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HomeMy WebLinkAbout23-1221 RUSH Conditional Award Letter (REAP 2.0) - City of Palm Desert Page | 1 of 2 December 21, 2023 Joe Barron City of Palm Desert 73-510 Fred Waring Drive Palm Desert, CA 92260 Subject: Notice of Conditional Award, Regional Utilities Supporting Housing (RUSH) Pilot Program Dear Joe Barron: The Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) is pleased to inform you that the application submitted by the City of Palm Desert for the Regional Utilities Supporting Housing (RUSH) Pilot Program has been recommended for award pending SCAG Regional Council approval, which is anticipated to occur at its meeting on January 4, 2024. The response and proposed uses appear to meet the core REAP 2.0 objectives of accelerating infill housing development, affirmatively furthering fair housing, and reducing vehicle miles traveled. The RUSH Program was developed pursuant to the State of California Regional Early Action Planning Grants of 2021 (REAP 2.0) program established as part of the 2021 California Comeback Plan under AB 140 which requires specific goals and objectives to be met. Based upon the current estimate, the proposal titled, Flood Control Infrastructure for Housing Need, may be eligible to receive an amount not to exceed $8,000,000 for the authorized applicant to complete the project. The final amount of funding available for your proposal is contingent upon approval by the SCAG Regional Council. Please be advised the final amount may be amended after consideration by the SCAG Regional Council. Further refinement to the Scope of Work (SOW), budget, schedule or other conditions may also be applied, which could modify the amount of funding awarded. The SOWs and funding award may also be reviewed and adjusted by HCD, if necessary. Public announcement of awards is anticipated to take place after consideration by the SCAG Regional Council in January 2024. SCAG kindly requests the City of Palm Desert maintain confidentiality about the conditional award until the Regional Council has approved the project and SCAG has publicly announced that approval. Following action by the SCAG Regional Council, SCAG staff will contact you to complete the sub-recipient risk assessment and complete the review of the SOW and budget for the authorized project. In addition, SCAG will forward a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to be entered into between the City of Palm Desert and SCAG. The MOU will include the terms and conditions for the grant, including roles and responsibilities of the parties, REAP 2.0 Guideline requirements, invoice review Page | 2 of 2 process, performance reporting, and other legal requirements for subrecipients of the program. The MOU will require confirmation that the applicant’s legislative body accepts the award, the terms and conditions, and authorizes City of Palm Desert to enter into the MOU. Sub-recipients, or the identified implementing agency, are solely responsible to procure their own consultant and must go through a Sub-recipient Risk Review. For all agreements entered into containing funds provided under this program, City of Palm Desert or the identified implementing agency will be required to procure in compliance with all applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations, and sole source procurements are expressly prohibited. The Sub-recipient Risk Review, MOU, and, if applicable, procurement processes are intended to support the timely development and successful implementation of the RUSH funding goals. This support is vital as the final invoice date of REAP 2.0 funded programming is December 31, 2025. The ability to comply with this deadline is key to ensuring RUSH funding is most effectively allocated and utilized across the SCAG region. Congratulations on your successful application! If you have any questions, please contact Ma’Ayn Johnson at johnson@scag.ca.gov. SCAG looks forward to working with you on affirmatively furthering fair housing, accelerating infill housing development, and reducing vehicle miles traveled. Sincerely, Sarah Jepson Chief Planning Officer