City of Lawrence, KS

Community Development Advisory Committee

September 27, 2018 Meeting Minutes

MEMBERS PRESENT:		Robert Baker, Jenna Coker, Gene Dorsey, Jonathan Holley, Steven Koprince, Frank Pondrom, Kendall Simmons, Blake Swenson

MEMBERS ABSENT:

STAFF PRESENT:		Danelle Walters, Brad Karr

Chair Holley called the CDAC meeting to order at 5:48 pm.

1. Introductions

The committee members introduced themselves.

2. Approval of the September 13, 2018 meeting minutes

Coker moved to approve the September 13, 2018 meeting minutes. Baker seconded the motion. The motion passed 8-0.

3. Discussion of winter meeting schedule

Walters told the committee the applications for the 2019 grant year would be released to the public on October 1, and would be due back to staff by December 3, 2018. Staff would review the applications, and would send them to the committee in January 2019, to begin reviewing. Walters said historically, the CDAC had voted to cancel the October, November, and December meetings.

Simmons moved to cancel the October, November, and December meetings of the CDAC. Holley seconded the motion. The motion passed 8-0.

4. Miscellaneous/Calendar

The next meeting of the CDAC will be January 10, 2019 at 5:30pm.

Swenson moved to recess the meeting of the CDAC to hold the Public Hearing on the 2017 CAPER. Simmons seconded the motion. The motion passed 8-0.

5. Open Public Hearing

Pondrom moved to open the Public Hearing on the 2017 CAPER. Swenson seconded the motion. The motion passed 8-0.

Walters explained the Public Hearing was for the 2017 Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report (CAPER). The CAPER is a review of how the 2017 CDBG and HOME grant funds were expended, and began its public comment period began on September 20, 2018.

Holley opened the floor to public comment.

Mayor Boley spoke to the committee about the discussion of combining the CDAC with the Social Service Funding Advisory Board, and asked the members to be open to change if the boards are combined.

Boley said he was curious about how the 2018-2022 Consolidated Plan aligns with the Strategic Plan adopted by the city, especially in regards to neighborhoods. Boley said the city is looking at the relationship with Douglas County, with regards to what each government’s respective goals were. Boley said he saw the city as having a significant role in housing, and the county having a significant role in mental health and social services. Boley said he would hope the CDBG funds would be used to achieve the city adopted Strategic Plan goal of safe, healthy and welcoming neighborhoods.

Boley said in 2017 there were only four low/mod neighborhood associations which received CDBG funding, out of the 25 low/mod neighborhood associations in Lawrence. Boley said he was concerned the city is missing out on the opportunity to have partnerships with neighborhoods, if the neighborhoods are not organized well enough to partner with the city; he felt there was a certain element of organization needed in a neighborhood to be able to communicate more effectively.

Boley urged the committee, when reviewing applications for future funding, to be aware they need to be funding the neighborhood organizations. Boley said the four neighborhood associations receiving funding are the least needy, and were the most organized. Simmons asked, if Boley felt the four receiving funding were the least in need, which were the neighborhoods most in need. Boley gave an example of neighborhoods south of 23^rd St., between Iowa St. and Naismith Creek, among others in the city.

Swenson asked if Boley was saying to give more money to the neighborhood associations. Boley said we should make sure they at least apply. Swenson said the committee had discussions in the past about not funding the neighborhoods, and instead funding the social service agencies who work with low/mod clients. Boley said whose role is it to fund social services, the county or the city.

Baker said funding capital improvement projects in low/mod neighborhoods would be a tangible way with dealing with slum and blight. Boley said those neighborhoods may not be well enough organized to even apply for the funding for capital projects. Baker said some of the problems with rental practices and stable housing in the neighbors Boley discussed could be addressed with additional public service funding to social service agencies.

Koprince said the reason he had not voted to fund neighborhood associations with public service funds was because every dollar you gave to the neighborhood associations for a newsletter meant less money to a social service agency to keep somebody housed. Boley said that was why the committee needed to identify what the city’s goal was in regards to the Strategic Plan for neighborhoods, and what the county’s role was in regards to funding social services.

Coker felt the four neighborhood associations who do apply are indeed needy, and without the funding to pay for a neighborhood coordinator, there would be no neighborhood association. Walters said the funding of neighborhood associations began in the 1970’s as capacity building, to get the association started; now there are still those same neighborhoods receiving funding 30 years later. Boley said it was the other 21 neighborhood associations who needed the funding for capacity building.

Walters said the committee used the Step Up to Better Housing Strategy to make funding recommendations, which aligned with the Strategic Plan by focusing on housing and neighborhood revitalization.

Swenson asked Boley where the city funding would come from to fund all of the low/mod neighborhoods, and where the county would get all of the additional funding for the social service agencies. Boley said the city funding of the neighborhood associations should come from the CDBG grant, and it still should be determined whose role is was to pay for social services.

Emily Winters, coordinator for the Brook Creek Neighborhood Association, said they had been trying for the last four years to increase participation and funding raising in the neighborhood, but without the CDBG funding each year, they would probably disband the association.

Vice Mayor Larsen spoke to the committee about her concern about only four low/mod neighborhoods applying for funding. Larsen also agreed the city needs to determine what their role is, to ensure the city and county are maximizing their funding.

Larsen asked staff about the amount of funding available for capital items, compared to public service activities. Walters explained a maximum of 15% of the entire CDBG grant could be spent on public service activities, such as funding neighborhood associations and social service agencies; the remainder of the grant, minus administration, would be available for capital improvement projects.

Koprince thanked the Mayor and Vice Mayor for their service to the city, and suggested one way to get additional capital improvement applications from neighborhoods would be to cross-reference the previously approved projects on the traffic safety list with the low/mod neighborhood list. Koprince also commented about combined advisory boards becoming stakeholder boards instead of citizen boards.

Coker said there are neighborhoods which would not be able to apply for sidewalks, because they have ditches or curbs. Walters said there are other eligible capital projects, approved by Public Works, besides just sidewalks and speed humps.

6. Close Public Hearing

Pondrom moved to close the Public Hearing. Baker seconded the motion. The motion passed 8-0.

Koprince moved to re-open the regular meeting of the CDAC. Holley seconded the motion. The motion passed 8-0.

7. Additional Public Comment

There was no additional public comment.

8. Adjourn

Simmons moved to adjourn the meeting. Pondrom seconded the motion. The motion passed 8-0.

Attendance Record

Members

Jan 11

Jan 25

Feb 8

Feb 22

Mar 8

Mar 22

April 12

April 26

May 10

Sept 13

Sept 27

Robert Baker

Frank Brown

Jenna Coker

Alex Delaney

Gene Dorsey

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 NQ No Quorum