REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL
FROM: JENNIFER CLARK, Director
Planning and Development Department
BY: DAVID DENSLEY, Projects Administrator
Planning and Development Department
SUBJECT
Title
Actions pertaining to the 2022 Environmental Protection Agency Brownfields Revolving Loan Fund Grant
1. Approve the consultant services agreement between the City of Fresno and Stantec Consulting Services Inc., in the amount of $101,750 to perform environmental consultant services for Brownfields Revolving Loan Fund Grant activities with a contract performance period to January 31, 2027
2. Authorize the Planning and Development Director to accept $1,000,000 in total grant funding for the Brownfields Revolving Loan Fund grant and execute all related documents applicable to the 2022 Environmental Protection Agency Brownfields Revolving Loan Fund Grant
Body
RECOMMENDATIONS
Staff recommends that the City Council approve the consultant services agreement between the City of Fresno and Stantec Consulting Services Inc. (Stantec), in the amount of $101,750 to perform environmental consultant services for Brownfields Revolving Loan Fund Grant activities with a contract performance period to January 31, 2027.
Staff recommends City Council authorize the Planning and Development Director to accept $1,000,000 in total grant funding and execute all related documents applicable to the 2022 Environmental Protection Agency Brownfields Revolving Loan Fund Grant.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Through the Request for Qualifications (RFQ) process published on June 19, 2024, staff requested proposals from qualified consultants to provide environmental services for the Brownfields Revolving Loan Fund Grant activities. A committee was selected and were provided two proposals prior to the July 19, 2024 deadline. The committee met on August 8, 2024 to discuss and rate each proposal. Overall, the proposal from Stantec Consulting Services, Inc. stood out as panelists noted several strengths in their proposal including, but not limited to:
1. Significant experience and capabilities;
2. Fully developed implementation methodologies and project approach;
3. Complete acceptance of contract provisions; and
4. Offered the lowest cost among the bidders
The committee concluded that Stantec Consulting Inc. to be the unanimous winner and the best value for the City of Fresno. This selection process followed Federal procurement standards outlined in 2 CFR 200.319.
The Environmental Protection Agency has awarded a $1,000,000 Brownfields Revolving Loan Fund Grant (RLF) to the City of Fresno in order to complement ongoing revitalization efforts which occurred in within the Transformative Climate Communities (TCC) project area and to promote city-wide redevelopment. The TCC project area continues to be a targeted area of interest due to the number of planned investments, high concentrations of economically and environmentally disadvantaged neighborhoods, and high amounts of leverageable infrastructure. The grant requires no local match and was budgeted within the Fiscal Year 2025 budget to supplement the nearly exhausted 2020 EPA Brownfields RLF. This new grant will further provide funding necessary to provide cleanup activities, enable cleanup and remediation activities for contaminated properties, and create shovel-ready projects.
BACKGROUND
This second round of RLF funds connects multiple assessment activities conducted within the TCC target area and complements the work performed by the Brownfields Community Wide Assessment (CWA) Grant. The outcome these assessments have informed cleanup actions at priority locations and create the ability of expansion to subsequent priorities.
The project area for the grant is in the 4.9-square mile (sq. mi.) TCC project area which includes the Downtown, Chinatown, and Southwest Fresno neighborhoods, but may extend to additional City of Fresno locations.
Key project activities include the establishment of RLF guidelines, application criteria, application review, and loan/grant administration. Other activities include grant oversight and fund management, community engagement, program marketing, cleanup oversight, and reporting.
Stantec Consulting Inc. was selected through an objective and competitive process overseen by the City’s Purchasing Division. The City issued a 30-day Request for Qualifications (Bid File #12402200) on June 19, 2024, and received two Statements of Qualifications for environmental consulting services on July 19, 2024. The City formed a review committee and on August 8, 2024, and noted that Stantec possessed several strengths in their proposal and they were determined to be the best value for the City of Fresno.
The primary goal of the supplemental RLF is to be a resource to address Brownfields within the City of Fresno. To compliment this goal, the Brownfields program is supported by City and private redevelopment and reuse objectives. The strategy strives to use the City’s existing EPA CWA grant to eliminate uncertainties (over Regulated Building Material abatement costs, market demand, etc.) that are impeding developers from securing funding to move forward with redevelopment or reuse of high-opportunity sites, and then to have Revolving Loan Fund funding available to help support the sometimes difficult to finance initial abatement and cleanup work. Potential cleanup sites may include:
1. The Berkeley Building located at 887 Fulton St.
2. The Gottschalks Annex located at 860 Fulton Mall
3. Merced Parking Garage located at 1255 Van Ness Ave
4. Several Code Enforcement demolition locations within the target area
Together these locations are anticipated to utilize the entire $1,000,000 RLF Supplemental award. Programmatic Income generated from the repayment of these loans will fund additional cleanup of additional properties.
The final deliverables of the grant would include 1-4+ loans, 1-2 subgrants, 2-6+ remediated Brownfields sites, completed remedial documentation reports, regulatory oversight, and approvals for each site.
ENVIRONMENTAL FINDINGS
By the definition provided in the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines Section 15378, this grant award contract does not qualify as a project as defined by CEQA.
LOCAL PREFERENCE
Local Preference is not applicable for a grant award contract.
FISCAL IMPACT
No additional General Fund commitments are required to accept this grant, and no local match is required. City personnel costs are funded at $50,000 and budgeted with existing FY 2025-2027 budgeted Planning & Development funds.
Attachments
Consultant Agreement with Stantec Consulting Services, Inc.
Stantec Consulting Services Statement of Qualifications
Cooperative Agreement with Environmental Protection Agency