SUBJECT: STAFF REPORT
Title
Great Outdoors (GOCO) Local Parks and Outdoor Recreation, Department of Local Affairs, and Colorado Tree Coalition Funding Awards
Body
DEPARTMENT: Parks & Recreation and Public Works
PRESENTER: Patrick Hammer, Parks & Recreation Director
Todd Fessenden, Public Works Director
FISCAL INFORMATION: N/A
Cost as Recommended:
Balance Available:
Budget Line Item Number(s):
New Appropriation Required:
STAFF RECOMMENDATION:
Recommendation
Information only
End
SUMMARY AND BACKGROUND OF SUBJECT MATTER:
As a way to offset project costs, Town staff routinely seeks alternative funding sources from various local and national entities in the form of grants and in-kind contribution. Staff is pleased to share with the Board the following successful grant submissions.
Last year, the Board of Trustees passed a resolution supporting the Parks & Recreation Department’s pursuit of a 2020 Local Parks and Outdoor Recreation funding grant from Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) to assist in the completion of Erie Community Park Final Phase. At the March 10th, 2020 meeting, the Board adopted the Erie Community Park Final Phase Master Plan. Staff learned shortly after the March presentation that the GOCO Board had selected our grant submission and awarded the full grant amount of $350,000.
GOCO invests a portion of Colorado Lottery proceeds to help preserve and enhance the state’s parks, trails, wildlife, rivers, and open spaces. GOCO’s independent board awards competitive grants to local governments and land trusts, and makes investments through Colorado Parks and Wildlife. GOCO has funded more than 5,200 projects in urban and rural areas in all 64 Colorado counties without any tax dollar support.
Subsequently, staff also submitted a Tier II grant application for the same park project through the Department of Local Affairs’ (DOLA) Energy Impact Assistance Fund (EIAF). Funds for this program are derived from oil, gas, carbon dioxide, coal, and metals extracted in Colorado. Staff has learned that the EIAF funding committee has awarded the Erie Community Park project $750,000.
Public Works also applied for a EIAF grant for its hydroturbine project at the Lynn R Morgan Water Treatment Facility (WTF) under a new $12 million fund with the stated goal of being a catalytic Renewable/Clean Energy Challenge grant program, to spark efforts in reaching Colorado’s 2040 100% renewable energy goal. We are pleased to report that the Town was awarded the full grant of $766,704. Staff is working on agreements with DOLA to bring to the Board to officially accept these funds. Additionally, staff is working with the contractor on site at the WTF to develop competitive costs to add the installation of the turbine to the existing expansion project. Staff will be bringing a potential change order request for this work as well to a future meeting. In total the Town has been awarded over $1.5 million from DOLA’s EIAF in 2020.
Earlier this year, the Parks Division was awarded a grant in the amount of $6,000 by the Colorado Tree Coalition and funded by Xcel Energy. The funds will be used to enhance the Boneyard Dog Park by adding approximately 20 trees. Adding shade to this location is a frequent request of visitors.
Applying for grants is a very detailed process and takes a significant amount of research and dedication. Parks and Recreation and Public Works staff did an outstanding job in their 2020 grant applications.
ATTACHMENTS:
None