Coversheet

Board Action Request
17-0143

Item Description:
Agmt A176972 with Metropolitan Council accepting FTA grant funds for advanced TOD planning, 4/1/17-4/1/19, $1,077,500 (recv); 4 Agmts as local matching funds, 4/1/17-5/31/19, total combined recv $92,500; supp app of $1,170,000 to the 2017 Bottineau FTA TOD Community Works Capital Budget (CP 1005239)

Resolution:

BE IT RESOLVED, that Agreement A176972 with the Metropolitan Council accepting a $1,077,500 Federal Transit Administration Pilot Program for Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) Planning grant to advance TOD planning in the METRO Blue Line Extension corridor, for the period of April 1, 2017 through April 1, 2019, be approved; that the Chair of the Board be authorized to sign the agreement on behalf the county; and the Controller be authorized to accept and disburse funds as directed; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that Agreements A176973 with the City of Golden Valley in the receivable amount of $5,000; A176974 with the City of Robbinsdale in the receivable amount of $12,500; A176975 with the City of Crystal in the receivable amount of $12,500; and A176976 with the City of Brooklyn Park in the receivable amount of $62,500 as local matching funds for the Federal Transit Administration Pilot Program for Transit-Oriented Development Planning grant, during the period of April 1, 2017 through May 31, 2019, be approved; that the Chair of the Board be authorized to sign the agreements on behalf the county; and the Controller be authorized to accept and disburse funds as directed; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that Bottineau FTA TOD Community Works (CP 1005239) be identified as a project in the 2017 Capital Budget with a project budget of $1,235,000, $65,000 in funds and budget authority be transferred from Bottineau LRT Community Works (CP 1002318) to (CP 1005239); and that a supplemental appropriation of $1,170,000 be added to Bottineau FTA TOD Community Works capital budget (CP 1005239) be approved; and the Controller be authorized to transfer and disburse funds as directed; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the acceptance of grant funding for this program by the Hennepin County Board of Commissioners does not imply a continued funding commitment by Hennepin County for this program when grant funds are no longer available.


Background: History: The METRO Blue Line Extension (Bottineau LRT) is a 13-mile extension of the existing METRO Blue Line (Hiawatha LRT) and stretches from Minneapolis through the northwest suburbs of Golden Valley, Robbinsdale, Crystal, and Brooklyn Park. The Bottineau LRT has 11 stations with three in Minneapolis, one each in Golden Valley, Robbinsdale and Crystal, and five in Brooklyn Park. Metropolitan Council is leading the development of the Bottineau LRT project which has entered the engineering phase and is anticipated to begin operation in 2021. In June 2016, Metropolitan Council, in partnership with Hennepin County and the cities of Golden Valley, Crystal, Robbinsdale, and Brooklyn Park, submitted an application for funding to build on station area plans and support advanced infrastructure, land use and transit-oriented development planning and feasibility work along the Bottineau LRT corridor through the Federal Transit Administration’s (FTA) Pilot Program for Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) Planning. In October 2016, Metropolitan Council was notified that the application was successful, and the project was awarded $1,200,000. The FTA grant will support six primary activities in the Bottineau LRT corridor: help corridor cities update their land use policies and zoning ordinances; advance infrastructure plans to improve bicycle and pedestrian connections to stations, promote shared mobility, and develop wayfinding plans; conduct a housing gaps analysis; engage in small business outreach, communications, and technical assistance; explore innovative financing strategies; and support community engagement. Metropolitan Council has entered into a grant agreement with the FTA to receive $1,200,000 and will serve as the fiscal agent for the grant. By entering into Agreement A176972, Hennepin County will be the subrecipient of $1,077,500 in FTA funds. Hennepin County Community Works will manage the contract and related scopes of work in partnership with the cities of Brooklyn Park, Crystal, Golden Valley, and Robbinsdale. Matching funds, including $65,000 in Bottineau LRT Community Works capital project funds (CP 1002318) and $92,500 from the four partner cities, will be pooled with the FTA grant funds to advance the planning outlined in the grant application, consistent with the approved capital budget. An in-kind match of $200,000 in Hennepin County Community Works staff time will be counted as a matching contribution, and reflects time already dedicated to the Bottineau LRT Community Works project and is not an additional cost to Hennepin County. Additional local matching funds have been committed by Metropolitan Council, and additional in-kind contributions committed by Hennepin County Workforce Development, GreaterMSP, Urban Land Institute Minnesota, and Blue Cross Blue Shield represent complementary activities these partners will complete in the Bottineau LRT Corridor. Cash and in-kind contributions committed by local partners total $652,500, for a total value of work to be undertaken to advance TOD planning in the Bottineau LRT Corridor of $1,852,500. Grant funded work is anticipated to begin in the third quarter of 2017 and conclude the second quarter of 2019. Agreements for specific scopes of work undertaken as part of this grant will be advanced to the board for consideration per county policy. Current Request: This request is for approval of Agreement A176972 with Metropolitan Council to accept Federal Transit Administration’s Pilot Program for Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) Planning grant funds in the amount of $1,077,500 as well as acceptance of cash match from Bottineau LRT Corridor cities totaling $92,500 to advance TOD planning in the METRO Blue Line Extension corridor; and approves a supplemental appropriation to the 2017 capital budget for the Bottineau FTA TOD Community Works capital project (CP 1005239) of $1,170,000. Impact/Outcomes: The Federal Transit Administration Department’s Pilot Program for Transit-Oriented Development Planning grant will allow for planning and feasibility work to be completed and to help guide the Bottineau LRT Corridor cities in making policy decisions before the Bottineau LRT line begins operation in 2021.


Recommendation from County Administrator: Recommend Approval