Agenda - Council - 05/28/2019 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Boulevard and Ramsey Boulevard, frontage roads on both sides of Highway 10, and grade separation improvements for the Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) railway crossing of Ramsey Boulevard. Based on the range of options currently being reviewed with the public, the proposed improvements to Highway 10 will cost somewhere between $90 and $150 million. Phase 1 of the Ramsey Gateway plan, the planning phase, will be complete within the next couple of months. Phase 2 of the Ramsey Gateway plan, the design phase, will develop the preliminary design and estimated construction costs based on the approved plan. To ensure the City of Ramsey is in a position to construct improvements along Highway 10 through Ramsey soon after the cities of Anoka and Elk River complete their improvements, City staff believes it is prudent to begin submitting applications for external funding as soon as possible as the opportunities arise. These opportunities occur at different times of the year so Staff feels it is important to apply early and often to ensure our project can be fully funded within the next several years. An opportunity currently exists to apply for federal funds through the Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development, or "BUILD Transportation grants" program. The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2019 appropriated $900 million to be awarded by the Department of Transportation ("DOT") for National Infrastructure Investments. This appropriation stems from the program funded and implemented pursuant to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and is known as the BUILD program. Funds for the FY 2019 BUILD Transportation grants program are to be awarded on a competitive basis for surface transportation infrastructure projects that will have a significant local or regional impact. A copy of the Notice of Funding Opportunity is attached. The BUILD grant program is generally the same program as the previous Transportation Investments Generating Economic Revenue (TIGER) grant program. The 2019 BUILD Transportation grants have a maximum award amount of $25 million, and no more than $90 million can be awarded to a single State. Additionally, not more than 50 percent of funds will be awarded to projects located in urban and rural areas, respectively. BUILD Transportation grants may also not be less than $5 million, except for projects located in rural areas where the minimum award size is $1 million. All FY 2019 BUILD funds must be expended by September 30, 2026. Applications must be submitted on-line through Grants.gov by 8:00 PM E.D.T. on July 15, 2019. The City Engineer will submit the application. Notification: Notifications are not required for this case. Observations/Alternatives: Observations: Upon City Council authorization to submit an application for the FY 2019 BUILD grant program, Staff will request letters of support from Anoka County, the Minnesota Department of Transportation, and local businesses. Congressional letters of support will also be requested. In 2017, the City applied for a federal FASTLANE grant. Though the City was unsuccessful with that application, Staff did request an audit of our application and was informed that though the application was unsuccessful the vast majority of applicants are not awarded funds with their first application, and that our chances of award increase each time we submit an application due to increased familiarity with our project. If the City is unsuccessful in securing funds under the 2019 BUILD program, the application can be re -purposed to apply for future BUILD program funds, or other available funding sources. Such programs include Transportation Economic Development (TED), Corridor Investment Management Strategy (CIMS), Corridors of Commerce (COC), Local Road Improvement Program (LRIP), and the Local Partnership Program (LPP), formerly known as the Cooperative Agreement program. Alternatives: