Laserfiche WebLink
ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL — NOVEMBER 27, 2023 9 <br />timeline was discussed with the Council. The details involving the boardwalk were discussed in <br />further detail. He reviewed the cost estimates for the project and commented on the funding and <br />grant opportunities that would be available to assist with offsetting costs for the City. He <br />explained if the City were to receive grants from each of the funding sources, the City's obligation <br />would be approximately $1.2 million. He ended his presentation by discussing the next steps for <br />this project, which included applying for the various funding sources and finalizing the trail plans <br />by March of 2024. <br />Mayor Grant discussed the three different funding sources noting each grant opportunity would <br />cost the City $7,000 to apply for. He recommended the shovel ready date remain firm at March of <br />2024. <br />Councilmember Fabel asked what the optimism level was from SRF to receive the three funding <br />sources. <br />Mr. McGarvey explained he has been very successful over the years in receiving funding for <br />various different clients. He believed the City had more than a 50150 shot at each funding source. <br />He anticipated the federal requests would come in fully funding, if approved. He commented on <br />how the merits of this project make a strong case, which will assist with funding success. <br />Councilmember Holden stated she understood there were a lot of unfunded Safe Routes to <br />Schools surrounding elementary schools. She asked if it was reasonable to believe Arden Hills <br />would receive $1 million for this project when the total budget allocated for Safe Routes to <br />School was $10.2 million. <br />Mr. McGarvey stated he believed this project would be a good case. <br />Councilmember Holden requested further information on how the federal funding can be used. <br />Mr. McGarvey explained federal dollars can only be used for construction expenses, which was <br />$3 million of the project costs, including construction of the trail. <br />Councilmember Holden supported the City pursuing these grants but asked how much this <br />would cost the City in consultant fees. <br />Mr. McGarvey reported the federal money solicitation costs $8,000, the State application would <br />cost the City $5,000, and the DNR grant would be $5,000 or less. <br />Mayor Grant stated he had concerns that the City would not receive the maximum for these <br />grants, but understand the City would not know unless they tried. He asked what percentage of a <br />match would be required from the federal funding. <br />Mr. McGarvey explained the Federal SRTS grant funding would require a 20% match. <br />Public Works Director/City Engineer Swearingen reported the City obligation does include <br />part of the matching, but noted the Ramsey County contribution could be used for the match. <br />