* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [00:00:04] OKAY, I'M NOW CALLED [ CITY OF BAYTOWN NOTICE OF MEETING COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE TUESDAY, MARCH 5, 2024 5:30 P.M. COUNCIL CHAMBER, CITY HALL 2401 MARKET STREET, BAYTOWN, TEXAS 77520 AGENDA CALL TO ORDER AND ANNOUNCEMENT OF QUORUM ] THIS COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT ADVISING COMMITTEE MEETING TO ORDER. TODAY IS TUESDAY, MARCH 5TH, 2024. THE TIME IS N 5 31. NOW I, UM, THE FIRST ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS LETTER, I MEAN, NUMBER ONE A CITIZENS COMICS, MS. SHARON. [a. The Community Development Division will hold a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Request for Proposal (RFP) Technical Assistance Workshop.] SO WE'RE ACTUALLY GONNA GET AHEAD AND GET STARTED WITH THE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE WORKSHOP. SO THIS IS BASICALLY WHERE I'M GOING TO DO A BRIEF RUN THROUGH OF THE CDBG PROGRAM AS A WHOLE, AS WELL AS UM, WHAT CAN BE AN ELIGIBLE ACTIVITY IF YOUR ORGANIZATION PLANS ON APPLYING FOR FUNDING AND THE APPLICATION PROCESS ITSELF. SO I KNOW THERE MIGHT BE, UM, ONE OR TWO PEOPLE THAT ARE FAMILIAR WITH IT AND SOMEBODY THAT MIGHT BE MORE NEW TO IT. SO IF I GO THROUGH FAST, OF COURSE YOU'RE MORE THAN WELCOME TO ASK QUESTIONS AT THE END, OR YOU CAN REACH OUT TO US INDIVIDUALLY AND THEN WE CAN ALWAYS SPEAK ON A ONE-ON-ONE BASIS. SO TODAY WE ONLY HAVE TWO STAFF FROM COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT HERE, AND THAT'S MYSELF. I'M THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT SUPERVISOR. I'M SHARON ROSE, AND THIS IS OUR GENERALIST MONICA FAA. UM, THERE WERE OUTSIDE, UM, PRESENTATIONS HAPPENING TODAY, SO OUR DIRECTOR AND ASSISTANT DIRECTOR UNAVAILABLE. SO WHAT IS CDBG COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT PROGRAM PROVIDES ANNUAL GRANTS TO STATES, CITIES, AND COUNTIES TO DEVELOP VIABLE COMMUNITIES. SO THE WAY IT ACTUALLY USED TO BE IS, UM, PRIOR TO 1974, THERE USED TO BE ABOUT EIGHT DIFFERENT TYPES OF GRANTS, TRANSPORTATION, OPEN AIR, ENVIRONMENTAL, THINGS LIKE THAT. SO HUD DECIDED TO COMBINE THEM ALL INTO ONE AS A COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT PROGRAM SO THAT, UM, PEOPLE, INSTEAD OF HAVING TO SUBMIT MULTIPLE APPLICATIONS, DIFFERENT TYPES OF PROGRAM CAN ALL APPLY FOR THE SAME GRANT. SO THE MAIN GOALS OF THE PROGRAM IS TO PROVIDE D SAFE, DECENT, SAFE AND SANITARY HOUSING SUITABLE LIVING ENVIRONMENTS AND TO EXPAND ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES. SO CURRENTLY, UM, AS WE ALL KNOW, CONGRESS HAS BEEN GOING BACK AND FORTH WITH OUR BUDGET. SO WE DON'T KNOW WHAT OUR CURRENT YEAR THE UPCOMING ALLOCATION IS GONNA BE. FOR THE CURRENT YEAR, WE'RE RECEIVING 744,907 TH $7. THAT'S ACTUALLY THE MOST WE'VE EVER RECEIVED SINCE I'VE BEEN HERE. I UNDERSTAND PROBABLY 10 YEARS AGO WE USED TO GET A LITTLE BIT OVER A MILLION, BUT TYPICALLY WE, UM, HAVE BEEN FLUCTUATING A LOT SINCE I'VE BEEN HERE. SO IF I TAKE AN AVERAGE OF THE LAST FIVE YEARS, WE'RE LOOKING AT ABOUT $670,000 THAT IS ESTIMATED TO BE OUR ALLOCATION FOR THE UPCOMING YEAR. SO OUT OF THAT $670,000, THERE IS A PUBLIC SERVICE CAP OF 15%. SO IF THE TYPE OF PROGRAM THAT YOU'RE TRYING TO IMPLEMENT IS ONE THAT PROVIDES SERVICES TO DIFFERENT MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY, THAT WOULD FALL UNDER THAT CAP. SO IF WE WERE TO ESTIMATE THAT WE'RE GETTING ABOUT SIX 70, ABOUT A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS I BELIEVE WOULD BE THAT CAP. SO MOST OF THE APPLICATIONS THAT WE RECEIVE BESIDES ANY PUBLIC FACILITY IMPROVEMENTS, WOULD FALL UNDER THAT 15% CAP. SO FOR YOUR PROJECT TO BE ELIGIBLE, IT HAS TO MEET A NATIONAL OBJECTIVE. SO IT HAS TO BENEFIT LOW TO MODERATE INCOME PERSONS OR AREAS AID IN THE PREVENTION OF ELIMINATION OF SLUM AND BLIGHT. AND THAT'S BASICALLY WHERE WE DO CODE ENFORCEMENT ACTIVITIES, NEIGHBORHOOD CLEANUPS AND THINGS LIKE THAT. OR MEET AN URGENT NEED THAT COULD BE CHARACTERIZED AS TRANSPORTATION SERVICES FOR THE ELDERLY AND DISABLED OR UM, UH, RENTAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM, THINGS LIKE THAT. SO ELIGIBLE, THIS IS A BRIEF LITTLE OVERVIEW OF ELIGIBLE AND INELIGIBLE ACTIVITIES. UM, THERE ARE A MUCH LONGER LIST ON HUD'S WEBSITE. SO ACQUISITION AND DISPOSITION OF REAL PROPERTY, PUBLIC FACILITIES AND IMPROVEMENTS, PUBLIC SERVICES, HOUSING, REHABILITATION, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. THOSE WOULD CONSIDERED ELIGIBLE. NOW INELIGIBLE ACTIVITIES, WE CAN'T USE CDBG TO REHAB CITY HALL. WE CAN'T USE IT FOR POLITICAL ACTIVITIES. WE CAN'T USE IT FOR ANY TYPE OF RELIGIOUS, UM, ACTIVITIES OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT. AND IT HAS TO BENEFIT LOW INCOME PEOPLE. SO IF THE PEOPLE THAT YOU'RE TRYING TO ASSIST DO NOT FALL WITHIN HUD'S INCOME LIMITS, THEN THEY WOULD NOT BE ELIGIBLE TO UTILIZE OUR FUNDS. SO WE HAVE A LOMA AREA BENEFIT THAT CAN BE SOME OF OUR PUBLIC FACILITY IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS. THAT IS WHERE WE WOULD HAVE TO TAKE A LOOK AND MAKE SURE THAT 51% OR MORE OF THE PEOPLE WITHIN A SPECIFIC AREA ARE LOW INCOME THAN IF YOU'RE TRYING TO DO A PROJECT THAT IS GONNA BENEFIT THE AREA AND NOT THE DIRECT RESIDENTS OF THE AREA. THAT WOULD BE A LOW MOD AREA BENEFIT. THEN WE HAVE LIMITED CLIENTELE. THAT WOULD BE THE PROGRAMS THAT ARE PROVIDING SERVICES TO PEOPLE WHO HAVE AN URGENT NEED, LIKE I SAID EARLIER, UM, TRANSPORTATION FOR ELDERLY AND DISABLED, ABUSED CHILDREN, BATTERED SPOUSES, DISABLED PERSONS, ET CETERA. SO AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, YOU DO HAVE TO FALL WITHIN CERTAIN INCOME LIMITS. SO WHENEVER WE'RE SERVICING AN AREA, WE WOULD LOOK AT CENSUS DATA TO SEE WHAT THE MEDIAN [00:05:01] INCOME FOR THAT AREA IS. IF YOU'RE SERVICING PEOPLE DIRECTLY, YOU WOULD ACTUALLY HAVE TO COLLECT INCOME DATA FROM THOSE PEOPLE. SO DEPENDING ON THE SIZE OF THEIR HOUSEHOLD WOULD REALLY DEPEND ON HOW MUCH INCOME THEY CAN BE RECEIVING. AND INCOME IS EVERYTHING. UM, CHILD SUPPORT IS INCOME, SNAP IS INCOME, A PENSION, SOCIAL SECURITY, ALL OF THAT IS CONSIDERED INCOME. SO IF YOU'RE SERVING DIRECT CLIENTS, YOU WOULD ACTUALLY HAVE TO TAKE ALL OF THAT INTO ACCOUNT. NOW, IF YOU'RE SERVING A DIRECT AREA, THEN WE WOULD ACTUALLY DETERMINE IF THE AREA THAT YOU'RE SERVICING IS CONSIDERED TO BE LOW INCOME. SO HUD LOVES PAPERWORK, IT'S THE GOVERNMENT. I THINK ALL GOVERNMENTS LOVE PAPERWORK. UM, SO THERE ARE A LOT OF DOCUMENTS THAT YOU WILL HAVE TO MAINTAIN AND YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO MAINTAIN THEM FOR AT LEAST FIVE YEARS, AT A MINIMUM FIVE YEARS. AND THOSE WOULD BE ADMINISTRATIVE RECORDS. SO THE APPLICATION THAT YOU SUBMIT ITSELF, ANY CLIENT RECORDS THAT YOU HAVE, ANY LEGAL FILES, ALL OF YOUR FINANCIAL RECORDS, IF YOU ARE UM, SPENDING MONEY ON ITEMS, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO KEEP THOSE BANK STATEMENTS. YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO KEEP CREDIT CARD RECEIPTS, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO KEEP ALL THAT STUFF. UM, IF YOU'RE HELPING PEOPLE DIRECTLY, ALSO, IF THERE ARE CASE FILES THAT YOU HAVE ON THE PEOPLE THAT YOU'RE HELPING, YOU'LL HAVE TO MAINTAIN ALL OF THAT FOR FIVE YEARS AT A MINIMUM. SO THE FUND PART NOW IS HOW TO APPLY FOR THE GRANT ITSELF. SO IN 2021, WE HAVE TRANSITIONED TO DOING EVERYTHING ELECTRONICALLY. SO YOU WOULD ACTUALLY HAVE TO GO ONLINE TO APPLY FOR THE GRANT, AND YOU WOULD DO THAT BY ACCESSING OUR CITIZEN SELF-SERVICE PORTAL@OURBAYTOWN.ORG WEBSITE. AND THEN YOU WOULD CLICK TO REGISTER. IT'S A LITTLE BOX UP IN THE RED, IT SAYS REGISTER. SO IF YOU DON'T HAVE AN ACCOUNT SET UP ALREADY, YOU WILL HAVE TO REGISTER FOR ONE. SO YOU WOULD ENTER YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS AND YOU WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, UM, IF YOU'VE ALREADY REGISTERED, YOU WILL GET SOMETHING TELLING YOU THAT YOU'VE ALREADY REGISTERED AND YOU'LL JUST HAVE TO RESET YOUR PASSWORD. ONCE YOU REGISTER AND YOU RECEIVE THE CONFIRMATION EMAIL, YOU'LL ACTUALLY HAVE TO GO INTO YOUR EMAIL. IT'S BETTER NOT TO DO THIS ON YOUR PHONE 'CAUSE YOU HAVE TO GO FROM MULTIPLE WINDOWS. IT'S ALWAYS BETTER TO KIND OF DO THIS ON A DESKTOP OR A LAPTOP, BUT YOU WILL CONFIRM YOUR, UM, IN THE EMAIL. YOU'LL CLICK ON THE LITTLE CONFIRM ON THE BOTTOM OF THE EMAIL, AND THEN IT'LL TAKE YOU TO WHERE YOU ACTUALLY START PUTTING IN THE PERSONAL INFORMATION. NOW, OF COURSE, IF YOU'RE REPRESENTING AN ORGANIZATION, THEN YOU WOULD PUT THE COMPANY'S NAME IN THERE AND SO ON AND SO FORTH. ONE THING TO REMEMBER IS YOUR USERNAME IS NOT ALWAYS YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS. SO YOU WANNA REMEMBER THAT IF YOU USED YOUR USERNAME AS AN EMAIL, LIKE FOR EXAMPLE, MY EMAIL ADDRESS FOR WORK IS SHARON.ROSE@BAYTOWN.ORG. BUT IF I PUT MY USERNAME HERE WITH SHARON ROSE AND THEN I TRY LOGGING IN WITH THAT BAYTOWN, IT'S NOT GONNA WORK. IT'S GONNA KEEP GIVING ME AN ERROR. YOU OF AS ALWAYS, YOU WANNA CREATE A STRONG PASSWORD, ADD YOUR ADDRESS, AND THEN YOU'LL RECEIVE ANOTHER EMAIL JUST TELLING YOU THAT YOUR REGISTRATION HAS BEEN APPROVED. ONCE YOU RECEIVE THAT EMAIL, YOU CAN GO IN THERE AND APPLY, UH, FOR ANYTHING PERMITS, BIRTH AND DEATH CERTIFICATES. UM, IF YOU WANNA BE ON OUR BOARD, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN ACTUALLY DO ALL OF THAT THROUGH THE CITIZEN SELF SERVICE PORTAL. SO ONCE YOU'VE REGISTERED, NOW YOU WANNA SEARCH FOR THE GRANT. SO IN THE, UH, YOU WOULD SELECT APPLY AND YOU CAN ACTUALLY TYPE IN THE WHOLE NAME OF THE GRANT. COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT. YOU CAN TYPE IN RFP, YOU CAN TYPE IN CDBG GRANT. I TRIED TO PUT A FEW HOTKEYS IN THERE SO THAT YOU DON'T HAVE TO TYPE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT OUT. SO YOU WOULD ACTUALLY SELECT THE LOCATION AND INSERT THE ADDRESS OF YOUR AGENCY, UM, NOT YOUR HOME ADDRESS UNLESS YOU'RE OPERATING OUT OF YOUR HOME OF COURSE, BUT YOU WOULD SELECT THE ADDRESS OF YOUR AGENCY AND THEN YOU WOULD CLICK NEXT. AND THEN FROM THERE YOU WOULD HAVE CONTACTS ON THERE. SO ONCE, BECAUSE YOU REGISTERED FOR THE ACCOUNT AND WE'RE WORKING OFF OF YOU, IT'S AUTOMATICALLY GONNA HAVE YOU AS THE APPLICANT. BUT IN THE BLUE BOX THERE TO THE RIGHT, YOU'LL SEE THAT YOU CAN ADD ANOTHER CONTACT. SO IF YOU ARE NOT THE ONLY PERSON THAT'S GONNA BE WORKING ON THIS GRANT, THEN YOU WOULD ADD THEM. IF THEY HAVE NOT CREATED AN ACCOUNT YET, YOU CAN CREATE SOMETHING. IT WON'T FINALIZE IT UNTIL THEY GO, GO IN THERE AND DO IT, BUT YOU CAN ADD THEM AS A CONTACT. THAT WAY, IF THERE ARE ANY, IS THERE ANY CORRESPONDENCE WITHIN THE SYSTEM? THEN THEY WOULD ALSO RECEIVE ANY OF THOSE EMAILS. SO HOW TO APPLY, ONCE YOU GET TO THE MORE INFO PAGE, THERE ARE HYPERLINKS AT THE TOP OF THE PAGE AND ONE OF THEM IS THE APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS. ANOTHER ONE IS THE ACTUAL APPLICATION ITSELF AND THEN THE BUDGET WORKSHEET. SO YOU'LL ANSWER ALL OF THE QUESTIONS THAT ARE LOCATED IN THE MORE INFO PAGE THAT APPLY TO YOUR ORGANIZATION, BUT YOU ALSO WANNA MAKE SURE THAT YOU DOWNLOAD THE PDF OF THE APPLICATION BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE YOUR LONG ANSWER QUESTIONS ARE GONNA BE. SO YOU WANNA MAKE SURE THAT YOU DOWNLOAD THAT, SAVE IT SOMEWHERE, 'CAUSE YOU'RE GONNA BE UPLOADING IT LATER. IF FOR WHATEVER REASON YOU HAVE TO WALK AWAY FROM YOUR APPLICATION. ON THE BOTTOM THERE IS SOMETHING CALLED SAVE DRAFT. NOW, ANOTHER THING, IF YOU HAVE TO NAVIGATE BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN THE PAGES, DO NOT USE THE BACK ARROW AT THE TOP OF THE PAGE. ON THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE, YOU'RE GONNA SEE THERE'S BACK AND THERE'S NEXT. SO IF YOU NEEDED TO GO BACK TO THE PREVIOUS PAGE, IF YOU CLICK THE BACK ARROW AT THE TOP LEFT OF THE THING, IT'S GONNA TAKE YOU ALL THE WAY TO THE BEGINNING AND YOU HAVE TO START ALL OVER. SO YOU WANNA MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE [00:10:01] NAVIGATING USING THE BUTTONS. ON THE BOTTOM THERE IS REQUIRED DOCUMENTATION THAT HAS TO BE SUBMITTED WITH YOUR APPLICATION, A NARRATIVE OF YOUR PROJECT, YOUR BUDGET, YOUR ORG CHART. THOSE ARE THE THREE MAIN THINGS. AND THE APPLICATION RFP ITSELF THAT NEED TO BE SUBMITTED, WE DO HAVE A DROPDOWN TO WHERE YOU CAN ADD ADDITIONAL ATTACHMENTS. NOW, UM, AN AUDIT IS NOT REQUIRED, BUT IF YOUR COMPANY OR YOUR ORGANIZATION DOES HAVE A FINANCIAL AUDIT, THEN IT IS STRONGLY ENCOURAGED THAT YOU SUBMIT IT BECAUSE YOUR APPLICATION GETS RATED BASED ON THE INFORMATION THAT YOU PROVIDE. SO YOU DON'T WANNA PROVIDE TOO MUCH INFORMATION, BUT AT LEAST REFER TO THE DROPDOWN. IT'LL TELL YOU THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF THINGS THAT YOU CAN ADD. SO IF YOU'RE, YOU ADVERTISE YOUR PROGRAM, YOU CAN ADD ATTACH YOUR FLYERS FOR YOUR PROGRAM. YOU CAN ATTACH, IF YOU'RE DOING CONSTRUCTION COSTS, YOU CAN ATTACH THAT INFORMATION. ONCE YOU'VE UPLOADED ALL OF YOUR ATTACHMENTS, YOU HAVE TO SIGN THE APPLICATION. AND OF COURSE THIS IS AN APPLICATION FOR FEDERAL FUNDING. SO YOU WANNA BE SURE THAT EVERYTHING IS TRUTHFUL BECAUSE IT IS A CRIMINAL OFFENSE ACCORDING TO SECTION 1 0 1 OF TITLE 18 OF THE US CODE. ONCE YOU HAVE LOOKED EVERYTHING OVER, YOU'VE ATTACHED EVERYTHING, YOU'RE GONNA GET TO THIS FINAL PAGE OVER HERE AND IT SHOWS YOU BASICALLY ALL OF THE INFORMATION THAT YOU'VE PROVIDED, ALL OF THE SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS, THE ATTACHMENTS ARE LISTED TOWARD THE BOTTOM. AND THEN TO THE RIGHT YOU'LL SEE A SUBMIT BUTTON. ONCE YOU SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION, IT IS NOW IN OUR HANDS. THIS IS THE DASHBOARD. YOU CAN ACTUALLY, ONCE YOU'VE SUBMITTED IT, YOU CAN GO TO YOUR DASHBOARD AND SEE ANY APPLICATION THAT YOU'VE EVER SUBMITTED AND YOU CAN ACTUALLY SEE THE PROGRESS. SO YOU'LL SEE HERE THAT SAYS 0% COMPLETED. AS WE GO THROUGH AND CHECK THINGS OFF WITHIN THE SYSTEM, THAT LITTLE DONUT WILL FILL UP AND AS THINGS PROGRESS, IT'LL FILL UP UNTIL IT GETS TO A HUNDRED PERCENT IF YOU GET FUNDED. SO THAT'S A WONDERFUL THING. SO NOW YOU'VE APPLIED, WHAT HAPPENS NEXT? SO THE FIRST THING THAT HAPPENS ONCE YOUR APPLICATIONS ARE SUBMITTED IS STAFF WILL GO THROUGH A SERIES OF REVIEWS TO MAKE SURE THAT YOUR APPLICATION IS MEETING TWO IMPORTANT THINGS, A NATIONAL OBJECTIVE UNDER THE CDBG PROGRAM. AND IT ALSO HAS TO MEET ONE OF THE GOALS INSIDE OF OUR CONSOLIDATED PLAN. SO IF ANYBODY NEEDS ACCESS TO THAT INFORMATION, WE CAN DEFINITELY EMAIL THAT TO YOU. IT'S ALSO ON OUR WEBSITE, BUT SOMETIMES IT'S JUST EASIER IF I SEND YOU THE DOCUMENT. ONCE WE REVIEW IT, MAKE SURE THAT IT'S ELIGIBLE, WE THEN PREPARE IT, UM, MAKE IT INTO A NICE PRETTY BOOK FOR OUR BOARD MEMBERS. AND THEN YOU WOULD COME AND PRESENT YOUR PROGRAM TO OUR BOARD IN MAY. THERE ARE TWO DATES IN MAY. IT'S THE SEVENTH AND THE 14TH. I'LL GO OVER THAT AGAIN LATER. SO WHERE YOU'LL COME IN AND YOU'RE GOING TO SELL YOUR PROGRAM, YOU WANT TO EXPLAIN TO THE PEOPLE SITTING UP HERE WHAT IT IS THAT YOU'RE TRYING TO DO, WHO IT IS THAT YOU'RE TRYING TO HELP, WHAT YOUR GOALS ARE, WHAT THE OUTCOME IS GONNA BE, HOW MANY PEOPLE YOU'RE HELPING. YOU'RE BASICALLY SELLING YOUR PROGRAM BECAUSE STAFF ACTUALLY HAS NO SAY IN WHO RECEIVES FUNDING. OUR BOARD MEMBERS ARE THE ONES THAT ACTUALLY WILL REVIEW EVERYTHING AND DECIDE WHO IT IS THAT RECEIVES FUNDING, HOW MUCH FUNDING IT IS THAT RECEIVE. BECAUSE JUST BECAUSE YOU ASK FOR $50,000, YOU MIGHT ONLY GET 20, YOU MIGHT GET 55. IT'S ALL UP TO THEM. SO YOU WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THEY KNOW THAT YOUR PROJECT IS GOING TO BE A BENEFIT TO THE COMMUNITY BECAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY, THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE. SO PROPOSALS ARE DUE ON MARCH 18TH AT 11:59 PM AND I WILL BE UP AT MIDNIGHT TO MAKE SURE I TURN IT OFF. SO ANYTHING THAT TRIES TO GET SUBMITTED AFTER WILL NOT BE. AND THEN ON MAY 7TH AND 14TH IS WHEN YOU WILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME IN AND PRESENT YOUR PROGRAM TO OUR BOARD. AND PRIOR TO THAT MEETING, WE WILL SEND OUT A TENTATIVE PRESENTATION SCHEDULE AND YOU CAN JUST LET US KNOW IF IT WORKS FOR YOU. IF MAYBE THE SEVENTH IS GOOD, BUT 14TH ISN'T AND I HAVE TO SWITCH THINGS AROUND, THAT'S NOT A PROBLEM. AND THEN ONCE OUR BOARD HEARS YOUR APPLICATIONS, THEN WE WILL HAVE BUDGET DELIBERATIONS. AND ONCE WE HAVE DECIDED ON A BUDGET FOR THE YEAR, WE THEN HAVE TO OPEN IT FOR PUBLIC COMMENT FROM THE PEER, FROM THE PUBLIC FOR 30 DAYS. ONCE THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD IS COMPLETED, WE DO HAVE TO TAKE IT TO CITY COUNCIL PRIOR TO US SUBMITTING IT TO HUD IN AUGUST. SO, UM, ONCE EVERYTHING IS APPROVED BY HUD COUNCIL APPROVES IT, HUD APPROVES IT. FUNDING IS AVAILABLE ON OCTOBER 1ST. IF YOU SPEND MONEY ON SEPTEMBER 30TH, UM, WE CANNOT REIMBURSE YOU FOR IT BECAUSE THAT'S SOMETHING ELSE THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT. THIS GRANT IS DONE ON A REIMBURSEMENT BASIS. SO YOU WANNA MAKE SURE THAT YOUR ORGANIZATION HAS THE CAPACITY TO CARRY OUT THIS PROGRAM UNTIL WE ARE ABLE TO REIMBURSE YOU FOR THE FUNDS THAT YOU HAVE SPENT. SO WHENEVER WE REIMBURSE YOU, YOU HAVE TO SUBMIT RECEIPTS, YOU HAVE TO SUBMIT INVOICES. IF I GET A RECEIPT THAT TELLS ME THAT YOU SWIPED YOUR CARD AND YOU WANT ME TO REIMBURSE YOU FROM SOMETHING THAT WAS ON SEPTEMBER 29TH. SORRY, IF IT WAS OCTOBER 1ST, WE'D BE FINE, BUT SEPTEMBER 29TH, WE CAN'T, EVERYTHING BEGINS ON OCTOBER 1ST. SO QUICK TIPS FOR BETTER GRANT WRITING. SO YOU WANNA SPELL OUT THE NEED FOR THE GRANT. UM, WHY ARE YOU APPLYING FOR THE GRANT? RIGHT? SO BECAUSE WE NEED MONEY IS NOT REALLY THE BEST ANSWER. YOU WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF BEING ACCEPTED BY DESCRIBING THE NEED THAT YOUR PROJECT IS GONNA MEET AND HOW IT'S GONNA [00:15:01] BE BENEFICIAL TO PEOPLE WITHIN THE COMMUNITY. YOU ALSO WANNA DIFFERENTIATE YOURSELF. IF WE HAVE MULTIPLE PEOPLE APPLYING FOR AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAMS, WHAT MAKES YOURS A MORE VIABLE PROJECT THAN THE OTHER ONE? SO YOU WANNA MAKE SURE THAT YOU, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT ALL THE EXACTLY THE SAME. YOU WANNA MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT. TARGET A SPECIFIC PROJECT. DON'T SAY WE JUST WANNA HELP KIDS AFTER SCHOOL SAY WE WANNA HELP, UM, ESL STUDENTS WITH THEIR HOMEWORK AFTER SCHOOL. THINGS LIKE THAT. YOU WANNA MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE BEING SPECIFIC. AND LIKE I SAID, YOU WANNA BE A GOOD SALESMAN. THAT BECOMES BEING A GOOD STORYTELLER. YOU WANNA BE ABLE TO TELL YOUR STORY AND MAKE IT IMPACTFUL AND MAKE OUR BOARD ACTUALLY WANNA SIT THERE AND DECIDE, MAN, THAT SOUNDS AWESOME. LET'S GIVE THEM ALL THE MONEY. YOU WANNA DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT. SO WHENEVER YOU'RE ALSO WRITING YOUR GRANT, OF COURSE THERE ARE PROBLEMS WITHIN THE COMMUNITY THAT WE'RE TRYING TO ADDRESS, BUT DON'T FOCUS ON THE PROBLEM. AT LEAST STATE THE PROBLEM AND HOW IT IS THAT YOU PLAN ON SOLVING THAT PROBLEM BECAUSE YOU DON'T WANT IT TO SEEM NEGATIVE, LIKE HO HUM AND ALL THAT. MAKE SURE YOUR BUDGET MAKES SENSE. LIKE I SAID, FOR OUR PUBLIC SERVICE ACTIVITIES, WE HAVE A 15% CAP ON THAT. SO IF ALL WE CAN PROVIDE IS A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS AND YOU'RE ASKING US FOR $75,000, IT'S GONNA BE KIND OF HARD FOR US TO PROVIDE YOU WITH EVERYTHING THAT YOU NEED BECAUSE THERE ARE GONNA BE OTHER PEOPLE, THEY MAY NOT BE HERE TODAY, THEY'LL PROBABLY BE AT THE VIRTUAL ONE, BUT THERE ARE GONNA BE OTHER PEOPLE THAT APPLY TO THIS PROGRAM. SO WE HAVE TO DECIDE EXACTLY HOW TO DIVVY THAT FUNDING UP. UM, RECRUIT AN OBJECTIVE REVIEWER. IT'S ALWAYS GOOD TO HAVE SOMEBODY WHO WILL ACTUALLY BE HONEST WHENEVER THEY READ YOUR STUFF. I KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T LIKE TO BE EDITED. I PERSONALLY HAVE A RED PEN IN MY HAND. 90% OF THE TIME THAT I'M READING PEOPLE'S THINGS, THERE IS A RED PEN IN MY HEAD. BUT, UM, AND I WILL TELL YOU EXACTLY WHAT IT IS BECAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY, YOU WANNA BE SUCCESSFUL. YOU CAN'T BE AFRAID OF CRITICISM BECAUSE THAT CAN JUST MAKE YOU BETTER. DON'T PROCRASTINATE. IT'S DUE AT 1159 ON THE 18TH, I WILL BE TURNING IT OFF AT MIDNIGHT. SO YOU WANNA MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE GOING AHEAD. THE APPLICATION ITSELF, THE LONG ANSWER PORTION, IT IS A PDF. YOU CAN DOWNLOAD IT, FILL IT OUT, SAVE IT ON YOUR COMPUTER. ONCE YOU'RE FINISHED WITH IT PRIOR TO 1159 ON MARCH 18TH, YOU WANNA GO AHEAD AND MAKE SURE THAT YOU SUBMIT THAT ATTENTION TO DETAIL. UM, FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS. UM, YOU KNOW, THE BOXES IN THE APPLICATION HAVE A TARGET LIMIT OF CHARACTERS. DON'T HAVE A SENTENCE THAT JUST ENDS AND WE DON'T KNOW HOW IT ENDS BECAUSE YOU WANT TO PUT IN MORE. THERE IS AN INDIVIDUAL NARRATIVE THAT YOU CAN UPLOAD WITH YOUR APPLICATION. SO IF THE ANS THE BOXES THAT WE PROVIDE AREN'T GIVING YOU ENOUGH, YOU CAN ACTUALLY SUBMIT SOMETHING ELSE. SO THAT'S NOT A PROBLEM. AND DON'T SEND UNNECESSARY ATTACHMENTS. UM, JUST GIVE US THE THINGS THAT WE NEED TO KNOW. WE, UM, WE DON'T NEED TO KNOW ANYTHING EXTRA BECAUSE WHO KNOWS, MAYBE IT'LL HURT YOU. YOU NEVER KNOW. SO WHENEVER YOU'RE APPLYING FOR YOUR GRANT, YOU WANNA MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE ANSWERING A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS. DOES IT ADDRESS A PRESSING OR SIGNIFICANT, UH, SIGNIFICANT NEED? DOES YOUR AGENCY HAVE THE CAPACITY TO ADHERE TO ALL OF THE REQUIREMENTS? THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT GUYS, THERE IS A LOT OF REQUIREMENTS. I PROMISE YOU I ONLY KNOW HALF OF THEM AND THERE'S A LOT MORE OUT THERE. DOES YOUR AGENCY HAVE THE APPROPRIATE LEVEL OF EXPERIENCED PEOPLE? IF THIS IS A PROGRAM THAT YOU'VE NEVER CARRIED OUT BEFORE, WHAT MAKES YOU CAPABLE OF DOING SO NOW? SO YOU WANNA MAKE SURE THAT YOU HAVE THE CAPACITY TO IMPLEMENT THESE PROGRAMS, PROJECTS AND PLANS TO ACTUALLY IMPLEMENT THE PROGRAM. THAT'S A WONDERFUL THING TO HAVE. OTHER FUNDING IS ALSO A GREAT THING TOO BECAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY, OUR GRANT CANNOT BE THE END ALL BE ALL FOR YOUR PROJECT. UM, BECAUSE IT'S JUST NOT SUSTAINABLE. IT'S FEDERAL FUNDS. AS YOU SAW FROM THE SLIDE PREVIOUSLY, OUR MONEY GOES UP AND DOWN EVERY YEAR. SO MAYBE YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO GET THIS MUCH ONE YEAR, BUT THE NEXT YEAR YOU MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO GET THAT MUCH. AND IF YOU DON'T GET ALL THAT FUNDING AND THE PROGRAM IS GONE, THAT'S NOT A GOOD THING. SO REASONS WHY PEOPLE ARE NOT FUNDED, IT'S NOT ELIGIBLE FOR CDBG. IT WANNA MAKE SURE YOU'RE MEETING THAT NATIONAL OBJECTIVE. YOU'RE MEETING THE LOW INCOME QUALIFICATION, YOU'RE MEETING THE CON PLAN GOALS. IF YOUR APPLICATION IS INCOMPLETE, WE DO SCORE YOUR APPLICATION. AND LIKE I SAID, I HAVE A RED PEN IN MY HEAD EVERY TIME I READ. SO I AM, I'M, I MAY NOT BE HARSH, BUT I AM STRICT ABOUT MY SCORING. IF IT DOESN'T SEEM FEASIBLE, IF YOU DON'T HAVE THE CAPACITY TO CARRY OUT THE PROGRAM, THEN YOU MIGHT NOT RECEIVE THE FUNDING. NOT A PRIORITY IN THE CON PLAN. DOESN'T BENEFIT LOW INCOME PERSONS BUDGET. AND THESE ARE ALL THINGS THAT WE ACTUALLY ALREADY WENT OVER. SO IT'S JUST IMPORTANT THAT YOU'RE AWARE OF THAT. AND THAT IS THE END OF MY PRESENTATION. DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? YES MA'AM. THE NARRATIVE THAT YOU MENTIONED AT THE BEGINNING, IS THERE A LIMIT ON HOW LONG THAT CAN BE? IS IT JUST MEANT TO BE LIKE AN EXECUTIVE SUMMARY? IT WOULD BE GOOD IF IT WAS MORE OF AN EXECUTIVE SUMMARY. UM, WE DON'T WANT TO SUBMIT SOMETHING THAT'S LIKE THREE TO FIVE PAGES, BUT IF YOU CAN GET YOUR POINTS ACROSS WITHIN LIKE A PAGE OR TWO, THEN THAT'S FINE. WHAT DO YOU GUYS THINK? MM-HMM . BECAUSE LIKE I SAID, AT THE END OF THE DAY, THEY'RE GONNA BE THE ONES THAT ARE READING IT. AND IF WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THEY ACTUALLY FINISH READING IT, JERRY, ANYBODY, IF YOU HAVE APPLIED FOR CDBG FUNDING IN THE PAST, IT IS FINE FOR YOU TO REAPPLY AGAIN. ALSO, WE DO HAVE, UM, A LOT OF PROGRAMS THAT ARE [00:20:03] NE NECESSARY TO THE COMMUNITY AND THINGS LIKE THAT. SO THAT IS SOMETHING THAT, UM, SO IF YOU, YOU MIGHT NOT GET FUNDED THIS YEAR ALSO, BUT YOU MIGHT GET FUNDED NEXT YEAR. IT COULD BE THAT THE PROPOSAL YOU SUBMIT THIS YEAR MIGHT NOT BE AS QUALIFYING, I GUESS AS ANOTHER ONE, BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT NEXT YEAR YOU WOULDN'T GET FUNDING. SO IF YOU DON'T GET FUNDED THIS YEAR, DON'T GIVE UP. AND OF COURSE, IF YOU EVER WANNA LOOK FOR OTHER GRANT OPPORTUNITIES, WE'LL BE MORE THAN ALWAYS HAPPY TO HELP. THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE, WE HELP PEOPLE. BUT IF THAT'S IT, THEN THIS IS THE END OF THE WORKSHOP. Y'ALL DON'T HAVE TO STAY FOR THE REST BECAUSE THIS IS THE END OF THE MEETING. THANK Y'ALL FOR COMING. IF YOU WERE UNABLE TO SIGN IN, PLEASE GO AHEAD AND DO SO AT THE FRONT AND I'LL BE SENDING OUT AN EMAIL FOR THE VIRTUAL. UM, IT'LL BE EXACTLY THE SAME THING THAT WE DID RIGHT NOW, BUT IF YOU WANNA ATTEND, YOU CAN. YOU'RE VERY WELCOME. MM-HMM . IS THERE ANY ADDITIONAL COMMENTS, QUESTIONS, OR CONCERNS WITH THE, UM, TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE WORKSHOP BEFORE I MOVE ON? NO. OUR NOW CLOSEST, UH, TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE WORKSHOP AND I'LL MOVE [a. Receive the Community Development Manager's Report.] ON TO ITEM THREE A, WHICH IS A MANAGER'S REPORT, MS. SHARON. ALL RIGHT. SO IF, UM, SOME OF YOU MIGHT HAVE NOTICED THERE'S A NEW PERSON SITTING AT THE DAAS AND HER NAME IS MONICA FA. UH, MONICA COMES TO US FROM THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT. I STOLE HER FROM THEM TOO, JUST LIKE I STOLE KIM. HOPEFULLY SHE DOESN'T RETIRE SOON, . BUT, UM, MONICA'S BEEN WITH THE CITY, UH, TODAY IS HER 17 YEAR ANNIVERSARY WITH THE CITY. SHE WAS IN FINANCE FOR ALL 17 YEARS AND THEN SHE DECIDED TO COME TO THE LIGHT SIDE AND HELP PEOPLE . SO MONICA, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANNA TELL 'EM A LITTLE ABOUT YOURSELF. I'M EXCITED, UM, TO LEARN. OH, SORRY ABOUT THAT. UM, JUST EXCITED, LIKE SHE SAID, BEEN WITH THE CITY FOR 17 YEARS, HAVE BEEN WITH THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT. SO JUST EAGER TO LEARN WHAT YOU GUYS ARE DOING, HOW WE'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO HELP AND WHAT IT IS GONNA TAKE TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE WHAT IS NEEDED. SO VERY, VERY EXCITED TO JOIN THE TEAM. AWESOME. MM-HMM . YES. ALL RIGHT. CDAC, REAPPOINTMENTS. SO MOST OF YOUR TERMS HAVE EXPIRED, BUT YOU ARE ACTUALLY CONSIDERED HOLDOVERS. I AM NOT SURE IT'S SUPPOSED TO GO TO COUNCIL. SO DISTRICT 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, ALL OF YOUR TERMS EXPIRED IN DECEMBER, BUT CITY COUNCIL AND ADMINISTRATION HAD DECIDED TO GO OVER EVERY SINGLE BOARD AND COMMISSION THAT THE CITY HAS TO DETERMINE IF THEY'RE STILL NEEDED BECAUSE THERE WERE SOME THINGS IN THERE THAT DIDN'T EVEN HAVE MEMBERS AND WHATNOT. OF COURSE, OUR BOARD IS VERY MUCH NEEDED, SO WE'RE NOT GOING ANYWHERE. BUT, UM, ANYONE WHO WAS, WHO HAS EXPIRED IS CONSIDERED A HOLDOVER AND IT WILL BE GOING TO, COUNCIL IS SUPPOSED TO GO THIS MONTH. I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S THIS MEETING COMING UP NEXT WEEK OR THE ONE ON THE 28TH, BUT, UM, I DON'T SEE WHY YOU WOULDN'T BE REAPPOINTED BECAUSE MOST OF YOU HAVE, UM, PRETTY GOOD ATTENDANCE. I THINK MS. TONG WAS THE ONLY ONE WHO WASN'T GREAT, BUT SHE STARTED IN LIKE THE MIDDLE OR WHATEVER. SO I PUT IN NOT APPLICABLE FOR THOSE DATES THAT SHE DIDN'T ATTEND. SO I DON'T SEE WHY YOU WOULDN'T BE REAPPOINTED. AND SPEAKING OF MS TO, SHE HAS HAD TO RESIGN FROM THE BOARD. UM, NOW SHE WORKS FOR KELSEY SEABOLD AND SHE WAS WORKING HERE IN BAYTOWN. THEY TRANSFERRED HER TO CLEAR LAKE. OH WOW. SO NOW SHE WON'T BE MAKING IT BACK TO BAYTOWN UNTIL WELL AFTER SIX. MM-HMM . SO SHE SENT ME HER RESIGNATION LETTER TODAY, UM, WHEN I SPOKE TO HER THIS MORNING. SO UNFORTUNATELY SHE WILL NOT BE WITH US ANYMORE. BUT I KNOW THAT WE RECEIVED AN APPLICATION TODAY FOR, UM, UH, SOMEBODY TO JOIN THE BOARD. AND HER NAME IS KIM BECKER. YOU'LL KNOW HER AS THE PREVIOUS COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT GENERALIST. MS. TONG'S POSITION WAS AT LARGE, SO IT DIDN'T MATTER WHAT COUNCIL DISTRICT SHE LIVED IN. SO KIM SUBMITTED HER APPLICATION TODAY TO BE ON THE BOARD. SO SHE'S EXCITED IF SHE CAN DO IT BECAUSE SHE, SHE MISSED ACTUALLY, UM, LEAVING US. BUT TO RETIREMENT CHECKS IS NICE. SO I GUESS THAT'S WHY SHE LEFT . UM, SO THE BUDGET, THE FEDERAL BUDGET. SO I THINK TODAY THEY JUST DECIDED ON, UM, A BUDGET FOR CDBG AND HOME AND ALL THOSE PROGRAMS. BUT BECAUSE IT STARTED SO LATE, WE MIGHT NOT KNOW OUR ALLOCATION AMOUNT UNTIL LATER IN MAY. SO RIGHT NOW WITH THE WAY OUR MEETINGS WORK ON THE SEVENTH AND THE 14TH IS WHEN WE HAVE OUR RFP UM, PRESENTATIONS AND THEN WE HAD 21ST AND 28TH SCHEDULED FOR BUDGET DELIBERATIONS. I'M HOPING WE HAVE OUR NUMBERS BY THE 21ST BECAUSE THEN IT'LL BE EASIER ON US. MM-HMM . TO DECIDE ON A BUDGET. IF NOT, WE MIGHT SKIP THE MEETING ON THE 21ST AND JUST DO IT ON THE 28TH. IF BY THEN WE STILL DON'T HAVE IT, WE'LL COME UP WITH SOMETHING TO WHERE IF WE GET A LITTLE BIT MORE, WE CAN ALWAYS PUT IT IN HOUSING. IF WE GET A LITTLE BIT LESS, WE TAKE IT OUT OF ADMIN OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT SO THAT WE'RE NOT HURTING OURSELVES. MM-HMM . WITH OUR PROGRAMS, LET'S SEE. NATIONAL COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT WEEK, APRIL 1ST THROUGH THE FIFTH, WE HAVE TWO THINGS FOR US TO [00:25:01] DO ON THAT WEEK. ON THURSDAY, WE ARE GOING TO BE WORKING WITH HEARTS AND HANDS OF BAYTOWN. NOW, YOU KNOW, WE PROVIDED THEM WITH FUNDING FOR THEIR DOORSTEP BLESSINGS PROGRAM TO WHERE THEY CREATE THE CARE PACKAGES FOR TO BE DELIVERED TO ELDERLY AND DISABLED RESIDENTS IN BAYTOWN. SO WE GOING TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO IN THERE IF YOU'RE AVAILABLE AND CREATE THOSE PACKAGES FOR THEM. AND THEN ON FRIDAY FOR OUR TOUR, UH, WE'RE STILL TRYING TO FIND A LOT ON SOME STOPS, UM, LIKE JUST THINGS TO DRIVE BY. BUT WE DO HAVE THE TWO HOUSES THAT WE'RE ABOUT TO FINISH, WHICH I'LL TELL YOU ABOUT IN A MINUTE. BUT STEPHANIE HAS SET US UP FOR A TOUR OF THE 9 1 1 CENTER. OH YES. BECAUSE I KNOW MOST PEOPLE DON'T EVEN KNOW WHERE IT IS. YES. THAT'S WHERE I'M GOING. IF THERE'S AN APOCALYPSE , BUT, UM, THERE'S THE 9 1 1 CENTER AND THEN AFTER THAT WE ARE GOING TO HAVE A LUNCHEON TO WHERE STUDENTS THAT PARTICIPATE IN THE COMMUNITIES AND SCHOOLS JOB READINESS PROGRAM ARE GONNA COME AND MAKE A PRESENTATION TO US, AN IMPACT STATEMENT ON HOW THE JOB READINESS TRAINING PROGRAM HAS HELPED THEM AND THINGS LIKE THAT. SO WE'RE GONNA BE DOING THAT. SO THAT'S UM, THE FIRST AND THE FIFTH, RIGHT? I MEAN THE FOURTH AND THE FIFTH OF WHAT? APRIL. APRIL YOU GAVE GIVE US ALL THOSE DAYS? YES. OH, YES MA'AM. YES. SO WHAT, FOURTH AND THE I NEED A CALENDAR. I NEED A CALENDAR. YES. SO THURSDAY WOULD BE THE HEARTS AND HANDS DOORSTEP BLESSINGS. WHAT TIME? I HAVE TO CHECK ON THE CALENDAR. I THINK IT MIGHT BE NINE 30, THE APRIL THE FOURTH. APRIL THE FOURTH IS APRIL 4TH AND APRIL 5TH, FOURTH. AND HOW LONG ARE WE GONNA BE THERE FOR HEARTS AND HANDS? I BELIEVE SHE HAS IT SET UP FOR THREE HOURS. BUT IF YOU CAN'T STAY FOR THE FULL TIME, THAT'S FINE. FOURTH IN THE MORNING? YES, SIR. OKAY, GOOD. AND THE FIFTH, WHAT TIME IS THE TOUR? THE TOUR USUALLY BEGINS AT ABOUT 9 30, 10 O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING. AND THEN WE'LL DRIVE AROUND BAYTOWN, TAKE THE TOUR OF 9 1 1 CENTER, COME BACK ON THIS SIDE OF TOWN, AND THEN WE'LL HAVE THE LUNCHEON WITH THE STUDENTS FROM COMMUNITIES AND SCHOOLS. RIGHT. THIS IS THE 50TH YEAR OF CDBG. SO WE WANTED TO TRY TO DO A LITTLE BIT SOMETHING EXTRA. YES, MA'AM. WOW. CDBG WAS ESTABLISHED IN 1974, SO WE WANTED TO TRY TO DO A LITTLE SOMETHING EXTRA. SO DEFINITELY ENJOYED TOURING THE WATER PLANT LAST YEAR. OH YEAH. AND WE DIDN'T EVEN KNOW THAT WAS THERE. IF THERE'S AN APOCALYPSE, I'M GOING THERE TOO. 'CAUSE THAT WAS LIKE A MILE AND A HALF DOWN THE ROAD. , I TELL EVERYBODY, I SAY NOW, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A BIG A LOT GOING ON ON THAT SIDE OF THE YES. SO I'M GONNA HAVE TO FIND THINGS FOR US TO DRIVE BY. NOW WE DO HAVE TWO RECONSTRUCTIONS THAT ARE ALMOST COMPLETED. UM, WE'RE GONNA ACTUALLY GO AND WALK THROUGH THE PROPERTIES PROBABLY THIS FRIDAY TO, UM, LIKE I, LIKE I SAID, JUST WITH GRANTS, I'M HARSH WITH CONSTRUCTION TOO, SO I LIKE TO GO AND TAG IT UP IN THINGS THAT I NEED THE CONTRACTOR TO FIX. BUT THEN WE'RE GOING TO DO A KEY CEREMONY WITH ONE OF THE HOME HOMEOWNERS TO WHERE WE WILL GIVE THEM THE KEYS TO THEIR HOUSE. UM, PROBABLY INVITE SOME MEMBERS OF COUNCIL AND THE MAYOR AND THINGS LIKE THAT. SO WE'LL DEFINITELY LET YOU KNOW WHEN IT IS THAT WE'RE DOING THAT. THAT WAY IF YOU'RE AVAILABLE MM-HMM . YOU CAN COME OUT AND, YOU KNOW, SEE HOW IT IS THAT THE WAY YOU GUYS DECIDE ON THE FUNDING IMPACTS PEOPLE. YEAH. BECAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY, IT'S ALL YOU. WE DON'T DO ANYTHING BUT PAPERWORK. MM-HMM . SO, UM, AND THEN AFTER THAT, I WAS HOPING TO HAVE A COUPLE OF GUIDELINES FOR US TO DISCUSS AND APPROVE TONIGHT, BUT I DIDN'T GET THOSE BACK UNTIL AFTER THE AGENDA POSTED. SO FOR ONE OF THE MAIN MEETINGS, I'M TRYING TO INCREASE THE MAXIMUM SALES PRICE FOR THE HOME BUYER ASSISTANCE PROGRAM FOR 180 TO 200. ALSO TRYING TO INCREASE THE MAXIMUM CONSTRUCTION COSTS FOR OUR RECONSTRUCTION PROGRAMS. 'CAUSE RIGHT NOW WE'RE LUCKY ENOUGH TO HAVE CONTRACTORS BID ON HOUSES AND SAY THEY'RE ONLY GONNA SPEND A HUNDRED THOUSAND TO BUILD THEM. SO WE'RE TRYING TO INCREASE THAT. WE'RE ACTUALLY TRYING TO PUT IT IN LINE WITH THE STATE OF TEXAS. RIGHT. UM, AND THE WAY I HAVE IT WORDED IN THE GUIDELINES IS TO WHERE WE'RE GONNA BE IN LINE WITH TEXAS ADMINISTRATIVE CODE INSTEAD OF PUTTING A DOLLAR AMOUNT. BECAUSE THE LAST TIME WE INCREASED IT FROM 64 TO 100, WE WERE DOING IT TO MATCH THE STATE OF TEXAS. AND NOW BECAUSE WE PUT A DOLLAR AMOUNT, INSTEAD THEY'VE CHANGED THEIRS BASED ON THEIR CODE. SO I'M PUTTING THE WORDING IN THE GUIDELINES FOR THE CODE INSTEAD OF A DOLLAR AMOUNT. THAT WAY THE NEXT TIME THE STATE OF TEXAS INCREASES THEIR MAXIMUM AMOUNT, WE CAN GO AHEAD AND DO OURS AS WELL. SO IT JUST MAKES IT EASIER FOR US. AND THEN ALSO, UM, FOR SEWER LINE, I THINK THE ONLY THING WE WERE CHANGING WAS THAT YOU HAVE TO, YOU CAN'T OWE A DEBT TO THE CITY AND THAT'LL JUST BE ON ALL OF THEM. 'CAUSE WITH OUR PROGRAMS, YOU CANNOT OWE A DEBT TO THE CITY. BUT IT'S NOT ACTUALLY IN OUR GUIDELINES. SO IF SOMEBODY APPLIED AND HAD LIENS ON THEIR PROPERTY AND THEN WE TOLD THEM NO, BECAUSE THEY OWE A DEBT AND IT'S NOT ON OUR GUIDELINES, WE MIGHT STILL HAVE TO, BUT WE'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO. SO I JUST WANT IT IN BLACK AND WHITE. NO, IF YOU OWE A LIEN OR DELINQUENT WATER AND THINGS LIKE THAT, THEN YOU CANNOT RECEIVE ANY ASSISTANCE. YOU KNOW, MIKE, HE DOESN'T LIKE ME. BE GENTLE. JUST PRESS IT ONCE AND WALK AWAY. THERE YOU GO. UH, I, I JUST WANTED TO KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, LIKE IT WITH THESE PROGRAMS THAT, THAT THAT, THAT WE, WE WANT TO HELP THE PEOPLE. LIKE THE OTHER ONES THAT WE USED TO FUND THAT CAME AND HELPED PUT LIKE, UH, PORCH, UH, UH, RAMPS FOR PEOPLE. AND I BELIEVE THERE [00:30:01] IS A ONE THAT MIGHT BE APPLYING FOR FUNDING. IT'S, OH GOD, SOMETHING CHRISTIAN MINISTRIES, A CHRISTIAN MINISTRY ALLIANCE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. THEY MIGHT BE APPLYING FOR FUNDING. UM, THEY WERE UNABLE, I GUESS, TO COME TONIGHT. 'CAUSE I DID SEND AN EMAIL TO EVERYONE TODAY LETTING THEM, REMINDING THEM OF THIS. BUT WE'RE ALSO DOING THIS VIRTUALLY AT TWO O'CLOCK ON THE 13TH. SO I'M HOPING THAT THOSE PEOPLE, YOU DON'T HAVE TO COME TO THE WORKSHOP FOR YOU TO QUALIFY, BUT IF YOU'VE NEVER APPLIED, OF COURSE IT IS ENCOURAGED FOR YOU TO COME THAT WAY, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S ELIGIBLE AND WHAT'S NOT. AND THEN, UM, YOU LEARN HOW TO APPLY BECAUSE SOME PEOPLE MIGHT WAIT UNTIL THE 18TH AND THEN, YOU KNOW, I GET OFF AT FIVE. SO IF YOU HAVE ANY PROBLEMS AFTER FIVE, I DON'T KNOW, , SO IT'S APOLOGY, BUT IT IS DUE AT 1159. SO, YOU KNOW, YOU WANNA MAKE SURE THAT YOU GET ALL THAT INFORMATION. I DID TALK TO MEALS ON WHEELS TODAY BECAUSE IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THEY'RE HAVING, UM, ISSUES. UM, AND THEY'RE TRYING TO DO FUNDRAISERS SO THAT THEY CAN, AND I CALL THEM TO SAY, HEY, ARE YOU APPLYING BECAUSE YOU QUALIFY. AND THEY ARE ACTUALLY, SHE COULDN'T COME TONIGHT, BUT SHE'S COMING TO A VIRTUAL MEETING. MM-HMM . UH, RUBY, SHE WORKS FOR MR. PARKER. UM, BUT I, BECAUSE I KNOW THAT WE PROVIDED THEM WITH FUNDING FOR COVID WITH OUR COVID DOLLARS AND MEALS FOR ELDERLY AND DISABLED PEOPLE IS AN ELIGIBLE EXPENSE UNDER CDBG. SO I CALLED HER TODAY AND I WAS LIKE, HEY, WE HAVE MONEY. DON'T FORGET . YEAH. I WAS LIKE, WE HAVE MONEY. COME THE PIE. WE, WE HAD, WE HAD A, A NEIGHBORHOOD MEETING AND, UH, SOMEBODY THAT, SOMEBODY BROUGHT BUNCH OF PIZZA, NOBODY WANTS TO EAT THEM. I GO, OH YEAH, TAKE THEM OFF , NEXT UP. AND I WANNA TAKE PIZZAS IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD. YEAH. WHAT WE'VE DONE BEFORE IS WHEN WE'VE HAD LUNCHEONS AND THINGS LIKE THAT, IF WE'VE HAD A LOT LEFT OVER, WE'VE TAKEN 'EM TO THE HOMELESS SHELTER. RIGHT. I'LL JUST CALL SOMEBODY UP THERE AND BE LIKE, HEY, WE GOT FOOD. WELL, WE, I'VE DONE TAKE SOME STUFF LIKE THAT, YOU KNOW, LIKE WHEN WE TRAVEL, YOU KNOW, I JUST BRING ALL THE, I BRING ALL THE LITTLE, LITTLE TRAVEL SIZE. YEAH, TRAVEL SIZE. YEAH. HAIR WASH AND ALL THAT. AND THE REASON THAT WE HAVE ALWAYS KEPT IT WAS BECAUSE WE WERE GIVEN IT TO ONE OF THE TEACHERS THAT, UH, ONE THE ELEMENTARIES AND WE MADE LITTLE PACKAGES FOR THE KIDS AND, AND EVERYBODY GOT A LITTLE PACKAGE AND THEY GOT SOLD AND THEY GOT MM-HMM . HAIR WASH AND ALL THAT KIND OF STUFF THAT THEY'D GIVE YOU OVER THERE. SO, AND SO THE KIDS WERE LIKED IT, AND, AND THE PARENTS SAID, HEY, IT'S A GOOD DEAL. SO, I MEAN, IT WAS PART OF THE VOLUNTEERISM, YOU KNOW, IN THAT SPIRIT. SO I, I, I, I, YOU KNOW, ME, I'M, I'M FOR ALL THAT. THAT'S WHY I'M HERE. THAT'S WHY WE'RE ALL HERE. MM-HMM . BUT THAT'S ALL I HAVE. DO Y'ALL HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR ME? WE'LL SHOOT YOU AN EMAIL WITH THE DATES OF THE, UM, OF THE HEARTS AND HANDS AND THE TOUR AND ANYTHING. UM, WHENEVER WE'RE GONNA DO THE KEYS, WE'RE GONNA BE PRESENTING KEYS TO 2 21 GRAHAM. THAT'S THE ONE THAT WE'RE GONNA GIVE HER THE KEYS TO HER HOUSE. SHE'S SUPER SWEET LADY. UM, SO I'LL LET Y'ALL KNOW WHEN THAT'S HAPPENING. THAT WAY IF YOU'RE AVAILABLE, YOU COME. IF NOT, I'LL RECORD IT AND SEND IT TO YOU AND YOU'LL BE JEALOUS THAT YOU AREN'T THERE. THAT'S ALL I HAVE. OKAY. WITH THAT, I'LL NOW CLOSE THIS MANAGER'S REPORT AND I'LL NOW MOVE ON TO ITEM FOUR, WHICH IS, UH, JOIN, UH, TO OUR JOIN THE MEETING. DO I HAVE A MOTION FOR THAT? AYE. AYE. SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. ALL OPPOSED. MOTION CARRIES. AND THAT WILL CONCLUDE THE MEETING. MM-HMM . LET'S STOP. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.