section 108, citizen participation

From: Laura McShane

Sent: Thursday, May 07, 2009 7:39 PM
To: 'McNamara, Nora'; TimFerris
Subject: RE: NRP et al

questions

I am assuming that NRP is making use of HUD Section 108 funding for this project. Please correct me if I am wrong.

--What is the procedural timeline for citizen participation?
--Is it similar to the Section 106 compliance process? Do participants need to sign up as consulting parties again?
--A number of residents in the affected area, especially Fern Court, speak English as a second language. Has there been an attempt made to explain the project to these residents. Has there been an attempt to identify all possible affected parties, especially the Riverside Cemetery Association?

From:

http://www.hud.gov/offices/cpd/communitydevelopment/programs/entitlement/index.cfm

Citizen Participation

A grantee must develop and follow a detailed plan which provides for, and encourages, citizen participation and which emphasizes participation by persons of low- or moderate-income, particularly residents of predominantly low- and moderate-income neighborhoods, slum or blighted areas, and areas in which the grantee proposes to use CDBG funds.

The plan must:

provide citizens with reasonable and timely access to local meetings, information, and records related to the grantee's proposed and actual use of funds;provide for public hearings to obtain citizen views and to respond to proposals and questions at all stages of the community development program, including at least the development of needs, the review of proposed activities, and review of program performance;provide for timely written answers to written complaints and grievances;and identify how the needs of non-English speaking residents will be met in the case of public hearings where a significant number of non-English speaking residents can be reasonably expected to participate.