Notice of Proposed Information Collection: Comment Request; CDBG Urban County Qualification/Requalification Process, Notice

AGENCY:

Office of Community Planning and Development, HUD.

ACTION:

Notice.

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 proposal.

DATES:

Comments Due Date: February 6, 2012.

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: Colette Pollard, Departmental Paperwork Reduction Act Officer, QDAM, Department of Housing and Urban Development, 451 7th Street SW., Room 4160, Washington, DC 20410; telephone: (202) 708-3400 (this is not a toll-free number) or email Ms. Pollard for a copy of the proposed form and other available information.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Gloria Coates, Community Planning and Development Specialist, Entitlement Communities Division, Office of Block Grant Assistance, 451 7th Street SW., Room 7282, Washington, DC 20410; telephone (202) 708-1577 (this is not a toll-free number).

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 solicits 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 the affected agency, 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, including through the use of appropriate automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting electronic submission of responses.

This Notice also lists the following information:

Title of Proposal: Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Urban County Qualification/Requalification Processes.

OMB Control Number, if applicable: 2506-0170.

Description of the need for the information and proposed use: The Housing and Community Development Act of 1974, as amended, at sections 102(a)(6) and 102(e) requires that any county seeking qualification as an urban county notify each unit of general local government within the county that such unit may enter into a cooperation agreement to participate in the CDBG program as part of the county. Section 102(d) of the statute specifies that the period of qualification will be three years. Based on these statutory provisions, counties seeking qualification or requalification as urban counties under the CDBG program must provide information to HUD every three years identifying the units of general local governments (UGLGs) within the county participating as a part of the county for purposes of receiving CDBG funds. The population of UGLGs for each eligible urban county is used in HUD's allocation of CDBG funds for all entitlement and State CDBG grantees.

New York towns undertook a similar process every three years. However, after consultation with program counsel, it has been determined that a requalification process for New York towns is unnecessary because the units of general local government in New York towns do not have the same statutory notice rights (under Section 102(e) of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974) as units of general local government participating in an urban county. In addition, each New York town has automatic renewing agreements with the incorporated units of general local governments contained within their boundaries. Therefore, it is presumed that all incorporated units of general local government will continue to participate in the New York towns in which they are located unless Headquarters is notified to the contrary.

Agency form numbers, if applicable: N/A.

Members of affected public: Urban counties that are eligible as entitlement grantees of the CDBG program.

Estimation of the total numbers of hours needed to prepare the information collection including number of respondents, frequency of response, and hours of response: There are currently 183 qualified urban counties participating in the CDBG program that must requalify every three years. On average, three new counties qualify each year. The burden on new counties is greater than for existing counties that requalify. The Department estimates new grantees use, on average, 100 hours to review instructions, contact communities in the county, prepare and review agreements, obtain legal opinions, have agreements executed at the local and county level, and prepare and transmit copies of required documents to HUD. The Department estimates that counties that are requalifying use, on average, 60 hours to complete these actions. The time savings on requalification is primarily a result of a grantee's ability to use agreements with no specified end date. Use of such “renewable” agreements enables the grantee to merely notify affected participating UGLGs in writing that their agreement will automatically be renewed unless the UGLG terminates the agreement in writing, rather than executing a new agreement every three years.

This total number of combined burden hours can be expected to increase annually by 300 hours, given the average of three new urban counties becoming eligible entitlement grantees each year.

Status of the proposed information collection: Existing collection number will expire February 29, 2012.

Authority: The Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 44 U.S.C. chapter 35, as amended.