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CC - FOUR-FIFTHS VOTE REQUIREMENT: (1) Adoption of a Resolution Approving an Application for Proposition 84 Grant Funds from the Baldwin Hills Conservancy for the Culver City/Park to Playa - Ballona Creek Connection Project in the Amount of $336,043; and, (2) Approval of a Budget Amendment to Appropriate the Funding for this Project Upon Receipt of the Fully Executed Grant Agreement.
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Contact Person/Dept: Daniel Hernandez, PRCS Director
Phone Number: (310) 253-6655
Fiscal Impact: Yes [X] No [] General Fund: Yes [X] No []
Public Hearing: [] Action Item: [] Attachments: Yes [X] No []
Commission Action Required: Yes [] No [X]
Commission Name:
Public Notification: (E-Mail) Parks, Recreation and Community Services Commission (10/07/15); (E-Mail) Meetings and Agendas - City Council (10/07/15); (E-Mail) Updates - Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department (10/07/15).
Department Approval: Daniel Hernandez, Director of Parks, Recreation and Community Services (10/06/15); and Charles Herbertson, Director of Public Works/City Engineer (10/06/15).
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RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends the City Council (1) adopt a resolution approving an application for Proposition 84 grant funds from the Baldwin Hills Conservancy (BHC) for the Culver City/Park to Playa - Ballona Creek Connection Project (Project) in the amount of $336,043; and, (2) approve a budget amendment to appropriate the funding for this project upon receipt of the fully executed grant agreement.
A BUDGET AMENDMENT REQUIRES A FOUR-FIFTHS VOTE
BACKGROUND
During the Fiscal Year 2015/2016 budget process, both the Parks, Recreation and Community Services (PRCS) Commission and the City Council expressed support for elements of the Culver City/Park to Playa - Ballona Creek Connection Project through the review, recommendation, and ultimately, City Council approval of the allocation of $103,350 for PZ551, the Interpretive Nature Trail Project. The published project description states, in part, “Funding will be used to hire a Structural Engineer Consultant to assess the current structure for repair and replacement, to be a part of the City’s obligation to BHC (Baldwin Hills Conservancy) for a joint grant project on the Park to Playa Trail.”
At that time, the main focus of the BHC Proposition 84 funding was thought to be the refurbishment of the Interpretive Nature Trail (Boardwalk). However, since the majority of the repairs on the Boardwalk itself can be accomplished using the City’s Regular Proposition A Maintenance and Servicing Funds, it may be appropriate to apply for the Proposition 84 funds to achieve the overarching goal of completing Segment 7 of the Park to Playa Trail (Attachment 2). Segment 7 is described in the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority’s “Park to Playa Trail Feasibility Study and Wayfinding Plan” (Feasibility Study dated November 21, 2011) as follows:
“Segment 7: Culver City Park - The objective is to complete a more accessible connection from BHSO (the Baldwin Hills Scenic Outlook) through Culver City Park to Duquesne Avenue, by providing connections to existing accessible trails.”
Over the past several months, Public Works Department and Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department staff have been in discussions with David McNeill, Executive Officer of the Baldwin Hills Conservancy, regarding presenting a solid grant proposal to the BHC, in hopes of increasing the likelihood of approval. On Friday, October 2, 2015, a draft Proposition 84 grant application for the Project was submitted to Mr. McNeill. On Monday, October 5, 2015, staff was informed that the draft application appeared to be in order. If the City is interested in pursuing this grant funding at this time, staff must also submit a resolution adopted by the City Council and letters from other relevant agencies expressing support for the Project before the BHC’s meeting on Friday, October 23, 2015.
DISCUSSION
The Project is a collaboration between the Public Works and PRCS Departments that proposes to complete Park to Playa Segment 7, a crucial trail segment that links the Baldwin Hills Overlook/Culver City Gateway with Ballona Creek by: [1] improving the existing trail and removing barriers along section 7.1 (Attachment 2), which connects the Culver City Gateway to the upper ball fields within Culver City Park. From the terminus of section 7.1, the Project incorporates several elements to complete the Ballona Creek connection: [2] an ADA accessible/pedestrian passageway (Passageway) - the construction of two new ADA accessible path sections, section 7.2a to the north of the existing Interpretive Trail Boardwalk and section 7.3 to the south, including needed improvements to the Boardwalk in order to better integrate it as the mid-section of the trail; [3] a bicycle path (Bike Path) - the installation of shared lane markings (sharrows) that create a bicycle thoroughfare from the top of Culver City Park to Duquense Avenue via Leash Lane on the southern boundary of the Park. This will connect to the bike lanes on the extension of Duquesne Avenue into Culver City Park that was installed recently by Public Works Department staff; and, [4] the final creek connection (Connection) - joining the Passageway and the Bike Path at the Duquesne Avenue entrance to Culver City Park, where both then extend north to the Duquesne Avenue entrance to the Ballona Creek Bike Path, with pedestrians accessing the Creek entrance via an existing crosswalk and bicyclists benefitting from a new, dedicated left turn lane,* allowing safe and easy access to the Creek from the northbound lanes (section 7.4). As per the Wayfinding Plan guidelines, the appropriate wayfinding signs, regulatory signs, warning signs and object markers will be prevalent throughout Segment 7.
[*Note: Changes to the signal and striping at the intersection of Duquesne Avenue and Jefferson Boulevard are being done as part of a separate project which is funded by a Highway Safety Improvement Project grant that the City received.]
The completion of Segment 7 has a regional impact, in that it serves as an important link between urban Los Angeles, including underserved and park-poor communities, and coastal resources such as Ballona Creek, and ultimately, the Pacific Ocean. Given the high use of the existing recreational opportunities in the area, including Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook Trail and the Ballona Creek Bike Path, the Project fulfills an important community need for accessible and enjoyable outdoor recreation.
Extensive community outreach has been done for the Park to Playa vision, and it has benefited from considerable public input since it was first presented to the community in 2000. Representatives from both the Baldwin Hills Conservancy and the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority have been before the PRCS Commission and the City Council several times over the past sixteen years to present information and updates on the plans for the Park to Playa Trail. With regard to projects such as the Ballona Creek Connection, community support is evidenced by the results of the Feasibility Study’s community outreach which showed that approximately 82% of respondents liked walking on trails or in parks and 41% enjoyed bicycling on trails or in parks.
FISCAL ANALYSIS
A 25% City match is required for the Project. In Fiscal Year 2015/2016, $103,350 were allocated in Account Number 42080000.730100.PZ551 (Capital Improvements and Acquisitions / Interpretive Nature Trail). These funds, along with $17,010 in carryover funds in that account and an estimated $15,000 in in-kind staff time (Administration and Project Management) bring the City’s matching funds to $135,360 or a 29% match. $135,360 in matching funds plus $336,043 in Baldwin Hills Conservancy Proposition 84 funds (if approved) equal an estimated Project total of $471,403.
Staff is requesting that the City Council approve a budget amendment to be processed upon receipt of the fully executed Grant Agreement to add both the grant revenue and appropriation in an amount not-to-exceed $336,043. NOTE: This budget amendment will only be processed when a fully executed grant agreement is received. If for some reason, the fully executed grant agreement is not received, the budget amendment will not be processed.
The proposed budget in the draft Proposition 84 grant application provides line items for approximately $70,500 in Boardwalk (Nature Trail) area stabilization and entrance/exit improvements. Staff has submitted a budget of $224,366 in Regular Proposition A Maintenance and Servicing Funds for the repair of the Boardwalk to the Los Angeles County Regional Park and Open Space District for approval. If approved, the repairs will consist of the removal and replacement of the existing wood treads, rails, handrails and caps. These repairs will be done in conjunction with the Boardwalk area stabilization and entrance/exit improvements.
Proposition A Maintenance and Servicing Funds have been set-aside by the County for projects that have been completed using Proposing A funds. The City of Culver City currently has approximately $449,600 in Regular Proposition A Maintenance and Servicing Funds. However, due to the prior commitment of approximately $107,600 of these funds during Fiscal Year 2015/2016, if the City uses $224,336 in Regular Proposition A Maintenance and Servicing Funds for the repair of the Boardwalk, the Fund balance will drop to $117,600. Since the 1992 Proposition has already expired and the 1996 Proposition is sun-setting in 2019, the City can only expect additional funding from these sources of approximately $20,000 annually or $80,000 total over the next four fiscal years.
ATTACHMENTS
1. Proposed Resolution
2. Proposed Project Map Illustrating the Culver City/Park to Playa - Ballona Creek Connection (Park to Playa Trail Segment 7)
RECOMMENDED MOTION
That the City Council:
1. Adopt a resolution approving the application for Proposition 84 grant funds from the Baldwin Hills Conservancy for the Culver City/Park to Playa - Ballona Creek Connection Project in the amount of $336,043; and,
2. Approve a budget amendment to appropriate the funding for this Project upon receipt of the fully executed grant agreement. (FOUR-FIFTHS VOTE REQUIRED)