Brynt Johnson,

Director of Engineering and Building Services

Resolution of support for a Grant Application for the Complete Streets and Other Localized Initiatives Program (CSLIP) for the NE 15^th Avenue Improvement Project.

Issue Statement: The MPO’s Complete Streets and other Localized Initiatives Grant Program (CSLIP) provides funding for local transportation projects to improve safety and multi-modal mobility. Projects submitted for funding shall be between $500,000 and $3,000,000.  Staff is recommending the submission of the NE 15^th Avenue Improvement Project. Grant Applications for CSLIP project funding must be submitted to the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) by no later than November 10, 2021. Grant funding for the construction phase of the submitted project is programmed to be available in seven years (2028).

Staff examined the information provided by the MPO with respect to the type of projects that can be funded and the evaluation criteria and met to discuss projects that could be submitted for funding.   After reviewing the current planned sidewalks improvements, staff identified NE 15th Street as a good north/south project to compliment the completed and planned sidewalk projects in the Downtown.  

This project will complement the planned multi-use pathway on NE 13^th Avenue and the installation of sidewalk connectors that will run east/west from Main Street to NE 16^th Avenue.  Installation of sidewalks on NE 15^th Avenue will connect to the planned east/west sidewalk network included in the 13^th Avenue project.   

The proposed project contemplated in this agenda is the NE 15^th Avenue Roadway Improvement Project from Oakland Park Boulevard to Park Lane East (NE 38^th St.). The improvements being requested for CSLIP funding include:

• Installation of continuous 5' sidewalks
• Drainage as needed to facilitate installation of sidewalks

          In addition, staff will evaluate potential inclusion of traffic calming elements

Should the City be awarded the grant, the grant will fund the design and construction for this project. There is no City match required; however, the City will be responsible to cover certain elements of the project such as utility relocations and landscaping.  These elements will be further defined through the design process.  As a result, the City should anticipate budgeting 20% contingency for those ineligible and unforeseen expenses.

As part of the grant application, the City was required to perform outreach to the affected community. A community meeting was held on October 5, 2021. A direct mailing was sent to the property owners on the affected streets. The meeting was promoted in several locations on the city website including the event calendar, as a news flash item on the home page, as a rotating banner on the home page, and as a community meeting notice on the Engineering and Construction page.  Announcements about the meeting were shared through digital channels including weekly newsletter email blast updates, Nextdoor, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram; and sent notice of the meeting to the publishers of the Living in Oakland Park website to share with the community.  

There is no immediate financial impact.  The City's grant application would fund design and construction of this project. When the project is designed, the City will have to fund any remaining costs in excess of the grant amounts for the project to be built, as mentioned above.  Funding strategies for these projects will vary based on the estimated cost and nature of the project.

Staff recommends that the City Commission adopt a resolution of support for the submission of the Complete Streets and Other Localized Initiatives Grant Program for the NE 15^th Avenue Improvement Project and further authorize City staff to design and construct the project should the project receive MPO funding.