Title
Identifying the need for Livable Community Demonstration Account (LCDA) funding, and authorizing a pre-development application for grant funds for the Upper Rice Street site.
Body
WHEREAS the City is a participant in the Metropolitan Livable Communities Act (“LCA”) Local Housing Incentives Account Program for 2018 as determined by the Metropolitan Council, and is therefore eligible to apply for LCA Livable Communities Demonstration Account funds; and
WHEREAS the City has identified a proposed project(s) within the City that meets LCDA purposes and criteria and are consistent with and promote the purposes of the Metropolitan Livable Communities Act and the policies of the Metropolitan Council’s adopted metropolitan development guide; and
WHEREAS the City has the institutional, managerial and financial capability to adequately manage an LCDA grant; and
WHEREAS the City certifies that it will comply with all applicable laws and regulations as stated in the grant agreement; and
WHEREAS the City acknowledges LCDA grants are intended to fund projects or project components that can serve as models, examples or prototypes for LCDA development or redevelopment elsewhere in the Region, and therefore represents that the proposed project or key components of the proposed project can be replicated in other metropolitan-area communities; and
WHEREAS only a limited amount of grant funding is available through the Metropolitan Council’s Livable Communities LCDA initiative during each funding cycle and the Metropolitan Council has determined it is appropriate to allocate those scarce grant funds only to eligible projects that would not occur without the availability of LCDA grant funding.
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that, after appropriate examination and due consideration, the City Council:
1. Finds that it is in the best interests of the City’s development goals and priorities for the proposed LCDA Project(s) to occur at the Upper Rice Street Site and at this particular time.
2. Finds that the LCDA Project component(s) for which Livable Communities LCDA funding is sought:
(a) will not occur solely through private or other public investment within the reasonably foreseeable future; and
(b) will occur within the two-year term of the Pre-Development grant award only if Livable Communities LCDA funding is made available for this project(s) at this time.
3. Authorizes its Department of Planning and Economic Development to submit on behalf of the City an application for Metropolitan Council Livable Communities LCDA grant funds for the LCDA Project components identified in the application, and to execute such agreements as may be necessary to implement the LCDA Project on behalf of the City.