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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCommunity Development Block Grant Commission - Minutes - 09/16/2020 CDBG COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING September 16, 2020 at 5:00 PM Remote/ZOOM due to COVID-19 09/16/2020 – MINUTES Page 1 1. CALL TO ORDER • At 5:10 PM the meeting was called to order by Josh Johnson. 2. ROLL CALL • Board Members Present o Nick Verni-Lau o Mike Kulisheck o Olga Duvall o Steve Backsen o Sam Stoltz o Ethnie Treick o Sara Maranowicz o Pat Hastings o Josh Johnson, Chair • Board Members Absent o None • Staff Members Present o Adam Molzer, Staff Liaison, CDBG Commission – City of Fort Collins o Kelsey Baun, Social Sustainability Department – City of Fort Collins o Beth Rosen, Social Sustainability Department – City of Fort Collins Adam Molzer introduced new staff member, Kelsey Baun, who is helping oversee CARES funding in a temporary capacity. For further information, details and insight, and video recording, resources are available by contacting the CDBG Commission staff liaison. 3. AGENDA REVIEW Josh Johnson read remote session instructions for the Community Development Block Grant Commission (“CDBG”) and public attendees. The Commission accepted the agenda without modification. DocuSign Envelope ID: 05B30543-B0EB-462B-9008-274F4BCA2760 CDBG COMMISSION REGULAR COMMISSION MEETING 09/16/2020 – MINUTES Page 2 Adam Molzer reviewed agenda, with new business of overviewing Human Services CARES funding. Board Members introduced themselves, shared how long they have served on the CDBG Commission, and welcomed new CDBG members. 4. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION No public comment 5. APPROVAL OF MINUTES – May 13 & May 14, 2020 Special Meetings Olga Duvall moved to approved the minutes. Steve Backsen seconded approval Motion approved with roll call. New members Sam Stoltz and Ethnie Treick obtained from the vote. Passed unanimously. 6. UNFINISHED BUSINESS None 7. NEW BUSINESS a. CARES Act Assistance for Human Services – Funding Recommendation Adam Molzer provided an overview of City securing dollars and the process of establishing criteria that meets both state and federal guidelines. Documents on recommended funding were provided with all CDBG members on 9/11/2020. Adam Molzer shared a PowerPoint presentation to highlight CARES funding overview. City received $9 million and 40% were provided for community response initiatives – $950,000 of which is for this human services grant. All this funding must be spent by December 31, 2020. Mr. Molzer briefly shared about the Economic Health services available for small businesses along with the City’s internal use of funds. The objective of this funding is to mitigate the impact of COVID-19. This Human Service grant has four focus areas – Childcare, Food Insecurity, Housing Stability, and Targeted Populations (seniors, residents with disabilities, and domestic violence and abuse survivors). Adam Molzer shared the list of what expenses are not eligible with this funding, such as previously budgeted items, hazard pay, and operating costs not related to COVID-19. The funding period is March 1, 2020 – December 16, 2020. Unlike traditional CDBG, these funds are not linked with client income and does not need to be tracked. This funding is a reimbursement process and there is no maximum or minimum amount of funding. DocuSign Envelope ID: 05B30543-B0EB-462B-9008-274F4BCA2760 CDBG COMMISSION REGULAR COMMISSION MEETING 09/16/2020 – MINUTES Page 3 Adam Molzer explained how the evaluation process was completed internally due to the applicants eligibility within the CARES criteria. City staff completed a line-by-line eligibility of each organizations requested funds. Reiterating that all funding must be related to COVID-19 and that organizations must align within the established focus area. Adam Molzer opened up for committee questions. Sara Maranowicz asked about overview of commissions responsibility. Adam Molzer responded: City received increase in funding along with the line item eligibility, which removed the necessity of the commission to score and rank the applications. The City also recognizes the positive impact of community members insight and received approval from the legal team. The ask is for the commission to review the applications, make sure that the City team addressed eligibility, and have commission ratify each application recommended for funding. Sam Stoltz: asked to expand on targeted population Adam Molzer: gap analysis conducted this summer to identify along with populations that have been greatly impacted by COVID-19. Beth Rosen: research and guidance shared by CARES around at-risk populations with the greatest impact of COVID-19. This funding has presented (and the City recommended) $851,073 across all four of the focus areas. Of the 18 proposals, 2 were not funded, 2 are having follow up discussions. Childcare: $202,046 Food Insecurity: $61,000 Housing Stability: $ 453,000 Target Population: $ 1335,027 Mike Kulisheck: looking at the chart (recommended funding document provided to committee prior to meeting), difference between recommend funding vs requested funding, is that based off of what is eligible or not? Adam Molzer: correct Mike Kulisheck: will the two under review require the commission to meet again? Adam Molzer: shared the two that are being further reviewed and the meetings that are occurring with City staff and organization. If commission is comfortable with delegating to City that is welcomed and if the commission would like to reconvene that is welcome too Ehtnie Treick: recording and reporting requirements of these organizations and the DocuSign Envelope ID: 05B30543-B0EB-462B-9008-274F4BCA2760 CDBG COMMISSION REGULAR COMMISSION MEETING 09/16/2020 – MINUTES Page 4 commission Adam Molzer: The City Recovery Team produces a collective large report for all CARES funding. This is what will be used recording and reporting purposes. For the Human Services money there will be a reporting in October and January and this information will be a part of the bigger report. This report can be shared with the commission. Olga Duvall: explain the partial funding on the line items, when only partial funding was provided Adam Molzer: example: ChildSafe requested a full year of funding for a Zoom account. Follow up discussion with them was shifted the funding request to 6 months as that is the direct COVID impact. Their enhanced office cleaning was once again altered to what was direct impact of COVID versus previously budgeted. Each is unique line by line and is dependent on their circumstance. Ultimately it was lack of knowledge in the initial application Olga Duvall: why is Homeward Alliance product purchase not funded? Adam Molzer: because it was not directly related to COVID so the City took a conservative risk on the response. Beth Rosen: in the CARES guidelines and eligibility, we asked ourselves was this purchase of coats and boots a necessary purchase due to direct impact of COVID- 19? Is this line item eligible? Steve Backsen: the $100,000 that is still in the balance, are you getting back in touch with the agencies to figure out ways to authorize it? Adam Molzer: authorized for $950,000, we are proposing $850,000. Some of that remaining money will potentially be used by those two organizations we are reviewing further. If that money is not used, it will stay in the “social sustainability” bucket of the City of Fort Collins for best use. Example: if PSD does not go back to school in October as planned, then will request and allocate funding for childcare as that will be an emerging priority and need. All across the City there is information coming and going. Sam Stoltz: Were the two groups that are being denied funding given follow up as well? Adam Molzer: brought up on powerpoint and passed to Beth Rosen Beth Rosen: discussed Elevation Community Land Trust. Denver based organization that is expanding to Fort Collins. Walked through the line by line eligibility. Is this project a direct response to COVID? The answer to that is no, therefore the project is not eligible. The business costs that could be eligible are out of Denver, therefore not eligible. DocuSign Envelope ID: 05B30543-B0EB-462B-9008-274F4BCA2760 CDBG COMMISSION REGULAR COMMISSION MEETING 09/16/2020 – MINUTES Page 5 Adam Molzer: In the Islamic Center of Fort Collins application, they self-disclosed that they do not fall into the focus areas. Upon further review of the online programing and business adaptation, their program and line items were identified as not being a community response. Though the business may need that support, it is not eligible within the CARES guidelines. Nick Verni-Lau: Homeward Alliance funding request, was their product purchase affiliated with their annual coat drive that was not funded, and was that canceled because of COVID-19? Adam: They were concerned of lower donations because of COVID-19. The City followed up and decided that it is not a linear request that can be affiliated with COVID-19. Beth Rosen: other nonprofits that reached out around impact of not being able to fundraise, the City had critical conversation to make sure this was appropriate alignment for CARES eligibility versus business impact. For those who may have been discouraged from applying because of the assumptions of the described eligibility, we had to enter with an equity lens to ensure fair allocation and making sure that the request is a community response of COVID-19, not an overall need. Adam Molzer: invited Beth Rosen to share Friday update Beth Rosen: there will be a third and final round of CDBG funding with a new round of $760,000 funding. The initial thinking is to utilize the CARES funding first due to its deadline in December and then the City will look at the gaps in the community and figure out how best to allocate the dollars – what are the City commitments, establish criteria, etc. Sarah Maranowicz: request with the new allocated funding. Anything we can do to serve our most vulnerable and dipropionate impact, specifically people of color, and how can we best serve them. Adam Molzer: what questions we can and can not ask on the application, a lot of legal weight to lift. So to the extent that we can raise that priority we will. Beth Rosen: Income requirement. Impact of African-Americans and Native Americans, especially in the homeless population. Motion to approve funding No specific wording provided for the motion. Josh Johnson: I make a motion to recommend the funding for the proposed dollar amounts of the attached funding request document along with the included changes to the two further review requests. If they are determined by the City that they are eligible, they will also be approved for funding. DocuSign Envelope ID: 05B30543-B0EB-462B-9008-274F4BCA2760 CDBG COMMISSION REGULAR COMMISSION MEETING 09/16/2020 – MINUTES Page 6 Steve Backsen seconds that motion Josh Johnson, any discussion or wording feedback? No discussion Call to vote o Nick Verni-Lau o Mike Kulisheck o Olga Duvall o Steve Backsen o Sam Stoltz o Ethnie Treick o Sara Maranowicz o Pat Hastings o Josh Johnson Motion passes 9-0 Mr. Molzer: Money from previous CDBG will be activated October 1st. 8. COMMISSION MEMBER REPORTS Pat Hastings: do we need to pick a new co-chair? Adam Molzer: recognize the vacancy – can do it tonight or bring it up in our October meeting Role of the Vice Chair is to back up Josh Johnson (chair) in his absence, facilitate agenda, and drive meeting items. Vice Chair will receive the agenda and have discussion with Adam Molzer (City liaison). Josh Johnson: will be out of town for the next meeting and may not be available. Adam Molzer is great to work with in this role. Olga Duvall: I can step up for Vice Chair. If no objection, propose self as vice chair until next election 2021 Josh Johnson motions for Olga Duvall as Vice Chair Sara Maranowicz seconds motion Olga Duvall as Vice Chair until 2021 DocuSign Envelope ID: 05B30543-B0EB-462B-9008-274F4BCA2760 CDBG COMMISSION REGULAR COMMISSION MEETING 09/16/2020 – MINUTES Page 7 o Nick Verni-Lau o Mike Kulisheck o Olga Duvall o Steve Backsen o Sam Stoltz o Ethnie Treick o Sara Maranowicz o Pat Hastings o Josh Johnson Motion passes 9-0 No other commission member reports 9. STAFF REPORTS None 10. OTHER BUSINESS Adam Molzer shared email sent out from the clerk’s office for the next “Super Issues” meeting September 28th meeting at 5:30 PM. Topics are budget, board of commission process. Zoom link provided. Adam Molzer shared budget update: going in to 2021, the City has been asked to only pass ongoing offers, no enhancements allowed except for the $250,000 of Human Services which was approved for review. Council is holding a work session on September 29th. In October, there will be a public hearing on the proposed budget. Community participation displayed great interest in supporting social sustainability funding. A new position has been proposed which would reallocate police funding for the homelessness coordinator. The goal of this position is to have a full-time, on-the- ground staff. Nick Vemi-Lau addressed additional funding that would expand Outreach Fort Collins programing to operate the downtown district. City leadership recognizes the work of this commission. Residents are supportive of the work we do. Good conversations are being had. Josh Johnson: Do any commission members roll off at the end of the year? Adam Molzer: Sam Stoltz and Ethnie Treick are temporary appointment through the DocuSign Envelope ID: 05B30543-B0EB-462B-9008-274F4BCA2760 CDBG COMMISSION REGULAR COMMISSION MEETING 09/16/2020 – MINUTES Page 8 end of the year and will be up for re-appointment. No others leaving. 11. NEXT MEETING a. Wednesday, October 14, 2020 | 5:00pm | Remote/Online Via Zoom  Shifted up from 5:30. Please reach out if that is a hinderance to your schedule. b. October date to be determined, goal to bring in guest speaker. c. December meeting to be determined 12. ADJOURNMENT Josh Johnson adjourned meeting at 6:39 PM. Minutes were finalized and approved by the CDBG Commission on ____________________ City of Fort Collins Staff Liaison: ____________________________________________ Adam Molzer DocuSign Envelope ID: 05B30543-B0EB-462B-9008-274F4BCA2760 November 9, 2020