DATE: January 8, 2024
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Councilmembers
FROM: Public Works Department
TITLE: RESOLUTION APPROVING SUBMITTAL OF TWO GRANT APPLICATIONS TO OBTAIN FUNDING TO PREPARE AN ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION PLAN
RECOMMENDATION
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Staff recommends the City Council adopt a resolution authorizing the City to apply for two separate grant funding opportunities to prepare an Active Transportation Plan; one is a California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) Sustainable Communities grant, in the amount of $650,000, in which the match amount would be $74,555, and the other is a San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) Smart Growth Incentive Program grant, in the amount of $650,000, in which the match amount would also be $74,555; and authorize the City Manager to execute all necessary grant documents. As further described below, only one of these grants is needed and staff intends to accept the first funding opportunity made available.
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BACKGROUND AND ANALYSIS
Through Senate Bill 1, Caltrans is expected to provide $34.5 million in Sustainable Communities grant funds to local jurisdictions for Fiscal Year 2025-26. In addition, SANDAG is offering $45 million in available funding for the 18 cities in the San Diego County and the County of San Diego during the same fiscal period. Caltrans will announce award winners in the spring of 2025. SANDAG will notify selected applications on July 18, 2025. Both grants offer funding opportunities for the City to fund the preparation of an Active Transportation Plan. The preparation of an updated Active Transportation Plan would integrate the City’s 2009 Pedestrian Master Plan and 2017 Bicycle Plan into an Active Transportation Plan that would include bikes, pedestrian and micro-mobility users.
The City intends to apply for both grants in the amount of $650,000 each. The Caltrans grant application requires a City match in amount of 11.47% of the grant amount request. The SANDAG grant does not require a match, but points are given to applications providing a match ranging from five points for a 20% match to 0 points for no match. The submittal of duplicate funding requests would increase the City’s chances to obtain funding. In the event that both grants are awarded, staff intends to accept the first funding opportunity and decline the other.
FISCAL IMPACT
The Caltrans grant requires a fixed 11.47% City match of the grant amount of $650,000 for a total match of $74,555. The SANDAG grant match is not required but can enhance the grant application. In order to be competitive, an 11.47% match was selected, for a total of $74,555. If awarded, the identified funding source for both match portions will be from the Community Facilities fund 581. There is approximately $775,269 available in the Committed General Plan assigned account 581.3015.0006; therefore, sufficient funds will be available.
COMMISSION OR COMMITTEE REPORT
Does not apply.
CITY ATTORNEY’S ANALYSIS
The document has been reviewed by the City Attorney and approved as to form.
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Prepared by: Teala Cotter, City Traffic Engineer
Reviewed by: Hamid Bahadori, Public Works Director
Submitted by: Jonathan Borrego, City Manager
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Staff Report
2. Resolution