WEBVTT

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Good evening. Evelyn, could you please give the invocation this evening?

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They Heavenly Father, we bless your holy and matchless name during this City Council meeting.

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Father, every part of this agenda we give to you to make known what is beneficial for

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the City of Freeport now and in the future.

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Let no one place anything before this council that you have not approved of for all the

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people of the city.

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Philippians 2.3 says, be free from pride-filled opinions, for they will only harm your cherished

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unity.

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Don't allow self-promotion to hide in your hearts, but in authentic humility, put others

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and

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other members of the board.

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Father, we lose wisdom in your governmental authority to every Councilmember to hear what is needed.

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Let every member understand that you have the final say when you are invited to be a part of these meetings.

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And we close the door to every negative negotiation, every negative thought. We ask it all in your son Jesus Christ's name. Amen.

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Thank you Evelyn. Now we'll officially call this meeting to order. Madam Kirk, would you please take the roll?

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Mayor Miller? Here.

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Alderpersons, Klemm? Here.

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Monroe is absent. Simmons? Here.

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Parker? Here.

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Stacy? Here.

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Shadle? Here.

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Sanders? Here.

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and Sellers.

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And it has come to my attention that Alderman Sanders is

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passing his chair tonight to Alderman Stacey.

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So if you could please stand for the Pledge of Allegiance, led

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by Alderman Stacey.

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I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America

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and to the republic for which it stands, one nation,

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Under God, Indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

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Go ahead Alderman Stacy.

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Okay, so next we have the approval for agenda,

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but before that happens, we wanna make note of the dot

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under number eight, we'll be moving up to number seven.

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do we have a motion for approval just to clarify that you're moving the dot

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actually up to right after number seven okay just to clarify do we have an

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Approval for the Agenda. So moved. Second. Do we need a vote? Do we need a vote? No, all those in favor is fine. All those in favor? Aye. Aye. Nay by the same. I'm so sorry I missed the motion in the second. Shadle first, Sellers second. Thank you.

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Okay. Approval of minutes from the Committee of the Whole meeting held on November 12th, 2024.

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So moved.

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Second.

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We have motion by Shadle, second by Parker. All in favor?

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Aye.

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Opposed?

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Motion passes.

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Okay, we have two public comments, first being Joshua Atkinson.

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Thank you Chair, Mayor Miller, City Council, my name is Joshua Atkinson, I just keep this

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I wanted to talk about item number 8, the grant money going to 1010 South Adams.

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I've been talking to a number of people over the past couple weeks, and it seems like that the property owners on this one, they own a total of 8 properties in Freeport.

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Some are houses, some are vacant lots, but they also listed on their application that they were landlords.

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and

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Mr.

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Dixie.

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So, then the question got raised of whether or not they were part of the landlord registry.

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That's been taking up a lot of conversation over the past couple of weeks here.

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And it has been said that they are not registered.

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So, they've had these properties.

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They have not registered to be landlords in town, which opens them up to owing the city fine dollars if we were to be

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because they listed on their application that that was their business.

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That's who they are.

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So, you know, that's just one more thing that kind of raises a red flag with this particular grant placement.

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Thank you.

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Okay, and the second one we have is Rhonda Scott.

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Good evening. I'd like to address the grant issue for 1010 Adams as well.

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We have received about a half a million dollars in grants, giving the City Council an opportunity,

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a big opportunity to decide how the best use of this money could overcome the city's many

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challenges with blighted income, low income neighborhoods.

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We have a problem with this one specific property because there's a question about whether this

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individual is actually low income.

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Now it is a requirement that community development rehab grants go to help low income, elderly,

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and disabled people correct unsafe and unsanitary conditions in blighted neighborhoods with

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their homes.

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But before income is even determined, there has to be a project or a purpose for those

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funds.

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So you don't just throw it out there with applications and let people apply and you

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and I.

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The project would likely be we're going to improve the corridor on Adams Street and we're

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going to fix up all the houses that are a major eyesore on there so that when you're

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driving into Freeport, you don't have the impression, gee, I wouldn't want to live

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here.

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So we need a purpose and the Community Development Block Grant has been established since 1974

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to eliminate conditions of blight and correct unsafe and unsanitary conditions to benefit

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the low to middle income community.

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The project for these funds is determined by the Freeport Community Development, the

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City Council, and public input.

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Adams Street is the current project.

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I mean, I don't know what you've identified as the current project, but that's what we're

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going for.

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And then there are the best practice guidelines put out by the HUD Grant Assistance Program

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so that when we get a grant we can figure out how do you use the funds.

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They're suggesting that you prioritize the greatest needs to ensure community challenges

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are met.

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Then you have grant oversight and transparency to prevent fraud.

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Reducing administrative costs is to ensure that the money is used efficiently and makes

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Hicks, the greatest improvement to benefit the low income community.

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Somehow a house in very good condition was offered an application which doesn't help

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the city achieve its goal.

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Apparently no one took the time to identify which houses were contributing to blight and

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let the process be based on income alone, which is only one step in the process and

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it is not the first step.

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My point here is that if we are ever going to expect to make improvements in this community,

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we have to prioritize the homes that actually need repairs and be transparent and submit

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photos to City Council before asking us to approve funding.

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Thank you.

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Okay, next we will have discussion regarding potential redevelopment agreement for 521

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West Cottonwood Street, presented by Joel Fredenberg, Fredenberg, thank you.

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Joel, do you mind if I just give a little intro?

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You mind if I just give a little introduction here? Yeah, appreciate that Joel. The Region 1 Planning Council works with the City of Freeport on the Northern Illinois Land Bank and so it's been a while since we've done a land bank property in Freeport. It's a really exciting program and so instead of coming next week with a resolution for an agreement, I really wanted to bring Joel from Region 1. He's an excellent partner

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for the City of Freeport, does a lot of good things

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with the City of Freeport.

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And the idea here is to give you an introduction

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into what the Land Bank does,

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how they work with the City of Freeport,

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and a couple of upcoming projects.

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So with that being said, thank you Joel for coming

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and look forward to your presentation.

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Yeah, like Wayne said,

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I'm just gonna kinda give you a brief update.

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For some of you, it's probably been a little while

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since you've heard about the Land Bank or R1.

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and so we're just gonna briefly touch on who we are

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and what we do and then get to what's going on

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with the land bank in Freeport currently.

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Here's the service area of R1 in the land bank.

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The areas in blue is the land bank jurisdiction

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so you can see here Freeport and Stevenson County

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are within the jurisdiction,

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recently added in Lake County as well.

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Kind of gives you an overview of what R1 as Land Bank Authority does.

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The goal is to combat community deterioration by returning property to productive use and

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getting, you know, non-tax paying blighted properties back on the tax rolls.

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And a lot of times trying to save properties from demolition before, you know, that becomes

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and John. So that's the necessary outcome. About us specifically as the land bank, we

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serve just under 1.5 million people. In the about five years that we've been around, we've

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done about 1.2 million in sales, 41 homes sold, and that generates about $150,000 in

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new tax revenue. Go through a couple of successful projects that we've had over the last

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few years in Velvedere and Rockford and then kind of get to what's going on here with

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you guys right now.

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This was a blighted house in Velvedere.

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As soon as Velvedere joined the land bank, you know, the other people had this on their

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list.

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They said, please, you know, somebody needs to do something with this house.

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It's such an eyesore.

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And so it was the first thing we acquired in Velvedere, sold it for $41,000 and a couple

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and a couple years later it was completely rehabbed and sold for $174,000.

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This is a recent one in Rockford where right by East High School, really good neighborhood

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and sometimes the owners just disappear, they die with no heirs, you never really know what

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happens but you see those two years of delinquent taxes and that's when you know it's time

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and others.

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And we were able to acquire this one. It was in okay condition,

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but only a couple of people really could see a vision for it.

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And so sold by the land bank for 23,000.

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Eventually, after being rehabbed in under a year, sold for 140,000.

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This is the kind of the most recent success that we had in

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probably over three years by now Wayne since this took place. Yes. 850-70 Shawnee was sold I believe

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in 2021 by the land bank for 15,750 and looks like it was recently listed again for rent at 875 a

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month and you can see there in the pictures a little bit of the transformation that took place

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and the rest of the city.

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And we have a lot of

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property restrictions on the exterior and that is the same

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shot of the stairs on the inside there below.

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And this is all achieved because we have these strong deed

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restrictions on these properties where if you are going to be the

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buyer of a land bank property, you know that at this time it

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was a year, typically we bring that down to nine months.

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You have nine months to get everything up to code and it

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So the buyers know what they're getting into and they know they have to get moving and do a good job.

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So that brings me to the buyer that has come forward for this 521 West Cottonwood property.

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This is the reference point that we have for him is he purchased this one on 418 Tay Street in Rockford that,

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but as you can see, it was in very rough shape, nobody wanted to touch this and he saw a vision

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for it and Wayne and I actually toured this yesterday, and this is what it looks like

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now.

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This is seven months on, so he's still got another two months of his deed restriction

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and he is just one final building inspection away from being good to go.

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I'm the one who put the abandonment sticker on this house, you know, well over a year ago.

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I had to put it on the boarded up window to the side because it was so overgrown in the front.

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Again, you know, I'm just an admin guy. I can't see the vision for these houses.

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and Wayne. It's crazy to me to see what some of these people can do with these houses.

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And so that brings me to, like I said, Leo Holmes, Ivan, is the applicant for 521 West

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Cottonwood Street in Freeport. And so I'll kind of give you a brief overview of what the

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situation that we're doing here with this house is. City of Freeport was initially preparing

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for a Demolition, but Wayne and my colleague Eric kind of took a look at the house and

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decided, you know, I think there's something that can be saved here.

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We tested the market's interest in it by taking applications through our land bank sales portal

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that, you know, like we saw earlier, we've successfully sold 41 properties through the

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land bank through that sales portal over the last couple years.

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And one thing that we heard from the city was that you really wanted a tight restriction

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and that's what we already have as a default is that nine month deed restriction that gives

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you the clawback option that the land bank can come back and take that property if they're

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not doing it properly.

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We had an open house on 11-8 and Ivan from Leal Homes who has done that 418 Tay Street

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Rehab showed up, drove all the way from Lake Zurich and said he really wanted, you know,

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He saw a vision for this property, wants to do it and he submitted a bid for $8,000 and

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the plan is for a free port to then quit claiming this property to the Land Bank and we will

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sell it to Ivan and Leal Homes and then it will be the Land Bank's responsibility to

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continually follow up with them and make sure that progress is being made and keep harping

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on about that nine month deed restriction.

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We also just received a deed through a successful abandonment case to 52 North Bailey here in

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Freeport and Wayne and I just went through this earlier, it was the first time I had

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seen it, I wasn't the one who stickered this one.

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And this is one that will, like I said, just got the deed, we'll do an inspection and

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see what it needs.

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It definitely needs a roof and so we are going to put out an RFP to see if we can get somebody

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Doeruff and use grant funds of our own to to do that. So that's kind of an update

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of where we're at with specifically 521 West Cottonwood and kind of give you an

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overview of what the land bank does as a whole and what we're wanting to do in

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Freeport here. Yeah, any questions?

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Yes, I'm sorry, Joy. No, that's all right. I just want to say, I love it. Thank you.

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Any other questions? Is there a limit on how much, how many properties you can do in an

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area per year? I mean, is it just finding the properties? It's a matter of finding

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and others.

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So, finding the properties, evidence needs to be two years of delinquent taxes pretty

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much.

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There's a more complicated route involving water bills, but it's typically two years

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of delinquent taxes.

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It's got to be the first thing.

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And then it does truly have to be abandoned.

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Usually if somebody comes forward and claims the property, the case pretty much dies there.

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It's when there truly are no errors, no interest in the property.

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And also, the people, the people that are living in, in these types of homes, the lapidated

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run down and everything of that nature, are they eligible for this particular program

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to rehab their homes and, and restabilize?

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Nice, no, so the land bank specifically deals with abandoned, only abandoned homes and the

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purpose of that why is

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And the purpose of that, why is that? Why abandoned homes are homes that are vacant? Why is that? That a home that a person lives in is just as shady and shoddy as an abandoned home? You know, why can't that home be eligible for rehab?

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So, specifically, our funding is through Strong Communities Program and we use that, you know,

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we are a land bank.

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What we can do as a land bank is acquire vacant, abandoned houses and use some of our money

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to rehab them and sell them again.

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By the State of Illinois statute, that's what a land bank can do.

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Okay.

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Alderman Simmons.

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Alderman, Simmons

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So how are potential buyers made aware of these properties so that they can make bids, like

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how was this person from Lake Zurich made aware of this property?

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Yeah so he was initially made aware of the property in Tay Street either through our

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mailing list or you know through word of mouth, you know I'm not sure how he found out about

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We didn't know about it initially, but, you know, he did the property on Tay Street in Rockford, met us, formed a relationship with us, and, you know, when he was interested in this, we all thought, you know, this seems like a good partnership, you know, we've seen him do a good job, he was really the only one that expressed a strong interest in this property, but he was made aware initially through the Tay Street property, whether that was through our mailing list or word of mouth,

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and made aware of the Cottonwood one by virtue

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of having done the previous property in Rockford.

00:21:52.380 --> 00:21:53.779
Alderman Sellers.

00:21:53.779 --> 00:21:57.660
Yes, so there's no website or anything that.

00:21:57.660 --> 00:21:58.500
Yeah, yeah.

00:21:58.500 --> 00:22:01.180
Okay, so are they listed on a website or anything or not?

00:22:01.180 --> 00:22:03.700
Yeah, so all the sales are done online

00:22:03.700 --> 00:22:05.400
through an online sales portal.

00:22:05.400 --> 00:22:13.039
you know sometimes we have live auctions and you know it updates in real time but

00:22:13.039 --> 00:22:18.000
this one specifically we were the goal of the West Cottonwood property

00:22:18.000 --> 00:22:22.680
specifically was to make sure we could find the right buyer price wasn't really

00:22:22.680 --> 00:22:25.680
you know something that we were concerned about at all it was more about

00:22:25.680 --> 00:22:31.320
getting that person who we know could take this property and and fix it up and

00:22:31.320 --> 00:22:46.759
Alderman, Sellers, I mean, Sanders Yeah, also these fundings, the grant fundings

00:22:46.759 --> 00:22:56.480
for these rehabs, who receives those grants to disperse throughout the communities of

00:22:56.480 --> 00:23:04.360
of these properties and do they, are they owned by the bank or do the bank purchase

00:23:04.360 --> 00:23:10.519
these vacant properties and using grant funds to make rehabs to these properties?

00:23:10.519 --> 00:23:18.079
Yeah, so the land bank has strong communities funds and then when we acquire through abandonment

00:23:18.079 --> 00:23:24.799
process a property, we're able to use strong communities funds at our discretion to, you

00:23:24.800 --> 00:23:25.800
and others.

00:23:25.800 --> 00:23:32.240
So, you know, like I said, do an RFP to put a roof on Bailey, or, you know, we had a property

00:23:32.240 --> 00:23:36.559
on Church Street in Rockford recently that had a broken window, so we replaced the window

00:23:36.559 --> 00:23:39.559
before we put it on the market.

00:23:39.559 --> 00:23:41.559
Yes, Director DePauw.

00:23:41.559 --> 00:23:46.680
And Alderperson, Sanders, thank you, and Alderperson, Sanders, I want to state that when a property

00:23:46.680 --> 00:23:51.519
stops paying taxes, like he has 52 North Bailey up here, they stop paying taxes, they have

00:23:51.519 --> 00:23:54.000
two years of delinquent taxes.

00:23:54.000 --> 00:23:58.920
If a property does not pay taxes for three years, then the county trustee will petition

00:23:58.920 --> 00:24:01.800
for a tax deed in the fourth year.

00:24:01.800 --> 00:24:07.640
So essentially if a house, if we don't use a land bank, a house will go four years abandoned

00:24:07.640 --> 00:24:10.519
by utilizing the land bank.

00:24:10.519 --> 00:24:15.400
They use their own attorneys to petition to our courts to take ownership of it before

00:24:15.400 --> 00:24:17.759
it actually even goes to a tax deed.

00:24:17.759 --> 00:24:22.559
And then they took ownership through a court process, and that's through our partnership

00:24:22.559 --> 00:24:25.559
and I have been working with them as collaborative government partners.

00:24:25.559 --> 00:24:29.039
They went through and paid for the funding to get ownership of this through the courts.

00:24:29.039 --> 00:24:34.079
I can't remember how many actual appearances they had, but this process to get 52 Bailey

00:24:34.079 --> 00:24:35.340
was timely.

00:24:35.340 --> 00:24:37.559
It took quite a bit.

00:24:37.559 --> 00:24:43.519
I meet with Region 1 at least once a month, if not weekly, and we go over properties that

00:24:43.519 --> 00:24:51.039
could potentially be land bank properties and going back to the, you know, with Cottonwood,

00:24:51.039 --> 00:24:54.660
That's a property that the city owned that had actually been abandoned for four years

00:24:54.660 --> 00:24:59.680
and that the city had purchased from the county trustee off of a tax deed.

00:24:59.680 --> 00:25:06.480
So in this situation, going back to Cottonwood, what the city is saying is, you know, we have

00:25:06.480 --> 00:25:13.440
it, we can demolish it, would probably cost the city between 15 and $20,000 or we can,

00:25:13.440 --> 00:25:19.080
in all my meetings, I'm always going over my demolition list with the land bank and

00:25:19.079 --> 00:25:23.820
If there's a property that they think could be salvaged, they said, Hey, let's show it

00:25:23.820 --> 00:25:25.039
to some of our developers.

00:25:25.039 --> 00:25:26.279
Let's have an open house.

00:25:26.279 --> 00:25:28.099
Maybe we can find somebody.

00:25:28.099 --> 00:25:31.140
And that's kind of how this worked with 521 Cottonwood.

00:25:31.140 --> 00:25:36.079
And really the option is, do we move forward with moving into the land bank?

00:25:36.079 --> 00:25:41.740
We can potentially save it, utilize their resources, or do we demolish it and turn it

00:25:41.740 --> 00:25:42.740
into a vacant lot?

00:25:42.740 --> 00:25:46.320
I mean, it's really kind of our options with the property.

00:25:46.320 --> 00:25:52.240
and to your point Wayne a lot of times with the tax sale properties end up in

00:25:52.240 --> 00:25:56.759
this death loop of claiming sale and error and so nothing ever actually

00:25:56.759 --> 00:26:00.559
happens with them land bank through abandonment is able to kind of interrupt

00:26:00.559 --> 00:26:07.440
that process and and get the public the property back whereas you know claiming

00:26:07.440 --> 00:26:12.440
sale and error just allows the tax buyer to continually accrue interest on it can

00:26:12.440 --> 00:26:23.240
Can you tell me if you have contractors that give the land bank their services for little

00:26:23.240 --> 00:26:28.279
to nothing at cost?

00:26:28.279 --> 00:26:32.079
Do we have contractors that give their services to the land bank?

00:26:32.079 --> 00:26:33.079
Yes.

00:26:33.079 --> 00:26:34.079
No.

00:26:34.079 --> 00:26:35.079
No.

00:26:35.079 --> 00:26:40.160
We put out RFPs or RFQs and then people apply to do work.

00:26:40.160 --> 00:26:41.160
Like bids?

00:26:41.160 --> 00:26:42.160
Yeah.

00:26:42.160 --> 00:27:12.160
Do you have anything to add to that?

00:27:12.160 --> 00:27:18.160
You know what I mean? They have to pay prevailing wage for their any services. No, my point was

00:27:18.800 --> 00:27:25.760
Like let's say for the average person to put in that wood floor would cost thirty thousand dollars

00:27:25.760 --> 00:27:29.240
I just didn't know if you had contractors that would say

00:27:30.240 --> 00:27:32.980
For this type of house. We'll do it for twenty

00:27:34.840 --> 00:27:37.360
No, so when it comes to

00:27:37.360 --> 00:27:44.600
to using the Strong Communities funds, like Wayne is saying, we would have to, you know,

00:27:44.600 --> 00:27:49.480
take a bid where someone was going to use a prevailing wage. Once somebody buys the house

00:27:49.480 --> 00:27:56.160
from us, there is still usually a lot of work to be done. How they get there, as long as

00:27:56.160 --> 00:28:01.559
it passes, you know, codes and inspections and stuff like that at the end, is up to them.

00:28:01.559 --> 00:28:06.079
And a lot of times, those are general contractors who are doing a lot of the work themselves.

00:28:06.079 --> 00:28:22.079
Okay, yes. So the way they're making their money, Cecelia, is they're buying these properties cheap and then they're investing, they're taking a risk on the property to be able to sell it for the $140,000, that's where they make their money.

00:28:22.079 --> 00:28:25.079
Yes, Alderman Shadle.

00:28:25.079 --> 00:28:30.079
Director Duckman, are you looking for a motion to get this for a vote from the council?

00:28:30.079 --> 00:29:00.079
I'm making uh I'm making the council aware that at the next council meeting either December the next one in December January I'm letting everyone know that there's going to be an agreement for 521 West Cottonwood so we know what this is and hopefully moving forward I can bring more agreements that are similar so if I say I have an agreement for this address in the City of Freeport with the Region 1 Land Bank you are under hopefully there'll be less questions because you understand the process and I wanted you to be aware that this is coming soon

00:29:00.079 --> 00:29:01.079
Soon.

00:29:01.079 --> 00:29:02.079
Very, very good.

00:29:02.079 --> 00:29:03.079
Thank you for that.

00:29:03.079 --> 00:29:04.079
Thank you.

00:29:04.079 --> 00:29:05.079
Alderman Sanders.

00:29:05.079 --> 00:29:06.079
Yeah.

00:29:06.079 --> 00:29:08.400
Is this in-house?

00:29:08.400 --> 00:29:11.960
All of this restoration that's taking place?

00:29:11.960 --> 00:29:21.680
So it could be restoration with components that are not directly in the City of Freeport?

00:29:21.680 --> 00:29:22.940
Sure.

00:29:22.940 --> 00:29:27.280
So this person that's interested in 521 Cottonwood is from Lake Zurich and they're going to get

00:29:27.280 --> 00:29:32.280
and Jeff, and Ryan, and the City of Freeport, and they can use their license or license

00:29:32.280 --> 00:29:36.079
through a contract with my department.

00:29:36.079 --> 00:29:39.960
There is no requirement that they have to hire a contractor in the city of Freeport.

00:29:39.960 --> 00:29:49.400
I just wanted to see if there was a level playing field here where other contractors

00:29:49.400 --> 00:29:55.840
here in the city of Freeport can have the opportunity to bid on or to sign up or apply

00:29:55.840 --> 00:29:59.480
for these types of venture programs.

00:29:59.480 --> 00:30:00.480
and others.

00:30:00.480 --> 00:30:10.839
I just wanted to see how we are administrating the whole thing, you know, with everyone.

00:30:10.839 --> 00:30:12.640
That's all I'm asking.

00:30:12.640 --> 00:30:13.640
Sure.

00:30:13.640 --> 00:30:18.360
No, just to be clear, we're utilizing their resources to put this back into the hands

00:30:18.360 --> 00:30:23.440
of a responsible contractor and then there will be a resolution to you stating what this

00:30:23.440 --> 00:30:27.200
contractor is going to do, what their deed restriction says, they'll have a timeline

00:30:27.200 --> 00:30:32.640
to fix the property and that's their expertise and that's what they would be doing.

00:30:32.640 --> 00:30:37.599
We are giving the property to the land bank so that they can send us a proposal for you

00:30:37.599 --> 00:30:40.000
to vote on at the next meeting.

00:30:40.000 --> 00:30:41.000
Okay.

00:30:41.000 --> 00:30:42.000
Alderman Simmons.

00:30:42.000 --> 00:30:50.480
So, what's the website and what are the requirements for one to be able to be in?

00:30:50.480 --> 00:30:55.319
Yeah, so, did you say what is the website, is that your first question?

00:30:55.319 --> 00:31:01.480
R1 Planning.org. So when you go to the home page right at the top, there's a link to

00:31:01.480 --> 00:31:08.980
properties. There's no fee or anything like that to sign up. You just make an account

00:31:08.980 --> 00:31:16.400
on our website, sign up, and then you can apply. There's no sort of transaction ahead

00:31:16.400 --> 00:31:22.079
of time. It's just a cashier's check for the full amount when you close. You know,

00:31:22.079 --> 00:31:26.200
and we're not nickel and diming people in the process.

00:31:26.200 --> 00:31:29.720
And you said r1planning.org?

00:31:29.720 --> 00:31:31.579
Yeah, letter R, number one.

00:31:36.140 --> 00:31:37.279
Any other questions?

00:31:40.440 --> 00:31:41.279
Thank you.

00:31:44.240 --> 00:31:49.240
Next we will have a presentation regarding

00:31:49.240 --> 00:32:01.240
CDBG-HG Grant by Tara Walters, Region 1 Planning Consultant for CDBG-HR Grant.

00:32:09.240 --> 00:32:18.240
My name is Tara Walters. I work for MSA Professional Services. I am a Community Development Administrator with my company

00:32:18.240 --> 00:32:24.319
and I am the current Grant Administrator for the City of Freeport's CDBG Housing Rehabilitation

00:32:24.319 --> 00:32:25.319
Grant.

00:32:25.319 --> 00:32:31.119
So what I'm going to do in this presentation is simply walk through the Housing Rehab Program

00:32:31.119 --> 00:32:35.240
that's administered by DCO, which is the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity

00:32:35.240 --> 00:32:41.279
at the state level, as well as some of the national objectives of what the program is

00:32:41.279 --> 00:32:47.200
meant to do and how the state administers it.

00:32:47.200 --> 00:32:54.119
So first, this is a very overarching process of what the Housing Rehabilitation Program

00:32:54.119 --> 00:33:00.779
is and how it goes. Essentially, a city or an applicant, a unit of local government within

00:33:00.779 --> 00:33:05.840
the state of Illinois can apply. The City of Freeport's application was submitted

00:33:05.840 --> 00:33:13.180
in 2021. Once those applications are reviewed, the state awards the most competitive grant

00:33:13.180 --> 00:33:20.259
Applications. The City of Freeports was awarded in 2022. The City then has two years to complete

00:33:20.259 --> 00:33:26.259
the project. So the original award, this project had a sunset date or a grant sunset date of

00:33:26.259 --> 00:33:35.019
November 30th, 2024. We did apply for a six month extension. So our new sunset date on

00:33:35.019 --> 00:33:43.019
these funds is May 31st of 2025. Once a grant is awarded, the City then has to go through

00:33:43.019 --> 00:33:44.700
We're an environmental review process.

00:33:44.700 --> 00:33:47.420
A tier one is the first step.

00:33:47.420 --> 00:33:52.140
Within the application, the city assigned a project area.

00:33:52.140 --> 00:33:53.420
And I don't have the project area

00:33:53.420 --> 00:33:55.360
from the application pulled in this presentation,

00:33:55.360 --> 00:33:58.299
but it was the area of South Adams, South Hyde,

00:33:58.299 --> 00:34:00.900
East Center, Wyandotte, and East Pleasant,

00:34:00.900 --> 00:34:02.279
kind of that general area.

00:34:03.500 --> 00:34:06.380
They decide upon this area based on the amount

00:34:06.380 --> 00:34:10.119
of low-income persons, the amount of blight,

00:34:10.119 --> 00:34:12.480
the place in the city that is a priority.

00:34:13.019 --> 00:34:19.019
and they also once they decide on an area part of the application is going out and

00:34:19.019 --> 00:34:24.619
surveying homeowners in this area for income as well as housing needs so as

00:34:24.619 --> 00:34:29.340
part your application was scored on you know the amount of low-income persons in

00:34:29.340 --> 00:34:34.739
this area as well as the needs for housing rehabilitation the environmental

00:34:34.739 --> 00:34:38.900
review at the tier one level is completed for that entire area so at this

00:34:38.900 --> 00:34:42.659
point we're not selecting individual houses we're just kind of blanketing I'm

00:34:42.659 --> 00:35:12.659
I'm so sorry. I talk with my hands. We're just kind of blanketing that entire project area. Once your tier one is approved by DCO, you can then start the individual rehabilitation application. So this is when you're accepting applications from individual homeowners within that project area. Once those are scored, we then have to do the environmental review tier two level, which is for each individual house that scored the highest. And so in terms of who was kind

00:35:12.659 --> 00:35:17.059
of taking over during this process at the application level. That was the City of Freeport. You

00:35:17.059 --> 00:35:23.780
guys compiled and submitted your own application. You were awarded Environmental Tier 1 MSA

00:35:23.780 --> 00:35:28.980
got involved because we were working with Wayne a little bit on a different CDBG grant.

00:35:28.980 --> 00:35:35.099
So we assisted with that Tier 1 environmental review. The baton was passed to R1 who helped

00:35:35.099 --> 00:35:41.300
the city with the individual home application process and the scoring and started the Tier

00:35:41.300 --> 00:35:44.280
and

00:35:44.300 --> 00:35:58.300
then that was when the baton was passed back to myself and my colleagues at MSA to finish off the Tier 2. Once we get Tier 2 approval from DCEO, they say everything looks good, we can then bid the project and start construction on the individual rehabilitation.

00:35:58.300 --> 00:36:13.300
So some of the program objectives, this is an excerpt from the, from the 2023 CDBG guidebook from the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.

00:36:13.300 --> 00:36:27.300
CDBG funds are a federal pass-through essentially, so they're granted by HUD, so in order for the state to administer these CDBG funds, they have to meet one of the three HUD national objectives.

00:36:27.300 --> 00:36:43.300
The three objectives are one, benefiting low to moderate income persons, two, aiding in the prevention or elimination of slums and blight, or three, meeting other community development needs that pose a serious and immediate threat to the health and welfare of the community, also known as urgent need.

00:36:45.300 --> 00:36:56.300
The CDBG program, the CDBG housing rehabilitation program specifically, as well as their other program called public infrastructure, is falling under the benefiting low to moderate income persons.

00:36:57.300 --> 00:37:02.900
Though the housing rehabilitation does help with the prevention and elimination of blight,

00:37:02.900 --> 00:37:07.380
the state's program is meeting the HUD objective of low to moderate income persons.

00:37:09.780 --> 00:37:16.260
Some of the other excerpts from the HUD national objectives. An LMI housing activity is carried

00:37:16.260 --> 00:37:21.380
out for the purpose of providing or improving permanent single-family owner-occupied residential

00:37:21.380 --> 00:37:27.220
structures that will be occupied by LMI households upon completion. And I'll skip down to the

00:37:27.220 --> 00:37:45.220
For each assisted unit, the family size and income ranges 30%, 50%, and 80%, which is the level of income compared to the state's or the area's median household income of an occupant household and the amount of CDBG funds spent.

00:37:45.220 --> 00:37:54.220
And then second, data on racial, ethnic, and gender characteristics of persons who are applicants for participants in or beneficiaries of the CDBG activities.

00:37:54.220 --> 00:38:24.220
and lastly the CDBG program under the state of Illinois for a household to be eligible. This is again in the 2023 CDBG guidebook. The grant team was certified that the program recipients meet the HUD eligibility requirements which is low to moderate income and to do that they must submit their IRS form 1040 and when using this IRS 1040 we determine an applicant's annual income. They must use the

00:38:24.220 --> 00:38:25.220
and the most current version.

00:38:25.220 --> 00:38:29.739
So any time that we're looking at a house at the application stage, before the construction

00:38:29.739 --> 00:38:34.340
stage, we're always getting these updated forms to ensure that they are still eligible

00:38:34.340 --> 00:38:38.059
under state and federal requirements.

00:38:38.059 --> 00:38:45.180
Further, that was more national objectives, so I'm switching over to the state program

00:38:45.180 --> 00:38:46.380
objectives.

00:38:46.380 --> 00:38:52.340
This was a presentation given each year, the DCEO has a CDBG administration workshop.

00:38:52.340 --> 00:39:08.340
I've just pulled these from the presentations at said workshop, so the eligibility requirements for housing rehab recipients are they must be a single-family residential unit, they must be owner occupied and prove that they live there, and they must have homeowners insurance.

00:39:08.340 --> 00:39:17.340
Secondly, the income must be verified again via the IRS tax form 1040, and they must be 18 or older.

00:39:17.340 --> 00:39:22.340
and this must be re-verified prior to any type of construction.

00:39:25.340 --> 00:39:44.340
DCO goes on to state that the prioritization of housing applicants must be given to very low income elderly or handicapped households and then 51% of the points in the entire project area must be given to these two criteria.

00:39:44.340 --> 00:39:51.900
I didn't have the income limits but you can go to HUD anytime we're looking at

00:39:51.900 --> 00:39:55.980
where a person falls and whether they're low to moderate income we go to the HUD

00:39:55.980 --> 00:40:01.260
income limits which are updated annually and they're they're updated

00:40:01.260 --> 00:40:03.260
and

00:40:04.460 --> 00:40:05.260
the

00:40:05.260 --> 00:40:12.720
House is next in line. I essentially talk to the homeowner. I ask for their IRS form. I also ask for supplementary

00:40:13.340 --> 00:40:15.340
documentation such as you know their

00:40:15.980 --> 00:40:20.380
Social Security benefit, you know statement things like that to verify against their taxes and

00:40:20.700 --> 00:40:23.900
Make sure that their income falls below those income thresholds

00:40:24.420 --> 00:40:29.960
The 30% 50% 80% is a percentage of the median household income for the county

00:40:29.960 --> 00:40:30.960
and Joe.

00:40:30.960 --> 00:40:37.860
So, anything under 80 percent is considered low and then 50 percent moderately low and

00:40:37.860 --> 00:40:40.540
then 30 percent is very low.

00:40:40.540 --> 00:40:45.380
Is there anything else you want to add, Wayne?

00:40:45.380 --> 00:40:47.020
No, I appreciate it.

00:40:47.020 --> 00:40:50.440
I think that there certainly may be some questions now.

00:40:50.440 --> 00:40:56.740
I know I definitely appreciate you chiming in or I know Joel is also here.

00:40:56.740 --> 00:40:59.140
He did the scoring for Region 1.

00:40:59.140 --> 00:41:04.140
There were some particular questions, I think, I know Alderperson Stacey brought ahead about

00:41:04.140 --> 00:41:09.300
1010 South Adams and their application, so I think any questions, you know, just be available

00:41:09.300 --> 00:41:15.140
for any questions we have on the overall process, I just want to say I've worked on this grant

00:41:15.140 --> 00:41:20.460
now for the three years I've worked here, and I know that the city would not have been

00:41:20.460 --> 00:41:25.020
able to get this far and offer any funds if it wasn't for your hard work, if it wasn't

00:41:25.020 --> 00:41:30.420
for Joel's hard work with Region 1.

00:41:30.420 --> 00:41:36.860
This grant provided the city, I think it's $64,000 in consultant fees to help administer

00:41:36.860 --> 00:41:42.700
this grant with the extreme amount of documentation you have to provide.

00:41:42.700 --> 00:41:48.460
I'm sitting right here on, I think I measured this to be six inches of paperwork, this is

00:41:48.460 --> 00:41:55.220
for the grant application, and it's immense, and it's really a juggernaut to take on.

00:41:55.220 --> 00:42:00.020
So there's going to be questions, and I would just appreciate you staying to answer any

00:42:00.020 --> 00:42:03.060
questions with the grant administration process.

00:42:03.060 --> 00:42:18.920
May we have the lights on? Are there any questions? Alderman Sellers. So you're

00:42:18.920 --> 00:42:26.340
saying that the 1010 South Adams did meet all the requirements to have done

00:42:26.340 --> 00:42:31.360
what they need be done? Correct. To be eligible for the grant funds if they did

00:42:31.360 --> 00:42:42.040
Thank you. Ms. Walters, do you consider yourself an expert on this type of grant?

00:42:42.040 --> 00:42:48.320
I've gone to seven years worth of DCEO trainings. I can't say I'm always

00:42:48.320 --> 00:42:53.320
surprised. Every single year things change, but I know exactly where all of

00:42:53.320 --> 00:42:58.840
the resources are. I'm talking with the state, not the state representatives, but

00:42:58.840 --> 00:43:04.680
but you know, members of DCEO on a daily basis and ask them many, many questions any time

00:43:04.680 --> 00:43:09.400
I'm stumped and they always assist in every way they can.

00:43:09.400 --> 00:43:11.840
How long have you been doing this?

00:43:11.840 --> 00:43:12.840
Seven years.

00:43:12.840 --> 00:43:13.840
Seven years.

00:43:13.840 --> 00:43:14.840
Correct.

00:43:14.840 --> 00:43:15.840
Alderman Parker.

00:43:15.840 --> 00:43:26.940
We're certainly happy you're taking the time, you obviously know more about it than anybody

00:43:26.940 --> 00:43:46.780
I have a question. Is there a rule that you have to stay in this renovated property for

00:43:46.780 --> 00:43:52.020
a certain length of time after the work is done?

00:43:52.020 --> 00:44:00.700
There is not a rule per DCO and HUD requirements. However, in order to be eligible for the project,

00:44:00.700 --> 00:44:07.460
the idea behind having homeowner insurance, if we get wind that they're going to sell,

00:44:07.460 --> 00:44:15.940
DCO recommends that you contact them to figure out a process. They do not like to see it.

00:44:15.940 --> 00:44:24.780
However, they cannot stop a homeowner from selling after the grant has completely commenced.

00:44:24.780 --> 00:44:28.220
But there's no penalties.

00:44:28.220 --> 00:44:31.860
No.

00:44:31.860 --> 00:44:36.220
Can you tell me, I'm sorry, is there anyone else?

00:44:36.220 --> 00:44:44.620
Can you tell me when was the first application given and what was the cutoff date?

00:44:44.620 --> 00:44:53.740
So what we're talking about here is when I looked at the grant application it's from

00:44:53.740 --> 00:45:01.980
2021 and really what they discuss in the narrative of the grant was written by the former director

00:45:01.980 --> 00:45:02.980
here.

00:45:02.980 --> 00:45:10.620
They talk about how they originally had 68 applications and 60 of those applications

00:45:10.620 --> 00:45:11.940
were eligible.

00:45:11.940 --> 00:45:18.800
So they're actually called income surveys, and there's a one-page document with address,

00:45:18.800 --> 00:45:25.180
and they basically state their income, and it talks about the income limits that Ms.

00:45:25.180 --> 00:45:26.620
Walters has discussed.

00:45:26.620 --> 00:45:33.180
So at that time, it was 2021, and in the grant application, that was when those originally

00:45:33.180 --> 00:45:35.380
were submitted.

00:45:35.380 --> 00:45:39.140
Nobody here was working on that project at that time, so I'm not sure what deadline they

00:45:39.140 --> 00:45:44.580
they gave, but what I do know is they stay in, they state in the budget, they state in

00:45:44.580 --> 00:45:50.539
the narrative of the grant application that there were 60 people that were originally

00:45:50.539 --> 00:45:51.539
considered.

00:45:51.539 --> 00:45:54.420
And do we still have those applications?

00:45:54.420 --> 00:45:59.780
Yes, I'm looking at them right now.

00:45:59.780 --> 00:46:03.020
So it's in the text of the grant application and it's also in the grant.

00:46:03.020 --> 00:46:07.020
and I'm looking at the 60 right here that were attached.

00:46:11.020 --> 00:46:27.020
Okay. I had asked for that information and what I received was the 30 that came out, I believe, through Tier 2.

00:46:27.020 --> 00:46:57.020
Sure, so I know I talked with Attorney Zito. I know you're at his office and had an opportunity to look at these originals. So if there's a communication gap there, I could certainly have these redacted and send you the original applications, we have them in our possession. But I will also say that from the 60 applicants, and Joel's here to answer any questions. When we went through that process that we saw where they were scoring,

00:46:57.020 --> 00:47:03.420
we kept a log so to make sure that everyone was included and that we were

00:47:03.420 --> 00:47:08.980
transparent I know you were provided the log that Joel did for all 60 of these

00:47:08.980 --> 00:47:16.700
people and I talked with Joel today oh did you not send her the log an email on

00:47:16.700 --> 00:47:24.700
Friday they had the log there no the application did not submit a because it

00:47:24.700 --> 00:47:30.780
Smith, Jack, Jack, and a few others, and they were almost 60 and they had to submit 60.

00:47:30.780 --> 00:47:37.420
And they asked for a grant application and they said, okay, 60 people are being considered.

00:47:37.420 --> 00:47:39.700
That's what they say in the grant application.

00:47:39.700 --> 00:47:44.320
And then Region 1 was retained to review those eight people.

00:47:44.320 --> 00:47:46.020
They were only submitting 60.

00:47:46.020 --> 00:47:50.140
They said, okay, 60 people were being considered.

00:47:50.140 --> 00:47:56.380
Gillespie, John, McCann, David, Derrick, Todd, Kamala, Taylor, Brandon, Paul, Scott,

00:47:56.380 --> 00:48:00.620
Ariella, Mark, Anthony, Jerry, Mark, Jodi, Shawn, Amy, Kana, Jodi, Al, Craig, Jesse,

00:48:00.620 --> 00:48:05.539
Cedric, Joseph, Roy, Rami, Chris, Chris, Vinnie, Chris, we're going to go into detail

00:48:05.539 --> 00:48:07.860
next and then just go on to the questions.

00:48:07.860 --> 00:48:12.940
We did have one question from one of the speakers over at the Center from the Congressional

00:48:12.940 --> 00:48:13.940
Board of Education.

00:48:13.940 --> 00:48:19.980
He talks about what he thinks that being a board member or a resident is going to cost

00:48:19.980 --> 00:48:22.980
Borg, Doration, Duration, Duration.

00:48:22.980 --> 00:48:25.980
And we actually ended up meeting twice.

00:48:25.980 --> 00:48:28.980
Several people had additional follow-ups to the door.

00:48:28.980 --> 00:48:38.980
He said several people actually hung up on them, weren't interested, but it's all documented under the work that Region 1 did to ensure how we went from 60 people from 2021,

00:48:38.980 --> 00:48:46.980
then we went to 30 people that actually submitted all the required documentation, and then those 30 people were graded.

00:48:46.980 --> 00:48:52.140
you need it correct and Joel can probably chime in if you'd like any questions on

00:48:52.140 --> 00:48:57.220
it he did the actual all the work with working with those 60 applicants do you

00:48:57.220 --> 00:49:00.539
want to step up and answer a few questions

00:49:02.820 --> 00:49:08.460
yeah I'm not sure how many people are actually on the call log but everybody

00:49:08.460 --> 00:49:13.100
that's on there that that made it you know far enough to be requesting that

00:49:13.100 --> 00:49:14.100
and others.

00:49:14.100 --> 00:49:20.180
I called them all, like Wayne said, at least twice.

00:49:20.180 --> 00:49:25.240
And as you referenced, you know, sometimes I was trying to explain, you know, just one

00:49:25.240 --> 00:49:30.060
more thing or something like that, and that was the end of the road for them because it

00:49:30.060 --> 00:49:34.300
was felt to them like it was too much and, you know, I'd get hung up on or something

00:49:34.300 --> 00:49:35.300
like that.

00:49:35.300 --> 00:49:45.860
Okay, so why was there a second application hand-delivered to prior applicants to fill

00:49:45.860 --> 00:49:49.079
out again?

00:49:49.079 --> 00:49:50.220
That's required.

00:49:50.220 --> 00:49:52.740
That's a requirement for us to move forward.

00:49:52.740 --> 00:49:56.800
We cannot move forward without that information.

00:49:56.800 --> 00:50:01.200
So how do we know that all 61 that quali-

00:50:01.200 --> 00:50:07.120
B1, the qualified even received that second application.

00:50:07.120 --> 00:50:11.120
Through our log, through our communication log, through the communication log.

00:50:11.120 --> 00:50:14.760
That's why we keep a communication log so that if somebody says, I didn't receive it,

00:50:14.760 --> 00:50:18.520
well, we called you on this date, called you on this date, sent a letter to your address.

00:50:18.520 --> 00:50:20.380
I believe we sent letters as well.

00:50:20.380 --> 00:50:24.520
So we sent you a letter on this date in our log, called you on this date, called you on

00:50:24.520 --> 00:50:26.260
this date.

00:50:26.260 --> 00:50:27.620
That's why you have a log.

00:50:27.620 --> 00:50:30.640
That's why professionals keep logs when they're doing work like this.

00:50:30.640 --> 00:50:36.720
Information at your office. We, I asked for this, we talked about this and talked about this and

00:50:36.720 --> 00:50:41.440
talked about this. Right and so all right at my office we didn't have this information yet so this

00:50:41.440 --> 00:50:46.960
past Friday I was like so we got a response from. But he said it's in that book that you had.

00:50:49.920 --> 00:50:56.160
We have this book here. I'm sure there and I'm sure as I've stated before you and I've met several

00:50:56.160 --> 00:51:04.160
I have no problem getting you these original, from 2021, these surveys, these income surveys.

00:51:04.160 --> 00:51:10.160
We can certainly provide those to you redacted with all the information that you would need.

00:51:10.160 --> 00:51:18.160
They're pretty simple. I guess the best way to look at these original 60 is a simple one-page document

00:51:18.160 --> 00:51:23.160
where they're told to state where their income falls between how much money they make,

00:51:23.160 --> 00:51:28.760
and then that's used in the application to move them on to the next step.

00:51:28.760 --> 00:51:32.860
So this is more of a preliminary, it's called a Community Development Block Grant Income

00:51:32.860 --> 00:51:33.960
Survey.

00:51:33.960 --> 00:51:39.320
So these are the 60 people that were, this was all included in part of the original application

00:51:39.320 --> 00:51:44.720
that moves them on to the next step, which was shown on that first slide when we go over

00:51:44.720 --> 00:51:47.120
the steps, what they have to do.

00:51:47.120 --> 00:51:50.920
But it was more than just the income survey.

00:51:50.920 --> 00:51:52.920
I don't know what you're asking for at this point.

00:51:52.920 --> 00:51:54.920
and

00:51:56.920 --> 00:51:58.920
John.

00:52:00.120 --> 00:52:02.120
I have a question about the tier 1

00:52:03.240 --> 00:52:07.160
applicants. You just said they just, it was basically an income

00:52:07.160 --> 00:52:10.160
survey that they filled out. That's what I have here. Yes.

00:52:10.160 --> 00:52:13.160
And I believe Tara Walters can confirm that the state of

00:52:13.160 --> 00:52:16.160
Illinois does their block grant, community development block

00:52:16.160 --> 00:52:20.160
grant as LMI, low to moderate income. That's their factor.

00:52:20.160 --> 00:52:28.960
just just just that income survey so as part if i may as part of the application the income

00:52:28.960 --> 00:52:34.400
surveys are sent out to everyone within that project area the more income surveys that you

00:52:34.400 --> 00:52:39.680
have to submit with your application the higher you score so that process is essentially used

00:52:39.680 --> 00:52:46.080
to get the grant it doesn't promise any of those people that filled out that income survey it's

00:52:46.080 --> 00:52:50.160
it's just proving to the state that we have a need in this area.

00:52:50.160 --> 00:52:52.480
It didn't ask for any income information,

00:52:52.480 --> 00:52:55.460
it asked them to self-certify on that application.

00:52:55.460 --> 00:52:58.800
Once you're awarded, you can then go back to those 60,

00:52:58.800 --> 00:53:03.720
you know, 60, 68 folks and they do another application

00:53:03.720 --> 00:53:06.920
and that's when they're submitting their income information

00:53:06.920 --> 00:53:08.640
and certifying their application

00:53:08.640 --> 00:53:10.520
and it's moving the steps forward.

00:53:10.520 --> 00:53:13.200
So what's the first application?

00:53:13.200 --> 00:53:21.800
Similar to the second application I would have to pull it up it's very similar

00:53:21.800 --> 00:53:27.400
it's very similar I mean we like I said we can I'll make copies of these and

00:53:27.400 --> 00:53:33.540
send them to clerk Anderson and she you can look at them if you'd like the

00:53:33.540 --> 00:53:39.240
second application asks for those prioritization bullet points disabled

00:53:39.240 --> 00:53:40.240
and

00:53:40.240 --> 00:53:41.800
age, things of that sort.

00:53:41.800 --> 00:53:47.240
So that would help R1 score each application individually versus just income.

00:53:47.240 --> 00:53:52.280
And I think what you're looking for, I mean, I would also, you know, I don't know what

00:53:52.280 --> 00:53:53.480
you're going to find in here.

00:53:53.480 --> 00:53:54.840
I mean, we can look at it again.

00:53:54.840 --> 00:53:58.000
I'm not, we're certainly willing to look at it.

00:53:58.000 --> 00:54:04.680
But this documentation here from 2021, that's what the state looked at to say, okay, we

00:54:04.680 --> 00:54:07.360
will give you $550,000.

00:54:07.360 --> 00:54:12.760
So they looked at these grant income surveys as part of the grant application and said

00:54:12.760 --> 00:54:19.080
okay City of Freeport you now have $550,000 but in order for you to use it you now have

00:54:19.080 --> 00:54:25.760
to follow up with these individual 60 property owners and get more detailed information.

00:54:25.760 --> 00:54:30.880
So these surveys really are here for the state of Illinois to say okay we'll give you the

00:54:30.880 --> 00:54:37.000
$550,000 you've proven through these stated incomes which is what they are people saying

00:54:37.000 --> 00:54:42.400
I make X amount of dollars but then in order for them to actually be awarded the individuals

00:54:42.400 --> 00:54:47.280
to get the actual funds then they have to follow up and that's what Joel did was he

00:54:47.280 --> 00:54:53.340
contacted these 60 people and said okay now you have to show us proof of income, show

00:54:53.340 --> 00:54:59.500
us your tax returns, show us your pay stubs from you know your social security statements

00:54:59.500 --> 00:55:05.680
and half the people did not want to follow through with that.

00:55:05.680 --> 00:55:08.120
So that's what we're talking about here.

00:55:08.120 --> 00:55:20.400
Okay, Director Duckman, I have tried for the last five weeks to see what you're telling

00:55:20.400 --> 00:55:23.440
me is right in front of you.

00:55:23.440 --> 00:55:33.000
And so I would like to see them and I trust that we will be setting up a meeting, setting

00:55:33.000 --> 00:55:34.000
and John.

00:55:34.000 --> 00:55:52.320
So I'm going to ask the question because I don't know what this will do for you.

00:55:52.320 --> 00:55:54.400
This grant's been awarded.

00:55:54.400 --> 00:55:56.160
So it's been awarded on those already.

00:55:56.160 --> 00:56:00.240
I'm just asking the question of, and I will, we can go through another meeting and show

00:56:00.240 --> 00:56:01.240
it to you.

00:56:01.240 --> 00:56:05.560
I don't know what the, my question would be is what are you hoping to gain by looking at those?

00:56:05.560 --> 00:56:08.760
Maybe you can ask a question of MSA on what that would affect.

00:56:12.440 --> 00:56:18.120
I still don't understand how we went from 61 approved applicants to 30.

00:56:19.480 --> 00:56:23.800
There's a, there's a log that the 30, all 60 people were contacted.

00:56:24.520 --> 00:56:30.200
And we provided a, there's a log, there's an actual, every property owner says on this date

00:56:30.200 --> 00:56:45.720
I'm not saying he's being untruthful, so please don't put those words in my mouth.

00:56:45.720 --> 00:56:58.000
What I'm asking is, I remember when a second application had to be presented, and Third

00:56:58.000 --> 00:57:05.000
Warrant, Alderwoman, me, Fifth Ward Alderwoman, and some of the community people wanted to

00:57:05.560 --> 00:57:12.560
help with this, offered to help with this, and was denied the opportunity to go door

00:57:12.560 --> 00:57:19.560
to door and give them this second application that we were being told they had to fill out.

00:57:19.760 --> 00:57:26.760
And so, I am in nowhere calling you a liar. I am just saying, how do we know all sixty

00:57:28.000 --> 00:57:36.100
of those applicants received this second or Tier 2 process.

00:57:36.100 --> 00:57:38.720
So do you understand what the log did, right?

00:57:38.720 --> 00:57:44.320
So we hired them to have a communication dialogue with these 60 people.

00:57:44.320 --> 00:57:46.460
You understand that part, right?

00:57:46.460 --> 00:57:52.540
Do you understand that we hired Region 1 to contact these 60 people?

00:57:52.540 --> 00:57:55.060
I know that's what you say you did.

00:57:55.060 --> 00:58:01.260
and so they were directed to log all communications with 60 applicants.

00:58:01.260 --> 00:58:08.080
So if we take him for his professional word and he documented in a log that he did this,

00:58:08.080 --> 00:58:10.700
then I'm telling you the work was done per the log.

00:58:10.700 --> 00:58:16.860
Okay, I just, I want to see the log, I want to see the list of the 61, I want to, I just

00:58:16.860 --> 00:58:18.860
want to see it.

00:58:18.860 --> 00:58:24.760
Alderman, I mean, I'm sorry, Attorney Zito.

00:58:24.760 --> 00:58:29.720
So the log was emailed to you on Friday because that's what I got it on Thursday or there

00:58:29.720 --> 00:58:34.120
because my ride was I got the response to you and I had a phone call I had to look at the

00:58:34.120 --> 00:58:38.280
response from the state there and I was going to send you a summary as a part of that summary

00:58:38.280 --> 00:58:44.000
that I sent you on Friday there and it included the log of the MSA log of all the times they

00:58:44.000 --> 00:58:51.860
called people so that should be in your email but it included the log of the 68 or the 31

00:58:51.860 --> 00:59:02.820
Let me just state really quickly, in this grant, my predecessors said they received 68, and

00:59:02.820 --> 00:59:07.020
essentially eight of them did not qualify of the 68.

00:59:07.020 --> 00:59:10.539
That's their words, that's their testimony in the grant application.

00:59:10.539 --> 00:59:16.060
So what they're saying is, they received 68, eight of them came back, and they're saying

00:59:16.060 --> 00:59:17.260
they made too much money.

00:59:17.260 --> 00:59:20.620
So they got an income survey, and the person said, I made $100,000.

00:59:20.620 --> 00:59:22.460
and then they said, well, that doesn't count.

00:59:22.460 --> 00:59:26.660
So they submitted 60, but they're stating they received 68.

00:59:26.660 --> 00:59:30.500
So the other eight, that's not part of the grant application.

00:59:30.500 --> 00:59:32.820
I don't have those eight, it's not part of the grant application.

00:59:32.820 --> 00:59:36.100
I'm not asking for the eight, I just ask for the 60.

00:59:36.100 --> 00:59:39.580
OK, yeah.

00:59:39.580 --> 00:59:40.980
Director?

00:59:40.980 --> 00:59:47.260
Yeah, so just a side note, we do the CDBG grant process as well,

00:59:47.260 --> 00:59:49.980
but we do it on infrastructure, not housing.

00:59:49.980 --> 00:59:58.340
The 68 applications that were done just defined the target area of the grant.

00:59:58.340 --> 01:00:00.100
That's all that did is said.

01:00:00.100 --> 01:00:01.260
We got 68 applicants.

01:00:01.260 --> 01:00:05.420
is said, we got 68 applications from this street to this street.

01:00:05.420 --> 01:00:08.700
Here's our target area now that where the money can be spent.

01:00:08.700 --> 01:00:10.260
That's tier one, right?

01:00:10.260 --> 01:00:12.200
So that's the Adams corridor that was selected.

01:00:12.200 --> 01:00:14.020
That's all that did.

01:00:14.020 --> 01:00:17.060
The second tier is where you drive down into the homes

01:00:17.060 --> 01:00:19.940
to see who is truly qualified.

01:00:19.940 --> 01:00:23.620
The first survey is done on an honesty basis

01:00:23.620 --> 01:00:26.460
that you're gonna tell me that this is your real income

01:00:26.460 --> 01:00:27.660
and you sign that.

01:00:27.660 --> 01:00:29.980
Sometimes when you go to the second tier,

01:00:29.980 --> 01:00:37.980
and many others, but that's not the case, or people didn't file correctly, and they won't produce the second piece of information which automatically excludes them.

01:00:37.980 --> 01:00:44.980
So again, Tier 1, the first 68 applications, just defined the Adams corridor that had the need for the 550,000.

01:00:44.980 --> 01:00:56.980
That's why we were awarded for that. The second tier drives down to each individual house on who is really qualified, which if I'm hearing correctly, had nothing to do with this, is our 30 people.

01:00:56.980 --> 01:01:07.980
Right? And so those are the final 30 that actually responded, gave us, if there was five pieces, all five pieces that were needed to qualify, that's where the basis comes in Tier 2.

01:01:07.980 --> 01:01:23.980
So I just wanted to explain to that, the 68 applications, every quarter that's picked for Community Development Block Grants has to have, let's say you have 100 houses, you got to have 70% of them low to moderate income or it doesn't qualify, the money can't be spent in that area.

01:01:23.980 --> 01:01:25.980
and

01:01:27.100 --> 01:01:29.100
I'm going to talk about the income requirements.

01:01:30.400 --> 01:01:34.400
If we tried to, I'm just picking an area for clarity, if we tried

01:01:34.400 --> 01:01:37.400
to move this grant out to Marvin Lane, none of those, it would

01:01:37.400 --> 01:01:39.400
never move forward because those incomes would never qualify.

01:01:41.500 --> 01:01:44.500
So if you had a hundred houses, you got to have 70% of them that

01:01:44.500 --> 01:01:48.500
would qualify for this money to be able to be used anywhere in

01:01:48.500 --> 01:01:52.500
there. And then if I live there and made too much money, then

01:01:52.500 --> 01:02:02.260
I understand that. Right. So, Miss Walters, did you go from neighborhood to

01:02:02.260 --> 01:02:09.300
neighborhood and look at all 31 of these houses, you personally? No, I did not. Who

01:02:09.300 --> 01:02:15.840
did? The original grant application was done by my predecessor and what I was

01:02:15.840 --> 01:02:18.660
told was that they went through the neighborhoods and handed these out.

01:02:18.660 --> 01:02:22.860
that's what I was told I don't know if that's true or not I don't so that's

01:02:22.860 --> 01:02:30.540
the original 2021 but I'm saying after the 30 was chosen yes who went back to

01:02:30.540 --> 01:02:38.460
those 30 houses to see which ones were in the worst shape that doesn't matter

01:02:38.460 --> 01:02:42.820
that was never considered and then and I can have miss Walters explain that again

01:02:42.820 --> 01:02:46.460
do you understand that condition of house per the state of Illinois does not

01:02:46.460 --> 01:03:04.700
I understand that, but when you have low income, whether you have 50 points, let's talk about

01:03:04.700 --> 01:03:13.980
the point system, but then someone with 40 points get chosen to receive these funds before

01:03:13.980 --> 01:03:17.220
Someone with 50 points.

01:03:17.220 --> 01:03:23.740
That would have, the point system would have prioritized income, disability, and age.

01:03:23.740 --> 01:03:26.900
I understand that.

01:03:26.900 --> 01:03:43.940
So my question again is why wouldn't the higher point, why would a 45 be done before a 55?

01:03:43.940 --> 01:03:51.860
or 35. Yes, Attorney Zito. I think the question I think you're talking I think

01:03:51.860 --> 01:03:57.380
what you're asking is that ultimately once we got the 30 scored and everyone

01:03:57.380 --> 01:04:02.840
had points right then there's still additional hoops that have to be jumped

01:04:02.840 --> 01:04:07.460
through there as far as environmental and this and adding you know some

01:04:07.460 --> 01:04:11.220
submitting additional documentation there so I think ultimately we had enough

01:04:11.220 --> 01:04:20.220
We had enough money, roughly, let's just say, that we knew that we could do about 10 houses. Out of the 30 that we scored, that we could do about 10, there was enough money to do about 10.

01:04:20.220 --> 01:04:29.220
Amongst those 10, people had, each 10 still had to submit more paperwork, more verification of this or that, more hoops to jump through.

01:04:29.220 --> 01:04:40.220
Sometimes a person with a lower score submitted all their paperwork in first, so they went ahead and said, okay, well we'll process you, even though you had a lower point, we knew you were in the top 10, so there's money for you,

01:04:40.220 --> 01:04:48.700
and

01:04:48.700 --> 01:04:50.700
and

01:04:51.700 --> 01:04:53.700
the rest of the board.

01:04:54.700 --> 01:04:56.700
I think that's what you're asking about.

01:04:57.700 --> 01:05:03.700
Why did some people with lower points get their houses, their projects started sooner?

01:05:04.700 --> 01:05:06.700
Yes.

01:05:07.700 --> 01:05:09.700
Yes.

01:05:10.700 --> 01:05:12.700
And I think that's the answer.

01:05:13.700 --> 01:05:15.700
That is the answer.

01:05:15.700 --> 01:05:20.120
Production, an Independent State Inspector has to go through the house and determine

01:05:20.120 --> 01:05:26.820
the scope of work, which Ms. Walters is in charge of as part of her grant administration

01:05:26.820 --> 01:05:30.780
is going to these property owners and saying, okay, we need to schedule your inspection

01:05:30.780 --> 01:05:32.480
and then ultimately get your scope of work.

01:05:32.480 --> 01:05:35.140
So that's a process that also has to be done.

01:05:35.140 --> 01:05:36.140
Okay.

01:05:36.140 --> 01:05:44.660
So, how would you know if someone, if you lived in the house 10 years or more, you got

01:05:44.660 --> 01:05:45.660
Winslow.

01:05:45.660 --> 01:05:46.660
I want those extra 10 points.

01:05:46.660 --> 01:05:50.060
Five years, you get five points.

01:05:50.060 --> 01:05:57.660
So let's say I've lived in my house nine years, but I want those extra five points.

01:05:57.660 --> 01:06:00.240
So I say I've been there 10 years.

01:06:00.240 --> 01:06:06.260
How can you prove or how do you know?

01:06:06.260 --> 01:06:11.600
On their application, they are self-certifying that the information is true.

01:06:11.600 --> 01:06:13.360
That's what we have to go off of.

01:06:13.360 --> 01:06:18.920
I will also state that every bit of this process, and Joel's here to tell you about the grading

01:06:18.920 --> 01:06:25.440
process, but we also, and it's also been provided to you, our state grant manager has provided

01:06:25.440 --> 01:06:29.260
answers to these questions, but they're also available for you to contact.

01:06:29.260 --> 01:06:33.740
So you know, if there's any distrust, which seems like there's quite a bit here, on how

01:06:33.740 --> 01:06:39.160
our professionals did their work, our grant manager, who I spoke with, has said everything's

01:06:39.160 --> 01:06:46.440
has been above board within the process, done correctly, and our grant manager is available

01:06:46.440 --> 01:06:47.920
for you to speak to as well.

01:06:47.920 --> 01:06:54.800
But I would say that there is a timeline on these funds and would like to truly start

01:06:54.800 --> 01:06:58.800
moving forward with some more of these applications to get people the funding or else it's just

01:06:58.800 --> 01:07:02.360
going to, it's just going to sunset and where nobody's going to get the money.

01:07:02.360 --> 01:07:10.200
Alderman, Simmons. Can you, Kurt, one of you go back a couple slides when it you

01:07:10.200 --> 01:07:30.240
listed it had three bullet points that determined the need for the grant. I think

01:07:30.240 --> 01:07:38.640
it was the the one you just can you go back one or forward one no it was one

01:07:38.640 --> 01:07:51.000
that mentioned in Blythe income so yes yeah okay so the purpose of this grant

01:07:51.000 --> 01:07:56.800
yes moderate to low income is first but aiding in the prevention and elimination

01:07:56.800 --> 01:07:57.800
and Stacey.

01:07:57.800 --> 01:08:20.880
And I think that is what Alderperson Stacy is getting at when she's being told the condition

01:08:20.880 --> 01:08:22.600
of the home doesn't matter.

01:08:22.600 --> 01:08:23.840
Yes, it does.

01:08:23.840 --> 01:08:30.360
It's one of the purposes of this grant. So if we go into people's houses and do inside

01:08:30.360 --> 01:08:38.400
stuff first before these houses that are contributing a great amount of life to Adams Corridor,

01:08:38.400 --> 01:08:43.119
that defeats the purpose. And I believe that is the point that she's trying to make when

01:08:43.119 --> 01:08:47.600
she's being told that the conditions of the house doesn't matter and please don't add

01:08:47.600 --> 01:08:53.560
misinformation. It's right there in writing that is part of this grant.

01:08:53.560 --> 01:08:59.480
this slide is stating the three national objectives but the Illinois any state

01:08:59.480 --> 01:09:04.780
program must meet just one of these and the one that's highlighted is the one

01:09:04.780 --> 01:09:10.880
that CDBG housing rehabilitation is meeting by the administration of the grant. So I do

01:09:10.880 --> 01:09:17.319
want to add here too this is national objective and I and you did a really good

01:09:17.319 --> 01:09:21.600
job saying how this is what's called a pass-through federal government money

01:09:21.600 --> 01:09:26.579
Coney passes through to the state. So what Ms. Walters is saying, and she can correct

01:09:26.579 --> 01:09:30.980
me if I'm wrong, this is what the federal government says, if you are going to administer

01:09:30.980 --> 01:09:38.980
this grant as a state, you have to fall into one of these. And our state says we're going

01:09:38.980 --> 01:09:44.060
to do low to moderate income persons. The state of Illinois is saying that is how we

01:09:44.060 --> 01:09:48.700
are going to administer these funds. So when I say it doesn't matter, it's because the

01:09:48.700 --> 01:09:54.579
The state says we are involved in this factor. This is what the state is saying. This slide

01:09:54.579 --> 01:10:00.579
is federal government. The state of Illinois falls under LMI, Low to Modern Income, not

01:10:00.579 --> 01:10:01.220
these other two.

01:10:01.220 --> 01:10:03.220
and

01:10:04.220 --> 01:10:06.220
John.

01:10:07.520 --> 01:10:09.960
And that's why our state says in the applications we need to

01:10:09.960 --> 01:10:14.619
verify income. That's why, and if you go to another slide,

01:10:14.619 --> 01:10:18.740
that's actually state level. It states that here's the

01:10:18.740 --> 01:10:21.760
objectives from the Department of Commerce and Economic

01:10:21.760 --> 01:10:25.699
Opportunity who administers this grant. That's why I'm

01:10:25.699 --> 01:10:28.240
saying it doesn't matter. We need to stop this

01:10:28.240 --> 01:10:32.880
are working with standards provided by the state, not necessarily, we're not working

01:10:32.880 --> 01:10:34.680
directly with HUD.

01:10:34.680 --> 01:10:35.680
Correct.

01:10:35.680 --> 01:10:43.420
If I may add to that, for example, if we go back a slide, the state of Iowa uses the second

01:10:43.420 --> 01:10:47.440
bullet as their national objective for one of their programs, which is treating slum

01:10:47.440 --> 01:10:49.159
and blight in the downtown.

01:10:49.159 --> 01:10:54.460
So the state gets to decide which objective they would like to base their program around,

01:10:54.460 --> 01:10:56.640
as long as it meets one of them.

01:10:56.640 --> 01:11:03.600
I have a question then. So, but we as a city have that discretion as well, correct?

01:11:03.600 --> 01:11:09.039
Correct. And it would it would benefit us more so to hit two birds with that one

01:11:09.039 --> 01:11:14.680
stone where we meet low income and reduction of blight versus just helping

01:11:14.680 --> 01:11:20.280
people with low income who really their home is not a blight. It's like they

01:11:20.280 --> 01:11:25.039
don't need any outside work but that's what we're trying to do. That's our goal. I

01:11:25.039 --> 01:11:38.039
I would hope that's our goal in administration of this grant is to help reduce and help that area that we just had a whole new street put in, which is an entranceway into the city and making that look better.

01:11:38.039 --> 01:11:46.039
I don't understand why that isn't the goal, just because it's not necessarily the specific requirement of the state, however it is mentioned.

01:11:46.039 --> 01:11:50.039
So it's not like we'd be doing something against what's written. So I'm confused.

01:11:50.039 --> 01:11:55.039
There's one thing I do also want to reiterate here.

01:11:55.039 --> 01:12:01.680
Any work done on these houses is an independent state inspector who determines the scope of

01:12:01.680 --> 01:12:02.680
work.

01:12:02.680 --> 01:12:06.079
So when we're talking about it should have the front look like this, it should have a

01:12:06.079 --> 01:12:11.039
new water heater, the state inspector determines that.

01:12:11.039 --> 01:12:16.480
They come in, we schedule an inspection and the state inspector comes in and they determine

01:12:16.480 --> 01:12:17.520
what work is done.

01:12:17.520 --> 01:12:20.180
and

01:12:20.180 --> 01:12:21.520
the

01:12:21.520 --> 01:12:22.520
state

01:12:22.520 --> 01:12:23.520
inspector

01:12:23.520 --> 01:12:24.520
has to come in and determine it.

01:12:24.520 --> 01:12:25.520
And if the

01:12:25.520 --> 01:12:30.960
state inspector creates the scope of work, if it's not done by a state inspector, the

01:12:30.960 --> 01:12:31.960
work isn't approved.

01:12:31.960 --> 01:12:32.960
It isn't.

01:12:32.960 --> 01:12:33.960
It won't happen.

01:12:33.960 --> 01:12:38.840
So are you saying a state inspector drove by all 31 of these homes?

01:12:38.840 --> 01:12:39.840
Nope.

01:12:39.840 --> 01:12:40.840
That's not what I'm saying.

01:12:40.840 --> 01:12:44.800
I'm saying once these homes are selected, once these homes are selected, the scope of

01:12:44.800 --> 01:12:47.360
work that's approved comes from a state inspector.

01:12:47.360 --> 01:12:53.240
that's what I'm saying and the state of Illinois that I've spoken with repeatedly

01:12:53.240 --> 01:12:58.400
and when we talked about the scoring with region one we had several meetings they

01:12:58.400 --> 01:13:02.600
said you have to focus on the need of the applicant and not the condition of

01:13:02.600 --> 01:13:06.520
the home that was what was stated repeatedly and I invite you to please

01:13:06.520 --> 01:13:12.119
call our grant manager from the state and they could reiterate what they told

01:13:12.119 --> 01:13:16.159
me and what they told Joel was that when we were scoring these applicants you have

01:13:16.159 --> 01:13:20.240
We have to focus on the applicant, not the condition of the home.

01:13:20.240 --> 01:13:22.539
So we're following the guidelines of the state.

01:13:22.539 --> 01:13:26.720
There is no other agenda than that.

01:13:26.720 --> 01:13:33.600
And if I may add, the repairs are prioritized by code violations, lead remediation, or other

01:13:33.600 --> 01:13:41.720
public health hazards within or outside the home, as well as energy efficiency and accessibility.

01:13:41.720 --> 01:13:50.720
Prioritize, not required. They can do other repairs as well.

01:13:52.720 --> 01:13:57.240
Yes, I believe that they've all answered all of our questions and they followed

01:13:57.240 --> 01:14:01.480
the state guidelines, not our city guidelines. So I'd like to move this on to

01:14:01.480 --> 01:14:04.720
the next item.

01:14:04.720 --> 01:14:05.720
Miller.

01:14:05.720 --> 01:14:06.720
Yes.

01:14:06.720 --> 01:14:15.640
I think we need to get back to what the Council's responsibilities are here.

01:14:15.640 --> 01:14:21.100
So the Council is responsible to approve or not approve when something comes before you.

01:14:21.100 --> 01:14:27.780
Your responsibility is when Wayne comes to you and says, I want to apply for this CBD

01:14:27.780 --> 01:14:29.039
grant.

01:14:29.039 --> 01:14:30.340
You can say no, you don't like the grant.

01:14:30.340 --> 01:14:32.140
You don't like the guidelines.

01:14:32.140 --> 01:14:33.400
That's your responsibility.

01:14:33.400 --> 01:14:43.400
Your responsibility is not in walking out every single detail of what our director does or these two that have been administering something.

01:14:43.400 --> 01:14:50.400
The day-to-day is not that responsible. If we did that on every single item that we have to approve, we'd never get anything done.

01:14:50.400 --> 01:14:55.400
You have to remember, you are the legislative body. You are not the day-to-day body.

01:14:55.400 --> 01:15:02.400
So you either trust those that are put into these professional spots or you don't. If they're not doing their job then we should fire them.

01:15:02.400 --> 01:15:25.640
Fire, but obviously they're doing their job.

01:15:25.640 --> 01:15:37.360
and this was brought to us and I'm learning because it should have came with pictures and

01:15:37.360 --> 01:15:42.560
it didn't.

01:15:42.560 --> 01:15:46.960
Information has been withheld purposely.

01:15:46.960 --> 01:15:57.960
We come here and as directors, as head of the city, we trust that you're bringing us the

01:15:57.960 --> 01:16:04.520
truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.

01:16:04.520 --> 01:16:08.860
And in reality, that just don't happen.

01:16:08.860 --> 01:16:18.780
So I am here on behalf of the people.

01:16:18.780 --> 01:16:31.619
And I will inform my constituents in every way possible where we have been misled on something

01:16:31.619 --> 01:16:35.159
but took a vote, yeah.

01:16:35.159 --> 01:16:47.700
You told me the other week, you voted for this, and I did, but not having correct information

01:16:47.700 --> 01:16:52.100
in front of me.

01:16:52.100 --> 01:17:07.460
We get what you all want us to have, and that don't always totally involve the truth.

01:17:07.460 --> 01:17:12.940
So if you want to move on, thank you for your time.

01:17:12.940 --> 01:17:13.940
Thank you, Joel.

01:17:13.940 --> 01:17:19.020
If you have a business card, I would love to have one.

01:17:19.020 --> 01:17:20.020
Thank you.

01:17:20.020 --> 01:17:34.100
thank you very much moving on to number eight Kurt this is when I need you

01:17:34.100 --> 01:18:00.100
C.D.B.G., Adam Avenue Housing, Rehabilitation, Application, Discrepancies,

01:18:00.100 --> 01:18:15.739
This presentation aims to make the public aware of the discrepancies that the City of Freeport

01:18:15.739 --> 01:18:26.420
has allowed to occur within the CDBG Adams Avenue Housing Rehabilitation Program.

01:18:26.420 --> 01:18:35.380
Such discrepancies should have disqualified the applicants.

01:18:35.380 --> 01:18:44.980
But the city has decided to provide grant funding to them anyway.

01:18:44.980 --> 01:18:48.980
$48,000.

01:18:48.980 --> 01:19:01.260
This is a total disregard for the individuals living in the affected area who really need

01:19:01.260 --> 01:19:06.020
and deserve assistance.

01:19:06.020 --> 01:19:17.700
Welcome to 1010 South Adams.

01:19:17.700 --> 01:19:29.180
This is a list of all of their property that they own. They are landlords. They write their

01:19:29.180 --> 01:19:48.420
their own 1040s, that's their business, totaling 290,500, but their low income. Next slide please.

01:19:48.420 --> 01:20:00.460
This house that we're calling 1010, once upon a time was 1012, and the little house in the

01:20:00.460 --> 01:20:01.300
The back of the b-

01:20:01.300 --> 01:20:31.300
The little house in the back of the big house, if you would, was 1010. But now you can clearly see that the big house is no longer 1012, but it resides as 1010. Why switch the addresses? If we're not doing something, I'm

01:20:31.300 --> 01:20:54.300
Fair here. Next slide please. 10-10, 10-10. In 10-13 or 20 that address did not read 10-10, it read 10-12.

01:20:54.300 --> 01:21:02.779
Moving on, the incomplete application, the housing rehabilitation specific document was

01:21:02.779 --> 01:21:07.119
created by the Illinois Department of Commerce.

01:21:07.119 --> 01:21:15.460
The corresponding document, the application, has the City of Freeport seal on it.

01:21:15.460 --> 01:21:22.619
It shows that the application was incomplete.

01:21:22.619 --> 01:21:37.739
Why did the city accept an incomplete application who authorized this uncompleted application?

01:21:37.739 --> 01:21:43.020
Next slide, please.

01:21:43.020 --> 01:21:46.860
We saw this with Ms. Walters.

01:21:46.860 --> 01:21:51.380
Next slide, please.

01:21:51.380 --> 01:22:13.460
What you see highlighted was their scoring of 1010 slash 1012 South Adams.

01:22:13.460 --> 01:22:16.380
Next slide please.

01:22:16.380 --> 01:22:26.780
This is the application. As you can see, the application home must be paid off based on

01:22:26.780 --> 01:22:35.380
the fact that the existing debt on the property was left blank. Did anyone from the city bother

01:22:35.380 --> 01:22:46.300
to ask if there was any equity in the house that could be used for any repairs?

01:22:46.300 --> 01:22:57.940
remember that the city plays when the applicants next supply any income they

01:22:57.940 --> 01:23:04.579
never supply any income information the application even asks for rental income

01:23:04.579 --> 01:23:15.420
based on the applications 2020-2021 tax returns both the applicants and spouse

01:23:15.420 --> 01:23:22.420
House Occupants are listed as rental properties. This applicant owns six rental properties

01:23:26.980 --> 01:23:33.980
and I am hard pressed to believe they receive zero income for any of them.

01:23:33.980 --> 01:23:50.199
them. Next. This is the final page of the application. What I would like to call this page, the applicants

01:23:50.199 --> 01:23:58.619
are to date and signed to verify that all the information provided in this application was

01:23:58.619 --> 01:24:04.420
was true and complete to the best of their knowledge.

01:24:04.420 --> 01:24:15.420
As you can see, the applicants who did not date nor sign this document were still approved.

01:24:15.420 --> 01:24:44.659
Howe, $48,000, brand new hot water heater, brand new furnace, brand new central air unit,

01:24:44.659 --> 01:24:46.659
and others.

01:24:46.659 --> 01:24:50.659
And it goes on and on and on.

01:24:50.659 --> 01:24:54.659
Deck fixed.

01:24:54.659 --> 01:25:00.659
This final page, how?

01:25:00.659 --> 01:25:04.659
How do you approve?

01:25:04.659 --> 01:25:09.659
How do you say someone is going to be the

01:25:09.659 --> 01:25:25.659
How do you approve? How do you say someone qualifies and approve them for $48,000 when they didn't even sign or complete the application?

01:25:25.659 --> 01:25:29.659
I rest my case. Next page please.

01:25:29.659 --> 01:25:38.659
Citizen of Freeport, I want to provide you with information on how the Adams Street rehabilitation program is handled.

01:25:38.659 --> 01:25:45.659
You and I know what I presented tonight will not make a difference.

01:25:45.659 --> 01:25:51.659
The City is still going to give grant funding to this applicant.

01:25:51.659 --> 01:25:57.659
It does not matter that the application was incomplete,

01:25:57.659 --> 01:26:01.659
that critical information was withheld from it,

01:26:01.659 --> 01:26:12.659
that the applicant has a healthy real estate portfolio or that misleading information was provided.

01:26:12.659 --> 01:26:24.659
The thing, these things may not matter to our City Manager, they may not matter to our Mayor,

01:26:24.659 --> 01:26:34.659
They may not matter to our Director or even some Council Members, but they matter to me.

01:26:34.659 --> 01:26:41.659
Citizens, please understand the significance and gravity of this situation.

01:26:41.659 --> 01:26:51.659
Those grant funds that the City has agreed to provide for the rehabilitation of this application home

01:26:51.659 --> 01:26:54.659
are still your tax dollars.

01:26:58.659 --> 01:27:08.659
They used to get these funds speak volume about the integrity of the applicants,

01:27:08.659 --> 01:27:16.659
but even louder about the integrity of the ones who approved them.

01:27:16.659 --> 01:27:18.659
Thank you.

01:27:21.659 --> 01:27:43.579
and next we have discussion. I'm sorry, Attorney Zito. I just wanted to make a quick, quick

01:27:43.579 --> 01:27:49.100
brief point here or comment here though. So, Alderman Stacy, just so you know, and I don't

01:27:49.100 --> 01:27:53.699
Don't know maybe if you haven't seen my email from Friday, there was, I did as a part of

01:27:53.699 --> 01:27:58.260
that email that I sent to you that had the log in it, Wayne did also was able to find

01:27:58.260 --> 01:28:03.380
a copy of the signed application, so I did email that to you so that you have that.

01:28:03.380 --> 01:28:05.619
That application was signed.

01:28:05.619 --> 01:28:14.060
Attorney Zito, Director Duckman, I came in here November 26th and I asked for a copy

01:28:14.060 --> 01:28:23.579
We are the 68 original applicants. What I get was the 31, not the 68. I know what I

01:28:23.579 --> 01:28:33.380
asked for because I knew what I was looking for. And I get the point system. And what

01:28:33.380 --> 01:28:47.940
I was given the application I was handed was not signed. I'm not making this up. This is

01:28:47.940 --> 01:28:55.340
what you gave me November 26th before I came to your office November 27th and I voiced

01:28:55.340 --> 01:29:02.940
my concern to you about this. It was not filled out properly. It's not even signed.

01:29:02.940 --> 01:29:08.500
and so I did pose that question about the signed application to to Wayne and I

01:29:08.500 --> 01:29:13.380
believe he then reached out to Joel and I think on Thursday Friday morning is when

01:29:13.380 --> 01:29:17.020
we Joel was able to go and he found through his records the signed

01:29:17.020 --> 01:29:21.340
application so that's why I provided it to you on Friday in my email. Or did we

01:29:21.340 --> 01:29:24.900
go get a signature? Oh I know we didn't get a signature because I provided him a

01:29:24.900 --> 01:29:29.020
screenshot that showed when the file was scanned and copied so I know it's not a

01:29:29.020 --> 01:29:35.500
We didn't go out and get a signature that that grant applicant signed put it put

01:29:35.500 --> 01:29:41.539
their signature to it and I also want to reiterate that assets are different than

01:29:41.539 --> 01:29:49.380
income it's a very simple economics 101 accounting 101 and the state of Illinois

01:29:49.380 --> 01:29:54.539
requires income verification I've asked the state of Illinois they said we do

01:29:54.539 --> 01:30:00.539
Do not consider assets. I've asked the state. They said under no circumstances they put in their

01:30:00.539 --> 01:30:02.539
and

01:30:03.819 --> 01:30:05.819
Jodi.

01:30:07.159 --> 01:30:09.380
I want to make it clear that in those circumstances they put in

01:30:09.380 --> 01:30:11.380
their documentation that they require an IRS tax return.

01:30:13.760 --> 01:30:16.220
They do not require assets. So I want to be very clear that the

01:30:16.220 --> 01:30:19.260
state is not requiring us to go check everyone's bank account,

01:30:19.260 --> 01:30:23.260
real estate portfolios, 401Ks, et cetera. It's not part of it.

01:30:23.260 --> 01:30:27.260
So again, that's misinformation. There is a difference between

01:30:27.260 --> 01:30:29.260
income and assets.

01:30:30.539 --> 01:30:39.340
What's a landlord? I, too, can make my own 1040. Is there anything else? I'm moving on. Thank you.

01:30:40.060 --> 01:30:41.340
If I could, please? Yes.

01:30:41.899 --> 01:30:45.819
You can make your own 1040, but the IRS has nobody to play with.

01:30:45.819 --> 01:30:46.460
It's not.

01:30:46.460 --> 01:30:54.779
If I was a landlord and I documented on a 1040, there's a separate form for each piece of property.

01:30:54.779 --> 01:31:02.859
Schaedle, you have to document everything that's in your portfolio is listed as income

01:31:02.859 --> 01:31:07.100
plus and minus on a form on your 1040.

01:31:07.100 --> 01:31:13.420
So it was reported if there was any income that was part of their income, the asset of

01:31:13.420 --> 01:31:16.380
the building itself is irrelevant.

01:31:16.380 --> 01:31:29.140
Alderman, Shadle, all of their properties were not even listed on their income tax.

01:31:29.140 --> 01:31:37.539
Moving on to number nine, discussion regarding social media policy, Director Bridge.

01:31:37.539 --> 01:31:39.659
Good evening, Council.

01:31:39.659 --> 01:31:43.939
I aim to keep this brief.

01:31:43.939 --> 01:31:46.319
and

01:31:46.319 --> 01:31:47.939
the

01:31:47.939 --> 01:31:50.239
City Council.

01:31:50.239 --> 01:31:58.079
Since 2017, the City has managed social media pages for city postings, information and more.

01:31:58.079 --> 01:32:05.260
The social media policy for all staff has been in place to set guidelines for personal use,

01:32:05.260 --> 01:32:08.460
but has yet to set guidelines for page administrators.

01:32:08.460 --> 01:32:15.460
and the City of Freeport believes that the use of social media platforms can effectively broaden the reach of government communication to its constituents.

01:32:15.460 --> 01:32:22.460
The use of social media platforms has been a key part of the city's policy to improve transparency and strengthen the communication pipeline between the city and residents.

01:32:22.460 --> 01:32:29.460
A revised policy has been created to aid page administrators in allowing comments and fostering a more dynamic environment for social discourse.

01:32:29.460 --> 01:32:36.460
As the city's statement of purpose reads, the City of Freeport believes that the use of social media platforms can effectively broaden the reach of government communication to its constituents.

01:32:36.460 --> 01:32:40.699
and

01:32:40.699 --> 01:32:42.699
the City Council.

01:32:42.699 --> 01:32:45.699
The use of social media by the city is to convey or obtain

01:32:45.699 --> 01:32:48.699
information that is useful to or will further the goals of this

01:32:48.699 --> 01:32:52.699
local government. The revised policy also outlines important

01:32:52.699 --> 01:32:55.699
guidelines for page administrators to ensure discourse

01:32:55.699 --> 01:32:59.699
remains informational and appropriate. Obviously, there

01:32:59.699 --> 01:33:03.699
would be no financial repercussions to enforcing this

01:33:03.699 --> 01:33:09.100
and staff recommends that when the time comes, obviously not tonight, that we move forward

01:33:09.100 --> 01:33:10.100
with the policy.

01:33:10.100 --> 01:33:16.039
So, let me introduce you to some important notes in the policy, regardless of if you

01:33:16.039 --> 01:33:17.619
have it in front of you or not.

01:33:17.619 --> 01:33:19.439
It's a pretty simple one.

01:33:19.439 --> 01:33:28.420
It has, I believe, eight headings on it, but there are about three that are actually important

01:33:28.420 --> 01:33:29.579
to look at.

01:33:29.579 --> 01:33:35.939
I'll start with Section 3, which is titled Comment Policy.

01:33:35.939 --> 01:33:45.500
So we all know that comments can most of the time be good for public discourse, but sometimes

01:33:45.500 --> 01:33:54.059
they fall under some not so great things for a city government page to have under their

01:33:54.059 --> 01:33:55.059
posts.

01:33:55.060 --> 01:34:02.060
and I have listed nine things here of which are just to name a few promotes discrimination, we're getting rid of those comments.

01:34:02.060 --> 01:34:08.060
Threatening any person or organization, we get rid of those comments. So on and so forth.

01:34:08.060 --> 01:34:15.060
That's just one section. I'll move on to another section, which is section five, administrator usage.

01:34:15.060 --> 01:34:21.059
I want to point out that again, the city already has a social media policy for employees in general

01:34:21.059 --> 01:34:37.059
and the City of Michigan. In general, that applies to their personal use of social media. However, we don't have anything yet for the page administrators, aka myself and the administrator of the police and the fire and the library.

01:34:37.059 --> 01:34:43.579
and others. These city employees are responsible for the posting of information, commenting,

01:34:43.579 --> 01:34:49.659
and communicating with constituents and moderation of activity on all social media. Again, no

01:34:49.659 --> 01:34:57.659
one else other than the administrators, no one else is allowed to moderate these activities.

01:34:57.659 --> 01:35:04.500
I'll move on to Section 6, which I believe is the last one I want to point out, but may

01:35:04.500 --> 01:35:06.500
and I have been working on this for a long time.

01:35:07.739 --> 01:35:09.739
It's called Community Messaging Guidelines.

01:35:11.859 --> 01:35:13.619
It talks about the types of community events that we're

01:35:13.619 --> 01:35:16.739
allowed to share, types of community events that we're not

01:35:16.739 --> 01:35:18.739
allowed to share.

01:35:20.779 --> 01:35:22.779
City social media sites will not share community messages that

01:35:22.779 --> 01:35:27.380
include political, public issue, or prohibited product

01:35:27.380 --> 01:35:29.380
information.

01:35:30.899 --> 01:35:32.899
And there's much more, but I believe that is the gist.

01:35:34.500 --> 01:35:42.340
and we're here tonight obviously to discuss the issue personally from a communication standpoint.

01:35:42.340 --> 01:35:47.340
I believe it improves the transparency, improves communication between city government and

01:35:47.340 --> 01:35:55.720
its constituents and I believe it's a good thing.

01:35:55.720 --> 01:35:56.720
Any questions?

01:35:56.720 --> 01:35:59.300
Thank you.

01:35:59.300 --> 01:36:02.739
So I will just end by saying this.

01:36:02.739 --> 01:36:13.739
We have discussed at the city that if there's no, how do I say this, fight against it, we

01:36:13.739 --> 01:36:15.340
will be moving it to first reading.

01:36:15.340 --> 01:36:19.579
I'll say that louder, we'll be moving it to first reading.

01:36:19.579 --> 01:36:20.579
Thank you.

01:36:20.579 --> 01:36:23.579
Oh, Erin, go ahead.

01:36:23.579 --> 01:36:25.819
Yes, Attorney Zito.

01:36:25.819 --> 01:36:30.439
I was just going to ask, Ryan, are you looking for a motion then to have this by the council

01:36:30.439 --> 01:36:35.880
because we're at Cal, if you want to specifically move forward for first reading, is that what

01:36:35.880 --> 01:36:36.880
you're looking for?

01:36:36.880 --> 01:36:37.880
That would be great.

01:36:37.880 --> 01:36:38.880
So moved.

01:36:38.880 --> 01:36:39.880
Second.

01:36:39.880 --> 01:36:40.880
Take a vote.

01:36:40.880 --> 01:36:41.880
I missed the second.

01:36:41.880 --> 01:36:42.880
Shadle.

01:36:42.880 --> 01:36:43.880
I did.

01:36:43.880 --> 01:36:44.880
Shadle first.

01:36:44.880 --> 01:37:14.819
take a vote I miss the second shadow idea so do we take a vote

01:37:14.880 --> 01:37:26.760
individually right this is just a vote to move it forward to the next regular City

01:37:26.760 --> 01:37:31.199
Council meeting for first reading so voice vote is fine typically all in

01:37:31.199 --> 01:37:38.680
favor of moving this to the next council meeting for first reading say aye aye

01:37:38.680 --> 01:37:53.760
oppose thank you motion passed number 10 discussion regarding revised hanger lease

01:37:53.760 --> 01:38:01.519
and hanger rental rates presented by City Manager Boyer thank you madam chair

01:38:01.520 --> 01:38:10.279
Staff has reviewed all of the hanger leases, the lease amounts, and has put

01:38:10.279 --> 01:38:17.239
forth for review the new lease format, as well as a suggestion to make a change to

01:38:17.239 --> 01:38:27.399
ordinance 2021-05, increasing hanger J's rent from $575 to $800. Just a few

01:38:27.399 --> 01:38:57.399
We've had a few high points. The new lease agreement was put together. We've been working on this for a number of months. We've gone back and forth with Angie, the fixed base operator, and she is, we've kind of worked out some details and everything is looking really good with that, as well as she has compiled the competitive or comparative leases at local or other airports in our region of a similar size. One of the outcomes was that we are looking pretty

01:38:57.399 --> 01:39:04.640
to all of the other airports. We used Sterling, Dixon, and Rochelle as our

01:39:04.640 --> 01:39:09.800
comparisons, all of a similar size of traffic. So with that, staff would like to

01:39:09.800 --> 01:39:15.359
bring this to the next meeting, next council meeting for approval of the

01:39:15.359 --> 01:39:24.479
ordinance change. That would be, I'm sorry, yep, we'll bring an ordinance to the next

01:39:24.479 --> 01:39:26.680
Meeting with us changes to Jay Hanger.

01:39:27.960 --> 01:39:28.800
So moved.

01:39:32.479 --> 01:39:33.640
Second.

01:39:33.640 --> 01:39:34.460
Second.

01:39:39.239 --> 01:39:40.619
All in favor?

01:39:40.619 --> 01:39:41.460
Aye.

01:39:41.460 --> 01:39:42.460
Aye.

01:39:42.460 --> 01:39:43.359
Opposed?

01:39:47.960 --> 01:39:52.800
Discussion regarding authorizing Northern Illinois

01:39:52.800 --> 01:40:00.600
Gas Company, DBA NICOR Company, to construct, operate, and maintain a gas...

01:40:00.600 --> 01:40:10.440
to operate and maintain a gas distributing system in and through the City of Freeport.

01:40:10.440 --> 01:40:21.840
Francis, Agreement View, LOA, City Manager, Boyer.

01:40:21.840 --> 01:40:28.079
Thank you, Chairperson.

01:40:28.079 --> 01:40:33.840
So each year, or I'm sorry, every 50 years, the City enters into a franchise agreement

01:40:33.840 --> 01:40:35.740
with our utilities.

01:40:35.740 --> 01:40:41.079
Various utilities require different durations, but NICOR's case, that's our gas company,

01:40:41.079 --> 01:40:42.200
it's a 50-year agreement.

01:40:42.200 --> 01:40:45.060
So this hasn't been looked at for 50 years.

01:40:45.060 --> 01:40:52.320
In the past, the City included all, as some of the requirements, the City required gas

01:40:52.320 --> 01:40:57.240
service for all City installations, which was included in the new version.

01:40:57.240 --> 01:41:03.320
However, staff pressed back on NICOR to include the library due to the fact that the library

01:41:03.320 --> 01:41:11.039
is part of the city and also is one of our largest gas users due to the HVAC system that

01:41:11.039 --> 01:41:15.560
is required to keep the air dry for preservation of the books.

01:41:15.560 --> 01:41:23.160
So city staff has finished this negotiation with Attorney Zito and we are ready to move

01:41:23.160 --> 01:41:28.680
We have a motion to move this forward to first reading at the next council meeting.

01:41:28.680 --> 01:41:29.680
So moved.

01:41:29.680 --> 01:41:30.680
Second.

01:41:30.680 --> 01:41:46.840
We have a motion to move this forward at the December 3rd meeting.

01:41:46.840 --> 01:41:47.840
All in favor?

01:41:47.840 --> 01:41:48.840
Aye.

01:41:48.840 --> 01:41:49.840
Excuse me.

01:41:49.840 --> 01:42:12.579
I just want to clarify the moving it forward to which council meeting. It'd be the December 16th, 16th December 16th. I'm sorry, I just said the third month. Yeah, December 16th. All in favor. Opposed. Wait. Question.

01:42:12.579 --> 01:42:29.579
No, just comment. So, City Manager is being a little, I guess, coy here. I just wanted to mention that this, this negotiation that he was able to strike with NYCORN is a $20,000 savings to the city annually in gas for the library.

01:42:29.579 --> 01:42:31.020
All right. Thank you.

01:42:37.260 --> 01:42:40.860
Opposed? Okay.

01:42:44.300 --> 01:42:56.940
Discussion regarding investigation into the political fraudulent financial forensic audit.

01:42:59.579 --> 01:43:16.780
from Alderman, Monroe, and Sanders. Due to the resource and the information that is not

01:43:16.780 --> 01:43:26.660
going to be presented today, Alderman, Monroe, and myself, we had not been able to collaborate

01:43:26.660 --> 01:43:33.340
to determine what it is the presentation will present today and what I'd like to do is suspend

01:43:33.340 --> 01:43:42.980
this and carry it over to the next meeting and hopefully we have all of the contents

01:43:42.980 --> 01:43:54.020
of everything that we need to bring forward to the next meeting so we want to suspend that

01:43:54.020 --> 01:44:07.340
for now discussion regarding oh I'm sorry public comments do we have any public

01:44:07.340 --> 01:44:10.780
Ha, a couple of comments.

01:44:10.780 --> 01:44:11.579
Nope.

01:44:11.579 --> 01:44:12.079
Yes.

01:44:17.500 --> 01:44:19.579
Jodi Miller.

01:44:19.579 --> 01:44:23.780
So the IV grocery store's not coming in.

01:44:23.780 --> 01:44:24.260
Greetings.

01:44:29.600 --> 01:44:30.780
Drying Dickerman.

01:44:30.780 --> 01:44:31.500
Yes.

01:44:31.500 --> 01:44:33.220
IV Store's not coming?

01:44:33.220 --> 01:44:36.120
No IV, Tommy, I'm sorry.

01:44:36.120 --> 01:44:39.120
What's Angela going to do now? Put something in there?

01:44:39.120 --> 01:44:42.120
She's going to continue to be our fearless leader.

01:44:52.120 --> 01:44:56.120
Hello. I just want to make comments about this black grant.

01:44:56.120 --> 01:44:58.120
Please, your name?

01:44:58.120 --> 01:45:03.120
Oh, I'm sorry. I am Lucinda, Cindy, however you want to see me.

01:45:03.120 --> 01:45:04.120
and so on.

01:45:04.120 --> 01:45:10.240
But, okay, just regarding the block grant that has been discussed the last couple of months

01:45:10.240 --> 01:45:13.760
or so.

01:45:13.760 --> 01:45:15.800
I applied for this grant.

01:45:15.800 --> 01:45:21.079
I can remember this grant probably started back in 2019 per se.

01:45:21.079 --> 01:45:27.320
I remember doing an inspection on my home with Ben, then with Amy Bacto that's no longer

01:45:27.320 --> 01:45:28.440
here.

01:45:28.440 --> 01:45:35.520
and then in probably 2021, I probably did an application again with Lorena.

01:45:35.520 --> 01:45:40.200
And so from time to time, I would ask Lorena about this, you know, the status of the block

01:45:40.200 --> 01:45:41.800
grant and all of that.

01:45:41.800 --> 01:45:46.360
So she would say, you know, the state is this and the state is that, it takes long.

01:45:46.360 --> 01:45:47.560
And I understand that.

01:45:47.560 --> 01:45:51.800
But and when this grant came out, I remember getting the letter.

01:45:51.800 --> 01:45:55.960
So it's probably one of the first ones that applied for this grant, okay.

01:45:55.960 --> 01:46:04.120
and so in regards to this 1010 South Adams of all of these things that they have you know

01:46:04.120 --> 01:46:12.280
agreed to putting in furnace what have you so when Ben came to my house it was things

01:46:12.280 --> 01:46:15.960
that needed to be done and it's still things that need to be done okay I've been in my

01:46:15.960 --> 01:46:23.440
home almost 17 years and well has been 17 years and I've worked for this city will be

01:46:23.440 --> 01:46:30.020
maybe 24 years come February and I'm not, like Alderman Stacy said, you're gonna do

01:46:30.020 --> 01:46:37.040
what you wanna do but as far as it's being just based on income, I don't think that's

01:46:37.040 --> 01:46:45.260
legit but it is what it is and so I do need a $20,000 roof on my house but the city does

01:46:45.260 --> 01:46:50.520
not pay me enough to provide that so that's all I have to say, thank you.

01:46:53.440 --> 01:47:07.220
I have to make a rebuttal about the presentation you saw tonight. Alderman Simmons, you are

01:47:07.220 --> 01:47:14.400
absolutely 100% correct. As long as we meet the state requirement, and it is a requirement

01:47:14.400 --> 01:47:21.780
as I stated, that the applicants have to be low income, but you can add as a community,

01:47:21.780 --> 01:47:28.700
Grant gives you the flexibility for you to set the priorities of what the greatest community

01:47:28.700 --> 01:47:35.579
needs are and how we're going to ensure that the challenges are met.

01:47:35.579 --> 01:47:41.700
We are not going to meet challenges by going in with perfectly good homes and buying them

01:47:41.700 --> 01:47:44.360
new air conditioners, especially a landlord.

01:47:44.360 --> 01:47:48.840
This is absolutely absurd and not what the grant intended.

01:47:48.840 --> 01:47:55.200
So you were right, and this needs to be changed. We are a home rule city, I think, I don't

01:47:55.200 --> 01:48:02.120
know if we dropped that, but as long as we meet the state requirement, you as a city,

01:48:02.120 --> 01:48:08.800
you can decide that the project area will address blighted homes in that area, and you

01:48:08.800 --> 01:48:18.079
can also decide that it will be safe and unsanitary conditions. You can even decide that you do

01:48:18.079 --> 01:48:23.720
do not want them to fix air conditioners. You can decide this. This grant gives you

01:48:23.720 --> 01:48:32.720
the flexibility for communities to decide their own needs. That's all I have to say.

01:48:32.720 --> 01:48:47.800
Good evening again, Josh Atkinson. I just want to say that I think we need to step back

01:48:47.800 --> 01:48:50.240
and take a lesson from this.

01:48:50.240 --> 01:48:55.240
I honestly don't think anybody was doing anything wrong necessarily.

01:48:55.240 --> 01:48:56.240
Mistakes may have happened.

01:48:56.240 --> 01:48:59.940
But at the end of the day, it's the council that made that mistake.

01:48:59.940 --> 01:49:05.540
We didn't set forth those parameters when it came to council however long ago.

01:49:05.540 --> 01:49:12.100
Back in 2019, 2018, 2019, these conversations should have happened then.

01:49:12.100 --> 01:49:15.480
We have the opportunity to get $550,000.

01:49:15.480 --> 01:49:17.880
How do we use this to better our community?

01:49:17.880 --> 01:49:19.940
That conversation didn't happen.

01:49:19.940 --> 01:49:21.200
So the surveys went out.

01:49:21.200 --> 01:49:24.280
We got $550,000.

01:49:24.280 --> 01:49:27.760
And then Director Duckman had to figure out how to use it.

01:49:27.760 --> 01:49:32.680
And with all faith, I believe he did the right thing and tried to figure out how to use it

01:49:32.680 --> 01:49:33.780
and they put forth.

01:49:33.780 --> 01:49:36.400
Now we're saying that, oh man, we wish we should have done this.

01:49:36.400 --> 01:49:38.079
We wish we would have done this.

01:49:38.079 --> 01:49:39.360
And we failed.

01:49:39.360 --> 01:49:40.360
We failed.

01:49:40.360 --> 01:49:43.360
You know, we need to take that lesson moving forward.

01:49:43.360 --> 01:49:48.380
There was a gentleman, Joel, presented, you know, the first thing that came, the only thing

01:49:48.380 --> 01:49:55.480
I saw about that great program, the land planning, is there was one slide that he presented that

01:49:55.480 --> 01:49:58.480
it said that it could be a rental property.

01:49:58.480 --> 01:50:00.600
You know, one was bought for $15,000.

01:50:00.600 --> 01:50:01.600
and many others.

01:50:01.600 --> 01:50:07.480
So, you know, one was bought for $15,000 and turned around and it was renting out for $875.

01:50:07.480 --> 01:50:12.200
First question that comes to mind is can we as a community, when that comes forward next

01:50:12.200 --> 01:50:16.240
week or whenever that's going to come back, can we put a stipulation in there that says

01:50:16.240 --> 01:50:19.760
it can't be rented out, it has to be sold or lived in?

01:50:19.760 --> 01:50:23.920
You know, those are the things that we need to look at when council, when city staff brings

01:50:23.920 --> 01:50:28.460
this stuff to council to look at that stuff, read the stuff, discuss it and figure out

01:50:28.460 --> 01:50:34.460
How do we use all these tools, all this grant money that Freeport's been getting to better the whole community as a whole?

01:50:34.460 --> 01:50:36.460
Alright, thank you.

01:50:36.460 --> 01:51:00.420
Okay, if there's nothing else, I make a, do we have a motion to adjourn?

01:51:00.420 --> 01:51:01.420
So moved.

01:51:01.420 --> 01:51:02.420
So moved.

01:51:02.420 --> 01:51:03.420
Second.

01:51:03.420 --> 01:51:06.420
Sellers, and all in favor?

01:51:06.420 --> 01:51:07.420
Aye.