Title
Gated Alley Program Pilot - Expand Grant Funding Eligibility
Description
Request City Council approval to use census tract income level as an evaluation criterion, rather than a minimum requirement, to prioritize funding alley segments in the expanded Gated Alley Program Pilot.
Report
Summary
On March 18, 2020, City Council approved expansion of the Gated Alley Program Pilot citywide to include 10 alley segments per Council district, including entering into any necessary agreements to implement the expanded pilot, and using $400,000 in Neighborhood Block Watch Grant Program (NBWGP) funds for the costs associated with the installation of alley gates. The approved motion included direction that the grant criteria should be based upon need as demonstrated by crime, graffiti and illegal dumping data, as well as economic need. Staff included a minimum requirement that neighborhoods receiving grant funding be in low-income census tracts.
At an estimated cost of $5,000-per-gate, and a minimum of two gates per alley, staff estimated a maximum of 40 alley segments could be funded through the available grant funds - or about half of the gates allowed under the expanded pilot. On Aug. 13 and 19, 2020, staff held meetings to engage with residents who lived adjacent to the first alleys selected by City Council offices to explain the details of the grant opportunity, including the application process, signature prerequisite, and the minimum requirement that neighborhoods receiving grant funding be in low-income census tracts. Staff implemented the grant funding application process with a first phase of $200,000 of available funding with an application deadline of Sep. 14, 2020 to give residents time to collect the necessary signatures.
In total, applications were received for 29 alley segments, representing Council Districts 1, 3, 4, 5, 7, and 8. Staff worked with neighborhood leaders to validate signatures and evaluate proposals. After evaluation, 19 alley segments met eligibility criteria for grant funding. Of the remaining alley segments, one was ineligible because the alley segment was not included in the initial City Council alley selection, one was ineligible due to the physical limitations of the alley, six were ineligible due to the lack of required signatures, and two were ineligible because the alley is located outside of a qualifying low-income census tract.
Staff helped neighborhoods obtain quotes for the 19 alleys that were eligible, which resulted in an average cost of about $5,000-per-alley segment--which is lower than the previously estimated cost. At $5,000 per alley segment, it is estimated that approximately 60 additional alley segments can be funded with the $400,000 of total available funding. The staff estimate was based upon a conservative analysis of a 20-foot wide commercial gate that had recently been installed.
Due to the lower costs of the gates, and broad interest in grant funding, staff is requesting to use census tract income level as an evaluation criterion, rather than a minimum requirement, to prioritize funding alley segments in the expanded Gated Alley Program Pilot, to allow for more gates to be funded and installed.
Concurrence/Previous Council Action
- The Land Use and Livability Subcommittee approved a recommendation to expand the Gated Alley Program Pilot to all Council districts to include up to 10 alley segments per Council district by unanimous vote (4-0) on Jan. 15, 2020.
- The Neighborhood Block Watch Grant Program Fund Oversight Committee approved a recommendation to reallocate $400,000 in NBWGP funds to cover the expense of installing gates at the ends of alley segments located within neighborhoods designated as part of the expansion of the Gated Alley Program Pilot, by a vote of 8-1-1 on Feb. 5, 2020.
- The Public Safety and Justice Subcommittee approved a recommendation to reallocate $400,000 in NBWGP funds to cover the cost of gates within eligible neighborhoods that are part of the expanded citywide Gated Alley Program Pilot, by unanimous vote (4-0) on Feb. 12, 2020. The motion included direction that the grant criteria should be based upon need as demonstrated by crime, graffiti and illegal dumping data as well as economic need.
- City Council approved expansion of the Gated Alley Program Pilot citywide, including entering into any necessary agreements to implement the expanded pilot, and using $400,000 in Neighborhood Block Watch Grant Program funds for the costs associated with installation of gates, by unanimous vote (9-0) on March 18, 2020. The motion included direction that the grant criteria should be based upon need as demonstrated by crime, graffiti and illegal dumping data as well as economic need.
Department
Responsible Department
This item is submitted by Deputy City Managers Karen Peters, Mario Paniagua, and Inger Erickson, and the Public Works, Neighborhood Services, and Planning and Development departments.