CC Minutes - 01/25/99 Mtg - Laserfiche WebLink

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the Eugene Water & Electric Board (EWEB) weatherization program. Development Division Grants Manager Linda Dawson replied that the organizations had informed the City that the EWEB program was limited to residential facilities. Mr. Meisner said he was concerned that the proposed reallocation of CDBG funds in the motion included a grant of $11,000 to Food for Lane County. He recalled that recent other grants had been made to the same organization and asked that full City support of programs be identified when grants are proposed. Ms. Nathanson said that she was pleased to note that the actions proposed in the motion included support for a comprehensive spectrum of affordable housing programs, a "housing ladder" including emergency shelter and assistance programs to home-ownership programs. Mr. Farr pointed out that the council decision to continue to support affordable housing programs was built on the volunteer and professional work of many dedicated individuals and groups in the community. He expressed appreciation to all who were involved. The motion to approve Consent Calendar Items E, F, G, H, and J was adopted unanimously, 7:0. Mr. Farr moved, seconded by Ms. Nathanson, that Item I on the Consent Calendar be approved. Ms. Taylor asked for a response to the Public Forum comment which had questioned the adequacy of public involvement in the process which had led to recommendations to approve funding for the Sheldon Village and Homeland Iow-income housing projects. John Van Landingham stated that he was chair of the Intergovernmental Housing Policy Board. He said there had been six public meetings of the board, and its subcommittees, where funding for the identified projects was discussed. He said that two errors had been made in the public notice process for the meetings. · No notice of the first meeting had appeared in The Register Guard. When the error was pointed out, the meeting was re-scheduled and held a second time. · An agenda and support material packet had not been sent to the individual who had raised concerns during the Public Forum. Mr Van Landingham explained that the errors had occurred because staffing of the Housing Policy Board and distribution of agenda material were being managed by the City of Springfield, which was not accustomed to the level of public involvement regularly expected in Eugene. Mr. Van Landingham pointed out that the individual who had raised concerns regarding the involvement of Iow-income persons in development of the recommendation had attended five of the six meetings of the Housing Policy Board and had regularly provided testimony, on one occasion extensive testimony. He also pointed out that two members of the Housing Policy Board who represented Iow-income persons had participated fully in its decisions. He said that, in his experience as an attorney with a practice dedicated to supporting the rights of Iow-income persons and the availability of affordable housing, he received few complaints about Iow-income MINUTES--Eugene City Council January 25, 1999 Page 4 7:30 p.m.