Economic and Community Development Commission reopens public hearing on fair housing analysis after Tribune notice failure

The Economic and Community Development Commission reopened a public hearing on the city's Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice on March 26 and closed it the same day after no members of the public offered comment.

City staff told the commission the item had been before the panel at a prior meeting but that the required public notice in the La Crosse Tribune did not run because the newspaper was the victim of a cyberattack the week the notice was scheduled. Because the notice did not publish, staff said the prior hearing was "null and void" and a new notice was published this month to re-start the process for HUD-related planning for CDBG and HOME funds.

Commissioners opened the hearing by motion and closed it after three invitations for public comment produced no speakers. Assistant/Staff Mark summarized the procedural request and told the commission to "Open it and close it." The commission approved the opening and later approved the closing by voice votes with no recorded opposition.

The item is part of the city's consolidated planning steps required by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and HOME funding. Staff framed the hearing as a procedural requirement to validate the public-comment record before those funds are finalized.

Because no public comments were received during the re-opened hearing, staff will proceed to the next step in the consolidated plan process and will report further developments to the commission as required by HUD timetables.