All items on the consent agenda are considered to be routine and non-controversial by COG staff and will be approved by one motion if no member of the Committee or public wishes to comment or ask questions.  If comment or discussion is desired by anyone, the item will be removed from the consent agenda and will be considered in the listed sequence with an opportunity for any member of the public to address the Committee concerning the item before action is taken.

Summary: $1,769,280 in Measure “C” funds are available in 2016-17 for programs administrated through COG. In accordance with Transportation Authority procedures, Resolution 2016-19 adopts claims for ADA/Seniors/Paratransit,  Farmworker Van Pools, Car/Van Pools and Administrative/Planning.

Action: Staff recommends approval of Resolution 2016-19 adopting the Measure "C" Claims for ADA/Seniors/Paratransit, Farmworker Van Pools, Car/Van Pools and Administrative/Planning.

Summary: The City of Orange Cove, San Joaquin, Fowler, Kingsburg, Selma and Mendota are submitting their 2016/17 Transportation Development Act Claims for approval.

Claimant                                           LTF                       STA                   Total

City of Orange Cove                         327,275                 37,062                364,337

City of San Joaquin                          143,536                 16,268               159,804

City of Fowler                                  210,855                 23,894               234,749

City of Kingsburg                              428,535                48,643               477,178

City of Selma                                   879,574                 99,867              979,441

City of Mendota                               416,260                 47,285               463,545

Action: Staff recommends approval of Resolution 2016-20 adopting the 2016/17 Transportation Development Act Claims for the City of Orange Cove, approval of Resolution 2016-22 adopting the 2016/17 Transportation Development Act Claims for the City of San Joaquin, approval of Resolution 2016-24 adopting the 2016/17 Transportation Development Act Claims for the City of Fowler and approval of Resolution 2016-25 adopting the 2016/17 Transportation Development Act Claims for the City of Kingsburg, approval of  Resolution 2016-26 adopting the 2016/17 Transportation Development Act Claims for the City of Selma, approval of Resolution 2016-27 adopting the 2016/17 Transportation Development Act Claims for the City of Mendota.

Summary: The 15/16 Federal Fiscal Year (FFY) ends on September 30, 2016. All funds programmed in FFY 15/16 in the 2015 FTIP should be obligated prior to October 1, 2016. This requires that requests for authorizations (RFAs) be submitted to Caltrans Local Assistance no later than Friday, July 29, 2016 in order to allow them time to process and submit to FHWA. District staff will continue to work on requests submitted after this date, on a first-come first-served basis, but receiving authorization approval before October 1, 2016 will no longer be guaranteed.

FTA Transfer requests should have been submitted to Caltrans Local Assistance by Friday, July 15, 2016. If your agency did not submit the FTA transfer requests to the district office by the deadline, please contact your Local Assistance Engineer directly.  Caltrans Headquarters has set July 29, 2016 as the deadline for the districts to submit these requests and Caltrans Local Assistance requested two weeks to process the requests at the district office.

The overall total Obligational Authority (OA) Target for CMAQ and RSTP federal funding sources in FFY 2015/16 is $23,422,848. As of June 30, 2016, $4,302,298 of CMAQ and RSTP has been obligated, which reduces our 2015/16 Obligational Authority Target balance to $19,120,550. This indicates that we have only met 18.4% of our estimated OA delivery target for this FFY.  Our region should deliver the complete $23,422,848 of OA to comply with the “Use It or Lose It” provisions of AB 1012 enacted in October 1999 and to avoid having some of our obligational authority redistributed to other regions to advance their projects.

It is imperative that projects programmed within FFY 2015/16 get obligated within the programmed year to avoid reprogramming of those funds. As such, Fresno COG's member agencies are encouraged to submit their RFAs as soon as possible or by the July 29th deadline to ensure projects planned for obligation this year are able to be processed by Caltrans in time.  If our region is able to deliver more than our OA Target we might be eligible to capture any available funds during the statewide open obligation period.  Keep in mind that if funds need to be reprogrammed and financial capacity is not available, it is possible that projects can become substantially delayed if moved to the outer years of the FTIP. Fresno COG will continue working with each of our member agencies to ensure that projects planned for obligation in 15/16 are obligated in time.

If you have any questions regarding the federal fiscal year deadlines or process of obligating project funds, please contact Chelsea Gonzales at 559-233-4148 ext. 223 or your District 6 Local Assistance Engineer.

Action: Information. Direction may be provided at the discretion of the Policy Board.

Summary: Active Transportation Program (ATP) funds are separated into three main components: the statewide competitive program (managed by the state), the small urban and rural area competitive program (also managed by the state), and the large urbanized area competitive program (managed by the Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPO) - also known as the Regional Competitive ATP).  Fresno COG's member agencies are eligible to apply for projects through both the statewide and regional competitive solicitations. The Statewide Call for Projects was open from April 15, 2016 through June 15, 2016.  About $61.4 million of funding is available annually (fiscal year 2019/20 and 2020/21) for the California Transportation Commission (CTC) to award through the statewide competitive program.

For the Regional Competitive ATP, Fresno COG's regional guidelines and revised list of Multidisciplinary Advisory Group (MAG) members were approved by the Fresno COG Policy Board on May 26, 2016 and were then forwarded to California Transportation Commission (CTC) staff on May 27, 2016 for recommended approval. The CTC Commissioners unanimously approved Fresno COG's proposed regional guidelines at the June 29, 2016 CTC meeting. With the guidelines approved, Fresno COG's Regional Call for Projects opened on Friday July 1, 2016; project applications may be submitted now and will be accepted until 4:00 PM on Thursday September 15, 2016.  For Cycle 3, Fresno COG will receive $1,338,000 for each fiscal year (2019/20 and 2020/21) to award to local projects. Per the ATP legislation, at least 25% of the program funds must benefit projects in disadvantaged communities. The scoring committee consisting of MAG members will convene on November 2, 2016 to score and deliberate on the recommended program of projects submitted to the Regional Competitive ATP.  

Included with this item are the final CTC-approved Cycle 3 Regional Guidelines and the statewide application and instructions, which we will also be using for our Regional Call for Projects. Unlike the Statewide Call for Projects which had an online application submittal process, please prepare your application by filling out the attached PDF.  The link for the Statewide electronic application is no longer active since the Statewide solicitation has closed.  The program guidelines (regional, CTC statewide, and Caltrans), application, application instructions, and other relevant guidance documents are available at: http://www.fresnocog.org/active-transportation-program.  Also, ATP Cycle 3 attachment files can still be found here on Caltrans website: http://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/LocalPrograms/atp/cycle-3.html 

If you have any questions, please contact Chelsea Gonzales via email at CGonzales@fresnocog.org or via phone at 559-233-4148 ext. 223.

Action: Information. Direction may be provided at the discretion of the Policy Board.

Summary: (Task 1) Greenprint: Contracts between the Fresno COG and the consultants for the three Demonstration Projects have been fully executed.  The consultants are Sequoia Riverlands Trust, Sustainable Conservation, and American Farmland Trust.  A summary description of the three projects is attached.  Of interest is that each of the three Demonstration Projects addresses a particular aspect of groundwater sustainability, a significant challenge facing the San Joaquin Valley.  The consultants are required to share information and in other ways coordinate with each another in order to avoid duplication and maximize project dollars.  The consultants will, apart from the conclusions and recommendations of their individual projects, also jointly identify existing and potential future opportunities to improve the sustainability of our groundwater supplies.  This Phase II of the Greenprint project will conclude on April 1, 2017.  

(Task 2) Model Land-Use Revalidation activities (Model Improvement Program Phase 2) have been ongoing since January 2014.  Fehr and Peers, as the selected consultant, is conducting activities associated with the project, including data collection and processing, refinement of model input data; and model estimation, calibration, validation, evaluation and associated training activities.  In addition, the consultant is overseeing all project management and information sharing details.

(Task 3) Due to the completion of several anticipated Round 2 activities within Round 1, Department of Conservation (DOC) representatives approved the re-allocation of line item funds to increase the amount of funding for both Sustainable Communities Strategy (SCS) printing/duplication for outreach and public involvement, as well as the amount available to assist with Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) coordination.  A total of $55,000 for RHNA coordination and $88,674 for SCS printing/duplication reflect the new line items.  These amounts are to be allocated to each COG based upon population percentages (utilizing the Planning Center data), similar to other valley activities in the recent past.  With 24% of the Valley’s overall population, Fresno COG’s proportion of these funds is $20,841.54 for SCS activities, and $13,200 for RHNA activities.

Originally, all Round 2 activities must have been completed by 6/30/16, and billed by 9/30/16, in accordance with the 3-year DOC grant period.  However, after receiving support from the San Joaquin Valley COG Director's, the TTC, PAC and Fresno COG Policy Board, staff has worked with the DOC grant manager and the Strategic Growth Council to request a time extension to allow for enhancement of grant activities associated with the Greenprint and SCS tasks.  In late March, such an extension was officially approved, which now allows for grant activities through March 31, 2017.  Following approval of the time extension, staff submitted a formal amendment request to DOC to accommodate additional activities to maximize Task 1 and Task 3 activities through the end of the grant period.  Staff has recently submitted the signed contract amendment to DOC, and is awaiting their return signature.  Additional information will be delivered to the TTC/PAC and Board, when available.

For any questions regarding Prop 84 Round 2 activities, please contact Rob Terry at (559) 233-4148 Ext. 222 or via email at rterry@fresnocog.org.

Action:  Information.  Direction may be provided at the discretion of the Policy Board.

Summary: One on one meetings with each of the smaller cities (populations under 50,000) by both the Circuit Planning Team (VRPA) and Circuit Engineering Team (Willdan) to identify project needs and activities, concluded in the month of April.  Based upon the feedback received at those meetings, 7 planning-related projects and 13 engineering-related projects were identified by the various cities.  The consultant firms have completed the development of prioritization criteria for both types of projects (planning and engineering) and ranked the projects based on the resulting scores.  The projects shown below indicate the top 3 from each category that have been submitted to the Circuit Planning/Engineering teams by the individual agencies, which have been scored and ranked utilizing the program criteria.  It is the intent of the teams to move through the list from top to bottom, working on up to 3 projects at a time (concurrently). Additional projects beyond those six identified will be added to the bottom, per ranking, as projects are completed.  It is important to notate that this list is fluid, and is intended to provide general direction for the teams.   Throughout the process, this list may change, as priorities and/or time sensitive projects require attention amongst the agencies.

The top 3 planning-related projects resulting from that process include:

1. Fowler Project 1 - Golden State Property - Land Use, Transportation and Infrastructure Design Study, Purpose & Need Statement, Funding Source Review, and Assistance with the Funding Application

2. Sanger Project 2 - Assist with preparation of a Strategic Growth Council funding application to plan for an integrated transportation and land use system and to ultimately annex the unincorporated area located south of North Avenue and west of Academy Avenue

3. Kingsburg Project 3 - Preparation of a school-zone study focusing on the six school zones in Kingsburg. The study would include safety analysis, circulation, and traffic calming recommendations.  The study would be limited in scope based upon discussions with City staff. 

The top 3 engineering-related projects include the following:

1. Selma Project 1 – Assistance with Planning and Design Issues - Dinuba Avenue Overcrossing/Interchange @ SR 99

2. Sanger Project 1 – Bridge Preventative Maintenance RFP/RFQ

3. Reedley Project 4 - Development of a Funding Strategy for Maintenance Improvements along Manning Avenue between Reed and Buttonwillow Avenues

Staff can provide details on the status of individual projects, as requested.  If you have any questions, comments or concerns regarding the tasks associated with either the circuit planning or circuit engineering programs, please contact Rob Terry at (559) 233-4148 Ext. 222 or via email at rterry@fresnocog.org.

Action: Information.  Direction may be provided at the discretion of the Policy Board.

Summary: Full applications for the Strategic Growth Council's (SGC) Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities (AHSC) Grant Program were due June 20, 2016.  Listed below are the four projects located within the Fresno region that were invited to submit full applications, with a total request of $41,116,952.

The SGC intends to announce award recommendations in September 2016, with Council approval/action over the following months.  For any questions regarding the AHSC program and/or activities associated with additional Cap and Trade auction proceeds, please contact Rob Terry at (559) 233-4148 Ext. 222 or via email at rterry@fresnocog.org.

Action: Information.  Direction may be provided at the discretion of the Policy Board.

Summary: Following the completion of Phase One activities (traffic count analysis and report), staff has released an RFP for Phase Two activities, intended to utilize the deliverables contained within the Phase One Final Report, and provide an analysis of the likely economic impacts through a fiscal impact analysis of the traffic movements identified.  Key dates associated with the RFP are listed below, for reference:

The RFP is attached; can also be found on the Fresno COG homepage, or accessed directly at: http://www.fresnocog.org/sites/default/files/publications/Planning_misc/RFP_-_Fresno-Madera_O-D_and_Fiscal_Study_Phase_2.pdf 

For any questions regarding upcoming activities associated with this project, please contact Rob Terry at (559) 233-4148 Ext. 222 or via email at rterry@fresnocog.org.

Action: Information.  Direction may be provided at the discretion of the Policy Board.

Summary: Recently, Caltrans released their recommendations for FY 2016-17 Sustainable Transportation Planning Grant Awards, totaling $10,520,118 state-wide.  These grants may be used for a wide range of transportation planning purposes, which address local and regional transportation needs and issues. The implementation of these grants should ultimately lead to the adoption, initiation, and programming of transportation improvements.  District 6 received three awards - all within the Fresno region - totaling $929,202 in total funds.  Listed below are the awarded projects.  The list of all projects state-wide is attached for reference.  Awards are contingent upon passage of the State Budget.  Grantees may begin work associated with these awards following approval of the State Budget and Contract Agreement execution.

For any questions regarding the activities associated with the above listed projects, please contact Rob Terry at (559) 233-4148 Ext. 222 or via email at rterry@fresnocog.org.

Action: Information.  Direction may be provided at the discretion of the Policy Board.

Summary: In May staff advised the board that FHWA had issued guidance to repurpose a list of old Demo projects that have been on the books for years. For various reasons the initial projects associated with these federal earmarks were completed leaving funding on the table.  The guidance provides a window for the Regional Transportation Agency to work with the earmark sponsors to repurpose the unspent balance on eligible projects within 50 miles of the initial Demo.  Staff has met with the project sponsors, Caltrans at both the district and state levels, and the California State Transportation Agency Undersecretary Brian Annis to determine a suitable list of projects to direct the earmark funds to, that fits FHWA’s repurposing criteria and is consistent with the intent of the initial federal earmarks as appropriated by congress.   The list recommends putting $1,891,149 on SR 180 East between Smith and Frankwood, $224,764 on American Ave. between SR 99 and Clovis Avenue, and $181,234 on a Traffic Signal at Marks and Nielsen, North of the SR 180/Marks Interchange.

Action: Staff recommends the adoption of Resolution 2016-21 designating the list of projects eligible for repurposing.

Summary:

WE – 123 Sustainable Communities Public Transit

Caltrans approved a $370,000 grant to develop a Sustainable communities Public Transit Plan that will update elements from our Public Transit Infrastructure Study PTIS that was done a few years ago. The grant will provide $327,561 and require a $42,439 match.

WE- 124 Business Commute Optimization

Caltrans approved a $363,725 grant to study Environmental Impacts of Business Commuters. The project is a joint effort by California State University of Fresno and University of Colorado, Denver. The grant will provide $322,006 and require a $41,719 match to be provided as In Kind by CSU and UC Colorado-Denver.

WE-311 Public Info. And Participation

To correct a typographical error in the approved Work Element, the schedule of funding is revised to clearly identify the funding source as FHWA PL funds instead of a combination of PL and local funds. This correction does not change any of the work or deliverables budgeted in this work element and makes the work element consistent with other budget schedules where total FHWA PL funds are identified.

Action: Staff recommends approval of the 2016/17 Overall Work Program Amendment #1 increasing the budget  by $733,725.

Summary: Fresno COG staff has updated their Public Participation Plan (PPP) in compliance with Federal and State legislation. The updated Draft 2016 Fresno COG Public Participation Plan was released for 45-day public review and comment on Friday, May 13, 2016.  It has been available online on the Fresno COG website, in hard copy at the Fresno COG Office or available via email by request. The Public Review and Comment Period was open for 49 days, concluding on June 30, 2016 following a Public Hearing on the document held at the Fresno COG Policy Board meeting. One comment letter was received at the public hearing (but had also been received earlier by Fresno COG staff.)

The Final Draft 2016 Fresno COG Public Participation Plan (PPP) includes changes in response to a total of three comment letters received during the comment period, and a comment from Nick Paladino from the Fresno Cycling Club during the July 2016 TTC meeting, asking that the Cycling Club be added to the agency listings in Appendix C. Those letters/emails, as well as the responses to comments received, are included as Appendix E of the Final Draft 2016 Fresno COG Public Participation Plan (attached). The document is also available for review on the Fresno COG website on the Get Involved webpage under "About COG" and it is linked here. 

In response to all comments received prior to and during this process, the Final Draft 2016 PPP was updated with minor changes or clarifications. In accordance with requirements identified in federal regulations, the changes were not substantive enough as to require an additional 45-day review and public comment period. All written comments received were responded to in writing and are included in the Final Draft of the 2016 Fresno COG PPP Appendices. 

Further information regarding this process may be obtained by contacting the Fresno COG Public Information Officer and Senior Planner, Brenda Veenendaal, via email at brendav@fresnocog.org, through the Fresno COG website at www.fresnocog.org, via mail or by calling (559) 233-4148, ext 219.

Action: TTC, PAC and Fresno COG staff recommends approval of the 2016 Fresno COG Public Participation Plan.

Summary:  Included as an enclosure is a memorandum prepared by Fresno COG Executive Director Tony Boren which addresses the local street and roads transportation funding crisis facing California’s cities and counties.  The memo begins by identifying both the transportation funding crisis and the critical importance of a well maintained and properly functioning local street and road network. It follows that information by identifying what the short and long term “consequences and costs” associated with not addressing the problem will be for Fresno County residents.  Following that information is a proposed funding solution to the local street/road maintenance and rehabilitation crisis utilizing our local sales tax measure- Measure “C”.  Lastly, the “next steps” in the process to gain voter support are identified.

After receiving the “Local Streets and Roads Funding Crisis” presentation from staff, both TTC and PAC unanimously acknowledged the problem with our aging and decaying  local  street / road network.   There was also strong consensus on the “need” for additional funding to pay for repairing and maintaining our local street and road networks.  However, when the discussion moved to “how” the shortfall might be addressed, several of the PAC members expressed their “cautious support” with regards to using a sales tax measure to fund the shortfalls for the following reasons:

• A recognition that the majority of funding for local streets/roads has historically come from the gas tax which is regulated by the state, therefore a statewide solution from Sacramento “may” materialize which would negate the need for a local sales tax to address the problem.

• Recognition of sales tax “sensitivity”.  By adding on an additional sales tax to address local street/road maintenance and rehabilitation needs, Fresno County and its communities run the potential risk of having a sales tax which is higher than neighboring counties thereby potentially steering prospective businesses and consumers to adjacent counties for their purchases.

• Potential direct competition from cities or the County who may plan to seek a sales tax to address their own local needs (i.e.  public safety, parks/open space, water infrastructure, etc).

Additional TTC/PAC discussion focused on being able to explain to the voters why the existing Measure “C” sales tax doesn’t meet “all” of our local street/road rehabilitation and maintenance needs, and ensuring that the proposed sales tax addition is used “only” for local street and road maintenance/rehabilitation, and ensuring that the proposed sales tax measure does not get modified to meet and satisfy the concerns of alternative mode community activists.  At the conclusion of the discussion, TTC/PAC were both supportive of moving forward (with the caveats noted above) with the process to determine if there is community support and voter support for using a sales tax measure to fund our local street/roads rehabilitation and maintenance needs.  

Action: Authorize Fresno COG Executive Director to begin outreach efforts to various transportation stakeholders and community leaders with regards to the concept of utilizing a countywide sales tax measure to fund our local street/road maintenance and rehabilitation needs.  In the event, that the initial community outreach shows that there is a strong likelihood of community support above the required 2/3rds threshold necessary for passage, Fresno COG would then move forward with hiring a polling consultant to gauge voter interest and potential support.

All items on the consent agenda are considered to be routine and non-controversial by COG staff and will be approved by one motion if no member of the Committee or public wishes to comment or ask questions.  If comment or discussion is desired by anyone, the item will be removed from the consent agenda and will be considered in the listed sequence with an opportunity for any member of the public to address the Committee concerning the item before action is taken.

Summary:  Your agenda package includes this month’s Clearinghouse Calendar containing “Project Notification and Review Reports” for grant proposal.

1. Federal - $27,995, Applicant - $22,909, Total - $50,904.

Action:  Per Board procedure, unless an item is pulled from the Consent Calendar, tacit authorization is given for staff to forward any comment(s) received, or any Committee/Board comment(s) generated as a result of this informational item, to the appropriate agency. It is understood that if in the event this item should be pulled from the consent calendar, discussion and comment by the Committee members and the public will be taken.

To locate current and past year state bill information go to the Official California Legislative Information webpage at: http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/

To locate current and past year federal bill information go to THOMAS, The Library of Congress’s bill information website (in the spirit of Thomas Jefferson) at: http://thomas.loc.gov/

Please contact staff person, Brenda Veenendaal, if you have any questions or comments

Summary:  Following the Fresno COG One Voice D.C. trip staff reported to the Policy Board that letters of thanks and request were forwarded to Senator Feinstein, Representative Costa, Representative Valadao, Representative Nunes, and Representative McClintock on behalf of the Fresno COG Policy Board and One Voice delegation, relative to the approved One Voice priorities. In response, Fresno COG staff received the attached copies of two letters written by Congressional Members to the Honorable Sally Jewell, Secretary of Interior. Those letters, signed by a total of 19 Members of Congress, requested that the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) drop all plans to designate a section of the upper San Joaquin River as a National Wild and Scenic River.

In addition, Representative Valadao's staff requested a letter of support for S.2012 Introduced by Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), the North American Energy Security and Infrastructure Act of 2016. The bill was passed by the Senate, sent to the House and passed by the House with amendments that include all of the language from Rep. Valadao's bill H.R.2998, the Western Water and American Food Security Act of 2015. Fresno COG staff drafted a letter of support from the Fresno COG Policy Board, asking that the bill be passed while retaining the language from H.R.2898. The letter is attached for your consideration and approval.

Lastly, during the June 2016 Board meeting Mario Santoyo from the San Joaquin Valley Water Infrastructure Authority requested letters of support from the Fresno COG Policy Board regarding the BLM's National Wild and Scenic River designation as well as a letter the California Water Commission supporting Proposition 1 funding of the Temperance Flat Project. Both of those letters are attached as well for your consideration and approval. 

Action:  Approval of the attached letters of support.

1.

Recognition of the November 1984 Anti-Sikh Violence in India as “Genocide” (Mayor Dhaliwal) [APPROVE]