The San Marcos City Council heard staff recommendations regarding the allocation of Community Development Block Grant funds, discussed adding four-hour parking spots to its downtown, approved funding for entrepreneurial startups and business assistance and approved the allocation of American Rescue Plan Act funding.
During the regular meeting Tuesday, Housing and Community Development Manager Carol Griffith informed council members about the amount and potential uses of CDBG funds. She said there is $712,899 in CDBG funds for housing, social services, public facilities, infrastructure, outlining projects for the 2023-2024 CDBG Action Plan.
Griffith reviewed the various applications and requests for this funding that the city has received. Griffith said a final council decision on funding the grants must be made no later than the council’s regular meeting scheduled for Aug. 1.
Griffith said that of the CDBG funds received from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, $499,000 must benefit people with low to moderate incomes, and that no more than $106,900 may be used for public services and no more than $142,500 may be used for administration or planning.
Griffith said Court-Appointed Special Advocates requested $60,000 for partial funding for staff and utilities, and that the city staff is recommending $35,000. Hays Caldwell Women's Center requested $48,161 to pay for a portion of staff salaries and to pay rent for families transitioning out of the shelter. Here the staff also recommended awarding $35,000. The Salvation Army requested $50,000 for emergency services which covers financial assistance for utilities, shelter, medicine, food clothing and transportation. Staff recommended a grant of $12,500. Society of Saint Vincent de Paul requested $20,000 for emergency services including bus tickets, emergency shelter, rent, medical costs and utility costs and staff recommended giving $12,500 and Greater San Marcos Youth Council requested $20,000 to reduce the waitlist and expand services to cover children from age six to 17 particularly through the National Family Support Network Program and staff recommended giving $11,900.
Griffith said for administrative costs Habitat for Humanity requested $21,500 for the Housing Counseling program and staff recommended no funding, Activity Delivery requested $58,550 for Housing Rehabilitation and staff recommended no funding and Homebuyers Assistance requested $100,800 for $12,000 per applicant, closing costs and up to half of down payments and staff recommended giving $96,000. “The counseling that is required for our homebuyers assistance program can be fulfilled through a free seminar offered by Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs, so the staff is not recommending funding the Habitat Housing Counseling Program. The committee was in favor of having more funding available for projects instead of funding staff activity delivery, so that’s also not recommended for funding. Staff noted that interest in the Homebuyers Assistance Program has picked up recently and the program is being marketed to attract a broader base of interest, so we feel like it might be a good investment next year,” Griffith said.
Mayor Jane Hughson made a clarifying statement regarding the ability of someone to be eligible for Habitat for Humanity Housing even if the Housing Counseling Program is no longer funded. “If you want to be a Habitat applicant at some point you’ve got to go through the counseling or the other equivalent [TDHCA free seminar],” Hughson said. “There’s still something to meet that requirement, so people can still apply for a habitat house.”
Griffith said for parks projects, $30,000 was requested for Capes Pond Park and staff recommended giving what was requested; $166,720 was requested for Haynes Street Pocket Park and staff recommended no funding; $176,593 was requested for Swift Memorial Park and staff recommended $84,137; and $253,362 was requested for Victory Gardens Park and staff recommended giving what was requested.
The council discussed, on the first of two readings, approval for adding some four-hour parking spots downtown, eliminating some two-hour parking spots. These spots will have the same operating hours as before: Monday to Friday ,8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
“I think this would be welcomed by some of our folks to have a little bit longer time period,” Hughson said. “Folks may have to walk an extra block or two.” Hughson said on city holidays, there will be no parking enforcement, so parking longer than the allotted four hours will not result in a ticket. Assistant City Manager Chase Stapp said that city staff can approve a waiver for these rules for special events, so that parking can extend beyond the allotted hours.
The council unanimously approved an addition to the Greater San Marcos Partnership that allows for startup and entrepreneurial business assistance through the Riparius Foundation for $250,000.
“I think this is a great step for our city to help entrepreneurs and show that we do have faith in these amazing citizens that have great ideas. I think this is a step in the right direction,” City Council Member Matthew Mendoza said.
The council approved the allocation of $3,398,070 of American Rescue Plan Act funds in a five to one vote with Council Member Alyssa Garza with the dissenting vote and one council member absent. Administrative Services Manager Hayden Migl said he will be giving a presentation on the findings of a homeless needs assessment at the next regularly scheduled city council meeting.
“We anticipate that homeless needs assessment will identify certain organizations or certain areas where additional resources would be beneficial, and that’s what we’re setting aside this funding for,” Migl said.
Garza said that she did not see eye to eye with all of the council members on how to use ARPA funding. “I understand the nature of government majority rules, and this council did not agree with my stance that we should use ARPA funding for more services that help meet our neighbors’ direct needs. I just wanted to put that on record ... What did rate poorly was overall economic health and economic development with just four out of ten positive ratings which is lower than the national average.
'Other communities funded violence prevention programs - really creative, and from what I can see, effective programs,” Garza said. “Time and time again we’re hearing that we need to focus on public safety and the increase in violent crime - alleged, unconfirmed crime. Yet we didn’t get any recommendations to use ARPA funding on anything that directly reduces violent crime.”
Migl said they were not approved for a grant to cover the establishment of a quiet zone for Uhland road, so ARPA funding would be used to achieve that. “I’ve got a problem with spending a million dollars out of this money for that and have all along, but here’s where we are,” Hughson said. Council Member Saul Gonzales said he was in favor of the establishment of the quiet zone. “There’s still plenty of young children in that area that are trying to sleep, and that train keeps going by and honking that horn,” Gonzales said.
Migl said there will be some additional funding to reallocate down the road. Migl said that allocating money to projects does not ensure that the government won’t take ARPA funds back, so time is of the essence. “By the end of next year, we need to have everything obligated which means that we either have a written agreement or a signed contract,” Migl said.
Garza made a motion to amend what was on the table.
“Well then my motion would be to strike it all [the Uhland Road quiet zone for $1,324,000], and leave the rest open for direct aid
