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1 City of Kalispell Brownfields Area-Wide Planning Pilot Program Grant Application THRESHOLD CRITERIA 1. Applicant Eligibility The City of Kalispell is an eligible applicant as a general purpose unit of local government. 2. Location of Proposed Pilot Project The location of the proposed pilot project is the Kalispell Core Revitalization Area (CRA) located in the center of Kalispell. The area covers over 60 city blocks and is approximately 250 acres and runs east-west along a mile and a half of the Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) railroad corridor. The boundaries generally follow Washington Street to the north, Meridian Road at the City limit to the west, 1st Street to the south, with the east boundary abutting the tracks to the City limit. This area contains multiple known brownfield sites, including the Former Manion Equipment site located on the east side of the CRA adjacent to the railroad tracks. This site is vacant due to known petroleum contamination. The City of Kalispell affirms that the Manion Equipment site meets the definition of a brownfields per CERCLA 101(39). The site is not listed or proposed for listing on the National Priority List; subject to unilateral administrative orders, court orders, administrative orders on consent, or judicial consent decrees issued to or entered into by parties under CERCLA; or subject to the jurisdiction, custody, or control of the United States government. 3. Applicant involvement in an existing, inclusive area-wide planning process for the brownfields-impacted area The CRA project began in 2004 when, as a community, we decided to develop a downtown strategy to enhance and revitalize the central core of Kalispell. We conducted public outreach and developed the Kalispell Downtown Action Agenda of 2005. Based on a public vision and information collected in the Downtown Action Agenda, we applied for and received a Community Development Block Grant in 2007 to develop the BNSF Area Revitalization Plan, a preliminary plan with baseline information about the area. A working group was formed which included members from all walks of the community. Two core area residents living in the Revitalization Area, representatives from two non-profits, four members from different departments within City government, and four members from private businesses located within the Revitalization Area were part of the working group. The BNSF Revitalization Plan was completed in January 2008. In November 2008, the City of Kalispell applied for and received a $400,000 EPA brownfields community-wide assessment grant for the CRA surrounding the railroad tracks. At that time the name of the revitalization area was changed from “BNSF Revitalization Area” to “CRA” since it represented much more than just revitalization of the BNSF corridor. ---PAGE BREAK--- 2 During the planning for this grant application, the City strengthened existing and formed new partnerships with many organizations toward the final goal of revitalizing the City’s core. The following organizations committed to partnering with the City in November 2008: Kalispell Chamber of Commerce, Kalispell Downtown Association, Kalispell Business Improvement District, Citizens for a Better Flathead, Community Action Partnership of Northwest Montana, Northwest Montana Historical Society, Foys to Blacktail Trails, Northwest Montana Association of Realtors Inc., Montana West Economic Development, Rails to Trails of Northwest Montana, and the Montana Conservation Corp. A Brownfields Steering Committee is also being formed which will include members from many of these organizations. Many organizations support the revitalization effort. A Brownfields Area-Wide Planning Partnership list is attached. In addition, attached are three support letters including one from Community Action Partnership of Northwest Montana, an active partner working with the City to revitalize the core of Kalispell. A Milestone Schedule is also attached. NARRATIVE PROPOSAL 1. Community Need Economic, Social, environmental and public health concerns of the CRA The CRA has an approximate population of 1,284 people. As shown in the table below, residents living in this area are economically disadvantaged as compared to other residents of the City, County, State and the Nation. The most dramatic example of the disadvantaged nature of this neighborhood is the high percentage of residents living below poverty. Twenty-one (21%) of the residents in the Project area are below the poverty rate compared with 15.9% throughout the City and roughly 12-15% in the County, State, and Nation. In addition, the median household income of $24,760 is approximately $20,000 less than the median income reported for the County. More people living in the Revitalization Area rent as compared to own their dwelling, another indication that residents in the area are disadvantaged. The home ownership rate of 34% is nearly half the reported National average percentage. DEMOGRAPHIC COMPARISON Demographic Criteria Core Rev. Area City of Kalispell Flathead County MT U.S. Total population 1284 21,182 89,624 974,989 307,006,550 Bachelors degree (25 years and older) 10.6% 27.4% 22.4% 24.4% 24.4% Home Ownership Rate 34% 56% 73.3% 69.1% 66% Median household income $24,760 $38,629 $44,013 $43,948 $52,029 % Below Poverty 21% 15.9% 12.1% 14.1% 13.2% Unemployment rate Unknown 13.8% 13.8% 8.0% 9.9% Sources: U.S. Census Bureau 2000, 2008, 2009; Montana Bureau of Labor and Industry 2010 Comment [k1]: I deleted the below words because when I added in MWED it made the sentence to long and the table ended up partially on the next page. I don’t think it is a big deal though because these are just the threshold criteria. ---PAGE BREAK--- 3 In addition to low median household income, high poverty rates, and low secondary education rates, there are other signs that residents in the CRA are economically disadvantaged. Residential uses are co-mingled with industrial uses, sometimes even in the same buildings with no buffers between the conflicting uses. In the area, it is difficult for homeowners to acquire financing for improvements or to purchase homes when the use is not consistent with the zoning in the district. The negative impacts are not isolated to just homeowners. Businesses are also struggling, as indicated by the 13.4% business vacancy rate. They struggle, in part, because they are landlocked and surrounded by non-compatible uses. Once located on the outskirts of town, moving products to market was achievable. As the town has expanded businesses that rely on transportation in the City core are at a disadvantage as compared to those on the current fringe of town. Commercial retail businesses in the core area that rely on patrons are also negatively impacted by the abandoned nature of the area. Indicators related to brownfields challenges In Kalispell, our poorest residents live in areas that have the most concentrated number of brownfields. The brownfields have a rippling negative impact on property value in the community and scare away developer investment. Given a choice, the majority of developers would rather invest in land that isn’t stigmatized by potential contamination problems, and as we see in the CRA, over time this creates a whole area of vacant and undervalued property. Our poorest residents wind up near brownfields because this is often the only area where they can afford to live. This cycle creates a situation where low income persons are exposed to greater environmental hazards. Through a concentrated planning effort, if we can begin to revitalize the CRA, those most in need within our community would benefit through lower exposures to contaminants and better standards of living. Identification and reduction of threats to human health and meeting the needs of a community By developing a strategy for assessment and cleanup of brownfields sites we will be reducing threats to human health and the environment, including threats to our most sensitive populations. When children play in vacant lots in the CRA, they are likely being exposed to a variety of contaminants found along railroad corridors, including metals, petroleum products, herbicides, and wood treating chemicals. The City currently has no funds to complete revitalization planning and environmental restoration. We are struggling to meet the basic needs of the community. Our general funds come primarily from property taxes, as Montana does not have a sales tax, and currently, the City has a significant shortfall for this fiscal year’s budget. The shortfall is compounded by the recent reduction in revenue associated with building permit and planning fees, as development has slowed significantly due, in part, to the downturn in the economy. We have reorganized City departments so that we are able to cover the necessities of the City, but there are no funds to pay for the planning effort needed. Currently, the City is evaluating whether to redistribute $1.5 million in tax increment financing funds of which the City would receive $300,000 to place in its reserve fund so that it can prolong any additional layoffs and service cutbacks. ---PAGE BREAK--- 4 Anticipated Benefits The benefits of having a planning grant to assist in the revitalization of the CRA are: 1. Facilitating the reuse of existing rail corridor to meet community needs. The railroad corridor which now serves only two businesses would be redeveloped as a trail and linear park. Although the rail and railroad ties would need to be removed, new fill would not be needed because the rail bed provides the foundation needed to create a walking or biking trail. 2. Creating a large band of green space that would connect Woodland Park, downtown, and the west and south Kalispell bike and pedestrian trails. 3. Identifying and ranking the brownfields along the rail corridor in the CRA. Several properties are brownfield sites due to their current and past uses associated with industry that once used the rail line. 4. Gaining an understanding of the infrastructure including telecommunications and roads in the CRA and how best to improve it. 5. Gaining an understanding through a market study and needs assessment of how best to develop the CRA to create viable property and prevent future brownfields. 6. Improving the lives of our most disadvantaged community members. 7. Providing the local neighborhood and community ownership in the redevelopment decisions. 8. Facilitating economic development through park, trail, and adjacent property development. Statistics show that creating a trail through the heart of a town adds tremendous energy and investment in a community. Just months after the Mineral Belt Trail in Leadville, Colorado was created, the City reported a 19% increase in sales tax revenues. A rails-to-trails path near Dallas, Texas attracts 300,000 people annually and generates local revenues of $2 million (Rails-to-Trails Conservancy). Although Kalispell does not have the population of Dallas, nearly two million people visit Glacier National Park each year. Most of these visitors come from out of state and Canada, and travel through Kalispell. Necessary community improvements There are several community improvement projects necessary to revitalize the CRA. The foremost is the removal of the tracks as it divides the community and sets a tone for the current limited development along the corridor. Removal of the tracks will provide the opportunity for creating a one and a half mile linear park and trail and will enable subsequent reuse of the adjacent brownfield sites. Infrastructure evaluation and upgrades are also needed to support the revitalization effort. An evaluation of existing telecommunications and road improvements are required to identify problems. During initial planning for the CRA, the City identified a need to upgrade the water lines on the west side of the CRA where there is heavy commercial use. The water lines in this area cannot support a water pressure necessary for fire suppression for the Comment [kt2]: maybe “living standards” or something more specific? Comment [k3]: I see what you mean but I’m at a loss for words. Living standards or living conditions doesn’t quite sound right to me. I’m ok with “lives.” ---PAGE BREAK--- 5 current businesses. Without appropriate water service, it will be difficult to compel developers and owners to build or move to that portion of the CRA. Collaboration Improving infrastructure and removal of the tracks will likely not be enough. To revitalize the CRA, we also need a process by which all stakeholders have a voice in what is done. Award of a 2008 EPA Brownfields Community-Wide Assessment Grant will help us begin this effort through identification by stakeholders of properties requiring assessment in the CRA, and previous meetings between Planning Department staff and Northwest Drywall and Cenex Harvest States, have set the foundation for additional meetings to discuss relocation. A planning grant would provide the City the means to evaluate and identify the properties to assess and clean up based on a shared redevelopment vision, the timing of track removal and infrastructure upgrades, identify funding sources, and most important, gain community support. 2. Area-Wide Planning Pilot Project Description Vision and approach As a community, we decided sometime ago to develop a downtown enhancement strategy to improve the CRA. Community members have described redevelopment goals for the CRA using words like “quaint, historic, eclectic, small town charm, and vibrant”, and after considerable public outreach, the Kalispell Downtown Action Agenda was completed in 2005 in an effort to reach these goals. The Downtown Action Agenda recommended removing the railroad tracks because they perpetuate non-conforming and incompatible uses and divide the community much like a highway does. By removing the tracks, we hope to create an east-west linear park with bike and pedestrian trails, creating a regional trail system. Removal of the tracks will also spark new investment, re-investment by existing owners, and redevelopment of the neighborhood based on the City’s land use plan, which promotes an urban mixed use environment in the CRA. We hope to develop affordable multi-family housing and light commercial/retail businesses around the park. The planning grant will be used to collaborate with area businesses and BNSF to develop a strategy for business relocation and rail line abandonment. Currently, the railroad serves only two businesses, Cenex Harvest States and Northwest Drywall. These businesses are important long-time components to the economic stability of the community, and we recognize the need for those businesses to successfully remain a vital part of our business community. As such, the challenge will be to find creative financial solutions to relocate them. This might include a property trade with a business that wishes to relocate to the CRA. The proposed revitalization effort is consistent with land use plans and neighborhood interest. The 2006 Kalispell Parks and Recreation Comprehensive Master Plan surveyed residents and found that one of the community’s top wishes was a linear park to expand Kalispell’s trail system. In response, we applied for and received a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Planning Grant to develop a baseline redevelopment plan for the CRA. This Plan is a ---PAGE BREAK--- 6 preliminary document that will be used to develop a more strategic plan for moving forward, and promotes a sustainable reuse of vacant buildings in the CRA. Several reuses for specific properties in the CRA have been identified. The Former Manion Equipment property is currently one of the top three choices for relocating the County Library. The former Rygg Ford used car dealership, a large vacant property on the eastern edge of the CRA overlooking beautiful Woodland Park, is a prime spot for a restaurant with a view of the snow capped mountains of Glacier National Park. The Glacier Performing Arts non-profit has funds committed for a Glacier Performing Arts Center in Kalispell, and this group prefers to be located in the heart of Kalispell. The BNSF Revitalization Plan identified a need for grants to assess and clean up contaminated sites. In response, the City applied for and received an EPA Brownfields Community-Wide Assessment Grant in 2008. With these funds we are actively moving forward with site inventory and site assessment. With the planning grant, we hope to identify the brownfield sites in the CRA that the community is most concerned about both in terms of health risk and revitalization need. Through this effort we may find that we should focus brownfields assessments in a smaller portion of the CRA likely to develop first compared to tackling the entire CRA at once. EPA planning grant assistance would allow the City to strengthen partnerships and more-fully involve the community (residents and businesses) in the planning process. Since the effort to revitalize the central core of Kalispell began we have held public meetings, public hearings, and sent out mailings to get the community involved. We plan to continue and enhance our outreach and planning efforts with a brownfields planning grant through: Visioning sessions to gather ideas for reuse of the brownfields sites, sending out surveys to all property owners in the area. We will organize public ideas and hold additional meetings/charettes to develop overall planning objectives and prioritize brownfield assessment and cleanup; One-on-one meetings with current business and property owners to discuss their wants and needs for the area; Meetings with BNSF to devise a strategy to remove the track, utilizing the expertise of staff at the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy; Meetings with parties potentially wanting to relocate to the CRA; Meetings with Cenex and Northwest Drywall to devise a strategy for relocation; Mailings including fact sheets, newsletters, and meeting notices to all property owners in the CRA and other interested stakeholders to educate them on the planning effort and to provide them a voice; Developing a webpage that will be linked to the City’s brownfields website that is currently being developed to post announcements, reports and other information; and Inviting the media (KCFW TV9, our local TV station; Channel 9, our Government Access channel; Daily InterLake and The Beacon, our local newspapers) to all public sessions. Several organizations currently working on community planning will be critical to project success, including the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy and Foys to Blackfoot trail group. These two organizations will be invaluable in negotiations with BNSF and with building the linear park. ---PAGE BREAK--- 7 Community Action Partnership of Northwest Montana will be critical to the success of the CRA planning project. They will focus their efforts on the disadvantaged residents living in the area by assisting with making sure their concerns are met and by minimizing the dislocating of residents as the area revitalizes. The Northwest Montana Historic Society will assist in ensuring the steps forward are consistent with the City’s history. Relocating the two businesses currently using the tracks is a large hurdle to overcome, and will require a concerted effort on our part. We will need to secure funding and services to assist with re-location costs. In addition, we will need additional funding for assessment and cleanup activities of all the impacted properties in the CRA. The City is already contemplating applying for additional brownfields funding this fall. Innovative components The project will transform a currently underused area of Kalispell into a vibrant and prosperous community asset, including a park and extension of a community trail along a historic rail corridor. Redeveloping this area will eliminate brownfields and through proper planning and development it is hoped prevent future brownfields. The project will provide for increased biking and walking opportunities thereby reducing fossil fuel consumption and the creation of wastes. We will encourage sustainable redevelopment in the area including preserving historic features, encouraging green building design and sustainable building practices such as pollution prevention, waste minimization, and recycling of construction materials. We will also encourage safescape design concepts, alternative transportation, and neighborhood cleanup days to give the community more ownership in the project. 3. Leadership of an Inclusive Brownfields Area-Wide Planning Partnership Leadership role The Community and Economic Development and Planning Departments have been involved in organizing and leading the revitalization efforts, including facilitating community involvement, building partnerships and helping to move the project forward. During the development of the original Revitalization Plan, a Working Group comprised of government, residents, businesses, and local non-profits was formed to guide the process. During the process of incorporating the Revitalization Plan into the Growth Plan, the Planning Department held a meeting and hearing to get public input on the plan. In addition, the Department mailed out letters to 500 property owners in the Revitalization Area informing them of the progress that has been made and encouraging them to get involved in the project. The City is currently in the process of forming a brownfields steering committee to guide and assist the City through its EPA Brownfields Assessment Grant. Award of the assessment grant has expanded partnerships with new organizations not previously involved in the redevelopment of the heart of Kalispell. Representative partnerships The partnerships formed since the beginning of this revitalization process include several residents who live in the CRA, businesses such as US Bank and the Red Lion Hotel which is a large property owner in the CRA, and other organizations such as the Kalispell Downtown Association, the Kalispell Chamber of Commerce, the Kalispell Business Improvement District, Citizens for a Better Flathead, Community Action Partnership of Northwest Montana, the Northwest Montana Historical Society, Foys to Blacktail Trails, Montana West Economic Development, Northwest Montana Association of Realtors, Rails to Trails of Northwest ---PAGE BREAK--- 8 Montana, Montana Conservation Corp – Northern Rockies, and the Kalispell Center Mall. These groups are highlighted because each plays an important role and is in a position to develop and facilitate strategies identified during the planning process. Project progress The City has made considerable progress toward revitalization of the CRA. A working group has been formed and an initial vision of what the planning department would like to see has been formalized. A water and sewer study was conducted and it was determined that water lines need to be upgraded in portions of the CRA to meet fire flow requirements. Several working group members assisted the City in applying for and receiving an EPA Brownfields Assessment Grant, and have offered their time to be on the brownfields steering committee. Having people on both the working group and brownfields steering committee will provide a link between planning and environmental assessment and cleanup of sites in the CRA. Most recently, the group has lost steam mainly due to lack of funds to collaborate with the community and to develop a working strategy to revitalize the CRA. A planning grant would allow the City to continue its efforts and infuse momentum both at the community and neighborhood level. It would provide the City with a greater understanding of what the community wants with respect to redevelopment, and in turn, provide information that could directly be used to decide what properties should be assessed and cleaned up using the brownfields grant. Support The City of Kalispell has obtained the support of both the Montana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) and the EPA. EPA awarded the City a Brownfield Community- Wide Assessment Grant in October 2008. The DEQ supported the City is these efforts. In addition, City staff meets with the DEQ quarterly to discuss concerns associated with a nearby cleanup project. This site plays into the overall CRA plan because it is a potential site to relocate the two rail using businesses. In addition, EPA and DEQ worked hand in hand with us to facilitate a Phase I Environmental Site Assessment training in Montana that was attended by more than 70 engineers and scientists. 4. Performance Measurement: Anticipated Outcomes and Outputs The outputs for our project include: identifying all of the brownfields sites within the project area, ranking those sites based on specific criteria, evaluating current infrastructure resources and identifying future demands, collaborating with all parties invested in the revitalization of the CRA, developing a revitalization vision, developing strategies for achieving goals, and identifying specific funding mechanisms. The outcomes for the CRA project include strengthening our partnerships, empowering residents, having a strategy for site assessment and cleanup of properties as a component of the revitalization plan, gaining a real sense of the potential for private investment in the area and how to facilitate private partnership, and energizing a community toward a common goal. In order to track and measure progress, we plan to monitor project outputs and outcomes as we move through planning, assessment, cleanup, and redevelopment. To keep track of our achievements, we will design a spreadsheet capable of measuring progress. We will report outputs and outcomes in our quarterly reports to EPA and compare our actual accomplishments ---PAGE BREAK--- 9 to the proposed outputs and outcomes. Through this process we hope to keep the community better informed of progress and provide EPA the data necessary to demonstrate that funds are being used as intended. If there is a lack of progress toward completing outputs and outcomes, actions will be taken to correct and steer the project on course. We plan to conduct at least five public interaction sessions including public meetings, visioning sessions, and design charettes. 5. Programmatic Capability and Past Performance Assistance Agreements The table below identifies Federally and non-Federally funded assistance agreements that the City has managed in the past three years. For all of the assistance agreements, we have met the objectives of the agreements and are within budget. Assistance Agreements Project Date Awarded Amount Awarded Grant Reporting requirements met? Acceptable final technical reports? Core Revitalization Project October 2009 $400,000 US EPA Brownfield Community-Wide Assessment Grant All reporting requirements met to date. No final technical reports completed to date. Flathead Valley Community College October 2009 $273,945 US HUD Community Development Block Grant – Economic Development All reporting requirements met to date. No final technical reports completed to date. Neighborhood Stabilization September 2009 Approved up to $4 million US HUD Neighborhood Stabilization Grant All reporting requirements met to date. No final technical reports completed to date. Woodland Park Pond Remediation June 2009 $20,000 MT Dept of Natural Resources and Conservation Renewable Resource Grant All reporting requirements met to date. No final technical reports completed to date. Flathead Attention Home May 2008 $450,000 US HUD Community Development Block Grant All reporting requirements met Submitted final report and obtained conditional closure. Organizational experience The City of Kalispell has the organizational experience and ability to complete projects in a timely manner. As shown above, the City met its goals and is in the closeout process of a two year grant for the Flathead Attention Home. We also have the experience to organize large scale projects. For example, in 2006 we conducted a Parks and Recreation study and developed a Parks and Recreation Comprehensive Master Plan. We conducted public meetings and a ---PAGE BREAK--- 10 community workshop where the attendees had small and large group discussions about visions and goals. We also mailed out over 1600 surveys sent to both adults and children in the community. We conducted a study of the existing resources, a needs assessment, developed goals and guidelines, administrative and maintenance requirements, and developed an implementation plan. We are now in the process of acquiring funding and moving forward with specific tasks identified in the Master Plan which includes developing a linear park through town. Staff expertise We have many of the needed resources in-house to achieve the goals of the CRA project but will also obtain assistance and services of outside expertise. Katharine Thompson, the City’s Community Development Manager has vast knowledge of managing large projects and grants and bringing the community together toward a shared goal. She has been with the City for over two years and prior to that she worked for both State government and local non-profit organizations. This demonstrates the ideal background to strengthen partnerships and understand the needs of different organizations and how they may be involved. Katharine has managed numerous grants and also has a Master’s Degree in Public Administration. Sean Conrad is a senior planner for the City of Kalispell. As senior planner for the City he conducts comprehensive development reviews, updates and drafts goals, policies and standards for the City’s growth policy and zoning ordinance. He has also been a part of several comprehensive growth policy updates which included holding open house meetings and public hearings to achieve input and consensus on growth and development issues on the city/county urban fringe. Sean continues to provide input and assistance in the City’s brownfield endeavors and is an integral part in the implementation of the City’s Brownfield Program. Tom Jentz is the Director of the City’s Planning Department. He has over 30 years of community planning experience. Currently he and his staff are responsible for overseeing all planning, zoning and building issues within the City of Kalispell. His planning knowledge and experience also includes extensive regional planning where he has coordinated with several counties and cities to accomplish regional planning goals. Financing and financial management will be an integral part to keeping the project moving forward. Amy Robertson, the City’s Finance Director has worked for the City for approximately 25 years. She will be in charge of submitting draw requests and will monitor the budget and submit appropriate budget reports. Under her direction, the City has never had an adverse finding from the OMB, State of Montana, or any other organization or agency. The City plans to contract services from one or more firms to assist in the planning efforts including a market analysis and needs assessment, study of telecommunications and transportation availability and needs, and design development drawings of the community’s visions and goals for the planning project. We will go through the appropriate procurement process to select one or more firms with the knowledge and experience necessary for these specific tasks. ---PAGE BREAK--- 11 6. Resources Cooperative Agreement Budget Task 1 Task 2 Task 3 Task 4 Task 5 Total Brownfield site(s) reuse planning Set area- wide strategies Infrastructure Reuse Strategies Develop Area- Wide Plan Next Steps & Resources Plan EPA Project Funding $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 Personnel $18,000 $10,000 $10,000 $20,000 $20,000 $78,000 Fringe Benefits $5,400 $3,000 $3,000 $6,000 $6,000 $23,400 Travel $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 Contractual $19,600 $8,000 $6,000 $20,000 $17,000 $70,600 Supplies $1,000 $0 $0 $1,000 $1,000 $3,000 Other $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 Total EPA Funds $44,000 $21,000 $19,000 $47,000 $44,000 $175,000 BUDGET TASK NARRATIVE Task Activity to be Completed Estimated Costs Brownfield Site Reuse Planning Hire firm to assist throughout the planning process Community Involvement Activities o Visioning sessions, design charettes, meetings with landowners and residents, mailings, brochures, newsletters, website development Conduct market analysis and needs assessment Meet with Northwest Drywall and Cenex Harvest States for relocation needs, and BNSF to discuss track removal $44,000 Set area-wide strategies Determine specific strategies to revitalize the CRA $21,000 Infrastructure reuse strategies Conduct infrastructure assessment for telecommunications and transportation to evaluate current and future needs Develop infrastructure reuse strategies evaluating current and future needs Discuss findings of infrastructure assessment with public though public interaction sessions and mailings $19,000 Develop area-wide plan Produce a plan that summarizes the information collected and depicts the vision of the CRA Conduct public outreach to share the plan with the community Develop outreach materials $47,000 Next steps and resources plan Evaluate potential resources and funding available Produce a plan that provides the specific steps necessary to move forward Conduct public outreach to share the plan with the community Develop outreach materials $44,000 Comment [kt4]: does this need to be more specific? Comment [k5]: I don’t think so because we then list a market analysis, infrastructure assessment, etc. and realistically I don’t think we know all of the tasks that the firm will conduct. ---PAGE BREAK--- 12 7. Leveraging The City of Kalispell has a history of successful leveraging efforts. In the past we have leveraged funds and resources from local organizations and state government. We have also used the in-kind services of our staff as a leveraging mechanism. For the CRA project, we have already received commitments through an EPA Brownfields Assessment Grant. The Kalispell Chamber of Commerce, Kalispell Downtown Association, and Kalispell Business Improvement District have committed by assisting with a mailing list and gaining the involvement of its members. This will be crucial to continuing in the revitalization efforts and including all of the appropriate parties. The Northwest Montana Historical Society has committed to participating in strategizing to maintain the historic character of the project area and assist in the creation of historic markers along the rail corridor. Rails to Trails of Northwest Montana and The Foys to Blacktail Trails organizations have committed to advising the City on partnerships, land acquisition and with the planning and development of a trail. The Community Action Partnership of Northwest Montana has committed to participate in community outreach sessions to address residential issues related to prevention of neighborhood gentrification and to assist with developing strategies to find funding for low-income housing and upgrading housing for our disadvantaged population in the CRA. Because of our strong partnerships with these organizations we believe the resources they are committing will materialize and play a large role in the planning project. We also plan to seek funding for specific tasks associated with the CRA planning. We already have secured $400,000 for assessment activities through an EPA Brownfields Program of which a portion of that will be used for public participation activities and engaging the community to assist with site inventory and selection. We also recently applied for a $20,000 HUD Community Development Block Grant planning grant to update the City’s Growth Policy. With this funding we plan to conduct meetings to try to facilitate significant public participation. We will coordinate these meetings with the CRA planning effort because the CRA Plans will be incorporated into the City’s Growth Policy. A portion of the CRA is included in the City’s West-Side Tax Increment Financing (TIF) District and we are evaluating extending the current or creating a new TIF district to incorporate more of the CRA to generate urban renewal income. We will continue to pursue additional funding mechanisms and believe that with the current and future commitments and resources we can make Kalispell’s Core Revitalization Area a vibrant part of our community.