CDBG Working Group — Portland, ME
Date: 2025-12-10
Time: 12:00

City of Portland
CDBG Allocation Committee

 Wednesday, December 10, 2025 at 12:00 PM City
Hall Room 209, 389 Congress St, Portland, Maine
04101




1. Welcome and Introductions
2. Overview of the CDBG Program
3. Discuss Scoring Process
 a. Rules of the Allocation Committee
 b. Robert Rules Summary
4. Vote on Committee Chair and Vice Chair
5. Set Committee Schedule
 a. Proposed Meeting Schedule
6. Adjournment




 1

City of Portland
CDBG Allocation Committee

 Wednesday, December 10, 2025 at 12:00 PM City
Hall Room 209, 389 Congress St, Portland, Maine
04101




1. Welcome and Introductions
2. Overview of the CDBG Program
3. Discuss Scoring Process
 a. Rules of the Allocation Committee
 b. Robert Rules Summary
4. Vote on Committee Chair and Vice Chair
5. Set Committee Schedule
 a. Proposed Meeting Schedule
6. Adjournment




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RULES OF THE PORTLAND MAINE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK
 PROGRAM ALLOCATION COMMITTEE


ARTICLE I. GENERAL PROVISION

Section 1. These rules are supplementary to any provisions of municipal or federal
codes or statute.

Section 2. Robert's Rules of Order shall supplement these rules and shall control
procedures not covered by these rules.


ARTICLE II. OFFICERS AND DUTIES

Section 1. The officers of the Committee shall be the Chair and Vice Chair.

Section 2. The Chair and Vice Chair shall be elected annually by members at the
first regular meeting in December.

Section 3. Primary staff to the Committee is the Housing and Community
Development (HCD) Program Manager, part of the Housing and Community
Development Division. This role will assist the Chair and Vice Chair in running
meetings, and administering the scoring process.

Section 4. Committee members are expected to attend all regularly scheduled
meetings to ensure a fair and thorough review process. Members are expected to
notify the HCD Program Manager in advance of any scheduling conflicts.

ARTICLE III. MEETINGS

Section 1. Regular meetings shall be held weekly on Thursdays at 9:00 a.m. between
mid- December to the end of February or as otherwise noticed. The meetings will be held
via a remote meeting platform or at such other locations of which notice is given.

Section 2. The Chair and the HCD Program Manager shall set the agenda for all
meetings.

ARTICLE IV. ORDER OF BUSINESS

Section 1. All regular meetings of the Committee shall proceed as follows:

 a. Roll call
 b. Communications
 c. Unfinished business
 d. New business
 e. Adjournment.

ARTICLE V. NOTICE
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Notice of the CDBG Allocation Committee agenda shall be posted in a timely fashion
on the City of Portland web page.


ARTICLE VI. CONDUCT OF PUBLIC APPLICATION REVIEW

The Application Review provides the opportunity for the CDBG Allocation Committee
to determine whether an application has sufficient information needed prior to the
scoring process. With the direction of the Committee, the HCD Program Manager
directs questions to the applicant on any items needing clarification.

Section 1. Order of Proceedings for Application Review The following order of
proceedings shall govern all public application reviews conducted by the Committee:

 A. The HCD Program Manager or his/her designee may summarize the
 application and proposal, and provide any comment on the eligibility
 of the application.
 B. The Committee shall ask questions on the application to be addressed
 prior to the scoring process.
 C. Once all questions have been answered by the applicant, each
 Committee member will be offered an opportunity to comment on the
 application prior to scoring the application following the public
 application review.

ARTICLE VII. SCORING PROCESS

Section 1. Upon completion of the public application review, the Allocation
Committee members individually score the applications in accordance with a scoring
rubric and process identified in the Community Development Block Grant Program
Policies. Each scorer must read each submitted CDBG Application in its entirety
along with all supplemental material prior to scoring. The Committee members will
submit their individual scores to the HCD Program Manager. The HCD Program
Manager will calculate an average of the individual scores for each application in
order to determine the overall Committee recommendation of scoring.


ARTICLE VIII. VOTING ON THE FINAL RECOMMENDATION TO THE CITY
MANAGER

Section 1. The Committee may meet and conduct a public application review at any
properly called meeting, regardless of the presence of a quorum, or may continue
consideration of such matter to any later meeting. However, no final action on the
Committee’s Recommendation shall be taken on such a matter without a quorum being
present.

Section 2. No member absent from two public application review meetings for any reason
shall be qualified to submit individual scores for those applications reviewed unless that
member shall first certify for the record that they have reviewed the entire record of any
such portion of the hearing during which they were absent and has fully informed
themselves of the essential facts and issues of the matter being heard so as to be able to
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cast an informed and independent score and vote.

Section 3. Recommendations to the City Council shall include the final scores of the
submitted applications and the general reason or reasons for such recommendation and
shall contain additional recommendations set forth by the Committee.


ARTICLE IX. CITY COUNCIL HEARINGS


Section 1. The CDBG recommendations are presented by the Chair and/or Vice Chair at the first
public hearing of the City Council. The recommendations are reviewed by the City Council as part
of the Annual Action Plan submission. The allocations require a 30-day public comment period and
two public hearings. Once the Committee’s recommendations are presented there is no further
action required of the Committee members.


ARTICLE X. AMENDMENT OF RULES.

Section 1. These rules may be amended by an affirmative majority vote of the members
of the Committee.

Section 2. The proposed amendment must be presented verbally or in writing at a regular
or special Committee meeting preceding the meeting at which the vote is taken.




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Commonly Used Actions According to Robert’s Rules
CDBG Allocation Committee - City of Portland




 Action What to say Needs a second? Who says it?

 “I call the CDBG
 Open the meeting Allocation Committee No Chair
 meeting to order”

 “I recognize [staff] to
 Introducing an
 provide an overview No Chair
  report/agenda item
 of [item]”

 “I move that we
 Making a motion Yes Member*
 [item]”

 “There is a motion to
 Discussing a motion [item]. Is there any No Chair
 discussion?”

 “I move that this
  Amending a motion motion be amended Yes Member
 by..”

 “There is a motion to
 [item]. Those in favor
 Taking a vote say aye; those No Chair
 opposed no. The
 motion passes/fails”

 “I move that we
 adjourn” Yes Member*
 Adjourn
 (Chair leads vote to
 adjourn)
.
*Chair may prompt for a motion from the Committee such as “Do I have a motion to adjourn?”
To which a member would reply “I make a motion to adjourn” to which the Chair can respond
“Do I have a second?”

Ex.

Chair: I recognize Rowen McAllister, HCD Program Manager to provide an overview of the draft
application document.

(Staff responds)

Committee Member: I move to accept the application as described.
Another Member: Second.




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Commonly Used Actions According to Robert’s Rules
CDBG Allocation Committee - City of Portland


Chair: We have a motion to accept the application. Any discussion?

(Members discuss)

Chair: Those in favor of accepting the draft application document say “yes,” those opposed “no.”

(Committee votes)

Chair: Motion is approved and the application is accepted.




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PROPOSED CDBG ALLOCATION COMMITTEE SCHEDULE

*This information is subject to change throughout the review process*

DATE EVENT INFORMATION
10/15/2025 Mandatory Applicant Virtual mandatory meeting
 Meeting
10/20/2025 PY 26-27 CDBG Application is made available on the City’s
 Application released website
11/17/2024 Applications DUE 4:00pm deadline for applications to be
 submitted
12/10/2024 CDBG AC Meeting 0 Welcome, Introductions, and Overview
12pm Orientation of CDBG Program
 In person Choose Committee Chair and Vice Chair
 Conduct CDBG and NBLY training
 Review Scoring Matrix
12/11/2024 Email Correspondence Provide Neighborly Instructions and
 Reviewer Link
 One pager on CDBG, presentation slides
 and this schedule
Jan 8 CDBG AC Meeting 1 Review Planning & Admin Report
 Review/Discuss City Development
 Activities:
 -​ Port Resources Generator Project
 -​ Portland Recovery Community
 Center
 -​ Microenterprise Grant and
 Training
 -​ Trustees First Parish
 -​ Parks Department
 -​ Greater Portland Family Promise

Jan 15 CDBG AC Meeting 2 Review questions and answers to
 previous week’s applications
 Review/Discuss Social Service
 Activities:
 -​ Preble St - Youth Street Outreach
 -​ Preble St - Nourish Initiative
 -​ Maine Needs
 -​ Immigration Legal Services -
 Catholic Charities
01/19/2025 DA Scores Due DA scorecards due




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01/22/26 CDBG AC Meeting 3 Review questions and answers to
 previous week’s applications
 Review/Discuss Social Service:
 -​ Through These Doors
 -​ Milestone Recovery - HOME
 Team
 -​ Milestone Recovery - Food
 Access and Engagement
 -​ Wayside Food

01/29/26 CDBG AC Meeting Review DA Scores
 4 Review questions and answers to
 previous week’s applications
 Review/Discuss Social Service:
 -​ Hope Acts
 -​ Greater Portland Family Promise
 -​ Maine Soccer Development
 -​ Quality Housing Coalition
 -​ Day One

02/05/26 CDBG AC Meeting Review questions and answers to all
 5 Social Service Applications
 Review Draft of Letter to City Council
 and City Manager
 Discuss possible recommendations
 Final applicant discussions

02/09/2026 SS Scores Due SS scorecards due by 4pm
02/12/2026 CDBG AC Meeting Review SS Scores
 8 Recommend Allocation of Funds for
 Social Services and Development
 Activities
 Discuss adjusted budgets per category
 (DA/SS) according to final HUD
 Allocation (if available)

02/19/2026 CDBG AC Meeting Finalize committee recommendations
 9 and letter to City Manager

TBD Committee Scores Committee recommendations are
 Released released to the public




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TBD Appeals Due Appeals must be filed to the City
 Manager’s Office 10 calendar days after
 recommendations
TBD Appeals Hearing A hearing will be held to hear the
 appeals within 5 business days
TBD City Manager’s CM issues a written decision regarding
 Appeals Decision the appeals within 3 days
TBD City Manager Scores CM scores are released to the public
TBD CDBG AC Meeting If needed: Meet with the City Manager
 8 to discuss Committee & City Manager
 Change Recommendations (in case of
 appeals changing recommendation or
 other business)

 Option: Off-site meeting to highlight
 recent accomplishments with CDBG
 funds
TBD City Council Council Meeting to Review Committee
 Meeting 1 & City Manager CDBG
 Recommendations
TBD City Council Council makes final funding allocation
 Meeting 2 decisions




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