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HomeMy WebLinkAbout20112559.tiff RESOLUTION RE: SUPPORT FOR A WELD COUNTY TIGER III GRANT PRE-APPLICATION IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CITY OF GREELEY AND TOWN OF WINDSOR WHEREAS, the Board of County Commissioners of Weld County, Colorado, pursuant to Colorado statute and the Weld County Home Rule Charter, is vested with the authority of administering the affairs of Weld County, Colorado, and WHEREAS, on June 30, 2011, the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) published notices in the Federal Register for funding availability for Supplemental Discretionary Grants for Capital Investments in Surface Transportation Infrastructure(also known as TIGER III Discretionary Grants) under the Fiscal Year 2011 Transportation Appropriation Bill, and WHEREAS, the TIGER III Discretionary Grants must be submitted to the U.S. Secretary of Transportation by Monday, October 31, 2011, and WHEREAS, the USDOT's consideration of TIGER III applications will be based on Job Creation and Economic Stimulus and Long-Term Outcomes as primary selection criteria, and WHEREAS, this application is a result of regional multi-jurisdictional cooperation between Weld County, the City of Greeley, and the Town of Windsor, and WHEREAS, Weld County is classified by the USDOT as "Economically Distressed", and WHEREAS,the Board desires to send a strong message to our elected officials, and state and federal agencies that the Weld County's North Rail Corridor is important to the long-term health and wealth of the region. NOW,THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Board that full support and encouragement to Weld County's TIGER III Discretionary Grant application be, and hereby is, confirmed. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED by the Board that it pledges to be the lead agency on the application. QS-: w 2011-2559 10- 31 - I I BC0042 RE: SUPPORT FORA WELD COUNTY TIGER III GRANT PRE-APPLICATION IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CITY OF GREELEY AND TOWN OF WINDSOR PAGE 2 The above and foregoing Resolution was, on motion duly made and seconded, adopted by the following vote on the 28th day of September, A.D., 2011. BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS WELD COUNTY, CO gti:2ADO ATTEST:�j 4/irkmey / cad arbara Kirkmeyer, air Weld County Clerk to the Board dean P. C. way, Pro-Tem BY: % :,,e,-y.xpu Deputy CIeQk to the Boa + '� C ) ��/ ,� ►' is ApPIE D RM: ( r David . Long /County Attorney Dougla Rademac r Date of signature: (0 - 2011-2559 BC0042 1 8 6 1 - 2 0 1 1 MEMORANDUM TO: Board of County Commissioners W E L c C O U N T Y DATE: September 27, 2011 FROM: Elizabeth Relford, Transportation Planner SUBJECT: Resolution of Support-TIGER III Pre- Application Submittal On September 26, 2011, the BOCC held a work session with the City of Greeley, Town of Windsor and Great Western Railroad to discuss the merits of a submitting a joint TIGER III application. TIGER III requires a pre-application submittal by October 3, 2011. The primary selection criteria for the pre- application includes the following: A. Long Term Outcomes: a. State of Good Repair b. Economic Competitiveness c. Livability d. Environmental Sustainability e. Safety f. Cost Benefit g. Job Creation and Economic Stimulus B. Secondary Selection Criteria: a. Innovation b. Partnership To provide a general overview of the TIGER III Discretionary Grant, I have attached a fact sheet. The official TIGER III application must be submitted through grants.gov no later than Monday, October 31, 2011. Weld County has agreed to be the lead agency on this grant application and intends to submit the pre-application to US DOT by October 3, 2011. Staff recommends the Board adopt the Resolution of Support for the TIGER III pre-application. I am available at your convenience to answer any questions you may have. 2011-2559 US DOT TIGER III Grant Program The US DOT National Infrastructure Investment grant program (TIGER III) will provide $527 million for surface transportation projects across all modes. Funding will be awarded on a competitive basis for projects that have a significant impact on the nation, a metro area, or a region. The TIGER III program is very similar to the TIGER II program from 2010,with a number of minor changes: • No funding is specifically set aside for the planning, preparation, or design of capital projects; however,these activities are eligible for funding as part of an overall construction project. • An organization can be the lead applicant on no more than three applications. Funding and Setasides A total of$527 million is available. A number of set-asides were included in the legislation: • At least$140 million will be provided to projects in rural areas (defined as outside an Urbanized Area of 50,000 or more population). • Not more than$150 million can be used for subsidies under the Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA) program. • Not more than $25 million can be retained by US DOT for administration and oversight. Grant Sizes US DOT can make grant awards as small as $10 million and as large as $200 million. However,in rural areas awards may be as small as $1 million,and US DOT has indicated that the largest grants are likely to be less than $200 million. In the TIGER II program,grants ranged from $1 million to $47.6 million,with an average award of$13.25 million. Matching Funds and Leverage At least 20 percent of project costs must be provided from non-federal funds. However, projects in rural areas may receive up to 100 percent federal funding. US DOT will give priority to projects for which federal funding is required to complete an overall financing package. Projects can increase their competitiveness by demonstrating significant non-federal contributions. Eligible Applicants States, local governments, transit agencies, ports,metropolitan planning organizations and Native American Tribes,multi-state and multi-jurisdictional groups, among others, are eligible to apply. Eligible Projects All surface transportation capital projects are eligible,including highways and bridges, public transit, freight and passenger rail, and port improvements. Application Process and Deadlines Pre-applications providing basic information to validate eligibility must be submitted by October 3rd. Final applications are due October 31st. Selection Criteria and Considerations Primary Selection Criteria Long-Term Outcomes:DOT will give priority to projects that have a significant impact on desirable long-term outcomes for the nation, a metropolitan area,or a region. Applications that do not demonstrate a likelihood of significant long-term benefits in this criterion will not proceed in the evaluation process. The following types of long-term outcomes will be given priority: • State of Good Repair:Improving the condition of existing transportation facilities and systems, with particular emphasis on projects that minimize life-cycle costs. • Economic Competitiveness:Contributing to the economic competitiveness of the United States over the medium- to long-term. • Livability:Fostering livable communities through place-based policies and investments that increase transportation choices and access to transportation services for people in communities across the United States. • Environmental Sustainability:Improving energy efficiency, reducing dependence on oil, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and benefitting the environment. • Safety:Improving the safety of U.S. transportation facilities and systems. Job Creation &Near-Term Economic Activity:DOT will give priority to projects that are expected to quickly create and preserve jobs and promote rapid increases in economic activity, particularly jobs and activity that benefit federally-recognized economically distressed areas. Secondary Selection Criteria Innovation:DOT will give priority to projects that use innovative strategies to pursue the long- term outcomes outlined above. Partnership:DOT will give priority to projects that demonstrate strong collaboration among a broad range of participants and/or integration of transportation with other public service efforts. DOT will give more weight to the Primary Selection Criteria. Additional Considerations US DOT is directed to ensure an equitable distribution across geography,transportation modes, and between urban and rural areas. Hello