[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 107 (Monday, June 3, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 27926-27927]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-13756]
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DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT
[Docket No. FR-3917-N-74]
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and
Development; Notice of Proposed Information Collection for Public
Comment, OMB Approval No. 2506-0020
AGENCY: Office of the Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and
Development, HUD.
ACTION: Notice and request for comments.
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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 information collection.
DATES: Comments due: August 2, 1996.
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: Reports Liaison Officer, Sheila
E. Jones, Department of Housing & Urban Development, 451-- 7th Street,
SW, Room 7230, Washington, DC 20410.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Clifton Barnhill, telephone number
(202) 708-1322 (this is not a toll-free number) for copies of the
proposed forms and other available documents.
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 is soliciting 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 HUD, 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, such as
using appropriate automated collection techniques or other forms of
information technology, e.g., permitting electronic submission of
responses. Small businesses or other small entities are not impacted by
this information collection request.
This Notice lists the following information.
Title of Proposal: Application for CDBG Funds (HUD Form 4124) and
Performance Assessment Report (HUD Form 4052).
OMB Control Number: 2506-0020.
Description of the need for the information and proposed use: Title
I of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 established the
Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program. The Program has two
components--an entitlement component for metropolitan cities and urban
counties and a nonentitlement component for small communities and rural
areas. The Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1981 gave states the
opportunity to assume administration of the nonentitlement component.
Currently, 49 states (including Puerto Rico) administer the
nonentitlement, or State CDBG Program. Only two states, New York and
Hawaii, have not elected to assume administrative responsibility for
the program. HUD is statutorily required to administer a nonentitlement
program (commonly known as the ``Small Cities Program'') in any state
which does not assume administration of the program.
Two forms are used for administration of the HUD-administrated
Small Cities Program. These forms for which this information collection
extension is requested are: (1) the application form for funds; and (2)
the annual Performance Assessment Report (PAR) submitted annually by
the grantees which enables HUD to track program progress.
HUD Form 4124 (the application) is used by units of general local
government (jurisdictions) in New York to apply for funds and by HUD to
rate and rank proposed projects for funding. In the New York Small
Cities Program, the program is operated on a competitive basis and the
application form is essential for the rating and ranking process to
take place. The lack of an approved application form would
[[Page 27927]]
mean that nonentitled units of general local government in New York
could not obtain fiscal year CDBG funds.
Funds are made available to jurisdictions in the State of Hawaii by
formula which is set forth at 24 CFR 570.429. Only three jurisdictions
in the State of Hawaii are eligible for the HUD-administered CDBG Small
Cities Program; the three counties (islands) of Maui, Hawaii, and
Kauai. The City of Honolulu is an entitlement city.
HUD Form 4052 is the Performance Assessment Report (PAR) which
successful applicants (grantees) are required to submit to HUD on an
annual basis in order to report program progress. HUD is statutorily
required to monitor program participants for timely program progress
and to annually report to Congress. Form 4052 is used in administration
of both the Hawaii and New York Small Cities Programs. Failure to have
an approved reporting format would hamper HUD's ability to carry out
the required monitoring/reporting responsibilities in New York and
Hawaii. The information to be collected under this request is not
available through any other source.
There are currently no information collection technologies
uniformly on-line and available which would reduce the application and
reporting burdens on all affected units of general local government.
The information collection requirements have been reduced to the
minimum necessary to meet statutory requirements.
HUD will not require participants to duplicate information that has
been submitted in electronic formats (including the Consolidated Plan),
except where current regulations continue to require paper copies.
Where the required information has been submitted in ``other official
HUD reports'', the requirements can be satisfied by referencing the
appropriate section(s) and providing a copy (either electronic and/or
hard copy).
Technologies are being developed to achieve a uniform on-line
electronic ability to collect performance data as well as disburse
payments under current accounting guidelines. This will further reduce
duplication of effort by providing localities the means to extract and
use data from their own local data sources.
Agency form numbers: HUD Form 4124 & HUD Form 4052.
Members of affected public: The information collected under this
request does not include information from individuals. The respondents
are ``local governments''.
Estimation of the total numbers of hours needed to prepare the
information collection including number of respondents, frequency of
response, and hours of response:
Burden of Collection
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Number of Total hours Total
Frequency respondents per response hours
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Form 4124:
Local........................................ 1 250 40 10,400
Federal...................................... 1 250 8 2,000
Form 4052:
Local........................................ 1 585 8 4,680
Federal...................................... 1 585 8 4,680
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Total...................................... .............. 1,670 .............. 21,760
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Total Annualized Cost
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Number of Total hours Total
Frequency respondents x per response dollars
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Form 4124:
Local..................................... 1 $23.8 10,400 $247,520.00
Federal................................... 1 23.8 2,000 47,600.00
Form 4052:
Local..................................... 1 23.8 4,680 109,480.00
Federal................................... 1 23.8 4,680 109,480.00
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Total (including overhead expenses)..... .............. .............. ... .............. 514,080.00
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Over the next three years there will be 584 estimated total
projects in active status under the New York Small Cities Program. An
estimated 250 applications (form 4124) for funds were submitted in FY
95. The Small Cities Program for Hawaii provides grants to only three
eligible grantees: the counties of Maui, Hawaii, and Kauai. These
figures are based on recent experience and field projections of local
applicants and the most current estimates of the number of open/active
(and not expected to close-out) grants over the next three (3) years.
Status of the proposed information collection:
Type of Review: Continuation, without change, of a previously
approved collection. The forms are unchanged over the past fifteen
years.
Authority: Section 3506 of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995,
44 U.S.C. Chapter 35, as amended.
Dated: May 28, 1996.
Andrew Cuomo,
Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and Development.
[FR Doc. 96-13756 Filed 5-31-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4210-29-M
