Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Housing Cdbg topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Oxnard committee recommends city council approve FY 2026–27 action plan, highlights CDBG selection and timeliness concerns
Summary
The Oxnard committee unanimously recommended the city council open a public hearing and approve the FY 2026–27 Annual Action Plan and Citizen Participation Plan to submit to HUD, noting 13 CDBG applications were received with five recommended and stressing recipient capacity and revenue recognition to address timeliness issues.
The Oxnard Community Services, Public Safety, Housing and Economic Development Committee on April 14 recommended the City Council conduct a public hearing and approve the Fiscal Year 2026–27 Annual Action Plan and Citizen Participation Plan for submission to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The committee voted 3–0 to forward the item after staff added language to recognize carryover revenue and to authorize the city manager or designee to incorporate final grant allocations and execute HUD agreements.
Housing Director Brenda Lopez told the committee the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program supports two primary areas: public services (for youth, seniors and homeless services) and public improvements (such as parks, alley and street work and facility upgrades). "We did receive double the amount of ... applications we could actually fund," Lopez said, and staff recommended five applicants out of 13 applications received. She said all proposals are first confirmed to meet a HUD "national objective" and are then ranked by internal staff criteria that consider budget structure, proposed deliverables and a subrecipient's capacity to spend funds within federal timeframes.
Lopez cautioned that recent federal changes have increased scrutiny on spending timeliness: "We need to take a close look at whether or not a recipient is going to be able to spend their funds in a timely manner." She said the city has been on a timeliness expenditure watch and staff are prioritizing partners who can demonstrate the ability to manage federal grants.
Committee members pressed staff on repeat eligibility and beneficiary distribution. Lopez said there is no prohibition on previous recipients or first‑time applicants applying in future rounds and that staff may recommend an extension for partners who have unspent funds rather than a new allocation. Regarding distribution among youth, seniors and homeless prevention, Lopez said there is no fixed percentage split; awards depend on the number and ranking of applications received and on program suitability.
A committee member disclosed donating to Habitat for Humanity Ventura County and voiced concern about past failures to follow through, saying the relationship would not automatically recuse them from voting. Lopez confirmed staff try to diversify awards but base decisions on ranking and program capacity.
On the recommendation itself, Lopez requested adding the words "and corresponding revenue recognition" to the recommendation's second line so staff can proactively recognize carryover revenue when finalizing allocations. The committee moved, seconded and approved forwarding the plan and CPP to the City Council with that additional language; the clerk reported the motion carried 3–0.
The item is expected to return to the City Council for a public hearing and final action; staff said the May 5 meeting is the anticipated council date for the item to appear with the amended language.
