NOTICE OF FUNDING AVAILABILITY
2018-2022 CONSOLIDATED PLAN, 2019 ANNUAL ACTION PLAN AMENDMENT AND
PUBLIC MEETING

In response to the Coronavirus Pandemic (COVID-19) the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Community Development Block Grant has notified the City of Rio Rancho that it will receive an additional allocation of $409,282 to be used to prevent, prepare for, and respond to the coronavirus (COVID-19). This allocation was authorized by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), Public Law 116-136.

The City of Rio Rancho Financial Services Department, CDBG Grant Administration Office, hereby requests public comment from citizens within the community, private for profit enterprises, and not-for-profit organizations for assistance in determining the distribution of the 2020 CARES funding. Public comment can be made via mail or email at the address listed below.

$409,282 will be available for eligible activities meeting the national objective to prevent and respond to the spread of infectious diseases such as the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

In accordance with 24 CFR 91.05(c)(2) and subpart B of the federal regulations relative to citizen participation for Community Planning and Development Programs and applicable waivers made available to those requirements through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), the City of Rio Rancho is making an amendment to the 2018-2022 Community Development Consolidated Plan for the City of Rio Rancho (Consolidated Plan) and the City of Rio Rancho 2019 Annual Action Plan available to the public through this notice.

Public Comment Period and Process:

Public comments regarding the funding of activities, the 2018-2022 Consolidated Plan amendment, and the 2019 Annual Action Plan amendment, will be accepted for five days, beginning on February 8, 2021 and ending on February 12, 2021. The 2018-2022 Consolidated Plan and the 2019 Annual Action Plan can be accessed on the City of Rio Rancho website, www.rrnm.gov. Citizens wishing to submit written comments during the public review and comment period may mail them, postmarked no later than February 12, 2021 to the following:

City of Rio Rancho Financial Services Division – CDBG Grant Administration
Attention: Amanda Barricklow, CDBG Grant Administrator
3200 Civic Center Circle NW, Suite 300
Rio Rancho, New Mexico 87144

You may also email comments no later than February 12, 2021 to Mrs. Barricklow at
[email protected].

Notice of Public Meeting:

The Governing Body will vote to approve the amendments to the Consolidated Plan and the 2019 Action Plan as presented on Thursday, February 25, 2021 at 6:00PM in the City Council Chambers located at 3200 Civic Center Circle NE, Rio Rancho, NM 87144. All comments received between February 8, 2021 and February 12, 2021 will be taken into consideration prior to the submission of the amendments to the HUD Field Office. CDBG CARES Act funds are made available through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

Members of the public can view the GB meeting live from https://rrnm.gov/2303/Watch-and-Download-City-Meetings. If you are an individual with a disability who is in need of a reader, amplifier, qualified sign language interpreter or any other form of auxiliary aid or service to attend or participate in the meeting, please contact the City Clerk at (505) 891-5004 on or before the Friday prior to the meeting date. Public documents, including the agenda and minutes, can be provided in various accessible formats. For TTY please call (505) 891-1365. Please contact the City Clerk if a summary or other type of accessible format is needed.

Amendment:

This is an amendment to the 2018-2022 Community Development Block Grant Consolidated Plan for the City of Rio Rancho to enable the City to receive and administer $409,282 in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) made available through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act).

Additional CDBG funding made available to the City by HUD through the CARES Act is unknown as this time but will be used for the same purpose of the initial allocations indicated above which is to prevent the spread of coronavirus 19 (COVID-19) and facilitate assistance to eligible communities, households, and persons economically impacted by COVID-19.

Eligible CDBG activities include, but are not limited to, assisting low- and moderate-income households with rental assistance for no more than three months, grab and go/delivery meal programs, business assistance to sustain or to retain employees that are low- and moderate-income, and support of other COVID-19 response services.

Public notices regarding future amendments to the Consolidated Plan and Annual Action Plans may be printed in local newspapers and posted online on the City of Rio Rancho website at www.rrnm.gov. Lastly, as part of this amendment, the City has revised the Consolidated Plan’s Citizen Participation Plan to include the 5-day comment period as indicated above as well as to make other changes. The revised Citizen Participation Plan is available for review on the City of Rio Rancho website at www.rrnm.gov.

Background on the Consolidated Plan:

The Consolidated Plan describes the housing and community development needs, as well as activities to address those needs through the City of Rio Rancho CDBG Program, as defined and funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). As required by HUD, the Consolidated Plan brings together, in one (1) consolidated submission, the planning and application aspects of the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program.

Observer: February 7, 2021