Am I still a blogger? And other goings on

No posts in December? I am not sure I qualify as blogger any more, so I thought I would post some inside stuff in hopes of continuing my blogger credentials.

Here is the news as I know it.
My favorite Parks and Rec. Director has accepted an offer to head a new Parks department in Arizona- that has professional baseball spring training. So jealous, I love me some baseball. Svetz is a hard act to follow. I wish the City Manager well in finding a replacement. My top pick is Brian Daly, the current Assistant Director (I am not sure why, but I dont know their titles). Brian has been Svetz's right hand man for the past three years. Brian came from FFX County where he helped modernize the parks and recreation. Svetz's political savvy is impressive, Brian has been learning from him.

The CDBG task force has been reviewing applications for the CDBG/HOME funds (federal funds). We have a lot of applications most are very worthy of funding and again we have a reduced amount of money to work with. After this round of applications, the task force will review the RFPs for the Charlottesville Housing Fund, including presentations by the applicants. The task force particularly appreciates hearing the perspectives of the applicants, usually it makes our jobs easier, not more difficult.

More task force vetting

The CDBG task force is in the middle of reviewing RFPs and narrowing the field of proposals [pdf-quick guide to cdbg money/requirements] to a reasonable number. The task force has less than $400,000 to allocate. We have $1.7 million in requests. The hard work the members put in is dramatic but we have a commitment to balancing the interests of the taxpayer and the nonprofits serving truly needy people.

Some of the CAHIP money- the Charlottesville Housing Fund was recently allocated by our committee. A lot of that money went to Region 10 (Home First), AHIP (rehab), PHA (to maintain housing for disabled people) and Habitat for Humanity- along with some other smaller allocations. As Chair of the task force I believe Housing Fund applications should continue to flow through the CDBG task force (even if it is misnamed) for vetting. I prefer if staff/City Council arent the only people making the decisions. The members really check each other for conflicts and what is best for those served and the taxpayers. Besides Council always has the final say, why not allow an application process to continue?

City Council has the last word on this work- they will vote at their first March meeting. The final recommendations of the Task Force will be in the paperwork preceeding the meeting (we havent completed the recommendations yet).

Housing First

The housing money has been allocated for 2007. One decision the task force made was to partially fund Region Ten's proposal for the Housing First program. This program provides housing and intensive social work for dual diagnosed homeless folks. This article by Marc Fisher recently outlined the District's program. The project is innovative, cost saving and literally gets people into homes. This project is much cheaper than continually arresting or temporary detention in a mental health facility.

I hope the community will continue to support this program in the coming years either through housing money or other community investment. Region Ten is a under-funded but hard working organization that works with people virtually no other organization does- innovation and support is essential.

Last Council Meeting for Hamilton and Lynch

I am impressed with last night's council meeting, many things were accomplished.
1. CAHIP money allocated per the recommendations of the CDBG Task Force + the addition of a CAHIP staffer to watch over the outcomes and results for this money. 5-0 margin.
2. YMCA ground lease approved by a 3-2 margin.
3. EMS/fire recommendations of the Oversight Committee were adopted and moved forward by a 4-1 margin.
Other things happened too. Controverial and non-unanimous votes- really a great exercise in democracy last night and proves the point "reasonable people may differ".

I really appreciate Kevin and Kendra's voices on Council. While I wildly disagree with either one of them at any given moment, they were cool, calm and had honest debate (mostly with each other). I look forward to the new voices on the City Council in January, but I will miss these two.

This is better than last year

I am in the newspaper today! How fun. The local media has been very kind, this kind of press doesnt get old (and to my dad- they spelled my name right). The article discusses some of the recommendations the task force made for the housing fund created earlier this year. As I have stated, I am real proud of the work we did, it was tough but exciting to be part of the process.

This time last year I was laying sick in bed- how do I know this? Today was my second attempt to get into the Political Leadership program at Sorenson. I hope they tell me when I should stop applying- so far I have been encouraged to apply multiple times. The interview was so much better this year- first the interviews were done by two panels and only four people interviewed me, compared with what felt like 15 or more last year. I had a few advantages this year- I wasnt sick, I wasnt as nervous as last year and I had already had the experience of the interview.

The interviewers ask amazing and difficult questions. What would I change about the Democratic political system? If the Governor called and told me we had a $6 million dollar deficit that needed to be dealt with immediately-what would you recommend? What do I think about the decline in attorneys in the General Assembly and should the people who serve be paid more and/or have longer sessions? The first question was- why you and why now? As some know, my biggest weakness is the interview- in fact it is something I want to work on in Sorenson (if). I did enjoy the challenge of it and the interviewers werent trying to get me, like I felt last year :) which may have had something to do with my illness.

Format

I changed the way my blog looks and now I dont cringe everytime I look at it. Success.

Tonight the Task Force will be reviewing RFPs in public. We have never really had people come to our meetings, although they are open to the public. I have never felt pressure from any applicant before this money came under our watchful eye. In the CDBG process (federal money targeted to particular neighborhoods and activities), we are the experts on the applications, but it does have to go through the Planning Commission and Council for approval. Admittedly these expenditures are typically rubber-stamped. The primary reason for the rubber-stamping is the priorities are set early by Council, then we follow the priorities and the federal regulations on the CDBG funds.

This money is different- this is City affordable housing money, with definite priorities. However, the funding is limited and its not clear the money will be available to these same organizations on an ongoing basis (the City has a commitment to at least three years, maybe five years). The task force (I dont speak for them all) acutely see this as 'our' taxpayer money to be spent exceptionally carefully to most effectively combat the affordable housing problems in our City.

I always say the CDBG task force is the best board in the City. The board is diverse on many different levels, thoughtful, engaged, respectful, and unapologetic in its critiques of these RFPs. I understand Council may override all the decisions we make in this RFP process. I look forward to this layer of transparency on the process for the community to see not only our hard work, but the wonderful organizations in our City trying to make a difference.