#3 Authorize filing for a lead hazard control grant (File Res. #2011-809)
NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES MEMORANDUM
May 13, 2011
TO: City Council
FROM: Jennifer Petruzzello, Neighborhood Services Director
SUBJECT: Action on a proposed resolution authorizing the filing of an application, in
cooperation with the County of Rock, with the U.S. Department of Housing
and Urban Development for a Lead Hazard Control Grant.
(File Resolution #2011-809)
Summary:
In April of 2009, Rock County was awarded a lead hazard control grant of $1.1 million.
The City of Janesville is currently partnering with Rock County and the City of Beloit on
this grant. While this grant was originally estimated to fund lead hazard projects over a
three-year period, Janesville will complete its projects by September of 2011.
Rock County has approached both the City of Janesville and the City of Beloit about our
interest in submitting an application for additional grant funding under the U.S.
Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Healthy Homes and Lead
Hazard Control. If funding were awarded, it would be divided in equal amounts between
the three (3) agencies. If fully funded, the City would receive approximately $500,000
over 3 years to assist 30 dwelling units to become lead safe.
As part of the application, each agency must commit to a minimum amount of local
match. Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) revolving loan, CDBG entitlement
funds, Neighborhood Stabilization Funds, and the value of staff project coordination
time can be used as our portion of the match.
Funding would be available to reduce or eliminate lead hazards in income eligible rental
housing and owner occupied housing. Priority will be given to assist dwellings occupied
by children under six years of age with documented lead poisoning to protect them from
further lead exposure.
Department Recommendation
The Neighborhood Services Department recommends that the City Council approve File
Resolution #2011-809 authorizing the filing of an application, in cooperation with the
County of Rock, with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for a
Lead Hazard Control Grant.
City Manager Recommendation
The City Manager concurs with the Neighborhood Services Department
recommendation.
1
Suggested Motion
I move to approve File Resolution #2011-809 authoring the filing of an application, in
cooperation with the County of Rock, with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban
Development for a Lead Hazard Control Grant.
Request
Rock County has requested that the City of Janesville consider joining them in
submitting a grant application for funding from the Lead-Based Paint Hazard Control
Program. The City of Janesville would be a subgrantee of this application, meaning that
Rock County would serve as the lead agency.
Background/Analysis:
Lead-based paint is a significant problem in the United States and resulted in the
banning of lead from paint in the early 1970’s. By 1978, the supply of lead-based paint
had been exhausted and housing built after that date is considered to be lead-safe. In
the United States alone, nearly 1 million children under the age of six (6) have lead
levels in their blood high enough to impair their ability to think, concentrate and learn.
Lead can damage a child’s kidneys and central nervous system, and cause anemia,
coma, convulsions and even death.
In the City of Janesville there are approximately 15,000 housing units constructed prior
to 1978. In our housing rehabilitation programs, the City is required to identify the lead
hazards in a dwelling unit and take appropriate measures to mitigate the risks of lead
exposure. Unfortunately, the additional requirements and costs associated with
addressing the lead-based paint issue may make participating in the City’s housing
rehabilitation programs less attractive to low to moderate income property owners.
The City has successfully partnered with Rock County on two previous Lead-Based
Paint Hazard Control Grant Programs. The first two grants were awarded by HUD in
2006 and 2009 and resulted in a total of 2.2 million being allocated to Rock County, the
City of Beloit and the City of Janesville. In addition to the Lead Hazard Control Grants,
the City of Janesville has some additional history of partnering with Rock County and
the City of Beloit to receive federal grant funds. Most notable of these is the Rock
County HOME Consortium, which was formed for the purposes of receiving HOME
Investment Partnership Program funds on an annual basis. This Consortium has
allowed the cities of Janesville and Beloit, as well as Rock County to receive a
consistent source of funds to support our housing programs as opposed to competing
against each other for HOME funds awarded by the State of Wisconsin.
If this grant application is funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban
Development (HUD), funding would be available to the cities of Beloit and Janesville, as
well as Rock County to reduce the hazards of lead-based paint. The grant award would
be divided equally between the parties making 1/3 of the grant funds available to the
City of Janesville. If fully funded, the City would receive approximately $500,000 over 3
years to assist 30 dwelling units to become lead safe.
2
As part of the application, each agency must commit to a 15% local match. Community
Development Block Grant (CDBG) revolving loan, CDBG entitlement funds,
Neighborhood Stabilization Funds, and the value of staff project coordination time can
be used as our portion of the match. It is anticipated that 10% of the match will be
passed along to property owners through deferred loans, installment loans, and cash
contributions. The remaining 5% match is anticipated to be met through the value of
staff project coordination.
The timeframe for the expenditure of these grant funds is three (3) years. This program
would be available to both owner-occupied as well as rental properties. However, in
order to be eligible the housing unit must be occupied by low-moderate income family.
Priority will be given to households with a child under the age of six (6) with elevated
blood lead levels. Staff expects to work closely with the Rock County Health
Department in identifying properties containing a child with an elevated blood level of
lead. In order to encourage participation, grant funds from the Lead-Based Hazard
Control Grant Program will be structured as a deferred payment forgivable loan.
Participation in the Lead Hazard Reduction Grant Program would bring additional
financial resources to the City of Janesville to address lead hazards in our housing
stock, which will enable us to stretch our CDBG and HOME rehabilitation dollars further.
Housing staff is experienced in working to reduce lead hazards, and this program would
be administered in a similar manner as our current grant.
Addressing lead hazards is consistent with the Consolidated Plan and the 2011 Action
Plan, which outline actions to be taken to evaluate and reduce lead-based paint hazards
and integrate these actions into housing policies and programs.
The Community Development Authority reviewed this item at their May 11, 2011
meeting and unanimously voted to forward a positive recommendation to the City
Council in support of filling an application in cooperation with the County of Rock.
Attachments: Resolution #2011-809
cc: Eric Levitt, City Manager
Jay Winzenz, Assistant City Manager/Director of Administrative Services
3
RESOLUTION NO. 2011-809
A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE FILING OF AN APPLICATION IN
COOPERATION WITH THE COUNTY OF ROCK
WITH THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT
FOR A LEAD HAZARD CONTROL GRANT
WHEREAS
, the County of Rock has proposed to apply for a Lead Hazard Control
Grant from the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in the amount of
$1,500,000; and
WHEREAS,
housing built before 1978 is likely to have some level of lead paint hazards
and the City of Janesville has over 15,000 housing units built prior to 1978; and
WHEREAS,
lead hazard control work is required for all of the housing rehabilitation
programs offered by the City of Janesville and the receipt of Lead Hazard Control Grant
funds would supplement existing funding for housing rehabilitation activities; and
WHEREAS,
Rock County proposes that the City of Janesville enter into a cooperative
agreement including the division of labor and funds approximately one-third City of
Janesville, one-third City of Beloit, and one-third Rock County; and
WHEREAS,
a minimum of a 15% match of local funds is required for the grant and
Community Development Block Grant rehabilitation program funds are available and
may be used to meet the match requirement; and
WHEREAS
, the Common Council of the City of Janesville finds it is in the best interest
of the community to facilitate these preservation activities.
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED
by the Common Council of the City of
Janesville that it authorizes and directs the City Manager to participate in a cooperative
agreement for an application to the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban
Development, 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 Community Development Block Grant Program
Revolving Loan funds are hereby committed to meet the minimum match requirement of
10% of the City’s share of the Lead Hazard Control Grant funding.
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:
CouncilmemberAyeNayPassAbsent
Brunner
Dongarra-Adams
Eric J. Levitt, City Manager
Liebert
McDonald
ATTEST:
Rashkin
Steeber
Voskuil
Jean Ann Wulf, City Clerk-Treasurer
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
Wald Klimczyk, City Attorney
Proposed by: Community Development Authority
Prepared by: Neighborhood Services Director