ORDINANCE approving and authorizing submission of two Grant Applications to the U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION for the Complete, Connected Resilient Communities: Gulfton & Kashmere Gardens Resilient Sidewalks & North Houston Highway Improvement Project (NHHIP) Connections; declaring the City’s eligibility for such Grants; authorizing the Director of Houston Public Works to act as the City’s representative in the Grant application process, to accept such Grant Funds, if awarded, and to apply for and accept all subsequent awards, if any, pertaining to the program

RECOMMENDATION:

Approve an ordinance authorizing two grant applications to the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Neighborhood Access and Equity (NAE) Grant Program; declaring the City's eligibility for such grant program; authorizing the Director of Houston Public Works to act as signatory on the grant application. 

SPECIFIC EXPLANATION:

The Federal Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA) established the Neighborhood Access and Equity Grant (NAE) Program to provide funds for projects that improve walkability, safety, and affordable transportation access through context-sensitive strategies. Projects must address existing transportation facilities that create barriers to community connectivity or negative impacts on the human or natural environment, especially in disadvantaged or underserved communities.

Houston Public Works (HPW) requests authorization to submit two grant applications to the NAE Program for funding of the following projects: 

Complete, Connected, Resilient Communities: Gulfton & Kashmere Gardens Resilient Sidewalks. The proposed project is guided by the City of Houston Resilient Sidewalks Plan completed in June 2023. The Plan was developed with input from stakeholders and residents in the communities to produce an action plan and to help secure funding for implementation. The HPW grant application proposes the expansion, installation of new sidewalks, or the replacement of sidewalks and related drainage facilities on selected streets initially prioritized in the Gulfton and Kashmere Gardens plans. Additional details and maps of the proposed project for each community are provided in the grant application narrative. A local match is not required for this project, because both locations are in disadvantaged areas as defined by the federal Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool (a Justice40 Community). The Justice40 Initiative is the Federal Government's goal that 40% of certain Federal investments flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized, underserved, and overburdened by pollution. 

North Houston Highway Improvement Project (NHHIP) Connections. The proposed project is in partnership with the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) and addresses five of the eight focus areas for mitigation listed in the Voluntary Resolution Agreement between TxDOT and the Federal Highway Administration. The project also supports the focus areas of Connectivity and Park Space and Urban Design which are outlined in the Memorandum of Understanding between TxDOT, Harris County and the City of Houston. The proposed project pays for the structural elements necessary to construct future bridge cap parks, garden bridges, and signature bridges across the NHHIP.  These elements mitigate for potential harm to impacted communities and preserve and enhance neighborhood connections in and around Downtown Houston. Additional details and maps of the proposed project are included in the attached grant application narrative.  Approximately 65% of the project is in a Justice40 Community. The City and TxDOT are coordinating with special tax districts to provide the required 20% match for the project facilities located outside of a Justice40 Community.

The table below identifies the requested funding amounts for each project.

FISCAL NOTE:

No Fiscal Note is required on grant items.

_________________________________

Carol Ellinger Haddock, P.E., Director

Houston Public Works

$94,242,396.40 Fund 5400 Federal Government- HPW Grant Funded-DDSRF

David Wurdlow, Assistant Director  

Phone: 832-395-2054

Email: David.Wurdlow@houstontx.gov