The City Council today will consider staff’s recommendation to establish a fiscal year 2024 funding commitment of $726,150 for the Community Development Department’s Human Services/Community Development Block Grant Program.
Staff also is recommending that councilmembers approve a proposed review process for applications from those seeking a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), provide direction to the Community Development and Human Services Committee (CDHSC) on funding criteria and priorities and approve an allocation method for approved applications.
They’re recommending two other things as well: that the council approve 5 percent of the Community Development Block Grant capital project grant awards be charged to cover staff’s time in delivering the projects; and authorize staff to solicit proposals for Human Services and CDBG grants for fiscal year 2024.
The council will meet at 2 p.m. at City Hall, 735 Anacapa St.
Staff noted in its report that this is an annual process in which the council reviews the priorities, criteria and process for allocation of Human Services and CDBG grant funds.
Pending council approval, a notice of funding availability will be disseminated, and applications for FY 2024 grants will be accepted Nov. 9 through Dec. 7.
Funding recommendations will be presented to the council by the CDHSC in late March.
Per the Finance Committee’s request on Aug. 23, the staff report outlines examples of alternatives to current Human Services funding allocation methods and highlights the effects those alternatives might have on the process and/or grantees.
The city of Santa Barbara has contracted with local agencies to provide essential human services for several decades. The federal government provided funds for this purpose through the Federal Revenue Sharing Program until it was eliminated in 1987.
After that, the council committed to continue funding the human service programs through the city’s General Fund. The Human Services Committee for the city of Santa Barbara was established by a council resolution, which states “the city encourages the provision of human services and continues to support such services in a variety of ways; as a funder of services provided by other non-city agencies and as a facilitator of services between the residents and service agencies.”
Every five years, the city surveys the community through consultants who produce a federally-required Needs Assessment. Results from this assessment are used to develop the city’s Consolidated Plan, which is required by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to receive federal entitlement funds.
The Consolidated Plan and reassessing needs every five years allow the city to adjust funding in response to changing service needs and to report measurable accomplishments to HUD.
In the FY 2022 grant cycle, a total of 47,135 people were served by the grants, of whom 66 percent were minorities, 94 percent were low- to moderate-income, 12 percent were homeless, 14 percent were individuals with a disability, 28 percent were youth ages 0–18 and 23 percent were seniors age 62+.
The data shows that a large amount of funding (43 percent) was awarded to homeless services; however, only 12 percent of the people in that Program Type were served, suggesting that directing more resources to difficult-to-serve populations may not always produce the desired results of serving more people.
On Aug. 31, staff sent a survey to currently funded agencies asking why it was important for their program to receive grant funding from the city. More than 90 percent of the respondents said they serve households with disproportionately greater needs than income, non-homeless special needs or non-housing community development needs.
And 73 percent said they would be requesting between $9,000–$40,000 in FY22.
Asked what the implications would be if funding were not available to their program, 85 percent said they would need to reduce or eliminate that program, service or level of staffing.
Asked if other agencies provide a similar service and what made their program different, 100 percent said their service is unique and serves a unique population.
In other business, the agenda consent calendar includes staff’s recommendation that the council give authorization for limited use of confidential sales tax data for development of the State Street Master Plan.
Staff wants the council to authorize the Finance Director to execute a confidentiality agreement in a form approved by the City Attorney, and to release confidential sales tax information to Strategic Economics, Inc., for use in development of the State Street Master Plan, provided that no individual taxpayer information be publicly released unless expressly authorized by law.
Strategic Economics, Inc., is a subconsultant of MIG, Inc., the firm awarded the State Street Master Plan consulting services contract by the council on July 26. Strategic Economics, Inc., has requested the city of Santa Barbara’s sales tax data for the years 2016 through 2022 in order to compare sales performance for State Street establishments by business type over time.
The group would compare State Street sales performance by business type against business performance on parallel streets, including Anacapa and Chapala, and on perpendicular streets; compare “downtown” State Street’s sales performance to other segments of State Street in the vicinity of La Cumbre Plaza; compare State Street sales performance by season (quarter); measure the number and types of establishments generating retail sales over time and by location; and prepare geospatial analyses of businesses by type, which would not require reporting sales performance.
Strategic Economics, Inc., has performed similar economic analysis for numerous taxing entities in California and is familiar with the laws governing use and release of taxpayer information, staff said. The subconsultant “understands the confidential nature of the city’s sales tax data and will aggregate data when reporting to the public to maintain confidentiality or report findings in qualitative terms,” staff said.
“No individual taxpayer information will be publicly disclosed except as expressly authorized by law. Strategic Economics, Inc., will sign a confidentiality agreement substantially in the form approved by the City Attorney before receiving any tax data.”
A copy of the agreement would be available for public review. Those interested should contact Tess Harris at StateStreetMasterPlan@SantaBarbaraCA.gov to request a copy.
The State Street Master Plan is a multi-year work effort aimed at revitalizing and reconceptualizing downtown Santa Barbara.
Staff noted that the cost to review the city of Santa Barbara’s sales tax data from 2016 to present is included in the existing MIG contract. There will be no impact to the General Fund as a result of releasing confidential sales tax information to Strategic Economics, Inc., staff said.
email: nhartstein@newspress.com
