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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2003-12-16; City Council; 17410; Flower Fields Grant AllocationsAB# 17,410 MTG. 12-16-03 DEPT. PLN TITLE: FLOWER FIELDS GRANT ALLOCATIONS AND APPROPRIATION OF FUNDS Project Name Fumigation Alternatives for Methyl Bromide Tissue Culture Project Seed Selection Project Citv Administration Fee DEPT.HD. h@& 9 Project Proposal . Methyl Bromide fumigation is an effective field treatment for Flower Field ranunculas, but timeline to ban use in CNUSA is in place. The need to develop alternatives is necessary for long-term crop survival in this area. Four-acre site at the Flower Fields used in the past for this effort and this request is for a focused set of experiments. First year of multi-year effort to improve plant quality. Seeks to use plant tissue/plantlets to see if color, habit or disease resistance can be affected at the cellular level. Proposes 2-acre plot to focus on multiple petal expression with specific colors. 10% of grant request for City’s administration of . . * Continues successful on-going project . . CITY ATTY. CITY MGR XS RECOMMENDED ACTION: That the City Council ADOPT Resolution No. 2003-328 , APPROVING three grant requests by the Carltas Company and City administrative charges for a total of $57,200 to provide aid to the flower growing operations on the Carlsbad Ranch and AUTHORIZING the appropriation of Flower Field grant funds. ITEM EXPLANATION: On June 30, 1997, the City entered into an agreement with the California Coastal Conservancy to administer grants supporting floriculture research for the preservation of the “Flower Fields” located on the Carlsbad Ranch. On August 29, 1997, the City received a $935,000 grant from the Conservancy and deposited it into an interest accruing special revenue account. The agreement with the Conservancy stipulates which research projects may be funded. These include: species vitality, multiple cropping opportunities, soil variables, climate, seed promulgation and marketing research. The agreement also stipulates that the amount of funds disbursed be limited to the amount of accrued interest to date not previously expended or encumbered. The City approved previous Flower Field grant requests on January 4,2000 and May 8,2001. At this time, the amount of accrued interest in the account is approximately $170,000. This current request is for $52,000, plus 10% ($5,200) for administration costs totaling $57,200 as outlined in the table below. I the Flower Field fund and related grant requests TOTAL REQUEST: Grant Amount $30,000 $2,000 $20,000 $5,200 $57,200 Grant requests have been reviewed and found consistent with the objectives of the Coastal Conservancy/City of Carlsbad agreement regarding the Flower Field funds. Project budgets were reviewed and found to be reasonable for equipment, supplies, services performed, etc. The City PAGE 2 OF AGENDA BILL NO. 17,410 maintains financial accounts relating to the projects and receives written reports outlining how projects met intended objectives. ENVIRONMENTAL: The Planning Director has determined that these projects are minor alterations to existing facilities and/or operations, and therefore, are categorically exempt from environmental review pursuant to Section 15301 (Existing Facilities) of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). FISCAL IMPACT: The three projects request a total of $52,000. Given the interest accrual of the Flower Fields grant at this time (approximately $170,000), there are sufficient funds to cover the combined grant requests ($52,000) as well as City of Carlsbad administrative costs (10% of grant, or $5,200) for a total of $57,200. EXHIBITS: 1. City Council Resolution No. 2003-328 2. Flower Field Grant Request Letter, dated August 12,2003. DEPARTMENT CONTACT: Eric Munoz, (760) 602-4608, emuno@ci.carlsbad.ca.us a 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 RESOLUTION NO. 2003--328 A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CARLSBAD, CALIFORNIA, APPROVING GRANT REQUESTS FROM THE CARLTAS COMPANY FOR RESEARCH PROJECTS FLOWER FIELDS AT CARLSBAD RANCH. CASE NAME: INTENDED TO ENSURE LONG-TERM PRODUCTIVITY OF THE FLOWER FIELDS GRANT ALLOCATIONS CASE NO.: SS 03-05 The City Council of the City of Carlsbad, California, does hereby resolve as follows: WHEREAS, Carltas Company, as property owner and on behalf of the Flower Fields grower, has filed a request for three grants; and WHEREAS, Grant No. 1 requests $30,000 to research alternatives to Methyl Bromide fumigation; and WHEREAS, Grant No. 2 requests $2,000 to initiate a multi-year project for clonal reproduction using tissue culture to improve plant color and quality; and WHEREAS, Grant No. 3 requests $2,000 to continue seed selection research; and WHEREAS, staff has reviewed and recommends that each grant is consistent with the purpose stipulated in the agreement between the City of Carlsbad and the California Coastal Conservancy and with reasonable and customary costs associated with the scope of work covered in each grant request; and WHEREAS, the Planning Director has determined that the projects covered by the grant request are categorically exempt from environmental review pursuant to Section 15301 (Existing Facilities) of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA); and WHEREAS, there are sufficient funds in the Flower Fields special revenue account to cover the three grant requests which total $52,000 plus the City’s administrative costs of $5,200 based on 10% of the combined grant requests, since the amount of accrued interest currently is approximately $1 70,000; and 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 PGge 2 05 2 of Resolution Xu. 2003-328 WHEREAS, the Finance Director is authorized to disburse the $52,000 in grant requests from the Flower Field fund, and to transfer the administrative fee of $5,200 from the Flower Field fund into the City’s General Fund. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED: 1. That the foregoing recitations are true and correct. 2. That the Flower Fields Grants are approved and appropriations in the amount of $52,000, plus an additional $5,200 for administrative charges, are hereby authorized subject to the following: Conditions: 1. Upon each project’s completion, the grant recipient shall submit a report to the Planning Director, detailing and/or summarizing how the project met the intended objectives, as well as disclosure of all related actual project costs. 2. The Planning Director, or designee, will review the submitted accounting and project detail submittals to determine validity of the costs. If the actual grant is determined to be more than the validated costs, the applicant shall refund the said difference to the City within 30 days of written City notification. PASSED AND ADOPTED at a regular meeting of the City Council of the City of Carlsbad on the 16th day of DECEMBER 2003, by the following vote, to wit: AYES: Council Members Lewis, Finnila, Kulchin, Hall and Packard NOES: None ATTEST: ,, )-I /? -2 ?-;q Li Lbl. 2LL . , LORRAIN jM. WOOD, City Clerk (SEAL) 4 -2- EXHIBIT 2 August 12,2003 Sandra Holder Director of Community Development City of Carlsbad 1635 Faraday Avenue Carlsbad, CA 92008 RE: 2002-2003 Flower Field Grant Request Dear Sandy: The purpose of this letter is to request support for two projects for the 2002-2003 growing season just completed. Both projects were initiated in July 2002 and results of the projects are being evaluated with the bulb harvest now in progress. 1. A continuing project is the testing and comparative work for the Methyl Bromide alternatives as a soil fumigant. This work is being done in conjunction with the California Cut Flower Commission and the University of California. We began the project in 2001-02 and continue it for a four-year period. The repetition and experience over an extended period is important because significant differences in the impact on the soil and the plants show up over time more clearly than in a single year test. 2. A second project initiated this year is the effort to reproduce by tissue culture- a kind of “clonal” technique that if successful will allow for much more rapid development of improvements in varieties. This project will also be continued in 2003-04. 3. Continuing support is also requested for the seed selection area, although for a smaller area than last year since the major replacement of seed has been completed and annual selection is continuing. While total costs exceeded $62,000, the projects were undertaken with an objective of $52,000 in support from the fund. Accordingly, the enclosed request is for an aggregate of $52,000. Ve TmlyYoys, F- // &[L- 5600 AVENIDA ENCINAS SUITE 100 CARLSBAD, CA 92008 TELEPHONE 760 930-9 123 FAX 760 43 1-9020 www.tlieflowerfields.com