Jun 12, 2026 Neighborhood Services Advisory Board

[00:00:01]

OKAY. GOOD MORNING EVERYONE. I'M LETICIA REEVES, NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES DIVISION MANAGER.

[ CALL TO ORDER]

AND CHRISTY PAUL, OUR HOUSING COUNSELOR. OKAY.

I WILL CALL THIS MEETING TO ORDER. SO AT THIS MOMENT, I WOULD OPEN THIS UP FOR ANYONE TO SPEAK.

SEEING NO ONE. I'LL CLOSE THAT PORTION. AND NEXT ORDER OF BUSINESS IS TO APPROVE THE MINUTES FROM THE LAST MEETING.

[1. Minutes: Receive a Report, Hold a Discussion and Public Hearing, and Take Action on Approving the Minutes from the Regular Meeting Held on April 6, 2026.]

I'LL CLOSE IT AND OPEN IT FOR YOU GUYS. THIS DISCUSSION.

I MOVE APPROVAL. OKAY. A MOTION TO APPROVE A SECOND AND A SECOND FROM KELLY.

ROLL CALL PLEASE. BRITNEY. HERE. IS IT? WE'RE DOING OKAY.

BRITTANY. SORRY. KELLY. HERE. LAURA. PRESIDENT.

LAUREN. HERE. JULIE HERE. AND DAVID WALL HERE.

OH. AND WE HAVE KENNETH. APPROVE THE MINUTES.

YES. THIS IS THIS IS APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES.

SO IF YOU'LL JUST STATE ALL IN FAVOR. ALL IN FAVOR? YES. OKAY. SORRY. WE'LL DO IT AGAIN. OKAY. LET ME GET KENNETH IN HERE.

THANK YOU. KENNETH. WE'RE APPROVING THE MINUTES, SO YOU HAVE TO SAY APPROVE OR.

OKAY. BRITTANY. KELLY. APPROVE. LAURA. APPROVE.

LAUREN. JULIE. APPROVE. DAVID. APPROVE. ALL PASSED.

OKAY. ALL RIGHT. APPROVED OPENING FOR PUBLIC COMMENT IS OUR NEXT PART ON THE AGENDA.

SEEING NO ONE. I WILL CLOSE THIS AND MOVE ON TO OUR AGENDA ITEMS.

[2. Discussion: Nomination and possible election of Chairperson and Vice Chairperson for the Neighborhood Services Advisory Board.]

SO WE'LL START WITH THE CHAIRPERSON IF THERE ARE ANY NOMINATIONS OR VOLUNTEERS.

VOLUNTEER IF NO ONE ELSE HAS A BURNING DESIRE.

OKAY. JULIE. FOR CHAIRPERSON. ANY A MOTION TO APPROVE A MOTION AND A SECOND.

I SECOND. OKAY. ANY ACTUALLY BE FIRST A MOTION FOR FIRST, CORRECT.

KELLY. MOTION TO APPROVE. A MOTION TO APPROVE.

OKAY. ROLL CALL PLEASE. KENNETH. APPROVED. BRITNEY APPROVED.

KELLY APPROVED. LAURA APPROVED. LAUREN. APPROVED.

JULIE. OH, YOU DON'T VOTE ON THAT, DO YOU? DAVID? APPROVE. OKAY. ALL APPROVED. JULIE IS THE BOARD PRESIDENT OR CHAIRPERSON.

WELL, CONGRATULATIONS. JULIE WILSON, OUR CHAIRPERSON.

NOW WE'LL MOVE OVER TO VICE CHAIR. SO IF THERE'S ANY NOMINATIONS FOR VICE CHAIR.

OKAY. LAUREN A MOTION TO APPROVE. MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE.

OKAY. LAURA MAKE A MOTION SECOND. KENNETH. SECONDS.

ROLL CALL. BRITTANY. APPROVE. KELLY. APPROVE.

LAURA. APPROVE. LAUREN. JULIE. APPROVE. DAVID.

APPROVE. ALL RIGHT, SO LAUREN IS OUR VICE CHAIR.

THANK YOU, LADIES VERY MUCH. ALRIGHT. OUR NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS TO DISCUSS OUR FUNDING.

[3. Presentation: Receive a Report and Hold a Discussion on and make Recommendations on Community Development Block Grant CDBG and HOME Investment Funding Applications.]

WE ALSO HAVE TO TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION THE CONSOLIDATED PLANS, GOALS AND OBJECTIVES AND OUR FUNDING.

70% OF OUR FUNDING MUST BE USED TOWARDS THE LMI COMMUNITY.

SO THOSE ARE. HUD'S REQUIREMENTS. CITY COUNCIL POLICY STATES THAT ANY NONPROFITS, THEIR FUNDING BE USED TOWARDS CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS, SO WE DO NOT ASSIST WITH ADMIN.

OKAY. FIRST ITEM WOULD BE THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT.

WE HAD CONDEMNATION DEMOLITION. THEY ORIGINALLY APPLIED FOR 150,000, BUT SINCE WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY NONPROFITS, WE BUMPED THEIRS UP TO 200 000 WITH DIRECTOR APPROVAL.

OKAY. THAT WILL ALLOW FOR US TO FUND OUR CRITICAL REPAIR PROGRAM TO $306,788.

SO THAT PUTS US AT 506. 788 FOR CDBG FUNDING.

STAFF RECOMMENDS APPROVAL ON THIS. THE NEXT ITEM WOULD BE OUR HOME FUNDS.

WITH THIS, WE FUND OUR SINGLE FAMILY REHABILITATION AND FIRST TIME HOME BUYER.

THEY ARE IN ONE POT. SO OUT OF THAT 360,000 352 30,000 IS DESIGNATED FOR HOMEBUYER ASSISTANCE.

[00:05:10]

SO IF A HOMEBUYER APPLIES AND ARE GRANTED, THEY ARE ALLOWED TO GET UP TO $7,500 TOWARDS CLOSING COSTS AND DOWN PAYMENT.

SO IF WITH THIS BUDGET ON HOME, WE ARE ALLOWED, IF WE START RUNNING OUT OF MONEY IN HOMEBUYER, WE CAN BORROW FROM SINGLE FAMILY REHAB BECAUSE THEY ARE IN THE SAME AND PRETTY MUCH IN THE SAME POT, TO PUT IT IN OTHER WORDS. OKAY. SO THAT'S HOW THAT WORKS.

OUR SECOND IS HABITAT FOR HUMANITY. THEY ARE CONSIDERED OUR CHOTO, WHICH EVERY ENTITLEMENT CITY HAS, ONE WHICH CHOTO IS AN ACRONYM FOR COMMUNITY HOUSING DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATION, WHICH IS TO PROVIDE AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN YOUR COMMUNITY.

AND THEY AUTOMATICALLY GET 15% OF OUR ENTITLEMENT.

SO THAT PUTS THEM AT 72,070 FOR THE YEAR. NORMALLY WITH THAT, THEY PRODUCE FROM 2 TO 3 HOUSES.

THEY HAVE TO FOLLOW THE SAME CRITERIA, AS WELL AS BEING IN A NO FLOOD AND A LOW TO MOD INCOME AREA.

AND SO THAT'S USED TOWARDS SUPPLIES AND MATERIALS.

AND WITH THAT BRINGS THEIR FUNDING, OUR FUNDING REQUEST TO 402,000 FOR 22.

SO WHAT'S STAFF RECOMMENDS APPROVAL ON THIS. SO DO I HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FROM THE BOARD ON THESE.

SO THAT NUMBER IS JUST 2400 MORE THAN WAS ORIGINALLY REQUESTED.

RIGHT. YES. BECAUSE YOU HAD THAT EXTRA. YES, MA'AM.

THAT'S RIGHT. AND YOU SAID THE HABITAT. THAT'S AUTOMATIC.

YES. IT'S AN AUTOMATIC. THEY'VE HAD SOME STAFF TRANSITIONS.

SO I WAS SPEAKING EARLIER ABOUT SOME OF THEIR THINGS WERE MISSING ON THEIR APPLICATION, BUT HISTORICALLY THEY JUST AUTOMATICALLY GET THAT 72.

BUT THEY DO PROVIDE US WITH AN APPLICATION JUST TO SHOW, YOU KNOW HOW THEY'RE GOING TO ALLOCATE THAT MONEY TOWARDS THEIR PROGRAMS. AND YOU CAN BUILD A HOUSE FOR 125,000. NO, NO, BUT THEY DO USE A BOOTSTRAP.

SO THEY HAVE OTHER FUNDING SOURCES. SO THEY USE THEY TRY TO SPLIT THAT MONEY AT LEAST HALF.

SO SOMETIMES THEY DO ABOUT 30,000 ON EACH PROPERTY.

WILL THE AUTOMATIC FUNDING BE CONTINGENT UPON COMPLETION OF THE APPLICATION.

YES. YES I KNOW THEY'RE WORKING ON THAT NOW. I WAS WORKING WITH THE LADY YESTERDAY TO GET THE REST OF IT COMPLETED.

I NOTICED THAT THE DEMOLITION ALLOCATION INCREASED SUBSTANTIALLY.

COULD YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT. YES. $50,000 INCREASE.

YES. SEEING. AS WITH DEMOLITION, WE ASSIST THEM FROM RESIDENTIAL TO COMMERCIAL.

SO THAT'S WHERE A LOT OF THOSE FUNDS ARE BEING DRAWN DOWN.

WE'VE HAD AS LOW A DEMO BID, AS LOW AS 4000. AND LATELY THE LAST ONE I SEE THAT'S COMING UP IS 5000.

WHICH OF COURSE WOULD BE A COMMERCIAL. WE ALSO HAVE TO TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION THAT THERE COULD INVOLVE OTHER INSPECTORS AS FAR AS ASBESTOS THAT WE THEY HAVE TO HIRE.

AND WITH THAT, THEY HAVE TO COMPLETELY CLEAR THE LOT DEBRIS AND SO FORTH, AND PRETTY MUCH PREP IT FOR BUILD.

GREAT. I HAD ANOTHER QUESTION ON PAGE TEN OF THE DEMOLITION AND CONDEMNATION APPLICATION. IN FIGURE ONE, IT SAYS ON NUMBER EIGHT, THE PROPERTY OWNER IS INVOICED FOR THE COST OF CONTRACTOR DEMOLITION. SO CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT? I'M A LITTLE CONFUSED ABOUT IS THIS MONEY GOING TOWARDS THE DEMOLITION OR JUST THE INSPECTION OR BOTH? NO, THE WAY IT WORKS. OF COURSE THEY HAVE THEIR OWN BOARD.

THE BOARD GUIDES THEM UP UNTIL IF THEY'RE ABLE TO REPAIR IT OR NOT, AND THEN THEY PROCEED WITH DEMOLITION.

IF THAT OCCURS, THEN THEY COME TO US TO MAKE SURE THE PROPERTY IS ELIGIBLE TO BE CDBG FUNDED.

AND SO IN THAT CASE, WE MAKE SURE IT'S IN A LOW DEMAND AREA, NOT FLOOD.

AND WE MOVE FORWARD SO WE OR OUR CONTRACTORS DEMO IT.

THE HOMEOWNER IS INVOICED FOR THE BILL AND THEY HAVE THE OPTION TO SET UP PAYMENTS WITH ACCOUNTING OR PAY IT IF THEY ARE ABLE TO.

SO WE DO NOT TAKE OWNERSHIP. THE PROPERTY REMAINS IN THEIR NAME.

WE JUST HAVE A LIEN ON IT. SO. THAT MONEY ALSO GOES BACK INTO OUR FUND.

GOT IT. DID THEIR APPLICATION HAVE A BUDGET? HAVE I MISSED IT?

[00:10:05]

ARE YOU LOOKING FOR A MOTION ON THESE TWO NOW, OR DO YOU WANT TO? YES. WELL NOT YET. WELL, I WAS GOING TO GET YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED AND THEN, OF COURSE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.

THEREFORE, HOW MANY HOMES DO Y'ALL THINK DO Y'ALL HAVE THAT YOU KNOW NEED TO BE DEMOLISHED RIGHT NOW? RIGHT NOW. WELL, I KNOW THEY HAVE A LIST. I'M NOT AWARE OF HOW MANY THEY HAVE ON THAT LIST, BUT AS OF NOW WE HAVE COMPLETED EIGHT PROJECTS.

AND SO I KNOW WE STILL STILL HAVE FUNDING LEFT IN THEIR POT TO COMPLETE.

THE OTHER PART OF THAT, IF IT HELPS YOU UNDERSTAND, IS IF THEY ARE APPROVED AS FAR AS LOW MOD AREA AND NO FLOOD, WE STILL HAVE TO FOLLOW OUR HUD PROCESS TO DO AN ENVIRONMENTAL, WHICH SETS IT BACK ANOTHER 30 DAYS.

SO IF THEY HAVE AN EMERGENCY DEMO THAT CAN'T WAIT, THEY HAVE TO USE THE GENERAL FUND AND THEY CAN'T USE OURS.

SO OURS IS SOMETHING MORE. IT TAKES A LONGER PROCESS.

I MEAN, AS IT IS, THEY HAVE THEIR LONG PROCESS.

AND THEN YOU ADD THE ENVIRONMENTAL ON TOP OF THAT.

SO IF IT'S SOMETHING THAT'S THAT'S SOMETHING THAT CAN WAIT FOR THAT ENVIRONMENTAL TO CLEAR, THEN WE'LL DO THAT. IS THAT A LOCAL FIRM HERE THAT YOU USE.

WE USE OUR LOCAL CONTRACTORS THAT ARE ENVIRONMENTAL.

THE ENVIRONMENTAL THAT IS HANDLED BY OUR INSPECTOR.

HE'S NOT HERE TODAY, BUT HE SENDS OUT HE FILLS OUT ALL THE HUD FORMS, AND THEN HE HAS TO SEND LETTERS TO ALL THE TRIBES.

AND THAT'S WHERE IT BEGINS. THE 30 DAYS WAITING FOR ANY RESPONSE FROM THEM.

AND IF WE DO NOT HEAR ONE, THEN WE MOVE FORWARD.

SO, YES, AS SOON AS WE GET AN ADDRESS, HE'S ON IT.

HE'S PRETTY QUICK. I MEAN, I'M LOOKING AT THIS.

I SHOWED THAT THERE WERE 64 POTENTIAL HOUSEHOLDS THAT WOULD BE AFFECTED OR, OR THAT THESE FUNDS WOULD BE UTILIZED TOWARDS.

IS THAT CORRECT? FOR DEMO, IT POSSIBLY COULD.

IT'S JUST THE AMOUNT, RIGHT? AND SO THERE'S POTENTIAL FOR MORE.

BUT YES, IT'S JUST LATELY IT'S THOSE ARE IDENTIFIED HOUSEHOLDS THAT WOULD BENEFIT FROM THESE SERVICES.

YES. BECAUSE THEY, THEY DO HAVE PLENTY THAT, LIKE I SAID, HAVE POTENTIAL.

AND THEY DO GIVE THEM CHANCES WHEN THEY GO TO THE BOARD OF BUILDING STANDARDS TO TRY TO REMEDIATE AND WORK WITH THE HOMEOWNER TO BRING THIS TO REPAIR.

AND SO THEY START GETTING IT ON THE LIST FOR IF IT DOESN'T HAPPEN.

AND THEN WE DO, WE HAVE SOME THAT ARE READY TO GO ON OUR LIST.

AND THE HOMEOWNER HAS FOUND, YOU KNOW, A PURCHASER THAT'S GOING TO REBUILD OR SOMEONE THAT'S GOING TO TAKE OVER THE PROPERTY TO FLIP IT.

SO THESE ARE NOT ELECTIVE. NO, NO, THESE ARE PRETTY MUCH YES, FORCED FROM THE BOARD.

AND THEY ALSO DO EMERGENCY DEMOS AND FIRES AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE.

SO THOSE POP UP. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? OKAY. SEEING NONE, I WILL OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING FOR ANYONE TO SPEAK.

SEEING NO ONE, I WILL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING.

AND IF ANYONE WANTS TO MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE.

I'LL MAKE A MOTION. OKAY. KENNETH. SUMPTION. DAVID MAKES A SECOND.

OKAY. ROLL CALL. BRITTANY. APPROVE. KELLY. APPROVE.

SORRY, KENNETH. APPROVE. LAURA. APPROVE. LAUREN.

APPROVE. JOLINE. APPROVE. DAVID. APPROVED. APPROVED.

OKAY. OKAY. WITH THAT, THAT IS ALL WE HAVE FOR TODAY.

IT'S 1014, AND SO I'VE CALLED THIS NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES.

MEETING ADJOURNED. THANK YOU SO MUCH. HAVE A WONDERFUL WEEKEND.

HAVE.

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.