HomeMy WebLinkAboutMemo - Mail Packet - 05/14/2024 - Memorandum from Kerri Ishmael re: Q1 2024 Grants UpdateFinance Administration
215 N. Mason St
PO Box 580, Fort Collins, CO 80522
970-221-6788
MEMORANDUM
Date: May 2, 2024
To: Mayor and Councilmembers
Thru: Kelly DiMartino, City Manager
Travis Storin, Chief Financial Officer
From: Kerri Ishmael, Senior Analyst, Grants Administration
CC: Finance Liaisons and Department Heads
Subject: Q1 2024 Grants Update
Summary
The purpose of this memorandum is to provide an update on grant opportunities pursued during Q1 2024 and
notices of award received during Q1 2024.
Funding Opportunities Applied for in Q1
PDT
$8,802,558
Utilities
$2,762,956
Community
Services
$5,152,926
Police
$3,133,575
Emergency
Preparedness
$4,998
Q1 2024 - Ask for Funds by Service Area
Total $19,857,013
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A total of 14 funding opportunities were pursued during Q1 2024, totaling $19,857,013, with asks varying from
infrastructure upgrades and investments to conservation measures for endangered species. Specifically:
• Utilities’ Water Quality Services Division put forth an ask under the Colorado Water Conservation Board’s
Colorado Watershed Restoration program to develop a Wildfire Ready Action Plan (WRAP) to address the
susceptibility of critical water supplies and infrastructure in the upper Cache La Poudre and North Platte
watersheds to post wildfire impacts and hazards. The planning ask includes partnership with City of Greeley
and Water Supply & Storage Company - Public and Environmental History Center (colostate.edu) that also
aim to mitigate impacts to their water supplies. Project costs total $278,313, with an ask of $209,688 from
CWCB. The City and partners will contribute the remaining amount through in-kind City staff time and cash.
• Community Services’ Natural Areas presented a proposal under Colorado Parks and Wildlife Wetlands for
Wildlife program for $133,094 to restore wetland and riparian habitat at Brannigan Springs in Soapstone
Prairie Natural Area in support of the translocation and expansion of the Tier 1 Northern Leopard Frog. The
project proposes installation of beaver dam analogs (man-made structures that mimic the form and function of
natural beaver dams) and relocation of Northern Leopard Frog egg masses. In addition to supporting
increased population of the Northern Leopard Frog, the project provides opportunity to engage Native
American community members, elders, and youth in the restoration activities. This engagement benefits the
City and our community through knowledge provided from Native American community members, ensuring
that Indigenous Traditional Ecological Knowledge contributes to the scientific, technical, social and economic
advancement of the United States, as recognized by the Biden Administration. The City’s proposal includes
partnering with Colorado State University to lead the Indigenous ecological restoration and community efforts.
• PDT’s Engineering in collaboration with the Midtown Business Improvement District put forth a request for
$6.3 million under the Dept. of Transportation’s highly competitive FY2024 Rebuilding American
Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) program. The Midtown Business Improvement
project will finalize plans for future construction of the 1.33-mile corridor of College Ave from Boardwalk Drive
to, and including, the West Drake Road intersection. The design scope 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. In addition to
matching funds from the City and BID, Engineering was awarded $480,512 from the Colorado Department of
Local Affairs (DOLA) in support of the match requirement.
• Environmental Services success under the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE)
Front Range Waste Diversion Grant program. The group pursued support from a Technical Assistance
Service Provider (TASP) to analyze options, potential partners, supportive policy, and expected costs for new
community-scale facilities for food scrap composting and construction and demolition materials recycling.
Results from the analysis will provide critical information for local decision-makers and regional collaborators
to assess how, where, and when to invest in new waste diversion infrastructure that can serve the Fort Collins
community.
There were BIG efforts by many departments in response to FY 2025 Congressionally Directed Spending (FY25
CDS) requests by Senator Hickenlooper and Bennet. This is a mechanism by which members of Congress can
request funding for high priority projects. Hundreds of applications were submitted by eligible nonprofits and state
and local departments. Ultimately, whether a project selected by the senators receives funding will be up to the
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Appropriations Committee and Congress passing a FY25 appropriations bill. BIG efforts by City departments
include:
• Water Quality Services Division’s Michigan Ditch Pre-Fire Mitigation project - Project serves to mitigate
the risk of future large-scale wildfires in the Colorado State Forest by treating high priority forest acres
identified as having the greatest risk of post-fire erosion and sedimentation. 175 acres of steep, high
elevation forest will undergo helicopter timber harvest treatment to protect critical infrastructure, including
City’s Michigan Ditch, in support of protecting water quality and water supplies for the City of Fort Collins
and Jackson County communities. This is Phase II of the project, with Phase I commencing summer of
2024 based on funds received by the City from the Colorado State Forest Service. Phase II project costs
total $2.1 million with a request for $1.1 million in FY25 CDS funds. The City and CSFS will collaborate in
funding the required 50% match.
• Light & Power’s Streetlight System Replacement, Control, and Automation project – Project will
replace existing high-energy-consuming streetlights in Fort Collins with more efficient LED lights and
implement a streetlight control and automation system citywide. The project serves as a climate resilience
measure by increasing efficiency, thereby reducing operating and maintenance cost, as well as reducing
GHG emissions. By replacing the traditional high-pressure sodium lamps with LEDs and utilizing the control
and automation system, the project will result in significant energy savings and health and safety benefits to
the community. A request was made for $1.5 million, with the City funding the required 50% match.
• Police’s Regional Real-Time Information Center - Project serves to fund implementation of the Real-Time
Information Center that will use advanced technologies and data analytics in support of first responders to
proactively respond to emerging threats, coordinate rapid emergency responses, and more effectively and
efficiently allocate resources. Funds will be used to implement computer hardware and software, with
civilian personnel operating center to disseminate information out to emergency responders, which includes
Fort Collins Police Service and partnering agencies in northern Colorado. A request was made for $2.4
million to fund the project in full.
• Recreation’s Southeast Community Center Licensed Childcare Wing - Project will provide equitable
access to licensed year-round childcare and school age camps and programs in the future Southeast
Community Center. Funds will be used to construct a childcare wing at the future Southeast Community
Center to provide childcare offerings that are currently absent within the southern half of city limits. A
request was made for $5 million, with the City funding $4 million to build the childcare wing projected at $9
million.
• Transfort put forth a request for $2 million in support of design, purchase, and installation of three on-route
charges for battery electric buses at the South Transit Center. Transfort will use other grant-funded dollars
to meet the additional $1 million needed for project completion.
Other BIG news supporting our community is through Platte River Power Authority (PRPA). PRPA was selected as
a partner to work with CU Boulder for the Rocky Mountain Region under the Dept. of Energy’s Renew America’s
Nonprofits (RAN) grant program. PRPA was selected as a key partner based on commercial energy advising and
assessment services provided through the Efficiency Works Program. PRPA anticipates funding through the RAN
grant to support non-profits business entities in its territory to make energy efficiency upgrades.
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Funding Opportunities Awarded Q1 2024
A total of 12 awards, totaling $13,354,390 were received during Q1 2024, 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:
Connexion in partnership with Larimer County under the Colorado Broadband Office’s Capital Projects Fund
Broadband Infrastructure Grant program was awarded $10.2 million to fund broadband infrastructure for
unserved and undeserved locations, with Larimer County and Poudre Valley REA contributing the remaining $3.4
million of total project costs. Funds will support providing reliable and equitable broadband to the rural communities
of: (1) Risk Canyon; (2) Poudre Park; (3) Red Feather Lakes and (4) Rustic to Colorado State University Mountain
Campus.
PDT’s Engineering being successful under two separate funding opportunities:
• $1.8 million in federal and state Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) funds to further the
Timberline Road and Carpenter Road infrastructure project. This adds to the $696,285 in prior HSIP funds
received by Engineering.
• $480,512 in state funds from DOLA in support of the City’s match requirement for the Midtown Business
Improvement project proposed under the DOT’s highly competitive FY24 RAISE grant program. The DOLA
award demonstrates the City’s continued success in pursuing state funds to meet match requirements
under IIJA and IRA federal funding opportunities.
$87,581,061
$13,354,390
PDT,
$2,340,512
Utilities
$507,805
SSA $168,874
Community
Services $11,200
Connexion
$10,249,414
Police
$76,585
Q1 2024 -Grant Awards by Service Area
Total $13,354,390
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Utilities’ Water Quality Services Division receiving $507,805 through the Colorado State Forest Service’s Forest
Restoration & Wildfire Risk Mitigation Grant Program in support of the Michigan Ditch Pre-Fire Mitigation
project. This project serves to mitigate the risk of future large-scale wildfires in the Colorado State Forest and to
treat high priority forest acres identified as having the greatest risk of post-fire erosion and sedimentation. A total of
150 acres of steep, high elevation terrain in subalpine forest with high spruce bark beetle mortality is proposed for
tethered and helicopter timber forest treatment. The work will mitigate the risk of large-scale wildfires and protect
critical infrastructure, including the City of Fort Collins Michigan Ditch. This is Phase I of a multiphase project, which
is proposed to commence in summer 2024. Total project costs for Phase I are ~$1.51 million, with the City and
federal funds received by the CSFS from prior year congressional directed spending funds supporting $1 million of
total project costs. As noted above, a request was made under FY25 CDS funds to support treatment of an
additional 175 acres.
SSA’s Environmental Services listened to feedback from the CDPHE during a prior round of funding under the
Environmental Justice Grant program and was successful in receiving $168,874 under the 2024 EJG funding
cycle. The award supports the Cultivating Community-Led Resilient Homes Project to improve indoor air quality,
energy efficiency, and prepare homes of disproportionately impacted (DI) communities in Fort Collins for climate-
related events (i.e., wildfires, extreme temperatures). The goal of the project is to create equitable access to
healthy, energy efficient, and resilient housing for 75 homes within DI communities.
The City was awarded 15% of total requested funds.
Outcome in relation to the $87,581,061 in request for funds includes an unsuccessful ask for $72 million by
Transfort under the under the Federal Transit Administration Small Starts Capital Investment Grant (Small
Starts Capital) program for the West Elizabeth Corridor project. The project proposed a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT)
service along the corridor, with incorporation of a consistent sidewalk and bike network. The focus being to respond
to current and future multimodal transportation needs by increasing and improving transit offerings, as well as
bicycling and walking infrastructure. Transfort is working hard to amend the project proposal, with a future submittal
under the Small Starts Capital program.
Police Services in collaboration with UCHealth was unsuccessful in a request for $727,000 under DOLA’s Peace
Officers Behavioral Health Support and Community Partnerships Grant program. The request for funds was to
support three FTE UCHealth licensed clinicians that currently support Police Services’ Mental Health Response
Team. The Team comprised of dedicated Police Services’ police officers and UCHealth licensed clinicians work
collectively to respond to behavioral health emergency calls. The collaboration among the City and UCHealth (1)
provides support for community members suffering from behavioral health matters to receive the most appropriate
level of care; (2) serves to reduce number of incarceration related crimes secondary to mental illness; (3) creates a
culture of law enforcement-mental health collaboration; and (4) provides needed training to support partner
organizations. Notwithstanding the BIG effort by Police Services and UCHealth, DOLA prioritized funding to support
Peace Officers Behavioral Health funding requests based on the volume of funding requests.
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The City is awaiting the outcomes on several grant applications, with total asks of $19 million.
A Look Ahead at Q2 2024
Light & Power and Energy Services collaborate with PRPA and other owner communities – City of Loveland, City of
Longmont and Estes Park under the Dept of Energy’s Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnerships Program
(GRIP). PRPA and community owners have been invited by DOE to submit a project proposal under GRIP in
support of a virtual power plant (VPP). A technical project that proposes integrating monitoring and control systems
in all four owner communities with a central Distributed Energy Resource Management System operated by PRPA,
creating the VPP. Total project costs are estimated at $76 million, with the four owner communities contributing
collectively 60% of total project costs.
Energy Services collaborates with the Colorado Energy Office, Boulder, and Aspen under the DOE’s Assistance
for Adoption of the Latest and Zero Building Energy Code Adoption. The proposal is to support commercial
building owners in meeting state and local building codes. The proposal seeks funding for CEO and municipalities
to contract with third-party providers in providing commercial building owners advanced financial education over
available funding sources to implement building measures/upgrades, as well as technical audits to identify needed
implementation measures/upgrades.
FC Moves pursues another proposal for planning and demonstration activities under the DOT’s highly competitive
FY24 Safe Streets and Roads for All grant program. Proposed activities align with City’s Active Modes Plan and
Vision Zero Plan, centering on an (1) audit of standards and policies within several Larimer County and City plans,
codes, and manuals that guide development, infrastructure, and traffic operations to identify those not aligning with
the City’s Action Plan and related plans and studies; (2) a study of Harmony Road to develop concepts to mitigate
speed related risks and reduce severe crashes involving vulnerable road users on ~4-mile section of Harmony Rd
from John F. Kennedy Pkwy to the West I-25 Frontage Rd; and (3) a protected bike lane demonstration activity
along Lake Street that serves to inform a future implementation proposal.
PDT $8,322,046
Utilities
$2,762,956
Community
Services
$5,713,411
Police
$2,242,416
Emergency
Preparedness
$4,998
Pending Funding Asks
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Natural Areas and Water Resources pursue funding under the Bureau of Reclamation’s WaterSMART Planning
and Project Design grant program in support of the Poudre Flows Project. The project proposes use of existing
water rights owned by Fort Collins, Greeley and Thorton that will be delivered to the Poudre River as protected
stream flows to maintain and improve river heath. Water right contributions require upgrades to the Arthur Ditch
diversion structure. The City requests funds for full design and permitting costs in support of the Poudre Flows
Project.
DocuSign Envelope ID: 9F9A677A-D387-47F1-BAA2-BDC01BA90053