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Home My WebLink AboutAppendix C Public Involvement PAPPENDIX “C” CB ITY OF AKERSFIELD PIP UBLIC NVOLVEMENT LAN CP2010 FOR THE ONSOLIDATED LAN Introduction The City of Bakersfield is updating its Consolidated Plan (ConPlan) in order to continue receiving federal funds from the Federal Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The existing ConPlan 2005 will expire June 30, 2005. Beginning Fiscal Year 2005-2006 (July 1, 2005), the City must demonstrate to HUD that it has completed and is following an approved Consolidated Plan. As required, the City intends to establish a procedure for involving and contacting the public as part of the consolidated planning process. The primary purpose of the Public Involvement Plan (PIP) is to solicit input and comment from residents, particularly from the low income community for needs such as affordable housing, creation of jobs, public facilities/services, and adequate infrastructure. During the preparation of the ConPlan 2010, the City will be soliciting input from community stakeholders involved with housing, job development, public facilities, and health/social services. The Economic and Community Development Department (EDCD) is the lead agency for the preparation of the ConPlan. What is a Consolidated Plan? The ConPlan is a long range plan required by HUD that outlines how a City or County intends to meet identified local housing and community development (HCD) needs over a three to five year period. It is a plan and process for defining and carrying out a unified vision for housing, homelessness, special populations, and community economic development needs. The main components of the ConPlan include: a housing and community economic development needs assessment; a housing market analysis; an Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice; a strategy that reflects general goals (priorities) and performance outcome measurements for allocating HUD funds to address the HCD needs; a list of specific objectives for each priority need (including proposed accomplishments); and an annual action plan (one year funding) describing how federal and local resources will be used to address the needs and objectives identified in the ConPlan. The City’s ConPlan identifies unmet priority needs in the community that generally deal with a suitable living environment, affordable housing, economic opportunities, and homelessness. All future requests for HUD funding beginning in the year 2005 must be identified by the ConPlan as a need and be part of the strategic objectives for each goal/priority in order to be considered for funding from HUD. This includes requests from outside agencies who are directly applying to HUD for funding of their HCD activities. Who are the Targeted Groups? The consolidated planning process relies heavily on citizen participation from an informed and active public. Part of this public outreach is to solicit input from a very diverse community. As a means to insure input from citizens who will be most affected from the ConPlan 2010 process, the City is required by HUD to focus on the unmet HCD needs of the low income community within underserved areas, particularly people who are identified as elderly, persons with disabilities, public housing residents, persons with substance addiction and HIV/AIDS, and homeless individuals. What is the City’s Methodology for ConPlan Implementation? The City’s approach to implementing the ConPlan with public participation will take various forms. Below is a summary of the primary methods for public involvement. 1. Stakeholders Community Forums Stakeholder forum meetings will be held in four categories in early Fall. Information regarding the ConPlan requirements and process will be shared as well as the ConPlan vision, community issues and some of the identified unmet needs. 2. Community Opinion Needs Survey Instrument A survey instrument has been prepared that allows residents to express their thoughts about housing, economic development, infrastructure and public facility/service needs in the community. The survey instrument will be initiated in February of 2004 at the Ebony Counseling Center African American/ Minority Community Health Fair/Business Expo, and its use at similar functions will continue until the end of the summer as part of the City’s data collection/needs assessment process. A copy of the survey is attached to this plan as an exhibit and it can be downloaded from the City’s web page. 3. Community Meetings Two community meetings will be held in mid to late 2004 within targeted low income city areas to: 1) ascertain the strengths and weaknesses of underserved neighborhoods; 2) identify unmet community needs; and 3) brainstorm for strategies for choosing goals for a more livable city. These workshops will be designed to encourage participation from low income residents with emphasis on how local and federal funds may be used to meet needs of the low and moderate income community. As needed, there will be special accommodation for Spanish speaking only and disabled residents. At the end of the planning process in the Spring, at least two city wide community meeting will be held in 2005 to review the draft ConPlan and its priorities, strategies, and proposed projects (One Year Action Plan). 4. ConPlan 2010 Internet Web Site Information pertaining to the Consolidated Plan, such as the survey instrument, and the public involvement plan, will be posted on the City’s Economic and Community Development Department web site under “Reports and Plans”. The address is www.bakersfieldcity.us/edcd. (Under General Information - see Reports and Plans). After all public meetings and City Council adoption of the plan, a final copy will be posted on the web site for public access. During the 30 day public review period of the draft plan, a copy will also be posted on the City’s web site and be available in written form at the City Clerk’s office, library branches within the City, and the Cal-State University Bakersfield library. What is the ConPlan 2010 Time Line ? Two public meetings will be held in April 2005 concerning the draft Plan. It will provide opportunities for citizens to comment on the proposed strategies, priorities and objectives, as well as the One-Year Action Plan (FY 05-06). A tentative schedule of events is below. There will be reasonable accommodations for disabled residents, as needed, at all public meetings. If you plan to attend these meetings, City staff is requesting residents to notify Economic and Community Development staff at the phone number or address below seven working days prior to the public meeting if special accommodation are needed. Interested residents may contact George Gonzales, CD Coordinator or Vince Zaragoza, Principal Planner as noted below if special accommodations are needed. TD A ENTATIVE ATECTIVITY March 2004 Begin data collection for unmet needs April 2004 Surveys Passed out – deadline 9/01 June/Sept. 2004 Review unmet needs data Sept./Oct. 2004 Public Meetings/Community Forums/Workshops October 2004 Complete HCD Needs Assessments November 2004 Begin draft ConPlan preparation March 2005 Complete draft ConPlan Mid-March 2005 Budget & Finance Committee review of FY 05-06 activities April 2005 Publish 30 day public notice for review of ConPlan Mid-April 2005 Two Community Meetings Mid-May 2005 City approves ConPlan/submits to HUD by 5/05 For more information please contact EDCD staff at: 900 Truxtun Ave., Suite 201, Bakersfield, CA 93301, Phone 661/326-3765, FAX: 661/328-1548, TDD: 661/324-3631. S:\ConPlan 2010\Public Participation Meeting Info\Final ConPlan Public Involvement Plan.DOC