NewCityLogo-August2008

Council
Communication

Office of the City Manager

 
 

Date

May 18, 2009

 

Agenda Item No.        37

Roll Call No.               09-

Communication No.   09-299

Submitted by: Larry Hulse, Community Development Director

 

 

 

AGENDA HEADING:

 

Approval of the Iowa Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) FY 2009 CSBG American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) agency plan.

 

 

SYNOPSIS:

 

Recommend Council approval of the Iowa Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) FY 2009 CSBG American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) Agency Plan (application) made to the Iowa Department of Human Rights/ Division of Community Action Agencies for the City of Des Moines Community Services Program.

 

 

FISCAL IMPACT:

 

Amount: $875,471 (revenue)

 

Funding Source:  Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) through the Iowa Department of Human Rights/ Division of Community Action Agencies, deposited to the FY09 Operating Budget, Community Services Block Grants – SP027, CDD049900, CSBGARRA001

 

 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

 

CSBG provides funding for the City’s Community Action Agency with services delivered through the Community Development Department’s Community Services Division.  The Iowa Division of Community Action Agencies (DCAA) recommends the plan remain flexible and subject to change as the funding is timed to be completed on September 10, 2010.  The FY09 CSBG-ARRA plan is subject to DCAA review.  NRB Community Services sub-committee and Community Services staff’s plan summarized below includes the expansion of existing and development of new programs:

Income Management Program: Establish and provide a three month educational and financial assistance program designed to stabilize low-income families.  Extension of the assessment and resolution program assisting households in danger of disconnection to maintain or restore utilities.

Youth Activity Program: Provide financial assistance for youth who wish to participate in organized activities available in the community.  This project is an expansion of the existing parks department scholarship program which provides low-income households with reduced park fees.

Emergency Assistance Program: Provide to families in need the financial assistance to obtain needed items such as beds, auto repair, eye glasses, or dental expenses.  This is an expansion of the seasonal Embrace Iowa program.

Personal Pantry: Expand the existing personal pantry program to serve the increased number of families in need of personal hygiene and household cleaning products.

Removal and Replacement of High Risk Trees: Remove high-risk/hazardous trees on the property of low-income families.  Replacement trees will be planted on the same property. This project was modeled after a successful 2008 Des Moines Neighborhood Resource Office and DNR pilot project.

Four Mile Water Shed Project:  Working in partnership with the Parks and Recreation Department. CSBG-ARRA will fund parks department employees who will restore the woodland buffer and convert turf areas into native plantings along a section of Four Mile Creek.  Enhancing the creek’s native plant communities will improve storm water runoff quality and reduce runoff volume. 

 

 

PREVIOUS COUNCIL ACTION(S):

 

Date:  March 9, 2009

 

Roll Call Number:  09-387

 

Action:              CSBG Contract (Community Action Plan) with Iowa Department of Human Rights for 2008-2009 CSBG Program Year.  (Council Communication No.  09-142) Moved by Vlassis to adopt.  Motion Carried 7-0.

 

 

BOARD/COMMISSION ACTION(S):

 

Date:  March 4, 2009

 

Roll Call Number:  N/A

 

Action:              Approval of the Iowa Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) FY 2009 CSBG American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) agency plan.

 

 

ANTICIPATED ACTIONS AND FUTURE COMMITMENTS: NONE

 

 

 

 

For more information on this and other agenda items, please call the City Clerk’s Office at 515-283-4209 or visit the Clerk’s Office on the second floor of City Hall, 400 Robert D. Ray Drive.  Council agendas are available to the public at the City Clerk’s Office on Thursday afternoon preceding Monday’s Council meeting. Citizens can also request to receive meeting notices and agendas by email by calling the Clerk’s Office or sending their request via email to cityclerk@dmgov.org.