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RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING APPLICATION TO THE MINNESOTA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION FOR UP TO $2,052,524 FROM THE INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT AND JOBS ACT MATCH PROGRAM FOR RESILIENT REHABILITATION OF THE LAKEWALK.
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CITY PROPOSAL:
RESOLVED, that the proper city officials are hereby authorized to submit an application to the Minnesota Department of Transportation for up to $2,052,524 from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) Match Program for resilient rehabilitation of the Lakewalk Trail, including final design and construction.
FURTHER RESOLVED, that the City has the legal authority to apply for financial assistance, and the institutional, managerial, and financial capability to ensure proper planning and maintenance of the project.
FURTHER RESOLVED, that the IIJA Match Program funding will match the $8,196,234 Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity grant awarded to the City by the United States Department of Transportation, and there is no additional match required.
FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Duluth City Council names the fiscal agent for this project as Jen Carlson, City of Duluth Finance Director, 411 West First Street, Duluth, MN 55802.
Statement of Purpose
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE: This resolution authorizes City of Duluth officials to submit a grant application to Minnesota Department of Transportation for up to $2,052,524 from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) Match Program for resilient reconstruction of the Lakewalk.
The IIJA Match Program was created to help local government recipients of federal transportation grants fulfill the customary requirement that grant recipients pay for a minimum percentage of project costs with non-federal matching dollars. The City of Duluth has been awarded a grant by the United States Department of Transportation for $8,196,234 from the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) grant program for resilient reconstruction of the Lakewalk. The total project cost is $10,248,758. The RAISE grant program requires a non-federal matching contribution of 20%, or $2,052,524. The City’s current plan is to source that match from City bonds funded by the local tourism tax. If the IIJA grant is awarded, the IIJA award would replace the City funds currently dedicated to the project.
The requested funding will restore and stabilize vulnerable portions of the shoreline, retreat and rehabilitate the Lakewalk, increase neighborhood and Downtown connectivity to the trail, improve accessibility and safety, and reduce congestion on the trail. The Lakewalk is the most popular public green space in Duluth, with more than one million visits per year by residents and tourists. As a multi-use trail, the Lakewalk serves as an essential transportation corridor connecting Canal Park, the Downtown area, and east Duluth. Repeated storm repairs on the Lake Superior shoreline adjacent to the Lakewalk consume finite funding. Reconstructing the shoreline and retreating portions of the Lakewalk will make Duluth far less vulnerable to harm from storms. The project will benefit residents and visitors by protecting I35, the railroad, sewer mains, and the Lakewalk from progressive damage by powerful Lake Superior storms that are eroding the adjacent shoreline.