REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL
August 21, 2014
FROM: JENNIFER K. CLARK, AICP, Director
Development and Resource Management Department
BY: MIKE SANCHEZ, Assistant Director
Development and Resource Management Department
BONIQUE EMERSON, AICP, Supervising Planner
Development and Resource Management Department
SUBJECT
Title
Action pertaining to an Annual Appropriation Resolution for the High Speed Rail Station Area Master Plan
1. * RESOLUTION- 3rd amendment to the Annual Appropriation Resolution (AAR) No. 2014-95 appropriating $1,020,000 for High Speed Rail Station Master Plan consulting services and miscellaneous City expenses (Requires 5 affirmative votes)
Body
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends City Council take the following actions:
1. Adopt the resolution of the Council of the City of Fresno adopting the 3rd amendment to the Annual Appropriation Resolution (AAR) No. 2014-95 appropriating $1,020,000 for High Speed Rail Station Master Plan consulting services and miscellaneous City expenses.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
On July 31, 2014, Council authorized the Director of the Development and Resource Management (DARM) Department to enter into a professional services agreement with the firm of AECOM Technical Services, in the amount not to exceed $966,068 for the preparation of a High Speed Rail Station Area Master Plan (STAMP) and $54,000 for miscellaneous City expenses. The AAR associated with this contract is being brought forward for Council consideration.
BACKGROUND
Council took action on August 25, 2011, to amend the AAR to appropriate a total of $900,000 from the California High Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA) for the preparation of a Master Plan. The $900,000 consists of $700,000 in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) dollars that the CHSRA is receiving from the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), as well as $200,000 in Proposition 1A High Speed Rail bond proceeds. In addition, the Council took action on March 29, 2012 to amend the AAR to appropriate an additional $120,000 from Fresno Council of Government's (COG) Overall Work Program (OWP) for the STAMP. Thus, the attached resolution would appropriate funds that were budgeted in previous years but were not appropriated in Fiscal Year 2015.
ENVIRONMENTAL FINDINGS
This is not a "project" for the purposes of CEQA pursuant to CEQA Guidelines, section 15378(b)(5), as it is an administrative activity that will not result in direct or indirect physical changes to the environment.
LOCAL PREFERENCE
Local preference was not implicated due to State funding.
FISCAL IMPACT
Funding for this Consultant Services Contract will come from the CHSRA and Fresno COG and is sufficient to pay for the STAMP scope of services identified by AECOM. In order to receive this funding, staff has agreed to commit approximately $117,000 of staff time as an in-kind match. The salaries of staff who will contribute to the preparation of the Master Plan are funded by the General Fund.
Attachment: Resolution
Staff Report from July 31, 2014 for ID#14-181