The City Council is being asked to support staff's preparation and submittal of a 2019 Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) Grant to fund motorized and non-motorized transportation projects in the community. The grant is expected to be for about $25 million with a local match of about $7 million. The program of projects to be constructed under the grant would include: The Inner Belt Loop; Sky Line Trail; Stage Coach Trail from the top of Zimmerman Trail to Rimrock Road; and two segments of the Marathon Loop between the Zoo and Riverfront Park and Riverfront Park and Mystic Park.

The grant application is due July 15. City staff from City Administration, Public Works, Planning Division, and PRPL, a community stakeholder group, and a consultant team are working to prepare the grant application. Resolutions or letters of support are being secured from the City Council, Yellowstone County Board of County Commissioners, Montana Department of Transportation, TrailNet, Billings Chamber of Commerce, the Montana Congressional Delegation, and many other community partners.

City Council may:

• Approve support for a 2019 BUILD Grant Application, or;
• Disapprove support for a 2019 BUILD Grant Application. The City is already investing in the feasibility and application of the BUILD Grant based on past direction and support from the Council, so not approving support would create a significant lost opportunity for the City at this stage in the process.

The BUILD Grant application total is expected to be about $25 million. The City intends to provide about $7 million in match for the grant utilizing funding approved in the City's adopted CIP for the Inner Belt Loop project. The Inner Belt Loop is estimated to cost a total of $14 million. If this grant is successful, the Inner Belt Loop would be constructed for only $7 million in local funding, as well as the community building four other critical trail segments to complete the Marathon Loop around Billings and make motorized and non-motorized travel much safer in several key corridors in or community.  

Staff recommends the City Council approve the Resolution supporting the 2019 BUILD Grant Application.