HomeMy WebLinkAboutAGENDA REPORT 1996 0117 CC REG ITEM 07JTO:
FROM:
DATE:
SUBJECT
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CITY OF MOORPARK
CITY COUNCIL REPORT
The Honorable City Council
Donald P. Reynolds Jr., Administrative Services Manager
January 9, 1996
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Consider Contract with the County and use of $1,200 of Community
Development Block Grant ( "CDBG ") Monies for the HUD Required "Analysis
of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice" ("Al")
The following report will summarize research conducted by the County's CDBG Entitlement
program (representing the County unicorporated area and the cities of Santa Paula, Moorpark,
Port Hueneme, Ojai and Fillmore) to find a responsible company capable of completing the
new HUD required Fair Housing Impediment Study. The proposed cost of the Study is
$28,800, and the County requests that each cooperating city contribute $1,200 each with the
County paying the balance of $22,800.
Background
In 1990, HUD notified the County that it had to take steps to "affirmatively further fair
housing." As a result of this notice, the County's Entitlement cities formed a "Fair Housing
Steering Committee" and contracted with a Los Angeles based non - profit organization to
complete a fair housing needs assessment. The Steering Committee evaluated the study in
December 1991, and developed an affirmative action plan. The essential elements of the plan
include a 24 hour hot -line, establishing an office in Ventura County to investigate complaints,
developing tools for public outreach, and provide training for public officials and real - estate
representatives. The program has been operating from its current site in Camarillo since
1991.
HUD recommends that one percent of the total annual grant be used to affirmatively further
fair housing. This use is only eligible as a CDBG administrative cost. Administrative dollars
are distributed by the County equally among the cooperating cities, (one percent of the total
Entitlement grant to cities, and 15 percent to the County for a total of 20 percent), and the cost
for fair housing efforts has also been divided this way. Since fiscal year 1992, the City has
contributed a total of $7,070, as follows: 1992- $1,890; 1993- $1,980; 1994- $1,600, and:
1995- $1,600. These dollar amounts are less than 1 percent of the City's administrative
allocation, because the cost of the on -going services are less than 1 percent of the Entitlement
grant.
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In 1995, the first Consolidated Plan was required by HUD. Originally the Consolidated Plan
did not require the Impediment Study in an effort to ease local government into the new
procedure. However, the original legislation requires that during the second year, a study be
completed. The 1991 assessment only studied the actual number and types of complaints.
This study is more detailed comparing demographic data, housing trends, and exploring a
variety of possible reasons (if any) for apparent unfair housing practices.
In order to complete the first Consolidated Plan in May 1995, the County contracted with
consultant Cotton/Beland /Associates to complete the assimilation of data, mapping and final
publication. HUD provided mapping software, and Cotton/Beland /Associates entered the
Entitlement group's data and narrative and complete the final document. By May of 1996, the
Entitlement group will be submitting its annual action plan (annual CDBG appropriations) as
a supplement to the five year Consolidated Plan, which will include the Impediment Study.
,Discussion
Staff has participated in several meetings to finalize the scope of work and the costs of
completing the required Impediment Study. Cotton/Beland/Associates was selected to
complete the Fair Housing Impediment Study, (which they refer to as an "Analysis of
Impediments, or Al"), due to cost efficiencies stemming from previous work on the
Entitlement group's Consolidated Plan. Additional costs savings occurred when the County
invited the larger cities to participate. The County's agreement with CottonBeland /Associates
has been provided under a separate cover. It details the scope of work ("Al") and the cost to
each jurisdiction. The County is now completing the procurement of services by contracting
with each of the participating cities.
The Entitlement cities, which have an equal administrative grant allocation, are being asked to
pay $1,200 (four percent each) from this source of funds as a part of the total cost of $28,800.
The County is contributing $22,800 of its administrative dollars, or 80 percent of the cost.
Page seven of Attachment "A" describes the budget for the program. Cotton/ Beland/
Associates will be providing a total of 30 maps using the graphic software provided by HUD
for the Consolidated Plan. It will produce specific maps for each jurisdiction. Page eight
describes the budget to be performed for other non - entitlement jurisdictions.
The City's administrative dollars are being used by the department of Administrative Services
at a slower rate than budgeted, spending only one third of the budget amount after two
quarters, (approximately $6,000 of $18,000 budgeted). None of the $5,000 set aside for
Community Development have been used, for a total expense to date of only 26 percent,
($6,000 of $23,000). The total available from HUD for this purpose is $23,010, based upon
the current rate, will leave at least $4,000 available for other projects.
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As a result of the apparent surplus of administrative dollars, allocating $1,200 from this
resource will not impact any current programs, but in an accompanying report to the Council,
staff has described how this money could be reappropriated for capital improvement projects.
The total of $4,000 amounts to approximately one percent of the total cost of the proposed
capital improvement projects. The $1,200 requested by the County for the Al amounts to
approximately .03 percent of the cost of the capital improvement projects.
Staff recommends contributing the $1,200 to the Al study from CDBG funds due to it having
no impact on current City programs, its proposed minimal impact on the 1996 capital
improvement projects, and the apparently simple way for the City to address the HUD
requirement. This would be considered a minor change to the current allocation of
Administrative dollars, and does not require a public hearing. The proposed agreement is
provided in Attachment "A ".
The net impact on the City's budget is as follows:
Line Item
Existing Budget
Proposed Change
Proposed Outcome
018.4.180.502
$23,000
($1,200)
$21,800
018.4.180.642
$83,500
$1,200
$84,700
Recommendation (City Council Roll Call Vote
That the City Council:
1) Authorize the use of $1,200 of the current CDBG administrative allocation of
$23,000, for payment to the County to complete the HUD required Fair
Housing Impediment Study, (transferring $1,200 from 018.4.180.502 and
adding it to 01 8.4.180.642), and;
2) Authorize the City Manager to enter into agreement with the County for the
services described in Attachment `B ", subject to approved final language from
the City Attorney and City Manager.
Attachments: A) Proposed Agreement Between the County and Cooperating Cities
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