[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 107 (Monday, June 3, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 27926-27927]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-13756]



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DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT

[Docket No. FR-3917-N-74]


Office of the Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and 
Development; Notice of Proposed Information Collection for Public 
Comment, OMB Approval No. 2506-0020

AGENCY: Office of the Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and 
Development, HUD.

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The proposed information collection requirement described 
below will be submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) 
for review, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act. The Department 
is soliciting public comments on the subject information collection.

DATES: Comments due: August 2, 1996.

ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments regarding 
this proposal. Comments should refer to the proposal by name and/or OMB 
Control Number and should be sent to: Reports Liaison Officer, Sheila 
E. Jones, Department of Housing & Urban Development, 451-- 7th Street, 
SW, Room 7230, Washington, DC 20410.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Clifton Barnhill, telephone number 
(202) 708-1322 (this is not a toll-free number) for copies of the 
proposed forms and other available documents.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Department will submit the proposed 
information collection to OMB for review, as required by the Paperwork 
Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35, as amended).
    This Notice is soliciting comments from members of the public and 
affected agencies concerning the proposed collection of information to: 
(1) Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is 
necessary for the proper performance of the functions of HUD, including 
whether the information will have practical utility; (2) Evaluate the 
accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed 
collection of information; (3) Enhance the quality, utility, and 
clarity of the information to be collected; and (4) Minimize the burden 
of the collection of information on those who are to respond, such as 
using appropriate automated collection techniques or other forms of 
information technology, e.g., permitting electronic submission of 
responses. Small businesses or other small entities are not impacted by 
this information collection request.
    This Notice lists the following information.
    Title of Proposal: Application for CDBG Funds (HUD Form 4124) and 
Performance Assessment Report (HUD Form 4052).
    OMB Control Number: 2506-0020.
    Description of the need for the information and proposed use: Title 
I of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 established the 
Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program. The Program has two 
components--an entitlement component for metropolitan cities and urban 
counties and a nonentitlement component for small communities and rural 
areas. The Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1981 gave states the 
opportunity to assume administration of the nonentitlement component. 
Currently, 49 states (including Puerto Rico) administer the 
nonentitlement, or State CDBG Program. Only two states, New York and 
Hawaii, have not elected to assume administrative responsibility for 
the program. HUD is statutorily required to administer a nonentitlement 
program (commonly known as the ``Small Cities Program'') in any state 
which does not assume administration of the program.
    Two forms are used for administration of the HUD-administrated 
Small Cities Program. These forms for which this information collection 
extension is requested are: (1) the application form for funds; and (2) 
the annual Performance Assessment Report (PAR) submitted annually by 
the grantees which enables HUD to track program progress.
    HUD Form 4124 (the application) is used by units of general local 
government (jurisdictions) in New York to apply for funds and by HUD to 
rate and rank proposed projects for funding. In the New York Small 
Cities Program, the program is operated on a competitive basis and the 
application form is essential for the rating and ranking process to 
take place. The lack of an approved application form would

[[Page 27927]]

mean that nonentitled units of general local government in New York 
could not obtain fiscal year CDBG funds.
    Funds are made available to jurisdictions in the State of Hawaii by 
formula which is set forth at 24 CFR 570.429. Only three jurisdictions 
in the State of Hawaii are eligible for the HUD-administered CDBG Small 
Cities Program; the three counties (islands) of Maui, Hawaii, and 
Kauai. The City of Honolulu is an entitlement city.
    HUD Form 4052 is the Performance Assessment Report (PAR) which 
successful applicants (grantees) are required to submit to HUD on an 
annual basis in order to report program progress. HUD is statutorily 
required to monitor program participants for timely program progress 
and to annually report to Congress. Form 4052 is used in administration 
of both the Hawaii and New York Small Cities Programs. Failure to have 
an approved reporting format would hamper HUD's ability to carry out 
the required monitoring/reporting responsibilities in New York and 
Hawaii. The information to be collected under this request is not 
available through any other source.
    There are currently no information collection technologies 
uniformly on-line and available which would reduce the application and 
reporting burdens on all affected units of general local government. 
The information collection requirements have been reduced to the 
minimum necessary to meet statutory requirements.
    HUD will not require participants to duplicate information that has 
been submitted in electronic formats (including the Consolidated Plan), 
except where current regulations continue to require paper copies. 
Where the required information has been submitted in ``other official 
HUD reports'', the requirements can be satisfied by referencing the 
appropriate section(s) and providing a copy (either electronic and/or 
hard copy).
    Technologies are being developed to achieve a uniform on-line 
electronic ability to collect performance data as well as disburse 
payments under current accounting guidelines. This will further reduce 
duplication of effort by providing localities the means to extract and 
use data from their own local data sources.
    Agency form numbers: HUD Form 4124 & HUD Form 4052.
    Members of affected public: The information collected under this 
request does not include information from individuals. The respondents 
are ``local governments''.
    Estimation of the total numbers of hours needed to prepare the 
information collection including number of respondents, frequency of 
response, and hours of response:

                                              Burden of Collection                                              
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                                                                      Number of          Total hours     Total  
                                                      Frequency      respondents        per response     hours  
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Form 4124:                                                                                                      
    Local........................................               1             250                  40     10,400
    Federal......................................               1             250                   8      2,000
Form 4052:                                                                                                      
    Local........................................               1             585                   8      4,680
    Federal......................................               1             585                   8      4,680
                                                                  ----------------                    ----------
      Total......................................  ..............           1,670      ..............     21,760
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                                              Total Annualized Cost                                             
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                                                                   Number of           Total hours      Total   
                                                   Frequency      respondents    x    per response     dollars  
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Form 4124:                                                                                                      
    Local.....................................               1           $23.8               10,400  $247,520.00
    Federal...................................               1            23.8                2,000    47,600.00
Form 4052:                                                                                                      
    Local.....................................               1            23.8                4,680   109,480.00
    Federal...................................               1            23.8                4,680   109,480.00
                                                                                    -----------------           
      Total (including overhead expenses).....  ..............  ..............  ...  ..............   514,080.00
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    Over the next three years there will be 584 estimated total 
projects in active status under the New York Small Cities Program. An 
estimated 250 applications (form 4124) for funds were submitted in FY 
95. The Small Cities Program for Hawaii provides grants to only three 
eligible grantees: the counties of Maui, Hawaii, and Kauai. These 
figures are based on recent experience and field projections of local 
applicants and the most current estimates of the number of open/active 
(and not expected to close-out) grants over the next three (3) years.
    Status of the proposed information collection:
    Type of Review: Continuation, without change, of a previously 
approved collection. The forms are unchanged over the past fifteen 
years.

    Authority: Section 3506 of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 
44 U.S.C. Chapter 35, as amended.

    Dated: May 28, 1996.
Andrew Cuomo,
Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and Development.
[FR Doc. 96-13756 Filed 5-31-96; 8:45 am]
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