TITLE
Recommendation to authorize City Manager, or designee, to execute an agreement, and any necessary amendments, with the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro), to fund the Open Streets Initiative for COVID-19 recovery through the Beach Streets Downtown grant;
Increase appropriations in the Capital Projects Fund Group in the Public Works Department by $216,000, offset by grant reimbursement revenue; and
Increase appropriations in the Capital Projects Fund Group in the Public Works Department by $216,000, offset by a transfer of Metro grant funds from the Capital Projects Grant Fund. (Citywide)
DISCUSSION
City Council approval is requested to execute an agreement with Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) for the receipt of grant funding in the amount of $216,000, originally awarded for the 2020 Beach Streets Downtown event, but to be repurposed per Metro Board action to support the Open Streets Initiative for COVID-19 recovery.
In March 2019, staff pursued funding for Beach Streets events through the Metro FY 2020 Open Streets Grant Program, which provides Transit-Related Highway (Prop C 25 percent) funds for such events. In May 2019, Metro awarded the City of Long Beach (City) $216,000 for the eighth, full-scale Beach Streets event, Beach Streets Downtown. The event was scheduled to take place on August 29, 2020, along Broadway from Downtown to Belmont Heights with spurs highlighting neighborhoods along the corridor. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent health orders, all large events, including Beach Streets Downtown and Beach Streets University planned for March 21, 2020, have been canceled or postponed.
On May 28, 2020, the Metro Board adopted Motion #2020-0375 allowing the City to repurpose previously awarded funding for the 2020 Beach Streets University and Beach Streets Downtown events. Per the Board Motion, eligible costs now include smaller-scale, longer-term open street...
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