Leah Allison

The Commission reviewed updates on COVID-related subrecipients and 2020 subrecipient reporting status, including status reports on various organizations and monitoring procedures. The Commission also established priority rankings for 2021 Public Services funding, recommended the top ten priorities to the City Council, and reviewed and approved the 2021 Public Services application, evaluation process, and timeline. Specific adjustments were made to the application period timeline to accommodate applicants.

The Commission reviewed updates regarding COVID subrecipients and 2020 subrecipients, noting monitoring visits and documentation issues. The primary focus was on 2021 funding recommendations. The Commission discussed various funding allocation options, balancing equity between large and small organizations, handling duplicate program submissions, and addressing concerns about scoring subjectivity and eligibility criteria. A decision was reached to fund the bottom nine organizations with $10,000 and provide tiered percentage-based funding for other programs, with additional allocations to the top three scoring programs. Staff clarified processes for budget adjustments based on HUD estimates and timelines for City Council review.

The commission discussed updates on current CDBG subrecipients, including adjustments to monitoring processes and contract extensions. Key deliberations centered on funding recommendations, with specific attention to COVID-19 related programs such as Public Services, Small Business, and Household Assistance. The commission debated funding allocation options, addressed concerns regarding eligibility criteria and social distancing for organizations, and deliberated on the potential for future federal stimulus funding. Ultimately, the commission approved a motion to distribute $200,000 among recipient organizations.

The commission discussed updates regarding 2021 subrecipients, including program cancellations due to partner unavailability, COVID-19 related spending delays, and the 15% Public Services funding cap. The session covered the implementation of the 2021 subrecipient monitoring process, outlining requirements for documentation submission and the availability of both virtual and in-person monitoring options. Additionally, the commission reviewed the application timeline for 2022 public services, considered adjustments to the schedule to assist applicants, and explored the potential for continuing virtual meeting formats.

The commission finalized the 2023 CDBG Public Service Priorities by reviewing weighted scores and voting on specific inclusion criteria for the upcoming application cycle. Members also established the evaluation process and timeline, confirming the decision to proceed without in-person presentations due to ongoing COVID-19 uncertainties. Furthermore, the meeting included updates on the Public Facilities Application progress, covering current submission volumes and modifications to eligibility requirements for organizations leasing their facilities.