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Community Development Agency, Transportation Division, recommending the Board adopt and authorize the Chair to sign Resolution 080-2017, pertaining to the Fallen Leaf Road Pavement Rehabilitation Project, wherein the County:
1) Authorizes the Community Development Agency Director, or designee, to execute a Reimbursable Agreement with the Federal Highway Administration for not more than $10,000 of non-federal funding for development of a scope, schedule, and budget for the Project;
2) Endorses that the 11.47% Project non-federal matching funds, currently estimated at $356,000, will be available between 2018 and 2020; and
3) Will provide maintenance funding for the improvements proposed by the Project for a period of 20 years.
FUNDING: Federal Highway Administration's Federal Lands Access Program Funds (88.53% - Federal) and Local or State Funding (11.47% - Local or State).
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DEPARTMENT RECOMMENDATION
Community Development Agency (CDA), Transportation Division (Transportation), recommending the Board adopt Resolution 080-2017, pertaining to the Fallen Leaf Road Pavement Rehabilitation Project (Project), wherein the County:
1) Authorizes the Community Development Agency Director, or designee, to execute a Reimbursable Agreement with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) for not more than $10,000 of non-federal funding for development of a scope, schedule, and budget (Scoping Document) for the Project;
2) Endorses that the 11.47% Project non-federal matching funds, currently estimated at $356,000, will be available between 2018 and 2020; and
3) Will provide maintenance funding for the improvements proposed by the Project for a period of 20 years.
DISCUSSION / BACKGROUND
Transportation is preparing a grant application to request funding from the FHWA's Federal Lands Access Program (FLAP). The proposed Project will reconstruct Fallen Leaf Road from State Route 89 to Fallen Leaf Campground and improve the roadway to two lanes. The proposed Project will also rehabilitate the one-lane portion of Fallen Leaf Road from Fallen Leaf Campground to Tahoe Mountain Road and add a Class 1 Bike Path through this area. This Project is being proposed by Transportation because Fallen Leaf Road provides an important connection for forest visitors to access the Tahoe National Forest, and serves as a critical link for forest management and fire protection access to this Forest. Fallen Leaf Road also provides access to the Angora Highlands subdivision, which proved to be extremely important during the 2007 Angora Fire. Fallen Leaf Road provides direct motorized access to a variety of public recreation opportunities, including hiking, biking, back country camping, boating, fishing, cross-country skiing, and equestrian use at areas including Fallen Leaf Lake, Angora Lakes, Fallen Leaf Lake Marina, Stanford Sierra Camp, and Desolation Wilderness.
Part of the application process is to enter into an Agreement should the Project be selected by the California Programming Decisions Committee for the FLAP selection. The Agreement is required within 45 days of the project selection notification, costs up to an estimated amount of $10,000, and will provide a more accurate project scoping, schedule, and budget for the Project.
The total current estimated cost of the Project is $3,103,754. The County's non-federal match would be 11.47% of that total cost, or approximately $356,000.
Resolution 080-2017 commits the County to fund up to a maximum of $10,000 for a Scoping Document for the Project, endorses that the County will provide $356,000 in non-federal match funds for the Project cost, and states that the County will maintain the Project for 20 years. This Resolution is required for submittal with Transportation's FLAP grant application. If Transportation's application is then subsequently approved after the Scoping process, a Reimbursable Agreement will be required between the County and FHWA that will formalize the County's committment to providing the 11.47% non-federal match funding, currently estimated at $356,000. The Reimbursable Agreement will also commit the County to providing funding to maintain the constructed facility for 20 years.
Fallen Leaf Road is currently a County maintained road and is managed by Transportation’s Maintenance and Operations Unit (Maintenance). Maintenance staff will continue to maintain this road. Transportation Engineering staff will provide oversight through completion of the Project at an anticipated cost of $70,000. This cost is in addition to the County's estimated $356,000 match funds.
The executed Resolution 080-2017 must be submitted by the grant application deadline of May 12, 2017.
ALTERNATIVES
Should the Board choose not to adopt the Resolution, Transportation will not be able to apply for FLAP funding and complete the proposed Project.
OTHER DEPARTMENT / AGENCY INVOLVEMENT
County Counsel has reviewed and approved the Resolution.
CAO RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the Board approve this item while the Transportation Division looks for alternative match amounts before the project is planned to start between 2018 and 2020.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
If the County's application is short-listed, the County will be required to provide up to $10,000 for a detailed Scoping Document. If the County's application is then approved for implementation, the County will be required between 2018 and 2020 to provide the 11.47% project match, which is currently estimated at $356,000. Transportation estimates that an additional $70,000 will be required for Transportation staff oversight during design and construction. Thus, the total County funding required for this Project is currently estimated at $436,000.
Of the $436,000 required, the $70,000 for Project oversight can come from any funding source, such as the Road Fund. Neither the $10,000 Scoping budget or the $356,000 project match, however, can be funded with Federal money. Transportation is working to identify available non-federal funding sources, but none have yet been identified. Therefore, the County's share of the Project is currently proposed to be funded by the General Fund. The proposed Resolution authorizes the first commitment of $10,000 in General Fund monies, estimated to occur in Summer 2017 if the County's application is short-listed. While the Resolution also states that the County will provide its 11.47% share of the Project funding, the County is not formally obligated to provide the $356,000 unless the grant application moves forward in the process and a subsequent Reimbursable Agreement is executed between FHWA and the County. If the Board approves this item, Transportation will continue to look for funding that does not encroach on the General Fund. If no such funding is identified, the Board will have options later on in the grant process to either commit General Fund money or instead terminate Transportation's pursuit of the FLAP grant funding.
If the grant application is successful, the amount of $2,747,754 will be new funding from the FHWA's FLAP grant program. Transportation will include these costs in future budgets of the Capital Improvement Program, subject to award of the grant.
CLERK OF THE BOARD FOLLOW UP ACTIONS
1) The Clerk of the Board will obtain the Chair’s signature on the original Resolution.
2) The Clerk of the Board will forward one (1) copy of the executed Resolution to CDA Transportation, attention of John Kahling, Deputy Director of Engineering, Headington Unit.
STRATEGIC PLAN COMPONENT
Infrastructure
CONTACT
Bard R. Lower, Director
Community Development Agency, Transportation Division