Website Maintenance Policy

This page reflects the CDBG-DR Website Maintenance Policy submitted to HUD in May 2025 and approved in June 2025.

Overview

The North Carolina Department of Commerce Division of Community Revitalization (DCR) will manage a disaster recovery website dedicated to providing the public information about the State’s CDBG-DR programs that serve as the primary repository of information for the State’s Disaster Recovery and Mitigation actions and resources. The website will contain links to all Action Plans, Action Plan Amendments, quarterly performance reports (QPRs), the Citizen Participation Plan, procurement policies, procurement notices and/or advertisements, executed contracts, activity/program information for activities described in the Action Plan and other information relevant to CDBG-DR program funds as required by HUD regulations and the Federal Register Notice. The following will describe the information, documentation, and resources that will be made available to the public and procedures to describe how this information will be maintained throughout the life of the State’s CDBG-DR grant. This webpage will be the landing page for and include the following CDBG-DR documents: 

• Action Plan and subsequent amendments;
• The Action Plan will indicate when HUD approval is received;
• The Plan will specify the guidelines regarding types of amendments and when they will be posted;
• The Plan will include amendments as a single document;
• Procurement policies and procedures;
• Programmatic policies and procedures;
• Copies of applicable contracts procured directly;
  • Lists of contracts will be updated monthly.
• Quarterly performance reports from DRGR;
• Quarterly projections of expenditures and outcomes starting with the first quarter the funds are available to the grantee and continuing until all funds are expended;
• Citizen Participation Plan;
• Citizen participation opportunities, including information about public hearings and citizen advisory committee meetings;  
• Program materials and all information about programs and activities undertaken with CDBG-DR funds;
• Notice of funding availability, application, selection criteria, and award timeframe (if applicable);
• Open/closed bids, requests for proposals, and small purchases;
• Fair housing and equal opportunity information and agency contacts;
• Information for citizens about how to apply and how to check the status of their application if applicable. 

Accessibility of Information

Documents available for review on DCR’s webpage are accessible to persons with disabilities. Upon request, DCR will take reasonable steps to ensure meaningful access to their programs and activities by limited English proficiency persons, including members of protected classes, vulnerable populations, and individuals from underserved communities. All information will be made accessible in accordance with Section 504 (24 CFR 8.6) and ADA (28 CFR 35.106) regulations. 

Action Plan

DCR will make available via its CDBG-DR website its initial Action Plan, all amendments to the initial Action Plan, and a current version of the Action Plan, which will be inclusive of all amendments. In addition, the State will provide the ability for the public to submit comments relative to the items covered in the initial Action Plan and subsequent amendments. The initial Action Plan for CDBG-DR activities will be posted to DCR’s website and made available for the public’s review in accordance with federal regulations. Once the 30-day public comment period has expired, the Action Plan will be submitted to HUD for review and approval. Upon receiving approval from HUD, the date of approval will be clearly indicated on the DCR website. HUD requires that both Substantial and Non-Substantial Amendments be made available on the CDBG-DR website. A Substantial Amendment, which is subject to public notification and a public comment period, is defined as any change/changes in program benefit or eligibility criteria, the allocation or re-allocation of more than $25,000, or the addition or deletion of an activity. Substantial Amendments to the initial Action Plan will be posted to the State’s website and made available for the public’s review before the start of the 30-day comment period, in accordance with federal regulations. Once the 30-day public comment period has expired, the amendment will be submitted to HUD for review and approval. A Non-Substantial Amendment to the Action Plan is defined as a minor change that does not materially change the activities or eligible beneficiaries. HUD must be notified in advance of a Non-Substantial Amendment to become effective. Non-Substantial Amendments are NOT subject to public notification and 30-day public comment procedures. 

• Accessibility of the Action Plan and its Amendments: All Substantial Amendments will be translated into language(s) identified by the State’s language analysis of limited English proficient (LEP) citizens in impacted areas. The State will ensure that all citizens have equal access to information about the programs, including persons with disabilities (vision and hearing impaired) and limited English proficiency (LEP).
• Public Comments: In accordance with federal regulations and in the interest of ensuring that the public is afforded ample opportunities to provide feedback to the State on its plans for the recovery effort, the State will make available multiple methods by which public comments can be submitted, such as via e-mail, phone, in person at public meetings, and in writing by mail. The website will clearly identify the individual serving as the primary point of contact for all public comment related communications. Information about public hearings and citizen advisory committee meetings will be made available on the website as well. 

Reporting

HUD requires that the State completes a Quarterly Performance Report (QPR) detailing the expenditures, accomplishments, and beneficiaries associated with the appropriation of funding over each quarter throughout the whole life of the grant until closeout is completed. All quarterly reports are completed within and submitted through the HUD’s Disaster Recovery Grant Reporting (DRGR) system and are due to HUD on the 30th of each month after a quarter end (for example, for the quarter January 1 through March 30, the QPR will be due April 30). DCR, as the DRGR Administrator, will download and send the QPR to the Information Services department, so they can post each QPR to the DR website when it is submitted to HUD. All QPRs will be posted to the website and will remain posted until the end of the grant closeout. Initially, the report will be labeled as “Pending HUD Approval” until the State receives notification from HUD that the QPR has been reviewed and accepted. 

Policy and Procedures

The State will post the Policies and Procedures that govern its management of the CDBG-DR funding in order to ensure that all individuals are afforded an opportunity to gain an understanding of how the State manages the recovery dollars. 

Policy Manual

The State’s Policy Manual sets forth the policies and procedures by which the State manages its recovery funding – with respect to ensuring compliance with applicable local, state, and federal rules and regulations. The manual will be updated on an as-needed basis and the State will ensure that the latest version of the manual is available on its website. Policies and procedures manuals for each program and activity implemented by the State with CDBG-DR funds will also be posted to the website. 

Internal Controls

In addition to the topics covered in DCR’s Policy Manual, the State will post to its website additional documents that address the various internal controls put in place to ensure the appropriate use and management of the CDBG-DR funds: 

• Compliance Monitoring Plan; 
• Purchasing Policy; 
• Purchasing and Contracting Guidelines; 
• Anti-Fraud, Waste, and Abuse Policy. 

The Division of Community Revitalization Deputy Director II coordinates reviews with staff from relevant areas on a quarterly basis to ensure that State’s Policy Manual and the documents that address the internal controls accurately describes the State’s administrative and program operations at any given point in time. At a minimum, DCR Program Managers will make changes to the policies and procedures on an annual basis; however, changes determined to be of critical importance or that address or cause a substantive change to the operations will be made within 30 days of the change being approved. 

Procurement

DCR will post to its website copies of all executed contracts as well as a list of all State and subrecipient contracts updated on a monthly basis. In addition, any substantial amendments to those contracts (e.g., contract value is increased, or scope of services is revised) and change order documentation will be posted to DCR’s website. Further, the State will make available information (via a link to the State’s Purchasing Department webpage) on the status of services or goods currently being procured. Information on the phase of the procurement, requirements for proposals, winning bidder, etc. will be included. If the State chooses to award funds competitively, eligibility information, selection criteria, and timeframe for accepting and awarding funds will be listed on the website. 

Accessibility Compliance

The State will offer closed captioning for videos and recordings of meetings, and information in accessible HTML, PDF, Microsoft Word, Excel, or PowerPoint format. Additionally, the State can provide a professional service to translate materials into other languages for Limited English Proficiency (LEP) populations, and translate graphs and charts so that the visually impaired have adequate access to written elements of the CDBG-DR program. These types of assistance are available upon request. The State values the public’s opinion by accepting citizen and other interested parties’ comments throughout development and implementation of its CDBG-DR program. For all meetings, to facilitate comments, questions, and other information; a Spanish-speaking translator and/or Hearing-Impaired Sign Language interpreter is made available upon request. Program information posted to the website will be accessible and available in accessible formats, including those readable by screen readers. Citizen participation requirements, comments, and related postings, as well as regional AFFH/FHEO points of contact, will also be available and prominently displayed on the website. 

Website Updates and General Maintenance Procedures

The State directs and supervises the content of the website, which includes the development of the narrative and visual content. DCR’s Deputy Director of Outreach and Communication will manage the website as well as other forms of media to maintain public transparency. The website will be updated monthly as required with the last current date of the update noted on the site and/or document. All required updates to DCR’s CDBG-DR program website will be completed within three (3) business days. DCR will send update/change requests to the Deputy Director of Outreach and Communication. All physical website updates/changes will be accomplished by the designated staff member.