Attachment

ATTACHMENT #1 Regular LF&A Meeting of 2/13/2006 Analysis of Impediments Addendum Prepared by Tracey Harvey Director of Community Development The City of Dover February 2006

The U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) requires the City of Dover to submit a Consolidated Plan application to receive Community Development Block Grant funds. 24 CFR Part 91.225(1) that governs the Consolidated Plan application requires the city to conduct an analysis to identify impediments to fair housing choice within the jurisdiction and take appropriate actions to overcome the effects of any impediments identified through that analysis. Delaware State Housing Authority contracted the Center of Community Research at the University of Delaware to conduct an Analysis of Impediments (AI) study for the State of Delaware. The plan was completed in September of 2003 and an addendum to the AI was completed in January 2004. The City of Dover was incorporated in the development of the Analysis of Impediments and assisted in the development of the Fair Housing Plan to remedy the impediments that were identified during the study. The HUD Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity conducted an onsite technical assistance visit on July 21, 2004 during which it was agreed that the city would tailor the AI for Dover and make an addendum to the State’s AI. Once this is accomplished, the city would adopt the State’s AI Plan and incorporate the city’s addendum to the 2005 Consolidated Plan. The Community Development Department has prepared an addendum covering the impediments of Lack of Affordable Housing General and for Persons with Disabilities; Lack of Fair Housing Education and Outreach; Segregated Housing and Fair Housing Programs and Activities for the City of Dover. Under each impediment identified, corrective actions have been taken or will be taken to remedy these impediments. 2

Analysis of Impediments Addendum Impediments Lack of affordable housing According to the 2000 CHAS data, 65% of low income persons have housing problems such as substandard housing and overcrowding and pay greater than 30% of their income toward rent for housing, and a significant percentage of 54% pay greater than 50% of their income toward rent for housing in the City of Dover. Corrective Actions Throughout the five year Consolidated Plan goal process, the city has prioritized housing needs in the City of Dover. The housing initiatives will include: Increase funding in the homeowner housing rehabilitation program from $10,000 to $15,000 per housing unit, and increase the grant funding and the number of homes rehabilitated. Provide CDBG funding to the Resource Conservation and Development Council to make emergency repairs to very low income homeowners to eliminate severe housing conditions. Expand minority homeownership with an increase in settlement assistance from $5,000 to $10,000 for first time homebuyers. The city will waive property taxes for the first year and extend transfer taxes for first time homebuyers who purchase a home in the target area in the City of Dover. Lack of Affordable Housing for Persons with Disabilities After attending several Delaware Fair Housing Task Force meetings, it has been determined there is still very little housing for persons with disabilities for rental and private dwellings in the City of Dover. Interviews with Dover Housing Authority conveyed that the majority of landlords are not willing to make their properties handicap accessible for subsidized housing for persons with disabilities. There is only one group home in the City of Dover and a few single family homes that have been converted to group homes to house persons with disabilities. 3

Corrective Actions A goal addressed in the Consolidated Plan is to aid special needs persons. The city will provide grants to agencies desiring to make living quarters handicap accessible. The City of Dover has adopted the 2003 International Building Code requiring dwelling and sleeping units for new construction to have a certain percentage of accessible units based on the total of units provided. Lack of fair housing education and outreach It has been discussed at several fair housing task force meetings the lack of fair housing education and outreach efforts for all three counties in Delaware. Corrective Actions The fair housing task force is launching a major media campaign through radio, television and public advertising to educate the public of their consumer rights and industry responsibility which will be broadcast and advertised throughout all three counties. The City of Dover has adopted a Fair Housing Proclamation to partner with other groups to facilitate and advance housing issues. Segregated Housing The largest minority group in Dover is the African American Community. This community is located in two major areas. The first area is located in one of the oldest working class neighborhoods in west central Downtown Dover which has been defined as the target area where African American families have lived for generations. The other areas of concentration are the public housing projects and subsidized private developments which have very high numbers of minority residents. Corrective Actions There are several revitalization efforts and incentives that are underway that will make the downtown area a more attractive place where all citizens will want to live. The city has provided a grant to Dover Housing Authority to rehabilitate substandard housing in the downtown area and sell the homes to qualified buyers. Down Payment assistance will also be available for qualified buyers to purchase these homes. The city offers a tax abatement program for any new homeowner in the downtown area on the city portion of the local real estate tax. 4

A transfer tax exemption will also be available to first time homebuyers in the downtown area. To remedy the centralization and clustering of minorities in subsidized and public housing, Dover Housing Authority will develop strategies and plans to ensure that new assisted housing is located outside of areas of minority concentration and promote economic and racial integration in existing developments which has been outlined in the Fiscal Year 04 State of Delaware’s Fair Housing Plan. Fair Housing Programs and Activities Human Relations Commission Purpose The City Council deemed it to be in the best interest of the City to establish a human relations commission to include members who represent the entire community who are committed to a philosophy of inclusion, intergroup cooperation, and fair treatment that will effectively help the city meet the following needs: - Promote and develop an environment of fairness and respect among its citizens. - Develop ways to measure and monitor community relations, particularly those that are sources of intergroup conflict. - Involve all segments of the community in understanding and appreciating the benefits of positive intergroup relations. - Offer a range of programs and services that will help its residents and neighborhoods prevent and resolve issues of human relations - Develop ways of anticipating, preparing for, and relieving community tensions arising from intergroup conflict. An advisory commission to be known as “City of Dover Human Relations Commission,” was established in 2002 to carry out the objectives listed above. The commission consists of 15 members, all residents of the city. Five of these members are appointed by the mayor and confirmed by the city council. Ten of the members are appointed by the president of the council, based upon the recommendations from the council and confirmed by the council. In selecting the membership of the commission, the mayor and president of the council shall take particular care to ensure that the commission is broadly representative of racial, religious, gender and ethnic groups residing in the city. 5

A member of the commission shall be appointed by for a term of office of three years and until his successor has been appointed or staggered terms of office. When a vacancy occurs in the membership of the commission, it shall be filled by appointment for the unexpired portion of the term in the same manner as the original appointment. Delaware Fair Housing Task Force On October 9, 2003, the Delaware Fair House Task Force was established to develop a Fair Housing Action Plan to remove barriers to fair housing and improve fair housing choice. The City of Dover was asked to be a participant for this project which was initiated by Delaware State Housing Authority. Presently the task force is working on a Statewide media campaign to educate the public on consumer rights. 6

ATTACHMENT #2 Regular LF&A Meeting of 2/13/2006 BE IT ORDAINED BY THE MAYOR IN COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF DOVER, IN COUNCIL MET: That Division 2 - Meetings, Section 2-51 - Regular meetings, of the Dover Code be amended by creating a new paragraph (c), as follows: DIVISION 2. MEETINGS Sec. 2-51. Regular meetings. (a) When and where held. Regular meetings of the mayor and city council shall be held on the second and fourth Monday of each month at the time and place designated by the council president. (b) Notice. Notice to the councilmembers of regular meetings shall not be required, except when the regular meetings are to be held at a place other than city hall. (c) In order to ensure transcription accuracy, enhance accountability and deliver information efficiently to the public, all meetings of the Dover City Council and of any board, commission, task force or committee which is established by the City Charter or ordinance, or by motion or resolution of the City Council shall be audio taped and all such recordings shall be maintained in an unedited format. Audio recording shall be required when the necessary equipment is in good working order and knowledgeable staff is available to operate the recordation system. (Code 1968, § 2-2; Code 1981, § 2-66; Ord. of 3-12-2001) Charter references: Meetings of mayor and council, subpart A, §§ 9, 10. State law references: Open meetings required, 29 Del. C. § 10004. ADOPTED: * SYNOPSIS The proposed amendment establishes the requirement that audio recordings are made of all Council, Committee, Commission, and Board Meetings in order to enhance accountability and the dissemination of information to the public. (SPONSORS: RUANE, S ADU SKY , AN D W ILLIAM S)