TO:
Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
THROUGH:
Bruce Moe, City Manager
FROM:
Stephanie Katsouleas, Public Works Director
Prem Kumar, City Engineer
Stephanie Yu, Management Analyst
SUBJECT:Title
Conduct Public Hearing to Consider Authorizing Submittal of an Application for Federal Section 5310 Enhanced Mobility of Seniors and Individuals with Disabilities Grant Funds from L.A. County Metropolitan Transportation Authority for the Aviation Boulevard and 33rd Street Sidewalk Project (Public Works Director Katsouleas).
a) CONDUCT PUBLIC HEARING
b) ADOPT RESOLUTION NO. 19-0056
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Recommended Action
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that City Council adopt Resolution No. 19-0056 (Attachment) approving the submittal of a grant application to the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) for Federal Section 5310 grant funds for the Aviation Boulevard and 33rd Street Sidewalk Project.
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FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
There is no cost associated with submitting an application to Metro’s Fiscal Year (FY) 2019 Federal Section 5310 Enhanced Mobility of Seniors and Individuals with Disabilities Program. The grant is a competitive reimbursement program that awards funds based on the proposed project’s ability to best achieve program goals and meet program requirements.
The grant program is funded in part by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), and the City is eligible to receive up to $600,000. The project is currently budgeted in the City’s Capital Improvement Plan for FY 2019-20 (design) and 2020-21 (construction) for a total of $480,000 under the Measure R Local Return Fund. Funding source estimates include:
• 80% Federal Share Eligible
• 10% Toll Development Credits (TDC) provided by federal dollars through Metro
• 10% Local Match Share (required)
If Public Works is successful in obtaining grant funding, only a maximum of $60,000 of City funding would be required, thus freeing up Measure R Local Return funds for other capital projects.
BACKGROUND:
Metro administers this grant program to fund public transportation projects that are planned, designed, and carried out to meet the special needs of seniors and individuals with disabilities. Eligible projects should improve mobility for seniors and individuals with disabilities by removing barriers to transportation services and expanding the transportation mobility options available when public transit is insufficient, inappropriate, or unavailable by:
• Exceeding the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990;
• Improving access to fixed route services and decreasing reliance on complementary paratransit; and
• Providing alternatives to public transportation.
Proposed projects must be consistent with goals and strategies included in the 2016-2019 Coordinated Public Transit-Human Services Transportation Plan for Los Angeles County (“Coordinated Plan”). The Coordinated Plan’s goals include:
• Sustaining, funding and continuing to expand the rich array of public, human services and private transportation services available in Los Angeles County; and
• Providing necessary support services to enable access to public and human service transportation services by seniors and persons with disabilities.
DISCUSSION:
Upon review of the City’s recently approved Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) projects, staff identified and is recommending the Aviation and 33rd Street Sidewalk Project for the Federal Section 5310 Grant application, which includes installation of a missing segment of sidewalk on the west side of Aviation Boulevard, just north of 33rd Street for a length of approximately 600 feet, as well as Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant curb ramps. The work also entails rights-of-way engineering, grading, relocation of walls, fences, and miscellaneous appurtenances and landscaping. The missing sidewalk is located adjacent to a Northrop Grumman office building and is near public transit stops operated by the Los Angeles Department of Transportation (LADOT). The City is anticipating Northrop Grumman will provide rights-of-way pedestrian easements through voluntary dedications to this worthwhile cause. Seniors and individuals with disabilities will benefit from this project by having improved access to fixed transportation routes, shopping centers, grocery stores, and a fitness center. For these reasons, the Aviation Boulevard and 33rd Street Sidewalk Project will be a viable, and hopefully competitive project for Metro grant consideration.
The deadline to submit a grant application is July 31, 2019. The City is eligible to receive a maximum grant award amount of $600,000 under the “Other Capital and Operating” category of the grant application. Grant awards are expected to be announced in December 2019, with funding available in February 2020.
The Federal Section 5310 grant application procedures require an applicant’s governing body to declare, by resolution, authorization to submit the application. The resolution must also identify the signature authority for the application (e.g., the Public Works Director or designee) to sign all grant-related documents necessary to implement and close-out the grant(s) once awarded.
Therefore, staff recommends that City Council approve the attached resolution authorizing staff to submit a grant application to Metro for the Aviation and 33rd Street Project. If awarded funding, land acquisition, design and construction of the proposed project would take approximately 24-30 months to complete.
PUBLIC OUTREACH:
City staff met with Northrop Grumman officials on May 2, 2019, and they were very receptive to the sidewalk project. No other outreach has been conducted regarding this project or grant application.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW:
The City has reviewed the proposed activity for compliance with the California Environmental Quality act (CEQA) and has determined that the activity is not a “Project” as defined under Section 15378 of the State CEQA Guidelines; therefore, pursuant to Section 15060(c)(3) of the State CEQA Guidelines the activity is not subject to CEQA. Thus, no environmental review is necessary.
LEGAL REVIEW:
The City Attorney has reviewed this report and determined that no additional legal analysis is necessary.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Resolution No. 19-0056
2. Location Map