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Home My WebLink About2002-05-20 City Council (6)TO: City of Palo Alto City Manager’s Report 5 ’HONORABLE CITY COUNCIL FROM:CITY MANAGER DEPARTMENT: COMMUNITY SERVICES DATE:MAY 20, 2002 CMR:237:02 SUBJECT:ADOPTION OF A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO APPLY FOR A GRANT AND EXECUTE AN AGREEMENT WITH THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA FOR A ROBERTI-Z’BERG-HARRIS URBAN OPEN SPACE AND RECREATION GRANT FOR IMPROVEMENTS TO PARKING LOTS AT THE BAYLANDS RECOMMENDATION Staff recommends that Council approve the attached resolution to: 1, Authorize the submittal of a~grant application under the Safe Neighborhoods, Clean Water, Clean Air and Coastal Protection Bond Act of 2000, and approve the terms and conditions of the grant agreement. 2. Authorize the City Manager. or his designee, as the person responsible for the administration of the grant, including certifications and any amendments, on behalf of the City. BACKGROUND In March 2000, California voters approved Proposition 12, the Safe Neighborhood Parks, Clean Water, Clean Air, and Coastal Protection Bond Act. This act is intended to revive state stewardship of natural resources by investing in neighborhood and state parks, clean water protection, coastal beaches and scenic areas. This program is administered by the California Department of Parks and Recreation. Funding from the Bond Act has been allocated into eight separate programs in order to ensure that the demands of various constituents and environmental needs were met. The City is now seeking grant funds from the Roberti-Z’Berg-Harris Urban Open Space and Recreation Block Grant Program whose purpose is to fund high priority projects that satisfy the most urgent, parks and {ecreational needs in California, with emphasis on unmet needs in the most heavily populated and most economically disadvantaged areas within each jurisdiction. The funds are allocated on a population,based formula to cities, counties and open space or recreational districts. Grants from this program are intended CMR:237:02 Page 1 of 3 to supplement, and not supplant, local expenditures for park and recreation facilities. The City will be required to matchthe $179,066 grant with $76,743 (30 percent of total project cost) in local funding. DISCUSSION The Baylands Nature Preserve provides a vast array of recreational opportunities for residents of Palo Alto and surrounding communities. Windsurfing; hiking, biking, nature watching, and kayaking attract more than .100,000 visitors to the Baylands each year. Special events such as fireworks over the Bay or Earth Day festivals draw. as many as 1,000 visitors at a time. Visitor surveys indicate that nearly 20 percent of Preserve users are East Palo Alto residents who come to Palo Alto because of limited recreation facilities in their community. As part of the Adamson Infrastructure Management Study that was conducted in 1997, consultants recommended that the repair and maintenance of parking lots at the Baylands Nature Preserve be a high priority for infrastructure funding. Citing the volume of park visitors, Current condition of deteriorating parking lot surfaces, and the urgent need for proper containment of run-off water in an environmentally sensitive area, the Adamson report recommended that immediate action be taken to improve these visitor facilities. The 1990 Baylands Master Plan recommended public parking in the harbor area of the Baylands be provided in five primary parking lots: Byxbee Park Hills, Duck Pond, Harbor Entrance, Lucy Evans Baylands Nature Interpretive Center, and Sailing Station.. Renovation of the two parking lots at the Duck Pond was completed this year as Phase I of Capital Improvement Program project 10003, Baylands Parking Improvements. The harbor entrance parking lot was resurfaced in Fiscal Year 2000-2001 by the Public Works Department. The resurfacing of the gravel parking lots at the Byxbee Park Hills and Sailing Station is planned as Phase II. Resurfacing of the Evans Nature Center parking lot and widening of Harbor Road between the entrance to the harbor area of the Preserve and the Nature Center in order to accommodate Class II bicycle lanes is planned as Phase IIi for fiscal year 2004-2005. The 2001-06 C.apital Improvement Program budget recommends $610,000 for the design and construction of Phase II work. Design work has been completed for all of.the Baylands projects. Based on these finalized designs, the engineer’s construction estimate for these projects is $760,000. Funds from the proposed grant would provide the necessary funds to construct the projects as planned. RESOURCE IMPACT Work covered by the grant application .has been in(iuded in the work program for Community Services project management staff. Approval of the grant will not affect other scheduled park or community facility projects or their completion timelines. Pre- CMR:237;02 "Page 2 of 3 liminary design work has been completed, bids have been solicited for Phase II Work and staff has projections for costs and resource impacts. The funded improvements will decrease operational costs needed for annual grading and surface repair of the lots. The grant application requires the City to certify there are sufficient funds to operate and maintain the projects. Staff plans to use funds allocatedin the 2002/03 Capital Improvement Project Infrastructure Reserve Fund as part of the Baylands Parking Lot project (CIP 10003) to provide the necessary $76,743 matching funding. Funds for the on-going maintenance-of the lots is currently provided in the Community Services operating budget. POLICY’ IMPLICATIONS These recommendations are consistent with existing City policy. ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW The application for a grant is not considered an action subject to the Califomia Environmental Quality Act; therefore, no environmental assessment is needed at this time. Environmental review will be conducted prior to any actual construction. .. ATTACHMENTS Attachment A: PREPARED BY: DEPARTMENT HEAD: Resolution Authorizing the Filing of Application to the State of California Resources Agency from the Robel:ti-Z’Berg-Harris Urban Open Space and Recreation Program under the Safe Neighborhood Parks, Clean Water, Clean Air, and Coastal Protection Bond Act of 2000 for improvements to the parking lots at the Baylands Nature Preserve. . Superintendent, Open Space & Sciences PAUL T. THILTGEN Director of Community Services CITY MANAGER APPROVAL: EMILY HARRISON " Assistant City Manager - CMR:237:02 Page 3 of 3 RESOLUTION NO. RESOLUTION OF THE COUNCIL OF THE .CITY OF~ PALO ALTO APPROVING THE CITY TO APPLY’FOR GRANT FUNDS FOR THE ROBERTI-Z’BERG-HARRIS URBAN OPEN SPACE AND RECREATION PROGRAM UNDER THE SAFE NEIGHBORHOOD PARKS,CLEAN WATER,CLEAN AIR, AND COASTAL PROTECTION BOND ACT OF 2000 FOR IMPROVEMENTS TO THE PARKING LOTS AT THE BAYLANDS NATURE PRESERVE .WHEREAS, the people of the State of California have enacted the Safe Neighborhood Parks, Clean water, Clean Air, and Coastal Protection Bond Act of 2000 which provides funds for the Roberti-Z’Berg-Harris Open Space and Recreation Program; and WHEREAS, the Legislature of the State of California has enacted the Rober.ti-Z’Berg-Harris Open Space and Recreation Program,which provides funds to certain political subdivisions of the State of California for acquiring lands and for developing facilities to meet urban recreational needs; and WHEREAS, Recreation has administration procedures; and the been of the California Department of Parks and delegated the responsibility for the grant program, setting up necessary WHEREAS, .said procedures established by the California Department of Parks and Recreation require the Applicant’s Governing Body to certify by resolution the approval of the Applicant to apply for the Roberti-Z’Berg-Harris allocation; and WHEREAS, the Applicant will enter into a Contract with the State of California; NOW, THEREFORE, the Council of the City of Palo Alto does RESOLVE as follows: SECTION i. Approves the filing of an application for local assistance funds from the Roberti-Z"Berg-Harris Urban Open Space and Recreation Program under the Safe Neighborhood Parks, Clean Water, Clean Air, and Coastal Protection Bond Act of 2000; and SECTION 2. Certifies that the City of Palo Alto has or will have sufficient funds to operate and maintain the project(s); and 020430 sm 0053026 SECTION 3. Certifies that the City of Palo Alto has reviewed, understands and agrees to the General Provisions contained in the Contract shown in the Procedural Guide; and SECTION 4. Appoints the City Manager or his designee, the Superintendent of Open Space & Sciences, as agent to conduct all negotiations, execute and submit all documents including, but not limited to, Applications, agreements, payment requests and so on, which may be ,necessary for the completion of the Project(s); and SECTION 5. The Council finds that this is not a project under the California Environmental Quality Act and, therefore, no environmental impact assessment is necessary. INTRODUCED AND PASSED: AYES: NOES: .ABSENT: ABSTENTIONS: ATTEST: City Clerk APPROVED AS TO FORM: Mayor APPROVED: City Attorney City Manager Director of Community Services Director of Administrative Services 020430 sm 0053026 2