HOUSE COMMUNITY AND REGIONAL AFFAIRS STANDING COMMITTEE February 16, 1993 1:00 p.m. MEMBERS PRESENT Representative Harley Olberg, Chairman Representative Jerry Sanders, Vice-Chairman Representative Con Bunde Representative Cynthia Toohey Representative Ed Willis Representative Bill Williams MEMBERS ABSENT Representative John Davies COMMITTEE CALENDAR Department of Community and Regional Affairs: FY 93 Community Services Block Grant State Plan and FY 93 Community Development Block Grant Final Statement Public Hearing WITNESS REGISTER Bruce Geraghty, Deputy Commissioner Department of Community and Regional Affairs P.O. Box 112100 Juneau, AK 99811-2100 Phone: 465-4700 POSITION STATEMENT: Introduced other staff members of the Department of Community and Regional Affairs (DCRA) Tony Nakazawa, Director Community and Rural Development Division Department of Community and Regional Affairs 333 W. 4th Avenue, Suite 220 Anchorage, AK 99501-2341 Phone: 269-4500 POSITION STATEMENT: Gave an overview of the CDBG and CSBG programs Jo Cooper, Block Grants Administrator Community and Rural Development Division Department of Community and Regional Affairs 1001 Noble, Suite 430 Fairbanks, AK 99701-4948 Phone: 451-2155 POSITION STATEMENT: Answered questions related to the CDBG and CSBG programs ACTION NARRATIVE TAPE 93-5, SIDE A Number 000 CHAIRMAN HARLEY OLBERG called the meeting to order at 1:03 p.m. He noted for the record that Representatives Sanders, Toohey, Bunde, Williams, and Willis were present. Number 047 BRUCE GERAGHTY, DEPUTY COMMISSIONER, DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY AND REGIONAL AFFAIRS (DCRA), introduced Jo Cooper, Block Grant Administrator, and Tony Nakazawa, Director, Community and Rural Development Division, as the DCRA's program staff for Community Service Block Grant (CSBG) and Community Development Block Grants (CDBG). Ms. Cooper testified via teleconference from the Fairbanks Legislative Information Office (LIO), and Mr. Nakazawa testified via teleconference from the Anchorage LIO. Number 069 TONY NAKAZAWA, DIRECTOR, COMMUNITY AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT DIVISION, DCRA, gave a brief overview of the CDBG and CSBG programs. He referred to two documents he had provided to the committee members: the CSBG State Plan for FY 93, and the CDBG FY 93 Final Statement. (A copy of these documents may be found in the House Community and Regional Affairs Committee Room, Capitol #110, and after the adjournment of the second session of the 18th Alaska State Legislature, in the Legislative Reference Library.) Regarding the CSBG, Mr. NAKAZAWA said, "The objectives of the CSBG program is to impact the causes and conditions of poverty. The CSBG State Plan describes how the state administers the program and the activities which RurAL Cap plans to undertake during Federal Fiscal Year 1993. There are no major program changes from prior years in this CSBG FY 93 state plan." Regarding the CDBG, Mr. NAKAZAWA said, "The CDBG is funded through the federal department of Housing and Urban Development. The objective of this program is to benefit low and moderate income persons by providing financial resources through grants to local governments or economic development, public facilities and planning activities which encourage future economic development. The final statement describes how the state administers the program. It identifies the eligible activities which may be undertaken as well as the process the Department uses to make grant awards to municipalities." MR. NAKAZAWA continued, "The department will accept written comment on these documents if they are received by February 22, 1993, in our Fairbanks office...attention Jo Cooper." Number 122 CHAIRMAN OLBERG asked if Jo Cooper would like to testify from Fairbanks. She declined. Number 132 MR. GERAGHTY volunteered to have the program staff answer any questions or explain any program criteria. He commended Jo Cooper on her work and said, "...resolving some of the programmatic issues which had been left undone for quite sometime." Number 158 CHAIRMAN OLBERG asked if the committee was fulfilling the federal public hearing requirement with only the two teleconference sites on line. MR. GERAGHTY indicated it was. CHAIRMAN OLBERG clarified there were many other sites on line but no one at these sites wished to testify at this time. Number 170 REPRESENTATIVE CYNTHIA TOOHEY asked to what extent these DCRA programs were federally funded. JO COOPER, BLOCK GRANTS ADMINISTRATOR, COMMUNITY AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT DIVISION, DCRA, replied that 100 percent of both the CDBG and the CSBG programs were federally funded. REPRESENTATIVE TOOHEY then asked what the costs were to the state to administer these funds. MS. COOPER said, "The state receives a maximum of five percent from each of the federal allocations for administrative costs." Number 194 CHAIRMAN OLBERG asked if anyone had any further questions. ADJOURNMENT There being no further questions Chairman Olberg adjourned the meeting at 2:12 p.m.