Summary/Background:

The Town hosted three public hearings to garner citizen input on potential projects and staff has presented several projects to Council for consideration. The application is due June 22 2018.

Purpose and History of Community Development Block Grant

Program Objectives

Benefit principally low and moderate income families.
Aid in the prevention of slum or blight.
Meet urgent community development needs where an existing condition poses a threat to the health and welfare of the community and other financial resources are not available.
$10.00 million was available for the past fiscal year.

Eligible Applicants
All counties/incorporated municipalities except the cities of: Albuquerque, Las Cruces, Santa Fe, Farmington and Rio Rancho.
Water and mutual domestic associations may apply for a planning grant through their county; sanitation districts, public nonprofit groups, etc. cannot apply directly for assistance but may apply through an eligible municipality or county.
Indian Pueblos and tribes receive funding directly from HUD.

Eligible Activities/Categories
COMMUNITY INFRASTRUCTURE: Water and sewer systems; street improvements consisting of roads, streets, curbs, gutter, sidewalks, traffic control devices; municipal utilities.
HOUSING: Real property acquisition; rehabilitation; clearance; provision of public facilities to increase housing opportunities; code enforcement; historic preservation activities; a maximum of $65,000 in CDBG funds per home can be used on rehab/repair activities.
PUBLIC SERVICE CAPITAL OUTLAY: Community centers; senior citizen centers; community facilities designed to provide health, social, recreational and other services to residents.
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT: Assists communities in creating or retaining jobs for low and moderate income persons; creation or retention of businesses owned by community residents.
EMERGENCY: Addresses life threatening situations resulting from disasters or threats to health and safety; must have appropriate state agency concurrence; local resources must be non-existent or unavailable.
PLANNING: Grant assistance must be used for a comprehensive plan if there has not been a current or updated plan within the last five years; feasibility studies; base mapping, aerial photography, GIS systems; development of codes and ordinances; limit of $50,000.
COLONIAS: Communities must be within 150 miles of the U.S. - Mexico border and be designated by the county or municipality where it is located. The criteria necessary to qualify are lack of potable water supply, inadequate sewage system and lack of decent, safe, and sanitary housing.

Ineligible Activities
City halls or county courthouses; general operation and maintenance expenses of public facilities; ( the only exception is if Courthouses are not ADA compliant) housing allowance payments and mortgage subsidies; expenditures for political purposes; costs involved in preparing applications and securing funding.

Program Requirements
Must conduct at least one public hearing prior to selecting a project to advise citizens of estimated CDBG Funds available; types of project available; obtain recommendations regarding community development and housing needs. A minimum of three hearings is recommended. The Town of Taos held public hearings on November 14, 2017, December 12, 2017 and January 9, 2018.
51% LMI, Town of Taos is at 53%
Citizen participation must be encouraged with emphasis on low and moderate income persons by publishing public hearing notices in English and Spanish, and using other means such as media or posting flyers in an effort to reach the public.

Recommendations from the public are to be considered and the project is selected at an official regularly scheduled meeting of the governing body.
Each CDBG application must address at least one of the three national objectives: 1) activities must benefit low and moderate income persons 2) prevention of slum and blight 3) must meet urgent or life threatening community development need.

Application Requirements
Application requests may be up to $750,000 (Planning grants - $50,000). You may also submit a phased request.
Applicant must meet threshold requirements: Any grantee with one or more active grants in the infrastructure, public service, capital outlay categories, and Colonias projects, cannot apply for additional funding until the current project is fully closed.
Rural applicants (3,000 or less population) must provide a minimum 5% cash match; Non-Rural applicants must provide a 10% cash match.
Applicants may request a waiver of the matching requirements in the absence of local resources or apply for a loan to meet the matching requirement at appropriate interest rates.
Applications are scored by rating certain criteria such as description and need; benefit to low and moderate income persons; leveraging; citizen participation; planning; feasibility and readiness; user fees and revenues; and cost benefit. The Council also will take into consideration current economic situations, if the entity was funded last year and application presentation.

Current and Past CDBG Projects

Current

Youth & Family Center – Phase 2 Reconstruction Project – Skating Rink Roof, Lobby Roof and Pool Walls. Substantial completion met on September 27, 2017. Final completion was met on 12/6/17.

$1,000,000 Taos & Taos County Joint Project

$65,000 Legislative Appropriation

$100,000 Taos and Taos County Match
Don Fernando Economic Development Project – Remodel

$500,000 CDBG $568,000 Match by Batra Hospitality Group

Completion scheduled for early 2018.
Parks Master Plan - $50,000 CDBG Planning Grant

$5,000 Town of Taos Match

Past

2015 Youth & Family Center – Skating Rink East Wall and Pool Wall

$500,000 CDBG $50,000 Town of Taos Construction Match;

$21,583 Taos PER $2,457 – Taos Mold Inspection Report;

$9,061 Professional Services
2014 Chamisa Area Infrastructure Improvements – Phase 3 – Construction of Roadway

500,000 CDBG $160,000 Legislative Appropriation $63,000 Taos
2012 Chamisa Area Infrastructure Improvements Phase 2 – construction of roadway

$480,000 CDBG $170,375 Town of Taos 26.2% Town
2011 Chamisa Area Infrastructure Improvements Phase 1 – installation of utilities

$300,000 CDBG $103,299 Town of Taos 25.6% Town
2010 Reed and Alexander Road Improvements Phase 2 – paving

$500,000 CDBG $101,381 Town of Taos 16.9% Town
2009 Reed and Alexander Road Improvements Phase 1 – drainage

$430,300 CDBG $371,733 Town of Taos 46.3% Town
2005 Community Against Violence Expansion $500,000 CDBG $319,822 Town of Taos 39%