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CONSIDERATION OF THE ACCEPTANCE OF CERTIFIED LOCAL GOVERNMENTS GRANT FUNDING IN THE AMOUNT OF $16,767 TO BE USED FOR THE DEVELOPMENT AND SUPPORT OF LOCAL HISTORIC PROGRAMS, APPROVAL OF CONTRACT K-1920-14 WITH THE OKLAHOMA HISTORICAL SOCIETY, STATE HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFICE AND ADOPTION OF RESOLUTION R-1920-13 APPROPRIATING FUNDS.
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BACKGROUND: On April 14, 1998, Council approved Contract K-9798-108 with the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO), thereby making Norman a member city in the Certified Local Governments (CLG) Program. The Certified Local Governments Program is part of the US Department of the Interior national program for the development and support of local historic preservation programs. The CLG Program allows member cities to apply for funds to be used for preservation projects within their community.
With Historic District Commission approval, staff prepared a CLG funding application that included two project options, Option A and Option B, as requested by SHPO. The CLG funding application included project descriptions along with associated budget options showing $12,250 in proposed expenditures of CLG funds and documentation of matching funds. City Council at their April 23rd meeting, approved the submission of the CLG application for funding with both Option A and Option B included. Staff subsequently submitted the application later that month to SHPO.
Preferred Option A has as a primary project the hiring of a consultant to update the Historic Preservation Guidelines. The second proposed project, Option B, was submitted as part of the CLG application, in case Option A was not viable. In May, staff in correspondence with SHPO, let them know that Option A was still the preferred option.
Also in late May, State Historic Preservation Office notified all CLG cities that there were additional funds available in the amount of $4,517, for a total of $16,767 in federal dollars. Those funds, with the guidance from the Historic District Commission, were allocated in Option A to the proposed project of updating the Historic Preservation Guidelines. SHPO prepared the contract based upon the City providing matching funds in the amount of $35,000 for the proposed project of hiring of a consultant to prepare an update of the Historic Preservation Guidelines. The attached contract from SHPO will allow the City to accept the CLG funds.
The CLG Program requires a 60/40% in-kind match formula. For $12,250 in CLG funds, the City must document a minimum of $8,500 in in-kind matching funds. Normally, $8,500 in matching funds in the form of in-kind contributions of staff time and $2,200 allocation in the General Fund account are used to meet the matching fund requirement. However, this year, the City Council, at their April 23, 2019 meeting, approved staff to submit a CLG grant application with $35,000 in matching funds in order to provide enough resources to hire a consultant to update the Historic Preservation Guidelines. The additional matching funds of $35,000 (in addition to the $2,200 already budgeted), would need to be allocated into the Consultant account (010-4080-419.40-03) to provide the stated matching funds listed in the CLG funding application submitted.
DISCUSSION: Designation as a CLG City includes recognition of Norman’s historic preservation efforts on both state and national levels and entitles the City to apply for a portion of the education/outreach funds set aside by the SHPO out of each year’s budget. Funding may be used for public information materials, historic research, commission and staff training, and public outreach and education projects.
The proposed 2019-2020 CLG projects and budget are as follows for a total of $16,767 in CLG funds:
PROJECT 1: Attendance Planning/Preservation Conference 2019/2020 - $1,500
Includes registration and travel expense for city staff to attend a planning/preservation conference.
PROJECT 2: Memberships Dues for National Alliance of Preservation Commissions - $150
Covers membership dues for city staff and Commissioners for one year.
PROJECT 3: Updating the Historic District Guidelines - $14,517
Includes expenses associated with hiring a consultant firm to develop updates to the Historic Preservation Guidelines. This includes evaluation of the current Guidelines, revisions to accommodate the Southridge Historic District and future historic districts, correction of errors, and the streamlining of common projects into the Administrative Bypass process. The Historic District Commission will guide the update process.
Miscellaneous Expenses: $600
Includes expenses associated with the above project such as postage, printing, legal notices and supplies.
RECOMMENDATION: Staff reviewed the attached contract with the Oklahoma Historical Society, State Historic Preservation Office, and recommends that Council approve Contract K-1920-14, and appropriate $16,767 from the Special Revenue Fund Balance (account 022-0000-253.20-00) into the accounts shown below, and accept the grant funds when reimbursed to be recorded in the SHPO/CLG Special Revenue account (022-0000-334.13-26). Staff recommends Council approve the contract in this amount. Applicable accounts have been established in the Special Revenue Fund, for purposes of this grant:
Consultant, Other (022-4046-464.40-09) - $14,517
Travel/Training (022-4046-464.46-04) - $1,500
Postage (022-4046-464.47-01) - $200
Printing (022-4046-464.48-21) - $200
Supplies (022-4046-464.30-.01) - $200
Membership Dues (022-4046-464.46-01) - $150
Staff also requests an appropriation of $35,000 from the General Fund Balance (010-0000-253.20-00) to Professional Services/Consultant (010-4080-419.40-03) in the amount of $35,000 to hire a consultant to update the Historic Preservation Guidelines.