City Council

(8) 14-1174-S79 CD 13 CATEGORICAL EXEMPTION and TRADE, TRAVEL AND TOURISM COMMITTEE REPORT relative to appropriating funds from the Wilshire Center/Koreatown Redevelopment Project Area for the Neighborhood Enhanced Network Project (Project). Recommendations for Council action, SUBJECT TO THE APPROVAL OF THE MAYOR: DETERMINE that the Project, consisting of an active transportation safety and climate resilience treatment, is categorically exempt from the provisions of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to State CEQA Guidelines Section 15300 et seq., Article lll, Section 1. The Project is also exempt under the City of Los Angeles CEQA Guidelines, Class 1 Category 1(3), (15). APPROVE up to $858,408 in taxable, and $762,150 in tax-exempt CRA/LA Non-Housing Excess Bond Proceeds (EBP) plus all earned interest available to Council District 13 from the Wilshire Center/Koreatown Redevelopment Project Area for the Project. AUTHORIZE the Los Angeles Department of Transportation (LADOT) to be the implementing department, to design the Project’s improvements, and to implement activities in collaboration with the Department of Public Works Bureau of Street Services and Bureau of Engineering (BOE) to effectuate the Project. AUTHORIZE the LADOT to approve, negotiate and execute contracting documents and/or amendments as required with duly procured contractor(s) (Contractor) to effectuate the Project and prevailing wage requirements. REQUEST the BOE to assist the LADOT with the procurement of the Contractor from BOE’s list of pre-qualified on-call contractors, and collaborate with the LADOT to approve, negotiate and execute contracting documents and/or amendments with the Contractor as required to effectuate the Project and prevailing wage requirements. DIRECT the LADOT and BOE to transmit copies of all executed contract(s) under the Project to the Economic and Workforce Development Department (EWDD). DIRECT the LADOT to file a CEQA Notice of Exemption (NOE) (Attachment 2 of the CRA/LA Bond Oversight Committee report dated September 27, 2023, attached to the Council file) with the City Clerk and Los Angeles County Clerk upon Council adoption. AUTHORIZE the LADOT to expend the EBP allocation no later than September 30, 2024. DIRECT the LADOT to report back on its work accomplishments to the Office of the City Administrative Officer (CAO), and fund expenditures to the EWDD on a quarterly and as-needed basis. AUTHORIZE the Controller, subject to the availability of funds and duly executed and encumbered contract(s) and/or amendment(s), to expend up to $858,408 plus interest from the EBP Fund No. 57D, Account Nos. 22L9TT and 22S9TT Wilshire Center/Koreatown Taxable Series 2006-A and 2008-B, and up to $762,150 plus interest from the EBP Fund No. 57D, Account Nos. 22L9TN and 22S9TN Wilshire Center/Koreatown Tax-Exempt Series 2008-C, for activities related to the Project upon presentation of proper documentation by LADOT, and satisfactory review by the EWDD in accordance with the terms and conditions of the Bond Expenditure Agreement. AUTHORIZE the General Manager, EWDD, or designee, to prepare Controller instructions and/or make technical adjustments that may be required and are consistent with this action, subject to the approval of the CAO; and, authorize the Controller to implement these instructions. Fiscal Impact Statement: The CRA/LA Bond Oversight Committee reports that there is no impact on the City’s General Fund from the proposed allocation of CRA/LA EBP. The CRA/LA EBP Fund No. 57D is funded solely from transfers of approximately $86 million in pre-2011 tax allocation bond proceeds from CRA/LA to the City (Council file No. 14-1174 and 14-1174-S36). Said transfers have been deposited with the Office of the Controller.