11-A
TO: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
ATTENTION: Ryan Smoot, City Manager
FROM: Jim DellaLonga, Director of Economic Development
SUBJECT: Consideration and possible action to adopt Resolution No. 25-14 – A Resolution approving a Substantial Amendment to the Fiscal Year 2020-2021 (“FY”) Annual Action Plan to reprogram unused Community Development Block Grant Coronavirus Relief funds (“CDBG-CV”) for the redesign of the public sidewalk located at TownCenter Gateway Plaza on the northeast corner of Belmont Street and Bellflower Boulevard to encourage social distancing.
DATE: April 14, 2025
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
At the February 24, 2025, Regular City Council meeting, the City Council directed the City Manager to prepare a Substantial Amendment to the 2020-21 Annual Action Plan to reprogram the remaining CDBG-CV funds for the redesign of the public sidewalk located at TownCenter Gateway Plaza on the northeast corner of Belmont Street and Bellflower Boulevard to encourage social distancing.
Following completion of the youth, family, and senior citizen services program , there is approximately $307,553 in CDBG-CV funds remaining that can be reallocated towards other programs. An additional $100,000 in CDBG-CV funds previously allocated towards small business start-ups can also be reallocated as this amount will not be used. The total amount of CDBG-CV funds for reallocation is approximately $407,553. The Draft Substantial Amendment is attached for reference.
Adopting Resolution No. 25-14 would amend the FY 2020-2021 Annual Action Plan to reprogram the remaining CDBG-CV funds. CDBG-CV funds must be expended by November 2026 or returned to the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
RECOMMENDATION TO CITY COUNCIL
1) Open the public hearing; take testimonial and documentary evidence; and after considering the evidence, adopt Resolution No. 25-14; or
2) Alternatively, discuss and take other action related to this item. o“ 01: BELLFLO
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Staff Report – CDBG-CV Substantial Amendment #6
April 14, 2025
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no Fiscal Impact to the General Fund. CDBG-CV funds will be used for this project.
BACKGROUND
On March 27, 2020, the CARES Act became effective. It made funding available for local governments to prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus. Under the CARES Act, the City initially received $538,180 in CDBG-CV funds from HUD in the first round of CARES Act funding. On September 11, 2020, HUD announced it would be awarding nearly $2 billion in additional CARES Act funds, focusing on communities with higher risk of eviction. Staff was notified that the City would be receiving an additional $650,300 in CARES Act (CDBG-CV3) funds under this new HUD allocation. The City received a total of $1,188,480 of CDBG-CV funding.
The City allocated funding amounts towards programs addressing emergency residential relief, small business start-ups, food insecurity, and small business grants. Of the $1,188,480 CDBG-CV funds the City received, $780,926 were expended through various programs to assist residents who were negatively impacted by COVID-19. These programs included: an emergency rental relief program, which assisted 42 Bellflower residents; a homeless shelter meal program, which assisted 112 persons at the New Hope Temporary Services Shelter; a food insecurity program which assisted 15 families with biweekly grocery pick up; and a youth/family/senior services program which assisted 276 low-moderate Bellflower residents through various non-profit organizations.
The following table shows the eligible CDBG-CV programs and expenditures that the City funded:
PROGRAM FUNDED
AMOUNT
EXPENDED
FUNDS REMAINING
Planning and Administration (20% cap) $237,696 $237,696 $0 Emergency Housing Needs Assistance $186,784 $181,143 $5,641 Food Insecurity Program $27,000 $24,564 $2,436
Homeless Shelter Meals Program $30,000 $30,000 $0
Youth/Family/Senior Services $507,000 $213,023 $293,977 Business Assistance Grants $100,000 $94,500 $5,500
New Small Business Start-up Program $100,000 $0 $100,000
Totals: $1,188,480 $780,926 $407,553
The total remaining CDBG-CV funds of $407,553 need to be reallocated.
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Staff Report – CDBG-CV Substantial Amendment #6
April 14, 2025
BACKGROUND – Continued
CDBG-CV funds can be used for a wide range of community development activities to help communities prevent, prepare for, and respond to the direct and indirect effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and to mitigate future risks. As we move away from the COVID- 19 crises, we need to re-focus on “Preparing and Preventing” strategies for the future.
To determine other ways to expend these funds to mitigate future risks of COVID-19, staff revisited the federal guidelines and worked with Avant Garde, the City’s housing and CDBG consultant, and found that these funds can be used to create, expand, or enhance public facility and infrastructure projects, such as improved street lighting or the redesign of public sidewalks to encourage social distancing. Funding can also be used for public rights-of-way and outdoor recreational facility improvements. As a COVID-19 tieback, this can be an effective way of creating public spaces with appropriate socially distanced seating and ample lighting suitable for areas with heavy pedestrian traffic and limited space to reduce the transmission of future coronaviruses.
Staff met internally to discuss low-moderate income areas within the City where CDBG- CV funds could be used. After discussion and review of these areas, staff identified the Town Center Gateway Plaza area in front of the kiosks on Belmont Street. With its central downtown location and the increased post-pandemic popularity of the businesses in the kiosks, both the Public Works Department and Economic Development Department have been looking at improving this area due to the invasive tree roots and general wear and tear since its completion in 2008. As such, it is a good location for a sidewalk redesign to encourage social distancing by establishing appropriately spaced seating, ADA improvements, and lighting improvements. To further confirm its eligibility, staff met with a HUD representative who agreed that this project would have a COVID tieback by enhancing the public area to encourage social distancing to prevent the spread of future coronavirus.
The public notice for the draft Substantial Amendment was duly published in the Los Cerritos Newspaper, and the draft Substantial Amendment was posted on the City’s website on March 14, 2025.
ATTACHMENTS
Resolution No. 25-14.…………………………………………………………………………...4
Draft Substantial Amendment to the FY 2020-2021 Annual Action Plan ......................... 6
CITY OF BELLFLOWER
RESOLUTION NO. 25-14
A RESOLUTION APPROVING A SUBSTANTIAL AMENDMENT TO
THE FISCAL YEAR 2020-2021 (“FY”) ANNUAL ACTION PLAN TO
REPROGRAM UNUSED COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK
GRANT CORONAVIRUS RELIEF FUNDS (“CDBG-CV”) FOR THE
REDESIGN OF THE PUBLIC SIDEWALK LOCATED AT TOWN
CENTER GATEWAY PLAZA ON THE NORTHEAST CORNER OF
BELMONT STREET AND BELLFLOWER BOULEVARD TO
ENCOURAGE SOCIAL DISTANCING.
THE CITY COUNCIL RESOLVES AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. The City Council finds and declares as follows:
A. The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act became effective on March 27, 2020. It authorizes $2.2 trillion in a variety of stimulus measures to prevent, prepare for, and respond to the COVID - 19 pandemic.
B. On September 11, 2020, the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (“HUD”) announced the allocation of the remaining $1.988 billion in CARES Act funding for the Community Development Block Grant (“CDBG”) program.
C. The City received a total of approximately $1,188,480 in Community Development Block Grant Coronavirus Relief funds (“CDBG-CV”) from HUD from March 27, 2020, through September 11, 2020.
D. The City participates in the Department of Housing and Urban Development's (“HUD”) Consolidated Plan Process and receives both CDBG and Home Investment Partnership (“HOME”) funds;
E. Pursuant to Title 24 of the Code of Federal Regulations, the City is required to submit an Annual Action Plan to HUD detailing the City's proposed uses of its Fiscal Year (“FY”) 2020-2021 CDBG and HOME allocations;
F. The City prepared this HUD FY 2020-2021 Annual Action Plan Substantial Amendment and provided opportunities to receive public comments on the Amendment from March 14, 2025, through April 14, 2025;
G. Notice of Public Hearing before the City Council was duly given and published in the time, form, and manner as required by law;
H. On April 14, 2025, the City Council opened a public hearing to receive and consider public testimony and other evidence regarding th is substantial amendment; and
City of Bellflower
Resolution No. 25-14
I. The City Council considered the information provided by the Director and designees, and public testimony. This Resolution, and its findings, are made based upon the evidence presented to the City Council at its April 14, 2025, hearing including, without limitation, the staff reports submitted by the Director of Economic Development.
SECTION 2. Approval. The City Council approves the FY 2020-2021 Annual Action Plan Substantial Amendment attached as Exhibit “A,” which is incorporated by reference, and directs any necessary budgetary adjustments be incorporated into the 2024-2025 Operating Budget.
SECTION 3. Authorizations. The City Manager, or designee, is authorized to take reasonable action needed to implement this Resolution, including submittal of the Action Plan Amendment to the appropriate HUD office, on behalf of the City.
SECTION 4. Limitations. The City Council’s analysis and evaluation of the project is based on the best information currently available. It is inevitable that in evaluating a project that absolute and perfect knowledge of all possible aspects of the project will not exist. One of the major limitations on analysis of the project is the City Council’s lack of knowledge of future events. In all instances, best efforts were made to form accurate assumptions.
Somewhat related to this are the limitations on the City's ability to solve what are in effect regional, state, and national problems and issues. The City must work within the political framework within which it exists and with the limitations inherent in that framework.
SECTION 5. Summaries of Information. All summaries of information in the findings, which precede this section, are based on the substantial evidence in the record. The absence of any particular fact from any such summary is not an indication that a particular finding is not based in part on that fact.
SECTION 6. Construction. This Resolution must be broadly construed to achieve the purposes stated in this Resolution. It is the City Council’s intent that the provisions of this Resolution be interpreted or implemented by the City and others in a manner that facilitates the purposes set forth in this Resolution.
SECTION 7. Severability. If any part of this Resolution or its Application is deemed invalid by a court of competent jurisdiction, the City Council intends that such invalidity will not affect the effectiveness of the remaining provisions or applications and, to this end, the provisions of this Resolution are severable.
SECTION 8. Electronic Signatures. This Resolution may be executed with electronic signatures in accordance with Government Code §16.5. Such electronic signatures will be treated in all respects as having the same effect as an original signature .
SECTION 9. Effective Date. This Resolution will become effective immediately upon adoption and will remain effective unless repealed or superseded.
City of Bellflower
Resolution No. 25-14
SECTION 10. The Mayor, or presiding officer, is hereby authorized to affix his signature to this Resolution signifying its adoption and the City Clerk, or her duly appointed deputy, is directed to attest thereto.
PASSED, APPROVED, AND ADOPTED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF BELLFLOWER THIS 14TH DAY OF APRIL 2025 .
________________________________
Ray Dunton, Mayor
ATTEST:
________________________________
Mayra Ochiqui, City Clerk
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
Karl H. Berger, City Attorney
By:________________________________
Justin A. Tamayo, Assistant City Attorney
ATTACHMENT:
Exhibit A – FY 2020-2021 Annual Action Plan Substantial Amendment #6 – CDBG- CV
DRAFT
Substantial Amendment No. 6 to the
Fiscal Year (FY) 2020-2021 Annual
Action Plan
Community Development Block Grant
COVID-19 Allocation (CDBG-CV)
Prepared by:
City of Bellflower
Economic Development Department
April 14, 2025
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City of Bellflower
FY 2020-2021 Annual Action Plan – Substantial Amendment – CDBG-CV No. 6
Table of Contents
Executive Summary ...................................................................................................... 3 Background .................................................................................................................. 3 Sources .................................................................................................................... 3 Uses of Community Development Block Grant COVID-19 Funds (CDBG-CV) ........ 3 AP-15 Expected Resources .......................................................................................... 4 AP-20 Goals and Objectives ......................................................................................... 5 AP-35 Projects and Activities ....................................................................................... 6
APPENDICES
Appendix A – Public Notice and Public Comments
City of Bellflower
FY 2020-2021 Annual Action Plan – Substantial Amendment – CDBG-CV No. 6
Executive Summary
Background
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act became effective on March 27, 2020. It authorizes $2.2 trillion in a variety of stimulus measures to prevent, prepare for, and respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. The City of Bellflower receives regular formula-based entitlement grants of Community Development Block Grant (“CDBG”) funds through the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (“HUD”) each year. The City of Bellflower received $538,180 in Community Development Block Grant Coronavirus Relief funds (“CDBG-CV”) through HUD from the CARES Act. On September 11, 2020, HUD announced that the City would receive an additional $650,300 in CDBG-CV funds (“CDBG-CV 3”). The City of Bellflower received a total of $1,188,480 in CDBG-CV funds. This substantial amendment No. 6 to the City’s 2020-2021 Annual Action Plan will allocate the City’s remaining balance of CV funds. The City’s previous substantial amendments that allocated the CDBG-CV funds to activities (Substantial Amendments No. 1, No. 2, No. 3, and No 4) were approved by City Council on August 24, 2020 (Substantial Amendment No.1), October 12, 2020 (Substantial Amendment No. 2), June 28, 2021 (Substantial Amendment No. 3), and June 13, 2022 (Substantial Amendment No. 4). Additionally, the City approved Substantia l Amendment No. 5 on June 13, 2022, for the allocation of the HOME Investment Partnership funds.
Sources
The City of Bellflower’s summary activities from HUD under the CARES act are identified below as:
Activity Allocation
Administration $237,696
Emergency Housing Assistance $186,784
Small Business Start Up $100,000
Food Insecurity $27,000
Homeless Shelter Meals $30,000
Youth/Family/ Senior Services $507,000
These funds are separate and distinct from the City’s regular CDBG funds and must comply with the requirements summarized in 24 CFR § 570 and the flexibilities authorized in the CARES Act and summarized in Federal Register Notice 6218 -N-01.
City of Bellflower
FY 2020-2021 Annual Action Plan – Substantial Amendment – CDBG-CV No. 6
Proposed Revision of the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG-CV funds)
Substantial Amendment No. 6, budget amounts to the CDBG-CV activities within the 2020-2021 Annual Action Plan, provide the following recommendations:
• Allocation of unencumbered $407,553 CDBG-CV funds for Public Facilities and Public Infrastructure Improvement; redesign the public sidewalk to encourage social distancing to prepare for and prevent the spread of future coronavirus pandemics.
Process
The City’s approved Citizen Participation Plan encourages public participation. The public comment period is available for 30 days.
The review process began on March 14, 2025, and runs through the public hearing regarding the substantial amendment to be held on April 14, 2025. Questions and/or public comments can be submitted to the City of Bellflower, Economic Development Department at [email protected].
City of Bellflower
FY 2020-2021 Annual Action Plan – Substantial Amendment – CDBG-CV No. 6
AP-15 Expected Resources
The City of Bellflower received $1,188,480 in CDBG-CV funds from the CARES Act that can be used to fund programs to prevent, prepare and respond to COVID-19. HUD has established a six-year period of performance and expenditure deadline for these funds.
Table 1 - Expected Resources
Progra
m Uses of Funds
Expected Amount Available
Narrative
Descriptio
n Allocation: Program
Income:
Prior
Years
Resources
:
Total:
CDBG-
CV
Public Services
Administration
$1,188,480 $0 $0 $1,188,480
CARES Act
allocation
of CDBG to
address
COVID-19
Notes:
• The CARES Act allocation of CDBG-CV funds does not require a local matching funds contribution.
City of Bellflower
FY 2020-2021 Annual Action Plan – Substantial Amendment – CDBG-CV No. 6
AP-20 Annual Goals and Objectives
Table 2 - Goals and Objectives
Goal Name Start
Year
End
Year Category Geographic
Area
Needs
Addressed Funding Goal Outcome
Indicator
COVID-19
Pandemic
Response
2021 2022
COVID-19
Pandemic
Response
Citywide
based on
income
(Low/Mod)
COVID-19
Impact
CDBG-CV:
$24,564
Assist approx.
13 households
with food
insecurities
COVID-19
Pandemic
Response
2021 2022
COVID-19
Pandemic
Response
Citywide
Homeless
COVID-19
Impact
CDBG-CV:
$30,000
Assist
homeless
population
with meals
COVID-19
Pandemic
Response
2021 2022
COVID-19
Pandemic
Response
Citywide
based on
income
(Low/Mod)
COVID-19
Impact
CDBG-CV:
$213,024
Assist
Youth/Family/
Seniors with
needed
services
COVID-19
Pandemic
Response
2021 2022
COVID-19
Pandemic
Response
Citywide
based on
income
(Low/Mod)
COVID-19
Impact
CDBG-CV:
$181,143
Assist approx.
50 households
with
rent/mortgage
COVID-19
Pandemic
Response
2021 2022
COVID-19
Pandemic
Response
Citywide
Based on
income
(Low/Mod)
COVID-19
Impact
CDBG-CV:
$100,000
Assist approx.
10 businesses
with grants
COVID-19
Pandemic
Response
2021 2022
COVID-19
Pandemic
Response
N/E corner
of Belmont
St. at
Bellflower
Blvd.
(Low/Mod)
COVID-19
Impact
CDBG-CV:
$407,553
Redesign
sidewalk to
provide social
space in LMI
area
City of Bellflower
FY 2020-2021 Annual Action Plan – Substantial Amendment – CDBG-CV No. 6
AP-35 Projects and Activities
The City of Bellflower will allocate funds to the following project:
Project Name CDBG-CV Sidewalk Redesign
Target Area Low-Moderate Area (N/E corner of Belmont St. at Bellflower Blvd.) Goals Supported COVID-19 Pandemic Response
Needs Addressed CDBG-CV Redesign of Public sidewalk to encourage social distancing.
Funding CDBG-CV: $407,553
Description Sidewalk redesign
Target Date 6/30/2026
Estimate the
number and type
of families that
will benefit
CDBG-CV funds will be used to redesign the public sidewalk to encourage social distancing to prepare for and prevent the spread of future coronavirus pandemics.
Location Citywide
Planned Activities Redesign of public sidewalk to encourage social distancing.
Describe the reason for allocation priorities and any obstacles to addressing underserved needs
These projects were identified through discussions with the housing consultants, City staff from various departments, and stakeholders serving Bellflower's low- and moderate- income residents.
Project Summary Information
PROGRAM FUNDED
AMOUNT
EXPENDED
FUNDS REMAINING
Planning and Administration (20% cap) $237,696 $237,696 $0 Emergency Housing Needs Assistance $186,784 $181,143 $5,641 Food Insecurity Program $27,000 $24,564 $2,436
Homeless Shelter Meals Program $30,000 $30,000 $0
Youth/Family/Senior Services $507,000 $213,023 $293,976 Business Assistance Grants $100,000 $94,500 $5,500
New Small Business Start-up Program $100,000 $0 $100,000
Totals: $1,188,480 $780,926 $407,553
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City of Bellflower
FY 2020-2021 Annual Action Plan – Substantial Amendment – CDBG-CV No. 6
Appendix A – Public Notice and Public Comments