USDA Loan Email Trail

USDA Loan Email Trail 

From: DAVID BOYD [mailto:dboyd351@verizon.net]

Sent: Sunday, April 26, 2015 11:12 AM

To: Ware, Kent – RD, Richmond, VA

Subject: Forgiveness of $600,000 grant to Northampton County

Mr. Ware,

Northampton County has a $600,000 grant which it will need to repay to the USDA unless we find a suitable project to use as matching funds towards that grant. Our county has had declining population for 80 years now and is financially strapped. We cannot afford to be repaying grant funds if the money can be put to good use. Unfortunately, our county administrator has been much less than helpful in advising our Board of Supervisors as to which projects would qualify as matching funds for the grant.

I am a private citizen who would like your advice on which projects might qualify for us to gain forgiveness of the grant obligation. I am copying my District’s Supervisor (Granville Hogg) and several other interested citizens in this correspondence, as they are also looking for a resolution to this issue that makes good use of our limited funds.

Specifically, the projects we would like to seek potential approval for are as follows:

1) Build an EMS station at the Drummond Property at an estimated cost of $600k.

2) Build a gymnasium and locker rooms, improve the current building, with longer term intent of a community pool at Indiantown Park. In stages this will cost $600k .

Granville Hogg has all the information you may desire on the details of these projects and should be your point of contact in fleshing out the proposal.

I am merely a concerned citizen and taxpayer in a cash strapped county who would like to see our limited funds put to the best use possible.

I am sure you share that concern and would like to see your grant money put to good use.

I appreciate your efforts to help us use this money wisely.

Thank you for your time.

Mr. Ware,

No one has gotten back to me about the grant yet. Perhaps it slipped through the cracks? Is there a specific person to whom I should address this inquiry?

Thanks in advance for your help.

From: DAVID BOYD <dboyd351@verizon.net>

To: “Foster, David – RD, Courtland, VA” <david.foster@va.usda.gov>

Cc: “Jordan, Peggy – RD, Courtland, VA” <Peggy.Jordan@va.usda.gov>

Sent: Monday, May 4, 2015 7:12 PM

Subject: Re: Forgiveness of $600,000 grant to Northampton County

Mr. Foster,

Thanks for your e-mail. I was wondering if you’d mind discussing this with Granville Hogg, my Supervisor? Granville is a good friend who most definitely has Northampton County’s best interests at heart. Plus, he is on the Board of Supervisors, so he can present any projects, along with your endorsement, if you can grant such, to the Board of Supervisors for approval. I’d like to be kept in the loop, but it seems a direct conversation between Granville and yourself might be the most beneficial way to approach this dilemma.

Is that an avenue you are willing to pursue?

Thanks for your time,

David Boyd

Reply from USDA

From: “Foster, David – RD, Courtland, VA” <david.foster@va.usda.gov>
To: “dboyd351@verizon.net” <dboyd351@verizon.net>
Cc: “Jordan, Peggy – RD, Courtland, VA” <Peggy.Jordan@va.usda.gov>
Sent: Monday, May 4, 2015 3:58 PM
Subject: FW: Forgiveness of $600,000 grant to Northampton County

Mr. Boyd:

Thank you for your correspondence and interest in your community.

Like you, it is our goal to work with Northampton County to find a suitable purpose for these funds to be used that will be of benefit to the community within a suitable timeframe.  The Community Programs Specialist in our Courtland Office continues to work with the County Administrator to identify eligible projects for the funds.  We too would like a timely resolution to this issue so that these tax payer funds could be used for the highest benefit of the citizens of Northampton County.

Please feel free to contact me directly if I can help in any way.

David J. Foster, Area Director

22329 Main Street

Southampton Office Building 2

Courtland, VA  23837-1026

From: “Jordan, Peggy – RD, Courtland, VA” <Peggy.Jordan@va.usda.gov>

To: DAVID BOYD <dboyd351@verizon.net>; “Foster, David – RD, Courtland, VA” <david.foster@va.usda.gov>

All:

Mr. Boyd is correct in stating the amount due to USDA is $599,734.80.  As we discussed on Friday, all Community Facility grants require matching funds from the recipient.   The match requirement is determined by information we obtain from the Census (Median Household Income and Population).  For Northampton County, the match requirement is 65% of the project’s total cost.   In order to fully utilize the outstanding grant of $599,734.80, the proposed project must reach a minimum cost of $1,713,528 and be for an eligible purpose.    To be eligible, it must be an essential community facility that is a function provided by the County, is needed for orderly development of your community, does not include private, commercial or business undertakings, and is operated on a nonprofit basis.   As indicated on Friday, parks and recreation projects are not considered essential by USDA.

Your group mentioned multiple needs within the County.  I would encourage you to discuss those needs with the Board of Supervisors for concurrence and present Rural Development with a prioritized list for consideration.

Should the Board decide to pursue a project that would involve the purchase, renovation or construction of a building, the services of a licensed architect will be required. The architect would be required to prepare a Preliminary Architectural Report (PAR) in accordance with the attached guide.   Once an acceptable PAR is provided, USDA would initiate the environmental review process.

Thank you for your time and efforts to resolve this issue in a manner that most benefits Northampton County.

Peggy A. Jordan | Area Specialist

Rural Development U.S. Department of Agriculture

From: DAVID BOYD [mailto:dboyd351@verizon.net]

Sent: Monday, May 18, 2015 9:31 PM

To: Foster, David – RD, Courtland, VA; Jordan, Peggy – RD, Courtland, VA

Cc: Granville Hogg; Spencer Murray; Earthdesign

Subject: Resolution of USDA grant obligations

Dear Mr. Foster and Mrs. Jordan,

Thank you so much for offering to meet with us and discussing the USDA grant obligations of Northampton County.

We understand from you that of the total amount spent by Northampton County towards qualifying grant projects, 35% of the total would be applied towards resolving the USDA grant. Our sources here say the total obligation to be satisfied is  $599,734.80. By my calculations, this would put the total spending by Northampton County at $1,713,528 to satisfy the grant obligation. ($1,713,528 x .35 = $599,734.80).

We would like to inquire if you are in concurrence these calculations, or if not, what you calculate the total requirement to be. Please show us how you perform the calculations to ensure we fully understand our obligations and how they are arrived at.

Finally, if we decided to just write USDA a check to absolve the county of it’s obligations, what would that figure be?

Thank you for your continued patience with our efforts,

David Boyd

From: “Jordan, Peggy – RD, Courtland, VA” <Peggy.Jordan@va.usda.gov>

To: Spencer <hsmconsulting@msn.com>

Cc: DAVID BOYD <dboyd351@verizon.net>; “Foster, David – RD, Courtland, VA” <david.foster@va.usda.gov>; Granville Hogg <ghogg@verizon.net>;

Sent: Wednesday, May 20, 2015 10:34 AM

Subject: RE: Resolution of USDA grant obligations

Hi Mr. Murray:

Your assumption of the payoff amount is correct.   Just to clarify one point you made…we are willing to consider projects involving your schools.  You may want to include those needs and a cost estimate on your list.

Peggy A. Jordan | Area Specialist

Rural Development