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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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When Board of Directors for a corporation, non-profit or For-profit, that engages in actions that may be intentionally or unintentionally breaking the law , then any objections must be clearly noted in the minutes of the board meeting. Board member should adhere to the organizations by-laws, policies and procedures designed to educate them on their fiduciary and other obligations that should prevent them from engaging in potential issues that give the appearance of improprieties or the financial misuse of funds.
Incompetence and mismanagement in a federally funded program can't avoided detection for ever. However, that is what the Flint Area Investment Fund attempted to do when the ignored the advise of consultants, failed to adhere to their policies and procedures for their revolving loan fund and refused to allow the federally mandated monitoring for over two years .
Last edited by untanglingwebs on Mon Feb 25, 2019 3:48 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Sun Feb 24, 2019 3:34 pm |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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For several years the problems of a low volume of loans being issued and not reaching the targeted audiences were attempted to be addressed internally. Sanctions were given and payment demands made by the Flint Area Enterprize Community, which had the responsibility for monitoring the fund for the federal, state, and local governments. Community Capital Development held the contract for the operation of the revolving loan fund through the entity Flint Area Investment Fund.
The problems became public first in a City Council meeting on March 17,2004. Community Capital Development Corporation (formerly Flint Community Development Corporation) sent Councilman Johnnie Coleman a list of loans of which some were delinquent. Hinky Dinky Supermarket was in coleman's ward and they had previously applied for a $800,000 !108 loan. However they were now up for a liquor license and the list showed that the Flint Area Investment Fund (FAIF) gave Hinky Dinky $400,000 and the FAIF had not received any payments. Coleman noted that Mary Rolfe was also on the list. Rolfe was the developer for Sugar Maple, a housing project built next to a golf course on land purchased from the City of Flint.
Last edited by untanglingwebs on Mon Feb 25, 2019 3:50 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Sun Feb 24, 2019 3:51 pm |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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The City of Flint and the Charter Township of mt. Morris along with their community partners developed a plan for a submission to the U.S. Housing and urban Development
(HUD) in June of 2004. The plan they developed outlined strategies to reduce poverty through the stimulation of new investments, sustainable community development and economic growth in the proposed zone consisting of 15 census tracts and 10 square miles. HUD approved the creation of a 10 year Enterprise Community designation on December 21, 1994. HUD signed on November 8, 1995. Flint Mayor Woodrow Stanley and Mt. Morris Township Supervisor Larry Foster both signed in August of 1996. Flint City Council and Mt Morris Township both signed resolutions approving the designation.
The designation came with many benefits for the community and the community partners as long as they address the 5 activities of the Flint Area Economic Community Citizens Council:
Neighborhood and housing development;
Health and human services;
safety;
education:
business development. |
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Mon Feb 25, 2019 3:46 am |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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The Enterprise designation was under the Title XIII Subchapter C of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1993 As art of that designation the U.S, Health and Human Services (HHS)awarded $2,947,368 Block Grant funds to the Michigan Department of Social Services (now Family Independence Agency). The state was responsible to be the overseer of the grants for the Empowerment and the Enterprise Community for Michigan cities.
HUD held the responsibility for monitoring the Enterprise Community programs and the administration of grant funds. The city was the co-owner of the Flint Enterprise Fund Strategic Plan. It is the fiscal agent of the USHHS/MDSS grant funds . The city had full
responsibility for overseeing the Flint Area Enterprise Plan and all reporting to the federal, state, and local governments as well as complying with all terms and conditions of the grant . |
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Mon Feb 25, 2019 9:44 am |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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Mt. Morris Township was a co-subrecipient of the Enterprise Community grant and a co-owner of the Enterprise Community Strategic plan. Both governments created the Flint Area Enterprise Community, Inc., (FAEC) by ordinances under the Michigan Urban Cooperation Act. The City of Flint sub-granted the grant funds to the FAEC who in turn sub-granted the funds to the Flint Area Investment Funds.
Flint and mt. Morris Township both assigned staff to help organize and manage activities until the EC Corporation was legally created. There were 13 delegates that attended the HUD Cluster meeting in Chicago, Illinois on March 21, 1995 to receive a briefing on federal requirements and administrative requirements and the administrative process for the Enterprise Community designation.
The State of Michigan also amended it's State Enterprise designation allowing FAEC to also become eligible for a state designation in some areas. The state was allowing a 50% tax abatement on real and personal property tax for 5 years to those businesses making new investments in the zone. The state was also allowing the City and township to capture a portion of property tax revenue to be used for infrastructure in the zone. |
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Mon Feb 25, 2019 10:10 am |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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The Flint Enterprise Community Strategic Planning Committee reconvened on March 8. 1995, and they approved applying for the state enterprise zone and they approved amendments to the organizational structure and strategies to the plan.These were forwarded to the EZ/EC Task Force, HUD, Washington D.C..
The University of Michigan-Flint made application and was given the designation of "Urban" University" by the U.S. Department of Education under the Urban Community Service Program on may of 1995. That allowed the university to be eligible for the application for education and other federal grants to help provide services to residents, business, community-based organizations in the enterprise community one. |
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Mon Feb 25, 2019 10:28 am |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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The United way of Genesee County and Lapeer partnered with 11 agencies and applied to the Corporation for National Service on June 30, 1995. They were able to secured a VISTA program that provided 22 volunteers to assist FAEC community members in carrying out the the activities for the enterprise community zone.
While the plan originally called for the creation of a community bank. legal constraints and time elements resulted in the amendment to a revolving loan program. The City of Flint gave $250,000 to capitalize enterprise loans. The EC program had not yet established criteria for the revolving loan fund. The City of Flint had several revolving loan funds so the enterprise zone was allowed to use the approved regulations from the city with the addition that the funds were to benefit low income. |
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Mon Feb 25, 2019 10:43 am |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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The FAEC and the community partners developed a strategy to build a $20-million job training facility for youth and it was proposed to be constructed in the center of the enterprise zone. It was expected that the individualized training program would accommodate 450 to 500 students annually and the Job Corp Center would create 100 to 200 jobs.
The Genesee County Board of Commissioners joined in collaboration with the community partners and secured the funds from the U.S. Department o Labor to construct this facility. It was one of eight new jobs corps sites to be constructed in the United States.
Grant proposals for private and public funding were developed to help construct a $4-million Single Parent Dormitory and Child Development Center.
The annual operating costs were estimated at $4 to $4.5 million and the estimated ten year operation budget for the Job Corps Facility was $64.920.000. |
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Mon Feb 25, 2019 2:22 pm |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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Another strategy was to design and implement a Business Development Center. The University o Michigan Flint with the designation of an "Urban Institute by the U.S. Department of Education designed a business assistance program and prepared a grant application to assist in the financing of this business development center.
One application was to the USDOE to obtain funds from the urban Community Services Program.
A second application was submitted to HUD as part of its Joint Urban Community Partnership Program in order to apply for designation as a community revitalization center |
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Mon Feb 25, 2019 2:33 pm |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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The State of michigan allocated $200,000 for employment training services for businesses in the zone utilizing the Business Development Center.
The Business Industrial Revitalization Institute in the office of Community Education of Mott Community College (MCC) took on the activity dor the enterprise community office. MCC prepared a business data base for the zone and identified businesses that were interested in receiving employment training assistance. A submission to the Michigan Jobs Commission was prepared to apply for the $200,000 allocation.
The state provides other job training funds on an annual state-wide competitive basis. |
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Mon Feb 25, 2019 2:44 pm |
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