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MINUTES OF THE CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE FOR URBAN RENEVf AL Directors Room Trust Company of Georgia Building Friday, November 21, 1969 The regular Executive Committee meeting was called to order promptly at 2:15 P. M. by Chairman Noah Langdale. Those in attendance for the Executive Committee were: Messrs. A. B~ Padgett; Jack Carrollton (representing Mr . Bob Bivens); Henri Jova; Arth r Burks, Jr. (representing Mr. William VanLandingham); William L. Calloway; Edgar Schukraft; Joe C. Whitley and Miss Jean Cornn (representing Mr. Carlton Rochell); for the Housing Authority: Mr. Howard Openshaw; and for the Atlanta Planning Department: Mr. John Matthews. Three students from Georgia State University, Carolyn B. Clemons, Nannette Evans and Don Akin also attended the meeting. Agenda and copies of pertinent material used at the meeting are attached to the file copy of these minutes. Dr. Langdale opened the meeting by stating that Mayor-Elect Sam Mas sell and Vice-Mayor Elect Maynard Jackson had been invited to the meeting, but due to previous eng a g ements could not attend. Dr. Langdale stated that he was asked by Mr. Masseii and Ivir. Jackson Lo expr e ss their app:.::- eciation fo-::: b e ing inv it e d to the meeting and asked that they be invited to another meeting in the near future. Dr. Langdale also thanked Mr. A . B. Padgett, Vice-Chairman of CACUR, for his assistance in conducting the September and October meetings during his illness, and commended Mr. Padgett for a job well done. Dr. :...angdale then turned the meeting over to Malcolm Jones, Executive Director, CACUR. Mr. Jones stated that the Neighborhood Development Program (NDP) is a new terminology for Urban Renewal and that NDP is in smaller increments than Urban Renewal. He also stated that NDP applications are filed and funded annually, on the basis of what can be accomplished each year . Mr . Jones stated that if a City is to have a NDP program that it must have an appro ve d Wo r k a ble Program; that the C i ty 1 s past, pr e sent and future ac t ivities a r e taken into consideration before HUD will accept the applic a tion. M r. Jones t hen c a lled on Mr . John Matthew s of the Atlanta Planni ng D e par tm e nt t o c omm ent on the new HUD policy on New NDP P r ojects . �-2- Mr. Matthews stated substantially that about a month ago HUD announced a nation-wide cutback of funds for the Neighborhocd Development Program. This cutback in funds left Region III {includes Atlanta) with only $24, 000, 000 for 1970; and that Miami-Dade is scheduled to receive about half of all funds for Region III, thus leaving only $12,000,000 for the remaining five cities, including Atlanta; that because of this cutback, HUD officials have only recently informed Atlanta it will not permit any new NDP areas in the 1970 prog ram, which means that Plunkettown and Lightning cannot be include d in the 1970 NDP, becuas e HUD will not accept them. Mr. Matthews then stated that the Planning Department was not aware of this "no new areas" policy until late last week. Copies of letter from Assistant Regional Administrator for Renewal ·Assistance, Region III, stating the new policy, was distributed and copy is attached to the file copy of these minutes. Mr. Matthews also stated that the Planning Department had anticipated improved public services and a planning assistance program in Plunkettown; and that the initial effort was an Attitude Survey that was conducted in the area in early August; that the main point of the operations planned for Plunkettown now is to develop a NDP plan which will most effectively meet the needs of the residents. However, the major constraint of the program is that the site on which Plunkettown is located is considered {by the Planning Department) as unfit for re sidenti a l redevelopment. This unfitness is due to the surrounding land use (industry and the noise because of the airport); that for these reasons the area could not be econon~ically develop e d for low-incon~e housing. Because of the noise generated from the Airport, housing would have to be sqund proofed, but this would raise constr·uction cost considerably , thus pricing out the present residents; that FHA has stated that it could not insure houses in Plunkettown. Because of the cutback in funds and the "no new areas" policy, only private enterprise can develop housing on another site which can meet the needs of the residents and give them an opportunity of moving together and preserving their community. He explained that HUD has deve loped a new program called the Interm Assistance Program, which permits Federal assistance in several broad types of activities designed as a "holding action 11 until an area can be reached by NDP. The Planning Department was encouraged by Region III officials to develop such a program in Plunkettown and, working closely with the residents 1 Planning Committee, has developed such a program for the next year. Copies of the Interim Assistance Program Synopsis were distributed to each member in attendance and copy is attached to the file copy of these minutes. Mr. M a tth e ws conclude d by saying tha t Lightning has not b e en ove rlooke d, but b ec aus e of m a npow e r r estrictions, e fforts in Lightning have b een pha s e d a bout four months behind Plunkettown. �-3- Mr. Jones then called on Mr. Howard Openshaw, Director of Redevelopment for the Atlanta Housing Authority to present Atlanta's revised overall NDP Program for 1970. Mr. Openshaw preceded his scheduled presentation of the revised NDP program by commenting that some members of the Vine City Project Area Committee (PAC) had insisted he inform the Citizens Advisory Committee that Vine City PAC wants to designate its own representative on the CACUR; that the Vine City representative currently serving on CACUR is not a member of the Vine City Project Area Committee and therefore is not familiar with the program and cannot adequately represent PAC. (Editorial Note: The current Vine City representative is listed as a member of PAC on brochure recently prepared and distribute by Vine City PAC, but is not the Chairman of the Vine City PAC, who has previously been specifically requested by name for appointment to CACUR. All cur r-e nt members of CACUR were nominated by a Membership Committee, appointed by the Chairman, and have been individually appointed by the Mayor. No group in the past has arbitraily selected its own representative on CACUR.) Mr. Openshaw then stated that only $24, 000, 000 have been allocated by HUD for Region III, which includes Atlanta . Atlanta is scheduled to receive only about $7,500,000. Mr. Op enshaw stated that Atla nta had asked for 20. 7 million do llars. Mr. Openshaw stated that there are 26 scattered sites in Bedford-Pine which the City is to acquire in 1970 and 50 properties to rehabilitate in 1970. He also stated that Georgia Tech II area has to be cleared for extension of Georgia Tech during 1970. There are 15 vacant parcels to be bought in the Model Cities area, but that in only 4 out of the 6 areas could the City currently buy the vacant land. (This is because of protest by the Model Cities Housing Committee.) The completion of Ralph McGill Elementary School and the Martin Luther King Middle School are included in the Model Cities program for 1970. He continued that acquisition in the Georgia State area has to be cut back to only three properties of the eight originally requested and that one of these is in connection with construction of a viaduct by the City; that Vine City cannot acquire nearly all the properties desired by its PAC Committee; very little activity in Edgewood; and that only an Interim Assistance Program would be undertaken in Plunkettown and Lightning. Mr. Jones then called on Mr . A. B. Padgett to present a proposed Resolution by the CACUR . Mr. Padgett read the proposed Re solution informing the United State Departinent of Housing and Urban Development of the extre1ne disappointment of this Comm.ittee over announced cutback in Federal funding for the 1970 NDP; and pointing out the disasterous effect such extensive cutback will have on Atlanta 's Neighborhood Development Program, Community Participation and Citizen Moral in the affe~ted areas. Copies of this Resolution were distributed and a copy is attached to the file copy of these minutes. �-4- Mr. Padgett made a motion that _this Resolution be adopted and sent to the Secretary of HUD and the Regional Administrator, Region III, of HUD. Mr. Jack Carrollton seconded the motion, which was unaminously adopted. Mr. Jones then presented the Proposed Budget for 1970 of the CACUR. The total proposed budget for 1970 amounted to $4,725.00. Copy is attached to· the file copy of theses minutes. Mr. Padgett explained that, because the salaries of the Executive Director and the Secretary have now been absorbed by the City of Atlanta, as part of the Mayor's Office, that by agreement, only $3, 000 is to be allocated from the City of Atlanta, during 1970. Upon assurance to the Chairman by the Executive Director, that action on the Budget need not wait for a full membership meeting, a motion was made by Mr. Padgett that the Proposed Budg et for 1970 be adopted. The motion was seconded by Mr. Henri J ova and was unaminously adopted. Mr. Jones stated th a t HUD is well plea s e d with the C i tiz e ns Advisory Committee for Urban R e n e wal in its participa tion in Urban Renewal and NDP; tha t its activity and recommendations have influenced major decisions in Atlanta's participation in HUD assisted progr a ms. He stated also that HUD suggested the Citizens . Advisory C omm i t t ee for U rban R enewal h ave a n a n 1e c h a n ge , in o rde r to get away from the out dated limite d Urban R e n e wal c oncept a nd s o tha t th e Com mittee could broa d e n it s sc ope to inc lude th e e ntir e s p e ctrum of Community Improve m e nt; that a HUD official had suggested tha t consider a tion be given to changing the name to "Citizens Advisory Committe e for Community Improvement" or perhaps simply "Citizens Advisory Committee". Mr. Jones c ontinue d that HUD h a s a n o ve r riding policy of insur ing citi ze n p a rticipation i n it s p r o g r a m s a nd i ns i s t s tha t mac hinery be set up s o tha t mino ri t y views can b e heard a nd considered, but not to be us e d as a veto. Mr. Jones furthe r stated tha t HUD s ugge ste d that th e City of Atla nta n ee ds a C e ntral Coordina ting Citi ze n Com mitte e to cons i d er a nd a d vise on m any impo rt a nt m a tters , in a dditi o n to Urban Renewal a nd NDP ; i .e., O pen Sp ace G rant s , W a t er and Sewe r Gr ant s , C ity Beautificat i on, Publi c Building s , e t c. ; tha t c u rrently m a ny of these activities have a disjointe d appro a ch . He th e n p as sed out a HUD new sle tter containing a n a nnouncem e nt from S ecret ar y of HUD, G e o r g e Romne y , tha t t h e D e partm ent of H UD i s going t o r e o rgani ze the whol e d e p artm ent . M r. J o nes concluded b y s t a t ing h e h a d hop e d to ge t a HU D re p resentative to e x p l ain the r e organi zation to the Comm i t t ee , but was inform e d that S e cr e t a ry Romne y ' s v isit to Atla nta on Nove mbe r 20, to expla in the re or gani zation to l oc a l HUD p e r s onne l did not p e r m it e noug h tim e for HUD offi c i a ls t o d iges t the c h ange·s , but the y w ould b e g l a d t o explain them at a later meeting; that HUD want s to b e i nvite d t o our mee t ings, work w i th the Committee and be k e pt well informed. �-5- Chairman Langdale appointed Executive Committee member, W. L. Calloway, as Chairman of an Ad Hoc Committee (additional members to be added later) to consider a name change for CACUR. Mr. Jones then introduced Mr. Walter Denero of the Model Cities staff to present the Proposed Public Information System for Model Cities. Mr. Denero stated that a Convention had been set-up in Model Cities to make the citizens aware of the problems .involved in the Model Cities program. He stated that a survey was taken of the residents in Model Cities and the results showed that the people do want this type of project; and that most of the residents were aware of Urban Renewal generally, but not familiar with many details involved in the NDP and that his proposed system is designed to make them more aware of these details and thereby better understand the entire program. Mr. Denero distributed a pamphlet on the Model Cities area entitled 11 A Beginning". (Copy is attached to the file copy of these minutes.) (Time did not permit Mr. Jones announcing that the Committee had received acknowledgement and thanks from the family of late CACUR member, Eugene Marcus Martin, for the Resolution of condolences and sympathy passed by the CACUR at its October meeting. ) The meeting v.1as adjourned at 3: 30 P . M. Respectfully submitted, 7.)"] - / /;_i: _/ , ..,~,::--L -....,-;~ ~ l..~;::7 Malcolm D . .J es Exe cu ti ve Director me Encls: As stated �