HomeMy WebLinkAboutMN-IURANI-2018-05-11
108 East Green Street
Ithaca, New York 14850
(607) 274-6565
DRAFT MINUTES
IURA Neighborhood Investment Committee (NIC)
8:30 am, Friday, May 11, 2018
Common Council Chambers, Third Floor
City Hall, 108 E. Green St., Ithaca, NY 14850
Present: Karl Graham, Chair; Tracy Farrell, Vice-Chair; Fernando de Aragón
Staff: Anisa Mendizabal
Excused: Teresa Halpert; Paulette Manos
Guests: Leslyn McBean-Clairborne, Greater Ithaca Activities Center (GIAC); Kathy Schlather,
Human Service Coalition of Tompkins County (HSC)
I. Call to Order
Chair Graham called the meeting to order at 8:41 am.
II. Changes/Additions to Agenda
The Chair welcomed Leslyn McBean-Clairborne, Director of Greater Ithaca Activities Center
(GIAC) and added discussion agenda item(s) to precede approval of minutes.
III. Public Comment
None.
IV. Discussion -- IURA Adopted 2018 Action Plan
Mc-Bean-Clairborne said that the HETP program, which started five years ago, has been
extremely successful, yet costs have gone up. For the past two years, including through
discussions with Mayor Myrick, GIAC has been attempting to find a way to establish HETP as a
regular program of GIAC, so that it will not be dependent on grant funding, such as CDBG
funding from IURA.
McBean-Clairborne recalled GIAC’s CDL (Commercial Driver’s License) Program, a very
successful program that is no longer in operation, and pointed out that all but one of the
employees of color at the Department of Public Works (DPW) came through the CDL program.
The CDL Program is no longer in existence, and McBean-Clairborne does not want that to
happen to HETP. She is looking for funding for HETP from other sources. GIAC/HETP has
secured $6,000 from the TC Community Foundation. HETP has also been awarded a mini-
Ithaca
Urban
Renewal
Agency
grant from the Chamber of Commerce. She is awaiting news about whether an application to
the United Way will be funded. She has had a meeting with the Governor’s Office regarding
Regional Economic Development Council (REDC) funding. Some employers have been willing
to contribute more to the internship portion of the program, but many are not there or are
thinking about it.
The paid internship is of great importance, because many people in the program are
marginalized and low-income, and thus cannot do a “no pay” internship. Childcare,
transportation and other needs continue to exist, even with a paid internship.
McBean-Clairborne told the Committee that the level of funding in the IURA-adopted 2018
Draft Action Plan, $100,000, will not be enough to run the program as planned if HETP does
not secure funding from other sources. Even $10,000 more would make a huge difference,
she stated. At the 100,000 level, she will need to reduce the hours of the HETP Coordinator
and the HETP Assistant. The barriers experienced by HETP participants, such Ithaca’s
inaffordable housing costs and transportation costs incurred by living outside of Ithaca, are
also experienced by people in human service roles.
Graham asked if there is any indication from the City regarding its commitment to the
program. McBean-Clairborne said that, yes, she has spoken with the Mayor previously about
ways to secure HETP’s funding, and the Mayor has cited the IURA-managed HUD Entitlement
Funding as a secure source.
Graham commented that almost every year, the CDL Program is cited as one that people felt
was particularly effective. “I’m sure you know the only reason we were unable to fund it is
that HUD funding went down, while demands across the City remained.” Past experience
with diminished funding levels and unknowns about what to expect federally has prompted
the Committee to try to encourage groups that apply for IURA-administered funding to seek
alternative means of support. This is no reflection on the worth of the programs.
De Aragón asked if McBean-Clairborne worked with Workforce Development. McBean-
Clairborne said that there are legal reasons they cannot direct funding to HETP. Mendizabal
added that in her recent meeting with Julia Mattick of Workforce Development Board and
Jodi LaPierre of Visit Ithaca, she learned that Workforce Development receives Strategic
Tourism funding which is then leveraged to pay for Serve Safe and other certifications that
HETP members can access. McBean-Clairborne said HETP will make its best effort to show
Tompkins County Strategic Tourism Planning Board (STPB) that funding the infrastructure
around tourism—a well-trained pool of hospitality industry talent—is a valuable investment.
Farrell said, “The way I remember the CDL program was we were very in favor of it, and the
woman who was running it was leaving, and perhaps we were not asked for funding, as I
remember.” McBean-Clairborne stated that the person who ran the CDL program recently
reached out to her to discuss restarting the CDL program. De Aragón recalled that federal
transportation money supported the CDL program a few years, and Farrell added there was
TCAT involvement, too.
Graham inquired whether there had been any discussions with NYS Assembly Member
Barbara Lifton about funding. De Aragón asked about the Department of Labor. McBean-
Clairborne replied that was part of the Workforce Development conversation.
Farrell asked about the HETP internships. McBean-Clairborne said participants have three
months to complete them—some participants do it faster, some take the whole three
months, some need extensions. For example, one participant was hired within two weeks of
starting his internship. Farrell wondered if there was a way to shorten the internship.
McBean-Clairborne replied that on the flipside, sometimes people need all the allotted time in
their internship. She also cited incidents where the intern was not being treated fairly and
which required intervention and for the intern to be referred to another employer. Farrell
wondered if some employers are only looking for intern after intern with no hires. McBean-
Clairborne explained that this would be a situation HETP tries to avoid.
De Aragón asked if any HETP students pay tuition for the program. McBean-Clairborne
responded that HETP participants cannot afford it. De Aragón wondered if the program ever
enrolled the children of families who have resources enough to help. McBean-Clairborne said
that most people who come to the program are the people who are most in need, and HETP
tries to serve those who have the greatest needed, because they do not have other options.
Mendizabal inquired if past participants ever contribute to the program afterward and
McBean-Clairborne affirmed that yes, that has happened.
Graham told McBean-Clairborne that the Committee would discuss her request.
McBean-Clairborne left at approximately 9:05 am.
V. Discussion with Kathy Schlather, Executive Director of the Tompkins County Human Services
Coalition – Community Needs for Case Management Services
Graham welcomed Kathy Schlather, Executive Director of the Human Services Coalition (HSC)
of Tompkins County. Graham told her that as the Committee was going through the 2018
applications and listening to presentations, it saw a lot of similarity in what applicants were
trying to accomplish with their populations. Applicants often asked for funding for “intensive
case management.” Schlather responded that she attended Public Hearing #1 and also
noticed the similarity in requests among in the Public Service presentations.
Schlather began by explaining that “case work” is very different from “case management.”
Case work is, “I check in two times a month”; Case management is, “I have five people and I
am responsible for their success.” However, the latter has fallen away from practice, because
there is no funding for that.
Schlather went on to say that the need is not “having [a staff member] to fill out forms” but
someone who can help identify and secure housing, and, as importantly, retain it once it’s
been secured. And, more likely, this is not one person tasked with this responsibility but five,
“It’s someone the landlord can talk to,” she said, if the tenant is not complying with the lease
and/or is not communicating. “Many times, people [tenants] do nothing when they get a
notice of eviction” due to overwhelm, mental illness, or other reasons, “then it’s a crisis”
because if the tenant does not respond or take action during the stated time period, they can
be legally evicted. If a tenant is evicted, or if the tenant vacates without taking their
belongings, they are starting all over again. The question often becomes: Is it that the tenant
had no one who could help them? Or, is it they didn’t reach out during crisis? Or, is it that in
order to avert the crisis, the tenant needed to be working with a support person regularly, or
have a stronger support network. Once someone weathers a crisis and gets to a more stable
place, support can dissipate, whether because there is no funding to sustain ongoing support,
or because the person and/or the support person feel it is no longer necessary, or because
people don’t want independence, not to be tied to services indefinitely, or for another reason
combination of reasons.
Schlather has observed that most people like relationship-building [with a support person].
There is a lot of turnover in these roles, she said, so sometimes clients seek out the staff
members who they worked with in the past, even after they move on to another workplace.
Or, there is a situation like at Catholic Charities, where people are literally lining up for
services—staff does not have enough time to spend with people coming for help.
If you talk with service providers, Schlather noted, they will say the clients’ issues are harder
than they were 10 years ago. Clients have a multiplicity of issues.
Farrell asked if Schlather thought that the new housing site proposed by Lakeview would help
with the situation Schlather described. Schlather replied that at Lakeview’s current site,
Lakeview is working with people with serious mental illness. The new site will be largely for
those who are currently residing in Lakeview’s scattered sites. Youth coming out of foster
care and people coming home from incarceration are among two populations who could
benefit from consistent support. Schlather commented that organizations are feeling
understaffed, and state funding is very restrictive.
Graham commented that he was struck by organizations, such as OAR and Catholic Charities,
that have worked to create housing for their clients. Given that there are housing
development experts in town, is there space for knowledge and resource sharing, he
wondered. Schlather responded that it is easier for organizations to find funding for the
physical structure, than it is to fund the people in it. For example, low-barrier housing is
concept which seems to be gaining support, “You can come up with the funding to build, but
you need 24/7 staffing, and it’s hard to identify [funding].”
Farrell noted that there are some concerns about housing that is super specialized; a mix
seems good for people.
Economies of scale were also discussed in regard to supportive housing. Small developments
e.g. 3- or 4-bedroom residences need a staff person just as larger ones e.g. 8 units do.
Housing for people with special needs and larger housing developments sometimes encounter
resistance.
Schlather feels another shelter is needed. Farrell asked if the current shelter, which was
changed to include SRO units, should return to a shelter. Schalther said that in her opinion, it
should stay an SRO. Somewhere like the Greenstar Space, with its open space, could more
suitable to shelter. The West End currently has a large share of special-needs housing. Zoning
allows it, but how to attain the aforementioned mix of housing that promotes opportunity
and benefit for all? The siting of housing may follow a path of least resistance; it goes where
the housing provider can locate. In the community, there is conversation about creating
housing for people who are currently using alcohol or drugs [a housing first or harm reduction
approach]. Schlather shared that HUD funding does not allow sobriety to be a barrier to
housing; this is not well-known.
Regarding the County Housing grant [discussed last month], Jason Molino, the new County
Administrator, has said there is a state law prohibiting counties from using county funding for
housing or programs that are determined to “go directly” to individuals.
V. Review of Minutes – Minutes for April 13, 2018
Moved by de Aragón moved. Seconded by Farrell. Approved as written. 3-0.
V. New Business
1. Action Item: Resolution – Re-designate INHS as Community-Based Development
Organization (CBDO)
Graham asked if the Office for the Aging is considered an “LMI neighborhood organization in
the service area.” Staff will report on this at the June meeting.
Moved by Farrell. Seconded by De Aragón.
2018 IURA Designation of Ithaca Neighborhood Housing Services, Inc. (INHS) as a
Community-Based Development Organization
WHEREAS, the Board of Ithaca Neighborhood Housing Services, Inc. (INHS) seeks
designation by the Ithaca Urban Renewal Agency (IURA) as a Community-Based
Development Organization (CBDO), and
WHEREAS, the City of Ithaca has designated the IURA to administer the City’s HUD
Entitlement Program that oversees Community Development Block Grant funds awarded
to the City, and
WHEREAS, an eligible category of CDBG activities is a “Special Activity by CBDO”, that
offers certain advantages, such as exemption from the 15% expenditure cap otherwise
applicable to public service activities, authorization to carry out new housing construction
(normally prohibited with CDBG funds), and discretion to allow income generated by a
CDBG-funded activity to not be considered CDBG program income, and
WHEREAS, the following four tests established at CFR Title 24 §570.204 must be met to
qualify under a category of “Special Activity by CBDOs”:
1. The entity qualifies as a CBDO, including the 51% board membership
test;
2. The CBDO will undertake an eligible project;
3. That the CBDO will carry out the funded activity directly or with an
entity other than the grantee;
4. That the CBDO will not carry out a prohibited activity, and
WHEREAS, a CBDO must maintain at least 51% of its governing body’s membership to be
made up of any combination of the following:
• Low- and moderate income residents of its area of operation
• Owners or senior officers of private establishments and other
institutions located in its area of operation
• Representatives of low- and moderate-income neighborhood
organizations located in its area of operation, and
WHEREAS, a CBDO must have as its primary purpose the improvement of the physical,
economic, or social environment of its geographic area of operation, with a particular
emphasis on the needs of low- and moderate-income persons, and
WHEREAS, the project undertaken by the CBDO must qualify as one or more of the
following project types:
• neighborhood revitalization;
• community economic development;
• energy conservation project; and
WHEREAS, at its May 11, 2018, meeting, the Neighborhood Investment Committee
evaluated INHS’s CBDO application and recommended the following; now, therefore, be
it
RESOLVED, that the IURA determines that INHS meets the requirements for eligibility as a
CBDO, and that the Scattered Site Project Phase II Loan qualifies as an eligible CBDO
activity, and be it further
RESOLVED, that the IURA hereby designates INHS as a Community-Based Development
Organization (CBDO) and its Scattered Site Project Phase II Loan as eligible for CDBG
funding under the category of “Special Activities by CBDOs”.
Carried 3-0.
2. Action Item: Resolution -- Election of Officers
Moved by De Aragón. Seconded by Graham.
Selection of 2018 IURA Neighborhood Investment Committee Officers
WHEREAS, IURA By-laws provide that the committee membership shall elect its own
committee Vice-Chairperson and nominate a candidate for committee Chairperson for
consideration by the Agency, and
WHEREAS, per the Bylaws, an Agency member shall fill either the committee Chairperson or
committee Vice-Chairperson position, and
WHEREAS, officers of each committee serve a one-year term, but continue to hold office until
their successor is selected or appointed, and
WHEREAS, the current Committee Chairperson and Vice-Chairpersons are Karl Graham and
Tracy Farrell, respectively, now, therefore be it
RESOLVED, that Karl Graham be nominated as Chairperson of the IURA Neighborhood
Investment Committee, and be it further
RESOLVED, that Tracy Farrell be elected as Vice-Chairperson of the IURA Neighborhood
Investment Committee.
Carried 3-0.
Discussion ensued about requirements of Committee members. Staff will provide information
at the June Meeting.
De Aragón departed at 9:45 a.m.
VI. Other Business
(Not discussed)
VII. Motion to Adjourn
Adjourned by consensus at 9:45 a. m.