Business Agenda Item 6a
STAFF REPORT
City Council Business Agenda Item
DATE: March 7, 2022
TO: Honorable Mayor and Council Members
FROM: Merritt Perry, City Manager
SUBJECT: Authorize the City Manager to Submit a Building Forward Library Infrastructure Grant, Resolution 2022-06
STAFF RECOMMENDATION:
Approve Resolution 2022-06 authorizing the City Manager to submit a Building Forward Library Infrastructure Grant and execute all related documents.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
The City of Fortuna owns the building that houses the Fortuna Library at 753 14th Street. The Library is operated by the County of Humboldt consistent with a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the City and the County. In accordance with the MOU, the City provides the building maintenance, janitorial and utilities and the County provides staff and operates the library.
There are no provisions in the MOU for needed building improvements or upgrades to the library, however, the City and County have worked collaboratively to make improvements to the building.
Most recently the County made accessibility improvements to the interior of the library and the city is in the process of improving the path of travel to the City parking lot at 11th and N Street.
Recently the State released a call for applications for competitive grant applications to address life safety and critical maintenance needs for public libraries in California, with a maximum award of $10M. There are many critical maintenance needs at the Fortuna Library including additional accessibility improvements, functional improvements for library spaces, and general building maintenance and upgrade needs. The deadline for grant submittal is March 21, 2022.
The County is taking the lead on the development of a grant application and is working with Whitchurch Engineering (under an existing contract with the County) to identify, design and estimate the cost for needed improvements to the Fortuna Library building. The City is participating in development of the grant, and ultimately will need to be the applicant for the project, as the City is the building owner.
Business Agenda Item 6a
FISCAL IMPACT:
The County will be providing the funding for the development of the grant application and the necessary matching funds. It is not anticipated that the City will be providing any funding for the project at this time. The City will be providing staff time to contribute to the development, administration, and oversight of the grant.
RECOMMENDED COUNCIL ACTION:
1. Receive staff report and review questions with staff
2. Open Public Comment
3. Close Public Comment
4. Motion to adopt Resolution 2022-06; and read by title only. Roll Call vote ATTACHMENTS:
Resolution 2022-06, A Resolution Of The City Council of the City Of Fortuna Authorizing the grant application, acceptance, and execution of the grant funds from the State of California Budget Act of 2021 (SB 129)