PUBLIC HEARING

CITIZEN’S COMMENTS

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT (CDBG) AND HOME INVESTMENT PARTNERSHIPS PROGRAM (HOME) 2005 ACTION PLAN to the CONSOLIDATED PLAN

April 14, 2005

G. Moore opened the Public Hearing at 6:00 p.m. and welcomed the public. Members present were: Jeanette Collier, marci francisco, Janet Gerstner, Paula Gilchrist, Carrie Moore, Greg Moore, Vern Norwood, Mike Randolph, Kirsten Roussel and Patti Welty. Absent was Donna Duncan. Staff Present were: Melissa Mitchell, Lesley Rigney and Margene Swarts.

G. Moore requested that persons making public comment step up to the podium and sign in.

Public Comment

Robert Baker, Housing and Credit Counseling, Inc. (HCCI) thanked the Committee for the funding. He provided a fact sheet to answer some questions from the last NRAC meeting. He stated that he is available to answer any other questions.

Loring Henderson, Lawrence Community Shelter, asked for reconsideration regarding allocations to The Salvation Army and Lawrence Community Shelter. Since there was no representative from the Salvation Army, he spoke for both shelters. He clarified that the initial proposal submitted to the Committee was for three separate organizations before the consolidation of the Lawrence Open Shelter and the Community Drop-In Center. He stated that there are now only two organizations. He stated that emergency shelter is the top priority of NRAC and that the funding allocation does not reflect the priority. He asked that the Committee increase the allocation to reflect the priority. He added that the city’s Task Force on Homeless Services is placing emphasis on case management to reduce homelessness and that the NRAC decision does not support the taskforce emphasis. Since CDBG funds operational costs and not case management, if they run short on operating funds the money will have to be taken from funds intended for providing case management.

Henderson continued that funding shelters also helps to revitalize and strengthen neighborhoods, especially Oread neighborhood. Getting people off of the streets affects neighborhoods, which is a priority of the NRAC. The Salvation Army and Lawrence Community Shelter collaborate to serve clients. They know their mutual clients and do not duplicate services. The shelters are also part of a group of greater service providers including ECKAN and WTCS. The proposed allocation of $48000 for two agencies does not take the growth and change of the Lawrence Community Shelter into account. Lawrence Open Shelter never received public service money. The Community Drop-In Center received CDBG money and was operating 5 half-days and now operates 7 full-days. The responsibilities and scope are very different from the organization that was considered in NRAC deliberations. The Salvation Army and Lawrence Community Shelter willingly and happily joined to submit a proposal in response to community urging of collaboration – he feels that it worked well for the proposal but that they are being penalized by allocation amounts. He reemphasized emergency housing as NRAC priority and the strength and efficiency of shelter collaboration.

Herman Leon, L.I.N.K., observed the activities and contributions of shelters. He urged the Committee to be generous in supporting the shelters.

Hubbard Collingsworth stated that he was not requesting funds, only spreading awareness of 24/7 Inc., which is a full service agency trying to blend into the community and bring everyone together to coordinate efforts. It combines social activism with business entrepreneurship and has been successful in other cities.

Steve Braswell, Pinckney Neighborhood Association President requested approval of their funding request. Pinckney is a target, at-risk neighborhood. He stated that Pinckney has a larger number of rentals than other areas and has other special needs. He stated that the request for the coordinator pays for someone to send newsletters, stay on top of relevant City issues, keep the neighborhood informed and keep the neighborhood on the City’s radar. He stated that they had requested $82,000 for Clinton Park, which is a high use area where the restrooms are not functional. The Parks and Recreation Department helped determine the budget proposal, which is mainly for tearing down and rebuilding the restrooms that currently have no running water. He stated that Parks and Recreation has a long wish list and that Pinckney was not top a priority. He asked the Committee to approve the funding request.

francisco asked if he had looked at the Investment Summary. She stated that the Committee received many requests that they were not able to fund. Braswell said that he wanted to make sure that they did not fall off the list.

Kelly Nightengale, Independence, Inc., thanked the Committee. The funds have been put to good use, with three Independence, Inc. Home of Your Own (HOYO) clients participating this year. They have also been able to fund accessibility modifications with the allocations. She stated that she would be willing to testify if future CDBG funding was in danger.

There being no further Public Comment, G. Moore closed the Public Hearing at 6:25 p.m.