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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMN-IURA-2023-03-23 108 E. Green St. Ithaca, NY 14850 (607) 274-6565 MINUTES ITHACA URBAN RENEWAL AGENCY BOARD 8:30 A.M., Thursday, March 23rd, 2023 Common Council Chambers, Third Floor (City Hall) 108 E. Green St., Ithaca, NY 14850 Members: Chris Proulx, Chair; Karl Graham, Vice-Chair; Laura Lewis (Mayor); Donna Fleming; George McGonigal (Common Council Liaison) Excused: None. Vacancies: 1 IURA Staff: Nels Bohn; Anisa Mendizabal; Charles Pyott City Staff: Lisa Nicholas, Director of Planning & Development Department Guests: None. I. Call to Order Chair Proulx called the meeting to order at 8:32 A.M. II. Agenda Additions/Deletions None. III. Public Comments TODD KURZWEIL, Sunny Days of Ithaca, spoke regarding the negative impact that The Ithacan project (eastern section of Green Street Garage site) has had on Sunny Days and other businesses in the Rothschild Building (215 E. State St.). One former tenant, Miller Mayer, LLP, won a recent lawsuit against the owner, Ithaca Properties, LLC. Sunny Days also sued Ithaca Properties, LLC and won; and a countersuit was dismissed. Ithaca Properties, LLC was ordered by the court to reimburse the plaintiffs $45,000 in attorney’s fees. He noted that the developer came to an agreement with Ithaca College to lease it space for its Physician Assistant program, but that was never documented in the Disposition and Development Agreement (DDA). Approved: 4/27/23 IURA Minutes March 23, 2023 Page 2 of 16 Nicholas responded, as part of the Site Plan Review process, the Planning and Development Board is only charged with evaluating a proposed project in terms of its impacts on neighborhood character, compatibility with adjacent uses, negative impacts on traffic, parking, and other environmental concerns, as well as its design, function, and aesthetics. The Planning and Development Board plays no role in addressing potential negative impacts on adjacent tenants. Bohn explained that Ithaca Properties, LLC was selected by the IURA as the preferred developer for the project, but over the course of developing the project it altered its plans twice. At one point, the IURA foresaw the project could create negative impacts for retail tenants fronting The Commons, so the developer decided to pull the project back and build above the ground-floor tenants to avoid displacing them as a result of the construction. At the time the IURA approved the project, it did not include Ithaca College’s Physician Assistant program. The IURA attempted to ensure ground-floor tenants would not be impacted by the project, by requiring the developer to pay for the businesses’ legal fees associated with negotiating with the developer. The IURA did not have jurisdiction over the portion of the project fronting The Commons. Bohn suggested if the IURA Board would like to discuss the issue in more detail, then it should convene an Executive Session, given the ongoing legal issues involved. Fleming replied she would find that helpful. No objections were raised. IV. Review of Special Meeting Minutes: March 2, 2023 Fleming moved, seconded by Graham to approve the meeting minutes, with no modifications. Carried Unanimously: 4-0 V. 2023 HUD Entitlement Grant Action Plan A. Disclosures of Potential Conflicts of Interest Nicholas disclosed she serves as an unpaid volunteer and non-voting member of the Ithaca Neighborhood Housing Services, Inc. (INHS) Board. B. Neighborhood Investment Committee (NIC) Recommendation & Discussion Graham explained that all Committee members agreed they wanted to support projects that both address the 2019-2023 Consolidated Plan’s Priority Needs and assist the most vulnerable members of the community. (continued on following page) NIC RECOMMENDATIONS HOUSING • Committee members recommended awarding The Beacon $199,900 in Housing Development Action Grant (HODAG) funds to demonstrate IURA/City support for the project. • The Committee recommended funding the Homeowner Rehab project with $156,932 in CDBG funds (approximately 80% of the funding request), resulting in assistance to 8 homeowners rather than 5. • Committee members strongly supported fully funding ($40,000) the INHS Minor Repair Program. • The Committee recommended almost full-funding ($90,500) for INHS’ Sears Street Development project. • The Committee recommended fully funding Habitat for Humanity’s 312 S. Plain St. Duplex project ($95,061). • While the Committee has strongly supported The Learning Web’s Housing Scholarship Program in the past, the principal reason it did not support it this year was due to the approximately $75,000 in remaining unspent 2019 funds; and the Committee did not believe the reason for this was adequately explained during the Public Hearing. • Committee members strongly supported Catholic Charities’ Security Deposit Assistance for Vulnerable Households program, recommending full funding ($37,500.00). • The Committee supported funding the SJCS Sober Living Reintegration Services project with $88,000 in HOME funds (approx. 83% of funding request) towards bathroom renovations and security system. • While Committee members believed the Village at Ithaca Capital Project Expansion project is a worthy project, they did not recommend funding it, due to concerns that the applicant still needs to raise almost $500,000 in additional funds. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Even though the Economic Development Committee (EDC) takes the lead in evaluating Economic Development applications, the Committee discussed each application. Some new Committee members were interested in either being informed of the EDC recommendations before the NIC meeting or holding a joint discussion (something the IURA could consider doing in the future). The Committee supported funding almost all the applications. Committee members spent the longest time discussing the BHU Pre- Apprenticeship Program from Black Hands Universal, Inc. (BHU). Most members believed the application was somewhat weak in some areas and were concerned it was not more fully developed in terms of projected outcomes and job placements. PUBLIC FACILITIES/INFRASTRUCTURE One Committee member strongly supported funding the City’s 200 Cecil A. Malone Dr. Sidewalk Fill-In project; however, other Committee members believed funding the $180,000.00 project would seriously impact the IURA’s ability to fund other worthwhile projects. There were also questions about how the Sidewalk Improvement Districts (SID) program funds its projects and why the City should need IURA funding. PUBLIC SERVICES The Committee fully supported all the Public Services applications, since these projects serve the most vulnerable people in the community. It recommended partially funding each project. C. Economic Development Committee (EDC) Recommendation & Discussion Proulx explained that the Committee was unable to secure the necessary 3 votes to formally adopt a proposed funding recommendation (illustrated in the table below) for the Economic Development category. IURA Minutes March 23, 2023 Page 5 of 16 Proulx noted the primary point of contention was funding for the Shared Kitchen Ithaca (SKI) project, which two members sought full funding for ($48,700.00). Their support for the SKI project centered around its potential to generate broader economic development impacts for the local community. Proposed Recommendations (not adopted) App. No. Project Applicant Funding Request Proposed Funding Recommendation Difference 10 Building Quality Career Paths Through ReUse Finger Lakes ReUse, Inc. $116,599.70 $78,595.00 -$38,004.70 11 Work Preserve Job Training: Job Placements Historic Ithaca, Inc. $67,500.00 $60,200.00 -$7,300.00 12 Hospitality Employment Training Program (HETP) Greater Ithaca Activities Center, Inc. $70,000.00 $54,320.00 -$15,680.00 13 Shared Kitchen Ithaca (SKI): Food Product Micro-Enterprise Development Friends of Ithaca Farmers Market $47,800.00 $47,800.00 $0.00 14 BHU Pre-Apprenticeship Program Black Hands Universal, Inc. (BHU) $70,000.00 $0.00 -$70,000.00 # Economic Development Loan Fund IURA $140,000.00 $132,000.00 -$8,000.00 Proulx remarked the Committee discussed the possibility of providing BHU with technical assistance to further develop its Pre-Apprenticeship Program. The Committee was concerned with the lack of information regarding how BHU has used its City-awarded funds. D. Discussion Mendizabal reported she contacted the following applicants to ask them if/how receiving less than their full funding request from the IURA would impact their programs. PUBLIC SERVICES • 2-1-1 Information & Referral Helpline with Housing Navigation │ Human Services Coalition of Tompkins Co.  HSC Deputy Director John Mazzello indicated if HSC received $25,000 or less, it would direct it to general support for the program. Any amount over $25,000 would go towards the Housing Specialist. Mendizabal disclosed she served on the Ithaca Evictions/Displacement Defense Project (IEDD) advisory team, convened by the Human Services Coalition of Tompkins County (HSC), assisting with designing the project; however, she was not a decision-maker and would not benefit from any award to the 2-1-1 program. • Work Preserve Job Training: Job Readiness │ Historic Ithaca, Inc.  Historic Ithaca explained that its $23,000 funding request was higher than prior years as a result of cost-of-living increases. Should the program’s IURA funding be reduced, Historic Ithaca would decrease the number of hours worked by its Traditional Skills Trainer by half and possibly also the Outreach and Education Coordinator. The program would also need to reduce the number of participants from 20 to 10-12 and decrease the length of the program from 12 to 10 months. • Immigrant Services Program (ISP) │ Catholic Charities of Tompkins/Tioga Counties (CCTT)  CCTT indicated its funding request increased due to a significant (~75%) surge in new arrivals to the Ithaca area. ISP has also had to work with numerous different (~15-20) immigration statuses. Mendizabal cited an article that reported on how Ithaca has become a major hub in New York state for refugee resettlement, receiving a higher percentage of immigrants than any other Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) in the U.S. IURA Minutes March 23, 2023 Page 6 of 16 • A Place to Stay (APTS): Follow-Up Support for Women Gaining Stability │ Catholic Charities of Tompkins/Tioga Counties (CCTT)  CCTT indicated since the APTS budget for using IURA funds all goes towards staffing costs for the Residential Assistant and Evening Assistant, if it received reduced IURA funding, CCTT would probably pull funding from other sources, but that would require decreasing APTS programming. • Women's Empowerment Services & Training WEST │ OAR of Tompkins County  OAR indicated, if faced with reduced IURA funding, it would proceed with the first phase of the project, focusing on training and increasing sex trafficking awareness, in collaboration with Girls Educational & Mentoring Services (GEMS), which is a leader in this issue. Mendizabal remarked that IURA staff remains uncertain if the project would be eligible for CDBG funding. If the project were funded by the IURA, OAR would need to provide specific direction regarding eligible expenses and beneficiaries. HOUSING • The Beacon │ Ithaca Neighborhood Housing Services, Inc. (INHS) • Homeowner Rehab │ Ithaca Neighborhood Housing Services, Inc. (INHS) • Minor Repair Program │ Ithaca Neighborhood Housing Services, Inc. (INHS) • CHT Sears Street Development │ Ithaca Neighborhood Housing Services, Inc. (INHS)  INHS indicated, if faced with reduced IURA funding, it would prioritize fully funding the CHT Sears Street Development project, while scaling down Homeowner Rehab further, if necessary. Graham noted INHS indicated that 8 houses would be assisted through Homeowner Rehab at its full $195,000.00 funding request, which breaks down to $24,375.00 per house. If the IURA chose to scale its funding down to 6 houses, that would be a total of $146,250.00, or $10,682.00 less than NIC recommended. The IURA could apply that $10,682.00 in CDBG funds to another project. Proulx remarked the IURA could add $9,500.00 from the $10,682.00 back to the CHT Sears Street Development project, leaving $1,182.00. If IURA staff is concerned that the $22,000.00 in NIC- recommended funding for the OAR Women’s Empowerment Services & Training WEST project may not be compliant, the IURA could choose to not fund the project and reallocate the $22,000.00 so it could fully fund some other Public Services projects. Fleming agreed with that approach. Mendizabal remarked Finger Lakes ReUse did indicate during its presentation that reduced IURA funding for its Building Quality Career Paths Through ReUse project would impact the number of Apprentices assisted with stipends. Fleming asked about what the Work Preserve Job Training Job Readiness program would receive under Proulx’s scenario. Proulx responded that would remain unchanged at $11,657.00. Fleming noted she would prefer to award that program more than that. Mendizabal noted another thing to consider is that ISP was recently allocated $9,745.68 in CDBG-CV (Community Development Block Grant Coronavirus Program) funding. (Fleming departed at 9:37 a.m.) IURA Minutes March 23, 2023 Page 7 of 16 McGonigal wondered if there would be some way that BHU, FLRU, and Historic Ithaca could collaborate on their programs. Graham replied Mendizabal explored that possibility, although there is a question of which organization would receive credit for any job placements. Graham believes there has been some collaboration between the organizations already. (Fleming returned at 9:40 a.m.) McGonigal noted he believes BHU has some good ideas and community connections that other applicants do not have, although he is uncertain about the extent to which it is focused on referrals or actual training. Mendizabal noted BHU was awarded $12,000 by the IURA in 2022 for its Pre-Apprentice Program Work Services program, although the contract has not yet been executed, so the IURA has no reporting information on the program. Lewis agreed with McGonigal that BHU has some great ideas as a new community-based organization; however, the City does not have much documentation on how its own funds have been used by BHU. Fleming asked who within the City is responsible for tracking the use of those funds. Lewis responded any documentation would have been submitted to the Controller’s Office. She is not aware of a specific individual responsible for reviewing the information. McGonigal replied former Chief of Staff Vavra would have been responsible. Lewis observed it would be helpful if new HUD Entitlement Program applicants received coaching from IURA staff for developing their applications and projects. Graham supported fully funding the Immigrant Services Program (ISP), leaving $2,000 that could be added to the $11,657 currently allocated to Work Preserve Job Training: Job Readiness. Proulx supported Graham’s proposal. E. IURA-Recommended Draft 2023 City of Ithaca HUD Action Plan Lewis moved, seconded by Fleming: Draft 2023 Action Plan: City of Ithaca — HUD Entitlement Program WHEREAS, the City of Ithaca (City) is eligible to receive an annual formula allocation of funds to address community development needs through the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) Entitlement program from the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program and the HOME Investment Partnerships (HOME) program funding sources, and WHEREAS, the City has contracted with the Ithaca Urban Renewal Agency (IURA) to administer, implement and monitor the City’s HUD Entitlement program in compliance with all applicable regulations, and WHEREAS, on an annual basis, an Action Plan must be submitted to HUD to access HUD Entitlement Program funding allocated to the City, and IURA Minutes March 23, 2023 Page 8 of 16 WHEREAS, the 2023 Action Plan identifies a specific list of budgeted community development activities to be funded from the 2023 HUD Entitlement Program allocation and associated funds administered by the IURA, and WHEREAS, the IURA employed an open and competitive project selection process for development of the 2023 Action Plan in accordance with the City’s Citizen Participation Plan, and WHEREAS, a two-part Public Hearing to review 2023 Annual Action Plan proposals was held on February 23, 2023 and March 2, 2023, and WHEREAS, on March 8, 2023, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) released the 2023 CDBG and HOME funding allocations for the City, and WHEREAS, available funds to be allocated through the 2023 Action Plan funding process include the following: $637,714.00 CDBG 2023 Allocation $140,000.00 CDBG 2023 Projected Program Income $20,683.07 CDBG Recaptured/Unallocated Funds $333,264.00 HOME 2023 Allocation $11,124.00 HOME Recaptured/Unallocated Funds $1,142,785.07 Total, and WHEREAS, the IURA developed a draft 2023 Action Plan for public comment and Common Council consideration; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, that the IURA hereby adopts the attached summary table titled “IURA Recommended Draft 2023 Action Plan, City of Ithaca, NY,” dated March 23, 2023, and forwards it to the City of Ithaca Common Council for review and recommends its approval for allocating the 2023 HUD Entitlement Program award, along with associated funds listed above, and be it further RESOLVED, that the Urban Renewal Plan shall be amended to include activities funded in the adopted 2023 Action Plan. Carried Unanimously: 4-0 (continued on following page) IURA Minutes March 23, 2023 Page 9 of 16 IURA Minutes March 23, 2023 Page 10 of 16 VI. New/Other/Old Business A. HOME, Together: Tompkins County, Strategic Plan to Address Unsheltered Homelessness Proulx remarked the IURA Board viewed a presentation on the Strategic Plan at its February 23, 2023 meeting. The proposed resolution would now formally endorse the plan and recommend that Common Council also endorse it. Fleming asked what “endorse” specifically entails. Bohn replied “endorse” means the IURA concurs with the plan’s findings and recommendations, while “adopt” would mean it formally commits itself to implementing the findings and recommendations. Fleming responded she feels a little uncomfortable with what the IURA may be obligating itself to commit to. Proulx remarked the plan contains many good ideas and data about a significant need in the community. Common Council and County endorsement would provide the Continuum of Care (CoC) with leverage to access other sources of funding. His only potential concern with the plan is that the more acute needs within the City may not necessarily be addressed. Graham wondered if the IURA’s endorsement would obligate it to provide future funding. Bohn replied that the IURA is already conceptually committed to implement multiple types of plans (e.g., Consolidated Plan, Comprehensive Plan, Fair Housing Plan), so this would simply be one more component to that set of plans. Proulx suggested adding a “Resolved” clause stating that the IURA’s endorsement should not be interpreted to constitute any obligation to fund specific initiatives or projects contained in the plan. No objections were raised. Lewis moved, seconded by Graham (as amended): Endorsement of “Home, Together: Tompkins County” Plan to Address Unsheltered Homelessness WHEREAS, the City of Ithaca is a member of the Ithaca/Tompkins County Continuum of Care (CoC), the local planning organization charged with coordinating the local homeless response system, and WHEREAS, the CoC commissioned the Homeless and Housing Needs Assessment for Tompkins County, completed in March 2022, that concluded a shortage of permanent supportive housing units and affordable rental housing units created a bottleneck to move unhoused persons to housing in a timely manner, and WHEREAS, in December 2022, the CoC adopted a community-wide action plan to reduce unsheltered homelessness titled Home, Together: Tompkins County (Homeless Action Plan), and WHEREAS, the Homeless Action Plan recommends the following strategies to reduce unsheltered homelessness: IURA Minutes March 23, 2023 Page 11 of 16 • Build 100 units of permanent supportive housing units • Expand emergency shelter capacity • Organize and implement a “housing surge” to move unsheltered persons to housing • Enhance and coordinate housing navigation services, and WHEREAS, the CoC recognizes the Homeless Action Plan will only be effective if municipalities, non- profits, housing developers, and other stakeholders work collaboratively to implement the plan, and WHEREAS, the CoC requests the IURA to endorse the Homeless Action Plan, and WHEREAS, the 2019-23 City of Ithaca HUD Consolidated Plan lists development of permanent supportive housing units and rental assistance as High-Priority Needs to address homelessness, and WHEREAS, unsheltered homelessness is a persistent and growing challenge in the community, and WHEREAS, coordinated action steps by multiple stakeholders are necessary to effectively reduce unsheltered homelessness; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, this endorsement shall not constitute an obligation of the IURA to fund any specific initiative or project contained in the plan, and be it further RESOLVED, that the IURA hereby endorses the Ithaca/Tompkins Continuum of Care’s Home, Together: Tompkins County plan to reduce homelessness, and be it further RESOLVED, that the IURA hereby recommends the City of Ithaca Common Council endorse Home, Together: Tompkins County. Carried Unanimously: 4-0 B. IURA/City of Ithaca HOME-ARP Allocation Plan Mendizabal provided an overview of the HOME-ARP Allocation Plan and subsequent funding/implementation process: Allocation: $1,211,000 is the total award with $1,029,350 available for projects (Administration subtracted). This is one-time funding determined by formula. Administration: Participating Jurisdictions (PJs) may use up to 15% of the total award for administration of HOME-ARP, or $181,650, in the case of the City of Ithaca. Goals: To reduce homelessness and increase housing stability. Eligible Activities/Compliant Uses: • Rental housing (creation of) • Tenant-Based Rental Assistance (TBRA) • Supportive services • Acquisition and/or development of non-congregate shelter • Non-profit assistance/capacity building (5% cap) o Administrative and planning costs for HOME-ARP (15% cap) IURA Minutes March 23, 2023 Page 12 of 16 Qualifying Populations (QPs): 1. homeless (especially persons experiencing unsheltered homelessness) 2. at-risk of homelessness (e.g., notice of eviction, etc.) 3. fleeing domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, stalking, or human trafficking 4. others requiring services to prevent homelessness or at great risk of housing instability (e.g., couch surfers, extremely cost-burdened renters, etc.) HOME-ARP Allocation Plan: The allocation plan identifies existing gaps in the homeless prevention and response system to address needs of the four Qualifying Populations and budgets the HOME-ARP grant award among the five eligible uses. Most communities with smaller grant awards focus funding on only one or two eligible uses. Submission Deadline: March 31, 2023. Mendizabal described the consultation process (as excerpted from the plan below): “The City consulted with over 30 organizations serving people experiencing homelessness or housing instability, including the seven specific types of service entities required by HOME-ARP. To broaden input and public participation from service providers, stakeholders, and community members, the City launched an online survey called “Ithaca Considers HOME-ARP,” which received 142 responses. The Allocation Plan summarizes consultations and survey responses.” Mendizabal then summarized the results of the IURA’s online survey, the primary goals identified in the plan, and the funding/implementation process, as excerpted from the plan: “Ithaca Considers HOME-ARP Survey on Use of HOME-ARP Funds Building upon consultations, IURA developed an online survey in December 2022 and distributed it to 43 organizations engaged in serving people who are unhoused, LMI, or members of the qualifying populations. To broaden participation, those who received the survey were encouraged to send it to other interested parties. The survey was posted on the IURA website for anyone to access. Announcements were posted to a local listserv active in circulating information regarding human services with a circulation of approximately 3,200 subscribers and to a Tompkins County Mutual Aid Facebook community so that any interested community member could participate. One hundred forty-two (142) responses were collected. Of those responding, • 53% indicated they currently were providing services to vulnerable populations; • 18% identified as concerned citizens, • 13% worked on policy or in units of local government addressing homelessness. • 5% were involved in development of affordable housing, • 20% of respondents indicated present or past lived experience with homelessness.” (continued on following page) IURA Minutes March 23, 2023 Page 13 of 16 IURA Minutes March 23, 2023 Page 14 of 16 Primary Goals: “The City intends to implement a supportive service program with two main goals: (1) to support a housing surge for people who are literally homeless; and (2) to prevent returns to homelessness for people who are currently housed and in situations of vulnerability threatening their housing stability.” Funding Process: “To efficiently distribute and manage funds, existing processes and systems will be modified as needed to meet HOME-ARP requirements to be further developed in the implementation phase. The City of Ithaca anticipates utilizing a competitive selection process, such as solicitation of a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) with non-profit service providers, to distribute the majority of funding. The City may also directly award funds to HOME-ARP-eligible programs and projects that emerge, and demonstrate need and viability to successfully implement Ithaca’s strategy. All applicants shall demonstrate need and capacity to effectively manage the proposed project, among various other underwriting factors and processes, as aligned with HOME-ARP regulations, as well as applicable City and IURA processes.” Fleming asked how providing supportive social services, like mental health services, would be coordinated with the County. Mendizabal replied any supportive services the IURA funds would either be directly solicited or funded through an open competitive process, so part of the answer to Fleming’s question would depend on how that process unfolds and which types of services would be funded. Fleming expressed concern that the City may become a magnet for people from outside the County needing homelessness-related services, so the need for those services would effectively never be met. Mendizabal responded one way to administer the program would be through a referral system, which would identify people in the City who have been homeless for a number of years. She added many other communities in the state are also eligible for HOME-ARP funds, so Ithaca is not the only community getting the funding. Graham moved, seconded by Lewis: Draft HOME-ARP Allocation Plan: City of Ithaca — HUD Entitlement Program WHEREAS, the City of Ithaca (City) is eligible to receive an annual formula allocation of funds to address community development needs through the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) Entitlement program from the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program and the HOME Investment Partnerships (HOME) program funding sources, and WHEREAS, the City has contracted with the Ithaca Urban Renewal Agency (IURA) to administer, implement and monitor the City’s HUD Entitlement program in compliance with all applicable regulations, and WHEREAS, The American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act of 2021 provides a special $5 billion appropriation of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s HOME Investment Partnerships Program (HOME) funds to alleviate homelessness and housing instability in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic through a special program known as HOME-ARP, and IURA Minutes March 23, 2023 Page 15 of 16 WHEREAS, the City of Ithaca, as a HUD Entitlement Community, is eligible to receive a one-time allocation of $1,211,000 in HOME-ARP funds, and WHEREAS, the IURA has complied with HUD CPD Notice 21-10, “Requirements for the Use of Funds in the HOME-ARP Program” (“the Notice”), in development of the draft HOME-ARP Allocation Plan, including mandated consultation and public participation procedures, and WHEREAS, a Public Hearing was held during the development of the draft HOME-ARP Allocation Plan on February 23, 2023, and WHEREAS, the draft HOME-ARP Allocation Plan was made available for a Public Comment Period of at least 15 days commencing on March 1, 2023 and concluding on March 22, 2023, and WHEREAS, the draft HOME-ARP Allocation Plan must be submitted to HUD for review and approval by March 31, 2023 via the Substantial Amendment Process outlined in the Notice; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, that the IURA hereby adopts the draft HOME-ARP Allocation Plan titled “City of Ithaca HOME-ARP Allocation Plan,” dated March 23, 2023, and submits it to HUD for review and approval, and be it further, RESOLVED, that upon approval by HUD, the City’s HOME-ARP Allocation Plan will be considered by Common Council for local adoption as a Substantial Amendment to the 2021 HUD Entitlement Action Plan. Carried Unanimously: 4-0 C. Review of IURA Financials: February 2023 Bohn reviewed the Grants Summary, explaining that the left-hand “On Schedule” column calls out any projects that are not on schedule and may need attention. As he has mentioned before, one area of concern is the CDBG timely expenditure deadline, requiring that any unexpended CDBG funds not exceed 1.5 times the City’s most recent annual HUD CDBG Award by June 1st of each year. The IURA will be relatively close to that threshold, although it has been making progress over the past two months. Bohn reported there are no significant outstanding loan payment delinquencies, except Personal Best Brewing’s interest-only payments. All lease payments are also in good standing, except the Southside Community Center (SCC). D. Reports: IURA Chair, Mayor, Common Council Liaison, & Staff IURA Chairperson Proulx announced he has been exploring several few candidates to serve on the IURA Board, Economic Development Committee (EDC), and Neighborhood Investment Committee (NIC) Graham asked if the Board would have an opportunity to review the candidates before they are appointed, since it would be helpful to be able to provide some initial feedback. IURA Minutes March 23, 2023 Page 16 of 16 Proulx responded that the process and official policy is that IURA Board members are appointed by the Mayor at their discretion, so he would defer to Lewis. (Committee members are appointed by the IURA Board Chair.) Lewis remarked she would be happy to share the identities of the candidates being considered with IURA Board members. Mayor’s Report Lewis reported that it will continue to be a very busy year for the City, with a number of anticipated changes, including the search for a City Manager, changes in Common Council, and the election of a new Mayor. Common Council Liaison Report None. Staff Report Bohn remarked he would like to recognize and express appreciation to Mendizabal for all her work in producing the HOME-ARP Allocation Plan, which involved considerable planning, time, and effort. VII. Adjournment The meeting was adjourned by consensus at 10:47 A.M. — END — Minutes prepared by C. Pyott, edited by N. Bohn.