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Minutes 03-20-01COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT PUBLIC HEARING COMMISSION CHAMBERS, CITY HALL, BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA TUESDAY, MARCH 20, 2001 @ 5:30 P.M. PRESENT Octavia Sherrod, Community Development Manager I. OPENING A. Call to Order- Octavia S. Sherrod 1. Background Information 2. Explanation of Process Ms. Sherrod called the meeting to order at 5:30 p.m. and introduced herself to the audience. Ms. Sherrod stated that she administers the City's Community Development Block Grant Program. Federal Regulations require that the City advertise annually and hold a public meeting for citizen participation and input as to the type of programs for which they would like to have the CDBG funds used. Federal Regulations also require that the City advertise after the programs have been selected. Ms. Sherrod acknowledged the presence of many grantees in the audience who received funds last year. A sign-in sheet was circulated. Ms. Sherrod also distributed a Summary of the Annual Action Plan, which listed the recipients of last year funds and provided the definition of entitlement status and eligible programs. While Ms. Sherrod distributed the agenda, she requested everyone who was present to introduce himself or herself and to give a brief background of the organization that they represent (see attached sign-in sheet). Ms. Sherrod pointed out that it is important to include as an eligible activity public services. Since Boynton Beach became an entitlement community, the City has received between $547,000 to $569,000 in funding from the Federal Government. Fifteen percent of those funds go toward public services, which must be provided to poor people who would otherwise not receive these services. Ms. Sherrod explained the various public services that have been provided with CDBG funds, which includes education and fair housing. The City is also putting a lot of emphasis on economic development to ensure that businesses know how to start-up and how to keep businesses running, which is accomplished through the City's resource center. These are much needed services to ensure the success of a community, as well as creating jobs. Meeting Minutes Community Development Block Grant Public Information Meeting Boynton Beach, Florida March 20, 2001 II. PUBLIC AUDIENCE Ms. Sherrod asked for comments from the audience. Mr. Courtney Cain expressed concern that the Cherry Hill area is not receiving the attention it needs. Mr. Cain stated that this area has problems with trash, crime, loitering and elderly citizens who are afraid to leave their homes. Also, Mr. Cain stated that the sanitation in this area is poor and the drains are all filled up with weeds, as well as weeds growing out of the sidewalks. He pointed out that the Code Compliance Department has written many citations in this area and there are a great deal of liens on these properties. Mr. Cain would like to see the City take a more pro-active role in curing some of these problems. Ms. Sherrod asked Mr. Cain if he had any ideas on how to help this area. Mr. Cain stated they are eager to institute a peer program which would bring in youth to work with the youth in the neighborhood similar to a mentoring program. Mr. Cain stated it is important to reach these children when they are in grade school, as it is too late to help the older children. Mr. Garvin acknowledged that there is a great deal of drug activity in the Cherry Hill area, where his church is located. Mr. Garvin also feels that the residents in this area need to take more ownership of the neighborhood. Mr. Cain also would like to see the Police Department increase patrolling and to crack down on the activities that are taking place. There was agreement that the youth causing the crime need jobs, but before they can get a job, they need training. Ms. Mingo-McCoy suggested a revitalization project for this area. Ms. Mingo- McCoy also stated that this area needs some type of clinic to provide assistance to the people. Ms. Sherrod pointed out that there are a lot of mentoring programs available, but there is not enough funding for them. She pointed out that education and training is needed in order to improve conditions in the Cherry Hill area. Just cleaning it up won't address all the problems. What is needed is to come up with some creative programming and she suggested meeting with the Chief of Police to determine what needs to be done. Ms. Sherrod noted that some new homes have gone up in this area and people have lived in the Cherry Hill section for 40 to 50 years, who have raised successful children and do not want to leave. Mr. Cain asked if there were guidelines used to track the success of a program? Ms. Sherrod stated that each recipient is required to submit a monthly report, as well as an annual report. Some programs report on the improvement of children's grades and some programs utilize advanced students to tutor children who are having problems. Reverend Singleton inquired if there were grants available for upgrading property in the neighborhoods and Ms. Sherrod stated that this would be more in the area of Dan DeCarlo, the City's NeighborhOod Specialist. Mr. DeCarlo can be reached at City Hall at 742-6028. A question was asked about the average age of the children who live in the Cherry Hill 2 Meeting Minutes Community Development Block Grant Public Information Meeting Boynton Beach, Florida March 20, 2001 neighborhood and Mr. Cain stated most of them are high school dropouts, 17 years and older. Ms. Sherrod stated that applications for funding are available and are due on April 30, 2001 at 5:30 p.m. Also, Ms. Sherrod displayed samples of how the grant requests should be bound. She pointed out that a committee reviews the applications, therefore it is very important that the applications be bound so that pages won't become separated. Anyone taking an application was requested to sign for it. II1. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business, the meeting adjoumed at 6:10 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Barbara M. Madden Recording Secretary (one tape) CI'TY OF BOYNTON BEACH Department of Development Division of Community Redevelopment AGENDA Community Development Block Grant Public Znformation Meeting March 20, 200:L 5:30 p.m. II. OPENING A. Call to order- Octavia S. Sherrod 1. Background Information 2. Explanation of Process PUBLIC AUDIENCE II!. ADJOURNMENT ~3/~/~001 15:5~ 561742G~ ~.~, COMM~ RE~EV. P~GE 81 CITY OF BOYNTON BEACH COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT 100 EAST BOYNTON BEACH BLVD. BOYNTON.BEACH, FLORIDA'33435 PHONE: 561-742-6066 DATE: TO: FAX: RE: March 22, 2001 Barbara 6090 CDBG Public Meeting Sign-in Sheet, FROM: Debbie Reamsnyder, Administrative Secretary for Octavia $. Sherrod, Community Development.Manager YOU SHOULD RECEIVE 2 PAGE(S), INCLUDING THIS COVER SHEET. IF YOU DO NOT RECEIVE' ALL THE PAGES, PLEASE. CALL 5611742-6066. CDBG Public Iqeeting T~esday~ March 20, 200Z _. ~ PLEASE SIGN IN Name CITY OF BOYNTON BEACH ANNUAL ACTION PLAN EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Fiscal Year 2000 - 2001 · Description of Key Projects -. The City of Boynton Beach Annual Action Plan details the planned use of various grant dollars in Federal, State Housing Initiatives Partnership (SHIP) and local match funds. The major focus; of these funds are as follows: $210,000' for the rehabilitation of substandard housing units for very Iow, Iow and moderate-income homeowners $70,500 for Land Acquisition within the Target Area $62,500 to provide youth mentoring, housing counseling, and family development & emergency services to very Iow, Iow and moderate-income residents $:15,0~)C~ for summer-camp scholarships $35,000 to a CBDBO for emergency rehabilitation and repair for very Iow-income residents $12,000 for homeless housing and rehabilitative services $30,000 for Economic and Small Business Development $15,000 for Promoting Fair Housing Activities $110,000 Administrative Costs $603,000 for new homeownership opportunities and rehabilitation (SHTP) Monies being re-programmed from prior year funds will be used for: --, .]ob Training in the amount of $25,000 -. Youth Mentoring & Counseling in the amount of $5,000 · Location All activities will take place within the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Target Area. Define Entitle Status Status, as determined by the Secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development, "whereby a Metropolitan City is guaranteed, as determined by formula set forth by the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974, certain sums of money to assist states, counties, cities, and towns in' devising innovative approaches to improve the physical, economic, and social conditions in Iow-income areas". List eligible Programs as an Entitlement City City activities that are taken on by a municipality must meet three (3) ~ national objectives: .Benefit Iow and moderate-income persons Address slum and blight Meet a particular urgent community development need The following is a list of types of eligible activities: Acquisition Clearance Code Enforcement Construction of Housing Disposition Historic Preservation Housing Rehabilitation Tnterim Assistance Loss of Rental Tncome Public Facilities and Tmprovements Public Services Relocation Removal of Architectural Barriers