Title
A Resolution Of The City Commission Of The City Of Hollywood, Florida, Authorizing The City Manager To Accept The Arbor Day Foundation TD Green Streets Grant In The Approximate Amount Of $20,000.00 To Increase The Tree Canopy In The Hollywood Gardens West Neighborhood; Amending The Special Programs Fund (11) Budget Of The Fiscal Year 2016 Operating Budget (R-2015-294); Approving The Recognition Of Certain Grant Funding And The Appropriation Of Said Funding As Detailed In The Attached Exhibit 1, If Awarded; Authorizing The Department Of Financial Services To Establish Accounts As May Be Needed To Record And Monitor Said Funding, If Awarded; And Further Authorizing The City Manager To Execute Any And All Applicable Grant Documents And Agreement(s).
Body
Staff Recommends: Approval of the Attached Resolution
Explanation:
The City of Hollywood, with partners Youth Environmental Alliance and the Hollywood Gardens West Civic Association have been awarded the Arbor Day Foundation TD Green Streets Grant in the amount of $20,000. The project will engage and educate residents about community forestry and the benefit of street trees as well as plant street trees to enhance canopy cover in the Hollywood Gardens West neighborhood.
Tree canopy enhancement is a priority in the City of Hollywood. In addition to being a Tree City USA for the last 36 years, In order to maximize the benefits of tree canopy, the City can use trees as tools for achieving the goals of other city wide priorities. The City of Hollywood is in the midst of creating a Sustainability Action Plan, a Tree Master Plan, and incorporating Environmental Sustainability into the Neighborhood Master Plans. In addition, city wide there are several complete streets in development. Trees will be used to achieve certain goals in the Sustainability Action Plan, such as storm water management and Urban Heat Island Effect minimization. Trees enhance walkability and are essential components to any complete streets project. Trees add social and environmental benefits to a neighborhood and tree projects will be incorporated into the Neighborhood Master Plans. The education provided in this project as well as tree seedlings given to participants will encourage the creation and certification of more residential wildlife habitats, moving the City of Hollywood closer to community habitat certification.
The program area was chosen because of its proximity to a mobility project currently in construction. The Florida DOT has been making improvements along State Road 7/US 441 which runs adjacent to the project site. The FDOT project includes mobility improvements such as bike lanes and bus terminals and the Hollywood Department of Public Works is creating a linear park with walking paths and children’s playgrounds within the dry retention area immediately adjacent to the proposed program site. The proposed program will add street trees to improve walkability in the neighborhood and connect residents to the linear park. Specifically, the location at Lincoln Street and Glenn Parkway will connect residents to the proposed children’s playground at the north end of the linear park.
The Resolution also seeks to amend the FY 2016 Special Programs Fund (11) operating budget by recognizing grant program funding as new revenues, if awarded as well as authorizing the appropriation of the grant funding for grant program related expenditures. The Department of Financial Services will be authorized to establish the needed line item accounts to properly record and monitor the receipt and disbursement of grant program funds.
Recommended for inclusion on the agenda by:
Dr. Wazir Ishmael, City Manager
Lorie Mertens-Black, Chief Civic Affairs Officer
Lindsey Nieratka, Sustainability Coordinator