With City Commission approval, the City will be submitting a CDBG funding application for the public infrastructure project, the Main Street Enhancements. In addition, the City has the option to submit projects for public service. The funding for public service projects can be used to fund projects for non-profit organizations, but it is not a requirement that these projects be funded. The City published a Notice of Public Hearing on February 3, 2018 for a public meeting on the proposed City infrastructure project and soliciting proposals from non-profit organizations serving the residents of Oakland Park seeking to be funded through the CDBG Program.
Staff held a public hearing/workshop on February 13, 2018, to discuss the 44rd Year CDBG Program funding cycle and allocation of funding for both municipal and non-profit organization projects. Nonprofits were given the opportunity to discuss the application process, eligibility requirements and proposed projects. Citizens were given opportunity for input. At the meeting, staff presented their plans to apply for construction of the Main Street Enhancements for the 44rd Year funding.
Non-profit organizations certified as 501(c)(3) having projects which fall within HUD mandated guidelines (providing services to at least 51% low or moderate income clientele) may be granted a portion of the CDBG funding by the City Commission. Non-profit organizations previously submitting funding requests, as well as those requesting to be included were notified by an advertisement published by the City in the Sun-Sentinel on February 3, 2018. These efforts advised of the available CDBG funding and asked that proposals be submitted for the 44rd Year CDBG funding cycle.
The minimum CDBG allocation for each public service project is $15,000 per Broward County and no more than 15% of the total funding allocation, or $30,000 is available for the Public Service category. Due to the timing of the Notice of Funding and the grant application due date, the City will be submitting an amount of $30,000 for public service funding but not the specific applications. To give the nonprofits time to submit the application, their due date will be March 6, 2018. The applications will be presented to the City Commission for approval at the March 21, 2018 meeting. Upon notification of such award by the City, the City application, together with the two non-profit organization applications, will be submitted to Broward County for review and approval. Thereafter, the responsibility of reporting to the County lies with those organizations awarded grants. The Broward County Housing Finance & Community Development Division requires a resolution authorizing the submission of the 44rd Year application.
The City has engaged a consultant, Complex Systems Innovations, LLC, the same firm that evaluated the applications for City non profit funding, to evaluate the applications.