Council Considers Funding Requests for Public Services
Oct 19, 2022 12:00AM ● By Story by Shaunna BoydCITRUS HEIGHTS, CA (MPG) - At the October 13 meeting, the Citrus Heights City Council considered the 2023 allocations for Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The grant is used to fund capital projects and public service agencies, as well as cover the cost of administration.
Citrus Heights is expected to receive approximately $600,000 in CDBG funds for 2023, and the City must submit a Draft Action Plan and Funding Recommendation to HUD, outlining the plans for the grant. An estimated 20% of the funding will go to administration at $120,000 and $390,000 will be allocated to capital projects. The remaining $90,000 will be distributed to public services agencies in the community that applied for funding.
The proposed totals for the public services allocations for 2023 are $10,917 to Campus Life Connection for their Sayonara After-School Program, $11,655 to Meals on Wheels for their Senior Nutrition Program, $16,000 to Sacramento Self-Help Housing for Housing Counseling and the Homeless Navigator program, $22,524 to Sacramento Self-Help Housing for the Renters Helpline, and $28,904 to Sunrise Christian Food Ministry for the ongoing Emergency Food Closet. If the City receives more funding than currently estimated, the extra funding will be added into the public services allocations.
The proposed capital projects for CDBG funding would include citywide accessibility improvements, such as installing or repairing sidewalks and installing ADA-compliant pedestrian ramps, as well as relocating drainage inlets at various locations.
The City also has $270,960 in unexpended prior-year CDBG funds, which it was recommended be used to fund the City’s Critical Home Repair Grant Program to assist low-income homeowners with critical health and safety repairs.
Representatives from the public service agencies spoke during the public hearing for this item to describe their services and thank the Council for their support of these programs.
Council continued final action on this item until the October 27 meeting, when they will hold the final vote on the CDBG allocations.
The Council then considered a resolution to accept the 2022 Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Funds. The Bureau of Justice Assistance partners with the Bureau of Justice Statistics each year to allocate federal funding that can be used to augment public safety expenditures.
The Citrus Height Police Department (CHPD) applied for $23,593 in JAG funding in order to support the department’s equipment and training initiatives, by replacing outdated laptops in police vehicles. The funds will allow the CHPD to purchase five tablets for their police vehicles, which the department says will support their goal to provide exceptional police services to the community and enhance officer safety.
The Council voted unanimously to approve the 2022 JAG funding for the CHPD.
Council next considered amending the Citrus Heights Municipal Code to allow for the establishment of an underground utility district, which is a geographic area in which all overhead utilities are required to be installed underground and utility poles removed. Establishing an underground utility district is supported by the City’s General Plan, which suggests undergrounding of utilities whenever it is feasible and on all new commercial development of private property.
In 2013, undergrounding of overhead utilities was completed on Auburn Blvd. between Sylvan Corners and Rusch Community Park as part of Phase 1 of the Auburn Blvd. Complete Streets Project—the largest public works project that the City has undertaken. Now the City is finalizing plans for Phase 2 of the project, which will include undergrounding utilities on Auburn Blvd. between Rusch Park and the northern city limits. As part of that work, the existing utility providers are requiring the City to create an underground utility district to ensure all future utility installation along that corridor will be underground.
The current municipal code doesn’t prevent a new utility company from coming in later and setting up overhead installation, and the City wants to prevent that from happening. Underground utilities are preferred due the aesthetics of a clean corridor and providing more space for pedestrians on the sidewalks.
This item has no fiscal impact because it would only amend the code. But if approved, then staff will come back at a later meeting to recommend the creation of an underground utility district that would encompass public right-of-way areas in both Phase 1 and Phase 2 of the Auburn Blvd. Complete Streets Project.
Vice Mayor Tim Schaefer asked if this would create more responsibility for the City when it comes to utility repairs, but staff clarified that the utility companies would still be fully responsible for all repairs and maintenance.
Regina Cave of the General Services Department explained that this code amendment is required in order to move forward with undergrounding as part of the Auburn Blvd. Complete Streets Project. The existing utility companies are requiring that this district be created to protect their investment in this corridor, to ensure that no future utility company can come in and erect poles and overhead utilities along this public right-of-way. Creating this district “demonstrates to SMUD and the other utility companies that their investment would be in perpetuity,” said Cave.
Council voted unanimously to approve the amendment to the Municipal Code.