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in <br /> Public Works <br /> DATE: 4/4/2024 <br /> MEMO: 2024-55 <br /> TO: Honorable Mayor Julie Moore Wolfe,and City Council Members <br /> FROM: Scot Wrighton, City Manager <br /> Matt Newell,Public Works Director <br /> Keith Alexander,Water Production Manager <br /> Jennifer Gunter,Watershed and Lake Manager <br /> SUBJECT: Resolution Authorizing an Agreement with American Farmland Trust, for Services with the Regional Conservation <br /> Partnership Program <br /> SUMMARY RECOMMENDATION: It is recommended that the City Council approve the following resolutions for Regional <br /> Conservation Partnership Program(RCPP)services. <br /> 1. Resolution Authorizing an Agreement with American Farmland Trust,for services,with the Regional Conservation Partnership <br /> Program <br /> 2.Resolution Authorizing an Agreement with EcoMetrics LLC.,for services,with the Regional Conservation Partnership Program <br /> 3. Resolution Authorizing an Agreement with Ecosystem Services Exchange, for services,with the Regional Conservation <br /> Partnership Program <br /> 4.Resolution Authorizing an Agreement with FarmRaise,for services,with the Regional Conservation Partnership Program <br /> 5.Resolution Authorizing an Agreement with ManPlan INC.,for services,with the Regional Conservation Partnership Program <br /> 6.Resolution Authorizing an Agreement with Pinion LLC.,for services,with the Regional Conservation Partnership Program <br /> BACKGROUND: <br /> In 2022,the City of Decatur was awarded a$9.8 million-dollar United States Department of Agriculture(USDA)Regional <br /> Conservation Partnership Program(RCPP)grant focused on improving water quality in key areas across the Lake Decatur <br /> Watershed. The 5-year program provides substantial cost share funding and flexibility to landowners and growers for certain <br /> conservation practices such as cover crops,nutrient management and reduced till. The six partner contracts discussed here <br /> illustrated the degree of original capacity-building the city must undertake to accomplish its watershed and sedimentation <br /> reduction goals.This is why we received the USDA grant. <br /> To kick off the program,the first sign up period for farmers was from January 1,2024 through March 29,2024. Within that <br /> period,the program took applications that covered approximately 39,000 acres within the Lake Decatur Watershed concentrated in <br /> the section from Lake Decatur to Monticello,IL. We are currently working with the USDA to rank the applications for funding for <br /> the first year of the program. The City has multiple partners to assist with the various services provided by the grant. The <br /> agreements presented here represent the partnerships necessary to help the RCPP succeed. The cost of each agreement will be paid <br /> by the City initially and then reimbursed by the RCPP grant. These agreements will extend over the life of the grant,which will be <br /> around 5-years. The scope of work for each agreement is briefly described below. <br /> American Farmland Trust(AFT) <br /> This contract is not to exceed$80,000 over the next 5 years and will be used for providing support to the farmer-to-farmer board, <br /> established by the City,which meets monthly. AFT will assist with RCPP financial contribution tracking and assist with farmer <br /> outreach during the Natural Resource Conservation Service(MRCS)application process which helps match farmers to funding. <br /> EcoMetrics LLC <br />