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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMemo - Mail Packet - 4/25/2023 - Memorandum From Kerri Ishmael Re: Q1 2023 Grants Update Financial Services 215 N. Mason 2nd Floor PO Box 580 Fort Collins, CO 80522 970.221.6788 www.fcgov.com/finance/ Memorandum To: Mayor and Councilmembers Thru: Kelly DiMartino, City Manager Travis Storin, Chief Financial Officer Dave Lenz, Director, Financial Planning & Analysis From: Kerri Ishmael, Senior Analyst, Grants Administration Date: April 20, 2023 RE: Q1 2023 Grants Update Summary The purpose of this memorandum is to provide an update on grant opportunities pursued during Q1 2023 and notice of awards received during Q1 2023, as well as a reminder of some of the recent changes related to grants administration. Reported grant information below relates to federal and state grant opportunities only. All private grant opportunities, as a part of philanthropic funding, are supported, tracked and reported through City Give. Information provided below is further divided by Service Area, with key highlights by departments in pursuing these funding opportunities, as well as awards by departments having a significant impact on our communities that align directly with the City’s strategic objectives. Funding Opportunities Applied for in Q1 2023 PDT $18,998,558 Utilities, $723,595 SSA $250,000 Ops Services $206,680 Police, $19,800 DocuSign Envelope ID: A4FD1603-D4A0-4CDE-BBE0-1FDD55FC742C A total of 15 funding opportunities were pursued during Q1 2023, totaling $20,198,633, with asks varying from multi-million-dollar infrastructure upgrades and investments, to furthering Environmental Sustainability’s HealthyHomes program, and the development, adoption and implementation of a zero- carbon code structure with proposed standardization by 2030. Specifically: • Utilities’ Energy Services in collaboration with the Colorado Energy Office, International Code Council and research organizations, including University of Central Florida, put forth an application to the Department of Energy (DOE) under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law: Resilient and Efficient Codes Implementation Program in support of a 5-year project to develop and implement a zero- carbon code standard. Energy Services is the lead applicant with significant effort made in putting forth an ask to support total project costs of $900,164, with the City providing $206,569 from budgeted personnel time and requesting $693,595 from DOE. • PDT’s Engineering group, in collaboration with the Midtown Business Improvement District (BID), put forth a planning request under the Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) grant program in support of the Midtown Business Improvement project to finalize plans for future construction in 2027 of the 1.33-mile corridor of College Ave from Boardwalk Drive to, and including, the West Drake Road intersection. The scope of the design covers infrastructure updates for the corridor to improve safety for all modes of travel, business access, ADA access, active modes infrastructure, access to the adjacent bus rapid transit line and regional Mason trail, and stormwater drainage. Total project costs are $7.2 million, with a request for $5.76 million from DOT. The remaining $1.44 million will be funded by the City and BID, as well as by Colorado’s Department of Local Affairs that, as discussed below, recently committed $740,000 in support of the project. There is great support in the City’s ask for funds under the FY23 RAISE opportunity, including that provided by CDOT, the Governor’s Office, and United States senators Bennet and Hickenlooper. • Sustainability Services’ Environmental Sustainability group put forth an ask under the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment’s (CDPHE) new Environmental Justice grant program in support of expanding the HealthyHomes Indoor Air Program. The request for $250,000 is to provide free assessments for disproportionately impacted community members within several neighborhoods to identify needs related to indoor air quality, energy efficiency and comfort in the home, and providing specific home interventions. Funding Opportunities Awarded Q1 2023 PDT, $2,638,438 Utilities $260,000 SSA $9,000 Ops Services $206,680 Police $393,592 Awarded $3,507,710 by Service Area/Department $3,507,710 Awarded out of $32,260,274 in Applications DocuSign Envelope ID: A4FD1603-D4A0-4CDE-BBE0-1FDD55FC742C A total of 13 awards, totaling $3,507,710, which includes 4 applications totaling $1,805,881 put forth in Q1 2023, were received during Q1 2023, corresponding to efforts by many departments in support of furthering existing programs, as well as supporting new opportunities that align with several strategic objectives of service areas. Specifically: • Transfort, Operations Services and Utilities, in partnership with Panasonic, were successful in an ask for $1,579,401 under DOT’s Strengthening Mobility and Revolutionizing Transportation (SMART) grant program to develop a software program that can be used to aggregate data from electric vehicle chargers throughout the City, including level 2 and level 3 chargers. • PDT’s Engineering, Traffic Operations and FC Moves were successful in an ask for $691,051 funds from the Colorado Department of Local Affairs (CO DOLA) IIJA Local Match program in support of meeting, in part, the required match associated with the $35.4 million in project costs proposed by PDT under DOT’s FY22 Safe Streets and Roads for All funding opportunity. Although unsuccessful, during a recent debrief with DOT over PDT’s FY22 Safe Streets and Roads for All application, DOT encouraged PDT to put forth an ask under the FY23 funding cycle. PDT plans to pursue funding under the current FY23 Safe Streets and Roads for All funding opportunity to support planning and construction for improvements along several major street intersections, as well as in support of projects part of the City’s Active Modes Plan. • PDT’s Engineering was successful in an ask for $740,000 from CO DOLA’s IIJA Local Match program in support of the Midtown Business Improvement District project ask under the FY22 RAISE funding opportunity. In addition to financial support, the Governor’s Office provided a Letter of Support to the DOT, demonstrating the importance of the project to both the City and state. • FC Moves in collaboration with Colorado State University were awarded $148,350 from the Colorado Energy Office in support of furthering the City’s Choose Your Ride, Shift Your Ride program that supports electric micromobility, including shared micromobility for the most impoverished and marginalized community members. Funding supports providing e-bikes or Spin e-bike/e-scooter share passes to individuals with low incomes, while pairing them with a Bike Buddy to select an electric micromobility package that meets their needs, while providing customized training. The program further provides community networking among participants and other community members through group rides and conversations, lasting beyond the one-year program where can continue to support each other. Outcome in relation to the $32,260,274 in ask for funds includes $28,302,564 requested under DOT’s FY22 Safe Streets and Roads for All funding opportunity, which as discussed above was not awarded funds, with pursuit to be made again under the currently open FY23 Safe Streets and Roads for All funding opportunity. Excluding the $28.3 million associated with the FY22 Safe Streets and Roads for All funding opportunity, the City was awarded 88.6% of total requested funds. DocuSign Envelope ID: A4FD1603-D4A0-4CDE-BBE0-1FDD55FC742C Grants Administration Updates As directed by the Chief Financial Officer’s recent memorandum (March 2nd Memo), indirect costs were incorporated into budgets under several federal and state grant opportunities pursued in Q1 2023. Application of indirect costs as a measure to recoup overhead costs for services from centralized area departments and applying departments is applied when both allowable, as some funding opportunities limit recoupment in whole or in part, with majority of applicable funding opportunities being non-capital projects. The newly created Grants Administration role within Financial Services supports departmental personnel pursuing federal and state grant opportunities, in collaboration with departments’ financial analysts (FAs) and/or financial liaisons (FLs). Such support begins at the time an individual identifies a potential funding opportunity, allowing Grants Administration to evaluate the compliance aspects, both pre-award and post-award, and to coordinate with department FAs and FLs over needed match funding and in building a strong budget in support of the proposed project. Such collaboration also includes connecting with centralized area departments (legal, purchasing, accounting, budget, et al), as needed, to ensure appropriate review and guidance. To support departments in their pursuit for federal and state grant funds, to ensure that we are capturing all pursuits, regardless of outcome, and to understand the time commitment and effort that goes into an application, it is incumbent upon each Service Area to ensure their FA’s and/or FL’s, along with Grants Administration, are aware of members’ pursuit of these funding opportunities. Steps are in place, which include advising members to complete the Grant Pre-Application Form on the Grants Administration SharePoint page or to email Grants.development@fcgov.com. $18,392,752 in Pending Funding Asks PDT $18,998,558 Utilities, $723,595 SSA $250,000 Ops Services $206,680 Police, $19,800 15 Applications in Q1 2023 Totaling $20,198,633 in Asks PDT $1,579,401 Ops Services $206,680 Police $19,800 4 of 15 Q1 2023 Applications Awarded $1,805,881 DocuSign Envelope ID: A4FD1603-D4A0-4CDE-BBE0-1FDD55FC742C