REQUEST FOR CITY COUNCIL ACTION
SUBMITTED TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
SUBMITTED BY: Al Zelinka, City Manager
VIA: Alvin Papa, Acting Director of Public Works
PREPARED BY: Sarah Whitecotton, Management Aide
Subject:
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Adopt Resolution No. 2023-30 authorizing the application for grant funds from the State Department of Parks and Recreation through the Habitat Conservation Fund Program
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Statement of Issue:
Staff requests authorization to apply for grant funds under the Habitat Conservation Fund (HCF) Program to restore and realign portions of the existing trail at the Shipley Nature Center.
Financial Impact:
The total estimated project cost, including design and construction, is $766,618. Staff is requesting $383,309 in grant funds from the State Department of Parks and Recreation to restore a trail at the Shipley Nature Center. If awarded a grant, the City will be responsible for providing 50% matching funds totaling $383,309, which staff will request through a separate budget appropriation request at a future City Council meeting.
Recommended Action:
recommendation
Adopt Resolution 2023-30, “A Resolution of the City Council of the City of Huntington Beach Approving the Application for Grant Funds from the Habitat Conservation Fund Program.”
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Alternative Action(s):
Do not adopt the resolution and direct staff accordingly.
Analysis:
The people of the State of California enacted the California Wildlife Protection Act of 1990, which provides funds to the State of California for grants to local agencies to acquire, enhance, restore and/or develop facilities for public recreation and fish and wildlife habitat protection purposes. The HCF allocates approximately $2 million each year to cities, counties, and districts. Eligible projects include nature interpretation programs to bring urban residents into park and wildlife areas, protection of various plant and animal species, and acquisition and development of wildlife corridors and trails. This year, the HCF has approximately $6.68 million available to award. The program requires all grant award recipients to provide a 50% project cost match.
The City is collaborating with Friends of the Shipley Nature Center to submit a grant application to restore the walking/hiking trail at the nature center. The collaboration includes cost sharing to hire a professional grant writer for $9,000 each party or $18,000 total. The Shipley Nature Center Trail Project would be classified as a non-motorized project under the development and rehabilitation of trails, trailside and trailhead facilities category. The project involves the realignment of portions of the existing trail (approximately 850 feet) that is flooded due to high water levels in the adjacent lake. The project will remove invasive plants, clear and grub approximately 0.7 acre of terrain, compact the base material, import approximately 1,800 cubic yards of fill material to elevate the trail, add a trail surface to match existing trail, install trail edge headers, and install trail markers and other signage. The total project cost is $766,618.
Staff has prepared a grant application for 50% of the project cost ($383,309). To complete the application, staff is requesting adoption of Resolution 2023-30, “A Resolution of the City Council of the City of Huntington Beach Approving the Application for Grant Funds from the Habitat Conservation Fund Program” (see Attachment 1). If approved, staff will submit the completed grant package to the State Department of Parks and Recreation, which plans to announce recommended projects in Winter 2023, with mandatory workshops and grant agreements to be completed in early 2024. If awarded, the grant performance period is 5 years from July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2029. Furthermore, in order to accept the grant funds, the City must commit to matching 50% of the project cost. If awarded, staff will return to City Council at a future date to request sufficient budget appropriation.
Environmental Status:
CEQA analysis will be performed in the future if the grant is awarded.
Strategic Plan Goal:
Infrastructure & Parks
Attachment(s):
1. Resolution 2023-30, “A Resolution of the City Council of the City of Huntington Beach Approving the Application for Grant Funds from the Habitat Conservation Fund Program”
2. Project Exhibit
3. PowerPoint Presentation