• Budget Information
• History
• Facts & Issues

Budget information

FUNDING SOURCE: 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)

History

• The Mayor and Commission approved the HED Five-Year Consolidated Plan and the associated FY06 (July 1, 2005 – June 30, 2006) Annual Action Plan in April 2005.
• The Mayor and Commission approved the FY09 (July 1, 2008 – June 30, 2009) Annual Action Plan in April 2008.
• On February 13, 2009, the U. S. House of Representatives and Senate approved the conference report for the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009 that was subsequently signed into law by the President on February 17, 2009.
• On February 25, 2009, HUD announced formula allocations of ARRA funds to be made available to local entitlement communities. The Athens-Clarke County Unified Government (ACCUG) estimated receiving $395,575 in CDBG-R funds.
• During the April 13, 2009 Work Session, HED staff presented options to the Mayor and Commission for allocation of the ARRA program funds and was authorized to initiate the public comment process and advertise for a public hearing.
• The Substantial Amendment on the "proposed uses" of Homeless Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Program (HPRP) and CDBG-R funds was advertised on April 19, 2009 in the Athens Banner-Herald. The Substantial Amendment public comment period ran 13 days from April 19, 2009 to May 1, 2009. The department received no comments.
• The Mayor and Commission held a Public Hearing on April 23, 2009 at the Mayor and Commission Agenda Setting Meeting during a special called session to solicit and discuss public comments on the "proposed uses" of HPRP and CDBG-R program funds.
• The Mayor and Commission approved the proposed uses of ARRA funds and the allocation of HPRP funds at their May 5, 2009 Voting Meeting. The HPRP Substantial Amendment was submitted to HUD by the May 18, 2009 due date.
• HUD released the CDBG-R Substantial Amendment notice and submission requirements on May 6, 2009.
• During the May 12, 2009 Mayor and Commission Work Session, HED staff presented an overview of the CDBG-R Substantial Amendment Notice, along with funding options, for the Mayor and Commission to consider.
• The CDBG-R Substantial Amendment was posted on the HED Web site on May 21, 2009 and distributed to several community sites for public review and comment.
• The Mayor and Commission authorized acceptance of the HUD ARRA grant awards for HPRP and CDBG-R funds at the May 5, 2009 Voting Session. The CDBG-R Substantial Amendment were made available for public review and comment from May 21, 2009 to May 27, 2009 at the following locations:
  • Mayor’s Office
  • Manager’s Office
  • Department of Human and Economic Development
  • Athens Regional Library
  • Planning & Zoning Department
  • Northeast Georgia Regional Development Center (RDC)
  • Miriam Moore Community Service Center
  • Hancock Community Development Corporation
• The Mayor and Commission approved the funding options at their June 2, 2009 Regular Session.
• The Mayor and Commission approved CDBG-R Substantial Amendment were due at HUD on June 5, 2009.
• HUD was scheduled to approve CDBG-R Substantial Amendments by July 2, 2009.  HUD approval is still pending.
• HUD plans to execute grant agreements by September 1, 2009.
• The Unified Government must have funds obligated to sub-grantees by September 30, 2009.
• ARRA funds must be contracted to sub-grantees by December 29, 2009.

Facts & Issues

• To receive ARRA funds, the Unified Government as an eligible grantee submitted a Substantial Amendment to HED FY09/HUD 2008 Program Year (July 1, 2008 – June 30, 2009) Annual Action Plan of the Five-year Consolidated Plan (see Attachment).
• The HED Citizen Participation Plan, as part of the Consolidated Plan, includes citizen participation standards and public hearing notification procedures that are required for implementation of amendments to the Annual Action Plan. To expedite the CDBG-R Substantial Amendment process and to ensure that CDBG-R grants are awarded in a timely manner, HUD is waiving the requirements of the grantee’s Citizen Participation Plan.
• HUD is shortening the minimum time for citizen comments to 7 calendar days and requiring the substantial amendment materials to be posted on the grantee’s official website as the materials are developed, published, and submitted to HUD.
• CDBG-R funds ($395,575) from the ARRA Program are to be used for projects and/or activities that maximize job creation and retention and economic benefits. Projects or activities that can be awarded contracts by December 29, 2009 will receive funding priority. All eligible CDBG activities and projects may be funded.
• HED completed the review of seven (7) CDBG-R applications for the Low Flow Toilet Retro-Fit and Green Jobs Training programs. The following two (2) sub-recipients have been awarded funding contracts over three years: ACTION, Inc. ($50,000) for the Low-Flow Toilet Retro-Fit Program and Athens Technical College ($100,000) for the Green Jobs Training program. (Funding allocation memo- PDF).
• ACTION proposes to install 175 water-saving low-flow toilets in place of non low flow toilets in owner-occupied homes within Athens-Clarke County. The program scope of work includes client outreach, client intake and eligibility determination, file maintenance and record keeping, recruitment and selection of sub-contractors, monitoring the removal and disposal of non low flow toilets and installation of new low flow toilets. Action projects a total of twenty (20) long term jobs to be created to monitor and install 175 water-saving low flow toilets in place of non low flow toilets.
  
• Athens Technical College proposes to offer two new Technical Certificates of Credit (TCC): Photovoltaic System Installation and Repair and Green Technology Systems. The curriculum for both TCC is developed and approved by the Technical College System of Georgia. The TCC will provide program participants specialized job training in Green Energy Technologies. Athens Technical College projects ninety (90) long term jobs to be created in electrical applications; solar panel installation, inspection, and repair and alternative energy fields that include solar and wind power, bio-fuel and fuel cell technology.