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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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