#4 Authorize filing for 2011 Community Challenge Grant (File Res. #2010-722)
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT
August 9, 2010
TO: City Council
FROM: Terry Nolan, Associate Planner
SUBJECT: Action on a proposed resolution authorizing the filing of an application
with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for a
Community Challenge Grant (File Resolution No. 2010-722).
______________________________________________________________________________
Summary
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), as part of its 2010
appropriations, has created a Sustainable Communities Initiative to improve regional
planning efforts that integrate housing and transportation decisions and increase the
capacity to improve land use and zoning. The Sustainable Communities Initiative includes
$40 million for Community Challenge Grants to foster reform and reduce barriers to
achieve affordable, economically vital, and sustainable communities. The program funds
activities like reform of zoning codes, ordinances, building standards, or other laws to
remove barriers and promote sustainable and mixed-use development and to overcome
the effects of impediments to fair housing choice. The Community Development
Department is requesting that the City Council authorize City Administration to submit a
grant request. Part of the grant will be used to rewrite Janesville’s zoning code and
subdivision ordinance to ensure consistency with the Comprehensive Plan, adopted in
2009. Updating the City’s zoning and subdivision ordinance is necessary to implement the
recommendations contained in the Comprehensive Plan. More specifically, updating the
zoning districts and zoning map to be consistent with the future land use categories and
their designations. This effort will align policies and recommendations of the Plan with City
of Janesville ordinances that regulate development. Additionally, the rewrite will create
well designed neighborhoods offering a variety of housing and mixed use development
and redevelopment.
As the other part of the project, the Neighborhood Services Department will perform an
Analysis of Impediments that affect the rights of fair housing choice. The Department of
Housing and Urban Development requires municipalities receiving funding for housing and
community development programs to make a strong commitment to affirmatively further fair
housing. As part of this commitment, Janesville is required to undertake fair housing
planning and maintain and update an Analysis of Impediments to fair housing. The
purpose of an Analysis of Impediments is to determine what, if any, impediments to fair
housing exist within the City and to provide an action plan for eliminating any impediments.
The analysis would involve an extensive review of Janesville’s ordinances, regulations,
and administrative policies, procedures, and practices; an assessment of how those laws
affect the location, availability, and accessibility of housing; an evaluation of conditions,
both public and private, affecting fair housing choice; and an assessment of the availability
of affordable, accessible housing in a range of unit sizes. The City’s current Analysis of
Impediments was completed in 2005. HUD encourages communities to update this
analysis every 5 years or more frequently, where necessary.
Completing the Analysis to Impediments to Fair Housing in conjunction with the zoning and
subdivision update will allow an opportunity for any recommendations to be immediately
incorporated within these documents.
The total estimated cost of the project is $136,000. The zoning code and subdivision
ordinance rewrite is estimated to cost $116,000, and the remaining $20,000 will be used to
perform the Analysis of Impediments to fair housing. A minimum 20% match is required for
the grant. If awarded, The City would contract with a private consultant to perform planning
activities, with Community Development Department staff providing $23,000 dollars of in-
kind labor through project oversight, outreach, data collection, and administration. The
Neighborhood Services Department would provide $4,000 dollars of in-kind labor through
data collection.
Staff Recommendation
Community Development Department Staff recommends that a motion to adopt File
Resolution No. 2010-722 be approved.
City Manager Recommendation
The City Manager supports the approval of resolution No. 2010-722
Suggested Motion
Motion to approve the filing of an application with the U.S. Department of Housing and
Urban Development for a Community Challenge Grant
cc: Eric Levitt, City Manager
Jacob J. Winzenz, Assistant City Manager/Director of Administrative Services
RESOLUTION NO. 2010-722
A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE FILING OF AN APPLICATION
WITH THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT
FOR A COMMUNITY CHALLENGE GRANT
WHEREAS
, the Community Development Department supports the action of the Common Council to apply
for HUD Community Challenge Grant monies from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
for a Community Challenge Grant to rewrite the Janesville zoning code and subdivision ordinance and to
perform an analysis of impediments that affect the right to fair housing;
WHEREAS
, The City Council supports the action of the Community Development Department to rewrite the
Janesville zoning code and subdivision ordinance in order to ensure consistency with the Comprehensive
Plan; and supports the action of the Neighborhood Services Department to perform an analysis of
impediments that affect the right to fair housing in order to affirmatively further fair housing;
WHEREAS
, the Common Council of the City of Janesville finds it is in the best interest of the community to
facilitate these policy activities.
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED
by the Common Council of the City of Janesville that it authorizes
and directs the City Manager to submit an application to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban
development for $108,800.00 including all certifications and that the City Manager is authorized to act in
connection with the application and to provide such additional information as may be required and to
administer the program in accordance with all applicable State and Federal regulations.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED,
that the City Manager, and his designees, are hereby authorized to
negotiate, draft, prepare, execute, file and modify such other documents, papers and agreements ancillary
and/or pertaining thereto and, from time to time, to take and/or make whatever other minor actions and/or
minor modifications to the above described agreements as the City Manager and/or his designee may deem
necessary and/or desirable to effectuate the purposes of such agreements and the intent of this resolution.
ADOPTED:
Motion by:
Second by:
APPROVED:
Councilmember Aye Nay Pass Absent
Brunner
McDonald
Eric J. Levitt, City Manager
Perrotto
Rashkin
ATTEST:
Steeber
Truman
Voskuil
Jean Ann Wulf, City Clerk-Treasurer
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
City Attorney, City Attorney
Proposed by: Community Development Department
Prepared by: Community Development Department