West Ocala Redevelopment Advisory Committee

110 SE Watula Avenue Ocala, FL 34471 www.ocalafl.gov Ocala West Ocala Redevelopment Advisory Committee Minutes 3:00 PMThursday, May 16, 2024 1. Call To Order a. Roll Call Chairman Barbara Brooks Elgin Carelock Vice Chairman Ruth Etta Reed Dwan Thomas Antoinette Hunt Present Carolyn Adams Reginald E. Landers Jr. Brady Fritz Absent 2. Public Notice The public notice for the West Ocala CRA Advisory Committee was published on May 2, 2024 3. Election of Officers a. Chairman Ms. Reed nominated Dr. Barbara Brooks as Chairman. Motion to elect Dr. Barbara Brooks as Chairman. There being no further discussion the motion carried by roll call vote. RESULT: APPROVED MOVER: Ruth Etta Reed SECONDER: Dwan Thomas Chairman Brooks, Carelock, Vice Chairman Reed, Thomas, and Hunt AYE: Chairman Brooks, Carelock, Vice Chairman Reed, Thomas, and Hunt Aye: Adams, Landers, and FritzABSENT: Adams, Landers, and FritzAbsent: b. Vice Chairman Mr. Carelock suggested keeping the Vice Chairman as is. Motion to elect Ruth Reed as Vice Chairman. There being no further discussion the motion carried by roll call vote. Page 1 of 5

West Ocala Redevelopment Advisory Committee Minutes May 16, 2024 RESULT: APPROVED MOVER: Elgin Carelock SECONDER: Barbara Brooks Chairman Brooks, Carelock, Vice Chairman Reed, Thomas, and Hunt AYE: Adams, Landers, and FritzABSENT: 4. Approval of Minutes a. November 16, 2023 Attachments: West Ocala CRA draft minutes - 11.16.23 RESULT: APPROVED MOVER: Elgin Carelock SECONDER: Antoinette Hunt Chairman Brooks, Carelock, Vice Chairman Reed, Thomas, and HuntAYE: Adams, Landers, and FritzABSENT: b. February 15, 2024 Attachments: West Ocala CRA draft minutes - 2.15.24 RESULT: APPROVED MOVER: Barbara Brooks SECONDER: Antoinette Hunt Chairman Brooks, Carelock, Vice Chairman Reed, Thomas, and HuntAYE: Adams, Landers, and FritzABSENT: 5. Grants/Applications a. CRA24-45674 Application packet Attachments: CRA24-45674 Application packet CRA Manager Roberto Ellis discussed a grant application for the property located at 1338 NW 14th Avenue. The applicant is proposing the following improvements: roof replacement. The lowest bid received for the project amounts to $19,214. The grant will cover 75% of the cost. Mr. Ellis clarified the Affordable Housing Program, which helps individuals who are unable to afford improvement costs. Motion to approve grant application CRA24-45674 for a grant award of $14,411. RESULT: APPROVED MOVER: Elgin Carelock SECONDER: Dwan Thomas Chairman Brooks, Carelock, Vice Chairman Reed, Thomas, and HuntAYE: Adams, Landers, and FritzABSENT: Page 2 of 5

West Ocala Redevelopment Advisory Committee Minutes May 16, 2024 b. CRA24-45676 Application packet Attachments: CRA24-45676 Application packet Mr. Ellis discussed a grant application for the property located at 2650 NW 2nd Street. The applicant is proposing a sixteen-unit multifamily residential development project (four units will be reserved for affordable housing/workforce). The estimated annual revenue is $22,355.41, Ad valorem and $8,767.65 electric revenue (General Fund). The project cost is $2,779,267. The grant will cover 10% of the cost. Mr. Ellis clarified the bids received and the grant guidelines. Motion to approve grant application CRA24-45676 for a grant award of $165,000. RESULT: APPROVED MOVER: Elgin Carelock SECONDER: Dwan Thomas Chairman Brooks, Carelock, Vice Chairman Reed, Thomas, and HuntAYE: Adams, Landers, and FritzABSENT: 6. Project Updates a. CivicServe - User Guide Attachments: CivicServe - User Guide Mr. Ellis reported Heritage Trail’s grand opening is scheduled for August 2024 and confirmed the City has not purchased the additional block in the area to extend the trail. Dr. Brooks asked if the City would be involved in the clean up of the overgrowth and trees. Mr. Ellis responded that he would look into it. Mr. Ellis provided brief updates on the following projects: rebase properties, Reed Place Brownfields Revitalization Plan, Tucker Hill, active solicitations, and Five-Year Capital Improvement Plan. 7. Other Business None. 8. Public Comments Gloria Roxsman, a Richmond Heights Community resident, expressed concern regarding the grant program guidelines. Ms. Roxsman stated the residents in the community cannot afford to pay for home improvements up front before being reimbursed. Mr. Carelock stated that there is a second grant that they can apply for which would provide additional financial help with the upfront cost. Mr. Ellis provided information on where to find the application on the City's website. Community Development Services Administrative Coordinator Natalia Cox provided an overview of the Affordable Housing grant program guidelines and application process. The City Page 3 of 5

West Ocala Redevelopment Advisory Committee Minutes May 16, 2024 has established a waiting list for applicants to receive grant funding. Mr. Ellis clarified the grant program deadlines. Ms. Roxsman requested the City increase the number of affordable units for the residential development project located on the west side. She expressed concern regarding the asset qualification guidelines and suggested modifying the reimbursement guidelines to increase housing opportunities. She also requested the city have additional resources for the west side. Ms. Cox clarified the asset calculation process and the Annual Medium Income. Mr. Ellis explained the check issuance process. The City has added marketing to next year’s budget to support community outreach efforts. Ms. Roxsman informed the committee about a new payment option that allows contractors to finance the work through a program which allows the payment to be added to the property owners tax bill. Her concern with this was that contractors were misleading the homeowners about how the repayment would work and they were not aware that it was added to their prperty taxes. The committee was not aware of this option and had a short discussion about the payment option. Ms. Reed requested the City investigate "box garages", tool sheds, on properties located on the west side. Mr. Ellis stated some of these are considered an accessory structure and may need to be permitted or the structures may be a code violation. Community Outreach Manager Rachel Fautsch encouraged the public to report code violations to code enforcement. She then briefly described the permit process for sheds. Ms. Fautsch also provided the phone numbers for the Permitting Division and Code Enforcement Division. Sonda Eunes thanked the Committee for approving their project. She encouraged the Committee to check out the USDA grant program for low-income households and seniors. Grants are available for up to 10k and does not have to be repaid or they can apply for a loan at 1% interest rate. 9. Staff Comments Mr. Ellis reported two applications for the vacancy were recieved. The applications will be reviewed at the next meeting scheduled for June 18, 2024. 10. Board Comments None 11. Next Meeting Date: July 18, 2024 12. Adjournment Page 4 of 5

West Ocala Redevelopment Advisory Committee Minutes May 16, 2024 The meeting was adjourned at 4:05 pm. Page 5 of 5