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Topic: Why Flint keeps paying back HUD $
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo

Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector ...
https://staging.oversight.garden/reports/hud/2009-CH-1020
The City of Flint, Michigan, Lacked Adequate Controls over Its Commitment and ... Our audit objectives were to determine whether the City effectively committed and ... disbursement deadlines and losing more than $499,000 in Program funds. .... subgrants in HUD's System to Career Alliance, Inc. and Salem Housing Task ...
Post Thu Aug 24, 2017 4:30 pm 
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo

On December 19, 2002 Joyce A. Parker, Grants Administrator, Major Grants Division, sent a memorandum to Flint City Administrator and E.M. Ed Kurtz that included her
in-depth assessment of Flint's grant operations and plans for a 2 year overhaul.

Staffing
The staffing of the Major Grants Division consist of ten people. Currently there is one vacant Clerk Typist position open. The primary responsibility of the staff is to administer and monitor the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program, the HOME Investment Partnership Program, the Emergency Shelter Grant Program and the Home Ownership Zone Grant.

Three of the staff has management responsibility in terms Program and Project Administration in their duties as Project managers. Each of the Project Managers has
staff directly responsible for monitoring agencies receiving funding from the City as subgrantees. Clerical support and Research Program Analyst position are also in place to support the division. An organizational chart is included as Attachment A.
Post Thu Aug 31, 2017 8:32 am 
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo

The City of Flint Major Grants Division is unique in comparison with other communities relative to organizational structure and responsibilities. In Flint, the major Grants Division is structured to provide Reporting and Program monitoring to other agencies that actually implement programs utilizing block grant funds. In other communities the City organization generally have responsibility to monitor subgrantee agencies as well as implement and administer programs. Based on information from other communities, this model appears to be more effective because the governmental unit is directly accountable for Core CDBG and HOME programs and has more control over the quantity and quality of production. The programs are less politicized and may be less expensive because administrative costs are not duplicated.
Post Thu Aug 31, 2017 10:53 am 
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo

If the City is interested in operating programs through the Major Grants Division, planning should take place in the immediate future recognizing that it may take one to two years to make a transition. For the 2003-2004 fiscal year, it is recommended that the current organizational structure remain in place with a few exceptions. It is recommended that the Major Grants Division be a division of a new department titled Planning and Community Development. In areas where applicable, division functions should be coordinated with planning, zoning, economic development, housing and building inspection. This structure allows divisions to function at optimum capacity and efficiency since fundctions and duties are interrelated and require coordination.
Post Thu Aug 31, 2017 11:06 am 
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo

It is also recommended that the Grants coordinator , Research Program Analyst and vacant Principal Clerk Typist positions be eliminated.Three new position are recommended, a Grants Writer position, a Rehabilitation Specialist position and a Financial Analyst position.

The Grants Writer position will be responsible for identifying potential Grant opportunities and for preparing grant applications. This position will generate additional revenue for the City that can impact the entire organization. The position will report to th Project managr for Administration. The position will also provide additional administrative suport to major Grants when necesary.
Post Thu Aug 31, 2017 11:17 am 
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo

The rehabilitation specialist position is necessary in order for the city to do a better job monitoring subrecipient agencies. The position responsibility will including specifications that can be used to determine if houses rehabilitated with CDBG funds meet quality standards and the City's housing code. The position will also address concern 99-2 in the monitoring report issued by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). HUD stated that the City should not operate rehab programs without such a position because the City does not have such a position because the City does not have a means of confirming if rehabilitation work meets housing quality standards or the City's housing code. The funding for this position can be charged as a direct rehabilitation project cost or it can be on a contract or fee basis.

(Note after the Salem Housing allegations of shoddy work, the department did have a construction inspector position)
Post Thu Aug 31, 2017 3:03 pm 
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo

The Financial Analyst position will focus solely on the financial and reporting activities of the CDBG,HOME, and Emergency Shelter Grant program. This position is extremely important if the City plans to meet allof the regulations related to federal programs and federal spending. Several of the HUD findings are related to weaknesses in financial reporting.

It is recommended that all three positions be filled by the first quarter of 2003.

A final recommendation regarding staffing is to develop more concise assignments for the Project Managers. There is quite a bit of overlap related to Project manager assignments, which is not consistent with a project manager's areas of expertise. Redefining responsibility will increase accountability within the division.
Post Thu Aug 31, 2017 3:15 pm 
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo

Resources
Another observation regarding the Major Grants Division is that the staff of the division appears to work very well as a team. There is a great deal of communication within the division regarding various issues, which fosters a great deal of team support.Overall, the staff works very hard to meet assignments and deadlines. However, at times, deadlines and expectations cannot be met because additional resources are necessary. Additional resources that will improve efficiency and productivity are in the areas of training, equipment, space and communications.
Post Thu Aug 31, 2017 3:23 pm 
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo

In the area of training, there is a need to have technical assistance to train the program evaluators and monitors assigned to the Major Grants Division. Recently, HUD has offered technical assistance to the City. The City should take advantage of this assistance. There is a need to development training in general regarding federal regulations that are relevant to the programs funded under Major Grants and networking with other communities in order to have a better understanding regarding the use of federal funds beyond what is taking place in Flint. There are State and National Associations that could provide networking and training opportunities in this regard.
Post Thu Aug 31, 2017 3:33 pm 
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo

There is a need for better equipment and and space for the Major Grants Division. We have had discussions regarding the need for a better-upgraded copier and for space to address staffing requirements and storage of records. based on our discussion, efforts are underway to upgrade the copier and acquiring more physical space in the building.

It is important to note that some of the findings regarding the CDBG program involve missing records. The 2001 Single Audit report is not able to be completed due to missing records.
Post Thu Aug 31, 2017 3:46 pm 
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo

There is also a void in the area of communication. Right now, there are too many people involved in the administration of the Major Grants Division. This has been resolved to some extent with the transition recently taking place with the Budget Director and the Grants Administrator.

There continues to be some confusion surrounding the role of the Flint/Genesee County Growth Alliance and the Major Grants Division. I would recommend further discussion in this area to address neighborhood based Economic Development , Brownfieldsand small business facilitation.
Post Fri Sep 01, 2017 12:48 pm 
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo

In my opinion, Parker was very correct about her observations and the politicization of the Major Grants Division.

On February 3, 2004 Jeanette Harris, Director of the Detroit HUD office of Community Planning and Development, sent a monitoring review to Joyce Parker regarding the 108 Loan Guarantees. (CDBG NO. B-02/03-26-0018)

The communication indicates Parker requested a review because Parker and her team was concerned about the performance of the 108 loans. Attending the review was Harris, Jeanette Sykes, Senior Community Planning and Development Representative, along with representatives of both Manhattan Place and OK Industries.

A total of 5 meetings occurred between November and December 2003.
Post Fri Sep 01, 2017 1:10 pm 
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo

The areas covered by the monitoring were:

* National Objective
* Project Eligibility
* Lead-Based Paint
* Financial Management
* Program Progress
* Program management
Post Fri Sep 01, 2017 1:17 pm 
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo

Ok Industries was supposed to move from Lennon to Flint in the ormer OK Plumbing business on North Saginaw Street. The business was to include the manufacture and wholesale distribution of vinyl products. The company reincorporated in 2000 as OK Industries. Also in 2000, Continental Vinyl, a company that manufactured vinyl window,doors , and sunrooms, went bankrupt and the assets came up for sale. Ok industries was to purchase this equipment for manufacturing sunrooms and OK Industries applied for a 108 loan. They were approved for $820,000 of Section 108 funds and $57,600 of EDI loans.

Ok Industries was to locate it's vinyl manufacturing operations within the City of flint limits. And the business was to hire 150 low and moderate income residents from the City of flint.

Flint had a finding that OK Industries failed to meet the national Objective [570.208(a)(4)] an activity benefiting low and moderate income persons/ job creation and retenton.
Post Fri Sep 01, 2017 1:51 pm 
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo

Finding 1-Failure of OK industries to meet National Objective
The loan was predicated on OK Industry hiring over 100 low to moderate income Flint residents. When monitoring occurred Ok Industries was located at 11705 E. Lennon in Lennon Michigan. The company had 11 employees (4 retained and 7 new). There was 2 Flint employees that had been retained and 2 of the new employees were Flint residents. Five of the new hires could qualify as low to moderate income, but the company did not document the status of the new hires.

The company was to utilize a first source agreement with Career Alliance and that agency was to provide a Flint applicant pool for the company.
Post Fri Sep 01, 2017 2:14 pm 
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