Agenda Item # 3

Columbus Consolidated Government

Council Meeting

05/28/2013

Agenda Report # 82


TO: Mayor and Council

SUBJECT: Choice Neighborhoods Planning Grant Application

INITIATED BY: Amy Carbajal, Community Reinvestment

Recommendation: Approval is requested to submit an application and, if approved, accept the 2013 Choice Neighborhoods Planning Grant and authorize the City Manager to enter into an agreement with the Housing Authority to be a Co-applicant and partner in the implementation of the grant.

Background: Choice Neighborhoods is a highly competitive grant that awards up to $500,000 to eligible applicants to produce a "Transformation Plan" for a blighted neighborhood. The plan must address a distressed public housing community, blighted neighborhood and distressed public school. The City Village neighborhood has been selected as a candidate for the grant (see attached map for the City Village boundaries). Chase Homes will be the targeted public housing development and Fox Elementary and Jordan High School will be the targeted distressed schools. Community Reinvestment will be the lead for the planning process while the Housing Authority, as the Co-applicant, will focus their attention on the public housing portion of the grant.

The grant is scheduled to be awarded in the fall of 2013 and grantees will be given 24 months to complete the Transformation Plan. Staff is requesting $300,000.

Analysis: Developing a holistic redevelopment plan of the City Village neighborhood and Chase Homes is in the best interest of the City and the residents of the neighborhood.

Financial Considerations: Historic Columbus has committed to a $10,000 match to assist in leveraging the grant funds. Staff has committed $2,000 of travel and training matching funds to leverage grant funds in the Capacity Building requirement of the gran.

Projected Annual Fiscal Impact Statement: There are no projected impacts.

Legal Considerations: Council must approve the pursuit of any grant.

Recommendations/ Actions: Authorize the City Manager to submit and, if approved, accept the 2013 Choice Neighborhoods Planning Grant and authorize the City Manager to enter into an agreement with the Housing Authority to be a Co-applicant and partner in the implementation of the grant.


CNI MOU.doc

A RESOLUTION

NO. _____


A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING SUBMITTAL OF THE APPLICATION FOR 2013 CHOICE NEIGHBORHOODS PLANNING GRANT TO THE US DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT AND AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE A MEMORANDUM OF AGREEMENT WITH THE HOUSING AUTHORITY OF COLUMBUS, GEORGIA TO BE A CO-APPLIANT.

WHEREAS, the US Department of Housing and Urban Development has issued a Notice of Funding Availability for the 2013 Choice Neighborhoods Planning Grant; and,

WHEREAS, City Village has been identified as an eligible Target Neighborhood with Chase Homes as the eligible distressed public housing development and Fox Elementary and Jordan High School as the distressed public schools that serve this neighborhood; and, WHEREAS, the grant requires a Transformation Plan to be developed which will greatly benefit the residents of this neighborhood and the entire City; and,

WHEREAS, the Historic Columbus Foundation has committed to providing $10,000 in matching funds; and,

WHEREAS, the Real Estate fund will commit $2,000 in matcing grant funds from the travel and training budget to address the Capacity Building requirements of the grant.

NOW, THEREFORE, THE COUNCIL OF COLUMBUS, GEORGIA, HEREBY RESOLVES AS FOLLOWS:

That the City Manager is hereby authorized to submit an application and if approved, accept the 2013 Choice Neighborhoods Planning Grant of $300,000 in requested funds and authorize execution of all relevant documents and enter into a Memorandum of Agreement with the Housing Authority of Columbus, Georgia to be a Co-applicant in the process.


___________

Introduced at a regular meeting of the Council of Columbus, Georgia, held the _________ day of _____________ 2013, and adopted at said meeting by the affirmative vote of
_____________ members of said Council.


Councilor Allen voting __________.
Councilor Baker voting __________.
Councilor Barnes voting __________.
Councilor Davis voting __________.
Councilor Henderson voting __________.
Councilor Huff voting __________.
Councilor McDaniel voting __________.
Councilor Turner Pugh voting __________.
Councilor Thomas voting __________.
Councilor Woodson voting __________.

_____________________________ _________________________
Tiny B. Washington, Clerk of Council Teresa Pike Tomlinson, Mayor