TO:                                           Honorable Mayor & Members of the North Port Commission
 
FROM:                      A. Jerome Fletcher II, ICMA-CM, MPA, City Manager
 
TITLE:                     Approve Amendment of the Application to the Resilient SRQ Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery Program in the Amount of $10,314,000 for the Reconstruction of the Myakkahatchee Creek Bridge over Price Boulevard and Authorize the City Manager or the Mayor, as Applicable Under the City Charter, to Execute all Funding Documents After Legal Review, Should the Grant be Awarded to the City.
 
 
Recommended Action
 
Approve amendment of the application to the Resilient SRQ Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery Program in the amount of $10,314,000 for the Reconstruction of the Myakkahatchee Creek Bridge over Price Boulevard and authorize the City Manager or the Mayor, as applicable under the City Charter, to execute all funding documents after legal review, should the grant be awarded to the City.
 
Background Information
 
Sarasota County is a direct recipient of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)'s Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR). Sarasota County has named this grant initiative Resilient SRQ (RSRQ). The County will be awarded $201.5 million in funding to deliver unmet needs assistance to the community from the impacts from Hurricane Ian.
 
On March 18, 2024, The City of North Port submitted an application to the Resilient SRQ Program, requesting funding for the design and construction of a replacement for the Myakkahatchee Creek bridge over Price Boulevard, Bridge No. 175014, a critical evacuation route for citizens living to the west of the creek and which experienced high, turbulent water during and after Hurricane Ian.  The original application requested a total of $12,314,000, with a match of $2,000,000, for a total project cost of $14,314,000.  
 
This project initially received a low score by RSRQ staff.  City of North Port staff determined that this was largely due to the low match fund included in the original application ($2,000,000). City Staff worked to increase the match amount available by an additional $2,000,000, bringing the total match to $4,000,000.  City staff then submitted a request to emend the original application.  This request was made via letter to RSRQ (attached) and subsequently at the dais by City Manager Jerome Fletcher on Wednesday, May 22, 2024, at the RSRQ County Commission Meeting.  The emended application was accepted and resulted in the project being awarded a total of $10,314,000, with a $4,000,000 match, for a total estimated project cost of $14,314,000.
 
This is a reimbursable grant, meaning the City will spend first and then request reimbursement from the granting agency.  When the contract is received by the City, it will be reviewed for form and correctness by the City Attorney.
 
Strategic Plan
 
Safe Community
Infrastructure and Facilities Integrity
Environmental Resiliency and Sustainability
 
Financial Impact
 
There is no expected cost share. If the amount awarded by the state comes in at $3 million, both Fire Rescue and NPPD will reduce the specifications for the vehicles such that the cost per vehicle matches the amount awarded by the state.  Yearly maintenance of the vehicles will be handled by Fleet.  Fleet estimates that the maintenance cost per vehicle will be approximately $3000 per year.  These vehicles will each be added to the respective department’s renewal and replacement plans.  As the vehicles near their end-of-life expectancies (10-12 years), plans will be put in place to replace them. 
 
Procurement
 
Procurement code, policies and procedures will be followed when the purchase is made.
 
Attachments:                     
 
1.                     Letter to RSRQ from City Manager
2.                     RSRQ Myakkahatchee Creek Bridge Application
 
Prepared by:                                            Michael J. Davey, PhD, Grants Coordinator
 
Department Director:                       A. Jerome Fletcher II, ICMA-CM, MPA, City Manager