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Sandpoint staff reports $100,000 IRA grant restored; funds earmarked for planting, hazard work and inventory update
Summary
City staff said a previously paused $100,000 IRA grant from Idaho Department of Lands is available again and proposed using the money for new plantings, hazard tree work and an update to the city's tree inventory via a vendor (Planet Geo/PG Cloud).
City staff reported that a $100,000 grant awarded through the Idaho Department of Lands and administered via USDA (an IRA-related award) that had been put on hold is now available again.
Eric Bush said the city was initially awarded the grant in October, received contract documents late last year, and was later notified the funds were temporarily postponed. Bush said the funds were reinstated and will be used for a mix of new tree plantings (including trees at Traverse and downtown), hazard pruning or removal, general tree maintenance, and an update to the city's tree inventory. He estimated that $40,000–$50,000 of the grant could go toward a tree-inventory update and said the city likely will reengage Planet Geo (PG Cloud) to complete the inventory.
Bush said the city has $40,000 of annual maintenance funding split between streets and parks crews ($20,000 each) and that there is no additional general-fund capacity at present. He recommended the commission develop a multi-year capital improvement plan (CIP) to prioritize future requests for additional funding.
Ending: Staff will engage with the inventory vendor and return with a proposed scope and priorities for how the $100,000 grant will be allocated among planting, maintenance and inventory work.
