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COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT PROGRAM CITIZEN PARTICIPATION PLAN 2011 CONSOLIDATED PLAN Updated 1/04/2011 1 Introduction In accordance with Section 104(A) of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974, as amended, and 24 CFR Sections 91.105 and 570.302, the City of Lewiston has established the following Citizen Participation Plan for the development of HUD’s FY 2011 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program Action Plan. This will be year two of the 2010 Consolidated Plan. The Consolidated Plan is a planning document that outlines and guides CDBG expenditures for a five-year period. It is designed to be a collaborative process through which Lewiston establishes a unified vision for community development actions and strategies. It creates the opportunity for strategic planning and citizen participation to take place in a comprehensive context. The Consolidated Plan identifies specific courses of actions for revitalization. It builds on local assets and responds to the needs of the community. A strategic plan sets forth program goals, specific objectives, annual goals and benchmarks for measuring progress. The primary national goals of the CDBG program are to insure decent housing, a suitable living environment and expanded economic opportunities. The 2010 Consolidated Plan applies to CDBG expenditures in Federal fiscal years 2010-2014. As required by Federal regulations, the City of Lewiston appoints and convenes a CDBG Review Committee to assist it developing the specific goals and objectives both the 5-year Consolidated Plan and the annual Action Plans. Committee members are to be appointed by the Mayor to two year terms coinciding with the City’s fiscal year (July 1 - June 30). This seven-person Committee includes one Lewiston City Councilor, one representative from the Lewiston Planning Board, and one voting City Administration staff member. Of the 4 remaining members at least two citizens from the City’s CDBG Target Area (Census Tracts 201-204) and the remainder from the community at large. The Committee is staffed by the Economic and Community Development Department. The City of Lewiston is seeking and encourages the involvement of the public, nonprofit organizations, city and state agencies and other interested parties in the development of Lewiston’s FY2011 Action Plan. The City is especially interested in having citizens of low and moderate-income levels, and organizations that serve the needs of this population, participate in the process, since this is the demographic group to which CDBG funds are targeted. This Citizen Participation Plan is open for public review and comment until January 3, 2011. Comments will be considered and incorporated into the Citizen Participation Plan where feasible and appropriate. All comments will be recorded as part of the Action Plan document. The City Council is scheduled to consider this Citizen Participation Plan at their January 4, 2011 City Council Meeting. ---PAGE BREAK--- COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT PROGRAM CITIZEN PARTICIPATION PLAN 2011 CONSOLIDATED PLAN Updated 1/04/2011 2 1. Overview The City will be the lead organization developing the Year 2 Action Plan. Lewiston is fortunate to have an abundance of active and involved citizens and organizations focused on community and economic revitalization. The City seeks to engage these people and entities in the development of the Consolidated Plan through a number of public and one-on-one meetings. 2. Needs Assessment Through prior CDBG activity the City has established relationships with organizations that provide affordable housing and programs that serve people of low and moderate income, as well as organizations and individuals focused on economic development and the expansion of economic opportunity The City has and will continue to seek the participation of these organizations in identifying issues that need to be addressed and in developing strategies that address the national objectives of providing decent housing, a suitable living environment and expanded economic opportunity. These organizations may participate in public meetings and/or in one-on-one meetings with the City. Economic and Community Development staff will be in contact with these organizations via mail and phone to solicit their input and involvement. 3. Public Notice and Review It is the City’s goal to make the development of the Consolidated Plan and associated Action Plans a transparent process that involves all concerned parties. The City will issue press releases regarding the availability of draft and revised documents and of public meetings. Public meeting notices will be posted at City Hall and on the City’s web site, www.ci.lewiston.me.us The City will hold a series of public meetings for review and comment on the Action Plan. A schedule of these public meetings will be published in the local daily paper at least 10 days before the date of the first meeting and this schedule will be posted on the City’s website listed above. Any modifications to the schedule will also be published in advance. The draft documents will be available for review at the Economic and Community Development Office at City Hall, 27 Pine Street between the hours of 8:00 AM and 4:30 PM on weekdays. Following the final public meeting, there will be a 15-day public review and comment period prior to preliminary submission to the City Council. Following the submission to the City Council, there will be a 30-day public review and comment period. Final consideration and approval of the Action Plan by the City Council will occur after comments received during all public review and comment periods are incorporated into the document. ---PAGE BREAK--- COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT PROGRAM CITIZEN PARTICIPATION PLAN 2011 CONSOLIDATED PLAN 3 Updated 1/04/2011 4. City Council Action The Lewiston City Council is scheduled to take action on the acceptance of the Action Plan no later than May 3, 2011. The action is expected to take place during a regularly scheduled City Council Meeting. The action will be considered as a public hearing. Notice of the City Council meeting and public hearing on the Consolidated Plan and Action Plan will be provided in the local newspaper approximately 10 days before the hearing is to take place. 5. Coordination with Community Agencies The City will meet with representatives of persons of low and moderate income during the planning and development phase of the Action Plan, during the implementation period, and during the review of the success of the program in order to gain input and perspective. 6. Written Comments Comments should be mailed to: Economic and Community Development, Attn: Cathy Lekberg, City Hall, 27 Pine Street, Lewiston, Maine 04240, or e-mailed to [EMAIL REDACTED] . All comments submitted in writing to the Economic and Community Development Department will be filed. Prior to filing appropriate responses will be submitted by the Economic and Community Development Director or his/her designee. Accessibility to Those with Disabilities or Language Barriers 7. The City of Lewiston does not discriminate against or exclude individuals from its municipal facilities, and/or in the delivery of its programs, activities and services based on an individual person's ethnic origin, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age, physical or mental disability, veteran status, or inability to speak English. With proper notice the City will endeavor to accommodate the needs of those unable to participate in the process as designed. This policy includes but is not limited to providing translation services. For more information about this policy, contact or call Compliance Officer Mike Paradis at [PHONE REDACTED], (TTY) [PHONE REDACTED], or e-mail [EMAIL REDACTED]