R2010-222 AUTHORIZING AGREEMENT TESKA ASSOCIATES, INC.

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DEVELOPMENT SERVICES MEMORANDUM No. 10-109 December 6,2010 TO: Honorable Mayor Michael T. McElroy and City Council Members FROM: Ryan P. McCrady, City Manager Greg C. Crowe,Assistant City Manager Vasudha Pinnamaraju,AICP,Environmental Planner SUBJECT: Sustainable Decatur Plan—Urban Core Demonstration Project SUMMARY RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends approval of an agreement to hire the team of Teska Associates, Inc., and CONO for an Urban Care Demonstration Project planning far an amount not to exceed$23,920. BACKGROUND: Teska Associates led the team of consultants that assisted the City in creating the "Sustainable Decatur"plan document. The plan identified four(4)cross cutting projects as the next steps. 1) Public Education, 2) Economic Development and Green Jobs, 3) Urban Care Demonstration Project and 4)Newly developing area demonstration project. The first step in implementing the plan is to identify one or two neighborhoods in the Urban Core to demonstrate the projects listed in the sustainability plan. This process requires training and engaging the residents of the neighborhoods in the planning and implementation phase and identifying funding opportunities to execute the projects. With the new Sustainable Communities initiative, a collaborative effort of EPA, HLJD and DOT, more federal funding is expected to become available for the community's sustainability efforts during 2011. "Shovel Ready Projects"at the neighborhood level can take maximum advantage of such funding. Teska Associates has experience in helping various neighborhoods around Central Illinois with their sustainability planning efforts. Teska will be assisting the City with criteria development for the selection of one or two neighborhoods, conducting a neighborhood workshop to train the neighborhood leaders, creating neighborhood level plans and identifying funding sources for implementation of the projects. In the planning efforts, CONO will reduce the planning time and help identify the projects that are apt for our neighborhoods. POTENTIAL OBJECTION: None INPUT FROM OTHER SOURCES: None STAFF REFERENCES: If Council members have yuestions they may contact Vasudha Pinnamaraju at 424-2778 or vpinnamaraju@decaturil.gov. BUDGET/TIME IMPLICATIONS: The contract with TESKA will be paid out of the Planning Fund. The City is anticipating an incentive of $90,000 from the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) for the energy efficient improvements being done on the Civic Center building. The reimbursement can be used by the City for future Sustainability efforts. The City will reimburse the Planning Fund $23,920 after we receive the reimbursement from DCEO.