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Home My WebLink About12-08-1997 Meeting I I I ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES COMMITTEE COMMITTEE ROOM - December 8, 1997 2:00 P. M. PRESENT: Hons. Larry Sconyers, Mayor; Beard, Chairman; Bridges, Vice-Chairman; H. Brigham and Powell, members; Jim Wall, Attorney; Randy Oliver, Administrator; Keven Mack, Housing & Neighborhood Development Director; Rosa White, Housing & Neighborhood Development Dept.; Walter Hornsby, Asst. Administrator; Lena Bonner, Clerk of Commission and Nancy Morawski, Deputy Clerk of Commission. Also Present: George Eskola of WJBF Television, Sylvia Cooper of The Augusta Chronicle, Stacy Eidson of The Metropolitan Spirit and Hons. J. Brigham, Zetterberg and Todd, Commissioners. The Clerk: We have correction on item #4 on the agenda and that should read, "Approve the Superblock Housing and Community Development Action Plan/Work Program". Mr. Brigham: I move we make the correction. Mr. Bridges: Second. Motion adopted unanimously. A request to approve a Subordination Agreement for Frankie Carl Morgan and Bertha M. Jones to be subordinated to loan by TMC Mortgage, Inc. d/b/a The Money Store. The Subordination Agreement is in regard to property located at 2606 Hazel Street, was read. Mr. Brigham: I so move. Mr. Bridges: Second. Motion adopted unanimously. A request to approve the renewal of the Rental Agreement with Community Service Board d/b/a Community Mental Health Center of East Central Georgia, was read. Mr. Bridges: I so move. Mr. Brigham: Second. Motion adopted unanimously. A request to approve First Amendment to Co-Location Option and Lease Agreement between Augusta and BellSouth Personal Communications, Inc. so as to extend option period for space at Wheeler Road water tank for additional 36 days for option price of $2,000.00, was read. Mr. Brigham: I so move. Mr. Bridges: Second. I Motion adopted unanimously. A request to approve Superblock Housing & community Development Action plan/Work program, was read. (Mr. Powell enters the meeting) Mr. Chairman: We have with us the Laney Walker Development Corporation and members of their board and Mr. Fred Johnson will make a presentation on behalf of the Corporation. Mr. Johnson: I am here in my capacity as legal counsel and management consultant to Laney Walker Develop~ent Corporation. We want to give a presentation in terms of a superblock proposal we've put together. The superblock concept involves a contiguous area for large-scale development which begins in one specific neighborhood and can be duplicated in other areas. We have identified three proposed catalyst areas: the Bennetts Lane area in the Laney Walker neighborhood, the Chestnut street area in the Bethlehem community and the project area for the second phase of the Galleria which is also in the Laney Walker neighborhood. The project focuses on infill housing meaning new construction and rehabilitation of substandard structures. We will do an analysis of the areas and come back to you and make recommendations as to I which neighborhoods should go first in terms of leveraging the funds and resources that are available. We will work with lending institutions to try to establish a consortium. Our goals are to work with the neighborhoods to identify the needs, develop detailed project plans, structure the project financing and assist with implementation after you have made a selection of the target projects. Mr. Chairman: We have, as I understand it, about $900,000 available for this which has been sitting there for about a year. It would be my suggestion that we move forward on this with the help of the Administrator and the Director to work with these organizations. After further discussion, Mr. Mack: There are 1996, 1997 and 1997 CHDO funds available and the Citizens Advisory group recommended that 1996 and 1997 CHDO funds go to Laney Walker Development Corp. The 1998 CHDO funds have not been committed and I don't have a problem committing those either. I have spoken to HUD about this issue and they appear to have some reservations about a couple of issues. The first thing is that we currently have over 200 people on our waiting list for housing rehab and the other thing is that if we are going to consider consulting with an organization, we need to be in compliance with the law and the City is currently paying over $400,000 back to I HUD. HUD suggested that we may wish to go out for proposals for consultants or do a Request for Qualifications whereby we would ask developers to submit qualifications statements for review and I I I then make a recommendation. Mr. Chairman: I think we need to move ahead with this since we have a CHDO ready with the proposal to proceed. Mr. Bridges: Are we actually being asked to allocate funds? Mr. Johnson: Yes, you are allocating to the LWDC the $800,000 plus in the housing development pot of money which will allow us to get the matching dollars. After further discussion, Mr. Mack: CHDO funds can be awarded to a CHDO but we are talking about the other Community Development Block Grant funds that HUD says you need to go out for RFPs. There is no p~oblem with 1997 and 1998 CHDO funds. Mr. Chairman: We had asked for a plan to be brought back to us and none has been forthcoming. Mr. Mack: I would recommend that we go ahead and approve this using CHDO funds for 1996, 1997 and 1998 and I have already spoken to HUD about the legality of RFP situation, subject to them approving that final proposal. Mr. Brigham: I move that we approve it. Mr. Chairman: I'll second it. Mr. Oliver: Why don't we take $92,500 out of the CHDO money and initiate the reprogramming and do the public notice to reprogram the difference between the $92,500 and the $689,600 and initiate the public notice to do the reprogramming? Mr. Johnson: For the record, that $689,600 is now $846,000. Mr. 0liver: I think we can conceptually approve this proposal, authorize $92,500 from CHDO funds for '96 and '97 to Laney Walker Development Corporation, initiate the work on this and authorize public hearings for reprogramming of Account #97-143. Mr. Mack: '98 funds can also be included. That would be '96, '97 and '98 CHDO funds. '96 is $88,650, '97 is $170,550 and estimated '98 funds are $170,550. Mr. Oliver: I think we can work this out for an agenda item. Motion fails with Mr. Bridges and Mr. Powell voting "No". A request to approve the 1998 Community Development Block Grant Final statement of Objectives and projected Use of Funds (final budget), was read. A request to approve the 1998 Emergency Shelter Projected Use of Funds Budget (final budget), was read. A request to approve the 1998 HOME Projected Use of Funds Budget (final budget), was read. A request to approve a Resolution authorizing the filing of the 1998 Consolidated Strategy and Plan which includes the CDBG, ESG and HOME budgets, was read. A request to approve the 1998 Consolidated Strategy and Plan, was read. Mr. Powell: I move for approval. Mr. Brigham: Second. Motion adopted unanimously. A petition for retirement on Winona M. Hendrix, was read. Mr. Powell: I so move. Mr. Brigham: Second. Motion adopted unanimously. A request to ratify the appointment of Allison May to the position of Director of Main Street Augusta, effective December 1, 1997 at a salary of $29,313, was read. Mr. Bridges: I so move. Mr. Brigham: Second. Motion adopted unanimously. ADJOURNMENT: There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned. Lena J. Bonner Clerk of Commission NWM I I I