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HomeMy WebLinkAbout6/17/2025 Item 5h, Collins and Fuchs - Staff Agenda CorrespondenceCity of San Luis Obispo, Council Memorandum City of San Luis Obispo Council Agenda Correspondence DATE: June 17, 2025 TO: Mayor and Council FROM: Scott Collins, Assistant City Manager Prepared By: Alex Fuchs, Mobility Services Business Manager VIA: Whitney McDonald, City Manager SUBJECT: ITEM 5h - APPROPRIATE GRANT FUNDS TO TRANSIT PROGRAM CAPITAL PROJECTS Staff received the following questions, regarding the management and tracking of grants funds used to subsidize the Transit Fund. The questions are below with staff’s response shown in italics: 1) On page 139, the section discussing LCTOP and SB1 (SGR) funds mentions these funds were not appropriated for one and three years, respectively. Provide additional information regarding this. The current Mobility Services Business Manager has overseen the Transit Program for the past two years. Prior to that, the role was filled on an interim, part- time basis for two years, and before that, it was managed by a different individual. Due to this turnover in program leadership, some key information and institutional knowledge were not fully transferred. As staff conducted a thorough review of the Transit Fund over the past year, two funding sources—LCTOP and SB1 (SGR)— were identified that had been awarded but not yet formally appropriated. This Council item corrects that oversight by appropriating the funds, ensuring they are now reflected in the budget as intended. Ideally, the grant funds would be appropriated annually as soon as the final apportionment amounts are determined. Staff recognize the importance of accurate and timely grant management and are taking steps to improve continuity and tracking moving forward, including development of a Standard Operating Procedure for active federal grants, a list of annual transit program activities and key dates, and cataloging of prior Council actions. Appropriate Grant Funds to Transit Program Capital Projects Page 2 2) On page 141, there is a reference to a SB1 (S GR) grant that was identified but never submitted. Provide additional information regarding this. Transit operations are highly reliant on grant funding to support both ongoing services and capital investments. Because service delivery must remain consistent, the Transit budget must balance predictability with flexibility. It is standard practice to identify specific grant sources within the budget; however, these may shift during the fiscal year. In some cases, a grant application may not be successful, or a different funding source may become available that is a better fit for a specific project. Additionally, many grant programs—whether competitive or formula-based—initially provide estimated funding amounts, which are often revised as the year progresses. As a result, the Transit budget reflects the best available information at the time it is presented to Council and the public. In some instances, this includes funding from competitive grants that staff believe are likely to be awarded. If those grants are not awarded or are funded at a lower level than anticipated, the budget will need to be revisited and adjusted accordingly during the fiscal year. This is the scenario for the SB1 (SGR) grant funds referenced on page 141. These funds were originally identified as a potential competitive source to cover the design costs for the Bus Yard Parking Lot Maintenance project. However, the City ultimately secured an alternative funding source through FTA Section 5307, and there are sufficient TDA funds available to meet the local match requirement. 3) What is the current process for tracking grant applications and appropriation deadlines? Is there a particular system or software that could help streamline and manage this more effectively? All transit-related grants are currently tracked using a series of spreadsheets aligned with the requirements of each administering agency. These spreadsheets typically include application and award dates, associated expenses, balance of remaining funds, etc. This approach is consistent with practices used by many other agencies. However, staff continue to evaluate best practices and industry standards and are open to refining our tracking methods. As part of this effort, staff may explore grant management software solutions to improve efficiency and oversight.