Council approves revisions to East Providence's FY16-17 CDBG budget

Councilors quibble housing components

By Mike Rego
Posted 5/4/16

EAST PROVIDENCE — After exhaustively explaining the rationale behind his recommendations for a second time, quoting Shakespeare and likely gnashing his teeth in the process, East Providence's …

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Council approves revisions to East Providence's FY16-17 CDBG budget

Councilors quibble housing components

Posted

EAST PROVIDENCE — After exhaustively explaining the rationale behind his recommendations for a second time, quoting Shakespeare and likely gnashing his teeth in the process, East Providence's Director of Community Development David Bachrach walked away from the May 3 City Council meeting with another, though more definitive, Community Development Block Grant budget for Fiscal Year 2016-17.

As was the case during his first appearance on the matter at the Council's April 19 forum, Mr. Bachrach faced considerable pushback from Councilors Tim Conley and Tracy Capobianco about his earmarks for housing assistance in the city.

Mr. Bachrach initially suggested using $25,000 of the available $753,042 in CDBG funds to join in the Pawtucket-Central Falls Development, a non-profit corporation which among other things operates a homebuyer education program used by East Providence. Councilors Conley and Capobianco, previously and last week, balked at giving the organization any money at all, each saying there were other opportunities for city residents to become educated in buying a home.

Mr. Bachrach noted 22 percent of East Providence's housing stock was composed of 2-4 unit residences. He continued, saying some of those owners are among the "most duressed, struggling residents" in the city and that funding these types of programs was one of the "keys for stabilizing the housing stock." The director added all of the money allocated to housing in the CDBG budget (eventually $227,400) was done so as to meet the dictates of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), from where the funding is derived.

Mr. Bachrach's rationale was not accepted by Mrs. Capobianco or Mr. Conley. And the rest of the Council ultimately agreed, dismissing the director's original earmark and even his adjusted $10,000 figure. Pawtucket-Central Falls Development will receive no monies in the 16-17 budget.

That initial $25,000 was then approved by the vast majority of the Council to be dispersed among a handful of other agencies.

The East Providence Mohawks youth organization saw its allocation increase from $8,000 to $15,000 for use to start a theatre program. Rumford Towers had its grant money go from $10,000 to $15,000 to towards a van. Like the Mohawks, the playground project at Agnes B. Hennessey Elementary School received an additional $7,000, giving it a total of $15,000. And $2,000 was added to the East Bay Community Action Program's $8,000 recommendation of Mr. Bachrach for the group's foster grandparent initiative.

The remaining $4,000 and the $10,000 taken from the Pawtucket-Central Falls Development line item was diverted to the revamped Family Services of Rhode Island budget for its Rental Improvement Program, leaving $69,000 allocated for it.

The Council voted 4-1 in support of the revisions, which were based mainly on the suggestions of Councilwoman Capobianco. Mr. Conley voted against the budget for a number of reasons, including the remaining housing element and the way in which the allocations were dispersed during last week's meeting. He also objected to a singing performance put on by members of the Boys & Girls Club at the April 19 meeting, saying it gave the organization an "unfair advantage" over other agencies and was used ostensibly to curry favor from the Council in support of its allocation. The club requested $25,000 but was initially recommended $15,000 by Mr. Bachrach who later decreased the number to $12,000, which the Council approved last week.

Following the meeting, residents can voice their opinion on the proposed CDBG budget for FY16-16 during a 30 day public comment period ending on June 3. Comments received will be reviewed and considered. If there are no significant changes in response to the comments received, the funding plan presented at Tuesday's meeting will be submitted to HUD for final approval.

Questions or comments can be submitted to Mr. Bachrach via phone at 401-435-7536 or email dbachrach@cityofeastprov.com prior to the end of the public period of June 3 at 4 p.m.

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