Livermore council adopts HUD grant allocations, confirms landscape assessments and raises select fees

The Livermore City Council unanimously adopted the city's FY2025'29 consolidated plan and the FY2025'26 annual action plan, authorizing the city manager to negotiate and execute necessary documents with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and subgrantees.

Amy Walker, human services management analyst, told the council the city released a notice of funding availability in November 2024, received 31 applications from 24 agencies with roughly $3,000,000 in requests, and was allocated $396,908 in CDBG funds and $123,602 in HOME funds for the coming year. "We received 31 applications from 24 agencies and approximately $3,000,000 in grant requests over the 2 year period," Walker said. Walker and staff recommended funding tenant-based rental assistance (with Abode and Tri Valley Haven), section 108 loan repayments (including Access Community Health and the emergency shelter rebuild), a final payment for Hageman Farms, a public service project for Spectrum Meals on Wheels, and administration costs to manage the grants.

During public comment on the funding, Martie Sutton, board chair of Tri Valley Nonprofit Alliance and a Human Services Commission member, thanked the council for restoring a local SOE fund and for supporting nonprofits. "Investing in these organizations is essential as investing in fire and police," Sutton said. Laura Calvert, executive director of Spectrum Community Services (Meals on Wheels Tri Valley), described program delivery and demand, saying, "Since June 1, we have taken on 18 new Livermore residents for the Meals on Wheels program," and warned that flat federal funding effectively reduces capacity as the senior population grows.

Council then approved the related resolution for allocation and appropriation of the CDBG and HOME funds as consent item 5.9 after the consolidated-plan vote; the motion passed unanimously.

On public works finance, the council held a public hearing and confirmed the annual levy of assessments for the city's 92 landscape maintenance districts under the Landscaping and Lighting Act of 1972. Management analyst Marissa Gann said the proposed assessments in the annual engineer reports are within voter-approved caps; the council adopted the resolution confirming the levies by unanimous vote.

The council also adopted the city's FY2025'26 master fee schedule, which incorporates several new and revised fees. Finance staff proposed increasing a technology fee from 2% to 5% "due to the sharp increase in software licensing costs and user fees essential for maintaining and enhancing the city's digital permitting infrastructure," and adding or clarifying fees for pool demolition, construction meter deposits, wastewater discharge permits and violation follow-up inspections. Finance manager Eric Pearson explained the technology fee change; "This existing fee is increasing from 2% to 5% due to the sharp increase in software licensing costs," he said. Staff noted the 3-inch construction meter deposit will increase to $3,200 to cover a backflow device now required under the state Department of Water Resources Cross Connection Control Plan (effective 07/01/2025).

Councilors and staff emphasized that most fees are intended to recover costs rather than generate general revenue. Public Works Director Carl Brown, newly introduced at the meeting, said the city plans a rate study in 2027 to standardize water rates and move away from a tiered structure.

All motions described above passed by unanimous vote. The consolidated plan covers July 2025 through June 2030 and the annual action plan covers July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026. The council authorized the city manager to execute HUD and subgrantee agreements and to take actions necessary to implement the adopted plans and allocations.