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MINUTES GRANT REVIE W BOARD DECEMBER 31, 1968 The City of Atlanta Grant Review Board m e t in the office of the Director of Governmental Liaison at 9: 30 a. m. on December 31, 1968, to review the Atlanta Mode l Cities Program application to the U. S. Departme nt of Housing and Urban Development for Supplemental Funds. In attendance were: · Dan S w eat, · Director of Governmental Liaison, Chairman, Grant Review Board Collie r Gla din , Plan ning D i r e ctor, M emb e r, Gra nt R e view Board George Berry, Deputy Comptroller, Member, Grant Review Board Johnny Johns on, D i rector o f Model C i tie s George Aldridge, City Planner Carl Paul, D e puty Dir e ctor of P e rsonne l Jay Founta in, S e nior Acco unt ant The Grant Review Board discuss e d with Mr. Johnson several major point s of concern , _E)rimarily p rocedur e s for approva l by responsible City d e partments and age ncie s ; a dmini stra tive or gani zation; a nd personne l r e quir e m ents. In view of the comp lexities o f t he Model Cities Program and the n eed for f ull understanding by all responsible City officials, the following concensus o f the Grant R e view Board m e mb e rship i s her e by pr esente d: The M ode l C i t ies Pro gram as establi s h ed b y t he P r es ident and C ongress of the Unit ed Sta t es i s perhaps t he mos t c omp reh ens ive and opt imis ti c grant-in-ai d p rogram ever offered t o America ' s cit ies. The c o n c_e pt and i n t ent of the Mod e l Citie s P r o g r am i s good . It p r o v i des fo r the l egally responsib l e local g overning aut h o r i ty to exercise its auth ority and influence in demonstrating bol d new t echniques o f urban planning and development. It provides max imum opportunity for real involvement an<;l participation by citizens of neighborhoods i n the planning a nd execution o f programs which effect their daily lives. �Page Two I' And it promotes coordination among local, state and national agencies and departments of the limited resources which are available. The successful planning and execution of a Model Cities Program can be a valuable e x perience for any city in its search for orderly and timely solutions to its multitude of urban problems. Atla·nta' s _C ity Demonstration Agency has attempted to meet the challenge and intent of the Model Cities legislation. Citizens of all six neighborhood areas encompassed by Atlanta's Model Cities Program were actively involved in organizing and planning for Model Cities more than a year in advance of the beginning of the City's formal planning stage. Local, state and federal public agencies and numerous private groups participated in the preparation of the required planning grant application. The Mayor and Board of Aldermen endorsed and supported the planning effort. The Model Cities planning staff worked long and hard to prepare the _documents necessary for successful funding of the first year program. The final documents deta il a bold and innova tive plan of attack on the major problem areas in the Model Cities neighborhood. The Model Cities staff has made an admirable attempt to live up to the concept of the Model Cities program. To a great e x tent they have met both the needs and wishes of the citizens o-f the area and the requirements of planning and a dministration of the City and f e deral governme nts. The Model Cities Program also places on all City departments and agencies the requirement for cooperation, coordination and approval of program compone nts. There are indica tions tha t thi s requirement h as not b een met. Where it has not done so, each department and agency is obligated to review and pass on the spe cific compone nts of the program which assigns e xe cution res ponsibility to that d e p art ment. Each committee of the Board of A ldermen should review and a pp rove/disapprove each program c omponent which fa ll s within the responsibility and authority of the committee . ' The Planning and D evelopment Committee should e xe rcise its responsibility for overall planning of the city by r ·e vi ewing the Model Cities plan and making �Page Three the determination as to the compatibility of the Model Cities Program with overall city plans. The Finance Committee should determine the financial feasibility of the program and the capability of the City to meet the requirements placed upon it by the program. The full Board of Aldermen should carefully consider the priorities involved in the Modei Cities execution, its impact on the area served and the entire city as well. The Grant Review Board believes these approvals should be given before Aldermanic sanction is granted. We feel that if the provisions of the Model Cities application are understood and accepte d before final approval is granted a much stronger program will result. It should be understood that this is not intended as criticism of the planning grant document or the work of the Model Cities staff, but is an effort to gain full understanding and support of the strongest program in the best interest of all citizens of Atlanta. It is thP-"t"efore recommended that the Mayor and Board of Aldermen require written acceptance or denial of each component of the Model Cities plan by the departments and agencies responsible for the execution of each component before final approval of the grant application is given. DS:fy f. tJ. Ltv~ ct_~~ E . H . Underwood, Member �