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HomeMy WebLinkAbout11.02.2009 (3)COUNCIL WORK SESSION November 2, 2009 4:25 p.m. Council Chambers The meeting was called to order at 4:30 p.m. Members present: Cole, Getty, Hart, Greenwood, Steve Schmitt, Welper, Reggie Schmitt. Moved by Reggie Schmitt, seconded by Steve Schmitt that the Agenda, as proposed, be approved. Ayes: Seven. Motion carried. Reverend James Carstensen, Community Development Board Member, stated that this analysis came to them the third week in October when they had their Community Development Block Grant Board meeting and at that particular time, they had about two or three days to go through the entire booklet and to analyze it. He stated that it didn't give him much time and he probably is speaking maybe for Elsie Doncanover too and other members of the Board. He stated that whether this was a good analysis or not, they didn't really say one thing or another. They just kind of passed the buck onto you guys. Reverend Carstensen stated he had a little bit more time to read it, look it over, and analyze the packet that was given to them by Mullin & Lonergan and Associates. He stated he can't speak obviously for the entire board, but he will speak for himself and that he thought that it was a fair analysis. He stated he thought it was a good analysis of impediments. He stated he thinks that it will be helpful to the CDBG Board and the Home Consortium that they have as well. It gives them a good working document from which to go. He stated he looked at some of the action plans and thinks they were fair and good. He stated they may not implement all of them at CDBG and HOME, but he feels that it might save a little bit of time, but at least speaking from one member of the CDBG Board, he thinks they do have a pretty good analysis from Mullin & Lonergan and Associates. Mayor Hurley stated that he looked at it also a few weeks ago and tried to find kind of an executive summary. He stated that he found a lot of things that were facts, but not comfortable facts. He stated there's also a lot of great data like the census track. Mayor Hurley asked if it is a mandatory analysis. Reverend Carstensen stated that he thought they are suppose to do it by the Fair Housing Act of 1974, so they have to go through it as an analysis. Mayor Hurley asked if there is a summary of what the impediments were. Reverend Carstensen stated that in the back there is a summary of findings and conclusions on page 103 and its just one page. Reverend Carstensen stated that most of the things in the book are not always nice to read about our city, but at least they're indicating to us the idea that we do need to take some action and its gives us a better grasp of where we need to go. Rudy Jones, Community Development Director, stated that with regards to some of the findings, some of them can be quickly and easily incorporated into their current course of action. For example, it talks about the tracking of the CDBG and HOME funds to see where their investments are going in terms of the fair housing initiatives. He stated they could easily do that if they did not go back and record some of those other areas. Mayor Hurley stated that the one goal was that recent testing reveals that landlords lack a comprehensive understanding of fair housing law and the meaning of reasonable accommodations. He asked if that is Community Development's job or is that Human Rights job. Mr. Jones stated that typically would come out of the Human Rights Department. Mayor Hurley stated that there are sort of environmental facts out there as the CDBG Board puts together a long-range plan. He asked if there are things that say well this is maybe how we should adjust for the Board; how we adjust or how we spend our money. Council Work Session November 2, 2009 Page 2 Mr. Jones stated that how he feels is what it does do is give us guides to what is going on in the community as far as fair housing is concerned. He stated that he also lends to possibly some preventative actions to maybe even minimize some of the things that are revealed in the study itself. Mayor Hurley asked if the consultants found any examples of out and out discrimination, or out and out red lining or anything like that. Mr. Jones stated he recalls reading it in there that there was some testing done by the Human Rights Department. He thought it also gave examples of how they addressed those and took the appropriate action. Mayor Hurley asked if it goes to HUD then. Mr. Jones stated that it will have to be submitted to HUD by November 20, 2009. Reverend Carstensen stated that on page 102 there is a final paragraph there on the need to increase the CDBG financial support for the Waterloo Commission on Human Rights. He stated that one of the things that they've had to deal with in the last 15 to 20 years has been just the general decline in the amount of absolute dollars that they have. He stated that when you look at that with inflating dollars as well, you are really getting pinched. He stated that they generally will have a lot more applications for the amount of money that they have, and so it turns out that they just can't grant everybody who comes along with an application because the funds just aren't available. And so this thing about financial support for the Waterloo Commission on Human Rights, they'd love to be able to support them, but they have a certain amount of available dollars and somebody is going to have to say no to somebody. And often times it is Human Rights that gets cut or not cut but they don't get all of the applications that they want. Mayor Hurley asked if they can expect that they'll come back this year and they will add this. Reverend Carstensen stated that they will do that again. Mayor Hurley stated that its up to the CD Board and then when it gets to this council they are finally all through all of the homework to get to the allocation recommendation. Reverend Carstensen stated that he thinks there was something else in there about some of the stuff money is going to like the protected classes as to the underrepresented classes. He thought maybe one action plan that they may need to take on is to make sure that people on the east side know better that there is money available. He stated that they need to do a little better step up advertising to the people on the east side of the river that there are opportunities. He thought that they've done a good job of trying to be as equitable as they can for both groups. And the appointed Boards and Commissions that they talk about on page 103, it says members of the protected classes are represented on appointed boards and commissions. He thought that as far as the board is concerned, they've got some really good folk on that board and they're very sympathetic to all the people of Waterloo. Mayor Hurley stated that its unbelievable and asked what did they pay for it. Reverend Carstensen stated that it was $49,000.00. Mayor Hurley stated that we've commissioned it, we are obeying the 1974 law, and everybody that should has a copy of it including this council. He stated that he thinks it needs digesting and the lessons learned comes out at the strategic level at the policy making level and at the funding level. Councilperson Greenwood stated that on page 28, figure 2-13, there is something that really jumps out at him is that 27,432 people living in Waterloo have some type of disability. Councilperson Reggie Schmitt stated that it's 1/3 of the population. • • Council Work Session • • November 2, 2009 Page 3 Mayor Hurley stated that it says there are 27,000 physical disabilities and limited English proficiency. He stated that all of the middle numbers is where they got the 26,000. Cedar Falls has 7,600; that's 1/5 of their population. With no further business before the Council, it was moved by Reggie Schmitt, seconded by Steve Schmitt that the meeting be adjourned at 4:45 p.m. Ayes: Six. Absent: Cole. Motion carried. Carol Failor Deputy City Clerk