dresslar said she contacted other cities in Kansas to inquire about their process for allocating the grant funds; most other cities do not have a dedicated board like the CDAC, but instead rely on staff recommendations or a combined advisory board that also allocated city general funds to social service agencies or for capital projects.

Pondrom suggested having CDAC members attend the neighborhood association meetings to possibly increase public attendance. Simmons agreed, and said the neighborhood residents could then ask questions of the CDAC members. Dresslar pointed out the CDAC meetings are open public meetings, and no one from any of the neighborhood associations attended tonight. Pondrom said he personally would not mind going to the neighborhood meetings. Koprince said he wanted to be cognizant of the burden it would place on staff if enough members of the CDAC attended that it became an official meeting and had to be advertised and recorded. Pondrom asked what the citizen participation element was for the federal grants. Dresslar and Karr said it included public hearings for the Action Plan and CAPER, which are advertised in the newspaper and online, and the open public CDAC meetings which are advertised online and emailed to interested parties who subscribe to the committee listserv.

6. Adjourn

Delaney moved to adjourn the September 14, 2017 meeting of the CDAC at 6:08 p.m. Simmons seconded the motion. The motion passed 5-0.

Attendance Record

Members

Jan 12

Jan 26

Feb 9

Feb 23

Mar 9

April 13

April 27

Sept 14

Sept 28

Frank Brown

Jenna Coker

Alex Delaney

Jonathan Holley

Steven Koprince

Frank Pondrom

Blake Swenson

Kendall Simmons

E Excused Absence U Unexcused Absence

X Meeting Cancelled – Weather Conditions - Meeting Cancelled – Committee Vote/No Business

* First meeting after appointment ** Last Meeting Prior to expired term

^ Last Meeting