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HomeMy WebLinkAbout101-staff report.pdf SARATOGA CITY COUNCIL MEETING DATE: September 1, 2010 AGENDA ITEM: DEPARTMENT: Public Works CITY MANAGER: Dave Anderson PREPARED BY: John Cherbone DEPT HEAD: John Cherbone Public Works Director SUBJECT: Appropriation of Matching Funds for Grant Funded Projects ______________________________________________________________________________ RECOMMENDED ACTION(S): Approve Budget Resolution for Grant Funded Projects. REPORT SUMMARY: At the July 19th City Council Special Meeting, Council was asked to prioritize funding in the CIP to fund local matches for a $1.284 Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) grant awarded for improvements in the Village, Electric Vehicle Charging Stations, and the City’s Tree Dedication Program. A Budget Resolution is attached that will transfer the requisite local match requirement for each project. The following is a brief description of each project which the City Council subsequently approved for local match funding at the July 19th Special Meeting. 1. Village Pedestrian Enhancements - Phase II Approximately three months ago, staff began pursuing a VTA grant opportunity aimed at pedestrian improvements in core downtowns. The completion of the pedestrian and beautification improvements in the Village, as conceived in the approved Village Conceptual Master Plan, was a great candidate project for the grant. In light of the City’s project readiness and other favorable scoring advantages, we asked for $1.284 million, which is the amount of funding estimated to complete the Plan. VTA received eight applications ranging from a $1.125 million project in San Jose to a $2.572 million project in Campbell. In order for a project to be recommended to the VTA Board of Directors, it must score a minimum of 70 points out of 100. Of the eight applications submitted, only two projects scored high enough to be recommended to the Board for funding, a San Jose 2 of 3 project and Saratoga’s. Saratoga’s application scored 2nd best of the group with 70 points. The VTA Board is expected to vote on the matter in early August. In order for the City to be awarded the $1.284 million grant a resolution will be required to be passed (most likely in September) along with commitment by the City to meet the local match requirements. The grant requires a 20% local match, which amounts to $256,800. If approved, this project will fund the completion of the approved Village Conceptual Master Plan. The City is not locked into any specific design that was envisioned in the Plan and has flexibility to redesign, add, or eliminate specific facets of the Plan. 2. Electric Vehicle Charging Stations In anticipation of a greater need for publicly available charging stations for electric vehicles, staff recently met with a company called Coulomb Technologies, which manufactures “smart” charging stations. All of the major auto makers, except Volkswagen, have announced plans to begin production of electric vehicles in the next five years. Consequently, an increasing number of electronic vehicles will be available to consumers in the coming years. The battery life of these vehicles is expected to range widely from 40 miles to 220 miles. Due to the limited range of these vehicles, many owners will need to charge their cars at home and at their destination. Infrastructure needs to be in place prior to the initial sales of electric vehicles due out by most manufacturers in model year 2011. Furthermore, there are a significant number of Americans who do not own a garage. These drivers will need to have access to public charging stations before purchasing an electric vehicle. Ultimately, Coulomb Technologies argues that by investing in charging stations, cities and other government entities can make it easier for the public to transition to electronic vehicles and thereby reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Coulomb Technologies was awarded a large public grant in the amount of $40 million through the federal government that is basically a buy one charging station and get one free program in which certain eligibility requirements are needed. Local jurisdictions are eligible for this program. Each station costs approximately $5,000. Assuming a ten unit project, the cost will be $25,000 or half the cost of purchasing outside of the federal grant. PG&E and electrical work costs are unknown at this time, but a best guess estimate for two locations in the City is $40,000. Staff will be asking PG&E for assistance with this project to reduce costs. 3. Tree Dedication Grants This grant program is initiated by the City to assist residents with the costs of participating in the City’s Tree Dedication Program. The Program has primarily been used by residents for planting memorial trees for loved ones. The current cost to participate is $500 for the cost of a 15 gallon tree, planting, and future care. There is an additional cost for a dedication plaque, which can range from $165 to $267 depending on plaque size. Although various amounts can be set aside to fund this program, staff recommends $25,000. This amount would help fund the planting of 100 trees if the program was set up to reduce the cost by 50% from $500 to $250. 3 of 3 FISCAL IMPACTS: The total amount to fund the above projects is $346,800. In order to fund the matching grant programs listed above staff has used a variety of funding sources listed below; including the remaining CIP Reserve intended for matching grants and defunding several smaller, older CIP projects. Unallocated CIP Reserve: $221,983 (Available for any CIP Project) City Entrance Signs/Monuments: $23,788 (Defund Project – Lower Priority Project) Village Creek Trail: $20,000 (Defund Grant Match – Water District Grant Unsuccessful) Prospect Road Medians: $50,000 (Defund Grant Match – Grant Unlikely in Near Future) Canyon View/Elva Storm Drain: $15,000 (Defund Partially – Project Cost Savings Realized via Contractor Proposal) Village Pedestrian Enhancements: $16,029 (Defund Partially – Reduced Funding in Phase I can be absorbed in Phase II) $346,800 CONSEQUENCES OF NOT FOLLOWING RECOMMENDED ACTION(S): The Budget Resolution will not be approved and the grant opportunities and associated projects will not move forward. ALTERNATIVE ACTION(S): Council can choose other funding sources not listed in the staff report to fund the projects. FOLLOW UP ACTION(S): The Budget Resolution approving the above recommendations will be executed by staff. ADVERTISING, NOTICING AND PUBLIC CONTACT: This item was posted as a City Council agenda item and was included in the packet made available on the City’s web site in advance of the meeting. A copy of the agenda packet is also made available at the Saratoga Branch Library each Monday in advance of the Council meeting and residents may subscribe to the agenda on-line by opting in at www.saratoga.ca.us. ATTACHMENTS: Budget Resolution.