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Home My WebLink AboutSTF RecommendationsDeschutes County Board of Commissioners 1300 NW Wall St., Suite 200, Bend, OR 97701-1960 (541) 388-6570 -Fax (541) 385-3202 -www.deschutes.org AGENDA REQUEST & STAFF REPORT For Board Business Meeting of July 9,2014 DATE: July 2,2014 FROM: Judith Ure Administrative Services 541-330-4627 TITLE OF AGENDA ITEM: Consideration of2013-2015 Special Transportation Fund (STF) supplemental formula and grant allocations. PUBLIC HEARING ON THIS DATE? No. BACKGROUND AND POLICY IMPLICATIONS: Each biennium, Deschutes County receives an allocation from the Oregon Department of Transportation's (ODOT) Special Transportation Fund (STF) Formula Grant Program for the purpose of supporting transportation services for the elderly and disabled. Occasionally, midway through the biennium, the Oregon State Legislature authorizes additional funds for this purpose. These funds are distributed by the County to local service providers through a competitive grant program. Requests for funding are reviewed by the County's STF Advisory Committee (STF AC) which then formulates a recommendation for consideration by the Board of County Commissioners. Additional background information which includes a list of recommended recipients and amounts for the supplemental 2013-15 allocation is attached. Upon Board approval, staffwill submit an application for funding to ODOT and begin the process of preparing individual contracts with recipient agencies. FISCAL IMPLICATIONS: The new supplemental funding, totaling $317,503, will require an increase to the approved FY 2014-15 appropriation for Fund 150. That request will be made at a later date. RECOMMENDATION & ACTION REQUESTED: Approve STFAC recommendations and authorize staff to submit corresponding application to ODOT required for the County to receive funds. ATTENDANCE: Judith Ure, Management Analyst DISTRIBUTION OF DOCUMENTS: N/A Date: July 2,2014 To: Deschutes County Board of Commissioners From: Judith Ure, Management Analyst Subject: Special Transportation Fund Advisory Committee Recommendations Special Transportation Fund Formula Grant Process Each biennium, Deschutes County receives an allocation from the Oregon Department of Transportation's (ODOT) Special Transportation Fund (STF) Formula Grant Program for the purpose of supporting transportation services for the elderly and people with disabilities. Although an initial 2013-15 STF allocation was approved last fiscal year, the Oregon State Legislature has authorized additional funding for this purpose in the amount of $31 7,503. These funds are intended to be distributed by the County to local service providers through a competitive grant process. Accordingly, grant applications have been solicited and were reviewed by the County's STF Advisory Committee (STFAC) which has formulated a recommendation for consideration by the Board of County Commissioners. Upon Board approval, staffwill submit an application to ODOT as required to receive the funds and begin the process of preparing individual contracts with recipient agencies. Deschutes County reimburses grant recipients on a quarterly basis. Payments are made only after each provider submits a status report that details revenue and expenses, trips provided, hours and miles driven, equipment operated, and accident history for the reporting period. Amount Available The supplemental STF funding authorized for Deschutes County during the second half of the biennium totals $317,503. In the 2009-11 biennium, the County received $745,606 from the State for local distribution. In the 2011-13 biennium, that amount was reduced to $588,510 which the County supplemented with an additional $17,500 in carry-over funds available as a result of interest earnings and previously unclaimed grant awards for a total of$606,01O. The initial amount awarded to Deschutes County for 2013-15 was $541,894. With this supplemental funding, the fiscal year 2013-15 allocation will total $859,397. It is likely that the supplemental funds will no longer be available in 2016-18, and ODOT is tentatively projecting that the distribution will revert to an amount equal to or less than the earlier $541,894 figure. Special Transportation Fund Advisory Committee Recommendations Deschutes County received three applications requesting a total of $419,128 from the supplemental funding. Each of the applicant agencies have a long history of receiving STF grant awards in Deschutes County and have a strong record of performance within the grant guidelines. The Deschutes County STP AC convened in a public meeting to review applications for funding and to develop a recommendation for supplemental STP distribution. Applicant agencies were invited to attend that meeting and were given an opportunity to further describe their services and requests for funding. The Committee's recommendation, which appears below along with a history of past awards, is based on the amount available for distribution, written and verbal information provided by the applicants, and priorities identified in the Deschutes County Coordinated Human Services Transportation Plan. The last column in the following table details the resulting recommendation of the STP Committee. Agency 2007-09 Award 2009-11 Award 2011-13 Award 2013-15 Award 2013-15 Supplemental Recommendation Bend Dial-A-Ride 281,075 360,000 245,376 182,950 0 Central Oregon Council on Aging 49,113 ° ° ° 0 Abilitree 22,138 31,018 23,036 21,000 44,880 Opportunity Foundation 44,883 60,000 48,944 43,000 42,290 DHS Volunteer Services 31,866 44,000 39,278 ° 0 Central Cascade Lines 41,409 ° ° ° 0 Cascades East Transit 88,949 250,588 245,376 290,946 230,333 Total $559,433 $745,606 $602,010 $587,896 $317,503 Recommended Action Staff recommends that the Board of Commissioners approve the recommendations of the STP AC and authorize staff to submit the corresponding application for STP funds to ODOT.