Fort Walton Beach Resolution — 2025-14 Adopting the Citizen Participation Plan for the Community Development Block Grant — reading text

the CPP to provide for and encourage public participation in the CDBG process. Consolidated Planning Process 5-Year Planning Process Every 5 years, the City will develop a new ConPlan. It is a five-year strategic plan prepared as required by 24 CFR Part 91 in order to continue to receive entitlement funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development ( HUD). It is the planning document that identifies needs and goals for community planning and development programs, and housing programs, during the designated five-year period. The plan is submitted to HUD on or before August 15 prior to the start of the first year of the new five-year period. It allows the City to apply for funding under the CDBG program. The City will hold at least one public hearing before developing the ConPlan to: Provide citizens, public agencies and interested parties with a forum for input on housing and community development needs and priorities as part of the preparation of the ConPlan; Discuss the amount of funding the City anticipates receiving from HUD for CDBG program that will benefit persons of low and moderate income; Examine the range of activities that may be implemented; 5  Give assurances of plans to minimize displacement of persons, assist any persons displaced, and specify the types and levels of assistance the City will make available (or require others to make available) to persons displaced, (even if no displacement is expected to occur); Advise when and how the City will make this information available. When developing the ConPlan, the City will provide opportunity for citizen input on needs and priorities by such means as focus group sessions, a public survey at community locations and/or via a website, and/or a request for input and comments on the City’s website, participation in community meetings, and by other means as feasible and appropriate. Prior to adopting the ConPlan, the City will make available to citizens, public agencies, and other interested parties’ information which includes the amount of assistance the City expects to receive including grant funds) and the range of activities that may be undertaken, including the estimated amount that will benefit persons of low and moderate income. Public Review and Comments: A notice of not less than thirty (30) day public review and comments period for the draft ConPlan document will be published in a newspaper of general circulation. The notice will also provide information on locations where copies of the entire proposed ConPlan report may be examined by the public. Annual Planning Process An AAP is prepared for each year of the five-year Consolidated Plan, and it specifies the amount of funding the City anticipates receiving from HUD, and related program income, under the CDBG program. It describes the activities/projects to be undertaken to address the needs and priorities identified in the ConPlan. An AAP is submitted to HUD on or before August 15 of each year and serves as the annual application for funding for the grant year that begins October 1st and ends September 30th. The annual planning process will largely follow the process established for the ConPlan, and it will include an initial public input, issuance of the Request for Applications/Notice of Funding Availability, selection of projects and activities to be funded in order to meet goals and objectives of the 5-year plan, drafting of the document, establishment of the public comment period, making the document available for review and comments, and public hearings. Public Review and Comments: A notice of not less than thirty (30) day public review and comments period for the draft AAP document will be published in a newspaper of general circulation. The notice will also provide information on locations where copies of the entire proposed AAP report may be examined by the public. Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report (CAPER) On an annual basis, the City will review and report on the progress it has made in carrying out its five- year ConPlan and AAP. The CAPER is an annual report that provides details on the City’s performance in the administration of funding provided under the CDBG program during the previous grant year and tracks progress made towards five-year goals established in the ConPlan. It describes how funds were actually used and the extent to which funds benefitted low and moderate-income persons. The CAPER is submitted within 90 days of the end of the grant year ( by December 30th), and it is the basis for an evaluation of annual accomplishments and progress towards goals established in the ConPlan. 6 The CAPER document includes a description of the resources made available, utilization of available resources, geographic distribution and location of funded projects, households and persons assisted including racial and ethnic status of persons assisted), actions taken to affirmatively further fair housing, and other actions indicated in the five-year ConPlan and the AAP. As required, the CAPER will be submitted to HUD within ninety (90) days after the close of the City’ s program year. Public Review and Comments: A notice of not less than fifteen ( 15) day public review and comments period for the draft CAPER document will be published in a newspaper of general circulation. The notice will also provide information on locations where copies of the entire proposed CAPER report may be examined by the public. Amendments to Consolidated Plan and Annual Action Plan Substantial Amendments Every amendment to the ConPlan and/or AAP must be defined as either a substantial or a minor amendment, based on the criteria listed below. Substantial amendments to the ConPlan must conform to 24 CFR 91.505. The City will consider the following changes to be substantial amendments to the ConPlan/AAP, and subject to the CPP process, in accordance with its CPP and 24 CFR 91.505. A substantial change is defined as one of the following occurrences: A change that adds a new priority; A change that adds a new activity; A change that cancels an activity that involves more than 50% of the activity's fiscal year’ s funding allocation; A change in the scope of an activity as it relates to beneficiaries, basic eligibility or changes in purpose/stated objectives of an activity. For a substantial amendment to the Five-Year ConPlan or AAP, a public notice shall be advertised which identifies the proposed substantial amendment and provide at least a 30-day comment period prior to the City Council meeting at which the substantial amendment will be considered. Minor Amendments Any revision not deemed to be a “ substantial amendment” may be considered a minor amendment. The City will consider the following changes to be minor amendments to the ConPlan and the AAP, and subject to the CCP, in accordance with its Citizen Participation Plan and 24 CFR 91.505. A minor amendment is defined as: A change that cancels an activity that involves less than 50% of the fiscal year’ s funding allocation. Minor amendments will not require public notices or submission to the City Council; however, these amendments must be submitted through IDIS and reviewed by HUD prior to completion of the CAPER. Minor amendments should first be incorporated into the Consolidated Plan and, subsequently, into the Annual Action Plan. 7  Public Notices, Comment Periods, and Hearings The public will be notified of the availability of documents and the opportunity to comment on the ConPlan, AAP, CAPER, and substantial amendments process as described in this section. Public Notices Upon publication of the CPP, the ConPlan, APP, the CAPER and any substantial amendments or revisions to these documents, a public notice with a summary of the proposed document will be published in a newspaper of general circulation. The summary will describe the contents and purpose of the document, the duration of the public comment period, and a list of the locations where the entire document may be examined. Comments for each proposed document will be accepted according to the timeframes described further in this document (Table 1). Summary of Notice, Comment and Hearing Timeliness Document Public Notice Public Comment Period Public Hearing Citizen Participation Plan Upon publication, will 30 Calendar Days prior to In conjunction with public contain the summary of the Public Hearing/Meeting hearing for Consolidated contents, purpose, Plan, publish notice duration of public online/in newspaper of comment period, list of general circulation locations where document is available CPP Amendments Upon publication, will 30 Calendar Days prior to Prior to implementing the contain the summary of the Public Hearing/Meeting substantial amendment, contents, purpose, may be held in conjunction duration of public with public hearings for the comment period, list of Annual Action Plan. locations where Publish notice online/in document is available newspaper of general circulation Consolidated Upon publication, will 30 Calendar Days prior to During the planning Plan/Annual Action Plan contain the summary of the Public Hearing/Meeting process to receive contents, purpose, comments on the housing duration of public and community comment period, and a development needs list of locations where identified at community document is available. meetings Will also include the During the development of amount of assistance, proposed activities expected, range of Publish notice online/in activities undertaken, newspaper of general estimated amount that circulation will benefit low/mod residents. Plan Amendments Upon publication, will 30 Calendar Days prior to Prior to implementing the contain the summary of the Public Hearing/Meeting substantial amendment, contents, purpose, may be held in conjunction duration of public with public hearings for the comment period, list of Annual Action Plan. locations