Council Communication Office of the City Manager	Date	May 18, 2009
	Agenda Item No. 38 Roll Call No. 09- Communication No. 09-300 Submitted by: Larry Hulse, Community Development Director

AGENDA HEADING:

Approval of the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) Community Action Plan (application) for the 2010 CSBG Program Year.

SYNOPSIS:

Recommend Council approval of the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) Community Action Plan (application) made to the Iowa Department of Human Rights/ Division of Community Action Agencies for the City of Des Moines Community Services Program for low-income persons from October 1, 2009 to December 31, 2010.

FISCAL IMPACT:

Amount: $547,337 (revenues)

Funding Source: Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) through the Iowa Department of Human Rights/ Division of Community Action Agencies, deposited to the FY10 Operating Budget, Community Services Block Grants – SP027, CDD049900, CSBG2010001.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

CSBG provides funding for the City’s Community Action Agency with services delivered through the Community Development Department’s Community Services Division.  Services are delivered through the downtown office in the Armory Building and the Forest Avenue, Logan, Archie Brooks and Four Mile Community Services site offices.  CSBG funding is leveraged with the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), and United Way, which also provides funding to the City’s Community Action efforts. CSBG funds provide the necessary staff support so that 100% of funds from sources such as the city franchise fee and MidAmerican I-CARE funds can be used solely to assist households in maintaining heating and electrical service. In addition to the many other programs and services provided by the Community Services Division, CSBG funds also help support, in conjunction with donations and/or grants, the personal pantries at the Forest and Logan offices, the city’s holiday basket and garden projects, and assists households in maintaining heating and electrical service.

The Community Services Division operates as the Community Action Agency for the City of Des Moines. It is charged with providing services to the city's low-income families and trying to address and eliminate causes of poverty. The City became a public Community Action Agency (CAA) in 1977.

The origin of Community Action can be found in the signing of the federal Equal Opportunity Act in 1964. There are now 1,000 community action agencies in the U.S. The City of Des Moines is one of eighteen community action agencies serving Iowa.

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: May 6, 2009

Roll Call Number: N/A

Action: Neighborhood Revitalization Board (NRB) recommended approval of FY10 CSBG Community Action Plan (application).

ANTICIPATED ACTIONS AND FUTURE COMMITMENTS:

Approval of CSBG contract, if awarded.

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.