[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 51 (Thursday, March 15, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11554-11556]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-05301]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT

[Docket No. FR-7002-N-04]


60 Day Notice of Proposed Information Collection: Community 
Development Block Grant (CDBG) Urban County Qualification/New York 
Towns Qualification/Requalification Processes

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: May 14, 2018.

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.

[[Page 11555]]


FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Gloria Coates, Senior 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: This notice informs the public that HUD is 
seeking approval form OMB for the information collection described in 
Section A.

A. Overview of Information Collection

    Title of Information Collection: Community Development Block Grant 
(CDBG) Urban County Qualification/New York Towns Qualification/
Requalification Processes.
    OMB Approval Number: 2506-0170.
    Type of Request: Extension.
    Form numbers: N/A.
    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 was 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. However, those New 
York Towns may qualify as metropolitan cities if they are able to 
secure the participation of all of the villages located within their 
boundaries. Any New York Town that is located in an urban county may 
choose to leave that urban county when that county is requalifying to 
become a metropolitan city. That New York Town will be required to 
notify the urban county in advance of its decision to defer 
participation in the urban county's CDBG program and complete the 
metropolitan city qualification process.
    Respondents: (i.e. affected public): Urban counties that are 
eligible as entitlement grantees of the CDBG program.
    Estimation Number of Respondents: There are currently 186 qualified 
urban counties participating in the CDBG program that must requalify 
every three years.
    Frequency of Response: On average, one new county qualifies each 
year. The burden on new counties is greater than for existing counties 
that requalify. The Department estimates new grantees use, on average, 
105 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, 65 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.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                Hours            Hours
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Average of 1 new urban county           1 x 110 =............        110
 qualifies per year.
186 grantees requalify on triennial     62 x 65 =............      4,030
 basis; average annual number of
 respondents = 62.
                                       ---------------------------------
    Total combined burden hours.......  .....................      4,135
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    This total number of combined burden hours can be expected to 
increase annually by 220 hours, given the average of two new urban 
counties becoming eligible entitlement grantees each year.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                     Number of       House per
                                                     Number of     responses per     response       Total hours
                                                    respondents        year           annual
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Average no. of new urban counties that qualify    ..............               1             110             110
 per year.......................................
No. of grantees that requalify on a triennial                186              62              65           4,030
 basis..........................................
                                                 ---------------------------------------------------------------
    Total combined hours........................  ..............  ..............  ..............           4,135
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

B. Solicitation of Public Comment

    This notice is soliciting comments from members of the public and 
affected parties concerning the collection of information described in 
Section A on the following:
    (1) Whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for 
the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including 
whether the information will have practical utility;
    (2) The accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the 
proposed collection of information;
    (3) Ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected; and
    (4) Ways to 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.
    HUD encourages interested parties to submit comment in response to 
these questions.

     Authority: Section 3507 of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 
44 U.S.C. Chapter 35.


[[Page 11556]]


    Dated: February 28, 2018.
Lori Michalski,
Acting General Deputy Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and 
Development.
[FR Doc. 2018-05301 Filed 3-14-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4210-67-P