CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The Clearlake City Council held the second public hearing Thursday in the process to develop an application for Community Development Block Grant funding.
City Manager Joan Phillipe said the state is requesting applications for eligible projects for an allocation of more than $28 million during the 2014-15 funding year.
The city will seek funding not to exceed $1,525,000, Phillipe said.
CDBG funds must benefit low-income households, either directly or through a community wide project. According to Phillipe, funds may also target the elimination of blight or meet an urgent community need.
The maximum grant allocation per application is $2 million. Phillipe said a number of restrictions apply to activities that qualify for the grants.
Categories include housing, public facilities, services and improvements. There is a limit to one activity per category, generally not to exceed three activities, she said.
Projects selected for the current round of funding include the following: Public Facilities application requests $1,425,000 for widening and rehabilitation of Phillips Avenue; Planning and Technical Assistance applications request not more than $70,000 for conducting a survey of city drainage facilities and integration into the city's Geographic Information System (GIS); and no more than $30,000 for master planning for physical development of Highlands Park and related park improvements.
Phillipe said the Department of Housing and Community Development, to which the applications are submitted, have concurred that the selected projects are eligible for the grant program.
She said if the application is not funded in this round, the city should consider applying for the next round of funding as bonus points are awarded for applying a second time consecutively.
In other business, the council discussed a request by Lake County Youth Services for use of the city-owned building adjacent to the youth center on Golf Avenue in Clearlake.
Ultimately, the item was continued to the next regular meeting. The item was continued to allow time for the testing of mold present in the building and determination of remediation if needed.
Additionally, public notification of the building's availability is needed to ensure fairness to other nonprofit agencies that may be interested in utilizing the building, according to Phillipe.
Phillipe said while the city has not marketed the building for rent, there has not been any other interest expressed in the use of the property.
Councilwoman Joyce Overton, who also serves as the volunteer director of Lake County Youth Services, said ideas for use of the building include technology type training, conference center for use by other nonprofit organizations such as Girl Scouts and Little League, and possibly a space for Public Education Government TV station business.
Lake County Youth Services Board member Mike Vandiver, a construction professional, said some technology programs will be aimed toward assisting high school-aged and older youth in areas such as heating/air and solar power.
“This will get them some technical training and skills for their future,” Vandiver said.
The building was leased to North Coast Opportunities about a year and a half ago, Phillipe said.
The property was leased for $1 per year with the organization being responsible for all repairs, maintenance and other associated costs of using the building, she explained.
However, Phillipe said the agreement was nullified when NCO felt the cost of renovating the building was too expensive.
Phillipe said the city's contract building inspector determined the following repairs necessary: mold testing and remediation, roof and dry rot replacement, foundation repair and other various replacement and repairs including sheetrock, windows, water heater, doors, interior painting and concrete sealing; insulation, electrical and plumbing, cabinet, stucco and exterior painting.
The contractor's estimated cost of repair is between $50,000 to $80,000, including contractor and personnel costs, Phillipe said.
Recognizing the need for extensive repairs, District 2 Supervisor Jeff Smith suggested the building itself be used as a technological training center.
Vandiver said he estimates cost for materials at just lower than $20,000.
Overton said several volunteers have committed to improving on the building, much in same fashion as was conducted on the youth center next door.
“The youth center building was in the same situation,” she said in reference to the building's former dilapidated state. “Now, it's valued at more than $200,000 at no cost to the city.”
Vandiver said he thinks it would take about six months to get “up and running.”
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