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Approve the Remaining American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Town Project Allocation.
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Staff: |
Department: |
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Amy Oland, Director |
Business Management |
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Sarah Poulton, Senior Project Manager |
Town Manager’s Office |
Overview: The Town received $10,668,497 in American Rescue Plan Act funding from the federal government. Most of these funds have been allocated. There is $1.85 million remaining to allocate in Town project funding.
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Recommendation(s): |
That the Council approve the final ARPA Parks & Recreation and Greenways funded projects and enact the attached project ordinance amendment.
Parks & Recreation Facilities:
Inclusive Playground Equipment @ Community Center $ 500,000
System-Wide Playground Accessibility 285,000
Skate Park Replacement 500,000
Teen Center Study 65,000
$ 1,350,000
Bike, Pedestrian, Greenways:
Bolin Creek Greenway Design
(Umstead to Estes Drive Ext) $ 500,000
Key Issues:
• At the Council’s March 1 Work Session, staff presented a Town department funding recommendation for the remaining $1.35 million Parks & Recreation allocation and $500K Bike, Pedestrian, Greenway allocation.
• The funding recommendation was created in conjunction with Parks & Recreation leadership and reflects Council goals, community interests, and the realities and constraints of the ARPA funding.
• The projects:
o Can be accomplished in the allotted time frame (projects must be under contract by December 31, 2024 and fully spent by December 31, 2026)
o Meet Council’s interest of at least one big bold idea
o Have been discussed and planned for several years
• Parks & Recreation Project Allocation:
o Community Center Playground Replacement - The current playground at the Community Center is at the end of its useful lifecycle and would require an investment of $300K to repair the existing structures. A total replacement, which will focus on making the new playground inclusive for all abilities, reflects the interests expressed through recent community engagement which named the Chapel Hill Community Center Park as the preferred site location for the inclusive playground project.
o Playground Accessibility Improvements - This funding will allow the Town to purchase accessible playground equipment for all the existing Chapel Hill playgrounds. Recent community engagement input recommended adding inclusive elements to existing playgrounds.
o Skate Park Replacement - The Skate Park was built in 1999 utilizing wood material which is now considered outdated within industry standards. It requires significant maintenance hours to keep the site operational and safe. The recommended funding will provide an opportunity to replace the skate park and utilize a modern design with new amenities.
o Teen Center Study - The Teen Center study will focus on teen preferences, interests, and preferred amenities that could be included in a teen center, including the desired location. Additionally, the study would analyze teen program offerings throughout the Town offered both internally and externally. A key desired outcome would be the development of an implementation plan that would incorporate teen programming interest and facility needs.
• Bike, Pedestrian, Greenways Allocation:
o Bolin Creek Green Design (Umstead to Estes Drive Ext) - In the fall, staff presented four greenway options to Council in response to the interest to spend some ARPA funds on designing an “Everywhere to Everywhere Greenway”. All four of the greenways met the definition of what is considered an E2E Greenway. The projects were ranked by staff on network connectivity, availability of alternate routes, implementation difficulty, equity, and proximity to Affordable Housing. Staff recommend Bolin Creek Greenway, which would provide continuous facility between downtown Carrboro and the Chapel Hill Community Center, because: 1) the cost estimate was closest to $500,000; 2) it has been a top staff priority; 3) it is a joint priority of the Transportation and Connectivity Advisory Board and the Parks, Greenways, and Recreation Commission; and 4) it may benefit from cost savings if done in conjunction with the bike-ped improvements on Estes Extension.
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Attachments: |
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• Project Budget Ordinance Amendment |
AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT FUND (2023-03-22/O-1)
BE IT ORDAINED by the Council of the Town of Chapel Hill that pursuant to Section 13.2 of Chapter 159 of the General Statutes of North Carolina, that the American Rescue Plan Fund Ordinance provide funding for projects related to recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic funded from the U.S. Treasury is hereby amended to read as follows:
“SECTION I
The projects as authorized by the Town Council include various recovery and economic projects funded from the American Rescue Plan Act, for a variety of projects related to recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.
SECTION II
The Manager of the Town of Chapel Hill is hereby directed to proceed with implementation of these projects within terms of funds appropriated here.
SECTION III
Revenues anticipated to be available to the Town to complete the project are hereby amended as follows:
SECTION IV
Amounts appropriated for capital projects are hereby amended as follows:
SECTION V
The Manager is directed to report annually on the financial status of the project in an informational section to be included in the Annual Budget, and shall keep the council informed of any unusual occurrences.
SECTION VI
Copies of this amended projects ordinance shall be entered into the minutes of the Council and copies shall be filed within five days of adoption with the Manager, Business Management Director, and Town Clerk.”
This the 22nd day of March, 2023.
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The Agenda will reflect the text below and/or the motion text will be used during the meeting. |
presenter
By enacting the attached project ordinance amendment, the Council approves the final ARPA Parks & Recreation and Greenway funded project allocation.