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6.P. - Page 2 of 13 In October and November 2018, the Redwood City Parks and Arts Foundation (Foundation) hosted site visits for downtown stakeholders to urban park settings in San Francisco that are similar in scope and scale to the three recommended Redwood City properties identified for parks. Further, the Foundation, in partnership with the Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department (PRCS), hosted a three park speaker series on April 11, 2019, May 8, 2019, and May 23, 2019. The purpose of the speaker series was directed to the general public and concerned stakeholders to explore new park possibilities, learn best practices from other cities and public space architects and planners, and to have a moderated question and answer period for attendees. The series was well received, and attendance ranged from 40 to 70 residents. Staff took time to learn from stakeholder input because of the concerns raised about the potential loss of parking and how to ensure a safe and properly activated downtown parks. The site visits and speaker series provided staff with key information to develop a proper scope of work for the consultant RFP, which is being finalized for advertisement. Proposition 68, the "California Drought, Water, Parks, Climate, Coastal Protection, and Outdoor Access for All Act of 2018," was placed on the ballot via Senate Bill 5, and approved by voters on June 5, 2018. In addition to general per capita program funding of an average of $200,000 per city in the state, Proposition 68 also has a competitive grant process, including the "Statewide Park Development and Community Revitalization Program." ANALYSIS SERA Design and Architecture's final report to the City Council on September 24, 2018, included potential design options, space analysis, and very high level cost estimates for converting parking lots into public park space. For instance, the potential cost of the Roselli Garden/Library Lot A options range from $1.8 million to $2.5 million. Projecting the funding requirement for the conversion of downtown city -owned parcels into parks will continue to evolve through the public input process, as well as the anticipated phasing of projects over the next several years and more. In addition to the accumulation and transfer of Park Impact Fees from private residential development projects, staff will continue to research other funding options, such as state and federal grant opportunities. Coinciding with the notice of the Proposition 68 competitive grant funding application, staff entered into an agreement with California Consulting, a professional grant writing company, to assist with completing the funding application to improve the odds of being selected. California Consulting also confirmed that the City's Downtown Park project would be eligible to apply for the grant based on the strict criteria for very low park acres per thousand residents in an area. The Statewide Park Development and Community Revitalization Program grant requires that interested municipalities complete an extensive application and have the governing body approve an Authorizing Resolution to be submitted with the application (Attachment A). The Authorizing Resolution serves two purposes: 1) it shows that the applicant's governing body is aware of all the terms of the contract and provides confirmation that the applicant has the funding to complete the proposed project if the grant is awarded; and 2) it designates a position title to represent the government body on all matters regarding the application and project. The State Office of Grants and Local Services provides municipalities with an Authorizing Resolution template to use for grant applications. Per the Authorizing Resolution, the City City of Redwood City 1017 Middlefield Road, Redwood City, CA. 94063 Tel: 650-780-7000 www.redwoodcity.org 211