HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 01-24-2005-5jORANGE COUNTY
BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT
Meeting Date: January 24, 2005
Action Agenda
Item No.?
SUBJECT: Consultant Services - Consolidated Housing Plan 2005-2009
DEPARTMENT: Housing/Comm. Development PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No
ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT:
Proposal Summary Tara L. Fikes, ext, 2490
TELEPHONE NUMBERS:
Hillsborough 732-8181
Chapel Hill 968-4501
Durham 688-7331
Mebane 336-227-2031
PURPOSE: To award a contract for consulting services to Training and Development
Associates, Inc. for the development of a Consolidated Housing Plan and a Comprehensive
Housing Strategy for Orange County and authorize the Chair to sign contingent upon final
review by staff and the County Attorney.
BACKGROUND: A Consolidated Plan for Housing and Community Development Programs
in Orange County is a five-year document required by the U,S. Department of Housing and
Urban Development (HUD) for all communities receiving HOME funds and Community
Development Block Grant (CDBG) entitlement funds (Chapel Hill). The Plan details housing
needs of very low income, low income and moderate-income families and special population
groups in addition to outlining the strategies and plans for addressing those needs. The last
Plan was completed in May 2000 for the years 2000 - 2005, thus, a new plan is needed for
the coming five-year period (2005 - 2009).
County and Town staff have jointly developed the Consolidated Plan in previous years;
however, as HUD has expanded its regulatory requirements impacting Plan components (for
example, a local performance management system), they thought it advisable to consider
outsourcing the project to a qualified housing consultant with recent experience in successful
Plan development. Additionally, a working group engaged in follow-up to the last Housing
Roundtable held in November 2003 suggested that the scope of the next Consolidated Plan
expand to include a housing market analysis for the entire County that would include an
historical analysis of housing production, projections for demand and production of affordable
housing for the next ten years, and the development of potential strategies for future action
among other elements. This expansion of the Consolidated Plan is referred to as a
Comprehensive Housing Strategy for Orange County. The need for both documents was
discussed with the HOME Program Council that includes a staff and elected official
representative from each local government and that group determined that an outside
consultant could best address this need.
In October 2004, a Request for Proposals (RFP) was issued soliciting proposals from qualified
housing consultants. The County received no responses from the initial request, thus the
request was reissued in November 2004. After the second solicitation, three (3) proposals
were received on December 15, 2004. The respondents were:
1. The Wooten Company & William Christian and Associates (partnership)
2. Training & Development Associates, Inc.
3. CMR Services, Inc.
Upon receipt of proposals, members of the HOME Program Council reviewed the proposals
based on the following evaluation criteria.
• Demonstrated prior experience authoring Consolidated Plans, particularly multi-
jurisdiction consortium plans.
• Strong background in current conditions data analysis.
• Experience with Housing Market Studies.
• Experience meeting with and working with a variety of constituencies, agencies, non-
profits, and governmental bodies.
• Thorough understanding of procedures as outlined in this request for proposals.
• Reasonableness of projected expenses and allocated time.
• Financial capability to carry out the work program.
Based on this evaluation criterion, the HOME Program Council recommends contracting with
Training and Development Associates, Inc. at a cost of $69,800. The consultant agrees to
complete the Consolidated Plan process by the HUD deadline of May 15, 2005 and the
Comprehensive Housing Strategy by June 30, 2005. Training and Development Associates
(TDA) is a national consulting firm based in Laurinburg, NC that specializes in affordable
housing and community/economic development activities and services. TDA has extensive
experience in preparing Consolidated Plans and has provided technical assistance and
training under HUD technical assistance contracts to local governments and non-profit
organizations throughout the country.
The scope of work is more fully described in the attached proposal summary.
FINANCIAL IMPACT: The total cost for this contact, $69,800, will be funded through existing
HOME Program administrative funds and does not decrease the amount of HOME funds
available for direct housing development/services,
RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends that the Board award a contract for
consulting services to Training and Development Associates, Inc. for the development of a
Consolidated Housing Plan and a Comprehensive Housing Strategy for Orange County, and
authorize the Chair to sign contingent upon final review by staff and the County Attorney.
3
Professional Consulting Services for Preparation of the
2005-2009 Consolidated Plan and Comprehensive Housing Strategy of
Orange County, North Carolina
Submitted by
Training & Development Associates, Inc.
1. Introductory Section
Primary Contact and Contract Negotiator
E. Wayne Freeman
President, Training & Development Associates, Inc.
519 Atkinson Street
Laurinburg, NC 28352
910-277-1275 (phone)
910-277-2816 (fax)
wfreeman@tdainc.org
A Brief History of TDA Training & Development Associates (formerly Freeman Consulting)
was established in 1997 by E. Wayne Freeman, a professional consultant formerly with ICF
Kaiser. In the seven years since, TDA has grown to employ four full time and two part time
employees in its Laurinburg headquarters, and seven additional "field" employees who work
from offices in Washington, D.C.; Baltimore; Atlanta; Chicago; Greensboro, North Carolina; and
Tafton, Pennsylvania. TDA is now a national consulting team committed to inspiring
excellence and professionalism throughout the community development field to enable clients to
create more livable communities. By providing high-quality, responsive, customer-centered
service, we assist governments, connnunity organizations and nonprofits in providing
community and economic development and affordable housing activities and services.
Orange County, North Carolina ? I
Consultant Services: Five-year Consolidated Plan and Comprehensive Housing Strategy `1
II. TDA's Qualifications and Experience
General
As a result of receiving more than $7 million of CDTA funds since 1998 in 24 HUD field
offices, the TDA team has proven to be successful at completing complex projects within
established budgets and time frames. TDA and its subcontractors have managed hundreds of
complex activities over the last four years; in most instances 30-40 projects take place
simultaneously. In all cases, work products were delivered on schedule and on budget. In the
last year alone, TDA conducted 89 TA interventions, including 51 workshops and 38 direct on-
site interventions that required multiple onsite visits each.
Consolidated Planning Experience
TDA's experience related to the consolidated planning process includes training individuals on
how to create a consolidated plan as well as developing complete consolidated plans for clients.
On behalf of HUD, TDA conducted consolidated planning trainings for all HUD grantees in
South Carolina, North Carolina, and Mississippi. In addition, we have developed all or a portion
of the five-year consolidated plans (including the needs assessment, strategic plan, annual action
plan and other elements) for the HUD grantees listed in the References section of this proposal,
on page nine. TDA is also presently under contract to develop complete consolidated plans for
the Cities of Greensboro NC, High Point, NC, Burlington NC, Nashville TN, and Birmingham
AL. In addition, we anticipate working with Charleston, SC to create the County's consolidated
plan. We invite you to contact any of our previous clients for references of our work.
Associated Personnel
TDA's professional capacities combine backgrounds in housing development, real estate,
finance, homelessness, marketing, organizational development, community and economic
development, research, technology, training, and technical assistance specific to the CDBG,
HOME, and ESG programs. TDA Associates Wayne Freeman, Charles Blair, Cathy Saidat,
Jeffrey Kerrigan, and Lisa Canada stand out as the ideal personnel for the Orange County
project.
• Wayne Freeman (Project Coordinator) has over 14 years experience in housing program
design and development, community revitalization, real estate finance and organizational
management. He has developed and administered all types of affordable housing
programs including homeownership, homeowner rehabilitation, and rental programs. Mr.
Freeman gained this experience as a result of his substantial consulting experience and
tenure both as a project director and executive level manager for local and state
government,
• Charles Blair (Affiliated Associate) has worked in community organizing, community-
based economic development, and affordable housing development for more than 13
years. His work has included assessment, management, community planning, training,
financing, negotiating, systems design, and writing for entities as diverse as historically
black colleges and universities, neighborhood-based community development
corporations, regional foundations, financial institutions, national and state
Training & Development Associates, Inc. (12/13/2004) Page 2
Orange County, North Carolina 5
Consultant Services: Five-year Consolidated Plan and Comprehensive Housing Strategy
intermediaries, and state and local govenunents He has been involved in the
development of more than $33 million in affordable housing; and he has designed and
implemented multifaceted training and technical assistance programs affecting over 525
non-profit organizations and 100 governmental entities in 20 states, Puerto Rico, and the
District of Columbia.
• Cathy Saidat (Affiliated Associate) is recognized primarily as a housing researcher.
Through advanced Internet research techniques, she is able to provide analytical and
technical support. Ms. Saidat has eight years of experience creating comprehensive maps
and business graphics, and her innovative quantitative, mapping, and graphic skills have
been instrumental in helping corporations make solid planning decisions in the housing,
healthcare, and heavy equipment sectors. An accomplished author, collaborator and
researcher, Ms. Saidat's background includes experience in construction, renovation, and
facility management.
• Jeffrey Kerrigan (Senior Associate) has six years of experience and education centered
on U.S. housing policy, community development, homelessness, affordable housing and
organizational capacity building. Beginning at HUD with Continuum of Care, HOME
and CDBG program administration and evaluation, he has a range of valuable
experiences with the local implementation of these programs and direct development of
affordable housing. Mr. Kerrigan has extensive experience with homelessness research,
conducting and analyzing point-in-time counts, homeless management information
systems (HMIS), and using data for program and CoC planning.
• Lisa Canada (Associate) has nine years of experience in public affairs, public relations,
technical writing, and research. She has specific experience in public housing programs
and economic development, as well as direct experience in the development, writing, and
editing of consolidated plans.
Together this team is prepared to identify and analyze Orange County's needs and current
conditions, prioritize these needs, develop a five-year strategy to meet these needs, and provide
all of the other elements HUD requires in consolidated plans. All key personnel have experience
preparing consolidated plans. TDA's budget analyst and administrative assistant are also
assigned to this project to provide administrative support. Refer to the appendices for resumes of
the TDA staff members selected to work on this project.
Proposed Process and Methodology
TDA will coordinate closely with staff of Orange County to develop a five-year Consolidated
Plan through a series of meetings and workgroups as described below. The consolidated plan
will consist of an analysis of community needs and current conditions (including analysis of
housing market studies, special populations needs, and the needs of the homeless), analysis of
the community's needs, and a statement of those needs, including relevant tabular data. J11
addition, TDA will prioritize the County's needs and develop a detailed strategy for each
jurisdiction to address these needs and will provide other related elements (including maps) that
meet the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD's) Regulations and
Guidelines Title 24 Part 91.
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Consultant Services: Five-year Consolidated Plan and Comprehensive Housing Strategy
a. 2005-2009 Consolidated Plan
L Scope
In the development of the consolidated plan, TDA encourages the participation of Orange
County's representatives to the greatest extent possible to 1) ensure that the final products meet
the County's vision and priorities for Chapel Hill's Community Development Block Grant
program and for the County's HOME consortium and 2) ensure that TDA staff have the
information necessary to assess progress and evaluate impacts on the community. Based on
recommendations by TDA, Orange County representatives will make the final decisions
concerning strategies and actions the County will take to address community needs. TDA will
include the entire five jurisdiction area for the Plan's housing component; and TDA will prepare
the non-housing community development component for the CDBG Entitlement Community of
Chapel Hill. TDA would approach the requirements stated in Scope of Work section of the RFP
in the following manner:
Task # 1 Start-up Meeting Wayne Freeman, Jeffrey Kerrigan, and Charlie Blair will meet
on-site with representatives from both Orange County and also Chapel Hill to discuss the
project, develop detailed schedules and collect necessary information, including, but not
limited to, the County's existing consolidated plan, public housing authority's five-year plan,
the County's comprehensive plan, fair housing plan, census data and other relevant
information from other agencies. Orange County's representatives will be asked to identify
and provide any other relevant data or information to ensure that all community needs, local
conditions, and resources are considered. This meeting will take no more than one day of on-
site time.
Task # 2 Citizen Participation Plan/Comments Jeffrey Kerrigan will meet again with
County representatives on-site for an additional one-half day to discuss the citizen
participation process and other agency consultations required during the development of the
consolidated plan. The County will work with TDA staff to identify any needed changes to
the existing citizen participation plan and to identify potential members of a consolidated
plan advisory committee, which will be comprised of representatives from the local health
department, public housing authority, social service organizations and other agencies as
necessary. Subsequent to this meeting, TDA will perform the following subtasks.
• Review the existing citizen participation plan and prepare
recommendations for review and approval by the County, if necessary.
• Attend up to three public information meetings,
• Develop the written format of the public notices required before each
public hearing (the County will be responsible for placing the
advertisements in local newspapers and placing the hearings on the
agenda for the County Council, if required).
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Consultant Services: Five-year Consolidated Plan and Comprehensive Housing Strategy
• Attend the two required public hearings with the County's
representatives and document all continents made during the meetings..
Task # 3 Provide and Analyze Current Condition Data In cooperation with County
representatives and the consolidated plan advisory committee, Cathy Saidat and Charlie Blair
will identify any additional data and information, including existing housing and/or homeless
studies, educational attainments, income characteristics, information on special needs
populations not previously considered, as well as other data. After obtaining this information
TDA will use it-along with the information gathered at the initial meeting, census data, and
other HUD resources-to develop a detailed housing market analysis and needs assessment
for the County's review and approval. Field surveys are not included as part of this task.
Task # 4 Provide a Priority Ranking of Needs Based upon the analysis of current
conditions, TDA will prioritize the assessed needs and rank them according to their
importance, unless otherwise instructed. The housing market analysis and needs assessment
will meet all of the minimum requirements of 24 CFR Part 91 and will include elements
requested by the County's representatives. County representatives will review and provide
comments on the draft of the housing market analysis and needs assessment, which TDA will
incorporate into the final version of the consolidated plan. A project team member will be
available to meet on-site for one day with the County representatives to obtain comments and
direction on the draft housing market analysis and needs assessment and to discuss strategies
for addressing the identified needs.
Task # 5 Develop Strategic Plan TDA will develop a strategic plan that addresses the needs
identified in the needs assessment with consideration given to existing policies of the County
of Orange County. The strategic plan will be consistent with the minimum HUD
requirements as outlined in CFR 24 Part 91 as well as with other guidance issued by HUD.
The strategic plan will detail the County's housing, homeless, and non-housing priorities for
the next five years. Specific objectives and strategies will be developed that address stated
priority needs. County representatives will review and provide comments on the draft of the
strategic plan which TDA will incorporate into the final version. The members of TDA's
Orange County team will obtain comments and direction on the draft strategic plan and
discuss actions to implement the approved strategies. Charlie Blair will spend up to one day
on-site to discuss the strategic plan for the County.
Task # 6 Final Consolidated Plan TDA will incorporate any of HUD's required elements
not already listed above into the consolidated plan, including the Executive Summary, long
range plans, policies, and other elements. TDA will combine all of the above consolidated
plan elements (housing market analysis, needs assessment, strategic plan, and annual action
plan) and prepare additional elements as necessary (including an executive summary) or
required by HUD's regulations and guidance. County representatives will review and
provide comments on the initial draft of the consolidated plan; and TDA will incorporate
those comments into the version for public comment. TDA will provide one original and one
copy in advance of the required 30-day comment period. The County will reproduce any
additional copies needed during the public comment period. TDA will incorporate comments
received during the 30-day comment period into the final consolidated plan, as appropriate.
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Consultant Services: Five-year Consolidated Plan and Comprehensive Housing Strategy
TDA will evaluate the public comments with County representatives and will finalize any
other edits to the consolidated plan Once complete, TDA will provide the County of Orange
County with an electronic version of the final consolidated plan on CD in Microsoft Word
with maps, graphics, and other attaclunents included in standard pdf format.
ii. Required Elements
TDA will include in the Orange County, North Carolina Consolidated Plan all the required
elements of a consolidated plan, including executive summary, analysis of public policies,
housing and community development plans, a performance measurement system, as well as
other elements.
iv. Timeframe
TDA will present the draft Consolidated Plan by the end of June, 2005,
b. Comprehensive Housing Strategy
I. Scope
The Comprehensive Housing Strategy will provide an overall housing market analysis, including
analysis of historical data, current numbers, and projections of housing needs. TDA will
evaluate the geographic and economic considerations of various kinds of housing available in
Orange County, will consider the tenure and condition of housing, and will project and analyze
future demand. TDA will perform both a gaps analysis and provider analysis which, together,
will be used to develop a strategy for filling the gaps in the future. In the development of a
Comprehensive Housing Strategy for Orange County, TDA would approach the requirements
stated in Scope of Work section of the RFP in the following manner:
Task # 1 Detailed Housing Market Analysis Charlie Blair and Cathy Saidat will analyze
and evaluate housing production activity as well as sales and lease activity, considering the
geographic and economic descriptions of housing production; construction type; tenure; price
(or rent); sale, resale, and rental activity; and type of assistance or subsidy, if appropriate. A
TDA associate will meet on-site with representatives from Orange County to discuss the
project, develop detailed schedules, and collect necessary information, including, but not
limited to, the County's existing consolidated plan, public housing authority's five-year plan,
the County's comprehensive plan, fair housing plan, census data and other relevant
infonnation from other agencies. Orange County's representatives will be asked to identify
and provide any other relevant data or information to ensure that all community needs, local
conditions, and resources are considered. This meeting will take no more than one day of on-
site time.
ii. Required Elements
TDA will include in the Comprehensive Housing Strategy for Orange County all the required
elements described in the RFP, including an executive summary, analysis of housing production,
future demand, strategies, and other elements.
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Orange County, North Carolina
Consultant Services: Five-year Consolidated Plan and Comprehensive Housing Strategy
iii. Timeframe
TDA will provide the Comprehensive Housing Strategy to Orange County Representatives by
the end of June, 2005.
IV. Generalized Timeline
TDA is prepared to commence full operations upon notification of the award. If selected, we
would propose the following schedule:
• Initial meeting with County representatives-within two weeks of contract award
• Update citizen participation plan, if necessary, and publish notice of public hearing and
public information meetings-within one week of initial meeting
• Hold initial public hearing and public information meetings-within two to three weeks
of notice
• Meet with consolidated plan advisory group-two meetings within 30 days of contract
award
• Prepare housing market analysis and needs assessment-within 30 to 45 days of contract
award
• Prepare strategic plan and develop neighborhood revitalization strategy -within two
weeks of approved housing market analysis and needs assessment
• Prepare annual action plan- within two weeks of approved strategic plan
• Prepare consolidated plan- within two weeks of approved annual action plan
• Publish notice of public hearing-no later than April 20, 2005
• Incorporate responses to public comments-April 26 to April 30, 2005
• Hold final public hearing-no later than May 4, 2005
• Submit consolidated plan to MUD-no later than May 15, 2005
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Orange County, North Carolina
Consultant Services: Five-year Consolidated Plan and Comprehensive Housing Strategy
V. Proposed Fee
Consolidated Plan
Task # 1 Start-up Meeting
Task # 2 Citizen Participation Plan/Comments
Task # 3 Provide and Analyze Current Condition Data
Task # 4 Provide a Priority Ranking of Needs
Task # 5 Develop Strategic Plan
Task # 6 Final Consolidated Plan
Comprehensive Housing Strategy
Task #1 Housing Market Analysis
TOTAL FIXED FEE
$5,000.00
$6,300.00
$10,500.00
$6,300.00
$8,400.00
$6,300.00
$ 27,000.00
$69,800.00
?Q
The above fee is inclusive of all costs, including labor and other direct costs. Payment should be
made within 30 days of the completion of each task.
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