Diversity & Community Relations Committee - Regular Meeting

Yeah. I'm here. And we will call to order the I'm

not here.

Diversity and community relations committee meeting for today, Monday, 05/05/2025, 04:30PM in the Executive Conference Room. Came with roll call. Councilman McCormick? Here. Councilman Muneebara? Here. And myself, councilman Guerrero. Has everyone had a chance to review the minutes from our previous meeting on 03/17/2025? Yes. Yes. Does anybody have any objections or questions regarding the minutes, any changes to be made? I do not. I do not. Then do I have a motion to approve the minutes as recorded?

So moved. Second.

It's been motioned and seconded to approve the meeting minutes for 03/17/2025 to be approved as recorded. All in favor?

Aye. Aye.

Okay. Motion passes. Next, we will have citizens to be heard on agenda items. Seeing no citizens in the room, we will now carry on with our presentation of the fiscal year twenty five community development block grant applications and eligibility.

Yes. Thank you so much for joining me today. I am going to be doing a outline and overview of all of these submitted applications for this year's CDBG funding. This is for program year 2025, which runs 10/01/2025 to 09/30/2026. And again, what you'll be seeing is all of the total submissions whether eligible or ineligible.

We are not yet through the scoring and review process entirely, but we have received the applications and the deadline for submission submissions has passed. What we are seeing is we are starting at square one with our first year of this five year consolidated plan. P y twenty twenty five marks the first in our new consolidated plan, which is actually still in the midst of being drafted and will be up for recommendation and review at a later date at committee and council. The five year consolidated plan prioritizes the plan of action through consultation through local agencies, neighborhood committees, and residents. We have had outreach from over 200 individuals, organizations, agencies to have input on this matter and we are very happy with the outcome of the data that has been collected.

This entire five year umbrella creates a map for each year of the annual action plan and each individual year has action plan that summarizes the goals and objectives that the community and the agencies have identified and a summary of the actions activities and resources. Also all of our funding that is available. HUD uses each of these documents to hold us as a grantee accountable for all of our funding decisions. So if at any point we are granting out federal dollars that do not match any of those priorities, they will come back and question as to why. All eligible activities and all proposals must meet at least one national objective, benefiting low moderate income persons or areas, meeting an urgent need, or aiding in the prevention or elimination of slum or blight.

In addition to meeting one of those national objectives, it does have to fit an eligible activity category. There are more in addition to this, but the most commonly applied for our public service, which is capped at 15% of our entire funding. Public facilities and capital improvements, economic development and administration. Housing rehab is also on there as well. Can I just ask what constitutes facility?

Public facility is any improvement to an agency within the city of Joliet. Anything that's considered a facility improvement. It could be ADA access. It could be an update to their lighting. It could be an elevator elevator lift, it could be pretty much anything that improves the facility to continuation for a continuation of services.

Thank you. Can can you mentioned 200 people applied or or inquired on?

Oh. So over 200 people in organizations served input for the five year

consult good. Okay. Got it. Yep.

So that was through outreach Okay. Us and our HUD consultants to gather the data. So our anticipated allocation is very similar to last year of 09/19000. Congress has passed that it will be the same allocations as last year but the formula which divides it amongst all the grantees which should remain the same for this year is being announced on May 13. So we are anticipating a very similar number for PY '25.

The notice of funding opportunity for this application cycle was announced on March 25. The applications were accepted from the thirty first to April 28. That is a much larger gap in cycle than previous years.

Gonna leave that open? Yes.

Do you want me to open up?

Yeah. I'll get it.

Speak here. Oh. We gotta have

So previous Sorry. No worries. So previous years the application cycle was only open around two to two and a half weeks. Yeah. We did extend the cycle this year to make sure that everybody had the opportunity to review the new process, ask any questions, and be involved as possible.

In addition to a lengthier application cycle time being extended to four weeks, we also had a lot of applicant opportunities that are new to City of Joliet this year. We hosted a pre application workshop here in Chambers. We had 77 individuals show up and it was an amazing workshop turnout. Over 55 organizations present. We had three rounds of open office hours.

So I booked time out the day where I was available in Conference Room 1. One day was three hours early in the morning from nine to twelve, one was midday you know kind of just trying to capture that eleven to two, and then one was at the end of the day from one to four. So I tried to be available throughout the day depending on people's work schedules and availability. We had three rounds of those office hours available and I had a great turnout of eight different agencies come seek assistance, ask questions, decide whether or not they were eligible or whether they would apply this year or what they could do to become eligible in future years. We offered a lot of one on one technical assistance throughout the entire application period.

People were able to call, email, come in, whatever they had to do in order to ask the questions needed. I had a step by step tutorial video posted on the city's website, which garnered, I believe, like 80 views. So people were hopefully utilizing it very well. And this year we had the ability to have them submit digitally through email or paper applications. So we truly tried to make this as available as possible, as open as possible, and to eliminate as many barriers as people may have faced in previous years.

Of the applications that were all received, I'll go over the public service proposals first just a very quick breakdown. The organizations that had applied and their funding requests are listed. I won't go into detail on this page because I do break them down a little bit more in the featured slides. But what I do wanna point out is that public service is always the most competitive category. We typically receive somewhere around double what we can actually allocate out being that it is capped at 15%.

And this year we've received almost three times the amount. So I will be reviewing these applications very thoroughly and also working with these agencies where maybe if their application can be tweaked in certain ways or their ideas or proposals can be tweaked in certain ways we may be able to fit them into other categories where funding is more available. I'll go over that information as well. So for public service proposals Holston Human Capital has applied for $30,000 for their anchored or anchor ed program providing academic support, barrier navigation services for school aged youth facing relocation in response to RiverWalks twenty twenty six dedensification activities. That is a non housing community development considered a high priority in the current consolidated plan.

Warehouse workers for justice applied for 20 over 29,000 for their outreach program to protect the rights of warehouse employees throughout Joliet, offer extensive outreach, bilingual supportive resources through monthly trainings, presentations, and references to legal aid as well. This is one application where although they are eligible and the service they're applying for is eligible they may also be able to fit into an administrative category. So removing them from the very competitive public service dollars and because they're just outreach we may be able to find an area for them if they score high enough to be recommended for funding. So that category is being reviewed. Recovery Community Center Center applied for over 54,000 for their walk in services, peer support, service connection, addressing urgent basic needs, critical resources including access to showers, housing navigation, transportation, and job readiness for residents on the path to recovery.

That is a non homeless special needs, but also considered high priority.

Just a question that Yes. Seeing on on some of these that are

listed as either high priority or or

medium priority. How is that determined?

So that is determined by the consolidated plan that we are currently still working under. Because the new consolidated plan from '25 to '29 is still being drafted and not yet approved by council, we have to operate on the one that we're currently approved for under HUD. So it is it's not ideal but unfortunately with the timing of when the documents are submitted to HUD we do still have to go based off of the last consolidated plan. And then I'll finish public services, and then if you guys have any questions regarding the public service applications, I'll be happy to answer them. Continuing with fighting chance, requesting 94,400 for youth development program.

They are a multifaceted support for disadvantaged youth fostering physical health, academic success, and personal development via fitness mentorship, and academic both STEAM and STEM enrichment. Non housing community development also considered high priority for our area. Northern Illinois Food Bank requested $20,000 for their senior grocery program providing delivery of shelf stable and fresh produce food options throughout five subsidized senior housing locations, and a monthly mobile produce distribution to the Marycrest Village Apartments. Also considered high priority needs, and because it is specific to elderly senior housing they are considered a special needs category. Casa of River Valley requested 25,000 for their at risk youth stability services, expanding staff capacity and resources for abused neglected children with families involved in active legal or criminal cases, expanding the ability to service more of the city's more vulnerable children.

Also considered special needs category high priority as it does have to do with abused and neglected youth. So you will also notice that I did notate whether they were funded previously funded not previously funded. If they still have funds unspent from previous years. I do note that because again the scoring does get highly competitive and if we're looking at three applications that all have the same scores we do weigh if they've been previously funded or have unspent funds from previous years before as kind of almost like a tiebreaker in the score. To continue with public service, Will County Center for Community Concerns applied for $50,000 for their counseling project.

CCC is the only HUD approved agency in Will County servicing the increased need for HUD approved housing counseling, pre purchase counseling, foreclosure prevention requests. A lot of these services are needed and necessary if people are facing foreclosure mitigation. It is required that they do HUD counseling by their mortgagor. So being the only location in Will County that offers that it is considered a high priority need. SEO development, and this is another one where the service category is being reviewed, is applying for $25,000 for tool lending library.

They're hoping to upgrade the existing garage in addition of a shed, to securely house power tools, lawn and gardening equipment, sewing machines, mixers, cleaning materials available for rental and temporary use among residents, providing equitable access, lowering out of pocket expenses for repair and rehab projects. The reason why this category is being reviewed is because we can fund it under a housing rehab category if they're only to offer equipment based on housing rehabilitation needs. We've also spoken with Ezio on other options because upgrading an existing garage in addition to a shed would also put them as a facility improvement instead of a public service. So although they did apply for public service, we are in the midst of deciding exactly which category they would go into. Senior snow removal, an annual allocation that we as the city have taken on over the past few years, $45,000 to support accessibility, safety of senior aged, and legally disabled residents providing snow removal services throughout the winter season, also considering a non homeless special needs high priority.

I'm actually very happy with the success that we had last year where we had a lot of positive feedback from that. Were there any questions about the public service applications?

Nope. It's gonna be very competitive.

It is going to be very competitive. I'm hoping if I'm able to work with several of organizations that we could possibly get them categorized in other areas. And if not, then, you know, unfortunately depending on how the scores fall, as you can see we could probably fund about a third of what was requested. Fourth facility improvements, these are the proposals that were submitted. Facility improvements do not have any cap on them and the amounts that were applied for do total 502,000.

Each of these facilities falls within a special CBDG area or serves the qualifying population. All of these specific facilities do fall within city limits. Spanish community center applied for 28,383 for an upgraded security project, replacing an existing boiler system, upgrading the outdoor day care playground, and installing security doors and card swipe entries for added safety. That is considered a non housing community development. They do have prior year funds remaining from a project that they are in the midst of working on currently with a ADA accessible stairlift that we funded in prior years.

Illinois Youth and Family Services applied for $81,000 for a community center remodel, construction of a commercial kitchen, installation of drywall painting, epoxy flooring throughout the child welfare agencies community center. This eligibility is in the midst of being reviewed because they are applying for a facility improvement. They are currently leasing out a storefront and with facility improvements comes a lengthy amount of regulations from the federal government if they do not own the building themselves where it would require something like a fifteen year lease. It would require that even if Illinois Youth and Family Services no longer stays there within that unit or that suite that the owner commit to it still being used for the public. So we are speaking with them to confirm the details of their lease agreement, reviewing that their eligibility in whole.

Also CDBG funds cannot fund government services or buildings, so we do have to differentiate exactly what their affiliation is as far as if they're a state government organization or not. So there's a few details that we do have to confirm in order to make sure that they are eligible for CVBG funds. UCP Center for Disability Services $45,000 request for their energy efficiency program, installation and modernization of lighting throughout the facility to respond and customize towards clients' sensory sensitivities, safety, and ability to engage while lowering facility energy costs and carbon footprint. A lot of clients of UCP, do have different, developmental and mental disability, where the lighting in certain rooms or certain areas may need to be at different levels.

Triggers them. Right.

Yep.

Right and other areas may need more or better or brighter lighting due to mobility issues or vision impairment. Facility improvement proposals continued stepping stones requested a $128,000 a $120,800 for stairway replacement project. This would be replacing two existing metal stairways used as a second egress option as required by fire code. They are also required to maintain an occupancy permit for the 2nd Floor which makes up 71% of their residential occupancy. They have already been notified that without replacing these existing metal stairways that they will not be able to maintain their occupancy permit moving forward.

So they would lose 71% of their capacity without. It is considered a non homeless special needs because it does the facility does cater to those that are seeking treatment. Easterseals requested a $120,000 for their pediatric center generator to purchase and install the commercial generator they do have had repeated costly power outages in the facilities past which have disrupted their services to their children's outpatient health services and on-site daycare. So their request is a $120,000 to replace that No.

You can't shut it. Thank you. Thanks.

The Illinois Rock and Roll Museum requested 99,520 for an energy efficient HVAC system, including restoration and preservation within a historical landmark property through improved climate control. These improvements would preserve the artifacts located within the building, promote better air ventilation for visitors, and lower energy costs of this nonprofit agency. I believe that is it for facility improvements if there is any question among those. Good. Okay.

The next are categorized with economic development and administrative proposals. Economic development, let you know, economic development association, LITA, requested $200,000 for their business assistance program providing technical assistance, marketing, and resource support in both English and Spanish to local entrepreneurs, micro enterprise business owners within the local area. This economic for both this applicant and the next are considered medium priority within our current consolidated plan. Leta does have prior year funds remaining. At this moment, they are currently they do currently have a $200,000 grant open from last year.

Requested a $144,000 for their boost program for coaching, digital tools, and structured business and financial training geared towards home based day care providers. Supporting greater access to child care options, creating retaining job opportunities. Upwards Care Inc is a for profit corporation. They do have membership fees, but their membership fees do not go specifically to this boost program. They do have subsidized membership rates for anybody that does income qualify.

They are based I believe in California if I'm not mistaken but they are applying for this economic development opportunity with in city of Joliet. They have not been previously funded. And last for this category administration, Prairie State Legal Services is requesting $40,000 to navigate barriers to housing through outreach, education, testing, investigations, and enforcement of housing laws, enforcing suitable living conditions, and standards established under the Fair Housing Act. Prairie State Legal Services has been operating for a number of years in the community in the area and have been funded prior through the county, but not previously funded through the city of Joliet. Any questions regarding those three proposals?

Yeah. I good. Upwards Care, I've never heard of that and you said they're not based out of Joliet either?

They are not.

And therefore a for profit company. What other for profit companies do we have applying for this?

There is no other for profit companies that have applied for CDBG funds. Although they are not ineligible a lot of communities do not prioritize for profit organizations.

Makes sense. That makes total sense. Thank you.

So just a quick breakdown and I did I that's really small to see so I did print one out for you. That's a little bit easier. Just the breakdown of the different categories all in one easy spreadsheet for you. So that way, just I would draw your attention to the two red boxes where the public services, again, being the most competitive category will likely be the area that we will see less of the applications funded just due to the 15% public service cap. In addition to that, the funding requests totaled somewhere around 300,000 more than what we will be allocated.

With some maneuvering around again, you know, speaking in more detail with several of the organizations that did apply to public service, service we may be able to get them recategorized as admin instead. Also anticipated updates and considerations, there have been duplicative applications to both city city and county CDBG. So I am working with the county to closely review the applications that are duplicative so that way we both do not approve and fund the same ones. We are in a consortium with the county with other home funds so we do work closely together to make sure that there is no no duplicative granting or approvals. Clarification and outreach for follow-up questions.

I have already followed up with several of the organizations. I will continue to do so throughout the review period. The other two staff members that are reviewing applications alongside of me are to compile a list of questions so that way if their application does leave anything open to interpretation or unstated, we can follow-up and just clarify so that way we make as an informed decision as possible when approving or recommending these for approval. Reprogrammed funding from previous program years. Currently, we do have I believe somewhere around 400,000 that remains unprogrammed from prior years.

We will review and prioritize that with upcoming projects or projects that have been slated through other areas of infrastructure that are just waiting for the funding to be available. So we will work with other city departments on how to prioritize that. This year, I am re reprioritizing administration funds. In the past, the city has taken anywhere from 10 to the 20% cap of admin. I would like to reprioritize that because we do have unspent years that we're still working off of.

I would like to take zero admin for city of Joliet, but I would like to allocate those to any of the applicants that may be eligible for it instead.

The years past and Yes. Spent funds those can still be reallocated to current applicants?

They can as long as they're not public service dollars. So if organizations like Prairie State Legal Services or if any of the other applicants that

We recategorized.

Can be recategorized as admin we can allocate those dollars to it. So I would like to reprioritize the this year's admin admin funds and not take as large of a cap as city of Joliet may have taken in the past. We are still waiting for the allocation announcements to be official. I believe they are anticipated for May 13. And once we do, the dollar amount may slightly move around one way or another, and we'll be able to use that as a final decision making factor when approving the applications.

This application cycle achievements, we have had a higher number of submitted applications. Last year we had 12 with five of them being ineligible. This year we have had 17 and aside from the Illinois Youth and Family Services which we are still ironing out the details on their eligibility, every single applicant has been eligible. So higher eligibility rate among the applications. I've been able to work with a large number of grassroots organizations that they may not be in full governance yet or have all of their correct documentation together for this year but they have sought technical assistance and how to prepare for future years.

And we've also been able to link them to a number of grants that aren't federally funded that don't have the tight requirements and regulations that we do. And they've been able to successfully apply for other opportunities hopefully giving them the opportunity to build capacity and come back next year.

That's really good to hear, obviously.

Yes. I'm very excited about that. So anticipated timeline, our application deadline passed April 28. We will take these next few weeks to continue re reviewing, and getting in touch with each of with each of the applicants to ensure again that we are just making a very informed decision. This proposal review today may fit.

We are hoping for very early July to bring the full recommendations, the five year consolidated plan, and the program year 2025 annual action plan to both committee and council level. So that way both can be posted for thirty day public comment period and public hearing if approved. In August, we do have an August 15 deadline to submit to HUD for approval. And at the same time for any applicants whether approved or not approved, you do wanna follow-up with technical assistance. If they're a first time awardee, there's a lot of information that they need to be aware of and be ready for in preparation to being a grantee for the first time.

And if they didn't get funded, I would love to provide technical assistance as to why and how applications can improve next time. Any questions?

Very good. I think that was our mission as we get more applicants. Yep. Seriously, this can I say something really quick? That we asked for it and she delivered. Yeah. I mean, seriously, this is all three of us agreed. This is what we wanted and you delivered. So I feel like crying right now. I'm very I'm very happy.

I am very happy with the outcome. I'm very happy with the number of organizations that have reached out and and just said, I'm not ready yet but how do I get there? Yeah. You know, to be able to set them up for success in the future instead of setting them up for disappointment and not being requested. Correct. Yeah.

Right. Yeah.

Alright. Thank you. Absolutely.

Looking at the the totals of what's requested and what our, you

know, cumulative allocation is. Looks like about a difference of about 300,000, which a good chunk of that is just gonna be the public service category to be capped out. So once I mean, that this is gonna be where the bulk of the work is, just parsing out how do we shave this down a bit. I think that that makes up most of the difference there. Then there'll be a few where perhaps we might have to move things around. I think reassigning some of the applicants to the administrative category and being able to tap back into previous year's funds can help kind of close that difference. But it's not not not a bad problem to have.

Well, and to keep in mind too, the you know, Will County is doing theirs. So Right. Some may get it and may not. You know? So

That's correct. Yeah. And I were we'll work with Will County to see, you know, if we have a larger amount of funding in one category and they have a larger amount of funding in the other. Right. We'll work to make sure to try and meet the community's needs as best as possible.

What I will say is that some of the applications that may not have been able to truly show the ability to handle a grant maybe this year. Just because the funding is there doesn't mean that we're able to give it to any organization even if they're not yet prepared internally capacity wise. I would also like to continue continue working with them or see what we could do internally as the city to provide them technical assistance you know now it's there for capacity building. You know it's okay to say we don't believe that the funding, you know, is ready for this organization, for this activity this year, but let's work on or we could even do a set aside and say Yeah. We could set aside x amount and work with you on getting to the capacity that you need to be at.

K.

There are no further I mean, less No. Regards. So we'll keep on moving here then. New or old business, not final action or recommendation. It's now time to call for nominations for the twenty twenty five Neighborhood Hero Awards.

Yes. So last year, the neighborhood services has adopted the neighborhood hero awards showing, honoring specific pride, honoring well maintained lawns, thoughtful landscaping, trees, flowers, shrubs, and those make Joliet a beautiful place to live. So nominations will be due by Friday, May 30. People are able to email, call me with the nomination request. The only thing that we will be requesting this year that may not have been requested last year is if contact information is available for the homeowner, that would be wonderful. In prior years, it was difficult to

Get a home.

Get them to engage and be prepared or ready for photo opportunities or the follow-up proclamation as well.

Sometimes our neighbors turn them in and they don't wanna do it. They don't wanna do it.

He has had people request not to be involved. Some people are very private, don't want the photos

Not a

picture showing on TV. This is miss Jones' house.

Yeah. Right. So I am requesting for the homeowner to actively consent to it. Okay. Yes.

And any nominations should be sent to you?

Yes. Correct. Yep. This is exciting. Correct. That's a whole

Jane Jane Oh, yeah. Previously was the

one who

was She did. Yes. Jane was previously with Project Acclaim. They ran the Neighborhood Hero Awards, but Acclaim has disbanded and we've adopted it with Neighborhood Services.

That's cute. I'm glad you did that.

Yes. Good. Well

Some people still like to see themselves on TV, their health on TV.

That's true.

I'm a big fan of Neighborhood Hero Awards, so I'm glad to to see it continue. Any questions there? Nope. Then we'll move on to public comments. Opening up time now for our citizens of attendance. Seeing none, we will be closing public comments in one, two, then all that is left is a motion to adjourn.

So moved.

Second. It's been motioned and seconded to adjourn. All in favor? Aye. Aye. Meeting adjourned.

Congratulations, Joe.

Good job, buddy.

Congratulations, Joe. Very excited for y'all. You would have another four.