Title
RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING ACCEPTANCE OF A BROWNFIELDS AREA-WIDE PLANNING GRANT FROM THE U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY AND EXECUTION OF THE AGREEMENT RELATED THERETO
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CITY PROPOSAL:
RESOLVED, that the proper city officials are hereby authorized to accept a brownfields area-wide planning grant from the U.S. environmental protection agency (EPA), region 5 in the amount of $200,000 payable into Fund 255 (economic development fund), Agency 020 (planning), Revenue Source Code 4210-02 (pass through federal grant operating).
FURTHER RESOLVED, that the proper city officials are hereby authorized to execute assistance agreement no. 00E01495 substantially in the form of that attached, with the EPA in connection with the above grant.
Statement of Purpose
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE: The City submitted a grant application to the EPA in September 2014 for brownfields area-wide planning in the Western Port Area Neighborhood (WPAN).
The WPAN is called out in the 2006 Comprehensive Plan as an area needing more focused long-term planning. Given that the WPAN has more than 40 identified brownfield and/or blighted properties, this EPA grant was pursued as a means of implementing a planning process. The process will focus upon prioritization of brownfield sites for redevelopment and will also address issues such as connectivity, traffic and infrastructure. Staff was notified in late March that the City’s application for $200,000 had been approved. Subsequently, a work plan for the grant was submitted and approved, resulting in the attached Cooperative Agreement. These federal grant funds will be used for compensating two subgrantees, the St. Louis River Alliance and Minnesota Brownfields, for their assistance with community education and engagement, for staff training, and for consultant services. This grant award does not require a local match; grant proceeds are available through August 2017.