REQUEST FOR CITY COUNCIL ACTION
DATE: 01/18/2023
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
FROM: Community Service Department
SUBJECT:
Title
Accept and appropriate $2,000,000 in State grant funds for Phase II of the Griffin Park renovation project.
End
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
This staff report asks Council to consider adopting Resolution No. 2023-004, which accepts $2,000,000 in Local Assistance Grants from the State of California for Phase II of the Griffin Park Project and appropriate those funds from the Reimbursement Grants Fund 480 to the project. After nearly a closure of thirteen years, Griffin Park reopened in August 2021 with limited amenities. The City of Corona met with several legislators during Spring 2022 to present Shovel Ready Projects that could be included in the FY 2022-23 State budget, including Phase II of the Griffin Park renovation project. On October 13, 2022, Assembly Member Sabrina Cervantes announced the state grant of $2,000,000 for continued renovations to the park. This resolution allows the City to accept and appropriate those funds.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Recommended action
That the City Council:
a. Adopt Resolution No. 2023-004 accepting $2,000,000 of the 2022-23 Local Assistance Specified Grants - Capital, originating from a line item in the State of California Budget for FY 2022-23 to renovate Phase II of the City of Corona’s Griffin Park Project, approving application for specified grant funds from Budget Act 22-23 Item 3790-101-0001 as amended by AB 179, Section item number: (9)(b)(1) (AF) $2,000,000 to the City of Corona for Phase II of Renovating Griffin Park, and authorizing the City Manager to execute agreement and documents for the purposes of obtaining said allocation from the California Department of Parks and Recreation Office of Grants and Local Services (OGALS).
b. Appropriate $2,000,000, from Reimbursement Grants Fund 480, to the Griffin Park Enhancements Project and increase revenue estimates by the same amount.
Body
BACKGROUND & HISTORY:
In August 2019, City staff presented an update on Griffin Park to the Parks and Recreation Commission. Funding from the Capital Improvement Project (CIP) budget provided $481,596 for basic improvements necessary to reopen the park. These Phase I improvements included native plant hydroseeding, irrigation repairs, parking lot rehabilitation, two dog enclosures, an ADA-compliant lighted sidewalk, a picnic area, and a significant amount of landscape improvements.
After a closure of nearly thirteen years, the City Council welcomed the community to the Griffin Park Grand reopening on August 30, 2021.
During the Spring of 2022, the City met with several legislators to present Shovel Ready Projects, including a $2,000,000 Phase II renovation project for Griffin Park. With the support of Assembly Member Sabrina Cervantes, the City of Corona was allocated $2,000,000 for Phase II renovations of Griffin Park. The grant was secured as a part of the 2022-23 California State Budget. On October 13, 2022, the City was presented the State grant of $2,000,000 by Assembly Member Sabrina Cervantes at Griffin Park.
ANALYSIS:
On October 25, 2022, the State’s Department of Parks and Recreation Office of Grants and Local Services (OGALS) issued the administration documentation for the Specified Grant award. City staff has been in contact with staff at OGALS to administer the grant for payment processing of the grant funds. In accordance with the information received, the City will be responsible for the following terms and obligations, attached as Exhibit 4:
1. A resolution is required before a contract will be issued.
2. An approved application packet is required before grant payments can be approved.
3. The grant performance period is from July 1, 2022 - June 30, 2026.
In order to be issued a contract, the City is required to adopt a resolution to accept the $2 million dollar grant funds of the 2022-23 Local Assistance Specified Grants - Capital originating from a line item in the State of California Budget for FY 2022-23 to renovate Phase II of the City of Corona’s Griffin Park Project. In support of the Department of Parks and Recreation and OGALS, staff recommends approval of this action which will provide the administration of the grant and payment processing.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
This action has no fiscal impact on the City’s General Fund. The revenue and expenditures of the State of California’s $2 million award will be accounted for in Reimbursement Grants Fund 480. The funds will be appropriated to the Griffin Park Enhancements CIP account and utilized in accordance with this action and adopted resolution.
ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS:
This action is exempt pursuant to Section 15061(b)(3) of the Guidelines for the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), which states that a project is exempt from CEQA if the activity is covered by the common sense exemption that CEQA applies only to projects that have the potential for causing a significant effect on the environment. Where it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the activity in question may have a significant effect on the environment, the activity is not subject to CEQA. This action is a financial transaction between the State of California Department of Parks and Recreation and the City of Corona, and there is no possibility that adopting this resolution will have a significant effect on the environment. Therefore, no environmental analysis is required.
PREPARED BY: VIOLA VAN, MANAGEMENT ANALYST II
REVIEWED BY: ANNE K. TURNER, COMMUNITY SERVICES DIRECTOR
Attachments:
1. Exhibit 1 - Phase II Renovations of Griffin Park Resolution 2023-004
2. Exhibit 2 - 2022-23 Capital Application Form
3. Exhibit 3 - 2022-23 Procedural Guide for Local Assistance Specified Grants - Capital