As an Entitlement Community receiving annual grants on a formula basis from the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the Town of Normal is required to adopt a detailed Citizen Participation Plan containing policies and procedures for public involvement and stakeholder consultation in the Consolidated Plan process and the use of Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds.  

Amended Citizen Participation Plan

As part of the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, the Town of Normal received a special, additional allocation of Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding for Program Year 2020-2021 (April 1, 2020 through March 31, 2021). These funds, referred to as CDBG-CV (Coronavirus), are granted through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and are to be solely used to prevent, prepare for, and respond to the coronavirus (COVID-19). The Town’s CDBG-CV allocation is in the amount of $246,067.

With the passage of the CARES Act and the allocation of CDBG-CV funds came the necessity to amend the Town's CDBG Citizen Participation Plan to allow for the ability to hold public hearings virtually, given social distancing requirements, and to shorten public comment periods related to the use of CDBG-CV funds to as short as five days, per HUD’s CARES Act guidelines and their emphasis on proper, expeditious use of these emergency funds. All activities undertaken or supported with CDBG funds must be approved by the Normal Town Council and, ultimately, HUD.

The Amended Citizen Participation Plan was approved by the Normal Town Council on July 6, 2020, following public comment periods and hearings held for the plan in May and June. 

The Amended Citizen Participation Plan is available here or by clicking on the heading above or the labelled image to the right. The section of the plan detailing the CARES Act Amendment and COVID-19-related procedures is on page 8.