CITY COUNCIL AGENDA ITEM
Memo Date: April 2, 2020
Agenda Date: April 22, 2020
Prepared By: Frank Mirabito, Project Manager
Through: Bryant Smith III, P.E., CFM, Public Works Director/City Engineer
Requested Action:
title
Approve a Resolution Amending the FY2020 Budget, accepting a Multi-Year Grant award from the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services through the Florida Forest Service, and also provide the funding for the City’s Revenue Match, Budget Amendment Form # 20-060-A .
body
BACKGROUND:
The Managing Community Forests Grant Program is a new initiative that began in 2019. The purpose of this new program is to provide financial assistance to local governments or Native American tribal governments to initiate or enhance local urban and community forestry programs over a three-year period within the state of Florida.
The Managing Community Forests Grant is intended to help local governments start or develop urban forestry programs by establishing a clear path to an effective urban forest management strategy. As funding allows, selected communities will receive a total of three contracts over a three-year period to conduct a tree inventory, establish an urban forest master plan, and undertake a planting project to meet goals identified in the master plan.
The contract for the first year will be to develop a local tree inventory or a hazardous tree inventory on non-federal public properties (includes parks, rights-of-way, and preserves). This can include the purchase of hardware, software, and related equipment, as well as fees paid to vendors to conduct the inventory. The first-year award is up to $25,000 with $25,000 City matching funds for a tree inventory.
The second-year contract will fund the development of a plan to guide the management of urban trees on non-federal public properties. Management planning must include a tree care ordinance review or suggested language for a new ordinance. Plans must also utilize the information from the year 1 tree inventory and include: priority planting areas, canopy goals, and a metric on how to measure progress. The second-year is up to $15,000 with $15,000 City matching funds for creating a management plan of the City’s urban trees utilizing the tree inventory.
The third and final contract of this program will be for a planting project related to a goal set forth in the management plan. Local groups such as the tree board, master gardeners, 4-H or Future Farmers of America classes should be engaged in the project. The third-year is up to $15,000 with $15,000 City matching funds to plant trees as defined in the management plan.
The City is budgeting for year one with the approval of this Agenda item. Years two and three will be budgeted through the adoption of the annual budgets.
STRATEGIC PLAN CONNECTION:
Assist the City to develop an urban forestry program by establishing a clear path to an effective urban forest management strategy consistent with the intent of the City Tree Ordinance.
BUDGETARY IMPACT:
FY2020
Budget Amendment Form # 20-060-A
Project # GR2005
Revenue:
Account Name USDA/Forest SVC 26866
Account Number 001-0000-331.39-12
Amount $25,000
Account Name Fund Balance Reserves
Account Number 001-0000-389.99-50
Amount $25,000
Expense:
Account Name USDA Manage Forest Grant
Account Number 001-3520-572.31-00
Amount $50,000
Second Year: Grant $15,000 General Fund Match $15,000
Third Year: Grant $15,000 General Fund Match $15,000
PREVIOUS ACTION:
Council approved this grant application on October 23, 2019.
RECOMMENDED MOTION:
Recommendation
Approve a Resolution Amending the FY2020 Budget, accepting a Multi-Year Grant award from the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services through the Florida Forest Service, and also provide the funding for the City’s Revenue Match, Budget Amendment Form # 20-060-A