Item 5: HUD Sustainable Communities Grant

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governmental coordination, the Lane Council of Governments (LCOG) took on the responsibility for submitting the application. This region was selected as one of 45 Sustainable Communities grant recipients selected from over 1,000 applications and was the only one selected from Oregon. Project Scope - The goal of the consortium is to build on the strength of existing regional plans and to create linkages among those plans. One of the major strengths of the region’s application was the presence of multiple multi-jurisdictional plans including the Regional Plan for Economic Prosperity, the Regional Transportation Plan, and the Eugene-Springfield Consolidated Plan. The Consortium program will look at ways to integrate these existing plans and goals in a sustainability framework and strengthen coordination among the partners to maximize effectiveness. The products will be presented as a regional investment strategy. Given HUD’s emphasis on Federal interdepartmental integration, the work will largely be focused on enhancing future efforts to obtain Federal funding for local projects. Much of what is contemplated through the Consortium project is consistent with the Envision Eugene planning effort and will further implement the plan vision and strategies that have been identified, and are anticipated to be critical to the successful implementation of the Eugene Comprehensive Plan, once adopted. Specifically, the program inventory and assessments for the Economic Development, Housing, and Transportation programs is work that needs to be completed to move forward council goals, including those called out in Envision Eugene Pillars 1, 2, 3, and 4. Understanding the baseline for these programs will also enhance staff’s ability to effectively carry out Pillar 7, plan monitoring, and flexible adaptation. The integration analysis and opportunity for the creation of shared elements in regional plans provides a framework for efficiency through regional infrastructure and capital investment plans. Participants - Parties to the application included City of Eugene, City of Springfield, Lane County, Lane Transit District, Lane Council of Governments, Metropolitan Planning Organization, Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT), Housing and Community Services Agency of Lane County, the University of Oregon Sustainable Cities Initiative, and St. Vincent de Paul Society of Lane County. Eugene Water & Electric Board and Emerald People’s Utility District subsequently agreed to join the consortium. Recent Events – Towards the end of June 2011, the City of Springfield and Lane County raised several concerns about the proposed Work Plan and the management of the grant by LCOG. The concerns centered around LCOG’s level of participation in and management of the grant; and the clarity of Consortium project goals and outcomes. Because of these concerns, the City of Springfield voted to stop its participation in the grant and it was assumed that the county would follow suit. A re-grouping team was established at the beginning of July which included the City of Eugene, the City of Springfield, Lane County, ODOT, the UO, and Byron Vanderpool of LCOG, with Brenda Wilson as the interim project manager (see Attachment A). This team developed a new governance structure which included the two city mayors and the county board president. The re-group team, along with a new Project Management Team, drafted a new Work Plan (Attachment B) which addresses the concerns raised, includes new opportunities identified by S:\CMO\2011 Council Agendas\M110926\S1109265.doc