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Staff Report
City Council
Item No. 3.C
Meeting Date: November 30, 2022
From: John Corella, Director of Engineering/Public Works Title: FY 2022/2023 CDBG Sidewalk Repair Assistance Program City Council
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff will be presenting Cathedral City's FY 2022-2023 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Sidewalk Repair Assistance Program for City Council review, discussion, and direction.
BACKGROUND:
The Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program, funded by the U.S.
Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), allows Cathedral City to carry out a wide range of community development activities directed towards revitalizing neighborhoods, economic development, and improving community facilities and services, mainly focused on Low-to-Moderate Income (LMI) areas of the City. This annual funding is used to address the priority needs of the community outlined in the 5- Year Consolidated Plan.
On June 22, 2022, the City Council approved Cathedral City’s FY 2022-2023 Annual Action Plan (AAP) outlining the proposed allocation of funds for this fiscal year. The AAP included a $15,000 allocation from CDBG Public Infrastructure funds for the City’s Sidewalk Repair Assistance Program.
Sidewalks
The Sidewalk Repair Assistance Program (Program) has been developed to reduce the financial hardship that repairing an out of compliance sidewalk places on Cathedral City property owners within LMI areas as designated by HUD. These out of compliance sidewalks are identified through the City’s Code Compliance Division’s enforcement of California Streets and Highways Code Section 5610 and Cathedral City Municipal Code Section 14.12.010 Duty to Maintain, which states “…. maintenance and repairs to the sidewalk shall be provided by the owner or owners or other persons in possession of the abutting property as may be required to maintain it in a condition which will not endanger any person or property, or interfere with the public convenience in the use of the sidewalk.” Corner Ramps
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The City’s current Cathedral City Municipal Code Section 14.12.010 Duty to Maintain includes the maintenance of corner pedestrian ramps (corner ramps). Corner ramps are required to be in place at every intersection where an accessible route crosses a curb to allow access to crosswalks for people with disabilities.
Corner ramps require the installation of detectable warning surface, replacing the level landing and, at times, a few adjacent sidewalk panels to bring the ramp into the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance, increasing the limits of this repair from the beginning to the end of the curb return. Therefore, the cost to repair a curb ramp is considerably higher in comparison with the cost to repair a sidewalk, which can pose a difficult financial challenge for residents. For reference, in November 2022, the Cathedral City Public Works Department replaced the corner ramp at Whispering Palm and Baristo Road, costing $9,760 (Invoice and picture are attached to this Staff Report).
DISCUSSION:
Sidewalks
The purpose of this Program is to assist Cathedral City residents facing hardship to resolve code compliance violations related to non-compliant sidewalks fronting their property. This Program will address HUD’s national objectives of LMI areas benefits, qualifying the Sidewalk Repair Assistance Program as eligible improvements to be funded through the City’s CDBG Program.
The Program will use the following documents to inform residents about the steps to participate in this program.
•Program Overview: An informational page describing how to apply to the program, the eligibility requirements, and includes a map of the HUD LMI areas within the City limits. This Program Overview would be mailed out with the code compliance notices to property owners in LMI areas.
•Application Instructions: This packet provides eligible residents with forms/applications such as: Program Application and No Fee Encroachment Application, allowing residents to disclose reasons of financial hardships, and all other information required to participate in the program. •Agreement Packet: This packet includes the Program Agreement between the property owner and the City, outlining property owner’s and City’s obligations and a Payment Voucher to be redeemed once the work has been completed by the owner/owner’s contractor and inspected by City Staff.
The eligibility requirements for this financial assistance are as follows:
•The applicant must be Cathedral City property owner and have a financial hardship.
•The property address must be in a HUD LMI area.
•The property address must have a Notice of Violation for damaged sidewalk issued by the Cathedral City Code Compliance Division.
•The property address is the owner’s primary residence.
Residents living in a HUD LMI area with a Code Compliance Violation for damaged sidewalks will receive the Program Overview. Qualified residents will complete a Cathedral City Page 3 of 3 Printed on 11/23/2022
Program Application, and a Program Agreement will be executed between the property owner and the City to repair the sidewalk. The property owner will receive a voucher assisting with 75% of the repair cost up to $800, to be redeemed with the City after the sidewalk is inspected and approved by City Staff.
Program Funding:
•The program will fund 75% of the cost to complete the sidewalk repair up to $800.00.
•Funding will be awarded on a first come, first serve basis until all program funds are depleted ($15,000).
Duty to Maintain Corner Ramps
City Staff has evaluated the cost for homeowners to repair the corner ramps under the current Cathedral City Municipal Code Section 14.12.010 Duty to Maintain. This cost is high and poses a significant financial burden on the property owner cited to make repairs. As a result of this evaluation, Staff is also recommending the Duty to Maintain Ordinance be modified to exclude corner ramps from the maintenance and repairs to the sidewalk provided by the owner or owners or other persons in possession of the abutting property.
It is proposed the maintenance and repairs of corner ramps from the beginning to the end of the curb return will be the responsibility of Cathedral City Public Works Department as it requires to be maintained in a condition which will not endanger any person or property or interfere with the public convenience in the use of the sidewalk.
The proposed language for the ordinance modification will be presented to the City Council at a future City Council meeting.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The Program would be funded through Cathedral City’s FY 22-23 CDBG AAP Public Infrastructure Program, in the amount of $15,000.
Due to the limited funding, the Program would continue until the funds are depleted or until the end of FY 2022-2023. City Staff estimates this Program would assist approximately 19 Cathedral City LMI property owners requiring sidewalk repairs.
ATTACHMENTS:
Cathedral City CDBG Sidewalk Repair Assistance Program Overview Cathedral City CDBG Sidewalk Repair Assistance Program Application Cathedral City CDBG Sidewalk Repair Assistance Program Agreement Curb Ramp - Invoice - Whispering Palms Baristo
Image Whispering Palms and Baristo