(a) Citizen Participation Plan. An applicant must develop
and follow a detailed citizen participation plan that sets forth the
applicant's policies and procedures for citizen participation and
must make the plan public. The plan must be completed and available
before an application for TxCDBG funding is submitted to the Department.
The applicant must meet the following requirements:
(1) provide for and encourage citizen participation,
particularly by low and moderate income persons who reside in slum
or blighted areas and areas in which TxCDBG funds are proposed to
be used;
(2) ensure that citizens will be given reasonable and
timely access to local meetings, information, and records relating
to the applicant's proposed and actual use of TxCDBG funds;
(3) furnish citizens information, including but not
limited to:
(A) the amount of TxCDBG funds expected to be made
available for the current program year;
(B) the range of activities that may be undertaken
with the TxCDBG funds;
(C) the estimated amount of the TxCDBG funds proposed
to be used for activities that will meet he national objective of
benefit to low and moderate income persons; and
(D) which of the proposed activities, if any, are likely
to result in displacement and the applicant's anti-displacement and
relocation plans required under 24 CFR §570.488;
(4) provide technical assistance to groups representative
of persons of low and moderate income that request assistance in developing
proposals for the use of TxCDBG funds;
(5) provide for a minimum of two public hearings for
the purpose of obtaining citizens' views and responding to proposals
and questions. Together the hearings must cover community development
and housing needs, development of proposed activities, and a review
of program performance. Public hearings must be held at the following
stages:
(A) Initial public hearing. A public hearing to cover
community development and housing needs must be held before submission
of an application to the Department; and
(B) Final public hearing. A public hearing must be
held after completion of a funded project to afford citizens an opportunity
to review and comment on the grant recipient's performance, including
the actual use of TxCDBG funds provided under the grant. The final
public hearing must be held prior to submitting a closeout report
to the Department;
(6) provide reasonable notice of hearings and hold
hearings at times and locations convenient to potential or actual
beneficiaries, with reasonable accommodations including material in
accessible formats for persons with disabilities;
(7) provide citizens with reasonable advance notice
of, and opportunity to comment on, proposed activities in an application
and, for grants already made, activities which are proposed to be
added, deleted or substantially changed from the grant application
that was submitted to the Department. Substantially changed means
changes made in terms of purpose, scope, location or beneficiaries
as defined by criteria established by the Department; and
(8) provide written procedures that citizens must follow
when submitting complaints and grievances, which include the address,
phone number, and times for submitting complaints and grievances,
and provide timely written answers to written complaints and grievances
within 15 working days where practicable.
(b) Public notice of proposed application. An applicant
must provide reasonable notice of the availability of a proposed application
in order to afford affected citizens an opportunity to examine the
application's contents to determine the degree to which they may be
affected, and to submit comments on the proposed application, as described
in the RFA.
(c) Preparation of final application. In the preparation
of the final application, the applicant shall consider comments and
views received related to the proposed application and may, if appropriate,
modify the final application prior to submission of the application
to the Department. The final application shall be made available to
the public.
(d) Records retention. The applicant shall retain all
documentation of the hearing notices, a list of attendees at each
hearing, minutes of the hearings, and any other records concerning
the proposed use of funds for a period of three years after the application
deadline date or until the project, if funded, is closed out. Such
records must be made available to the public in accordance with the
Texas Public Information Act, Chapter 552 of the Texas Government
Code.
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