EAST PALO ALTO
CITY COUNCIL
STAFF REPORT
DATE: March 1, 2022
TO: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
VIA: Jaime M. Fontes, City Manager
BY: Patrick Heisinger, Assistant City Manager
SUBJECT: Federal Community Project Funding Requests (Earmarks) Recommendation
Receive informational report on Community Project Funding requests.
Alignment with City Council Strategic Plan
This recommendation is primarily aligned with:
Priority No. 1: Enhance Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Priority No. 2: Enhance Economic Vitality
Priority No. 3: Increase Organizational Effectiveness and Efficiency Priority No. 4: Improve Public Facilities and Infrastructure Priority No. 5: Improve Communication and Enhance Community Engagement Priority No. 6: Create a Healthy and Safe Community
Background
In Late January, Ken Brown, the City’s lobbyist notified the City of East Palo Alto (“City”) that the House of Representatives will accept Member requests for Community Project Funding (commonly referred to as “earmarks”) for the upcoming fiscal year.
Each representative in Congress may only submit ten (10) requests for Community Project Funding consideration, so it is imperative that each submittal aligns with a jurisdiction’s strategic priorities and has already been vetted through a community process.
The purpose of this informational report is to provide an overview of the projects or initiatives that City staff recommends for submittal to Congresswoman Speier’s office for consideration, prior to the March 4, 2022, deadline.
Analysis
Status on Last Year’s Earmark Requests
Project Request Status
O’Connor Pump
Station Stormwater
Management
Improvements
$800,000 to complete essential
upgrades to improve stormwater
management, enhance local water
quality, and prevent flooding,
INCLUDED in House Interior
& Environment Appropriations
Bill passed by full House.
Cummings Small
Business Incubator
Facility
$555,000 to upgrade the
Cummings loft to house a new
small business incubator.
Request by Sen. Feinstein
INCLUDED in Senate
Financial Services
Appropriations Bill.
US 101/University
Ave. Bike/
Pedestrian
Overcrossing &
Interchange
Improvements
$9.3 million to construct a separate
bridge to provide safe route for
pedestrians and bicyclists to cross
a dangerous highway and connect
to schools, jobs, and shopping.
Request by Sen. Padilla NOT
INCLUDED in Senate
Transportation HUD
Appropriations Bill.
East Palo Alto
Water/Sewer
Infrastructure
Improvements
$600,000 to complete a
comprehensive plan for the design,
financing, and implementation of
major improvements to water and
sewer infrastructure.
Request by Sen. Padilla NOT
INCLUDED in Senate Interior
& Env. Appropriations Bill to
be considered in September.
East Bayshore Road
Safety
Improvements
$1 million to plan and design road
improvements to make it safe for
residents to walk and bike to
school, jobs, and shopping.
INCLUDED in House
Transportation Authorization
bill passed by full House.
Earmarks NOT INCLUDED in
Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill.
Potential Opportunities for FY 2022-2023
Similar to last year, the Community Project Funding process will be significantly truncated in comparison to previous years. As a first step, City Staff reviewed the City Council’s approved priorities to identify potential projects/initiatives that could be considered for Community Project Funding.
Next, City staff worked closely with the City’s lobbyist, Ken Brown, to determine which City Council-approved workplan items may be eligible for consideration as Community Project Funding requests.
Based on the above, staff has identified the following areas as potential funding requests:
• Water/wastewater infrastructure planning
• Transportation planning
• Improvements to City facilities
• Additional improvements to the O’Connor Pump Station
• Economic Development Planning related to the Sobrato Phase 2 incubator • Parks 1
Next Steps
The City’s Community Project Funding request must be finalized in approximately two (2) weeks. City staff will work closely with Congresswoman Speier’s office, the Mayor, and Vice Mayor to finalize the City’s requests based on the priorities for the City and the Congressional District.
Fiscal Impact
There is no fiscal impact to the City associated with this report.
Public Notice
The public was provided notice of this agenda item by posting the City Council agenda on the City’s official bulletin board outside City Hall and making the agenda and report available at the City’s website and at the San Mateo Co. Library located at 2415 University Avenue, East Palo Alto.
Environmental
The action being considered by the City Council is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) because it is not a “project” pursuant to 15378(b)(4) because it is a fiscal activity which does not involve any commitment to any specific project which may result in a potentially significant impact on the environment.
1 Traditionally, Parks do not score well, but there may be some opportunities with climate change, stormwater, and other funding sources that could also benefit the City’s parks goals.