Placement: Other Public Hearings
Action Requested: Motion / Vote
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Public Hearing, Approve the City of Port St. Lucie's Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Draft Five-Year Consolidated Plan for 2021-26 and Open the Thirty-Day Public Comment Period.
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Submitted By: Alessandra Tasca, Neighborhood Services Deputy Director
Executive Summary (General Business): The CDBG program provides federal funds for projects and programs that help improve the physical, economic, and social conditions of our community. Eligible projects must benefit low- and moderate-income persons, address urgent needs or slum and blight. As a recipient of federal grant funds, the City of Port St. Lucie is required by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to produce a Five-Year Consolidated Plan and an Annual Action Plan. These documents, prepared by the City’s Department of Neighborhood Services, serve as the application for funding for the Community Development Block Grant, a federal entitlement program that serves low to moderate income individuals and/or families. The City of Port St. Lucie’s 2021-2026 Consolidated Plan identifies the community’s affordable housing, community development and economic development needs and outlines a comprehensive and coordinated strategy for addressing them.
Presentation Information: This agenda item formally opens the thirty-day public comment period for any comments on this draft plan. All public comments will be incorporated into the final plan before final publication and submission to HUD. A summary presentation is available upon request and attached.
Staff Recommendation: Move that the Board approve the CDBG Draft Five-Year Consolidated Plan for 2021-26 for publication and public input and submission to the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in August 2021.
Alternate Recommendations:
1. Move that the Board amend the recommendation and approve the CDBG Draft Five-Year Consolidated Plan for 2021-26 for publication and public input and submission to the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in August 2021.
2. Move that the Board not approve the CDBG Draft Five-Year Consolidated Plan for 2021-26 and provide staff direction.
Background: The City is required by HUD to prepare Five-Year Consolidated Plans and submit those plans together with Annual Reports and Consolidated Annual Performance Evaluation Reports detailing our planned and executed CDBG and housing activities. The City’s five-year CDBG Consolidated Plan outlines the priority needs and specific goals identified by staff, project discussion with City Council, the City’s CDBG Consultant, and public input. Multiple newspaper ads were placed in compliance with HUD guidelines and information was published on the City’s website. The City hosted two public meetings for stakeholder’s, non-profits, citizen’s, and the community at large on April 7, 2021 and April 21, 2021. An online survey for public input was published and advertised from mid-March to mid-May 2021. The survey was emailed to all City contacts and staff received 83 responses. Detailed survey responses may be viewed online at <https://surveymonkey.com/results/SM-RQDXJD6L9/> with passcode: PSLcdbg2021. The five-year Consolidated Plan will be used each year to address these needs and goals and produce subsequent Annual Reports. The projects for program year 2021-22 are included in the 2021-26 Consolidated Plan and were approved by City Council on May 24, 2021.
Issues/Analysis: The CDBG Action Plan will be available for public review and comment from June 28 through July 27, 2021, in Building A lobby, City Hall Complex, 121 SW Port St. Lucie Blvd., Port St. Lucie, Florida, 34984 (by appointment only) and also on the city’s website www.cityofpsl.com/cdbg <http://www.cityofpsl.com/cdbg>. To make an appointment contact 772-344-4084. Written comments can be addressed to Alessandra (Alex) Tasca, Neighborhood Services Deputy Director, 121 SW Port St. Lucie Blvd., Port St. Lucie, Florida 34984 or sent via e-mail to nsd@cityofpsl.com <mailto:nsd@cityofpsl.com>. All comments received will be summarized, answered, and then forwarded to the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in Jacksonville, Florida with the Action Plan.
Financial Information: The City of Port St Lucie received $1,094,355 in CDBG funds for the grant period October 1, 2020, through September 30, 2021. The City is estimated to receive approximately $5,000,000 of regular CDBG funding for improvements that benefit low-income (LMI) citizens of the City. These funds will be appropriated $1,000,000 per year over the 5-year plan.
Special Consideration: A Public Hearing has been advertised for June 28, 2021.
Location of Project: The CDBG program covers the entire City of Port St. Lucie in its housing programs and low/moderate income areas for infrastructure improvements, public facility ADA modifications, access to affordable housing and improved economic opportunities. Actual project locations coincide with City Strategic Plan priorities and are subject to City Council approval.
Attachments: Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Draft Consolidated Plan 2021-2026; CDBG Consolidated Plan 21-26 Summary PowerPoint Presentation; CDBG Map; City of Port St. Lucie 2021 Needs Survey Results.
NOTE: All of the listed items in the “Attachment” section above are in the custody of the City Clerk. Any item(s) not provided in City Council packets are available upon request from the City Clerk.
Internal Reference Number: N/A
Legal Sufficiency Review:
N/A