HomeMy WebLinkAboutMN-IURANI-2015-11-13
108 East Green Street
Ithaca, New York 14850
(607) 274-655
MINUTES
IURA Neighborhood Investment Committee
November 13, 2015
I. Call to Order
The meeting was called to order at by Chair Tracy Farrell at 8:31. Present were T. Farrell,
Chair; Karl Graham, Vice‐chair; Teresa Halpert; Paulette Manos (guest); and Lynn Truame
(staff). Committee member Fernando de Aragon arrived at 8:38.
II. Public comment
None
III. Review of Minutes – October 2015
Moved by K. Graham, seconded by T. Halpert. Approved as written.
IV. New Business
1. Draft application forms for 2016 funding round – review and comment
The proposed new applications were distributed with the meeting packet. The committee reviewed
each document, suggesting a small number of revisions, which staff will make. There was discussion
of how to provide better outreach and assistance in completing the application. Mandatory, or at
least highly recommended, attendance at a pre‐application meeting was suggested. The committee
decided that all publicity for the funding round should indicate that a pre‐application meeting with
IURA staff is “highly recommended and will enhance your application”. It was also suggested that
input be sought from prior program participants on the new application format. L. Truame will meet
with selected past applicants to ask for their feedback.
2. Fair Housing Action Plan year 1 action items – progress update and discussion
L. Truame reviewed the status of year one action plan progress to date. The following steps have
been completed or are underway:
Addressing Impediment 3: On October 23, 2015, a mailing was sent to all 2015 subrecipients,
requesting their input on actions the City might take to more effectively Affirmatively Further
Fair Housing. No responses have been received to date. Staff will follow up with an e‐mail.
Addressing Impediment 8: Staff contacted Deana Bodner, keeper of the County’s HMIS data,
about the apparent increased in homeless families seeking shelter last year, as reflected in the
Point in Time Count. D. Bodner researched the question and responded that the apparent
increase is the result of the use of a point in time snap shot and does not reflect higher shelter
or motel usage by homeless families over the course of the past winter. Staff will forward D.
Bodner’s response to the committee for their information.
Addressing Impediment 2: L. Truame has asked JoAnn Cornish to facilitate a connection with
Leslie Moskowitz, of the City’s Human Resources Department, with whom J. Cornish has been
working on a revision of the LEP Plan.
Ithaca
Urban
Renewal
Agency
Addressing several of the identified impediments: L. Truame has drafted a Fair Housing tri‐
fold to distribute to property owners and their agents. These will be distributed by the
Building Division as part of the Request for Inspection mailing that initiates the Certificate of
compliance process. The committee reviewed the tri‐fold and found it satisfactory. L. Truame
asked whether and additional letter should be included as well, bringing attention to the
reasons for inclusion of the tri‐fold, including the findings of the Analysis of Impediments.
Consensus on the committee was that this was not needed, but that staff should see whether
a brief paragraph along those lines could be included in the Building Division’s standards
letter.
Addressing Impediment 4: L. Truame asked whether T. Halpert could facilitate
communication with the Landlord’s Association on the topic of Section 8 acceptance, for the
purpose of understanding how the program is perceived by those who do use it, don’t use it,
have never used it, and have used it before but no longer do. T. Halpert agreed to contact the
committee of the Landlord’s Association that sets up the periodic round table meetings at
which special topics are discussed. P. Manos wondered how we could reach smaller landlords
who do not belong to the Landlord’s Association; she and her mother both have apartments
in their homes but are not members of that group. The committee decided to hold a separate
public meeting, advertised widely, to try to reach those very small landlords. Some committee
members are interested in attending these meetings; L. Truame will let the committee know
when they have been scheduled.
3. Amendments to Citizen Participation Plan – discussion
L. Truame explained that HUD has instituted a new Assessment of Fair Housing requirement, which
will require us to amend our Citizen Participation Plan. Since we will have to go through a formal
process to do this, including holding public hearings, we should take the opportunity to make any
other amendments to the CP Plan that may be needed. The committee discussed the public notice
requirements that are currently included in the Plan; there is no mention of electronic means of
communication, and the display ad that we are currently required to run in the Ithaca Journal seems
rather expensive for the benefit it provides. F. de Aragon suggested utilizing the many neighborhood
and community list serves that now exist to distribute a link to our website where detailed
information about the activity being announced would be provided. The Citizen Participation Plan
would then be amended to require the release of notifications to “current neighborhood and
community list serves included in the list that is maintained by Department of Planning, Building,
Zoning, and Economic Development”. We would also need to include language making it clear that
list serves primarily accessed by LMI groups and special needs subpopulations are specifically
included on this list.
V. Old Business
None
VI. Motion to Adjourn
The meeting was adjourned by consensus at 9:55.