AGENDA #4g

MEMORANDUM

TO: Mayor and Town Council

FROM: W. Calvin Horton, Town Manager

SUBJECT: Amendment to a Project Ordinance for a Transportation Capital and Planning Grant

DATE: September 26, 2005

PURPOSE

The attached ordinance would amend a project budget for a transit capital and planning grant.

BACKGROUND

Urbanized Area Formula Program (Section 5307) funds, appropriated by the Federal Transit Administration, are distributed by formula to urbanized areas. These funds are provided to pay for preventive maintenance, capital and planning needs.

The Council authorized a project ordinance for this grant on June 27, 2005 that provided only an eight-month authorization for FY 2005. The balance of funds was awarded to the Town on September 1, 2005.

DISCUSSION

The additional amount available to the Town includes $545,785 in federal funds. Additional State funds will be requested to purchase lift-equipped vans for E-Z Rider totaling $15,000.

The Town of Chapel Hill will provide a local match of $121,446, which is available in the capital reserve fund.

Urbanized Area Formula Program (Section 5307) - Capital

Projects included in the Metropolitan Planning Organization’s Transportation Improvement Program for the Town of Chapel Hill’s FY 2005 Section 5307 capital program include:

Purchase lift-equipped vans
Purchase three replacement support vehicles used by supervisory staff
Rebuild engines and transmissions
Continue lease of the modular office unit being used by the Operations Manager and staff
Repair Town-maintained park and ride lots
Provide bus shelter site improvements,
Repair lighting and continue contracted security services for Tar Heel Express events
Purchase hardware and software for marketing staff, and
Purchase furniture for the Transportation Department.

Federal guidelines require that recipients of Section 5307 funds establish a minimum annual expenditure of 1 percent for transit projects that would enhance mass transit service or use. These funds will be used to rehabilitate and improve bus stops and signage within the Town’s service area and to purchase bus shelters where needed. There is also a 1 percent requirement for improvements to safety and security at transit facilities. These funds will be used to repair and increase lighting at transit facilities, park and ride lots, and to install emergency call phones.

RECOMMENDATION

That the Council enact the following project ordinance.

AN ORDINANCE ESTABLISHING A PROJECT BUDGET FOR A TRANSPORTATION GRANT (2005-09-26/O-2)

BE IT ORDAINED by the Council of the Town of Chapel Hill that, pursuant to Section 13.2 of Chapter 159 of the General Statutes of North Carolina, the following grant projects are hereby established:

SECTION I

The Urban Area Formula Program (Section 5307) funds are from 2005 federal funds from an agreement with the Federal Transit Administration.

SECTION II

The Manager of the Town of Chapel Hill is hereby directed to proceed with the implementation of the project within the terms of the grant agreements executed with the Federal Transit Administration and the North Carolina Department of Transportation within the funds appropriated herein.

SECTION III

The following revenue is anticipated to be available to the Town to complete activities as outlined in the project application.

Urbanized Area Formula Program (Section 5307)

Federal Transit Administration	$545,785
N.C. Department of Transportation (NCDOT)	15,000
Town of Chapel Hill	121,446
Total	$682,231

SECTION IV

The following amounts are appropriated for the FY 2005 Section 5307 project:

Salaries - Full Time	55,736
FICA	4,264
M & R Vehicles	265,231
Software Licenses/Support Agreement	1,500
Misc. Contracted Services	70,000
Computer Small Equipment/Supplies	10,500
Capital Equipment	275,000
Total	682,231

This the 26th day of September, 2005.