CDBG Working Group

City of Portland CDBG Allocation Committee Wednesday, December 10, 2025 at 12:00 PM City Hall Room 209, 389 Congress St, Portland, Maine 04101 1. Welcome and Introductions 2. Overview of the CDBG Program 3. Discuss Scoring Process a. Rules of the Allocation Committee b. Robert Rules Summary 4. Vote on Committee Chair and Vice Chair 5. Set Committee Schedule a. Proposed Meeting Schedule 6. Adjournment 1 Page 1 RULES OF THE PORTLAND MAINE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK PROGRAM ALLOCATION COMMITTEE ARTICLE I. GENERAL PROVISION Section 1. These rules are supplementary to any provisions of municipal or federal codes or statute. Section 2. Robert's Rules of Order shall supplement these rules and shall control procedures not covered by these rules. ARTICLE II. OFFICERS AND DUTIES Section 1. The officers of the Committee shall be the Chair and Vice Chair. Section 2. The Chair and Vice Chair shall be elected annually by members at the first regular meeting in December. Section 3. Primary staff to the Committee is the Housing and Community Development (HCD) Program Manager, part of the Housing and Community Development Division. This role will assist the Chair and Vice Chair in running meetings, and administering the scoring process. Section 4. Committee members are expected to attend all regularly scheduled meetings to ensure a fair and thorough review process. Members are expected to notify the HCD Program Manager in advance of any scheduling conflicts. ARTICLE III. MEETINGS Section 1. Regular meetings shall be held weekly on Thursdays at 9:00 a.m. between mid- December to the end of February or as otherwise noticed. The meetings will be held via a remote meeting platform or at such other locations of which notice is given. Section 2. The Chair and the HCD Program Manager shall set the agenda for all meetings. ARTICLE IV. ORDER OF BUSINESS Section 1. All regular meetings of the Committee shall proceed as follows: a. Roll call b. Communications c. Unfinished business d. New business e. Adjournment. ARTICLE V. NOTICE 1 Page 2 Notice of the CDBG Allocation Committee agenda shall be posted in a timely fashion on the City of Portland web page. ARTICLE VI. CONDUCT OF PUBLIC APPLICATION REVIEW The Application Review provides the opportunity for the CDBG Allocation Committee to determine whether an application has sufficient information needed prior to the scoring process. With the direction of the Committee, the HCD Program Manager directs questions to the applicant on any items needing clarification. Section 1. Order of Proceedings for Application Review The following order of proceedings shall govern all public application reviews conducted by the Committee: A. The HCD Program Manager or his/her designee may summarize the application and proposal, and provide any comment on the eligibility of the application. B. The Committee shall ask questions on the application to be addressed prior to the scoring process. C. Once all questions have been answered by the applicant, each Committee member will be offered an opportunity to comment on the application prior to scoring the application following the public application review. ARTICLE VII. SCORING PROCESS Section 1. Upon completion of the public application review, the Allocation Committee members individually score the applications in accordance with a scoring rubric and process identified in the Community Development Block Grant Program Policies. Each scorer must read each submitted CDBG Application in its entirety along with all supplemental material prior to scoring. The Committee members will submit their individual scores to the HCD Program Manager. The HCD Program Manager will calculate an average of the individual scores for each application in order to determine the overall Committee recommendation of scoring. ARTICLE VIII. VOTING ON THE FINAL RECOMMENDATION TO THE CITY MANAGER Section 1. The Committee may meet and conduct a public application review at any properly called meeting, regardless of the presence of a quorum, or may continue consideration of such matter to any later meeting. However, no final action on the Committee’s Recommendation shall be taken on such a matter without a quorum being present. Section 2. No member absent from two public application review meetings for any reason shall be qualified to submit individual scores for those applications reviewed unless that member shall first certify for the record that they have reviewed the entire record of any such portion of the hearing during which they were absent and has fully informed themselves of the essential facts and issues of the matter being heard so as to be able to 2 Page 3 cast an informed and independent score and vote. Section 3. Recommendations to the City Council shall include the final scores of the submitted applications and the general reason or reasons for such recommendation and shall contain additional recommendations set forth by the Committee. ARTICLE IX. CITY COUNCIL HEARINGS Section 1. The CDBG recommendations are presented by the Chair and/or Vice Chair at the first public hearing of the City Council. The recommendations are reviewed by the City Council as part of the Annual Action Plan submission. The allocations require a 30-day public comment period and two public hearings. Once the Committee’s recommendations are presented there is no further action required of the Committee members. ARTICLE X. AMENDMENT OF RULES. Section 1. These rules may be amended by an affirmative majority vote of the members of the Committee. Section 2. The proposed amendment must be presented verbally or in writing at a regular or special Committee meeting preceding the meeting at which the vote is taken. 3 Page 4 Commonly Used Actions According to Robert’s Rules CDBG Allocation Committee - City of Portland Action What to say Needs a second? Who says it? “I call the CDBG Open the meeting Allocation Committee No Chair meeting to order” “I recognize [staff] to Introducing an provide an overview No Chair report/agenda item of [item]” “I move that we Making a motion Yes Member* [item]” “There is a motion to Discussing a motion [item]. Is there any No Chair discussion?” “I move that this Amending a motion motion be amended Yes Member by..” “There is a motion to [item]. Those in favor Taking a vote say aye; those No Chair opposed no. The motion passes/fails” “I move that we adjourn” Yes Member* Adjourn (Chair leads vote to adjourn) . *Chair may prompt for a motion from the Committee such as “Do I have a motion to adjourn?” To which a member would reply “I make a motion to adjourn” to which the Chair can respond “Do I have a second?” Ex. Chair: I recognize Rowen McAllister, HCD Program Manager to provide an overview of the draft application document. (Staff responds) Committee Member: I move to accept the application as described. Another Member: Second. Page 5 Commonly Used Actions According to Robert’s Rules CDBG Allocation Committee - City of Portland Chair: We have a motion to accept the application. Any discussion? (Members discuss) Chair: Those in favor of accepting the draft application document say “yes,” those opposed “no.” (Committee votes) Chair: Motion is approved and the application is accepted. Page 6 PROPOSED CDBG ALLOCATION COMMITTEE SCHEDULE *This information is subject to change throughout the review process* DATE EVENT INFORMATION 10/15/2025 Mandatory Applicant Virtual mandatory meeting Meeting 10/20/2025 PY 26-27 CDBG Application is made available on the City’s Application released website 11/17/2024 Applications DUE 4:00pm deadline for applications to be submitted 12/10/2024 CDBG AC Meeting 0 Welcome, Introductions, and Overview 12pm Orientation of CDBG Program In person Choose Committee Chair and Vice Chair Conduct CDBG and NBLY training Review Scoring Matrix 12/11/2024 Email Correspondence Provide Neighborly Instructions and Reviewer Link One pager on CDBG, presentation slides and this schedule Jan 8 CDBG AC Meeting 1 Review Planning & Admin Report Review/Discuss City Development Activities: -​ Port Resources Generator Project -​ Portland Recovery Community Center -​ Microenterprise Grant and Training -​ Trustees First Parish -​ Parks Department -​ Greater Portland Family Promise Jan 15 CDBG AC Meeting 2 Review questions and answers to previous week’s applications Review/Discuss Social Service Activities: -​ Preble St - Youth Street Outreach -​ Preble St - Nourish Initiative -​ Maine Needs -​ Immigration Legal Services - Catholic Charities 01/19/2025 DA Scores Due DA scorecards due Page 7 01/22/26 CDBG AC Meeting 3 Review questions and answers to previous week’s applications Review/Discuss Social Service: -​ Through These Doors -​ Milestone Recovery - HOME Team -​ Milestone Recovery - Food Access and Engagement -​ Wayside Food 01/29/26 CDBG AC Meeting Review DA Scores 4 Review questions and answers to previous week’s applications Review/Discuss Social Service: -​ Hope Acts -​ Greater Portland Family Promise -​ Maine Soccer Development -​ Quality Housing Coalition -​ Day One 02/05/26 CDBG AC Meeting Review questions and answers to all 5 Social Service Applications Review Draft of Letter to City Council and City Manager Discuss possible recommendations Final applicant discussions 02/09/2026 SS Scores Due SS scorecards due by 4pm 02/12/2026 CDBG AC Meeting Review SS Scores 8 Recommend Allocation of Funds for Social Services and Development Activities Discuss adjusted budgets per category (DA/SS) according to final HUD Allocation (if available) 02/19/2026 CDBG AC Meeting Finalize committee recommendations 9 and letter to City Manager TBD Committee Scores Committee recommendations are Released released to the public Page 8 TBD Appeals Due Appeals must be filed to the City Manager’s Office 10 calendar days after recommendations TBD Appeals Hearing A hearing will be held to hear the appeals within 5 business days TBD City Manager’s CM issues a written decision regarding Appeals Decision the appeals within 3 days TBD City Manager Scores CM scores are released to the public TBD CDBG AC Meeting If needed: Meet with the City Manager 8 to discuss Committee & City Manager Change Recommendations (in case of appeals changing recommendation or other business) Option: Off-site meeting to highlight recent accomplishments with CDBG funds TBD City Council Council Meeting to Review Committee Meeting 1 & City Manager CDBG Recommendations TBD City Council Council makes final funding allocation Meeting 2 decisions Page 9