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City staff update council: EPA brownfield assessment funds available citywide; $296,000 remains
Summary
Redevelopment staff reported that the EPA Brownfield Assessment Grant, an assessment (not cleanup) grant the city received, began with $472,000; $176,000 has been spent, leaving about $296,000 to allocate through August 2027 for Phase I/II assessments on commercial properties undergoing buying, selling, or remodeling.
Redevelopment staff told the council on March 4 that the city's EPA Brownfield Assessment Grant provides funding for Phase I site assessments and, when warranted, Phase II sampling for commercial properties with potential hazardous materials or previous industrial uses.
Scott Carter said the city contracted Beck Environmental to help manage the program and that the grant is an EPA assessment grant, not a cleanup grant. He said the grant started with $472,000; the agency has spent about $176,000 to date and has roughly $296,000 remaining, with grant activity allowed through August 2027.
Carter said the program is intended for commercial properties that are buying, selling or remodeling and that staff will prioritize properties where assessment activity would remove hazardous conditions upon renovation or transfer. He cited Old City Hall as a recent example where asbestos and lead-based paint were assessed under the program.
Councilmembers asked if staff could proactively reach out to owners of potentially relevant properties; Carter said the Brownfield program requires activity (a transaction or remodeling) to qualify, rather than simply surveying an idle building. The item was presented for discussion only; no council action was required.
