by David Dahlbacka in All Ages, Beat Reporter, Development and Zoning, Environment and Open Space, Events, Housing, Neighborhoods and Squares, Public Health & Safety, Seniors, Special
Posted on April 4, 2010 at 9:41 pm
Last Modified on July 5, 2010 at 9:23 pm
| April 8, 2010 | ||
| 6:30 pm |
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2010-2011 HUD Action Plan Public Hearing
Thurs. Apr. 8 6:30 PM
Ralph and Jenny Center
9 New Washington St.
Somerville MA
[Facility is near the corner of Inner Belt Rd. and New Washington St. (map)]
This is the public hearing on the HUD Action Plan for the Community Development Block Grant program, the Emergency Shelter Grant Program, and the HOME program. This is a followup to the public hearing February 18, 2010.
This hearing is important because it is a key step toward getting Federal money for improving Somerville.
Persons with disabilities can contact Carlene Campbell at 617-625-6600 x 2517 for accommodation.
For more information, see:
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Attended meeting. Was the only person present who was not a city employee. By mistake, the cameraman was upstairs at the Lions Club party. Remarked on the difficulty in finding the place. Presenter said it was difficult to find venues.
Presentations on use of funds for: (1) Park renovations. (2) Affordable and senior housing. (3) Economic preplanning, including land acquisition in Union Square, and Boynton Yards, Inner Belt, Assembly Square T-Stop planning. (4) Transportation and infrastructure.
Brownfields cleanup at Kiley Barrel in Union Square.
Mentioned Demolition by Neglect Ordinance, which allows city to intervene when the owner of a historic property neglects it.
Timeline
Public comment period 4/8/10 to 5/10/10.
Presentation for BOA approval 4/22/10.
Draft to HUD 5/10/10.
Full copy of 1 year action plan available on city web site. Comments by e-mail to BOBrien@somervillema.gov.
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David, thank you so much for Being There!
Your notes provide such a valuable witnessing.
BOA is given a mere 2 weeks to review this Plan, which is about how the city will spend HUD’s cash- an estimated total funding of $11,201,149. How is that reasonable for BOA members?
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The time available for BOA review is NOT reasonable. How does this compare with the time they are provided to review the overall City budget proposed by the Mayor?
Do either Dave or Eila know who determines these deadlines?
Eila, I appreciate you putting Dave’s findings back on the radar screen. I will commit to review the plan, and hopefully others who have not done so will do same.
Perhaps by week’s end, we could create a list on the blog (with the help of an outline- I know of no one who does it better than Eila) of the issues we should address when we submit comments.
If you’ve not done such a thing before, it can be surprisingly simple. It’s been helpful to me to think that the reader likely has no idea who I am, and doesn’t care. I found when hastily preparing my comments about proposed changes to Open Meeting regs that I needed only register my position. And, the issues are so simple- as they often are- that it is nearly certain that reason WILL NOT PREVAIL if we don’t inject some! (One source of helpful info RE questions about how/where public meeting details should be made public is any current dictionary; Microsoft Encarta lists numerous meanings of the word ‘post,’ and none of them mention bulletin boards-secure, weatherproof, accessibly placed, or otherwise. Instead, they’re about disseminating information.)It’s pathetic that public input can come down to telling elected (or otherwise) officials to read the dictionary.
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By the way, folks: what’s happening with this post, with meeting announcement, meeting report, and comments leading to action, is exactly what I envisioned happening with the Beat Reporter blog. The more, the merrier.
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Thanks, intrepid. This year, I’ll be focusing my comments on the city’s updated 2009 Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing, which should, by HUD regulations and intent, form a cohesive, accurate, comprehensive, and community-relevant basis for a response to the severe housing needs of disenfranchised populations in Somerville, and engage the city in a civil rights-based Affirmative Furthering of Fair Housing (AFFH) action plan.
last May I submitted these 4 ideas for my annual comments: http://www.slideshare.net/eilily/cdbgr-city-of-somerville-comments-may-2009-feldman
hope lots of residents submit comments this year!
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I see that there is a public comment period? I’ve never sent any comments always thinking it would be an exercise in futility. However, technically why is there a comment period, and what do public comments mean to the process?
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This one isn’t a complete exercise in futility, because the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) cares about a number of important civil rights and community development issues. If a citizen comment is sent in explicitly as a complaint, and is well organized with the requisite basis for investigation, HUD can examine the City’s use of these funds in detail.
Our comments, irregardless of whether they are supportive or concerned, are supposed to be included in the City’s Final Plan as sent to HUD.
You can learn more about the citizen participation plan and the types of issues that HUD is particularly concerned about at:
http://www.hud.gov/webcasts/archives/masterpresentation.ppt
Enjoy!
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Submitted comments, and placed online at:
http://www.slideshare.net/eilily/cdbg-complaint-for-somerville-ma-program-year-20102011
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