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HomeMy WebLinkAboutexhibit- citizen participation planCity of Miami Citizen Participation Plan The CITIZEN PARTICIPATION PLAN is designed to provide City of Miami residents the opportunity to be actively involved in the planning, implementation, and assessment of community needs to be addressed through the City's grant/loan programs funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The City's grant/loan programs are funded under the following HUD programs: Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), Emergency Shelter Grant (ESG), HOME Investment Partnerships Program (HOME), and Housing Opportunities for Persons With AIDS (HOPWA), and any resulting program income. The goal of the CITIZEN PARTICIPATION PLAN is to encourage public participation in developing strategies and plans of action to be utilized for the block grant programs, projects and activities. The focus of this plan is to: Increase public participation 4 Encourage a diverse representation of City of Miami residents, including minorities, non-English speaking persons, and persons with disabilities, in developing the City's five-year Consolidated Plan and annual Action Plan, amendments to the plan, and the Consolidated Annual Performance & Evaluation Report; Involve low- and moderate -income residents, especially those living in slum or blighted areas, and in areas where CDBG funds are proposed being utilized; Receive comments, views, suggestions or complaints from residents; Reduce public isolation from government The City of Miami is committed to seeking a strategy to encourage the fullest participation possible. Citizens are encouraged to participate by attending public hearings. City of Miami residents are therefore invited to help identify the most important housing and non -housing community development needs of low- and moderate -income persons. Residents are urged to give their input to help develop the five-year strategic Consolidated Plan to meet those needs, and the annual Action Plan to implement the Consolidated Plan. Residents are also encouraged to help assess the City's performance in meeting the most important needs of the City's low— and moderate -income residents. Opportunities for public comment will be provided throughout the development of the Consolidated Plan, annual Action Plan, amendments to such plans, and the Annual Performance & Evaluation Report (CAPER). The City's five-year strategic Consolidated Plan, which is updated yearly by the annual Action Plan, provides a combined planning and reporting document which presents goals and strategies developed as a result of this citizen involvement. 3 The City of Miami Department of Community Development is responsible for the development and implementation of the Citizen Participation Plan. Public comments are encouraged and welcomed in the development of the Citizen Participation Plan and during all phases of the development and implementation of the Consolidated Plan and annual Action Plan. Verbal comments may be made during scheduled public hearings before elected officials. Written comments may be submitted during the period preceding the public hearing, by following the instructions provided on the Notice of Public Hearing. The City of Miami shall consider any comments or views of citizens received in writing, or orally at the public hearings, in preparing the final Consolidated / annual Action Plan. A summary of these comments or views, and a summary of any comments or views not accepted and the reasons therefore, shall be attached to the final Consolidated Plan. PUBLIC HEARINGS Public Hearings will be the primary medium to facilitate citizen participation by providing opportunities for citizens to share their views verbally and to witness the decision - making process. Other than the additional settings for Public Hearings related to funding priorities for the HOPWA program which are described in the HOPWA section of this Plan, there will be three categories of public forums: 4, Neighborhood -level Public Hearings Public Hearings held before the City Commission Public Hearings held before the Housing and Commercial Loan Committee All location sites for Public Hearings will be accessible to persons with disabilities. Upon request or in the event that the City anticipates that a significant number of non -English- speaking persons will attend the public hearing, it shall take reasonable steps to arrange to have an interpreter present at the hearing. The City will also make reasonable efforts to make other special accommodations, as requested by citizens in response to the Notice of Public Hearing. Comments, suggestions, and views presented by residents at public hearings regarding use of funding will be documented. The City of Miami City Clerk's Office will be the official record keeper at each meeting and will prepare transcriptions upon request. An audio recording of a specific meeting may be obtained, for a fee, by calling the City Clerk's office at (305) 250-5360. The City of Miami Law Department will also be available at each meeting to provide assistance, as may be needed. The City of Miami's Citizen Participation Plan will provide for public hearings to be held at the neighborhood level at times and locations convenient to City residents to ensure the highest possible participation. Participation at the neighborhood level will, at the 4 minimum, consist of at least one (1) neighborhood public hearing in each of the City's five (5) Commission Districts. The primary purpose of the public hearing is to obtain public views and comments on local community needs. The Public Hearings will address housing and community development needs, including priority non -housing community development needs. The City of Miami Department of Community Development will be responsible for coordinating the neighborhood -level public hearings which will be presided over by the elected City Commissioner representing each District and/or his/her designee. Public hearings will be held during City Commission meetings to provide an opportunity to obtain citizen views concerning housing and community development needs for the preparation of the Consolidated Plan and annual Action Plan, as well as gathering citizen views regarding the proposed allocation of funds for social, economic development and general housing activities under the CDBG, ESG, HOME, and HOPWA programs. Public hearings will be held during Housing and Commercial Loan Committee meetings to encourage citizen comment regarding the allocation of funds to specific housing and commercial projects. ADVERTISING OF PUBLIC HEARINGS To inform citizens of the opportunity to participate by commenting verbally during public hearings and to encourage written comments during the period preceding the public hearing, a Notice of Public Hearing shall be published for each Public Hearing as follows: i. At least fourteen (14) days [ten (10) business days] before a scheduled public hearing, ii. In general circulation newspapers, including minority and non-English language newspapers as appropriate, iii. In the language(s) spoken by a representative section of the citizens impacted, iv. Consisting of the place, date, time, purpose of the hearing, how interested persons can receive more information about the material to be discussed and how to submit written comments during the period preceding the public hearing. v. In addition, each notice will include information on how to request special accommodations, including sign language translators, for persons with disabilities and those needing special accommodations. Requests for special accommodations 5 must be received by the City of Miami Department of Community Development at least three (3) business days prior to the Hearing. vi. For Neighborhood -level Public Hearings, the City will also make a reasonable effort to notify the impacted neighborhood(s) in the form of press releases and/or flyers. CITIZEN COMPLAINTS Any written complaint received from a citizen related to the Consolidated Plan, annual Action Plan, Consolidated Annual Performance & Evaluation Report or any Amendment to any of these plans, shall receive a written response from the City of Miami Department of Community Development within fifteen (15) working days from the date received. TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE Community Development staff will provide technical assistance to City residents to enable them to adequately and intelligently participate in the planning process and implementation of projects and activities. The Department will also provide technical assistance to groups representing low- and moderate -income individuals who request such assistance in developing proposals for funding assistance. Technical Assistance is provided as follows: i. Informational & Training Session(s) — At least one Training Session will be provided for interested persons, non-profit organizations and groups. The purpose of this session is to describe the allocation process and funding cycle, go into greater depth about available programs, instruct attendees on how to develop a complete, competitive application for funding assistance and to answer any questions. ii. Technical assistance to interested parties throughout the year — Community Development staff is available throughout the year to answer telephone inquires from persons interested in various programs funded through the City. INFORMATION ACCESSIBILITY Citizens, public agencies and all interested parties will have reasonable and timely access to information and records, when appropriate, throughout the developing process to allow for an open communication channel. The following documentation shall be made accessible: 6 <w Citizen Participation Plan p Consolidated & annual Action Plan, including the initial draft, final, and any amendments 4- Consolidated Annual Performance & Evaluation Report (CAPER) IP Public Hearing records The Consolidated Plan, annual Action Plan, CAPER, and Citizen Participation Plan are available for review at the Department of Community Development, located at 444 SW 2nd Avenue, 2nd Floor, Miami, FL 33130. Copies may be obtained for a fee. Audio recording of any Public Hearing may be obtained, for a fee, by calling the City Clerk's office at (305) 250-5360. Comments, questions, or suggestions may be directed, in writing, to The City of Miami Department of Community Development at 444 SW 2nd Avenue, 2nd Floor; Miami, FL. 33130. CITIZEN PARTICIPATION PLAN PROCESS Original Citizen Participation Plan Residents of the City of Miami are invited and encouraged to offer comments and suggestions for the development of the original Citizen Participation plan. Before the proposed Citizen Participation Plan is presented to the City Commission, information regarding the purpose of the plan and how to offer comments will be made available to citizens, public agencies, and other interested parties. Citizen comments received prior to the presentation of the proposed Plan shall be considered and incorporated into the proposed Plan, as appropriate. This information will be available in the following manner: i. At least thirty (30) days before the original Citizen Participation Plan is presented to the City Commission for approval, the City shall publish a Notice of Proposed Citizen Participation Plan (comment period) in general circulation newspapers, including minority and non -English -language newspapers where appropriate. ii. The notice will include a brief summary of the Plan, its purpose, the location of the plan for public viewing, the date the proposed Plan will be formally presented to the City Commission for approval, and information on how to offer comments. Substantial Amendments to the Citizen Participation Plan City of Miami residents will be provided with an opportunity to comment on substantial changes or amendments to the Citizen Participation Plan. Any substantial amendment to the Citizen Participation Plan shall be presented to the City Commission at a properly 7 noticed Public Hearing and shall be made available for public review during the notice (comment) period. Views of respondents that are received in writing before the hearing or orally at the hearing shall be available for consideration by the City Commission. Substantial changes are defined as: Any reduction in the amount of time by which citizens can respond to issues covered in the plan; and * Any change that would restrict or lessen the possibilities of citizen participation ensured in the plan. Changes required to comply with minimum HUD requirements shall not be considered substantial amendments, and therefore, will be incorporated administratively. CONSOLIDATED PLAN PROCESS Development of a five-year Needs Assessment and Strategy Once every five (5) years, the City Administration works with elected officials, community leaders, experts in specialty fields and citizens of Miami to develop a comprehensive five-year Consolidated Plan to define a cohesive strategy for the revitalization of the City's communities. As an important part of the process, Neighborhood -level Public Hearings will be held in each City Commission District to encourage citizen participation in identifying the greatest needs of the community and recommendations for long-term strategies to address these needs. These hearings will be conducted according to the section entitled "Public Hearings" and properly noticed according to the section entitled "Advertising of Public Hearings." Development of the five-year Consolidated Plan Following the Public Hearings, a draft of the five-year Consolidated Plan will be developed incorporating citizen comments and recommendations and shall include the information identified below. Residents of the City of Miami are encouraged to offer comments, concerns, complaints or suggestions either verbally or in writing, at any time during the Consolidated Plan process. Analysis of Need and Funding History Five -Year Community Revitalization Strategy (use of funds under each federal, state and local program) r Projected amount grant funds and program income, if available, funding source; Eligible program activities under each program; '- Some information in the draft Plan may not be available if requested while the document is in the preparation stage. 8 Submission of the five-year Consolidated Plan A Notice of Proposed Consolidated Plan will be issued to solicit public comment before the proposed five-year Consolidated Plan is presented for approval to the City Commission. The City of Miami shall consider comments or views of citizens received in writing or orally at the Public Hearings while preparing the five-year Consolidated Plan. A summary of these comments or views, and a summary of any comments or views not accepted and the reasons therefore, shall be attached to the final Consolidated Plan for submission to HUD. Information related to the proposed five-year Consolidated Plan will be available to citizens, public agencies, and other interested parties, including the purpose of the plan and how to offer comments. This notice will be released in the following manner: i. At least thirty (30) days before the Consolidated Plan is presented for approval by City Commission; ii. A Notice of Proposed Consolidated Plan (comment period) shall be published in general circulation newspapers, including minority and non-English language newspapers, as appropriate; iii. Included in the notice will be a brief summary of the Plan, its purpose, the location of the plan for public viewing, the date the proposed Plan will be presented for approval by the City Commission, and information on how to offer public comment. Following the thirty (30) day public review and comment period, a final version of the Consolidated Plan will be submitted to the City Commission for approval. All modifications and changes resulting from public comments or hearings will be reflected in the final Consolidated Plane. Upon approval by the City Commission, the Consolidated Plan shall be transmitted to the U.S. Department of HUD along with the approved funding applications and certifications. The final version of the plan will be available for public review at the Department of Community Development, located at 444 SW 2nd Avenue, 2 Floor; Miami, FL 33130. Amendments to the Consolidated Plan Following the submission of the five-year Consolidated Plan, the City of Miami will monitor the progress of each strategic objective in order to optimize the use of resources for the community. The Consolidated Plan may be amended for the following reasons: Changes in grant allocation for a particular program or activity Changes in the use of funds from one eligible program to another (i.e., from the Single Family Rehabilitation Program to the Homebuyer Assistance Program); Adding a program not previously described in the Consolidated Plan; 2 Comments or views that were not accepted, and the reasons therefore, will be attached to the final annual Action Plan, Amendment to the plan or Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report (CAPER). 9 Eliminating a program previously described in the Consolidated Plan. All of these actions require a Public Hearing before the City Commission or the Housing and Commercial Loan Committee. These hearings will be conducted according to the section entitled "Public Hearings" and public comment will be solicited in the following manner: i. At least thirty (30) days before the proposed Amendment to the Consolidated Plan is presented to the City Commission for approval; ii. A Notice of Proposed Amendment to the Consolidated Plan (comment period) will be published in general circulation newspapers, including minority and non-English language newspapers, as appropriate; iii. including a brief summary of the proposed amendment to the Consolidated Plan, its purpose, the location of the Amendment for public viewing, the date the proposed Amendment to the Consolidated Plan will be presented to the City Commission for approval, and information on how to offer comments. Citizen comments on the Amendment to the Consolidated Plan shall be considered and utilized to modify the Proposed Plan, as appropriate3. ANNUAL ACTION PLAN PROCESS Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) The process of developing each year's annual Action Plan begins when the City releases a Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) announcing the anticipated level of federal funding available for community development activities in the City. The NOFA invites input from citizens, public agencies and other interested parties regarding priorities for spending federal funds. Residents of the City of Miami are encouraged to offer comments, concerns, complaints or suggestions either verbally or in writing, at any time during the annual Action Plan process4. The NOFA will be released as follows: i. At least sixty (60) days before the deadline to submit applications for funding through a Request for Proposals (RFP); and ii. Published in general circulation newspapers, including minority and non-English language newspapers, as appropriate; and iii. Highlighting the anticipated level of federal funding available from various funding sources for community development activities in the City. 3 Comments or views that were not accepted, and the reasons therefore, will be attached to the final annual Action Plan, Amendment to the plan or Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report (CAPER). 4 Some information in the draft Plan may not be available if requested while the document is in the preparation stage. 10 Funding Policy and Priorities Neighborhood -level Public Hearings will be held in each City Commission District to encourage citizen participation in funding policy and determining priorities for spending federal funds in each District. These hearings will be conducted according to the section entitled "Public Hearings" and properly noticed according to the section entitled "Advertising of Public Hearings." Subsequent to the neighborhood -level hearings, a properly -noticed Public Hearing as part of the City Commission meeting during which funding policy and District priorities for spending federal funds will be approved. Funding of Proposals The City will release one or more Requests for Proposals (RFPs) based on the funding policy and priorities determined by the City Commission, inviting eligible applicants to submit specific proposals for the use of available federal funds. Technical Assistance will be provided in the form of at least one (1) Training Session to guide interested applicants through the application process, in accordance with the section entitled "Technical Assistance." The RFP will be released as follows: i. At least thirty (30) days before the deadline to submit applications; ii. Copies of the RFP application will be made available for pick-up or for download from the City website; and iii. Containing specific information on programs available for funding, applicant eligibility, program requirements and providing all required application forms, as well as providing information on how to submit the application and how the application will be rated; Proposals selected for funding recommendation will be presented to the City Commission or the Housing and Commercial Loan Committee for approval at a properly -noticed Public Hearing. Residents of the City are encouraged to make comments during the comment period according to the information provided in the Notice of Public Hearing and to attend the Public Hearing to provide verbal input. Citizen comments will be considered before a vote is taken on funding recommendations. Submission of the annual Action Plan The annual Action Plan is compiled from the funding policies, Commission District priorities and funded proposals previously approved by the City Commission or the Housing and Commercial Loan Committee. A Notice of proposed annual Action Plan is published as indicated below, announcing the availability of the Action Plan; how citizens, public agencies, and other interested parties can offer comments; and when the Action Plan will be presented to the City Commission for approval of submission to HUD. Citizen comments will be considered and used to modify the annual Action Plan, as appropriates. 5 Comments or views that were not accepted, and the reasons therefore, will be attached to the final annual Action Plan, Amendment to the plan or Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report (CAPER). 11 i. At least thirty (30) days prior to deadline for submission of the annual Action Plan to HUD; ii. A Notice of Proposed annual Action Plan (comment period) will be published in general circulation newspapers, including minority and non-English language newspapers where appropriate; iii. including a brief summary of the Plan, the location of the plan for public viewing, and information on how to offer comments. Amendments to the annual Action Plan Following the submission of the annual Action Plan to HUD, the City of Miami will monitor the progress of funded activities in order to optimize the use of community resources. The annual Action Plan may be amended for the following reasons: w Changes in grant allocation for a particular activity Changes in the use of funds from one eligible activity category to another (Le., from economic development to housing development); * Adding an activity not previously described in the annual Action Plan; Eliminating an activity previously described in the annual Action Plan. All of these actions require a Public Hearing before the City Commission or the Housing and Commercial Loan Committee. These hearings will be conducted according to the section entitled "Public Hearings" and properly noticed according to the section entitled "Advertising of Public Hearings." Public comment will be solicited and considered during the notice (comment) period as well as during the Public Hearing. On a quarterly basis, the City of Miami Department of Community Development will prepare an Amendment to the annual Action Plan, which summarizes the changes previously approved by the City Commission or the Housing and Commercial Loan Committee following a properly -noticed Public Hearings. A Notice of proposed Amendment to the annual Action Plan will be published as indicated below, announcing the availability of the proposed Amendment to the annual Action Plan; how citizens, public agencies, and other interested parties can offer comments; and when the Amendment will be presented to the City Commission for approval of submission to HUD i. At least fifteen (15) days before presentation to the City Commission; ii. Published in general circulation newspapers, including minority and non-English language newspapers, as appropriate; iii. Including the location(s) where the Amendment to the annual Action Plan will be available for public viewing, when it will be presented to the City Commission for approval, and how to offer comments. Citizen comments will be considered and used to modify the Amendment to the annual 12 Action Plan, as appropriates. The final Amendment will be presented to the City Commission for approval and submitted to HUD. ANNUAL PERFORMANCE & EVALUATION REPORT [CAPER] Each year, the City of Miami prepares a report for submission to HUD called the Consolidated Annual Performance & Evaluation Report (CAPER), The CAPER summarizes the accomplishments of the activities identified in the annual Action Plan and related Amendments. This report is due to HUD within seventy-five (75) days after end of each fiscal year for that year's activities. Citizen comments will be solicited as follows: i. A Notice of Public Hearing will be published announcing the completion of the CAPER; ii. In general circulation newspapers, including minority and non-English language newspapers, as appropriate; iii. Including information on the place, date and time of the public hearing, as well as the location where the CAPER will be available for public viewing and information on how to offer comments; iv. And also advising of a fifteen (15) day review period starting the day after the public hearing. Citizen comments on the CAPER shall be considered and incorporated into the final CAPERS for presentation to the City Commission for approval of submission to HUD. HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES FOR PERSONS WITH AIDS PROGRAM The City of Miami receives and administers Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA) funds for all of Miami -Dade County. Because the HOPWA program is county -wide, the City of Miami will schedule at least three (3) Neighborhood -level Public Hearings outside the City limits to solicit input and comments from residents of Miami - Dade County. These hearings, like the hearings held within the City limits for all federally funded City programs, will be conducted according to the section entitled "Public Hearings" and properly noticed according to the section entitled "Advertising of Public Hearings." Public comment will be solicited and considered during the notice (comment) period as c Comments or views that were not accepted, and the reasons therefore, will be attached to the final annual Action Plan, Amendment to the plan or Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report (CAPER) 13 well as during the Public Hearing. The Notice of Public Hearing will include an estimate of the grant and program income amount available for the program and eligible program activities that may be undertaken with these funds. The City of Miami Department of Community Development will provide at least one Training Session outside the City limits for interested persons, non-profit organizations and groups in Miami -Dade County relative to the planned use and utilization of HOPWA program funds in conjunction with the release of a Request for Proposals (RFP). In addition, the Department will provide Technical assistance to interested parties throughout the year on the HOPWA Program. 14