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. 25-21 – A Resolution approving a Substantial Amendment to the Fiscal Year 2020-2021 Annual Action Plan to reprogram remaining Community Development Block Grant Coronavirus Relief funds (“CDBG-CV”), and authorizing the City Manager to reprogram unused CDBG-CV for the redesign of the public sidewalk area located at Friendship Square to encourage social distancing. (Continued from May 12, 2025)
DATE: May 27, 2025
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
At the May 12, 2025, Regular City Council Meeting, the Director of Economic Development (“Director”) presented various projects for consideration for the use of the remaining CDBG-CV funds. During discussion, the City Council instructed the Director to re-allocate the remaining $407,553 in CDBG-CV funds for the redesign of the public area at Friendship Square to encourage social distancing. The public hearing was continued to May 27, 2025.
RECOMMENDATION TO CITY COUNCIL
1) Re-open the continued public hearing; take testimonial and documentary evidence; after considering the evidence, adopt Resolution No. 25-21;
2) Alternatively, discuss and take other action related to this item.
FISCAL IMPACT
Specific project costs will be dependent on the project redesign, additional funds beyond CDBG-CV may be required to complete a potential project. $407,553 remaining CDBG-CV funds need to be reprogrammed and expended by November 2026.
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Staff Report – CDBG-CV Substantial Amendment #6
May 27, 2025
BACKGROUND
In 2020, under the CARES Act, the City received at total of $1,188,480 in funding to prevent, prepare for, and respond to the coronavirus. Pursuant to the CARES Act, these funds must be fully expended by November 2026. As shown in the table below, just under $781,000 was spent on various programs, approved by HUD through substantial amendments to the Fiscal Year 2020-21 Annual Action Plan, leaving $407,553 in CDBG-CV funds to be reprogramed and expended by the deadline, or returned to HUD.
DISCUSSION
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 $100,000.00 in CDBG -CV funds previously allocated towards small business start-ups in the Belle Fleur Centre is also available as this amount was not used because of changes to the development. The total amount of CDBG -CV funds proposed for reallocation is $407,553.
At the April 14, 2025, Regular City Council Meeting, the City Council held a public hearing to consider adopting Resolution No. 25-14, which would approve a Substantial Amendment to the FY 2020-2021 Annual Action Plan to reallocate the $407,553 remaining CDBG-CV funding for the redesign of the public sidewalk and pedestrian area located at Town Center Gateway Plaza to encourage social d istancing. Following the discussion, the City Council directed the Director to return with other public infrastructure and public facility project proposals. The public hearing was continued to May 12, 2025.
At the May 12, 2025, Regular City Council Meeting, the Director presented various projects that were considered for the use of the remaining CDBG -CV funds. During the City Council discussion, the City Council identified the public area at Friendship Square for an infrastructure re-design to encourage social distancing. This location is in a Low- Moderate-Income Area and a redesign to encourage social distancing will help prevent and prepare for future coronavirus making it an eligible project. The Ci ty Council directed staff to move forward with re-allocating the CDBG-CV funds to redesign the public area at Friendship Square to encourage social distancing. The public hearing was continued to May 27, 2025.
The Draft Substantial Amendment is attached for reference. City Council adoption of Resolution No. 25-21 approving the draft substantial amendment to the FY 2020-2021 Annual Action Plan will re-allocate the remaining CDBG-CV funds for the Friendship Square redesign project.
ATTACHMENTS
Resolution No. 25-21....................................................................................................... 3 Draft Substantial Amendment to the FY 2020-2021 Annual Action Plan ......................... 6
CITY OF BELLFLOWER
RESOLUTION NO. 25-21
A RESOLUTION APPROVING A SUBSTANTIAL AMENDMENT TO
THE FISCAL YEAR 2020-2021 ANNUAL ACTION PLAN TO
REPROGRAM REMAINING COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK
GRANT CORONAVIRUS RELIEF FUNDS (“CDBG-CV”), AND
AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO REPROGRAM UNUSED
CDBG-CV FOR THE REDESIGN OF THE PUBLIC SIDEWALK AREA
LOCATED AT FRIENDSHIP SQUARE 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 Act (“CARES”) 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 program (“CDBG”).
C. The City received 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 HUD’s 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. Notice of Public Hearing before the City Council was duly given and published in the time, form, and manner as required by law.
G. This Resolution is adopted based upon the evidence submitted during the March 14, 2025, through May 27, 2025, City Council meetings including, without limitation, all documents presented to the City Council and public testimony.
H. The City Council considered the information provided by the Economic Development Director (“Director”) and designees, and public testimony. This Resolution, and its findings, are made based upon the evidence presented to the City Council at its March 14, 2025, through May 27, 2025, hearings including, without limitation, the staff report submitted by the Director.
City of Bellflower
Resolution No. 25-21
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.
SECTION 3. Authorizations. The City Manager, or designee, is authorized to take reasonable action needed to implement this Resolution, including, without limitation, submittal of the Action Plan Amendment to the appropriate HUD office, on behalf of the City, and making any necessary budgetary adjustments in the 2024 -2025 and 2025 - 2026 Operating Budget.
SECTION 4. Preservation . This resolution does not affect any penalty, forfeiture, or liability incurred before, or preclude prosecution and imposition of penalties for any violation occurring before, this Resolution’s effective date. Any such amended part will remain in full for ce and effect for sustaining action or prosecuting violations occurring before the effective date of this Resolution.
SECTION 5. 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 pr ovisions of this Resolution are severable.
SECTION 6. Reliance On Record. Each and every one of the findings and determinations in this Resolution are based on the competent and substantial evidence, both oral and written, contained in the entire record relating to the project.
The findings and determinations constit ute the independent findings and determinations of the City Council in all respects and are fully and completely supported by substantial evidence in the record as a whole.
SECTION 7. 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 i s 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 pro blems and issues. The City must work within the political framework within which it exists and with the limitations inherent in that framework.
SECTION 8. 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 9. Construction. This Resolution must be broadly construed in order 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.
City of Bellflower
Resolution No. 25-21
SECTION 10. 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 11. The Mayor, or presiding officer, is hereby authorized to affix his signature to this Resolution signifying its adoption by the City Council of the City of Bellflower, and the City Clerk, or her duly appointed deputy, is directed to attest .
SECTION 12. This Resolution will become effective immediately upon adoption.
PASSED, APPROVED, AND ADOPTED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF BELLFLOWER THIS 27th DAY OF MAY 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
May 27, 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 .......................................................................................... 5 AP-20 Goals and Objectives ......................................................................................... 6 AP-35 Projects and Activities ....................................................................................... 7
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 was held on April 14, 2025, and continued to May 27, 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
Program Uses of Funds
Expected Amount Available
Narrative
Description 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
Friendship
Square
Bellflower
Blvd./Belmont
St.
(Low/Mod)
COVID-19
Impact
CDBG-CV:
$407,553
Redesign
sidewalk to
provide social
space in LMI
area
AP-35 Projects and Activities
City of Bellflower
FY 2020-2021 Annual Action Plan – Substantial Amendment – CDBG-CV No. 6
The City of Bellflower will allocate funds to the following project:
Project Name CDBG-CV Sidewalk Redesign
Target Area Low-Moderate Area (Intersection at Bellflower Blvd./Belmont St.) Goals Supported COVID-19 Pandemic Response
Needs Addressed CDBG-CV Redesign of Public sidewalk to encourage social distancing.
Funding CDBG-CV: $407,553
Description Public Sidewalk Area 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 area to encourage social distancing to prepare for and prevent the spread of future coronavirus pandemics.
Location Citywide
Planned Activities Redesign of public sidewalk area 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
V
k
City of Bellflower
FY 2020-2021 Annual Action Plan – Substantial Amendment – CDBG-CV No. 6
Appendix A – Public Notice and Public Comments