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Home My WebLink AboutCOUNCIL - AGENDA ITEM - 01/15/2008 - RESOLUTION 2008-006 AUTHORIZING THE EXECUTION OF I ITEM NUMBER: 22 AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY DATE: January 15, 2008 FORT COLLINS CITY COUNCIL STAFF: Dave Kemp SUBJECT Resolution 2008-006 Authorizing the Execution of Intergovernmental Agreements Between the City and the Colorado Department of Transportation for the Grant of Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Funds for the FC Bikes Program and the FC Bike Library. RECOMMENDATION Staff recommends adoption of the Resolution. FINANCIAL IMPACT FC Bikes Program: The total cost of this program for 2008 is $129,600. Budget appropriations for this project have approved and adopted during the 2008-2009 budget process. No additional appropriations are required for this project. BUDGET 2008 CMAQ Funds $ 87,600 Local Matching Funds $ 42,000 PROJECT TOTAL $129,600 FC Bike Library Project: The total cost of this program for 2008 is$79,720. Budget appropriations of$73,500 for this project have been approved and adopted during the 2008/2009 budget process. A portion of the local matching funds($6,220)are in-kind contributions from local agencies(non-City funds)and will be appropriated at a later date. BUDGET 2008 CMAQ Funds $66,000 Local Matching Funds $13,720 PROJECT TOTALS $79,720 January 15, 2008 -2- Item No. 22 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Federal Highway Administration's CMAQ program awarded the City's FC Bikes program two grants for the 2008 and 2009 budget cycle. The CMAQ grants fund 82.79% of two separate programs,the existing FC Bikes program and the new FC Bike Library Project. In order to initiate Federal funding, the 2008 contracts must be signed by the City Manager. These contracts are for 2008 only. The 2009 CMAQ contracts will be resubmitted to City Council in early 2009. BACKGROUND The FC Bikes Program is an existing program that seeks to educate and encourage Fort Collins residents and visitors to utilize bicycling as their preferred method of transportation through the implementation of special events and campaigns that promote the many facets of bicycling in Fort Collins. The FC Bike Library Project is a new program that will loan bicycles to Fort Collins residents and visitors in order to utilize bicycles as their preferred method of sensible transportation throughout Fort Collins. The Bike Library project is also a means of promoting local tourism as well as instilling and maintaining Fort Collins' unique bicycle culture. The FC Bikes Program began March 2006 with a Bicycle Coordinator as a part-time position. It was approved for full-time status beginning January 1, 2008. The FC Bikes program has been very successful in the past two years. Some highlights of the Program are: Special Event Programs: • Inaugural year of"Roll into Spring"program of events. "Roll into Spring" offered Fort Collins residents 14 events to encourage and educate citizens on the benefits of bicycling. • 2nd Annual "Bike Week. " The 2007 Bike Week was refined from 2006 while offering several new events. • Inaugural year of "Fun Fall Bike Events. " Fun Fall Bike Events offered a variety of bicycling events for people of all ages from bike races to bike parades to safety fairs. This Fall program filled the months of September and October with great bicycling events. • Inaugural year of"Bike Winter Fort Collins. " This winter event program offers a winter bike to work day, and a winter workshop based on gearing up and riding during the winter months. Grant Awards/Designations: • 2008-2009 CMAQ grant for FC Bikes program ($219,000) • 2008-2009 CMAQ grant(in cooperation with BikeFortCollins.org)for the FC Bike Library program ($187,000) January 15, 2008 -3- Item No. 22 • The League ofAmerican Bicyclists"Bicycle Friendly Community"Program designated Fort Collins as a Silver level. hi addition to the designation,the League offered the comment that, "Fort Collins is on the cusp of Gold." Additional Highlights: • The update to the 1995 Bicycle Master Plan is nearly completed and will be submitted to Council in the 1 st quarter of 2008. • A 2007 Cycling Calendar brought together the many facets and people behind the bicycling movement in Fort Collins while illustrating specific events throughout the year. A 2008 calendar is being prepared. • 2007 Bike Map - major update to the bike map had not occurred since 2003. Partnerships/Collaborations: The bicycle is highly interrelated within the community of Fort Collins. In 2007, staff established partnerships with the Downtown Development Authority(DDA),CSU,the Convention and Visitor's Bureau (CVB), most City departments, many local businesses and several local non-profit organizations, including Bike Fort Collins.org, Fort Collins Velodrome Association, Fort Collins Cycling Club, FC Bike Coop, and the Diamond Peaks Mountain Bike Patrol. Through these partnerships staff is collaborating on a variety of projects that create better bicycling in Fort Collins. FC Bike Library The FC Bike Library is a collaboration between the City's FC Bikes program and local non-profit organizations,Bike Fort Collins.org,and the FC Bike Co-op.Communitybike programs,also known as "bicycle libraries", loan bicycles out for the short, medium and long term periods at little or no cost to community members and visitors who might otherwise utilize an automobile for transportation. The primary goal is to reduce vehicle miles traveled,traffic congestion,and improve air quality in Fort Collins by offering a free,easy to use bicycle library program for daily trips in Fort Collins. The Bike Library is similar to a city library, but instead of checking out books, a person can check out a bike. Bicycle libraries are easy to locate and become a member. A person interested in participating in the bicycle library can sign up at any bicycle library station with one form of identification,for example, a driver's license, state ID,passport,or green card. After the member's information is recorded in the bicycle library database, they sign a one-time insurance waiver that indemnifies the City of Fort Collins, BikeFortCollins.org, and other participating entities. New members are then able to check out a bike for as short as an hour or for as long as one week at a time. Members can borrow or return the bike at any of the bicycle library stations throughout Fort Collins. The bicycle comes fully equipped with a helmet, bike lights, a lock, basket, and snap on fenders,in the event of inclement weather. Should the bicycle encounter any mechanical difficulties beyond a flat tire,an emergency phone number will be provided to assist the bicycle library member. Members are educated on local traffic laws as well as respectful bicyclist roles and responsibilities. RESOLUTION 2008-006 OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS AUTHORIZING THE EXECUTION OF INTERGOVERNMENTAL AGREEMENTS BETWEEN THE CITY AND THE COLORADO DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION FOR THE GRANT OF CONGESTION MITIGATION AND AIR QUALITY IMPROVEMENT FUNDS FOR THE FC BIKES PROGRAM AND THE FC BIKE LIBRARY WHEREAS, the FC Bikes Program is an existing program through which the City seeks to educate and encourage Fort Collins residents and visitors, mainly through special events and promotional campaigns, to use bicycling as their preferred method of transportation; and WHEREAS, the FC Bike Library is a new project designed to loan bicycles to Fort Collins residents and visitors in order to facilitate their use of bicycling as a preferred method of transportation in Fort Collins; and WHEREAS,the Colorado Department of Transportation("CDOT")administers the federal "Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement" ("CMAQ") grant program, which was designed to support projects that are expected to support improvement of ambient air quality and attainment or maintenance of compliance with the air quality standards of the federal Clean Air Act; and WHEREAS, CDOT has made available to the City the sum of$87,600 in CMAQ funds for the FC Bikes Program in 2008,provided that the City allocate matching funds in the sum of$18,210; and WHEREAS, staff has informed the Council that the required local match for the FC Bikes Program has been appropriated and is available for 2008, together with additional funds in the amount of$23,790; and WHEREAS, CDOT has made available to the City the sum of$66,000 in CMAQ funds for the FC Bike Library in 2008, provided that the City allocate to the Library project matching funds in the sum of $7,500 together with in-kind contributions valuing at least $6,220, for a total of $13,720; and WHEREAS, staff has informed the Council that the required local cash match for the FC Bike Library has been appropriated and that both the cash and in-kind contribution required for the total local match of$13,720 are available for 2008; and WHEREAS, the Council has determined that it is in the best interests of the City that the Mayor enter into an intergovernmental agreement with CDOT for each of the CMAQ grants described above. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS as follows: Section1. The Mayor is hereby authorized to enter into an intergovernmental agreement with CDOT for the purpose of encumbering federal CMAQ funds through CDOT for the FC Bikes Program in the sum ofEIGHTY-SEVEN THOUSAND SIX HUNDRED DOLLARS($87,600),with a City local match of EIGHTEEN THOUSAND ONE HUNDRED TEN DOLLARS ($18,110). Section 2. The Mayor is hereby authorized to enter into an intergovernmental agreement with CDOT for the purpose of encumbering federal CMAQ funds through CDOT for the FC Bike Library in the sum of SIXTY-SIX THOUSAND DOLLARS ($66,000), with a City local match of THIRTEEN THOUSAND SEVEN HUNDRED TWENTY DOLLARS ($13,720). Passed and adopted at a regular meeting of the Council of the City of Fort Collins this 15th day January, A.D. 2008. Mayor ATTEST: City Clerk