At its January 4, 2007 meeting, the CDBG Commission ...

• ... elected Charlie Sanders new Chair of the Commission.

• ... recommended Council adoption of the ordinance changes recommended as part of the Mayor's Reorganization Plan for the Department of Planning and Development. The Commission provided some additional advice and recommendations concerning:

  • the name of the department and units to reflect the breadth of functions; 

  • the consolidation and clarification of staffing functions in advance of policy group mergers; 

  • the retention of the HUD grant management function as a coherent function; and 

  • the clarification of line of command and reporting responsibilities for the top managers within the department.

• ... deferred to its February meeting action on a request for additional funds from Project Home for Prairie Crossing and a discussion on a decision process for South Madison concentration neighborhood funds.

• ... recommended Council approval of an additional $100,000 for a Madison Development Corporation East Washington Avenue rental housing construction project.

• ... recommended Council approval of a transfer of previously approved funds and the provision of an additional $210,400 in HOME funds for a Common Wealth Development project in conjunction with the development of a Central Park Lofts project. The first 20 years of this project will involve the provision of 14 affordable rental housing units, with a Common Wealth option to purchase 24 units for inclusion in their lease-purchase program.

At its February 1, 2007 meeting, the CDBG Commission ...

• ... recommended Council approval of the City application for proposals to the State of Wisconsin that address a range of approaches to reducing homelessness, preventing homelessness, or helping homeless people find and maintain stable housing. The proposals were developed by the Homeless Services Consortium with the support of the CDBG Office and other community and public funders.

• ... recommended approval of an additional $121,000 loan to Project Home for Prairie Crossing, contingent on CDA release of 20 place-based vouchers and a Commission subcommittee approval of a reworked financing package for the project.

• ... recommended approval of a decision process for South Madison concentration neighborhood funds. The ad hoc group would include two alders, two members of the former Steering committee, and two active members of Greenbush/Bay Creek and Burr Oaks neighborhoods.

• ... recommended Council approval of $150,000 to help the Urban League of Greater Madison acquire land or property for a new office and training/employment center.

• ... approved a $1,000 exception to the Program Funding Framework limit of $26,000 for a deferred payment loan on Waubesa Street that involves lead paint reduction.

• ... permitted City staff to seek HUD consideration of an exception to the Conflict of Interest requirements by permitting an income-eligible person of the Arboretum Cohousing Board of Directors to make an offer on one of the assisted units.

• ... discussed current issues before the Council, including pending plans, proposals, and resolutions on revitalization of the Allied area.

At its March 1, 2007 meeting, the CDBG Commission ...

• ... heard several speakers report on community development-related performance during 2006, and offer observations on upcoming trends and opportunities in the areas of affordable housing, small business development, and neighborhood revitalization.

• ... recommended approval of $10,000 to Vera Court Neighborhood Center toward construction of playground improvements.

• ... recommended approval of up to $25,000 in Emergency Shelter Grant (ESG) funds for Porchlight to use toward making kitchen and bathroom repairs at its Drop-In Shelter, to help bring the facility up to code for that use.

• ... reviewed varioius background data and discussed several strategies to address City and neighborhood revitalization goals in the Allied area.

At its April 5, 2007 meeting, the CDBG Commission ...

• ... welcomed a new commissioner, Lina Trivedi.

• ... briefly reviewed the Comprehensive Annual Performance and Evaluation Report for 2006. Synopses of the Report by goals, and by fund source, will be available here on the CD Office website the week of April 9th.

• ... recommended Council approval of a subordination request of a $165,000 loan to Prairie Crossing, to help stabilize the project during a period of City revitalization activities.

• ... approved up to $100,000 to Habitat for Humanity toward the acquisition and renovation of an existing apartment building on Lake Point Drive into two owner-occupied homes.

• ... recommended approval of up to $25,000 in Emergency Shelter Grant (ESG) funds for Interfaith Hospitality Network to use toward expenses that qualify as operational costs and rehab costs, including replacement of flooring.

• ... approved the addition of Centro Hispano as fiscal agent for the Latino Chamber of Commerce small business assistance project, contingent on the approval of the Centro Hispano Board of Directors.

• ... approved a change in use of the 2007 approved funds for the Tellurian/Youth Services (Briarpatch) Outreach Project, to focus the funds on direct assistance channeled through the street outreach workers.

• ... continued to review and discuss various background data on Citywide and neighborhood trends, the Allied Task Force development goals, and strategies to address City and neighborhood revitalization goals in the Allied area.

• ... discussed the upcoming formation of a committee to explore the functions of an Office of Neighborhood Support.

•  ... bid a sad farewell to Alder Cindy Thomas, who has served faithfully on the CDBG Commission, even prior to her election as Alder.

At its June 7, 2007 meeting, the CDBG Commission ...

• ... welcomed a new commissioner, Alder Marsha Rummel.

• ... discussed trends and observations derived from the Housing Scorecard, a one-sheet comprehensive summary and production report on all City of Madison housing programs active in 2006.

• ... recommended $292,320 in HOME/Match funds for the Wisconsin Partnership for Housing Development to assist households at 70% or less of the Area Median Income for counseling and downpayment assistance to buyers of inclusionary zoning units in the Hilldale Heights development, in order to promote workforce and mixed income housing in the area.

• ... recommended Council approval of $32,400 in Housing Trust Funds for Housing Initiatives to help complete repairs of a four-plex for very low-income renters in the East Mifflin Street area.

• ... recommended approval of a Movin' Out request to apply some of the proceeds of its 2006 contract for homeownership to its 2007 contract for ownership assistance to households with persons with disabilities.

• ... recommended Council approval of $152,400 in CDBG Concentration Neighborhood project funds for a South Madison pedestrian safety improvement project at the corner of Hughes Place and Park Street, to help achieve some of the higher priority objectives established in the South Madison Neighborhood Plan. These improvements would be complimented by other City-funded pedestrian improvements at the intersections of Dane and Buick and Park Streets.

At its July 5, 2007 meeting, the CDBG Commission ...

• ... heard about the status of City Garden Committee and Community Action Coalition (CAC) Community Garden programs.

• ... reviewed the growth and impact of the Madison Development Corporation over its thirty-year history.

• ... recommended up to $10,000 from the CDBG-funded Acquisition/Rehab Fund for the repair of the Rainbow Project building facade.

• ... recommended Council approval of up to $308,000 in HOME funds to help Interfaith Hospitality Network acquire two buildings to use for permanent housing for homeless families.

• ... recommended up to $30,000 in CDBG funds toward the capitalization of a small specialty food business under Porchlight's sponsorship, to provide employment and training to homeless persons or persons with disabilities.

• ... recommended Council approval of up to an additional $150,000 in CDBG funds for the Urban League of Greater Madison to acquire land and construct a building that would house the Urban League's programs. The Commission expects that ULGM will use this $150,000 and another $150,000 committed earlier this year (for a total of $300,000) to leverage private and other public funds for the development of a services center in the Villager Mall. The Commission also anticipates that ULGM may return to seek an additional $150,000 later this year or early in 2008 as its development plans solidify.

• ... recommended Council approval of up to $1.3 million toward the construction of a new gymnasium for the Goodman/Atwood Community Center. This is the estimated value of the repaid loans on the three existing Atwood center buildings. The new loan is contingent upon repayment of half of the anticipated repaid loans, and repayment of the second installment by the sale of the three buildings or August 1, 2008, whichever is earlier.

The Mayor has requested that City agencies (except for Police and Fire) submit 2008 budget proposals to him, based on 97% of the 2007 level of City general purpose revenue. For the CDBG program, this translates to a 3% cut, or around $21,308. 

In order to meet this request, at its July 26, 2007 meeting, the CDBG Commission ...

• ... recommended that the Office meet the 3% goal by decreasing the 2008 funding level of the Labor Council pre-apprenticeship training project by $21,308. The Commission based its recommendation on the fact that initial reports for the first 4 months of this year suggest that the project has been more successful in assisting individuals gain employment who live outside of Dane County than in recruiting and preparing people who live in the City, including the area of focus on Allied. Of the total reported to have gained employment, 82% live outside of Dane County. Of the total provided with training, 7% were from Allied. Even with a cut of this size, the Commission believes the project will be able to continue to grow, to develop support from its natural Union and contractor partners, and to be successful on a more modest, but City-focused scale. (This project is currently administered through Centro Hispano.)

At its September 6, 2007 meeting, the CDBG Commission ...

• ... discussed the status of 2007 projects.

• ... recommended Council adoption of a subordination plan (Legistar File ID # 07438) for three Urban League of Greater Madison houses in ULGM's rent-to-own program.

• ... recommended an additional $200,000 of HOME funds for the American Dream down payment program (Legistar File ID # 07439), which has served over 70 households since July 2005.

• ... referred discussion of a resolution (Legistar File ID # 06811) involving changes in the Affordable Housing Trust Fund program to its October meeting.

• ... recommended Council adoption of a resolution (Legistar File ID # 06939) establishing a capital borrowing program for rental housing.

• ... referred another resolution (Legistar File ID # 06976) on Emerging Neighborhood Funds back to the Council for its adoption.

At its October 4, 2007 meeting, the CDBG Commission ...

• ... discussed with Mayor Cieslewicz his goals for the CDA-City master governmental agreement and the role of the CDBG Commission in those discussions and implementation strategies.

• ... referred the issue of confirmation of the Director of Economic and Community Development back to the Council, based on the conclusion that the CDBG Commission and other City commissions were essentially policy bodies, and not established to deal with issues of personnel. The Commission adopted the following statement in support of Mayoral discretion in the appointment of City managers:

  We believe the issue of Mayoral hiring of the Economic and Community Development Unit Director is a matter of personnel, and not a matter of community development, per se. We therefore respectfully return the referral to the Council and suggest that it act with dispatch on the confirmation of the mayoral nominee.
  
  The rules for hiring of civil service personnel are established within the Human Resources Department. We support the discretion of the Mayor in selecting individuals for key management positions within the context of these rules and urge the Council to establish clear standards of accountability for Mayoral and Department performance. We believe the best way to accomplish this level of accountability is through the establishment of City objectives and a routine system of performance evaluation, rather than an extended nomination process.
  
  As a Commission, we stand ready and eager to work with the new Unit Director on issues of policy related to community development, such as the refinement of long-term goals for the community development program or the specific terms of the developer agreement for the Allied neighborhood.

• ... recommended Council adoption of a subordination plan (Legistar File ID # 07623) for the Wexford Ridge Lussier Education Resource Center.

• ... referred discussion of a resolution (Legistar File ID # 06811) involving changes in the Affordable Housing Trust Fund program and the review of Southwest Neighborhood Plan projects to its November meeting.

At its November 1, 2007 meeting, the CDBG Commission ...

• ... recommended Council adoption of a package of proposals designed to address the goals of the South West Neighborhood Plan. The Steering Committee developed six overall strategies to help improve the safety and viability of the area. The Committee recommended four specific projects for CDBG funds that had been previously reserved for the neighborhood to help implement the Plan.
   
  The Commission recommended adoption of these projects:

  • the creation and improvement of community gardens where neighborhood people can work together on common interests;

  • safety improvements in Hammersley Park;

  • provision of down payment assistance to promote homeownership to help stabilize certain smaller block areas; and

  • provision of small residential security-related improvements, such as lighting, fencing, and landscaping that would produce a neighborhood benefit.

• ... recommended funding for two additional components in Porchlight's Drop-In Shelter to help bring the shelter to code.

• ... took no action on a proposed Nob Hill redevelopment project, pending further Council discussion on the Affordable Housing Trust Fund.

• ... referred discussion of a resolution (Legistar File ID # 06811) involving changes in the Affordable Housing Trust Fund program to its December meeting.

• ... reviewed the Board of Estimates action on the Executive Budget.

• ... heard an update on the activities of the Community Gardens Committee.

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