So I attended the City Council Meeting this week, which was on Wednesday night, and had to leave early after speaking during CITIZENS RIGHT TO BE HEARD ON AGENDA ITEMS, which happens early on in the meeting schedule. The agenda item I spoke to was PUBLIC HEARING: 2010 CDBG PROGRAM.
One thing to remember is that public hearings are mandatory meetings where City Council is required to listen to public input before making a decision. If we don't show up, there goes our chance to voice our opinion about what should be passed, what money should be spent where, etc. So it's really important to keep an eye on these agendas so that we have a decent turnout for public hearings that concern the West Ward. Since CDBG (Community Development Block Grant) money is federal money through HUD that is funneled through the State and then the City to several of the programs in our neighborhood, these decisions directly affect us.
There was a HUD representative that spoke that night, emphasizing that the HUD definition of appropriate use for CDBG funds is to revitalize low-moderate income neighborhoods. She also talked about the State budget crisis, explaining that since the budget that was supposed to be passed in June has not passed yet, they did not know exactly how much CDBG money there would be this year, but that Council would have to work with the number from last year ($940,000) and submit their plan for use of funds by Sept.10th anyway, so that they (HUD) could make their Sept. 28th deadline.
After that, various groups like CACLV (Community Action Committee of Lehigh Valley--the umbrella for the West Ward Neighborhood Parntership) got up to ask for money, including Gretchen Lippincott, Director of Economic Development, who presented on behalf of the City's HOME Program.
When I got up to speak, I requested that when Council makes their decision in the upcoming days before the deadline, to please keep in mind the spirit of the HUD definition, regardless of whether or not Downtown is part of the CDBG-approved tract, and attend to the neighborhood physical quality needs of the West Ward first, before spending money Downtown on other projects.
I also explained that while some might take our growing sense of neighborhood pride as a lack of interest in the rest of the city, that it is not the case, that we do care about Easton as a whole, but that until our neighborhood physical quality is closer to the level of residents in other parts of town, that our primary focus is revitalizing the neighborhood. [As a side-note, I have to say that if other parts of the city are noticing our neighborhood pride, that is excellent, and we are doing something right.]
Mayor Panto took the opportunity to respond and tell me that he has not forgotten about the comprehensive street cleaning program that we have been requesting consistently for the past year and half, complete with a real opposite-side-of-the-street parking program during work hours, so that the streets are at their emptiest and it's easiest to re-park. The good news on this issue is that the Mayor has promised that if the City doesn't find capital money to fund the new street sweeper, that he will take out a line of credit to buy the sweeper and pay it off with next year's capital budget. Either way, he says, "we will acquire the needed equipment and signs this year to effectively implement the program either this year (weather permitting) or early spring." So that's really good news.
Below is Michael Duck's Morning Call Article on the meeting:
Morning Call Article by Michael Duck on Aug. 26th Easton City Council Meeting
One thing to remember is that public hearings are mandatory meetings where City Council is required to listen to public input before making a decision. If we don't show up, there goes our chance to voice our opinion about what should be passed, what money should be spent where, etc. So it's really important to keep an eye on these agendas so that we have a decent turnout for public hearings that concern the West Ward. Since CDBG (Community Development Block Grant) money is federal money through HUD that is funneled through the State and then the City to several of the programs in our neighborhood, these decisions directly affect us.
There was a HUD representative that spoke that night, emphasizing that the HUD definition of appropriate use for CDBG funds is to revitalize low-moderate income neighborhoods. She also talked about the State budget crisis, explaining that since the budget that was supposed to be passed in June has not passed yet, they did not know exactly how much CDBG money there would be this year, but that Council would have to work with the number from last year ($940,000) and submit their plan for use of funds by Sept.10th anyway, so that they (HUD) could make their Sept. 28th deadline.
After that, various groups like CACLV (Community Action Committee of Lehigh Valley--the umbrella for the West Ward Neighborhood Parntership) got up to ask for money, including Gretchen Lippincott, Director of Economic Development, who presented on behalf of the City's HOME Program.
When I got up to speak, I requested that when Council makes their decision in the upcoming days before the deadline, to please keep in mind the spirit of the HUD definition, regardless of whether or not Downtown is part of the CDBG-approved tract, and attend to the neighborhood physical quality needs of the West Ward first, before spending money Downtown on other projects.
I also explained that while some might take our growing sense of neighborhood pride as a lack of interest in the rest of the city, that it is not the case, that we do care about Easton as a whole, but that until our neighborhood physical quality is closer to the level of residents in other parts of town, that our primary focus is revitalizing the neighborhood. [As a side-note, I have to say that if other parts of the city are noticing our neighborhood pride, that is excellent, and we are doing something right.]
Mayor Panto took the opportunity to respond and tell me that he has not forgotten about the comprehensive street cleaning program that we have been requesting consistently for the past year and half, complete with a real opposite-side-of-the-street parking program during work hours, so that the streets are at their emptiest and it's easiest to re-park. The good news on this issue is that the Mayor has promised that if the City doesn't find capital money to fund the new street sweeper, that he will take out a line of credit to buy the sweeper and pay it off with next year's capital budget. Either way, he says, "we will acquire the needed equipment and signs this year to effectively implement the program either this year (weather permitting) or early spring." So that's really good news.
Below is Michael Duck's Morning Call Article on the meeting:
Morning Call Article by Michael Duck on Aug. 26th Easton City Council Meeting
City Council meetings happen every 2nd and 4th Wednesday of each month at City Hall at 6pm. The next City Council meeting will be on Wednesday, Sept. 9th--please mark your calendars!
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4 comments:
FROM SAL PANTO
Hi Noel
Sorry I can't seem to remember my password.
Just a few corrections to an excellent sumary of the CDBG process. Easton is a direct entitlement city. Our CDBG funds come directly to the city and not through the the state. The individual at the meeting was not from HUD, she was our CDBG consultant that HUD requires us to have to be sure we follow the rather difficult and always changing federal regulations. (For example, CDBG does not allow for a street sweeper to be purchased).
Also, downtown efforts through CDBG are eligible because that census tract is also a low-moderate income census tract and therefore still eligible for funding. There are also two census tracts eligible on the South Side.
HUD views job creation highly as well so that low and moderate income level individuals can seek employment.
Thank you for attending. It is great to have residents voice their opinions and make suggestions.
We will be holding our September 26th meeting at the Easton Area Community Center at 6:00 PM.
Thanks for posting and the corrections--I am learning as I go...and yes, the consultant did confirm that CDBG funds cannot be used to buy a sweeper, hence your line of credit solution, which is great. There will be a tangible difference in resident's neighborhood physical quality in the West Ward when we have a neighborhood-wide street cleaning program with opposite-side-of-the-street parking during work hours, so we look forward to that very much.
Thanks for the note on job creation--that's good to know. I would assume that job creation is meant to employ residents of low-mod income neighborhoods, right?
And is the Sept. 26th meeting you mentioned a CDBG meeting?
Here is an article by Express Times reporter Ed Sieger on the proposed allocation of CDBG funds for 2010, and the Mayor's caveat that the City has got to stop using CDBG money to cover basic services:
http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/easton/index.ssf?/base/news-1/125169150960200.xml&coll=3
And here is what the ET published as to important upcoming CDBG dates:
CDBG DATES
Monday, August 31, 2009
Sept. 22: Community Development Block Grant action plan available for public review
Oct. 14: Second Easton City Council public hearing on the preliminary 2010 CDBG plan
Oct. 28: City council vote on approving the action plan
Nov. 13: The city submits its application to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
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