For City Council Meeting [November 9, 2021]
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council
APPROVAL: Marcus Fuller, City Manager
FROM: Daniel Casey, Acting Community Development Manager
Title
Request City Council to accept technical assistance from the Institute for Local Government through the Build, Organize, Optimize, Strengthen, Transform (BOOST) Program and authorize the City Manager to execute a Memorandum of Understanding with the Institute for Local Government.
Body
BACKGROUND
The BOOST Program is a partnership between the California Strategic Growth Council and the Institute for Local Government. The purpose is to help local governments build capacity to address access to clean air and water, clean transportation, affordable housing and economic opportunity.
ANALYSIS/DISCUSSION
The City of Rialto is one of seven communities that have been selected for this BOOST cohort, which lasts eighteen (18) months. During that time, the City will receive support in the form of training, partnership development, community engagement, planning and implementation support, grant application assistance, and communications support. These will help implementation of the City’s Climate Adaptation Plan, the General Plan Update including an update of the existing Land Use and Safety Elements and preparation of a new Environmental Justice Element, development of the Foothill Boulevard-Central Area Specific Plan update, and the Smart Cities Plan to Mitigate Impacts of Warehousing and Logistics.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
Pursuant to Section 15378 of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), a “Project” means the whole of an action, which has a potential for resulting in either a direct physical change in the environment or a reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment. Acceptance of technical assistance is an administrative function and is not a project as defined by CEQA.
GENERAL PLAN CONSISTENCY
Implementation of the City’s Climate Adaptation Plan is consistent with Goal 2-38, which is to “mitigate against climate change.”
LEGAL REVIEW
The City Attorney has reviewed and supports this staff report.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Accepting technical assistance does not have a financial impact.
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that the City Council accept technical assistance through the BOOST Program and authorize the City Manager to execute a Memorandum of Understanding with the Institute for Local Government.