Report Prepared by: Kimberly Nutt, Housing Program Supervisor, Housing Division/Development Services Department
Title
SUBJECT: Continued Public Hearing for Receipt of Public Comment Regarding the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) 2022 Annual Action Plan; and Request to Further Continue the Public Hearing and Anticipated Approval of the Annual Plan to the July 5, 2022, City Council Meeting
REPORT IN BRIEF
Provides a brief update on the final readiness of the Draft 2022 Annual Action Plan and public comments received during the extended Public Review and Comment Period; and, re-open the Public Hearing that was continued from the meeting of May 16, 2022, to receive any new public comment; and, further continue the Public Hearing and postpone anticipated approval of the Draft Plan to July 5, 2022, after receiving all comments.
RECOMMENDATION
City Council -
A. Re-open the Public Hearing to receive any new public comment regarding the Draft 2022 Annual Action Plan; and,
B. Adopt a motion continuing the Public Hearing and Postponing Approval of the Draft 2022 Annual Action Plan to the July 5, 2022, Council meeting.
Body
ALTERNATIVES
1. Refer to staff for reconsideration of specific items (specified items to be addressed in the motion to continue this Public Hearing); and,
2. Continue the Public Hearing and Postpone approval of the 2022 Annual Action Plan to an alternative future meeting that occurs before HUD’s submittal deadline of July 13, 2022 (date and time to be specified in the motion).
AUTHORITY
HUD requires, per Title 24 of the Code of Federal Regulations Section 91, that participating local government jurisdictions involve citizens in the development of the Annual Action Plan and any subsequent substantial amendments and, pursuant to 24 CFR Subpart F, the City is required to submit the Annual Action Plan to HUD for approval to receive 2022 Program Year grant funds; the City of Merced Housing Division Citizen Participation Plan (Amended); and, the Charter of the City of Merced, Section 405, 409, and 411, et seq.
CITY COUNCIL PRIORITIES
As provided for in the 2021-22 Adopted Budget; and both 2021-22 and 2022-23 Council Priorities under Housing and Homelessness.
DISCUSSION
After re-opening the Public Hearing that was continued to today’s meeting from the last review of this item on May 16, 2022, and accepting any additional public comment from residents, staff respectfully requests that Council further continue the Public Hearing to the July 5, 2022, scheduled Council meeting, to allow staff additional time to prepare the 2022 Annual Action Plan to an approval-ready state.
There have been no subsequent changes to allocation or project funding amounts following the May 16, 2022, meeting.
Since the May 16, 2022, meeting, staff has been working on updating and reposting the Public Review Draft to provide residents an opportunity to view actual funding resource and project expenditure figures, rather than estimates, during the extended Public Review and Comment Period approved by Council at the last meeting. After running an additional 15 days, this extended comment period ended on May 31, 2022, with no written comments received from the public.
Along with current and prior-year program year close-out activities typical for the May-June period, Housing Division staff has continued to work on updating all sections of the 2022 Draft Plan with descriptions of the City’s multiple concurrent non-Federal approvals and projects over the last year; however, this and the additional work created by HUD’s late allocation announcement has affected the ability to have a finished, quality draft ready for a previously targeted approval at today’s meeting.
HUD officially announced the 2022 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and Home Investment Partnership (HOME) Program allocations on May 13, 2022. Representatives from the regional HUD office in San Francisco notified its grantees of the announcement on Tuesday, May 17th. As staff briefed Council at the last meeting, HUD had previously informed grantees that the adjusted submittal deadline would be 60 days from the official allocation announcement date.
Given HUD’s official submittal deadline is not until July 13, 2022, staff is requesting approval be postponed to the July 5, 2022, meeting. Staff is targeting Friday, July 8th of the same week to then submit the approved plan to HUD.
IMPACT ON CITY RESOURCES
No budget or appropriation action is required at this time.
Funding for the 2022 HUD Annual Action Plan is representative of the 2022-23 Housing Division budget in the concurrent development of the overall City budget for the same period.
ATTACHMENTS
No attachments.