Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutc8strategicgrowthcouncilgrantap FROM: Derek Johnson, Community Development Director Prepared By: Kim Murry, Deputy Director, Long Range Planning SUBJECT: STRATEGIC GROWTH COUNCIL GRANT APPLICATION RECOMMENDATION 1. Adopt a resolution authorizing City staff to participate in an application to the Strategic Growth Council’s Proposition 84 Grant Program that would provide funding to develop implementation and monitoring tools for the City’s Climate Action Plan (CAP). 2. Authorize the City Manager to execute necessary grant documents upon grant award. DISCUSSION Background The City Council adopted the Climate Action Plan in 2012 (Resolution No. 10388). The CAP establishes strategies for reducing municipal and community-wide greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and serves as a proactive strategy document that enables the City to maintain local control of implementing State direction (AB32 – the California Global Warming Solutions Act) to reduce GHG emissions to 1990 levels by 2020. The overall benefit of the CAP is: 1. Reduced GHG emissions; and 2. Reduced costs associated with energy use; and 3. Quality of life improvements for the community; and 4. Protection of the environment for future generations. While adopting the CAP in 2012 was a big step towards reaching GHG emissions goals, the Plan cannot be effective unless it is successfully implemented and monitored. City staff participates in a group comprised of staff from the incorporated cities, the County of San Luis Obispo, SLOCOG and the Air Pollution Control District. This group, known as the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Stakeholder group collaborates and shares information related to CAP strategy development and implementation. Six of the cities participating in the GHG Stakeholder group received a grant funded by APCD, PG&E and So Cal Gas to develop a Climate Action Plan toolkit (developed by Rincon consultants) and subsequent assistance in drafting their respective Climate Action Plans. Final Drafts of Climate Action Plans for all six cities have been completed, and four of the six cities have approved their respective CAPs through their City Councils. The City and County of San Luis Obispo had previously taken action to adopt CAPs and hence were not included in this effort. The GHG stakeholder group recently discussed grant announcements and determined that developing a standardized tool to help monitor and implement those CAP strategies that are shared by the participating agencies would assist with meeting emissions reduction goals. Rincon Meeting Date Item Number March 18, 2014 C8 - 1 Grant Application Request Page 2 Consultants offered to develop the tool, given their familiarity with the Toolkit, and also offered to put together the grant application. The Strategic Growth Council has circulated the 3rd and final round of the Proposition 84 grant application program. Development of a CAP tracking and monitoring program that could be used by all jurisdictions in the County appears to be an eligible project for funding under this grant program and would receive higher points if all jurisdictions in the County participate. The cost estimate to develop the monitoring tool and implementation program is estimated to be $125,000. Council policies indicate that any grant over $5,000 needs Council authorization for staff to apply. With the grant application deadline of February 28, 2014, staff was unable to meet an agenda that met the deadline. After consulting with the Strategic Growth Council analyst, staff learned that application review will not begin until the end of March and that it is acceptable to submit a “placeholder” letter of support while staff brought the item to the Council for consideration. Mayor Marx provided a letter to include in the grant application indicating the Council’s policy position as adopted in the Climate Action Plan to fulfill this placeholder letter. If the full Council opts not to support the grant application, the city’s letter of support will be withdrawn and the application will be amended to exclude the City of San Luis Obispo. Grant Application Facts 1. The California Strategic Growth Council’s Sustainable Communities Planning Grant and Incentives Program “…manages competitive grants to cities, counties, and designated regional agencies to develop and implement plans that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and achieve other sustainability objectives.” 2. Grant requests for amounts from $50,000 to $1,000,000 will be considered. 3. The grant application requires a “lead” applicant. The application also needs a resolution approving the lead applicant to apply for the grant. The City of Arroyo Grande has agreed to act as the lead applicant for this grant. 4. The grant application includes a matching fund requirement of 10 percent. Five percent of the match can be met through “in-kind” services with the remaining balance required in cash. The Energy Watch program administered by the County has offered to provide the 5% cash match with the remaining 5% in-kind match provided by all of the jurisdictions. This calculates to approximately $800 worth of staff time from each jurisdiction. 5. Rincon Consultants is able to prepare the grant application at no cost to the City. The SLO County Air District is available to assist in grant administration and project management. Conclusions Some CAP measures can be implemented through collaboration with other jurisdictions since there are measures that are similar in each of the seven cities and the County (i.e. education and outreach). Other measures are unique to each community and must be implemented locally. Staff is working with our local partners to identify the most efficient and cost-effective ways to implement C8 - 2 Grant Application Request Page 3 the City’s CAP. Development of a tracking and monitoring system that can be used by each community (independently) would be a cost efficient method to proceed with this particular component of CAP implementation. Many measures are already being voluntarily implemented, yet we have no system to track our progress. Additionally, since tracking measures require data from several departments and in some cases, data from other agencies (i.e. traffic model and population data), it would be extremely helpful to have a tracking program to manage it. Funds awarded by this grant would allow the City and other jurisdictions to implement a tracking program with consistent assumptions about emissions reductions. Major City Goals The City Council adopted the following Goal to address as resources permit for 2011-2013: Climate Protection. Implement greenhouse gas reduction and Climate Action Plan. Conduct energy audits of all City facilities, increase energy conservation, invest in infrastructure which will save energy and funds in the future. Should the City participate in this grant application and be successful, resources would be available to track implementation of the CAP, and in turn achieve the Climate Protection Major City Goal. FISCAL IMPACT The total cost of the project is estimated at $125,412.55. This means that required matching funds equal to $6,270.63 in cash and $6,270.63 in in-kind contributions (staff time, materials, etc.). The County’s Energy Watch program has agreed to provide the total 5% cast match of $6,270.63. If all eight jurisdictions participate, each would be required to contribute $783.83 ($6,270.63 divided by 8) in “in-kind” staff time. To the extent that grant funding may be used to leverage staff resources, City costs may be off-set. ALTERNATIVES 1. The Council could opt to not participate in the grant application. This would mean that the City would not benefit from the work done by the GHG Stakeholder group to develop the implementation and tracking tool, and the grant may not be viewed as favorably if the largest city in the County did not participate in the application. ATTACHMENT 1. Resolution Authorizing Grant Application T:\Council Agenda Reports\2014\2014-03-18\Grant Application Request (Strategic Growth Council)\E-Council Agenda Report _(Grant App. Request).docx C8 - 3 R ______ RESOLUTION NO. _____ (2014 Series) A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO AUTHORIZING PARTICIPATION IN THE APPLICATION FOR GRANT FUNDS FOR THE SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES PLANNING GRANT AND INCENTIVES PROGRAM UNDER THE SAFE DRINKING WATER, WATER QUALITY AND SUPPLY, FLOOD CONTROL, RIVER AND COASTAL PROTECTION BOND ACT OF 2006 (PROPOSITION 84) WHEREAS, the Strategic Growth Council’s Proposition 84 Grant Program is accepting applications for the third and final round of grants to be used to implement plans that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and achieve other sustainability objectives; and WHEREAS, the Legislature and Governor of the State of California have provided funds for the program shown above; and WHEREAS, the Strategic Growth Council has been delegated the responsibility for the administration of this grant program, establishing necessary procedures; and WHEREAS, the City has an adopted Climate Action Plan with implementation strategies that must be tracked and monitored, and WHEREAS, The City, as a participant but not the primary applicant for the grant, if selected, will collaborate in the efforts to carry out the grant objectives with the State of California to complete the CAP tracking tool. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Council of the City of San Luis Obispo authorizes the City’s participation in an application to the Strategic Growth Council Proposition 84 Grant Program that would provide funding to develop implementation and monitoring tools for the City’s Climate Action Plan. Upon motion of _______________________, seconded by _______________________, and on the following roll call vote: AYES: NOES: ABSENT: The foregoing resolution was adopted this _____ day of _____________________ 2014. ____________________________________ Mayor Jan Marx ATTEST: C8 - 4 Resolution No. _____ (2014 Series) Page 2 ____________________________________ Anthony Mejia City Clerk APPROVED AS TO FORM: _____________________________________ J. Christine Dietrick City Attorney C8 - 5 Page intentionally left blank. C8 - 6