Multicultural Center Cp2 Grant Cty Extension
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MEMORANDUM
October 26, 2005
TO:
The Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
FROM:
Michael C. Van Milligen, City Manager
SUBJECT: Dubuque County Extension Community Partnership (cp2) Grant
Amendment
On June 6, 2005, the City Council approved a $43,731 Community Partnership (cp2)
grant for Dubuque County Extension to provide a multicultural center at 1340 White to
provide assistance, opportunities and resources for immigrant and diverse populations.
Participants have been reluctant to complete the income verification form due to their
immigrant status and many have discontinued attending the center. Housing and
Community Development Director David Harris is recommending an amendment to
allow service to a specific low and moderate income area and eliminate the individual
documentation requirement. The Community Development Advisory Commission has
voted to approve the change.
I concur with the recommendation and respectfully request Mayor and City Council
approval.
P1,J l:Yh!?iJ--
Michael C. Van Milligen
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Attachment
cc: Barry Lindahl, Corporation Counsel
Cindy Steinhauser, Assistant City Manager
David Harris, Housing and community Development Department Director
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MEMORANDUM
October 17, 2005
From:
MichaE\\\n Milligen, City Manager
David HiMis, Housing and Community Development Department
To:
Subject:
Dubuque County Extension Community Partnership (cp2)
Grant Amendment
INTRODUCTION
The purpose of this memorandum is to request the City Council's approval of the
attached resolution and amendment to the Dubuque County Extension Community
Partnership (cp2) grant for a multicultural center
BACKGROUND
The City Council approved a Community Partnership (cp2) grant for Dubuque County
Extension on June 6,2005 by Resolution 236-05. The $43,731 grant provided for a
multicultural center at 1340 White to provide assistance, opportunities and resources
for immigrant and diverse populations. The project is funded with Community
Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds and requires primarily low and moderate
income persons be served.
The Multicultural Center requires participants to document their income status by
completing an income verification form. Participants have been reluctant to complete
this form due to their immigrant status and have many have discontinued attending the
center. As stated in the attached letter, Dubuque County Extension is requesting an
amendment to the cp2 grant to allow service to a specific low and moderate income
area as defined by the attached map. This will eliminate the individual documentation
while also meeting the required benefits to low and moderate income persons as
required by CDBG regulations. The Community Development Advisory Commission
voted to approve the change at their meeting on October 12, 2005.
RECOMMENDATIONS
I recommend that the City Council approve the attached resolution and amendment to
the cp2 agreement with Dubuque County Extension for the multicultural Center. The
amendment will provide for a defined service area. The other sections of the original
agreement will remain in force.
ACTION STEP
The action step for the City Council is to approve the attached resolution amendment
and authorize the Mayor to sign on behalf of the City.
Prepared by Aggie Tauke, Community Development Specialist
F:IUsersIA T AUKEICP2\Dub County Ex! cp2 amend.merno.doc
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RESOLUTION NO. 496-05
APPROVING AN AMENDMENT TO THE COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP (cp2) GRANT
AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF DUBUQUE, IOWA AND DUBUQUE COUNTY
EXTENSION FOR THE MULTICULTURAL CENTER
Whereas, the City of Dubuque, Iowa (Recipient) awarded Dubuque County
Extension (Subrecipient) $43,731 in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds
for the Multicultural Center for Fiscal Year 2006 beginning July 5, 2005 and ending June
30,2006 pursuant to the Community Partnership (cp2) Grant Agreement (the Agreement);
and
Whereas, the Recipient has requested an Amendment to the Agreement to allow a
defined program service area; and
Whereas, the City Council has determined that the Amendment, a copy of which is
attached hereto, is in the best interests of the City of Dubuque.
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCil OF THE CITY OF
DUBUQUE, AS FOllOWS:
1. The Amendment to the Agreement is hereby approved.
2. The Mayor is hereby authorized and directed to execute the Amendment on
behalf of the City of Dubuque.
Dated this 7'h day of November, 2005.
Terrance M. Duggan, Mayor
Attest:
Jeanne F. Schneider, City Clerk
AMENDMENT
TO
THE COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP (cp2) GRANT AGREEMENT
BETWEEN
THE CITY OF DUBUQUE. IOWA
AND
DUBUQUE COUNTY EXTENSION
FOR THE
MULTICULTURAL CENTER
This Amendment to the Community Partnership (cp2) Grant Agreement, dated for
reference purposes the _ day of November, 2005, is entered into by and between the
City of Dubuque, Iowa (Recipient) and Dubuque County Extension (Subrecipient).
Whereas, Recipient awarded Subrecipient $43,731 in Community Development
Block Grant (CDBG) funds for the Multicultural Center for Fiscal Year 2006 beginning July
5, 2005 and ending June 30,2006 pursuant to the Community Partnership (cp2) Grant
Agreement (the Agreement); and
Whereas, the Recipient has requested an amendment to the Agreement to allow a
defined program service area.
NOW THEREFORE, in consideration of the terms of the mutual agreements
hereinafter set forth, the parties agree as follows;
1. Section II of the Agreement, NATIONAL OBJECTIVE, is hereby repealed and a
new Section II is hereby adopted as follows:
"The Subrecipient certifies that the activities carried out with funds provided
under this Agreement will meet the CDBG program's National Objectives:
570.208(a) (1) Area Benefit activities: An activity, the benefits
of which are available to all the residents in a particular area,
where at least 51 percent of the residents are low-end
moderate- income persons."
2. All other terms and conditions of the Agreement shall remain in full force and
effect.
ATTEST:
eanne F. Schneider, City Clerk
DUBUQUE COUNTY EXTENSION
Mary Sue Green, Chairperson
F:\Users\ATAUKE\CP2\DUb County ElItension cp2 arnendmenl: {7J.doc
IOWA STATE UNIVERSIlY
University Extension
Dubuque Count~. r,tensillll
14858 West Ridge Lane, Suite 2
Dubuque, Iowa 52003-8466
Phone 563-583-6496; Fax 563-583-4844
www.e.xtension.iaSlllte.c:dWdubuquc'
October 4, 2005
Community Development Advisory Commission
c/o Housing & Community Development
1805 Central Ave.
Dubuque, IA 52001
Dear Commission,
We are writing today to your commission to request that a very small piece of our CB2
Partnership Grant contract with the city be revised. We are the Multi-Cultural Family
Center, a project of the Dubuque County Extension oflowa State University.
We have found difficulty in having participants at the center willing to fill out the Income
Verification Form, required in our contract, and signing it. We believe that the reasoning
behind this has to do with fear that they could be put into ajeopardizing situation due to
their status here in this community or in this country. Many of the participants at the
center are Hispanic and are often not legally residing in the US. Signing their name to
what can easily be perceived as an official document by them, understandably gives them
this perception of jeopardy. We have had persons come to the center that are definitely
excited by what the facility, the first of its kind in Dubuque, has to offer. However, once
they are asked to provide information about their households and their incomes, and then
to sign these papers, they lose interest and do not return.
We opened the doors of the center so as to provide some basic services to a community in
the City of Dubuque that were otherwise, often being overlooked and ignored. We do
feel strongly that in order for us to carry on with the mission that has been put before us,
we must find some resolution to this issue.
During a meeting with the Community Development Specialist, Aggie Tauke and David
Harris, also of the Housing & Community Development office, this issue was openly
discussed, with suggestions on how to work with the given situation. The following was
graciously suggested by Ms. Tauke and Mr. Harris:
In order to avoid the issue of persons having to sign their names to a form, we could ask
for a change in our contract with the city in regards to our CB2 Partnership Grant. That
revision would change our 'boundaries' of service to a set area within Dubuque -that
map is provided here in. With the provision that at least 51 % of the persons residing
within those boundaries are 'low income', the organization ofHUD would not take
negative issue. We could then simply gather from a participant of the center their address
of residence as proof of income level.
According to the guidelines for such grants made by the US Dept. of Housing & Urban
Development (HUD), confidentiality is a very serious issue faced when trying to gather
information from participants in such programs. They write within their own
information; "People are more likely to provide honest answers if their answers are to
remain anonymous." This specific point is well taken by US here at the Multi-Cultural
Family Center, as well as the reasons behind it. We shall certainly remain diligent when
trying to gain information about the participants at the center, however, we hope that you
will agree with us that such a change in this specific policy will make the responsibility
on the center easier to manage and more comfortable for the participant and general
community.
Sincerely, , C-'
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Christopger Doyle L (j
Coordinator
Multi-Cultural Family Center
(A project oflbc Dubuque Country Extension
of Iowa State University)
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