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Elk Grove Citizen

City Council Approves $1.1M Funding for Community Development Grants

May 16, 2024 11:29AM ● By By Shaunna Boyd
ELK GROVE, CA (MPG) - At the May 8 meeting, the Elk Grove City Council received the International Slurry Services Association’s (ISSA) 2024 Agency Pavement Preservation and Sustainability Program Award. 
Nick Corcoran with VSS International, one of the city’s leading subcontractors for pavement work, said that VSS International submitted Elk Grove for the award because of its commitment to maintaining city roads. Corcoran said the city does its “due diligence” every year by investing available funding into the roadways of Elk Grove, leading the way in the region when it comes to pavement preservation measures. 
City Council issued a proclamation recognizing May as Building Safety Month. Councilmember Darren Suen read the proclamation that acknowledges the “critical role” of “local code officials who assure us of safe, efficient, and livable buildings.”
Elk Grove building official Brian Frenger accepted the proclamation, stating that the Building Division and Cosumnes Community Services District (CSD) Fire Division are committed to “regularly inspecting buildings for potential hazards and addressing concerns during the plan review before construction, ensuring buildings are safe with the proper fire and life safety measures.” 
Deputy Fire Marshall Amber Anderson thanked the city for its “ongoing collaboration, coordination and cooperation. … We make a great team, to the benefit of the community and to each other.” 
During general public comment, Alexander Hampton of the NorCal Carpenters Union Local 46 spoke about issues affecting skilled trade workers in Elk Grove. 
“There are a lot of irresponsible contractors (and) developers currently building projects around this city who do not care about the workers and pay them very low wages without health care, just to put money into their own pockets,” Hampton said. “These same contractors and developers will come to these meetings and tell you and the public that they care about the community and the people in it and that’s why they build these projects. We know that is not the case by their actions and how they treat these workers.” 
Hampton asked City Council to ensure that future development projects in Elk Grove are committed to providing local workers with prevailing wage, healthcare and apprenticeship opportunities.  
Armando Marillo also works as a carpenter and shared the same concerns during public comment. 
“Many a time, we work hard for employers who seek to gain a profit off our backs by not having a pay standard, livable wages nor provide healthcare benefits,” Marillo said. 
Many workers must use public assistance to get by, Marillo said, because their wages do not cover their cost of living. 
Marillo also urged City Council to hold developers accountable for providing health coverage and livable wages. 
For men and women working in the trades, Marillo said, “We continue to struggle to provide for our families and we alone cannot make the transition into a sustainable way of life for ourselves. We need your help.” 
Resident Steve Lee spoke during public comment about the attorney general’s lawsuit against the city regarding the “Oak Rose debacle that’s already cost our taxpayers $10 million and counting. I’ve got to ask, why do we have three attorneys from Riverside representing our city and filing a simple legal motion, when we have five well-paid attorneys on city staff? … It begs two questions: What exactly are we paying our legal counsel for and who’s watching the bank?”
Resident Lynne Wheat commented on a consent calendar item, a Declaration of Covenants and Restrictions and a Public Improvement Agreement with Sunset Tartesso, Inc., for the city-owned Elliott Springs Preserve property. The 230-acre site on the north side of Bond Road, west of Waterman Road, will be developed by Elliott Homes, with almost 70 acres set aside as a nature preserve to protect wildlife habitat. Most of the permanent fencing around the preserve has been installed, but there is a portion that is still using temporary construction barriers. Sunset Tartesso requested to defer the installation of permanent fencing until December 2025. 
Wheat said she saw “no justification” for this deferral. 
“I have to conclude it is a marketing ploy to sell the buyers on open space, with them believing that they can walk through there,” Wheat said. “And no fencing makes it easier to sell the homes,  not habitat protection. Please do not be an enabler of marketing at the risk of environmental protection.”  
The preserve is in the rural residential area, and many homeowners’ groups worked hard over the years to ensure appropriate conditions of approval were met, according to Wheat. She said some of those who were most involved have since died. 
“I would like you to respect their memory and have that fencing put up and have this be the preserve it was meant to be,” Wheat said.
City Council voted unanimously to approve all items on the Consent Calendar.  
Council then held a public hearing to consider allocations for the federal Community Development Block Grant funding for 2024-2025. The city had $1,108,937.54 available that can be allocated to local community services and capital projects.
Staff recommended the following award amounts: Minor Home Repair Program, for forgivable loans to help low-income homeowners make minor health and safety repairs to their homes ($75,000); Renters Helpline – 211 Sacramento, to mediate issues between landlords and tenants ($16,496); Elk Grove Food Bank Service, for health, nutrition, medical services and other programs for low-income Elk Grove residents ($35,000); Meals on Wheels, to provide home-delivered meals to eligible seniors ($44,185); Project Sentinel Fair Housing, to address housing discrimination ($9,843); and Waking the Village, for programs and services that benefit homeless youth ($31,124). A Citywide Curb Ramp Improvement project was recommended to receive $760,641.54, and $136,648 would be allocated to the city for the administration of all Community Development Block Grant funds for 2024-2025. 
City Council voted unanimously to approve the Community Development Block Grant Action Plan and award allocations. 
The next Elk Grove City Council meeting will be at 6 p.m. May 22 at City Hall, 8400 Laguna Palms Way.