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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMN-IURACD-1993-02-16 Minutes of the Community Advisory Committee February 16, 1993, 4pm Council Chambers, City Hall Present: CAC: Deirdre Silverman, Carol Mallison, Clarence Reed, Michael Cannon, George Hagood, Andy Foster, Pam Mackesy, Carol Chernikoff Sponsors: Sandra Yeater from Groton Community Health Care Center and Paul Mazzarella from Ithaca Neighborhood Housing Services Staff: Patricia Norton, Wies van Leuken I. Call to Order The meeting was called to order at 4:00 pm by Patricia Norton. She welcomed everyone and asked the CAC and staff members to introduce themselves. She gave a brief summary of the meeting of February 9, 1992 . II. Applicant Presentation for 1993 CDBG Application Norton stated that applicants would make presentations of about 5 minutes. After the presentations are completed the CAC will have an opportunity to ask questions and discuss the proposals. Norton asked the members to consider the following when evaluating the projects. - Does the project serve the low/mod income population of Ithaca. - Does the project address a community need. - Is the project feasible. - Will the applicant be able to carry out the project in a reasonable time frame. II-2 . Economic Development - Groton Community Health Care Dental Clinic Norton introduced Sandra Yeater, Director of Program Development of the Groton Community Health Care Center (GCHCC) . Yeater gave a brief description of the GCHCC and the various health services it has provided to the community since it's founding 16 years ago. Yeater was a member of the Tompkins County Advisory Comunittee on Health Care when it was studying the County's dental needs . The County determined that the needs for dental care of Medicaid CAC Minutes February 16, 1993 recipients were not adequately met and suggested one alternative would be a dental clinic run by an existing not for profit health care agency. Although the Groton Dental Clinic sees itself as a community oriented clinic, they serve patients from three counties . Medicaid patients from Ithaca pay $42 in taxi fare to visit the clinic. Kau) are no dentists in Ithaca that take‘/Medicaid patients. The reasons most often cited are the low rate of reimbursement and the amount of paperwork required to get reimbursement . The GCHCC charges $40 a visit . It offers payment plans and is able to charge on a sliding fee scale. They are a major medicaid provider. Questions were asked about the number of Ithacans presently served by the clinic. This number is not known, but the number of Medicaid recipients in Ithaca is documented. The project should create 8 low/mod jobs for dental assistants and receptionists . The center trains its own assistants . Salaries are from $10, 000 to $12, 000 for assistants . The Groton Community Health Care Center is requesting a $75, 000 loan. The CAC members liked the proposal and stated that there was a great need for this clinic in Ithaca. II-1 . Housing - INHS Homeownership Program Paul Mazzarella gave a brief talk on INHS's proposal for the Homeownership Program. The reasons INHS believes in promoting homeownership is that homeownership stabilizes the community and builds wealth for a family. Low-income people are often denied this opportunity, because housing is very expensive in Ithaca, and lending institutions impose conservative lending standards . Reed asked what INHS foreclosure rate was. Mazzarella replied that INHS had only foreclosed on 3 loans out of 550 loans made. Through the Homeownership Program and in cooperation with Citizens Savings Bank and Fleet Bank, a loan package will be offered to a first time home buyer, with loans with an average interest rate below current rates and reduced closing costs . INHS will have a long term relationship with its clients, offering its first home buyers homeownership counseling services. 2 CAC Minutes February 16, 1993 INHS is forming a home ow ersvclub, where 15-20 families will be 'dbu.-\e„S trained to become home owners . Mazzarella stated that there is a waiting list of 25 people, who are interested in participating in the INHS Homeownership Program. Reed proposed expanding the home eval s`'club to those who bought a o -`-V--vs home through INHS in the past. Mazzarella stated that he liked the idea, but that it would require increased funding. Hagood voiced concern that INHS is enlarging the scope of its work at the expense of its earlier commitments to the immediate community. Mazzarella and Mallison stated that this is a concern to INHS and that they are planning to c-ecty this . Chernikoff 0002_ss said that the Alternatives Federal Credit Union, where she works, often hears this concern. She suggested the concern may be common when small agencies expand their mission and assist larger numbers of people, but on a less personal basis. IV. Adjournment Norton announced that representatives of Chartwell Plus Associates and Cooperative Extension will come before the next meeting to discuss housing and public service projects for Landmark Square. The meeting was adjourned at 5:30 pm. ) ,-) 0(-- C/W/min/92CACF13 . 022 3 6\-,,c 1e.;4 Minutes of the Community Advisory Committee Tuesday, February 9, 1993, 4pm Council Chambers, City Hall Present : CAC: Carol Mallison, Michael Cannon, Andy Foster, Lillie Tucker, Pam Mackesey, Lucy Brown Staff: Patricia Norton, Wies van Leuken I . Call to Order The meeting was called to order at 4 :10 pm by Patricia Norton. She welcomed Lillie Tucker, the new member of the CAC, and asked members to introduce themselves. The 1993 CAC membership list and a memo to the Planning and Development Committee from Norton, dated 11/3/91 were distributed to all CAC members . The memo outlined the HUD program design criteria for the CDBG program. Norton asked for comments on the meeting schedule. No changes were requested by the members present. Norton explained the joint meeting with the CAC and the IURA. She explained that attendance of the meetings with the Planning and Development Committee and Common Council were optional . Norton announced that representatives from INHS and the Groton Community Health Care Center will make presentations during the February 16 meeting and a representative from the Landmark Square project will do so during the meeting of February 23 . Norton announced that a revolving loan fund is being set up by the IURA. Discussion of the loan fund will be on the agenda of one of the CAC meetings . II . CDBG (Community Development Block Grant) Application Update 1. Purpose of CDBG 2 . Application Process 3 . Role of CAC Norton explained the purpose of the CDBG, the CDBG Application Process and the role of the CAC in this process . The City annually submits a Comprehensive CDBG Application to HUD. The CAC reviews the proposals for the CDBG application, ensures that the projects address community needs as well as HUD's criteria and forwards its recommendations to the IURA. The IURA, after Minutes CAC February 9, 1993 review of the CAC recommendations, will make its recommendations to Common Council. A comprehensive application typically contains 3 components . This year's grant will include housing, economic development and public service. Norton stated that all projects have to meet the design criteria designated by HUD for the comprehensive grant competition. There are ten criteria and each grant application must address at least four of them. Norton further stated that the application deadline has not been announced yet but she expects it to be in April or May. The grant preparation and meeting schedule was put together to meet an April deadline. The funding limit for comprehensive grants might be increased to $900, 000, but has not been confirmed by HUD yet. Norton listed some of the projects that were funded in previous years through the CDBG program. Fairfield Crossing, Polygon Housing on Floral Avenue, the INHS Rental Rehabilitation Project, the Mutual Housing Association Project, Pal's Sports Center, Community Health and Home Care all received funds through the CDBG program. III. Update on 1992 Projects and Discussion of 1993 Projects Norton stated that most of the unexpended Economic Development funds will be reprogrammed to Pal's Sports Center. In addition the Mutual Housing Association and HiWay HiFi will soon begin drawing on their funds. Progress on these projects will substantially clear the threshold requirements the City has to meet before HUD will receive this year's application. Norton listed the outreach that has been done to publicize this year's application. She invited comments from the CAC. The main project for this year will be the rehabilitation of the Landmark Square Housing Project . Rick Cowles of Chartwell Plus Associates plans to buy the site from an absentee landlord. The project is located adjacent to Meadow Street . A number of the units are vacant, probably because the buildings are in poor condition. The CDBG application will include funds for the rehabilitation of 51, 2 bedroom apartment units. The 22 units that front Meadow Street will be replaced by a mixed use building. Work on the front part of the parcel will not be part of the Block Grant. 2 Minutes CAC February 9, 1993 In addition, the CDBG will fund improvements to the Wood Street Park play structure. The area in the middle of Landmark Square Plaza will be cleaned up and better lighting installed. Cooperative Extension has an after school program on the site that could be expanded. They are proposing to add counseling services for nutrition, horticulture and consumer economics. The renovated Landmark Square will be managed by Better Housing of Tompkins County. There will be a master relocation plan for the project. No tenants will be permanently dislocated as a result of the project and all temporarily relocation costs will be paid. Total costs for the entire project may be around $450, 000 . Mallison proposed the inclusion of a community room, possibly in the commercial building. The project meets a large number of HUD's design criteria. INNS has requested funding of $200, 000 for a home ownership program to make homeownership more affordable for low and moderate income people. The Groton Community Health Care has requested $75, 000 to start a satellite Dental Clinic in Ithaca. About 5 to 6 low/mod jobs will be created, in addition to some professional jobs. Tucker stated that it is increasingly more difficult for Medicaid patients to receive health care, not just dental care, in Tompkins County. There are no doctors serving Medicaid patients in Ithaca. Other CAC members confirmed this. Norton will bring this up when she talks to health care professionals . Challenge Industries might request funds for a microfilm project they are planning in cooperation with Cornell University. They are presently discussing the feasibility of their proposal with IURA staff. IV. Adjournment The meeting was adjourned at 5:15 pm. Z�23'c2k3 OL C/W/min/93CACFe9 . 023 3