Submitted By: Tye Chighizola
presenter
Presentation By: Tye Chighizola
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Department: Growth Management
STAFF RECOMMENDATION (Motion Ready):
title
Adopt Budget Resolution 2024-151 to amend the Fiscal Year 2023-24 budget to accept and appropriate funding from the Federal Transit Administration for a low or no emission grant in the amount of $16,166,822
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OCALA’S RELEVANT STRATEGIC GOALS:
Quality of Place, Operational Excellence
PROOF OF PUBLICATION:
N/A
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BACKGROUND: The Ocala City Council held a public hearing on Tuesday, June 4, 2024, to review and receive comments on the $16,166,822 Fiscal Year 2023 Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Low or No Emission Project Grant. In late June, the City and FTA executed the grant. The grant includes a match of $4,041,706 from toll revenue credits from the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT). The Low or No Emission Grant requires no City/County match.
The grant funds will enable the City of Ocala to make significant strides toward achieving its strategic goals. These include enhancing service by improving current fixed route services, adding new microtransit services, and promoting operational improvements by initiating the electrification of the SunTran fleet, thereby reducing the carbon footprint and operating costs.
The project budget includes the following allocations: the purchase of five 35-foot battery electric buses (BEBs); the purchase of 26 battery-electric small cutaway vans; bus and small cutaway configuration; construction of a battery-electric transit maintenance facility; the purchase of five depot chargers for 35-foot BEBs; the purchase of 22 depot chargers for 26 battery-electric small cutaway vans; the purchase of four depot superchargers for 26 battery-electric small cutaway vans; upgrades to the power infrastructure; installation of depot chargers; workforce development activities; the hiring of a project manager; and technical support.
FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS: The City of Ocala is the policy board for SunTran and oversees RATP DEV, the company that manages SunTran. The allocation of funding is a competitive process based upon proposals submitted to the FTA in response to a Notice of Funding Opportunity. The Low or No Emission Grant Program provides funding to purchase or lease zero-emission and low-emission transit buses and to acquire, construct, and lease required supporting facilities.
FISCAL IMPACT: The proposed Low or No Emission Grant requires no City/County match. On June 18, 2024, the Ocala City Council approved a professional services agreement with the Center of Transportation and Environment (CTE) that provides consulting and training services to support the grant. The grant funding will be received in account 494-331-000-000-09-33478 and the grant expenses will be paid from accounting string 494-060-458-544*.
PROCUREMENT REVIEW: N/A
LEGAL REVIEW: N/A
ALTERNATIVE:
• Adopt with changes
• Table
• Deny
BUDGET RESOLUTION 2024-151
A RESOLUTION AMENDING THE FISCAL YEAR 2023-24 BUDGET TO ACCEPT AND APPROPRIATE FUNDS FROM THE FEDERAL TRANSIT ADMINISTRATION IN THE AMOUNT OF $16,166,822
WHEREAS, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) has awarded the City of Ocala a Section 5339 2023 Low/No Emission Project Grant in the amount of $16,166,822; and
WHEREAS, the State of Florida is providing $4,04,706 in Toll Revenue Credits as the 20% match to the FTA capital grant; and
WHEREAS, the capital grant requires no local match from the City and Marion County; and
WHEREAS, the funding will be used for capital-related expenses in support of the Low/No Emission Project Grant.
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF OCALA, FLORIDA, duly assembled in regular session, that the Fiscal Year 2023-24 budget be amended as outlined below to appropriate funding as follows:
SOURCE:
494-331-000-000-09-33478 FTA Grant $16,166,822
USE:
494-060-458-544-54-12020 Salaries $ 170,000
494-060-458-544-54-21010 FICA Taxes $ 13,005
494-060-458-544-54-24010 Workers’ Compensation $ 16,995
494-060-458-544-54-31010 Professional Services $ 380,685
494-060-458-544-54-34010 Other Services $ 751,000
494-060-458-544-54-40010 Training $ 317,500
494-060-458-544-54-52010 Operating Supplies $ 150,000
494-060-458-544-66-64010 Equipment $5,000+ $14,367,637
TOTAL $16,166,822
This resolution adopted this ______ day of ______________________, 2024.
ATTEST: CITY OF OCALA
By: By:
Angel B. Jacobs Barry Mansfield
City Clerk President, Ocala City Council
Approved as to form and legality:
By: _________________________________
William E. Sexton
City Attorney
Reviewed for accounting accuracy & completeness:
By: _________________________________
Peter A. Lee
City Manager