Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout1996-06-20 City CouncilCity City of Palo Alto Manager’s Report TO:HONORABLE CITY COUNCIL FROM:CITY MANAGER DEPARTMENT: Planning and Community Environment DATE:JUNE 20, 1996 CMR:296:96 SUBJECT:THE PROVISION OF $5,000 IN COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT (CDBG) CONTINGENCY FUNDS TO COMPLETE THE CASA SAY SHELTER REHABILITATION PROJECT RECOMMENDATIONS This is an informational staff report to Council, no Council action is recommended at this time. BACKGROUND The purpose of this report is to advise the City Council of a $5,000 expenditure from the CDBG contingency fund for cost overruns on the Casa SAY rehabilitation project. Social Advocates for Youth (SAY) is a nonprofit, community-based corporation. The agency’s mission is to promote the well-being of families with troubled youth by providing counseling and residential services that develop dignity, self-respect and healthier interactions among family members. One of the agency’s programs is the Casa. SAY Facility. Casa. SAY is a short-term residential care facility for male and female adolescents, aged 12 to 17, who have run away or are homeless as a result of serious family conflicts. The licensed six-bed residence is located at 509 View Street in Mountain View. Temporary placement in the facility is usually the result of a family crisis situation, which has exerted great pressure on the emotional stability of the child and the family involved. This is the only crisis resolution group home in North and West Santa Clara County offering a comprehensive residential and counseling program specifically targeted to families in crisis. In 1994/95, Casa SAY served 132 youth, 89 percent of whom were successfully reunited with their families. CMR:296:96 Page 1 of 3 SAY applied for and received Palo Alto CDBG funds totaling $20,000 toward the facility rehabilitation costs, $10,000 in fiscal year 1992/93 and $10,000 in fiscal year 1994/95. During the 1996-97 CDBG allocation process, the CDBG Citizens Advisory Committee recommended that the City Manager provide a requested additional $5,000 from the 1995-96 CDBG contingency fund to finalize the project, so that the adolescents could move back into the home. In February 1996, the City Manager approved the additional $5,000 allocation from the CDBG contingency fund. The total cost of the rehabilitation is $210,000, with Palo Alto’s CDBG contribution totaling $25,000. POLICY IMPLICATIONS The additional funding for this project addresses the City Council priority of helping families in crisis. The City Manager is authorized under Section 3 of Resolution No.7506 to expend money from the CDBG contingency on an emergency basis at her discretion, and to advise the City Council regarding the expenditures. DISCUSSION SAY purchased the group home in 1983 with CDBG subsidies from the cities of Sunnyvale and Mountain View, and a low-interest loan. In fiscal year 1992/93, they requested and received $65,000 in CDBG rehabilitation funds, $10,000 from Palo Alto and the balance from the County of Santa Clara and the cities of Mountain View and Milpitas. However, before the rehabilitation was started, a Mountain View Building Inspector and the Fire Marshal identified serious building code deficiencies and safety issues at the facility. To address these issues, the scope of the project was increased, and a revised project estimate placed the cost at $95,000. In 1994-95 Palo Alto and Mountain View allocated additional CDBG money, $10,000 and $20,000 respectively, to cover the revised estimates. By this time, additional ADA improvements and off-street parking requirements were imposed. The SAY Board of Directors explored the feasibility of refinancing the loan to cover the additional costs, or of selling the property and purchasing another similar facility. Neither of the options turned out to be feasible. Although the renovation project had become a far more expensive project than originally intended, the alternative would have been to close the shelter altogether. An additional $5,000 in funding was requested from the contingency fund, since 1996-97 CDBG funds would not be available until July 1, 1996. Casa SAY also obtained a commitment for $25,000 from the Silicon Valley Ball proceeds, the City of Sunnyvale appropriated $45,000, and the County of Santa Clara agreed to fund the balance. The majority of the project was completed by mid-April 1996, and the children were relocated back to the Casa SAY facility. CMR:296:96 Page 2 of 3 ALTERNATIVES This report is for informational purposes only. FISCAL IMPACT The amount of available CDBG funds will be reduced by $5,000. The balance in the CDBG Contingency fund is replenished each year so that there is a minimum balance of $10,000. ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT This project was classified as exempt under National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) regulations in an environmental assessment prepared by the City of Mountain View on September 15, 1992. The project is categorically exempt under California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Section 15303. STEPS FOLLOWING APPROVAL The Casa SAY Agreement will be amended to increase the amount of CDBG funding from $20,000 to $25,000. ATTACHMENTS Resolution No. 7506 CC:Kathleen Lynch, Social Advocates for Youth CDBG Citizens Advisory Committee PREPARED BY: Suzanne Richards Director of Planning and Community Environment CITY MANAGER APPROVAL: city CMR:296:96 Page 3 of 3 RESOLUTION NO. 7506 RESOLUTION OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PALO ALTO APPROVING "THE USE OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT FUNDS FOR FISCAL YEAR 1995-1996 ~ .......... WHEREAS, on May I, 1995, the Palo Alto City Council approved and adopted a document entitled "Consolidated Plan", which identified and established the Palo Alto housing and non-housing community development needs, objectives, and priorities for the period of July i, 1995 to June 30, 2000; and WHEREAS, the Consolidated Plan was subjected to public review and commentary during the month of March, 1995; and WHEREAS, the potential uses of Community Development Block Grant ("CDBG") funds were evaluated in light of the needs and objectives identified in the Consolidated Plan and reflected in the recommendations and comments of the Citizens Advisory Committee and other interested citizens; and WHEREAS, under the CDBG program, the highest priority is given to activities which will benefit persons with low and moderate incomes; and WHEREAS, the City Council and the Finance Committee of the City Council have held publicly noticed public hearings on the proposed uses of the CDBG funds for fiscal year 1995-96; and WHEREAS, the fiscal year 1995-96 CDBG funds allocated to the City are proposed to implement the following programs; NOW, THEREFORE, the Council of the City of Palo Alto does RESOLVE as follows: SECTION i. The uses of CDBG funds for fiscal year 1995-96 year are hereby approved and authorized for the following programs: Catholic Charities of Santa Clara County. Long Term Care Ombudsman Program. Complaint investigation and advocacy services to Palo Alto’s elderly residents living in nursing and residential care facilities. City-wide.$ 13,200 Emergency Housing Consortium. EHC provides temporary shel~ter and supportive services for homeless individuals and families. County-wide.10,700 o Innovative Housing. IH manages shared and transitional housing programs, and prove.des supportive services primarily for very low income single parents, individuals or families. City-wide.13,300 950425 syn 0070783 I0. Pal. Alto Housing Corporation. Project is to provide information and referral services for affordable housing options add technical assistance to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of the property management system serving low income persons¯ City-wide. Urban Ministry. UMprovides support services and recovery programs to homeless individuals. Offers case management and payeeship program, provision of emergency food, rotating church shelter, mail and telephone services and general assistance to homeless individuals, as well as counseling and referral services for the newly established recovery program. City-wide. Outreach and Escort, Inc. ~Transportation subsidies for eligible low income disabled Pal. Alto residents registered through the County of Santa Clara’s Special Needs Transportation program. City-wide. Mid-Peninsula Citizens for Fair Housing. MCFH provides services to promote fair housing, including complaint investigation, counseling and advocacy. City-wide. City of Pal. Alto. Department of Planning and Community Environment. Overall CDBG grant administration and capital improve- ment project delivery costs associated with federal funding. City-wide. Senior Coordinating Council. SCC operates the Home Repair Program. This project provides subsidies for minor home repairs for lower income elderly homeowners. City-wide. Pacific Art League. Agency provides art instruction, including classes and work- shops, to children, adults and seniors. Project is to undertake modifications to first floor and restroom area of building in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 ("ADA"). 668 Ramona Street, Pal. Alto. 37, i00 60., 000 4,000 16,275 177,725 ii,000 23,400 950425 syn 0070783 2 ii.Palo Alto Community Child Care and City of Palo Alto. Rehabilitation and general improvements to the Ventura Community School Facility which accommodates child care programs and various neighborhood activities serving lower income youths and adults. Project is to re-roof the facility, provide security lighting, upgrade the electric system, add square footage to existing rooms to create a computer center, remodel public restrooms to meet the ADA standards, and patch and resurface the public parking lot. 3900 Ventura Court, Palo Alto.183,000 12o Community Association for Rehabilitation. CAR provides services to persons with disabilities. Part of its program includes the Betty Wright Swim Center, a warm water therapy pool which affords adaptive aquatic services to children and adults ~with disabilities. The project is to construct an accessible unisex bathroom adjacent to the.pool area to accommodate individuals with disabilities who require assistance, and installation of a fire alarm system in compliance with ADA standards 525.E. Charleston Road, Palo Alto.36, I00 13. ~Mid-Peninsula YWCA’s Women Entrepreneurs Program (WEP) Loan Fund. YWCA’s program supports the creation and strengthening of micro and small business ventures as a strategy to raise incomes, enhance family self-sufficiency, strengthen local economic development efforts, primarily for women of color and women of low incomes. The project would entail providing loans through a revolving loan fund to eligible program participants. City-wide.35,000 14.City of Palo Alto. New HousingDevelopment Account. Funding for projects which would Preserve or increase the number of housing units in the City affordable to persons with Low and very low incomes. City-wide.351,200 TOTAL:$ 972,000 SECTIQN 2. The total amount set forth under Section 1 of this resolution hereby represents the proposed allocation of $822,000 in CDBG funds, from the United States Department of Housing and Urban ’Development ("HUD") for fiscal year 1995-96, 950425 syn 0070783 $i00,000 in anticipated program income for fiscal year 1995-96, and $50,000 in unallocated program income from prior program years. SECTION 5. The City Manager is hereby authorized to expend the money in the $i0,000 CDBG emergency contingency account,. created under Resolution No. 6897, on an emergency basis in her discretion for existing or additional CDBG-eligible programs or projects. The City Manager is further directed to report to the City Council following the occurrence of any such expenditures. SECTION 4. The City staff is hereby authorized to submit~ the appropriate application forms to HUD for the fiscal year 1995- 96 CDBG funds, and such money shall be spent as set forth in this resolution. The Mayor, City Manager and any other designated .City staff or officials are hereby authorized to execute such applica- tion forms and any other necessary documents to secure these funds. sEcTION 5. The City Council hereby finds that the fiscal year 1995-96 CDBG program authorized under Section 1 of this resolution will have no significant environmenta! effect for purposes of the California Environmental Quality Act ("CEQA"), as shown in the attached negative declaration approved in connection with the adoption of this resolution. However, the Council further authorizes and directs City staff to conduct any further environmental review, and prepare any additional environmental assessments and certificates that may be required, under CEQA and the National Environmental Policy Act for each. project under the fiscal year 1995-96 CDBG program prior to the release of funds for any such project. INTRODUCED AND PASSED: May i, 1995 AYES:ANDERSEN, HUBER, MCCOWN, ROSENBAUM, SCHNEIDER, SIMITIAN NOES: ABSTENTIONS : NOT PARTICIPATING:, WHEELER ABSENT: 3, KNISS C: .~lerk APPROVED : APPROVED AS Senior Asst. City Attorney APPROVED AS TO CONTENT: ~DBG ~ordinator 950425 syn 0070783 Director Planning and Community Envi ronmen t Director i~¢n-~’ ")