REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL
December 18, 2014
FROM: JENNIFER CLARK, Director
Development and Resource Management Department
BY: CRAIG AGABASHIAN, Administrative Manager
Development and Resource Management Department
SUBJECT
Title
Actions pertaining to the October 13, 2013 Council approval of the Environmental Justice Grant for "The 41 and North Corridor Community Design Plan - West Fresno" from the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans)
1. ***RESOLUTION - 27th amendment to the Annual Appropriation Resolution (AAR) No. 2014-95 appropriating $139,900 for public outreach, consulting services, and miscellaneous City expenses related to The 41 and North Corridor Community Design Plan (Requires 5 affirmative votes)
2. Authorize the Director of DARM to enter into a Subapplicant/professional services agreement with Habitat for Humanity Fresno County (HFHFC), not to exceed $64,824, for public outreach and engagement services and require/approve HFHFC's local match cost share in-kind services in the amount of $13,990
3. Authorize the Director of DARM to enter into a professional services agreement with Wallace, Roberts and Todd, LLC., not to exceed $73,075, for development of the related Streetscape Plan
Body
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends the City Council authorize the Director of DARM to execute agreements with Habitat for Humanity and Wallace Roberts and Todd, LLC to perform services in support of the Environmental Justice Grant for "The 41 and North Corridor Community Design Plan - West Fresno" from the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), and adopt the 27th amendment to the Annual Appropriation Resolution (AAR) No. 2014-95 appropriating $139,900 into the FY2015 DARM budget for public outreach, consulting services and miscellaneous City expenses.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
On October 31, 2013 City Council approved Resolution 2013-188 authorizing the acceptance of the Application for a $139,899 Environmental Justice Grant for "The 41 and North Corridor Community Design Plan - West Fresno" (Grant) from Cal Trans, and authorized the execution of documents related to the Grant and conditions of award. This Grant provides for a partnership with the State of California to improve mobility and quality of life through an extensive community outreach plan resulting in a comprehensive community design plan which will include a vision for multimodal streets that enhances pedestrian and bicycle connections and safety, encourage economic development, improve transportation linkages to jobs and grocery stores and eliminates travel mode conflicts in this West Fresno Neighborhood. The Grant provides for 90% of the project's costs and requires a 10% local match cost share (approved by CalTrans in December 2014 as 100% in-kind services, which will be supplied entirely by HFHFC). During March and August 2014, the City signed the Grant's Fund Transfer Agreement and related Amendment, respectively, with Caltrans. On December 2, 2014, CalTrans approved the final scopes/timelines/budgets related to the Grant work. This report requests City Council approval for: 1) Adopting the 27th Amendment to Annual Appropriations Resolution No. 2014-95 (Attachment 1), 2) Entering into a Subapplicant/professional services agreement with HFHFC, not to exceed $64,824 for public outreach services and require HFHFC's 10% local match cost share in-kind services in the amount of $13,990 (Attachment 2), and 3) Entering into a standard professional services agreement with Wallace Roberts and Todd, LLC., not to exceed $73,075 for development of the related Streetscape Plan (Attachment 3).
BACKGROUND
On March 28, 2013, the Development and Resource Management and the Public Works Departments submitted a report to the City Council requesting authorization for the submittal of three grant applications to CalTrans; including an Environmental Justice Transportation Planning grant designed to work with HFHFC and its 25 strategic partners to develop effective community strategies to improve the quality of lives for residents of the Community east of State Route 41 generally located in the Fig and North avenues area. The City Council authorized the submittal of the grant applications and authorized the City Manager or designee to conduct all negotiations, agreements, etc. by adoption of Council Resolution 2013-40 (Attachment 4).
On September 19, 2013, the City was notified that the 2013-14 Environmental Justice Grant for "The 41 and North Corridor Community Design Plan - West Fresno" was awarded to the City by CalTrans in the amount of $139,899. The Grant's Conditions of Award required that the applicant's governing body certify by resolution the approval of the application to CalTrans and the authorization of the program, standard agreement, and program documents, etc., and that the resolution contain the specific project title "The 41 and North Corridor Community design Plan - West Fresno." City Council adopted this Resolution 2013-188 (Attachment 5) on October 31, 2013.
ENVIRONMENTAL FINDINGS
This is not a "project" for the purposes of CEQA, pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15378.
LOCAL PREFERENCE
Local Preference was not considered due to the federal source of funding.
FISCAL IMPACT
Funding for this program will not have a negative impact on the City of Fresno's General Fund. This is a reimbursement based grant and all professional services expenditures will be submitted quarterly to CalTrans. Internal City costs, of $2,000, for project initiation and fiscal management will also be reimbursed by the Grant. Additionally, the Grant's local match cost share in-kind services are to be fully provided by HFHFC. AAR No. 2014-95 for services costs and miscellaneous City expenses is attached for adoption with this report.
Attachments:
1 - Annual Appropriations Resolution
2 - Subapplicant Services and Local Match Agreement - HFHFC
3 - Standard Professional Services Agreement - Wallace Roberts and Todd, Inc.
4 - Resolution 2013-40
5 - Resolution 2013-188