TO: Honorable Mayor & Members of the North Port Commission
FROM: Jonathan R. Lewis, ICMA-CM, City Manager
TITLE: Amendment No. 1 to an Interlocal Agreement with Sarasota County to undertake community development and housing activities utilizing Community Development Block Grants within the municipality, adding that Sarasota County and the City of North Port will affirmatively further fair housing.
Recommended Action
Approve Amendment No. 1 to an Interlocal Agreement with Sarasota County to undertake community development and housing activities utilizing Community Development Block Grants within the municipality, adding that Sarasota County and the City of North Port will affirmatively further fair housing.
Background Information
Sarasota County has been eligible to receive a direct allocation of Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) since 1990. The funds were awarded on behalf of the Sarasota Urban County, which is the unincorporated portion of the County. When the funds were awarded to Sarasota County, the incorporated municipalities within the County, who were not receiving a direct allocation of CDBG funds, were given the option of either joining the Sarasota Urban County or to remain a "small city" and competitively apply for funding through the State of Florida program. At this time, Sarasota County and the Cities of Venice and North Port are part of the Sarasota Urban County through an interlocal agreement. The City of Sarasota is a direct recipient and the Town of Longboat Key is part of the Manatee Urban County program.
In 2013, HUD revised the requirements for the Interlocal Agreements to more clearly delineate the fair housing and civil rights obligations to which urban counties and participating jurisdictions are subject to follow. HUD required all Urban Counties to review and revise their Interlocal Agreements, as necessary, to include the revised fair housing and civil...
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