REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL
FROM: JENNIFER CLARK, Director
Planning and Development Department
BY: DAVID DENSLEY, Projects Administrator
Planning and Development Department
SUBJECT
Title
***RESOLUTION - Authorizing the submission of a grant application and the acceptance of funds totaling up to $350,000 from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Region 9 Thriving Communities Grantmaker Program to fund the technical development, cleanup, and oversight of Brownfields and authorizing the City Manager or designee to sign all necessary implementing documents (Subject to Mayor’s Veto).
Body
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends City Council approve a Resolution authorizing the submission of a grant application and the acceptance of funds from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Region 9 Thriving Communities Grantmaker Program to fund the technical development, cleanup, and oversight of Brownfields and authorizing the City Manager or designee to sign all necessary implementing documents.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
On December 2024, the EPA announced the availability of $50 million in grant funding through EPA’s Thriving Communities Grantmaker (TCGM) Program for Region 9. In collaboration with the Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights, Social and Environmental Entrepreneurs (SEE) was selected to serve as the Region 9 Grantmaker for the TCGM Program. SEE and its partners will provide subgrants to eligible organizations representing disadvantaged communities in Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, the Pacific Islands, and 148 Tribal Nations.
On January 15, 2025, SEE announced that it would be accepting applications for all three tiers which comprise this subgrant opportunity. Tier One consists of grants for $150,000 for environmental assessment, Tier Two consists of grants for $250,000 for planning, and Tier Three consist of grants for $350,000 for project development.
As an eligible entity, the City intends to apply for a TCGM Tier Three subgrant to provide technical development and remediation/cleanup of one to two small scale Brownfields within a Target Area (TA) of Downtown Fresno, Chinatown Fresno, Southwest Fresno, and Elm Avenue planning areas. Projects within this TA have been determined to be underserved, as defined by the EPA’s Inflation Reduction Act Disadvantaged Communities Map and the Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool.
Staff requests authorization to finalize and submit to the Grantmaker, a TCGM Tier Three application for funding in an amount of up to $350,000 to provide technical development and cleanup funds for Brownfields within the TA. Tier Three awards have a two-year period of performance and applications may be awarded within 30 days after submission.
BACKGROUND
The EPA, under the Consolidated Appropriations Acts of 2022 and 2023 and the Inflation Reduction Act, has received significant investments to address environmental justice, health, and resilience in underserved communities. These funds are aimed at empowering disadvantaged areas to tackle long-standing environmental challenges through increased financial access and reduced administrative barriers. The EPA's Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Grantmaker Program (TCGM) supports community engagement, financial distribution, and capacity-building to advance environmental justice goals.
A portion of the $2.8 billion in EPA funding is designated for the Environmental and Climate Justice block grant program, targeting disadvantaged communities. The pass-through model central to TCGM helps distribute subgrants more efficiently to community-based organizations (CBOs) than traditional federal grants. In 2024, the EPA announced $50 million in grant funding for Region 9, which includes Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, the Pacific Islands, and 148 Tribal Nations. Social and Environmental Entrepreneurs (SEE) was selected to manage the Region 9 grants.
On January 15, 2025, SEE announced the opening of applications for TCGM, with three tiers:
• Tier One: $150,000 for environmental assessments
• Tier Two: $250,000 for planning
• Tier Three: $350,000 for project development
The City of Fresno intends to apply for a Tier Three subgrant to remediate one to two small-scale Brownfields within the underserved Target Area (TA) of Downtown Fresno, Chinatown, Southwest Fresno, and Elm Avenue. If awarded, up to $350,000 will fund technical development and remediation, supporting the City’s revitalization efforts and integrated planning efforts, including the Fulton Corridor Specific Plan and the Elm Avenue Corridor Area-Wide Revitalization Plan.
The proposed Tier Three application focuses on site remediation activities and includes technical development to support one to two brownfield projects. These development activities may include: the creation of blueprints, site plans, securing necessary permits, structural analyses, and project fees. Both actions support project development and implementation, while ensuring compliance with environmental standards. This application plans to leverage these activities to complement the Brownfield Revolving Loan Fund (RLF).
Draft task and budget overview- Tier Three Project Development, two-year project period:
• Task 1: Grant Oversight and Reporting: $70,000
o Provides oversight, project meetings, quarterly progress reports, and close-out reporting
• Task 2: Technical Development: $140,000
o Includes funding to create technical reports, blueprints, site plans, structural analyses, and permits/ fees for Brownfield RLF projects.
• Task 3: Implementation: $140,000
o Includes subgrant funding towards the cleanup/remediation of one to two Brownfields, consultant support funding to ensure compliance, and ongoing monitoring.
Total Request: $350,000
ENVIRONMENTAL FINDINGS
This item is not considered a project pursuant to California Environmental Quality Act Guidelines Section 15378(b)(4). The proposed action to apply for, accept, and administer grants are the “creation of government funding mechanisms or other government fiscal activities, which do not involve any commitment to any specific project which may result in a potentially significant physical impact on the environment.”
In addition, as the application, grant award acceptance, and administration are related to “environmental and other studies, resource identification and the development of plans and strategies” and “administrative and management activities” the proposed action is exempt from NEPA in accordance with 24 C.F.R. §§ 58.34 (a)(1) and (a)(3).
Appropriate CEQA and NEPA environmental documents will be prepared for the individual activities implemented during the City’s administration of any awarded US EPA grant.
LOCAL PREFERENCE
Local preference is not applicable because this item does not involve public contracting or bidding.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no impact on the City’s General Fund as a result of this action and there is no match requirement for this grant.
Attachment:
Resolution - U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Thriving Communities Grant Region 9