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Board of County Commissioners Meeting Minutes-Final January 17,2017 <br /> D. Commissioner Bob Solari <br /> E. Commissioner Tim Zorc <br /> 14.E.1 17-0067 HUD and the Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH) Rule <br /> Recommended Action: Discussion <br /> Attachments: Memorandum <br /> This item was discussed in conjunction with Item 10.B.1. Request to Speak <br /> from Phyllis Frey, the American Coalition 4 Property Rights, Regarding HUD's <br /> Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing Rule, and is placed here for continuity. <br /> Materials from Ms. Frey's presentation on April 12,2016, and related items, <br /> were provided for the record(copy on file). <br /> Commissioner Zorc suggested two policy changes that would help protect the <br /> County's Home Rule of Law: 1)make sure staff identifies and notifies the <br /> Board of grant applications containing AFFH or AFFH-related stipulations <br /> under another name; and 2)have the County Attorney's office review and report <br /> back to the Board on the feasibility of the County adopting a similar law to <br /> Sedgwick County, wherein the County would not enter into grant agreements <br /> with AFFH requirements. <br /> Deliberations ensued regarding the vagueness of the AFFH Rule;protecting the <br /> Home Rule of Law; the financial impact on current programs if certain grants <br /> are rejected and the preservation of the County's existing affordable housing <br /> programs; the importance of grants to future projects; and the possibility that in <br /> the future,the new HUD Secretary, Ben Carson,may eliminate the AFFH Rule. <br /> County Administrator Jason Brown and County Fair Housing Administrator <br /> Deputy County Attorney Bill DeBraal,provided input on the County's existing <br /> grants and fair housing programs. <br /> It was the Board's consensus that future grant agreements should be thoroughly <br /> vetted,with well-defined requirements that are not open to interpretation. <br /> A motion was made by Commissioner Zorc,seconded by Vice Chairman O'Bryan, <br /> to: (1)direct staff to continue performing due diligence on grants and implement <br /> a formal process to ensure that the County has investigated all of the AFFH or <br /> AFFH-related grants that the County has accepeted or is considering; and(2) <br /> direct the County Attorney's Office to review and report back to the Board <br /> regarding a policy that would preserve the County's current programs but <br /> address future grants with AFFH or AFFH-related requirements.The motion <br /> carried by the following vote: <br /> Indian River County Florida Page 10 <br />