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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1075 - SUPPORTING DRCOG joint application to HUD's Sustainable Communities Grant ProgramBoulder City Council RESOLUTION NO. 1075 A RESOLUTION SUPPORTING THE DENVER REGIONAL COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS' COMPREHENSIVE JOINT APPLICATION TO THE US DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT'S SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES REGIONAL PLANNING GRANT PROGRAM. FINDINGS The City of Boulder City Council finds as follows: On June 16, 2009, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the Partnership for Sustainable Communities (The Partnership) to reshape the Federal government's role in helping achieve economically prosperous, healthy, environmentally sustainable and opportunity -rich communities. 2. The Partnership seeks to foster such communities consistent with the following Livability Principles: a. Provide more transportation choices. Develop safe, reliable and economic transportation choices to decrease household transportation costs, reduce our nation's dependence on foreign oil, improve air quality, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and promote public health. b. Promote equitable, affordable housing. Expand location -and energy- efficient housing choices for people of all ages, incomes, races and ethnicitics to increase mobility, and lower the combined cost of housing and transportation. c. Enhance economic competitiveness. Improve economic competitiveness through reliable and timely access to employment centers, educational opportunities, services, and other basic needs by workers as well as expanded business access to markets. d. Support existing communities. Target funding toward existing communities through such strategies as transit- oriented, mixed -use development and land recycling — to increase community revitalization, improve the efficiency of public works investments, and safeguard rural landscapes. e. Coordinate policies and leverage investment. Align policies and funding to remove barriers to collaboration, leverage funding, and increase the accountability and effectiveness of all levels of government to plan for future growth, including making smart energy choices such as locally generated renewable energy. f. Value communities and neighborhoods. Enhance the unique characteristics of all communities by investing in healthy, safe, and walkable neighborhoods — rural, urban or suburban. 3. The Denver Regional Council of Governments' Board of Directors adopted a resolution affirming its support for the Partnership and agreeing to integrate the Livability Principles into ongoing and future Metro Vision discussions. 4. This new Partnership recognizes the need to support metropolitan scale, multi - jurisdictional solutions in meeting these Livability Principles. 5. The US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) recently announced that it will award $100 million in grants as part of the Sustainable Communities Regional Planning Grant program. 6. The Denver Regional Council of Governments, the Metro Mayors Caucus, the Metro Area County Commissioners and the Colorado Tomorrow Alliance have facilitated a region -wide discussion with a wide range of stakeholders over the past three months to develop a regional proposal under this grant program. 7. As an outcome of these discussions, the Denver Regional Council of Governments is now finalizing a grant application focused on 1) refining Metro Vision to attend to the Livability Principles and 2) providing financial support to advance the successful implementation of the Livability Principles at the local level. 8. The City of Boulder is a strong, committed member of the Denver Regional Council of Governments and is duly proud of the region's long history of collaborative action on matters of regional concern for the collective betterment of the region as a whole. RESOLUTION NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the City of Boulder strongly supports submittal of a comprehensive joint application for the Sustainable Communities Regional Planning Grants Program by the Denver Regional Council of Governments and commits to continue working collaboratively with the Denver Regional Council of Governments and stakeholders from across the region to refine and implement Metro Vision to achieve the outcomes envisioned in the Federal Livability Principles. Resolved this 3rd day of August, 2010 Attest City Clerk on beha f of the