CC PACKET 05241983 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

DATE: June'6, 1983 STO: Commissioner Sivanich HENNEPlN FROM: Bruce Kurtz, DelFutty County Administrator LJ 1J SUBJECT, ST. ANTHONY'S REQUEST FOR CDBG JOBS FUNDING This is in response to your inquiry regarding the letter you received from Bob Sundland, Mayor of St. Anthony, regarding the City' s proposal for CDBG Jobs Funds for the acquisition of a library site. The. Mayor's letter suggests that the City of St. Anthony has reviewed this proposal in detail with the Office of Planning and Development and the County Library. In reviewing this proposal , however, I have learned that while St. Anthony did direct inquiries to these departments, neither was aware of the extent to which the City' s thinking had developed regarding this proposal . The Library acknowledges the need for .facility improvement in St. Anthony but has. no provisions in the current five-year capital plan for any modifications or replacement. This projected lack of funds for facility construction suggests that near term expenditures for site acquisition maybe premature. In reviewing the eligibility of the St. Anthony proposal for funding, OPD staff have raised the following additional concerns: 1 . Use of the special CDBG Jobs Funds for site acquisition would probably not support the basic purpose of this program, which is .to create immediate and new jobs for low income persons. This is particularly true if there is no assurance of capital availability for construction following site preparation. 2. Since the Count, already operates a library in St. Anthony, it is unlikely that there be any significant expansion of any permanent jobs in teat area fol1o,:ling the completion of a new facility. 3. it is unlikely that a library in St. Anthony %.jould meet the CDBG fund- ability test via ,principally benefiting lo..., and moderate income persons . This requirement could be met if the site to be acquired were located in an approved redevelopment area such as Kenzie Terrace. In this cir- cumstance, however, since Kenzie Terrace is also a tax increment district, it ::ould not appear appropriate for additional public funds to be used to develop nontaxable facilities and services .•rithin that district. In revie%:ing this matter, it has also been brought to my attention that as part of the Jobs Bill , Congress included a $50 million appropriation to expand funding of Title II of the Library Service Act which provides for site acquisition and library construction . These funds will be administered through the State Depart- ment of Education and would be one possible alternative for financing this proposal .