Memorandum

City of Lawrence

City Manager’s Office

TO:	David L. Corliss, City Manager
FROM:	Jonathan Douglass, Grant Team Coordinator
CC:	Debbie Van Saun, Assistant City Manager
DATE:	November 21, 2006
RE:	Grant Team Report – 3^rd Quarter 2006

The Grant Team held its first meeting on September 6, 2006. Representatives from all City departments are part of the Grant Team, which met to begin preparing an action plan and a report to the City Commission. Quarterly and annual reports from the Grant Team will detail both the successes and shortcomings of the City’s grant seeking efforts. The goals of the Grant Team include improving grant efforts through training, technology, and best practices, as well as keeping City Management and the City Commission informed of City-wide grant activities.

Grant Team Action Plan

The Grant Team has identified a number of immediate objectives regarding the City’s grant seeking efforts.

Articulate the short-term and long-term goals for our grant efforts and define measures of success, with input from the City Commission, City Manager’s Office, and Management Team.
Identify programs (of both the City and our partnering agencies) for which funding is sought so that the entire Grant Team can be aware if funding opportunities arise.
Improve effectiveness of our grant searching and application. Neighborhood Programs Specialist Lesley Rigney has significant experience using eCivis and is planning an in-house training session on the program. Other training opportunities will also be sought out and evaluated.

Successful Applications

The attached table contains information on grants (excluding CDBG, HOME, ESG, Public Transit, and Human Relations funding which are explained below) that have been awarded this year, and multi-year grants that are funding ongoing projects.

The Community Development Division writes and administers federal and state grants averaging around $1.6 million annually. The federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and Home Investment Partnership Grant (HOME) make up 97% of the division’s grant revenues. The state Emergency Shelter Grant (ESG) makes up the remaining funds. Of the total $1.6 million, $764,412 or 47% remains with the division for salaries and operations for city-administered programs such as comprehensive rehabilitation, weatherization, emergency and furnace loans. This leaves more than half of all grant funds received to be distributed out into the community for the benefit of low and moderate income residents, including the homeless. Both federal grant programs, CDBG and HOME, are formula-based grants. This means that the amount Lawrence is eligible to receive is based on factors such as population and income – it is not a competitive grant program. The state program, ESG, is a competitive grant that is distributed to cities by the state. See the attached table with a breakdown of the CDBG, HOME, and ESG funds.

The following City programs also have other State and federal funding sources:

Public Transit: The Transit System receives FTA Section 5307 Urbanized Area Program funding at levels dictated by the federal transportation bill SAFETY-LU. Other funding opportunities under SAFETY-LU include Section 5309 and Bus and Bus Facilities Program for capital investment and Section 115 funding for bus maintenance facility feasibility study and design. See the attached memo for more detailed information about Transit funding.
Human Relations: The Human Relations Commission and Department provide fair housing enforcement education and outreach through a cooperative agreement with HUD. The attached memo contains more information regarding funding of the Fair Housing Assistance Program.

Unsuccessful Applications

The attached table contains details on grant applications that were denied.

Pending Applications

The attached table contains information on grant applications that have been submitted but not approved or denied to date.

Future Applications

The Public Works Department is working with the Pedestrian Advisory Committee to prepare a grant application for the Kansas Safe Routes to Schools (KSRTS) program. KSRTS provides funding for infrastructure projects and educational activities that assist Cities, Counties, and School Districts to enable children to walk or bicycle to school more safely. The City of Lawrence expects to apply for a KSRTS grant in August 2007.

The EPA Brownfields Program offers grants for brownfields assessment and cleanup. Infrastructure & Development Coordinator Kevin Doyle and Management Analyst Jonathan Douglass attended a brownfields grant workshop put on by the EPA in late October. HUD grant programs for brownfields redevelopment will also be evaluated by City staff.

The National Endowment for the Arts is currently soliciting proposals for Universal Design Leadership Program grants. The program seeks to create greater public awareness of and demand for universal designed environments. If a new public facility such as a library is built, and the grant is available at that time, there might be an opportunity to use this grant to incorporate and promote universal design features.

Action Requested

Receive Grant Team Report. Direct staff as appropriate.