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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 01-23-2007-5nORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT Meeting Date: January 23, 2007 Action Agenda Item No. .6—n SUBJECT: Proposed Grant Application to NC Parks & Recreation Trust Fund DEPARTMENT: Environment and Resource PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No Conservation, Rec. and Parks ATTACHMENTS: INFORMATION CONTACT: PARTF Program Summary David Stancil, 245-2590 Northern Park Master Plan (adopted 2005) Lori Taft, 245-2673 PURPOSE: To consider submitting an application to the Parks and Recreation Trust Fund for state grant funds to develop the Northern Park (Cedar Grove Community Park). BACKGROUND: The Parks and Recreation Trust Fund (PARTF) program provides state grant funds to local governments to develop parks and recreational projects that serve the general public. Applicants may request a maximum grant of $500,000, which must be matched dollar-for-dollar by the local government. Orange County is considering submitting an application to PARTF for a grant to develop Northern Park (the Cedar Grove Community Park) located on NC 86 adjacent to the Northern Human Services Center. In late 2004 and early 2005, citizens from the Cedar Grove community participated in meetings to help create a master plan design for the new county district park. The proposed master plan was presented to the Board of Commissioners in May 2005, and was adopted on October 3, 2005. The Northern Park master plan calls for the construction of new recreational facilities, including a new baseball/softball field, a new multi-purpose. field, basketball courts, volleyball courts, children's play area, paved walking paths, nature trails, picnic shelter, restrooms, lighting and new parking areas. The proposed application would request $500,000 to assist the County in developing Phase I of the park consistent with the adopted master plan. The application must be submitted no later than January 31, 2007. Grant recipients will be selected by the Parks and Recreation Authority, an 11- member board appointed by the Governor and the General Assembly. The Authority will meet in May 2007 to select a first set of grants, and in July 2007 for its final grants for FY 06-07. Applications will be judged based on the project justification, the application scoring, the geographic distribution, population of the applicant, the amount of PARTF funds being requested, and the amount of PARTF funds available. FINANCIAL IMPACT: ERCD proposes requesting $500,000 (the maximum amount) in PARTF grant funds, which would be matched by at least $500,000 from the 2001 Open Space and Park Bond. The bond allocated $1.2 million for this new park. The PARTF grant program requires at least a dollar-for-dollar match. RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends that the Board approve the submittal of an application to the Parks and Recreation Trust Fund and authorize the Chair to sign the application for submittal prior to the January 31, 2007 deadline. PARTF Funding Cycle 2006-2007 Requirements and Resources Program Summary o Purpose: The Parks and Recreation Trust Fund (PARTF) program provides dollar-for- dollar grants to local governments. Recipients use the grant to acquire land and/or to develop parks and recreational projects that serve the general public. • Eligible Applicants: North Carolina counties and incorporated municipalities are eligible for PARTF grants. Public authorities, as defined by N.C. General Statute 159-7, are also eligible if they are authorized to acquire land or develop recreational facilities for the general public. A public authority that is considering a PARTF grant should provide its RRS regional consultant with proof of eligibility as soon as possible. Two or more local governments may apply jointly for a grant with one of them serving as the primary sponsor. Private non-profit organizations, such as YMCAs, are not eligible. o Eligible Projects: Applicants can buy land to use as a public park or to protect the natural or scenic resources of the property. Applicants can also request money to build or renovate recreational and support facilities. A project must be located on a single site. • Maximum Request: Applicants can request a maximum of $500,000 with each application. • 50% Match: An applicant must match the grant dollar-for-dollar, 50% of the total cost of the project, and may contribute more than 50%. The appraised value of land to be donated to the applicant can be used as all or part of the match. (see page 15 about donated land.) The value of in-kind services, such as the applicant's force account labor orvolunteer work, cannot be used as part of the match. • Site Control: The applicant must own or have at least a 25-year lease on the property where a PARTF project to build or renovate facilities will be located. The applicant must submit copies of the deed or of the signed lease as well as the opinion by the applicant's attorney about site control with the application. 3 Public Use: Property acquired with a grant from PARTF must be dedicated forever for public recreational use. Facilities built or renovated with a PARTF grant are to be used for public recreation for at least 25 years. o Incomplete and ineligible applications will be returned to the applicant and not considered for funding. Only information received by 5.00 p.m. on January 31, 2007 will be accepted. The Application Checklist (page 6) contains the list of documents that must be included in a complete application. o Evaluation of Applications: The PARTF staff evaluates each application. The evaluation includes an on-site inspection, a review of all the documents submitted with the application, a review of the applicant's previous PARTF grants, and a rating according to the PARTF scoring system. The PARTF staff provides a summary of each application's evaluation to the Parks and Recreation Authority members. • Selecting Recipients: The Parks and Recreation Authority, an eleven-member board appointed by the Governor and the General Assembly, selects the applicants who will receive a PARTF grant. The factors that the Authority members consider include the following: - the applicant's project justification page (see page 8) - the application's ranking based on the PARTF scoring system (see page 20) - the geographic distribution of funds across North Carolina - the population of the applicant - the applicant's administration of previous grants (PARTF and Land and Water Conservation Fund grants) - the amount of PARTF funds that the applicant is requesting - the amount of PARTF funds available • PARTF On the WEB: An electronic copy of the application is available through the home page for the N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation at www.partf.net. Regional consultants can also send a hard copy of the application to you. North Carolina Parks & Recreation Trust Fund IMPORTANT NEWS Application Workshop Page 1 of 1 The North Carolina General Assembly established the Parks and Recreation Trust Fund (PARTF) on July 16, 1994 to fund improvements in the state's park system, to fund grants for local governments and to increase the public's access to the state's beaches. The Parks and Recreation Authority, an eleven- member appointed board, was also created to allocate funds from PARTF to the state parks and to the grants program for local governments. PARTF is the primary source of funding to build and renovate facilities in the state parks as well as to buy land for new and existing parks. The PARTF program also provides dollar- for - dollar grants to local governments. Recipients use the grants to acquire land and /or to develop parks and recreational projects that serve the general public. At this website, you can learn how to apply for a grant, see lists of past grant recipients, and download an application. You can also learn about the Parks and Recreation Authority and how to contact us. A portion of PARTF is the primary funding source for the Public Beach and Coastal Waterfront Access Program. The program, administered by the - Division of Coastal Management (DCM), offers matching grants to local governments throughout North Carolina's twenty coastal counties. To learn more about this program, go to the Division of Coastal Management web page. http: / /www.partf.net /index.html 1/5/2007 Learn more about us Page I of 2 The trust fund is allocated three ways: Trust fund allocation coastallestuarine access - 65 percent to the state parks through the N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation. - 30 percent as dollar-for dollar matching grants to local governments for park and recreation purposes. - 5 percent for the Coastal and Estuarine Water Access Program. Responsibilities of the Authority The 11- member Parks and Recreation Authority, meeting quarterly, makes decisions on how money from the Parks and Recreation Trust Fund is allocated. The authority is comprised of three Shallowford Square, Lewisville, NC Pictured above is Lewisville's first park, funded by PARTF in 1997. The 2.65-acre area includes an amphitheater and pavilion, pergola, playground, scenic overlook, and .25-mile trail. http://www.partfnet/leam.html 1/5/2007 North Carolina Parks & Recreation Trust Fund 1 Learn more about us -A brief summary and responsibilities of the Authority - Me - e - t - the Authority uth-ority _jjsti_ng$ of grant recipients A brief summary The fund was established in 1994 by the North Carolina General Assembly and is administered by the Parks and Recreation Authority. The fund is fueled by money from the state's portion of the real estate deed transfer tax for property sold in North Carolina. The trust fund is allocated three ways: Trust fund allocation coastallestuarine access - 65 percent to the state parks through the N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation. - 30 percent as dollar-for dollar matching grants to local governments for park and recreation purposes. - 5 percent for the Coastal and Estuarine Water Access Program. Responsibilities of the Authority The 11- member Parks and Recreation Authority, meeting quarterly, makes decisions on how money from the Parks and Recreation Trust Fund is allocated. The authority is comprised of three Shallowford Square, Lewisville, NC Pictured above is Lewisville's first park, funded by PARTF in 1997. The 2.65-acre area includes an amphitheater and pavilion, pergola, playground, scenic overlook, and .25-mile trail. http://www.partfnet/leam.html 1/5/2007 Learn more about us Page 2 of 2 members, including 0 the chairperson, appointed by the Governor; four members appointed by the General Assembly upon the recommendation of the President Pro Tempore of the Senate; and four members appointed by the General Assembly upon the recommendation of the Speaker of the House. Members are appointed for three-year terms and may serve no more than two consecutive three-year terms. After serving two consecutive three-year terms, a member is not eligible for appointment to the Authority for at least one year after the expiration of the member's last term. The authority is charged with six powers and duties: 1. To receive public and private donations and funds for deposit into the fund; 2. To allocate funds for land acquisition; 3. To allocate funds for capital projects; 4. To solicit financial and material support; 5. To develop effective support for parks and recreation; and 6. To advise the Secretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources on any matter he may refer to the body. http://www.partf.net/leam.html 1/5/2007