HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda Statement 1987/08/18 Item 8COUNCIL AGENDA STATEMENT
• Item 8
Meeting Date 8/18/87
ITEM TITLE: Resolution ~/~ ~ ~ Approving the Staff Recommended
Priority Listing for Expenditure of Environmental License
Plate Grant
SUBMITTED BY: Community Development Di recto
REVIEWED BY: City Manager ~ ~- ~ ~` (4/5ths Vote: Yes No X )
BACKGROUND:
On August 5, 1986, the City Council authorized staff to submit a grant
application to the California Environmental Protection Program for matching
funds for Nature Interpretive Center exhibit construction. At that time
$170,500 was requested to match proposed Redevelopment Agency funding of
$170,500 for the total original exhibit construction budget of $x41,000. In
the interim, the Agency has expended $247,500 (either directly or through
expenditure of funds budgeted for the BCT) on Nature Center exhibits.
According to State Coastal Conservancy representatives, the current $150,000
Environmental License Place (ELP) grant cannot be used to reimburse the Agency
for funds that have already been expended for exhibit construction.
• The agreement between the State Coastal Conservancy and the City of Chula
Vista for the administration of the grant funds is scheduled to go to the
State Coastal Conservancy on August 20, 1987. State Coastal Conservancy staff
has prepared a generic agenda item to allow the City the opportunity to
provide further clarification on the expenditure of the grant funds to the
Coastal Conservancy Board of Directors following City Council action on this
item.
RECOMMENDATION: Adopt the Resolution approving the staff recommended
priority listing for expenditure of Environmental License Plate Grant.
BOARDS/COMMISSIONS RECOMMENDATION: The BCT Board of Directors will not meet
before the State Coastal Conservancy meeting of August 20, 1987, so their
input into the priority listing will not be available. The Executive Director
of the BCT was, however, actively involved in the formulation of the priority
listing. Input from the BCT Board on the priority listing will be sought at
their next meeting and any comments will be relayed to the Council.
DISCUSSION:
The ELP grant was requested for exhibit construction without the inclusion of
a specific request for funds earmarked for design services because at the time
the grant application was submitted, the funds had already been appropriated
for the design of a $341,000 exhibits package. State Coastal Conservancy
• staff is researching whether a portion of the $150,000 can be spent on design
services. The cost estimates presented in Exhibit A, Staff Recommended
Priority Listing for Expenditure of Environmental License Plate Grant, do not
Page 2, Item 8
• Meeting Date-$71~
include design costs. If ELP grant funds can be used to cover design costs,
then additional funding will not be required from the Agency. Funding for the
design of the exhibits not included in the original exhibits design package
will, however, have to be provided by the Agency or the BCT if the ELP grant
cannot be used for design services.
Exhibit A lists an estimated total of $255,100 in proposed expenditures. This
amount significantly exceeds the $150,000 ELP grant because of the uncertainty
regarding the timing for: completing the engineering design; obtaining
federal permits (if required); and obtaining permission from the Port District
and the landowner for installation of the seawater system extension to the San
Diego Bay. The total estimated cost for implementing the balance of the
exhibits (without the extension of the seawater system) would be $165,000
which is close to the $150,000 grant funding. The seawater system extension
appears as the third priority for ELP grant funding, but it is recommended
that the BCT be asked to try to raise $45,000 to fund one-half the cost of
that project to allow the City to provide $45,000 in additional educational
exhibits for the general public. While a flow-through seawater system will
save the ongoing cost of transporting fresh seawater to the Nature Center and
will increase the survival of the animals on exhibit, the principal advantage
of the system will be for scientific research purposes. It is, however,
recommended that ELP grant funds up to $90,000 be used to construct the
seawater system extension if at the time that construction is ready to proceed
• the BCT has been unable to raise matching funds.
FISCAL IMPACT: The Agency or the BCT may need to provide funding for design
of the new exhibits if ELP grant funds cannot be expended for that purpose.
WPC 3074H
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