COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT PROGRAM - SUBSTANTIAL AMENDMENT

PUBLIC NOTICE

CITY OF CRANSTON

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT PROGRAM

SUBSTANTIAL AMENDMENT OF THE
2015-2020 CONSOLIDATED PLAN,
2019-2020 ANNUAL ACTION PLAN and
CITIZENS PARTICIPATION PLAN

In accordance with 24 CFR 91.105(c)(2) of the federal regulations relative to citizen participation for Community Planning and Development Programs and applicable waivers made available to those requirements through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, the City of Cranston is making a substantial amendment to the CDBG 2015-2020 Consolidated Plan, the 2019-2020 Annual Action Plan and the Citizens Participation Plan available to the public through this notice. This amendment is available for a 5-day public review and comment period from July 17, 2020, to July 21, 2020.This amendment will enable the City of Cranston to receive and administer a special CDBG allocation from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development in the amount of $646,417 to be used to prevent, prepare for, and respond to COVID-19. This allocation was authorized by the CARES Act, Public Law 116-136.

Activities funded by the CDBG program must contribute to the goals and objectives of the City of Cranston’s Consolidated Plan and meet all applicable federal requirements.

As part of this amendment, City of Cranston has revised the Consolidated Plan’s Citizen Participation Plan to include the 5-day comment period as indicated above, in addition to the following: eliminating the cap on the amount of funds a grantee can spend on public services; removing the requirement to hold in-person public hearings to comply with national and local social gather requirements; and allowing grantees to be reimbursed for COVID-19 response activities regardless of the date the costs were incurred.

The Substantial Amendments to the Citizen Participation Plan, the 2015-2020 Consolidated Plan and 2019-2020 Annual Action Plan are available for review on the City of Cranston’s website.

Citizens wishing to submit written comments during the public review and comment period may e-mail them by 11:59PM ET July 21, 2020 to ssusi@cranstonri.org, or mail them, postmarked no later than 11:59PM ET July 21, 2020, to The Department of Community Development, 35 Sockanosset Cross Road, Suite 6, Cranston, RI 02920. Telephone inquiries can be made by calling 780-6239 between the hours of 8:30AM and 4:30PM.

Allan W. Fung, Mayor                                              
City of Cranston

Stephanie M. Susi

Interim Director