REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL
October 19, 2017
FROM: SCOTT L. MOZIER, P.E., Director
Public Works Department
RANDALL MORRISON, P.E. Assistant Director
Public Works Department, Engineering Division
BRADLEY KERNER, P.E., Public Works Manager
Public Works Department, Design Services Section
SHELBY MACNAB, MPA, Grants Administrator
Public Works Department, Administration
SUBJECT
Title
RESOLUTION - Approving the application for grant funds from the United States Department of Transportation’s Infrastructure for Rebuilding America Program and authorizing the execution of documents by the Public Works Director or designee (Council District 2)
Body
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that the City Council adopt a resolution authorizing the submission of a grant application to the Infrastructure for Rebuilding America Program and authorize the execution of all application related documents by the Public Works Director or designee.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Staff is requesting authorization to submit a grant application to the Infrastructure for Rebuilding America (INFRA) program for $44.5 million to fund phase three and phase four of the Veterans Boulevard project. Phase three of the project will construct an interchange at State Route 99 and grade separation over the realigned Golden State Boulevard. Phase four will extend Veterans Boulevard to connections with Herndon Avenue to the north and Shaw Avenue to the south. A project map is attached to this Staff Report. Veterans was selected for application based on grant criteria which limits eligible projects to those determined to be both construction ready and totaling over $100 million in overall project costs. Phases one through five of the Veterans Boulevard project meet project minimums. If the INFRA grant funding is awarded, the project would be advertised for construction bids in 2019 and be completed in 2021.
BACKGROUND
Veterans Boulevard, originally referred to as the Herndon-Grantland Diagonal, was part of the 1984 General Plan and is a planned six-lane super arterial in the 2035 General Plan. The interchange concept was refined in 1986 with a feasibility study conducted to analyze potential interchange/grade separation configurations. In 1991, a Project Initiation Document was completed, and in 1996, the Official Plan Line for Veterans Boulevard was adopted by the Council. Veterans Boulevard and the proposed interchange with State Route 99 were identified as part of the Circulation Element in both the City and County General Plans. In recent years, staff has completed the Project Study Report (PSR), Project Report and Environmental Impact Report (EIR). Right of way acquisition and construction plans are also nearing completion.
The new interchange will be a partial cloverleaf connecting State Route 99 and Veterans Boulevard. The new overcrossing will have three northbound and three southbound lanes, a Class I bicycle lane pedestrian trail on the west side of the structure and Class II bicycle lanes on both sides of the structure. The project will also include two bridge structures, one to cross over State Route 99 and one to cross over the existing Union Pacific Railroad tracks, Golden State Boulevard, and the future High Speed Rail tracks.
On June 29, 2017, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) released a Notice of Funding Opportunity for the INFRA Program. INFRA advances the FASTLANE program, an existing grant program established by the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act of 2015. Updated criteria to evaluate INFRA projects have been established in order to align projects with national and regional economic vitality goals and to leverage additional non-federal funding. The deadline to submit grant applications is November 2, 2017.
The DOT will make awards under the INFRA program to both large and small projects. The estimated funding available for FY 2017 and FY 2018 under the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) is approximately $81 million-$85.5 million for small projects and $1.44 billion to $1.48 billion for large projects. For a large project, the INFRA grant must be at least $25 million. For a small project, the grant must be at least $5 million. The City of Fresno will pursue funding under the “large project” category. The minimum total project cost for large projects is $100 million. INFRA funds are limited to 60 percent of the total project costs. Federal funds are also limited to no more than 80 percent of the total project costs. Non-Federal matching funds must total to a minimum of 20 percent of the overall project.
INFRA grants may be used to fund a variety of components of an infrastructure project, however, the DOT is specifically focused on projects in which the local sponsor is significantly invested and is positioned to proceed rapidly to construction. Projects must be able to request obligation for funding within 18 months of award. A request for obligation demonstrates that environmental work is completed, right of way has been obtained, engineering plans are approved and the project is ready to move into the construction phase. The Veterans Boulevard project meets all of the minimum criteria set forth in the NOFO.
The City Attorney’s office has reviewed and approved the resolution as to form.
ENVIRONMENTAL FINDINGS
A resolution applying for grant funding is not a project for the purposes of the California Environmental Quality Act.
LOCAL PREFERENCE
Local preference is not implicated because this resolution does not include a bid or award of a construction or services contract.
FISCAL IMPACT
Adoption of this resolution will have no impact on the General Fund. Should the grant be awarded, local matching funds will be identified and appropriated through future fiscal year capital budgets. The INFRA local matching requirement for this regional project is being closely coordinated with the Fresno Council of Governments and Fresno County Transportation Authority.
Attachments:
Resolution
Project Map