CDBG committee shifts about $1.33 million to Pacific Edison turf project to meet HUD spending deadlines

The Glendale Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Advisory Committee voted Sept. 8 to reprogram $1,328,171 from the Pacific Natural Grass project into the Pacific Edison artificial-turf replacement project and to interchange $96,587.38 in program-year funds with the completed Glendale Youth Center project.

Staff told the committee the moves are intended to protect federal CDBG money from being forfeited under HUD timeliness rules and U.S. Treasury requirements for period-of-performance expirations. Maggie Gavarian, CDBG staff, said Pacific Edison is ready to break ground and will draw down funds quickly, while the Pacific Natural Grass project remains in design and would take longer to expend allocated money.

The reprogramming motion passed on a recorded roll call. Committee members also discussed the turf decision for Edison Elementary: staff confirmed the existing artificial field will be replaced with artificial turf and that the city will move from crumb-rubber infill to organic infill to reduce heat-island effects. "It will be turf. Yes... it won't be the crumb rubber that's currently used," Gavarian said.

Why it matters: HUD measures timeliness by comparing a jurisdiction's CDBG line-of-credit balance against an entitlement multiplier (staff cited a 1.5-times benchmark). Staff said Glendale failed the timeliness test in recent years and faces the risk of losing an estimated $150,000 if funds are not expended. Separately, the U.S. Treasury enforces a seven-year period of performance on certain program-year balances; staff flagged roughly $421,000 at risk as it approaches that deadline in 2026.

What was reprogrammed and why - Pacific Natural Grass project: staff reported about $1.3 million in CDBG funds were allocated across program years for a large turf-and-drainage rebuild. The project is at about 60% of design and would not spend down quickly. - Pacific Edison artificial-turf replacement: staff said the project has $500,000 in CDBG funding (with additional city general-fund dollars) and that design and permits are complete for phase 1. Staff reported an initial bid release received no bids; a second release in July produced five bids and an award is expected in October 2025, with Phase 1 construction anticipated to complete in 2026. Moving CDBG dollars to this shovel-ready project will allow faster invoicing and drawdown.

Staff also explained a smaller bookkeeping swap: $96,587.38 in undesignated program-year 2019 funds will be interchanged with the Glendale Youth Center project funds from program year 2021. The Youth Center construction is complete and invoices are ready, staff said; the swap creates available program-year funds the committee can reprogram later.

Committee discussion and context Committee members asked whether the reallocation would change the city’s broader capital plan and who would approve non-CDBG general-fund transfers; staff said the council will authorize related city general-fund adjustments when the item goes to council for action. Committee members also pressed staff on how the city fell behind schedule and what measures are in place to avoid future untimely balances. Staff cited pandemic delays, design setbacks, consultant turnover, and earlier council direction (including a 2022 decision to keep one ballfield natural rather than convert it to turf) as reasons some projects lagged.

On turf materials, committee member Quinones Gabrielian asked whether Edison would be returned to natural grass or remain artificial turf. Staff responded the Edison field will remain artificial turf and that the change under consideration is the infill material: organic alternatives rather than recycled crumb rubber.

Formal actions (motions and outcomes) - Motion: Reprogram $1,328,171 from Pacific Natural Grass projects (program years cited in staff materials) to the Pacific Edison artificial-turf project. - mover: not specified in the public roll call - second: not specified in the public roll call - outcome: approved (roll call: Avadisian — yes; Annie — yes; Quinones Gabrielian — yes; Vice Chair Manoukian — yes; Chair Garibian — yes) - Motion: Interchange $96,587.38 from undesignated fund balance (program year 2019) with Glendale Youth Center project funds (program year 2021). - mover: not specified in the public roll call - second: not specified in the public roll call - outcome: approved (same roll-call yes votes)

Next steps Staff will prepare the action-plan amendment for the City Council and submit necessary HUD amendments through HUD’s eConPlanning software to reflect the reprogramming. City staff said the city will request the council to authorize related general-fund transfers for the non-CDBG portion of the Pacific Edison project.

Sources and evidence: committee presentation and motions at the Sept. 8, 2025 special meeting of the Glendale CDBG Advisory Committee. Staff presentation included specific project budgets and schedules and identified HUD timeliness and U.S. Treasury period-of-performance deadlines as the drivers of the recommended reprogramming.