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HomeMy WebLinkAbout04/04/2016 Work Session City of Springfield Work Session Meeting MINUTES OF THE WORK SESSION MEETING OF THE SPRINGFIELD CITY COUNCIL HELD MONDAY APRIL 4,2016 The City of Springfield Council met in a work session in the Jesse Maine Meeting Room, 225 Fifth Street, Springfield, Oregon,on Monday April 4,2016 at 6:30 p.m.,with Mayor Lundberg presiding. ATTENDANCE Present were Mayor Lundberg and Councilors Moore,Woodrow and Pishioneri.Also present were City Manager Gino Grimaldi,Assistant City Manager Jeff Towery, City Attorney Mary Bridget Smith,City Recorder Amy Sowa and members of the staff. Councilors VanGordon,Wylie and Ralston were absent(excused). 1. 2016 HOME Project Proposal. Erin Fifield,Community Development Analyst,presented the staff report on this item. The Eugene-Springfield HOME Consortium's 2016 Housing Request for Proposals(RFP)received four applications for affordable housing development and acquisition, one of which is in Springfield. This application was reviewed by an Evaluation Committee,which recommended the proposal for allocation. Springfield City Council is being asked for their approval of the project moving forward. The Intergovernmental Governing Board will make the final decisions for use of HOME funds based on the decisions of the Evaluation Committee and respective City Councils. Springfield has about$700,000 in HOME funds available to allocate. Through the 2016 HOME RFP, the Consortium received one proposal for a project in Springfield. This proposal was from St.Vincent de Paul to build 35 new affordable housing units at 10th and Main St,next to the Afiya apartments. St. Vincent de Paul is requesting$600,000 in HOME funds. Final approval will be made by the Governing Board on May 2. Councilor Pishioneri was pleased and felt this is just what this funding is for. It will remove an old building and replace it with new affordable housing.He is amazed at the amount of money St.Vincent DePaul is putting into the project.He likes the way it is put together. Councilor Moore asked where St.Vincent DePaul was getting the rest of the funding. Ms.Fifield said they applied for a large portion from the Oregon State Low-Income Housing Credit. They hope to find out if they have received that funding sometime this Fall. The City can contingently reward funds on the basis they receive those funds later. Councilor Moore asked if there would be support for the people affected by the removal of the old housing. Ms.Fifield said that was part of the proposal. Councilor Woodrow said she is thrilled with this project and the location.Not only is it close to the Afiya Building,but also makes that area more attractive having those two buildings side by side as you come into town. City of Springfield Council Work Session Minutes April 4,2016 Page 2 Mayor Lundberg asked if the $700,000 was money earmarked for Springfield. She asked if that would change next year. Ms.Fifield said they were still playing catch-up with past funds.Assuming we draw all of the $700,000 this year,we will start with new funds to feed into our future pot of funds. There were three other projects that came in for funds—two for acquisition of multi-family housing and one for new construction.Those are going through the same process of review by the Eugene City Council,and ultimately to the Governing Board. Mayor Lundberg said Springfield is creating more new affordable housing through this project. There is always concern that we don't create enough new affordable housing. She is happy to support this project to provide affordable housing at this location. Councilor Moore asked if these were funds set aside for the low-income housing in Glenwood. Ms.Fifield said they are the funds that were set aside for Glenwood Place.Based on the Housing and Community Services Agency's(HACSA)planned proposal for when they would need those funds, it is projected it would be Fall of 2017. If Springfield receives funds from Congress,we will be able to build those funds back up to give to HACSA. In the meantime,HUD's requirements meant we needed to award the funds now. Councilor Moore said Afiya is a wonderful building and she is pleased we are looking at having another nice housing facility. Mayor Lundberg said Bascom Village is also a HACSA project. She asked if they were done with their funding requests for that project. Terry McDonald,Executive Director from St.Vincent DePaul said all of the funding has been secured for both phases of Bascom. Mayor Lundberg said she wanted to make sure Springfield was in the pipeline for funding to go towards Glenwood Place. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 6:40 p.m. Minutes Recorder—Amy Sowa 2e Christine L.Lundberg Mayor Attest: _ Aid wx_ Amy Sowa City Recorder