Title
Chi-Cal Rivers Fund Grant Resolution
History
The Chi Cal Rivers Fund offers grants to local governments and non-profits in our region for the protection and restoration of area waterways. The Chi-Cal Rivers Fund, administered by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, is a public-private partnership of 11 local and national organizations working to restore the health, vitality and accessibility of the waterways in the Chicago and Calumet region. The three primary funding categories are green storm water infrastructure, habitat enhancement, and public-use improvements. The grant is limited to a $300,000 maximum, and requires an equal local match. Total funding for the program is 1.7 million, and the grants are highly competitive. However we believe the Village of Orland Park Nature Center is well positioned to apply for the grant.
In 2012, the Village purchased the 3.5 acre former Pebble Creek Nursery property on Lagrange Road with funds from the Village's Open Lands Program, and has made considerable progress cleaning up trash and debris from the site and readying it for development as the Village of Orland Park Nature Center. In 2013, the Village Board approved a conceptual master plan for the nature center site. On February 1, 2016, the Village Board approved the hiring of Upland Design Inc. to complete the final design and engineering of the project, which is currently underway. The final plans are based on the Village Board approved 2013 master plan, with building improvements, detailed exhibits, and signage to be addressed at a later time. Construction of the site plan improvements is anticipated in 2017.
On July 5, 2016, the Open Lands Commission voted 4-0 to support application to the Chi Cal Rivers Fund Green Region Program grant. The Chi Cal Rivers Fund grant application requires a document from the Village Board approving the submission and the utilization of Village Open Land funds for the local match, which in this case will be a maximum of $300,000.
This resolution is will not go through the Development Services Committee and will be directly referred to the Board for consideration so the Chi-Cal Grant’s annual July 27th application deadline can be met.
Financial Impact
The Open Lands Corporation will fund the 1:1 match, for potentially as much as $300,000, depending on the award amount. The Village’s 2016 annual budget for Open Lands’ capital improvements for the Nature Center is $434,083.
Upland's preliminary estimate for the cost of nature center site improvements is $1.7 million. Although there are adequate funds in the Open Lands budget to cover the match for the Chi-Cal grant, by accepting the grant the Village is committing to the construction of the entire $1.7 million project at the same time the grant money is expended, which has not yet been included in the budget. The Chi-Cal Rivers Fund grant anticipates the awarding of the grants in December 2016, with two years allowed for expenditure of the funds, or through the end of 2018.
The attached resolution in support of the Chi Cal Rivers Fund Grant application is now before the Village Board for consideration.
Recommended Action/Motion
I move to pass Resolution Number 1607, entitled: A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING SUBMISSION OF AN APPLICATION FOR A CHI CAL RIVERS FUND GRANT.