RESOLUTION NO. ______
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COMMERCE, CALIFORNIA, APPROVING AN AMENDMENT TO THE FISCAL YEAR 2026–2027 COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT PROGRAM, REALLOCATING CDBG FUNDS FROM THE HOME PRESERVATION GRANT PROGRAM TO THE COMMERCE ADVANTAGE PROGRAM WHEREAS, the City of Commerce participates in the Los Angeles Urban County Community Development Block Grant (“CDBG”) Program administered by the Los Angeles County Development Authority (“LACDA”); and WHEREAS, the City has been allocated $118,928 in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds for Fiscal Year 2026–2027; and WHEREAS, on January 13, 2026, the City Council approved the allocation of the Fiscal Year 2026–2027 CDBG funds to a Home Preservation Grant Program; and WHEREAS, staff has determined that current community needs would be better served by establishing the Commerce Advantage Program to assist eligible businesses with property improvements that promote business retention, accessibility, community aesthetics, and economic development; and WHEREAS, eligible applicants shall include qualified restaurant, retail and service businesses that began operating within the City of Commerce on or after January 1, 2024; and WHEREAS, all assisted projects must meet one of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (“HUD”) National Objectives by qualifying as either a Low- and Moderate-Income Area Benefit (LMA) activity or a Low- and Moderate-Income Job Creation/Retention (LMJ) activity; and WHEREAS, the City Council desires to amend the approved CDBG Program by reallocating the Fiscal Year 2026–2027 CDBG allocation from the Housing Rehabilitation Program to the Commerce Advantage Program; and WHEREAS, all required public notice and public hearing requirements have been completed in accordance with applicable federal CDBG regulations.
NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COMMERCE DOES HEREBY RESOLVE AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. The foregoing recitals are true and correct and are incorporated herein by this reference.
Section 2. The City Council hereby approves:
An amendment to the Fiscal Year 2026–2027 CDBG Program from the Home Preservation Grant Program to the Commerce Advantage Program; Reallocate previously approved CDBG funds for the Fiscal Year 2026-2027 totaling $118,928 from the Home Preservation Grant Program to the Commerce Advantage Program, with $23,795.60 of these funds designated for program administration; Authorize the City Manager or designee to develop and adopt policies and procedures for distributing funds for qualified expenses, eligibility criteria, allowed expenses, and application process, among others; Authorize the City Manager to make any necessary amendments to an existing on-call agreement with Avant Garde Inc. to increase the budget, scope and term for the implementation and administration of the Commerce Advantage Program; and Authorize the City Manager, or designee, to submit all required documentation to the Los Angeles County Development Authority (“LACDA”) and the California Department of Housing and Community Development (“HCD”).
Section 3. The City Council hereby establishes the Commerce Advantage Program to provide grants for eligible commercial property improvements and other eligible activities in accordance with program guidelines and all applicable federal, state, and local requirements.
Section 4. The Commerce Advantage Program shall be administered in accordance with the program guidelines approved by the City Manager, applicable CDBG regulations, and all requirements established by LACDA and HUD.
Section 5. The City Manager, or designee, is authorized to execute all documents and take any additional actions necessary to carry out the intent of this Resolution.
Section 6. The Mayor is authorized to execute this Resolution for and on behalf of the City of Commerce.
Section 7. This Resolution shall take effect immediately upon its adoption.
PASSED, APPROVED and ADOPTED this 14th day of July 2026 ______________________________
Kevin Lainez, Mayor
ATTEST:
________________________________
Pat Jacquez-Nares, Interim City Clerk