Shot Tower Grant stabilize
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MEMORANDUM
January 10, 2005
TO:
The Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
FROM:
Michael C. Van Milligen, City Manager
SUBJECT: Proposal for Shot Tower Grant Administration
The City has been awarded a $100,000 Historic Sites Preservation Grant from the State
Historical Society of Iowa and a $295,000 Save America's Treasures Grant from the
National Park Service to stabilize and rehabilitate the Shot Tower. The two grants
require that the City comply with a number of state and federal laws that the Planning
Services staff is not familiar.
Planning Services Manger Laura Carstens recommends City Council approval of a
proposal from East Central Intergovernmental Association (ECIA) for $15,000 to assist
the City with grant administration for the Shot Tower.
I concur with the recommendation and respectfully request Mayor and City Council
approval.
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Mic ael C. Van Milligen
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Attachment
cc: Barry Lindahl, Corporation Counsel
Cindy Steinhauser, Assistant City Manager
Laura Carstens, Planning Services Manager
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MEMORANDUM
January 5, 2005
FROM:
Michael Van Milligen, City Manager
Laura Carstens, Planning Services Manager ~
TO:
SUBJECT: Proposal for Shot Tower Grant Administration
INTRODUCTION
This memo transmits for City Council review and approval, a proposal from East Central
Intergovernmental Association (ECIA) to assist the City with grant administration for the
Shot Tower. The City has been awarded a $100,000 Historic Sites Preservation Grant
from the State Historical Society of Iowa and a $295,000 Save America's Treasures
Grant from the National Park Service to stabilize and rehabilitate the Shot Tower.
BACKGROUND
The City has estimated that the stabilization, rehabilitation and interpretation of the Shot
Tower will cost approximately $600,000.
The first phase of the Shot Tower project, stabilization of the tower, is estimated at
$200,000. Phase I involves: abate hazardous materials (bird droppings) from the
interior; install tie rods to address cracked brick masonry; remove insect screens and
louvers from window openings; install new limestone sills, galvanized perimeter angles,
and bird screen at all openings; tuckpoint the interior and exterior; replace damaged
brick and limestone units; remove loose materials from the interior walls; and replace
existing pre-cast concrete cap.
The City has estimated that the second phase of the Shot Tower project, rehabilitation
and interpretation of the tower, will cost approximately $400,000. Phase 2 involves: an
archeological survey in and around the tower, construction of a non-combustible interior
stairway leading to the top of the 117 -foot tower for improved maintenance access and
increased stability, a new roof to prevent further deterioration, and installation of
protective barriers to safeguard the Shot Tower from vehicular damage from rail cars
and semi-tractor trailers that serve the adjacent industrial use.
The City Council budgeted $200,000 in the Vision Iowa project for Phase 1: stabilization
of the Shot Tower. The State awarded the City a $100,000 Historic Sites Preservation
grant for rehabilitation of the Shot Tower in November 2003. The $295,000 federal Save
Contract for Shot Tower Grant Administration
Page 2
America's Treasures grant awarded to the City in October 2004. The City, State and
Federal funds provide the $600,000 needed to complete stabilization, rehabilitation and
interpretation of the Shot Tower.
DISCUSSION
The two grants require that the City comply with a number of state and federal laws.
Planning Services staff is not familiar with these laws, We also are not able to dedicate
staff time to the administration of these grants that the complexity of these regulations
demands. We are concerned that the Planning Services staff may inadvertently
jeopardize the City's receipt of the $395,000 grant funds by failing to comply with the
multitude of steps of the state and federal programs.
Consequently, Planning Services staff requested a cost estimate from ECIA for their
assistance with the administration of these two grants.
ECIA has submitted a proposal for $15,000 to assist the City with the administration of
the two Shot Tower grants, The Scope of Work to be performed by ECIA would include
those activities outlined in State Historical Society of Iowa's Historic Sites Preservation
Grant Program and in the National Park Service's Save America's Treasures Grant
Program. The enclosed proposal indicates that ECIA staff is familiar with state and
federal grant programs, and that to date ECIA has administered over $108 million in
federally funded programs for their five-county region without an audit finding.
Planning Services staff believes that the $15,000 cost is very reasonable. Funding for
the proposal can be covered by the $25,000 FY05 allocation in the Planning Services
Department's Riverfront Plan Implementation CIP. These funds have not been
committed to any other riverfront projects, per Budget Director Dawn Lang.
RECOMMENDATION
Entering into this contract with ECIA for their assistance with the administration of the
two Shot Tower grants benefits the City for the following reasons:
. ensuring compliance with state and federal requirements,
. protecting the City's receipt of the $395,000 grant funds, and
. meeting the City's commitment of the Vision Iowa grant agreement.
I recommend that the City Council approve the proposal for $15,000 for ECIA to
administer the two Shot Tower grants, and authorize the Planning Services Manager to
sign the enclosed proposal on behalf of the City.
Enclosures
cc Dawn Lang, Budget Director
January 4,2005
EAST CENTRAL INTERGOVERNMENTAL ASSOCIATION
A Regional Response to Local Needs
Laura Carstens
Planning Services Manager
City of Dubuque
City Hall
50 West 13th Street
Dubuque, Iowa 52001-4864
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CITY OF DUBUQUE
PLANNING SERVICES DEPARTMENT
Suite 200
3999 Pennsylvania Avenu,
Dubuque. IA 52002
Dear Laura,
Thank you for the opportunity to provide a proposal to assist the City of Dubuque
with the grant administration of the Historic Site Preservation Grant and the Save
America's Treasure Grant for the Shot Tower. Our proposal is based on the grant
activities outlined in the two grant applications and grant agreements.
EClA staff will provide grant administration services for both programs for a total
cost of $15,000. ECIA will bill the City monthly for administrative services based on our
approved EClA billable hourly rates. Darwin Polk, Project Manager, would be the
designated lead for the grant administration with oversight from our Community
Development Director, Mark Schneider.
Scope of Work to be performed by ECIA would include those activities outlined
in the State Historical Society ofIowa's Historic Site Preservation Grant Program
Contract (Contract Number HSPG04-007) and the United States Department of Interior
National Park Services Grant Agreement (Agreement Number 19-04-Ml-OII0). EClA
will ensure compliance with the Secretary ofInterior's Standards for the Treatment of
Historic Properties and Standards for Archeological Documentation.
EClA staff is very familiar with administering State and Federal grant programs.
To date, EClA has administered over $108 million in federally funded programs for the
local governments within our five county region. Additionally, EClA has adllÙnistered
these programs without a single audit finding.
If the above scope of work and cost estimate is acceptable for the grant
administration as outlined above and in the grant agreements, please sign and date as
indicated on the second page of this letter. Keep one copy for your files and return one
original to EClA for our files. If we are selected, EClA staff is available to begin work
on your grant programs immediately. If desired, I can also send you a more detailed
contract with appropriate attachments outlining specifically the scope of work as
identified in the grant agreements.
PHONE (563) 556-4166 lOW!, ONLY (800) 942-4648 FAX (563) 556-0348 ENI.4iL ecia@ecia,org WEB SlfE www,ecia,org
. Dubuque Metropolitan Area Transportation Study' Eastern Iowa Regional Housing Authority. Region J Employment and Training'
. ECIA Regional Planning Affiliation' ECIA Business Growth. Inc. .
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Page 2
City of Dubuque
January 4,2005
Thank you for considering ECIA! Should you have any questiQns, feel /Tee to
contact me at 563-556-4166.
Sincerely,
~Hutton D tmeyer
Executive Dir tor
cc: Mark Schneider, Community D,evelopment Director
Signed:
Planning Services Director
Date
Attest
Date