Title
Resolution to Amend the Fiscal Year 2025 Council Approved Budget to Appropriate Certain Previously Received United States Air Force Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration Program Funds to the Clear Zone Account for Expenditure
Purpose
PURPOSE/BACKGROUND:
See Discussion.
Discussion:
The resolution facilitates the continuation of the ongoing process of mitigating non-compatible land use, development, and encroachment around Langley Air Force Base (LAFB) flight approach zones, as defined in the 2010 Joint Land Use Study (JLUS). Pursuant to an encroachment grant agreement executed with the Commonwealth of Virginia, entered into and administered prior to the involvement of the United States Air Force, the City acquired multiple properties using State funding from the Federal Area Contingency Trust (FACT) fund and matching City funds. Currently, the City must still fulfill its obligation to grant restrictive easements on one or more of those parcels to the United States of America, acting through the Air Force.
The Air Force, subsequent to those acquisitions, paid to the City $648,025.11 from its FY2018 the Readiness Environmental & Protection Integration (REPI) Program. The REPI Program is a key tool for combating encroachment that can limit or restrict military training, testing and operations, and protecting these military missions by helping remove or avoid land-use conflicts near installations and addressing regulatory restrictions that inhibit military activities. The Air Force was not a party to transactions to acquire those properties, but is willing to pay to the City and State half of the current appraised value of those properties, with the effective result being reimbursing both the City and State for twenty-five percent (25%) of the original acquisition costs. The Air Force has authorized the City to use those REPI funds to pay for current appraisals and site assessments.
Once the current values are determined and restrictive easements are executed for those properties, from those REPI funds remaining (net of the approved expenditures for appraisals and site assessments), the City will need to pay to the State one-fourth (1/4) of the current appraised values of those properties, retain one-fourth (1/4) of the current appraised values; then return to any remaining balance of those REPI funds to the Air Force. The funding is currently carried as unearned revenue in the Capital Projects Fund and needs to be appropriated to the Langley Clear Zone Project so those funds can be expended for the intended purpose.
Impact:
This resolution facilitates the expenditure of previously received REPI funds to finalize the City's obligations related to those previously acquired properties.
Recommendation:
Rec
Approve the Resolution.
Body
WHEREAS, the City acquired multiple properties in furtherance of the process of mitigating non-compatible land use, development, and encroachment around the Langley Air Force Base(LAFB) flight approach zones, as defined in the 2010 Joint Land Use Study using Federal Area Contingency Trust (FACT) funds from the Commonwealth of Virginia and matching City funds
WHEREAS, the United States through the Air Force (Air Force), subsequent to those acquisitions, paid to the City $648,025.11 from the Readiness Environmental & Protection Integration (REPI) Program, to help offset the costs of those acquisitions;
WHEREAS, the Air Force is willing to fund fifty percent (50%) of the current value of those properties, subject to the City obtaining current appraisals to determine that current value and site assessments for each of those parcels for which reimbursement is to be paid, and the City's grant of restrictive easements, as needed on those parcels;
WHEREAS, of the fifty percent (50%) of current values to be reimbursed by the Air Force, the City is entitled to retain half of that 50% and must remit the other half of that 50% to the State; and
WHEREAS, Remaining REPI funds available after payment of (a) any and all approved costs; and (b) the fifty-percent (50%) reimbursement of current values, must be returned to the Air Force.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the City Council of the City of Hampton, Virginia that the Fiscal Year 2025 Council Approved Budget is amended to appropriate from the Capital Projects Fund (Unearned Revenue) to the Langley Clear Zone account the previously awarded $648,025.11of REPI grant funds, to be spent as set forth above, in accordance with the requirements of the REPI Program.
.