Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout09- City Manager ORIGINAL CITY OF SAN BERNARDINO—REQUEST FOR COUNCIL ACTION From: Charles McNeely Subject: City of San Bernardino 2010- 2011 Federal appropriations Requests Dept: City Manager Council Date: February 16, 2010 Date: February 10, 2010 Synopsis of Previous Council Action: Recommended Motion: Approve the recommended projects and consider addit nal r jec for i clusion as requested by Council. Signatur Contact person: Debbie Kurita Phone: x3557 Supporting data attached: yes Ward: All Wards FUNDING REQUIREMENTS: Amount: Up to $20 million in Federal Appropriations Source: (Acct. No.) -0- (Arct Description) -0- Finance: Agenda Item No. -I�- 16 CITY OF SAN BERNARDINO -REQUEST FOR COUNCIL ACTION STAFF REPORT Subject: City of San Bernardino 2010-2011 Federal Appropriations Requests Background: The City of San Bernardino has developed close working relationships with its Congressional and Senatorial delegation in Washington D.C. and has been successful in years past in securing federal appropriations for critical local projects. Annual appropriations requests are prepared with the assistance of Innovative Federal Strategies (IFS), the City's federal lobbyists, for projects or programs that have a regional or national significance. In years past, successful appropriations have been secured for transportation, public safety, economic development and parks & recreation projects or programs. For FY 2011, the City of San Bernardino has sought the input and advice from all departments to assist in identifying projects of a regional or national scope that could seek a federal appropriation. After several meetings with the departments and IFS, the following projects are being submitted for a federal appropriation: Project Title Amount of Funding Congressional/Senatorial Requested Representative San Bernardino Intermodal $2,000,000 Boxer, Feinstein, Baca Transit Center Downtown Safety & $800,000 Lewis Technology Enhancement Program (STEP) Electronic Workforce $100,000 Lewis, Baca Development & Literacy Kiosks San Bernardino Energy $850,000 Lewis, Baca Efficiency Facilities Upgrade Project Operation Phoenix $500,000 Boxer, Baca Community Center The projects listed above have met one or more criteria regarding regional or national significance, a project or program that has already been successful in receiving funding or a project that is a timely issue or seldom used source of funds that can be accessed. Staff is also seeking Council input for any additional projects that may be considered for inclusion as a potential projects to seek a Federal appropriation. Given the deadlines set by the Senate and Congress, staff has already submitted projects for consideration to Senator Feinstein and Senator Boxer. Should there be additional projects recommended by the Council that meet the criteria for a Federal appropriation, staff will develop the necessary documents and work with IFS to identify the appropriate member to submit the project to. The following is a descriptive narrative for each of the following projects: San Bernardino Intermodal Transit Center The City of San Bernardino, the San Bernardino Association of Governments, and San Bernardino County's regional transportation agency ("Omnitrans") are engaged in a joint effort to develop the San Bernardino Multi Modal Transit Center which will provide access to every major form of mass transit available in Southern California and will be the hub of mass transit for the entire Inland Empire. Serving Metrolink Commuter Rail, Redlands Light Rail, sbX Bus Rapid Transit and local bus service, the Transit Center will provide immediate access to all of Southern California for the thousands of workers and residents living and working in and around downtown. As the County Seat for the largest geographic County in the country and the 4s' largest county in population in California, downtown San Bernardino is home to nearly 20,000 workers that commute from places like Orange and Riverside County. Additionally, the County of San Bernardino is planning to consolidate all of their facilities into downtown bringing thousands more employees into downtown daily. The Transit Center will provide an alternative commuting option and will ease congestion on the freeway system. It will serve as an economic catalyst for a new transit oriented district in what is now an underutilized, blighted area and will provide a high-quality public intermodal transit facility that will promote transit use, provide connections to various transportation modes, help reduce highway congestion and air pollution, and provide the opportunity for economic development and transit-supportive lands uses. The City is seeking $2,000,000 for the completion of right of way and land acquisition, completion of final design, engineering and environmental for Transit Center. Downtown Safety& Technolozy Enhancement Proaram A significant technology solution to the crime and safety problem in the City of San Bernardino is through a video camera security system installed throughout the downtown corridor of San Bernardino. These systems are appearing in communities throughout the nation and are providing a force multiplier effect for local law enforcement. The solution being sought is multi-faceted. There are a number of businesses throughout the area that already have camera systems installed to protect their assets. One component of this project will involve the installation of the necessary infrastructure to allow local law enforcement real time access to those existing systems, creating a partnership between local law enforcement and those businesses desiring a stronger relationship and involvement in public safety. Another component is the acquisition and installation of new camera systems in public areas throughout the downtown area. Installation of City owned equipment will allow police employees the ability to scan areas of concern, determine the need for a police response, record incidents for future evidentiary purposes in criminal prosecutions as well as prevent crime through audio voice alarms when actual police officers are not in the area. The presence of cameras will also enhance the feeling of safety and security in the downtown area for workers and persons who visit and conduct business in the city. The City of San Bernardino expects to be able to provide 25 or more pan-tilt-zoom color security cameras engineered for outdoor use in the downtown area. Along with these cameras will be a management station, an archival server, wireless networking hardware, and the monitoring equipment needed to outfit the Police Department's dispatch center. The networking hardware for this project will be expandable to allow more cameras to be added in the future. Electronic Workforce Development&Literacy Kiosks The Jack L. Hill Literacy Center provides literacy services for adults and families who are functionally illiterate to allow them to learn operate in society. Some of the services provided at the Literacy Center include English as a Second Language, basic adult language & writing skills, and citizenship preparatory classes. The Literacy Center also provides basic training for high school equivalency exams, job training and offers a `Families for Literacy' class that allows families to develop the basic skills needed to function in society. In 2009, the Literacy Center served nearly 500 adults and over 100 children. The ability to read and write is a core function that must be developed in order to function on a day to day basis, get a job and get out of poverty. The Literacy Center also coordinates training services and classes with the San Bernardino Employment Training Agency. This collaboration will be well served by the workforce development kiosks and will allow many more residents to be trained. Electronic workforce development kiosks will be created for use by citizens for word processing and other productivity software, resume programs, and databases that offer sample test questions for jobs, the GED, Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery, etc. Internet services for job searching and other career-related resources for the benefit of San Bernardino residents will also be available at the kiosks. Through the Literacy Center, the kiosks will offer resume and job search classes to provide residents with the necessary tools and skills needed to compete in this economy. The project consists of 18 new computers, associated software, printers and a part time employee to conduct classes and provide instruction. San Bernardino Energy Efficiency Facilities Upgrade The San Bernardino Energy Efficiency Upgrade project consists of major lighting retrofits, air conditioning replacements, energy demand management systems and smart thermostats to automatically adjust temperatures when appropriate. The collective project will save over 500,000 kilowatt hours and nearly $90,000 every year. With a collective payback of approximately 8 years, the project will fully fund itself well past the useful life of the installations. The City of San Bernardino is seeking funding for major energy efficient upgrades at 22 different facilities throughout the City, including Police Stations, Fire Stations, Park Facilities, Community Centers and Animal Control facilities. Operation Phoenix Community Center The Operation Phoenix Neighborhood Initiative has all of the key elements outlined in the OJJDP Best Practices Model, and the Operation Phoenix Neighborhood Initiative is supported by the San Bernardino County Gangs and Drugs Task Force, 2005 Countywide Strategic Plan on Gangs. A key component of the Initiative has been the creation of three Community Centers in the highest crime areas in the City of San Bernardino. The Centers, managed by the Parks and Recreation Department, provide an after-school program with a variety of program elements designed to build resiliency in at-risk youth and reduce risk factors. Those program elements include tutoring, organized sports, teen clubs, and open recreation. The Community Centers have contributed to the success of Operation Phoenix since it began in July 2006, including: • A 66%reduction in firearm related murders of juveniles • Overall murders down 32% • Aggravated assaults down 20% • Overall crime reduction of 20% This past fall, Mayor Patrick Morris was invited to the White House to meet with Vice President Biden to discuss the success of Operation Phoenix and how this model can be used throughout the nation as a model for crime suppression, intervention, and prevention in high crime areas. The City of San Bernardino is seeking additional funding in Federal Fiscal Year 2011 to augment the existing services and provide a full time officer dedicated to the Operation Phoenix Community Centers to engage in community oriented policing, after school safety programs, community outreach, education and intervention. In addition to the projects identified above, the San Bernardino Municipal Water Department is seeking a federal appropriation and authorization for the development of its Clean Water Factory. The San Bernardino Economic Development Agency is also seeking a federal appropriation for the development of a One Stop Business Development Center to coordinate and assist businesses seeking to expand, provide training or locate their company to San Bernardino. Each of the representatives set their own deadline for when appropriations requests are due and for 2010, the following dates have been established: Senator Dianne Feinstein—February 5, 2010 Senator Barbara Boxer—February 12, 2010 Congressman Jerry Lewis-February 22, 2010 Congressman Joe Baca—March 2, 2010 Recommendation: Approve the recommended projects and consider any additional projects for inclusion as requested by Council.