BACKGROUND:
In September 2020, the City Council approved the City’s FY 2020-21 CDBG Annual Action Plan (AAP) describing the federal funding allocations from the City’s annual entitlement grant ($613,195) and Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act Round 1 apportionment ($360,777). After the approval of the AAP, the City received additional CARES Act Round 3 funding ($566,430), which was approved by City Council to amend the AAP to fund the Small Business Assistance Loan program. The CARES Act Round 1 and Round 3 apportionments are collectively called CDBG-CV funds. After the FY 2020-21 CDBG program was executed and finalized, there was a remainder of $530,365 in CDBG-CV funds and $47,969 in CDBG funds.
On May 12, 2021, the City Council approved the City’s FY 2021-22 CDBG AAP for submittal to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Included in the AAP is the proposed Via De Anza Sidewalk Improvements Project for an amount of $436,825. The CDBG funding will provide for the construction of sidewalk, curb and gutter and driveways on Via De Anza between Ortega Road and Olancha Road (Census Tract 449.15). Currently, this section of Via De Anza does not have sidewalk and residents are forced to walk on the street. The installation of the proposed improvements will promote walkability and provide a safe path of travel for this community to walk to and from Ocotillo Park, the library, and schools.
On June 9, 2021, the City Council approved an Administrative Amendment to the FY 2021-22 AAP to correct a discrepancy in the City’s entitlement apportionment, and to allocate the additional increase of $9,532 to supplement the Via De Anza Project.
On December 8, 2021, the City Council approved an Administrative Amendment to the City’s 2021-22 AAP to award Desert Access and Mobility $25,000 funding with the City’s CDBG-CV apportionment. This leaves the City with a remaining balance of $505,365.
On January 12, 2022, a Study Session was held with the City Council to discuss the reasons for the Substantial Amendment and how the unspent prior year funds will be allocated. City Council requested to have the public service providers present at the next public hearing for additional questions that Council may have so they can make an informed decision.
On March 9, 2022, a Public Hearing was held at the City Council Meeting for the Substantial Amendment approval. At this meeting all the proposed Public Service Providers were in attendance to answer questions regarding their proposed programs.
There were several questions that the City Council requested be answered regarding the proposed WeeCare Child Assistance Program since they will potentially be a first- time recipient of Cathedral City’s CDBG funds. These questions required more time to answer and the City Council requested that the public hearing be continued to the March 23, 2022, City Council Meeting to have ample time to have these questions and concerns addressed.
DISCUSSION:
According to the PR01 Report generated from HUD’s Integrated Disbursement & Information System (IDIS), the City has approximately $47,969 of unspent prior year funds from Public Improvements and $505,365 in CDBG-CV funds. In addition, the City has $80,000 in unallocated funds for Public Services from the current FY 2021-22 AAP.
The approval of this Substantial Amendment will allow the City to reprogram these funds into our FY 2021-22 AAP.
City Council requested additional information about the proposed Public Service Providers and their respective programs, describing how each grantee will provide a benefit to Cathedral City residents. A description of each proposed program is provided below:
•Coachella Valley Association of Governments (CVAG) Homelessness Program: CVAG is the regional planning agency coordinating government services in the Coachella Valley. The City of Cathedral City makes annual donations to CVAG for their Housing First Program which aims to combat homelessness and providing shelter for the homeless. Half of this year’s annual donation of $103,000 ($51,500) is proposed to be contributed using these CDBG funds, which helps reallocate general fund dollars for other purposes. •Transgender Health and Wellness Center (THAWC) Suicide Prevention Program: THAWC is proposing a suicide prevention program (including education, peer, and mental health support) designed to prevent fatal outcomes and self-harm in the LGBTQ+ Community. The outreach program is projected to serve a minimum of 24 Cathedral City residents, with 10 to 15 individuals enrolling in their rapid re-housing program. This program includes:
oCase management services to track individuals entering and exiting the program.
oPeer and mental wellness recovery groups to support.
oSupport services may include HIV education and prevention linked to the lack of mental wellness leading to suicidal thoughts and self-harm. oEmergency services and care such as food and clothing to reduce stress caused by external factors leading to suicidal thoughts and self-harm. •WeeCare Child Assistance Program: WeeCare is proposing a childcare assistance program that solves the pain of finding childcare for families.
Currently there are numerous childcare providers and families in Cathedral City that are already signed up with WeeCare. The program, utilizing a proprietary phone application, assists families by reducing the time and challenge of finding quality childcare providers and offering payment assistance by waiving fees. The program also assists childcare providers with technical and business support to help their businesses thrive in this challenging COVID-19 environment. The three assistance programs include:
oProgram 1: Business and Technical Assistance for Microenterprise Childcare Providers
▪$50,000.
▪25 licensed family childcare providers in Cathedral City will receive business and technical assistance.
▪Provide back-office support for family and micro-enterprise childcare providers to grow and sustain a healthy business. ▪Program includes:
✓Payment processing, curriculum, and more!
✓$500/facility/month.
✓$6000/facility/year.
oProgram 2: Childcare Assistance for Small Business Employers ▪$80,000.
▪Increase access to childcare for working families and thereby increase labor force participation for all employed residents in Cathedral City of employers with less than 50 employees. ▪Program includes:
✓Priority Placement at all WeeCare Providers.
✓24/7 1-on-1 Care Managers.
✓Waived $98 Care Manager Fee for the first year.
✓Waived $6.99 Weekly Safety Fee for the first year.
oProgram 3: Childcare Credits
▪$8,500.
▪Provide childcare subsidies to low-mod families to enable them to secure employment.
▪Program includes:
✓100 childcare credits for Cathedral City families.
✓One childcare credit equals one day of care.
•Cathedral City Senior Center (CCSC): The City of Cathedral City provides annual funding to CCSC, to assist with their operations in providing for the needs of Cathedral City’s seniors, families, and caregivers. This year, CCSC is requesting additional funding for a proposed 911 program. The proposed project details are:
oThe City refers frequent non-emergency callers to CCSC for wellness checks, evaluations, resource connections, follow-ups, and tracking. oCCSC will utilize a contracted bilingual social worker(s) who will visit and call seniors to help determine the root causes of their frequent calls to emergency personnel.
oCCSC refers individuals to health and social services, and community agencies to address root causes of repeat 911 calls.
oCCSC tracks these individuals for one year from the contract’s start. oTwo of CCSC’s programs are being funded through CDBG:
▪$100,000: CCSC annual funding for operations in serving the elderly residents Cathedral City.
Commented [KF1]: Add short description
and benefits, same as above.
Commented [JC2R2]: Have added
additional information to all program areas.
Commented [KF3]: The allocation is broken
out in the table above as $100k for CC Senior
Center and $53k for the 911. We do not describe
how the additional $100k will be used??
Commented [JC4R4]: Additional
information re. the $100K and $53K were added.
▪$53,000: New CCSC 911 Program which will help route non- emergency related 911 calls.
•Coachella Valley Rescue Mission (CVRM) Outreach Program: CVRM’s vision is to end homelessness in the Coachella Valley. CVRM’s outreach program takes place every Monday at Calvary Christian Center in Cathedral City. Their outreach program includes:
oCVRM employees and volunteers locating homeless encampments and/or individuals to offer essentials that are needed.
oWater, small non-perishable meals, clothes, shoes, socks, umbrellas, sunscreen, and sunglasses.
oHandwashing stations and shower trailers.
oConversations and companionship.
oSafe and free ride to desired destination.
oNon-emergency medical services and DAP testing.
•Assistance League Operation School Bell Program: Assistance League’s proposed program has a goal of clothing 2,500 students and providing 3,000 hygiene kits to 2,500 students and 500 homeless persons in the Coachella Valley. The goal within Cathedral City is to use CDBG funding to buy school clothes and hygiene kits for over 300 City elementary school students.
PUBLIC PARTICIPATION:
Under the City’s adopted Community Participation Plan, any programmatic or financial changes resulting in over ten percent (10%) of the City annual apportionment will need to be documented with a Substantial Amendment and will require a public hearing.
A public notice was published in the local newspaper, The Desert Sun, noticing the availability of the proposed Substantial Amendment. The Substantial Amendment was made available for 30 days from January 29, 2022, to February 27, 2022. The Substantial Amendment was posted on the City website, public information cabinet just outside City Hall, the Cathedral City Senior Center, the Cathedral City Library and the Boys and Girls Club. The Substantial Amendment was also made available to be electronically forwarded to anyone interested in reviewing the information included in the Amendment upon request.
This virtual Public Hearing was held on March 9, 2022, and continued during tonight’s March 23, 2022 City Council Meeting to allow any members of the community an opportunity to comment on the information in the proposed Substantial Amendment.
FISCAL IMPACT:
Below is a table of the proposed allocations, which have not changed since the January 12 Study Session:
The approval of the recommended action is required to ensure the City is able to program the remaining FY 2021-22 CDBG funds in a timely manner in accordance with HUD requirements. Changes to this proposed Substantial Amendment could impede the City’s ability to meet HUD’s timeline requirements. Changes that remove a program recipient from the City’s CDBG-CV amendment would still allow staff to be able to meet HUD’s deadlines since this would not require another noticing period. However, any changes to the City’s entitlement apportionment greater than $65,000 (10% of the entitlement) or changes that increase the amount of funding for a program would require an additional noticing period and would hinder City Staff’s ability to meet HUD’s timeliness requirement.
FY 2021 PUBLIC IMPROVEMENTS FUNDING
FY 2020-21 Unspent Funds to Via De Anza Project 47,969$ Total Funding Allocated 47,969$ FY 2021 PUBLIC SERVICES FUNDING
CVAG: Homelessness Program 51,500$ Transgender Health and Wellness Center 20,000$ WeeCare Child Assistance Program 8,500$ Total Funding Allocated 80,000$ CDBG-CV (CARES Act) FUNDING FUNDINGCC Senior Center 100,000$ CV Rescue Mission 51,500$ Assistance League 15,000$ CC Senior Center: 911 Program 53,000$ Small Business Assistance Loan 143,000$ WeeCare Child Assistance Program 130,000$ Remaining Total 12,865$ Total Funding Allocated 505,365$