32  1stPublic Hearing - 2023 Community Development Block Grant Program City Council Chambers, City Building, 16V West Scribner Avenue, DuBois, Pennsylvania on Monday, Julyz 24, 2023 @ 5:45 p.m.; Council convened as al Hearing Boardi inc ordert tol hear andi receive comments, written and oral, reviews and have discussion ont the: 2023 Community Development Block Grant Program. Mayor Walsh opened ther meeting at5 5:45 p.m. Other Council Members present were: James Aughenbaugh, Diane Bernardo, Shane Dietz, andF Pat Reasinger. Also present were: City Solicitor, Toni Cherry; Acting City Manager/City Engineer/Public' Works Director, Chris Nasuti; Public Works Superintendent, Scott Farrell; Redevelopment Authority Director/Assistant Public Works Superintendent, Joe Mitchell; Finance Officer, DeLean! Shepherd; Code Enforcement/Zoning: Officer, Zach Lawhead; Police Chief, Blaine Clarka and Mayor Walsh opened thel hearinga at5 5:45 p.m. and promptly turned the meeting over to Redevelopment Mr. Mitchell readi the Notice of Public Hearingi for the City of DuBois, PA- FY2023 CDBG Programi ini its  July: 24, 2023 @ 5:45 p.m.  Administrative Secretary, Bobbie Shaffer.  Authority Director/Assistant Public Works Superintendent, Joel Mitchell.  entirety.  NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING FOR THE CITY OF DUBOIS, PA FY: 2023 CDBGI PROGRAM  Noticei is hereby given by the City of DuBois that a Public Hearing will be held on July 24, 2023, at 5:45 P.M., prevailing time, in the DuBois City Council Chambers in the DuBois City Hall, located at 16 West Scribner Avenue, DuBois, PA 15801. The DuBois City Hall and Council Chambers are accessible to the physically disabled. Persons requiring special accommodations toy participate int the hearing may call Mr. Joe Mitchell, Executive Director of DuBois Redevelopment Authority at (814) 371-2000, Ext. 204, to make those arrangements. Persons with hearing and/or speech impairments may contact the City through the PA Telecommunications Relay Services at 1-800-654-5984 The purpose of the Public Hearing is to discuss the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program in general, the needs of the City of DuBois, and the City's performance undert the previously funded CDBG Program Years. In accordance with PA Act 179, dated Oct. 11, 1984, P.L.-906, No. 179, as amended, the PA Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) has allocated to the City of DuBois $308,699.00 in FY: 2023 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Funds from the At least 70% of the available funds must be used for activities which principally benefit low- and moderate-income persons. The Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) set the date for submission of the FY 2023 Application as October 27, 2023. In preparation for funding, the City will conduct aj public hearing on the housing, community development, and economic development needs of the City of The following types of activities may be eligible for funding under the CDBG Program: water and sewer line replacement and improvements; housing rehabilitation; new construction of affordable housing; construction and reconstruction of public/community, facilities; recreational facilities; public services that are a new or a quantifiable increase in the level of service; street and road improvements; historic preservation; the removal of architectural barriers; economic development; acquisition and relocation; clearance and demolition of property; costs to dispose of real estate; general administrative costs; planning; audit; environmental clearance; and the preparation oft the application. Ifthe City would undertake the acquisition, demolition, and/or rehabilitation of residential properties that could result in displacement of families or individuals, then the City's policy for minimizing such displacement would be in effect. The City is responsible for replacing all low- and moderate-income housing units that may be demolished or Mr. Mitchell askedi if there were any questions, then read down through the Purpose oft the Public  ordial7-1-1.  State's CDBG Entitlement Grant from the U.S. Department of HUD.  DuBois.  converted as a result of the use of CDBG funds.  Hearing:    33  1stPublic Hearing-2023 Community Development Block Grant Program  (Cont'd.)  Purpose oft the Public Hearing (Cont'd.) Economic Development (DCED). October 27, 2023. process.  Discusst the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Programi ing general. The City will receive $308,699.001 in FY2023 CDBGi funds from the PAI Department Community of Applications are due electronically tol DCED usingt the Single Application Format by Friday, The cityr must conduct aj public hearing to determine local needs for community development, Residents, organizations, agencies, etc. are given the opportunity top participate int the planning  housing, public services, ande economic development. The City's performance under previous CDBGI Program Years.  Mr. Mitchell then went over thel Program Guidelines:  The Cityr must prepare ana application which outlines its plan on! howi it will spend the FY2023 Funds may be usedf fore eligible activities such as: water ands sewer line replacement and improvements; housingr rehabilitation; new construction ofa affordable! housing; construction: and reconstruction ofp public/community: facilities; recreational facilities; publics services that are ar new orad quantifable increase int thel level ofs service; street andi roadi improvements; historic preservation; the removal of architectural barriers; economic development: activities; acquisition andr relocation; clearance: and demolition ofp property; costs too dispose of real estate; general administrative costs; planning, audit; environmental reviews; andt the preparation oft the Atl least 70% oft thep project activity costsr must benefit owandmocerateincome persons. Amaximum of 30% oft thej project activity costs may be spent on demolition: and clearance costs. Alla activities must meet one oft thet three (3) national objectives oft the CDBG Program: principally benefit low- andr moderate-income persons; removal ofs slums and! blighting conditions; and  CDBGf funds.  application.  Amaximum of1 18%1 may beu usedf for administrative costs.  activities having anu urgentr need. Mr. Mitchella askedf for comments and questions: thej past ther number was 5491 lowt tor moderate income.  Solicitor Cherrya askedi if hec could define the numbers that would constitute low tor moderate income. In Mitchell stated that as a city, whent they didt thel last census, we did not qualify citywide; after that census, we challengedi it, we did our own survey,! hireda ani independent companyt to assist us with that andy we requalified: at5 52.4%. That qualification only lastedf fori five years, thatf fivey years expiredi inz 2021 which shouldh have been backed up byt the: 2020 Census, which we arei inz 2023 ands stilll haver not receivedi the 2020 Census. So, we currently dor not qualify as Citywide. As for actualr numericalf figures, it'sas sliding scale depending onh howr many people arei iny your household. Ifv we did as specific area, like al block, we woulda actually go! houset tol houset to surveyt those persons. Thel last two) years, wel have done waterline replacements int the! blockg groupt that still qualifies for block group wide, whichy you can dob because that  project benefits thee entireb blockg group area.  Kathleen Clement  Sot there isr noi income amount such as under $30,000 annually to qualify?  Mitchell saidt therei is, buti it goes by howr many people livei iny your house. That number escalates accordingly tot ther number of people andi thet total salary for all the persons withint that household. Shea askedi ift there was anythingi in writing. Mitchell said! he can get itf forl her, but your have to! bey very careful wheny youl hand outt that information; you can't say this isg grant dependent, itisj just a simple yes or Can any oft ther numbers bet takenf from the consolidation: figures? Mitchell said they! have ay very specific survey; wea actually hireda at third party wheny we did the citywide survey. Wel had college kids help us, which! hadt tob bes specially trained! how toa actually askt ther right questions whent they went out intot the field. Itis totally random, wel lett them come up with ourr random number generator which was associated with allt the addresses int the city, so) you can't cherry pick. Theya are very verys gooda aboutr not having, you  noy your may falll below this number.  Deb Mechling  bea ablet tor manipulate that.    34  (stPublic Hearing - 2023 Community Development Block Grant Program Mitchell askedi ift there were any other questions. Ifanyone does, followingt this meeting) youa arer more thany welcomei to contact me ori ify youh have any projects youy wouldl like to discuss offline, please call or come ina ands seer me. Wev willl bet takingi ideas for the next couple of weeks, andy we willl ber re-advertising Walshs statedy wel have nof further business to discuss att this Public Hearing, meetingi is adjourned.  (Cont'd.)  foras secondh hearingwhich we willa announce: ata an upcoming Councilr meeting.  Mitchell turned the meeting back overt to Mayor Walsh.  Meetinga adiougnedatsssp.m. LpA  CRRW  APPROVED: