Adopt Resolution #17-02-048 Approving Final Application to Resilient Communities Project

The purpose of this case is to consider a formal application to the Resilient Communities Program. After a presentation by the program at the January 10, 2017 Work Session, City Council consensus was to proceed forward with said application. The attached documents are only a partial draft, the status at the time of publishing of this agenda. The Application is due Wednesday, February 15. Staff will forward the final draft on February 14 for review. Staff is simply seeking authorization to formally submit an application, with final details on the application populated prior to the application deadline.

Each academic year (July 1 - June 30), one community is selected as the Partner Community and gains access to a broad base of knowledge and expertise from U of MN faculty, graduate students, and upper level undergraduate students and provide research and data supplementation to the City for project already in the queue. The intent is to supplement City Staff and assist in aspects of key projects to help bring to completion. The program attempts to match community identified projects with graduate and upper level undergraduate courses to complete the identified project(s). The application process for this program has been divided into two (2) components with the first step being a Letter of Intent (due by September 15, 2016). Based on the LOI submittals, selected communities will then be invited to apply to the RCP program (application due by February 15, 2017). The selected community's partnership would begin July 1, 2017 and would end June 30, 2018. The City was selected to proceed to the next stage.

This program is based on projects identified by the Partner Community. As potential projects were identified, Staff focused on projects that are already in the Strategic Plan or an associated Advisory Board or Department Work Plan. Attached is a list of possible projects that were identified by Staff from all departments that may be a good fit for this program.

There are multiple benefits to participating in the RCP. Most notably is the access to faculty and graduate/upper level undergraduate students from multiple disciplines, including architecture, planning, engineering, environmental sciences, public health and others to provide real value in work product that can be used in existing policy analysis. It provides an opportunity to advance projects that may otherwise never get off the ground. Furthermore, assistance is available for all stages of sustainability, which can include analysis, planning, design, implementation, and evaluation. The Partner Community would gain access to hundreds of hours of concentrated student work on projects the City has specifically identified. This would not replace the need for Staff, professional services, and other project management, but a supplement to our supply of resources that will make true progress towards completion.

Staff has reached out to two (2) former Partner Communities to gauge their level of satisfaction with the program and whether they would do it again if the opportunity arose. Both communities were generally supportive of the program outcomes noting that some of the project results were equal to or exceeded work they had received from consultants. However, both communities identified staff time commitment as a challenge. The RCP program recommends that each project lead should plan for an average of 2-4 hours per week on their project(s) over the course of the twelve (12) month program and the overall program coordinator should plan for an average of 5-7 hours per week over the course of the program. The overall Program Manager would be the Community Development Director, with individual Project Managers including the City Planner and other key Staff based on the individual project.

There is a financial commitment required of the Partner Community, which is based on the number of projects proposed (for base payment) and actual number of projects successfully matched with a course or courses. Communities must proposed between ten (10) and thirty (30) projects; the base fee for ten to twenty (10-20) projects is $40,000.00 and for twenty-one to thirty (21-30) projects, the base fee is $80,000.00. In addition to the base fee, for each successfully matched project with a course or courses, there is an additional $2,000.00 fee. So, for ten to twenty (10-20) projects, the total program cost could be up to $80,000.00 and for twenty-one to thirty (21-30) projects, the total program cost could be up to $120,000.00 (Staff would not recommend participation at this commitment level). Payment can be made in two (2) lump sum payments, the first due in fiscal year 2017 and the second due in fiscal year 2018. Staff would plan for a total commitment of $60,000 to $80,000 based on the City's potential project list, divided over two (2) fiscal years ($30,000 to $40,000 per year). Staff would recommend existing budget requests/forecasts for professional services (no impact to proposed 2017 General Fund Budget Request).

Funding for this program would be through the existing 2017 General Fund Budget ($40,000) as well as the 2018 General Fund Budget ($40,000). Budget dollars are available in various Professional Service Line Items per Department and an appropriate use of these funds.

Staff recommends authorization of the final application for the Resilient Communities Program.

Motion to adopt Resolution #17-02-048 authorizing a final application to the Resilient Communities Program.