AGENDA #4r
TO: Mayor and Town Council
FROM: W. Calvin Horton, Town Manager
SUBJECT: Project Ordinance for a Transportation Capital and Planning Grant
DATE: June 24, 2002
The attached ordinance would establish a project budget for a transit capital and planning grant for which we received final approval on June 17, 2002.
The grant will be used to continue the ongoing lease obligation to owners of land leased for a park-ride facility at Carrboro Plaza, lease of a modular office unit for use as Transportation Department offices, for bus shelter site improvements, for purchase of 4 replacement vans and 3 replacement support vehicles, and for transit planning activities.
On June 25, 2001, the Council authorized the filing of applications for federal and State transit grants for capital and planning funds as part of the 2001-2002 budget.
Urbanized Area Formula Program (Section 5307) Funding - Federal Transit Administration funding is distributed by formula to urbanized areas and is available for funding capital and planning needs.
A Federal Transit Administration grant for these funds was requested for 80% ($267,461) of the planning project expenses. State matching funds are no longer available for small capital expenses, non-revenue vehicle purchases and transit enhancement activities such as bus shelter site improvements, and therefore the Town must contribute the full 20% match for these items.
The federal application has been awarded and the Town of Chapel Hill has submitted an application to the N.C. Public Transportation Division to request appropriate matching funds of the capital and planning project costs.
The Town’s matching share will be available in the Transportation Fund.
Urbanized Area Formula Program (Section 5307) - Capital
The Federal Transit Administration Section 5307 capital funds ($170,027) will be used to purchase 4 replacement lift-equipped vans, 3 support vehicles, lease of a modular unit being used by the transit operations staff, and lease of the land for the Carrboro Plaza park-ride lot. The federal guidelines also require that recipients of Section 5307 funds establish a minimum annual expenditure of 1% for transit projects that would enhance mass transit service or use. These funds will be used to rehabilitate and improve bus stops within the Town’s service area. The Federal Transit Administration will provide 80% ($9,410) of the total transit enhancement expenses requested of $11,763.
Urbanized Area Formula Program (Section 5307) - Planning
Planning funds totaling $110,030 will be used to cover staff costs in transportation planning activities. These funds will be used to evaluate transit facilities and local land use plans, collect traffic count data, evaluate compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, develop the 2025 regional plan, develop a bike/pedestrian plan, and develop the annual Transportation Improvement Plan and the Unified Planning Work Program.
That the Council adopt the following project ordinance.
AN ORDINANCE ESTABLISHING A PROJECT BUDGET FOR A TRANSPORTATION GRANT (2002-06-24/O-3.1)
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:
The Urban Area Formula Program (Section 5307) funds are from 2001 federal funds from an agreement with the Federal Transit Administration.
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.
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 (FTA) |
$267,461 |
|
N.C. Department of Transportation (NCDOT) |
31,616 |
|
Town of Chapel Hill (local match) |
35,249 |
|
Total |
$334,326 |
The following amounts are appropriated for the FY2002 Section 5307 project:
|
Salaries - Full Time |
$35,000 |
|
Fringe Benefits |
3,500 |
|
FICA |
2,678 |
|
Professional Services |
40,000 |
|
Building and Equipment Rents |
8,400 |
|
Miscellaneous Contracted Services |
26,452 |
|
Capital Equipment |
218,296 |
|
Total |
$334,326 |
This the 24th day of June, 2002.