TO:
Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
THROUGH:
Mark Danaj, City Manager
FROM:
Stephanie Katsouleas, Public Works Director
Prem Kumar, City Engineer
SUBJECT:Title
Public Hearing to Consider a Resolution Authorizing the Allocation of Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Funds for Fiscal Year 2017/2018 (Public Works Director Katsouleas).
CONDUCT PUBLIC HEARING AND ADOPT RESOLUTION NO. 17-0108
Line
_________________________________________________________
Recommended Action
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that City Council conduct a Public Hearing and adopt Resolution No.17-0108 (Attachment 1) authorizing the use of: 1) Fiscal Year 2017/18 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds for $101,350 and 2) unallocated, prior year CDBG funds for $114,733, for a combined total of $216,083 to continue with construction of American with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant curb ramps throughout the City. This proposed project is consistent with the City’s 2017-2021 Capital Improvement Plan.
Body
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
The City of Manhattan Beach received an estimated $101,350 in CDBG funds for Fiscal Year 2017/18 and has an unallocated balance of approximately $114,733 from prior years’ CDBG funding, for a total amount of approximately $216,083. These funds are identified and available through the City’s FY 2017/18 Capital Improvement Plan Budget.
BACKGROUND:
The CDBG Program was created in 1974 to improve the quality of life for low and moderate income persons, aid in the prevention of neighborhood deterioration and meet other urgent community development needs. Funding is allocated on a formula basis by the U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) agency to 1209 local governments and states. The City of Manhattan Beach has participated in and receives funding from the CDBG program administered by the Los Angeles Urban County Community Development Commission (LACDC) for the past twenty (20) years.
On April 15, 2014, the City Council approved the current Participating City Cooperation Agreement in the Los Angeles Urban County CDBG Program for the three year funding cycle beginning July 1, 2015 and ending June 30, 2018. The City’s annual CDBG funding allocation for Fiscal Year 2017/18 is $101,350. The City’s prior CDBG funding allocation supported the successful construction of fifty-three (53) American with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant curb ramps throughout the City. This cycle, $216,083 will be used to continue replacement of existing non-compliant curb barriers and construction of approximately forty (40) accessible curb ramps at various street intersections throughout the City (see Attachment 2, CDBG Project Location Map). These locations were selected by Public Works Department staff, with priority given to intersections located near local schools and associated walking routes to schools.
DISCUSSION:
In order to comply with federal regulations, the City must conduct a Public Hearing to provide the public an opportunity to comment on the City’s proposed use of CDBG funds. Resolution No. 17-0108 identifies the proposed CDBG project and funding amount, and it authorizes staff to make minor adjustments, if needed, to ensure compliance with CDBG programmatic requirements and to adjust funding allocations as directed by the Los Angeles County Community Development Commission (LACDC). Staff will then issue Requests for Proposals for the construction inspection, federal labor compliance and CDBG administration services necessary to implement this CDBG project.
POLICY ALTERNATIVE:
Adopt the attached Resolution authorizing expenditure of CDBG funds for the construction of approximately forty (40) ADA-compliant curb ramps.
PROS:
Use of the City’s annual allocation of federal Community Development Block Grant funds to eliminate existing architectural barriers that impede paths of travel will result in greater accessibility and mobility for the City’s elderly and disabled persons.
CONS:
Failure to implement a CDBG eligible project on or before the expiration of the current Participating City Cooperation Agreement between the City and the Los Angeles County Community Development Commission may result in the loss of the City’s CDBG funds and may impede the City’s goal toward access for all within the public right-of-way.
PUBLIC OUTREACH/INTEREST:
In order to comply with federal requirements pertaining to citizen participation and public outreach, the public was afforded a 30-day notice of this Public Hearing. The Notice of Public Hearing (Attachment 3) was published in the Beach Reporter.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The City has reviewed the proposed project for compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and has determined that the project qualifies for a Class 1(c) categorical exemption pursuant to Section 15301, Existing Facilities of the State CEQA Guidelines. Thus, no further environmental review is necessary.
LEGAL REVIEW
The City Attorney has reviewed this report and determined that no additional legal analysis is necessary.
Attachment/Attachments:
1. Resolution No. 17-0108
2. CDBG Project Location Map
3. Notice of Public Hearing