Texas Administrative Code › Title 4 - AGRICULTURE › Part 1 - TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE › Chapter 30 - COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT › Subchapter A - TEXAS COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT PROGRAM › Division 1 - GENERAL PROVISIONS › Section 30.7 - Citizen Participation Process

Current through Reg. 49, No.
					 28; July 12, 2024
(a)
					 Citizen Participation Plan. An applicant must develop and follow a detailed
					 citizen participation plan that sets forth the applicant's policies and
					 procedures for citizen participation and must make the plan public. The plan
					 must be completed and available before an application for TxCDBG funding is
					 submitted to the Department. The applicant must meet the following
					 requirements:
(1) provide for and encourage
					 citizen participation, particularly by low and moderate income persons who
					 reside in slum or blighted areas and areas in which TxCDBG funds are proposed
					 to be used;
(2) ensure that
					 citizens will be given reasonable and timely access to local meetings,
					 information, and records relating to the applicant's proposed and actual use of
					 TxCDBG funds;
(3) furnish citizens
					 information, including but not limited to:
(A)
					 the amount of TxCDBG funds expected to be made available for the current
					 program year;
(B) the range of
					 activities that may be undertaken with the TxCDBG funds;
(C) the estimated amount of the TxCDBG funds
					 proposed to be used for activities that will meet he national objective of
					 benefit to low and moderate income persons; and
(D) which of the proposed activities, if any,
					 are likely to result in displacement and the applicant's anti-displacement and
					 relocation plans required under
					 RSA
					 570.488;
(4) provide technical assistance to groups
					 representative of persons of low and moderate income that request assistance in
					 developing proposals for the use of TxCDBG funds;
(5) provide for a minimum of two public
					 hearings for the purpose of obtaining citizens' views and responding to
					 proposals and questions. Together the hearings must cover community development
					 and housing needs, development of proposed activities, and a review of program
					 performance. Public hearings must be held at the following stages:
(A) Initial public hearing. A public hearing
					 to cover community development and housing needs must be held before submission
					 of an application to the Department; and
(B) Final public hearing. A public hearing
					 must be held after completion of a funded project to afford citizens an
					 opportunity to review and comment on the grant recipient's performance,
					 including the actual use of TxCDBG funds provided under the grant. The final
					 public hearing must be held prior to submitting a closeout report to the
					 Department;
(6) provide
					 reasonable notice of hearings and hold hearings at times and locations
					 convenient to potential or actual beneficiaries, with reasonable accommodations
					 including material in accessible formats for persons with
					 disabilities;
(7) provide citizens
					 with reasonable advance notice of, and opportunity to comment on, proposed
					 activities in an application and, for grants already made, activities which are
					 proposed to be added, deleted or substantially changed from the grant
					 application that was submitted to the Department. Substantially changed means
					 changes made in terms of purpose, scope, location or beneficiaries as defined
					 by criteria established by the Department; and
(8) provide written procedures that citizens
					 must follow when submitting complaints and grievances, which include the
					 address, phone number, and times for submitting complaints and grievances, and
					 provide timely written answers to written complaints and grievances within 15
					 working days where practicable.