Appoint one (1) Primary Member to the Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCo), term effective
immediately, replacing Robert Silva, whose term will expire May 3, 2021.

This portion of the meeting is reserved for a person desiring to address the City Selection Committee on any matter the committee has jurisdiction over which is not on this agenda.

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 Policy Board 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 Policy Board concerning the item before action is taken.

Summary: This is an update on those tasks underway through Fresno COG's Circuit Planner and Engineer Program, which provides technical assistance to the small cities in Fresno County. Such assistance may include, but is not limited to: planning studies, delivering projects, grant applications, environmental documents, engineering services, etc.

Circuit Planner:

• San Joaquin zoning review and streamlining – Rincon is conducting a preliminary review of the City of San Joaquin’s zoning code and providing recommendations for how it can be streamlined and/or incorporate smart growth principles. Rincon is also helping the City apply for an SB 2 planning grant to facilitate this work as well.
• Sanger zoning review – Collins & Schoettler is developing a scope for reviewing the City of Sanger’s zoning code and providing recommendations for opportunities to streamline and/or incorporate smart growth principles.
• City of Kingsburg alley design guidelines – Collins & Schoettler is drafting design guidelines to convert various downtown alleys into pedestrian-friendly environments.
• City of Selma downtown multi-use overlay zone – Rincon is examining the potential to develop a multi-use overlay zone for downtown Sanger.
• Reedley Manning/Buttonwillow Master Plan Assistance – on-call technical assistance for master plan for property located on Manning and Buttonwillow.

Circuit Engineer:

• Mendota bike & pedestrian counts – VSCE is coordinating with Mendota regarding “before” bike and pedestrian counts for an Active Transportation Program (ATP) project grant that city officials received.
• Fowler bike & pedestrian counts – VSCE is in the process of coordinating with Fowler regarding bike and pedestrian counts for various locations.
• Reedley Manning/Buttonwillow Master Plan Assistance – on-call technical assistance to develop a master plan for property located on Manning and Buttonwillow avenues.

For questions or to discuss project assistance needs, please contact Braden Duran, Assistant Regional Planner, at bduran@fresnocog.org. 

Action: Information/discussion. The Policy Board may provide additional direction at its discretion.

Summary: Fresno COG received a Caltrans Sustainable Communities Planning Grant to develop a Fresno County Regional Transportation Network Vulnerability Assessment, which will identify areas of transportation network that are vulnerable to potential impacts of climate change, such as extreme heat, changes in precipitation, and wildfire.

In addition to the previously completed Vulnerability Assessment Memo, the project also requires an Adaptation Strategies Summary Memo, which discusses options for addressing climate-related threats to the transportation system. The memo discusses Senate Bill 379 and how local jurisdictions can use the study's findings to help comply with the legislation. It provides an overview of potential adaptation strategies for different hazard types, including: extreme temperature, flooding, wildfire, and landslides. It also discusses examples of how adaptation strategies can be incorporated into projects in Fresno COG’s project list.

Fresno COG is seeking any input on the attached Adaptation Strategies Summary Memo. The final report will be brought back to TTC, PAC, and the Policy Board in February or March for adoption.

Any questions or feedback can be directed to Kristine Cai, Deputy Director, at kcai@fresnocog.org. 

Action: Information. The Policy Board may provide additional direction at its discretion.

Summary: The Strategic Growth Council (SGC) has announced recipients of the Round 5 Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities (AHSC) Technical Assistance Program. Enterprise Community Partners, Inc. and San Joaquin COG are the leads for the San Joaquin Valley Technical Assistance Team to provide technical assistance for Valley AHSC applicants. 

As the lead agency, San Joaquin COG is requesting a memorandum of understanding (MOU) be established for this collaborative effort. Attached is Resolution 2020-01, intended to allow Fresno COG to bill for its portion of program activities.

Questions regarding AHSC Technical Assistance can be directed to Meg Prince at mprince@fresnocog.org or Trai Her-Cole at traih@fresnocog.org. 

Action: Staff, TTC, and PAC recommend that the Policy Board approve entering into an MOU with San Joaquin COG by signing Resolution 2020-01, allowing Fresno COG to participate in the AHSC Technical Assistance Program.

Summary: At the direction of Fresno Council of Governments Executive Director Tony Boren, the 2019-2020 Congestion and Mitigation of Air Quality (CMAQ) Program call-for-projects has been re-opened for Fresno COG member agencies to submit cost-effective projects only. This action is necessitated by the need to achieve Fresno COG’s goal of 40 percent cost-effectiveness for the CMAQ regional bid total. Furthermore, projects requiring a Buy America waiver cannot be submitted during this call-for-projects extension.

Member agencies will have until Friday, February 14, 2020 to submit applications. This action will delay the Scoring Committee and Policy Board approval by approximately one month, with all funded projects now set to be approved during the Fresno COG Policy Board meeting in April.

Any questions regarding this item can be direction to Braden Duran at either bduran@fresnocog.org or 559-233-4147 Ext 217.

Action: Information. The Policy Board may take further action at its discretion.

Summary: The Active Transportation Program (ATP) was created by Senate Bill 99 (Chapter 359, Statutes of 2013) and Assembly Bill 101 (Chapter 354, Statutes of 2013) to encourage active transportation modes, such as biking and walking. Senate Bill 1 (SB 1) (Chapter 2031, statutes of 2017) stipulates that $100 million from the Road Maintenance and Rehabilitation Account will be available annually to the ATP.

Statewide guidelines for the 2021 ATP Cycle 5 are being developed.  Guidelines and fund estimates are anticipated to be adopted at the CTC in March 2020.  More information on the 2021 ATP can be found on the Commission’s website at https://catc.ca.gov/programs/active-transportation-program. 

Regional 2021 ATP cycle 5 workshops will kick-off February 12, 2020 from 11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. at Fresno COG. Questions regarding the 2021 ATP may be directed to Jennifer Soliz at 559-233-4148 ext. 223 or jsoliz@fresnocog.org.  

Action: Information. Additional direction may be provided at the Board's discretion.

Summary:  The Fresno Madera Continuum of Care conducts an annual Point-in-Time (PIT) Count of homeless populations. It is a snapshot of homelessness in our communities on one night in January.  The 2020 PIT Count will take place on January 28-29, with one night dedicated to a visual-tally count of observed homelessness and the following two days spent surveying those experiencing homelessness to collect demographic information.  Each year the Fresno Madera Continuum of Care (FMCoC) dispatches approximately 200 volunteers to do the count.

Action:  Fresno County, FMCoC and the PAC recommend the Policy Board adopt Resolution 2020-04 in recognition and support of the Fresno Madera Continuum of Care in its efforts to conduct the annual Point-in-Time Count in Fresno County.

Summary: The federal Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century (MAP-21) and the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act (FAST Act) require metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs) to set annual targets for five safety performance measures as follows. 

• Number of fatalities
• Rate of fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles traveled (VMT)
• Number of serious injuries
• Rate of serious injuries per 100 million VMT
• Number of non-motorized fatalities and serious injuries

Summary:  The Fresno Council of Governments (Fresno COG) relies on demographic forecast studies to assist in its various planning functions, such as determining the impact of various planning strategies on the sustainability of its cities and county, identifying the potential demand for certain types of housing and employment in the Fresno County region, and providing planning insights to its jurisdictions from a regional perspective.

Demographic forecast studies are especially vital to developing Fresno COG’s traffic model, the results of which are used extensively in Fresno COG’s various planning endeavors, such as: the Regional Transportation Plan (RTP), mandated by federal law; the Sustainable Communities Strategy (SCS) required under SB 375; the Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA), also required under state law, and; traffic impact studies.  As Fresno COG begins work on the 2022 RTP/SCS, in conjunction with RHNA, staff must update the forecasts used to guide these planning efforts.

In 2017, Applied Development Economics (ADE) published demographic forecasts for the Fresno County region, by jurisdiction, for every year from 2015 to 2050.  In conjunction with that effort, ADE also developed a tool that made it possible to easily incorporate new data and planning assumptions into the study to create updated forecasts.

Action:  Approve a sole source contract with ADE for support in using its demographic forecasting tool to bring the forecasts up to date with the latest available information, as well as to generate additional forecasts to aid Fresno COG in its RHNA efforts.  The amount of this contract shall not exceed $20,000.

Summary:  Fresno COG is conducting an Eastside Transportation Corridor Improvement Study that will focus on the major north-south/east-west transportation corridors Academy and Manning avenues, on the east side of Fresno County.

Staff identified the two corridors through a working group comprising eastside city representatives, Fresno County and Caltrans. Issues to be addressed include: mobility, access, safety, and connectivity for all modes of travel, including transit, walking, and bicycling. The study will also provide recommendations for specific transportation improvements that will meet the area's long-term mobility needs. The study will examine land uses along those corridors and provide recommendations on what accommodations local jurisdictions could consider to improve mobility and other transportation purposes. Ultimately, those transportation projects the study identifies could potentially serve as candidate projects in the soon-to-be-developed expenditure plan for Measure C III.

Fresno COG released a request for proposals on Oct. 28, 2019 and received two proposals. A consultant selection committee comprising representatives from both eastside cities and Fresno County interviewed both consultants and unanimously chose GHD as the preferred consultant. The GHD team will bring combined expertise in performance-based corridor planning, engineering, outreach and economic development. 

Action: Staff, TTC and PAC recommend the Policy Board authorize the Executive Director to enter into a contract with GHD for an amount not to exceed $300,000.

Summary:  Each year the Fresno region must meet obligation authority (OA) delivery targets for federal funding streams and comply with AB 1012's “use it or lose it” provisions, which gives local jurisdictions three years to obligate Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) and Surface Transportation Block Grant (STBG) funds.

At the end of federal fiscal year (FFY) 2018/19, the Fresno region delivered $19,328,536 or 82.7 percent of its budgeted capacity. Because the region did not exceed its delivery target for FFY 18/19, it was unable to take advantage of additional August redistribution funding.  An additional $4,048,325 will be added to the FFY 2019/20 OA target.

As of Oct. 31, 2019, $160,740 of CMAQ and STBG was deobligated, which increased the region's FFY 2019/20 OA target balance to $27,225,482.  This is the second year local jurisdictions have missed the OA target for the region. Consequently, the OA target is the highest it has ever been.  Moving forward, quarterly reports will be provided to TTC/PAC and the Policy Board with updates on projects programmed in FFY 2019/20 highlighting any changes. It is important for the region to meet its OA targets to avoid losing federal funds.

In preparation for the 2019/20 OA delivery plan that is due to Caltrans on April 1, COG staff met with all member agencies in November and December, and will meet again in March. Fresno COG staff will continue working with each member agency to ensure that projects are obligated on time. 

Please keep Fresno COG staff updated on any changes to programmed projects that could possibly impact the region’s project delivery plan. Contact Jennifer Soliz at 559-233-4148 ext. 223 or jsoliz@fresnocog.org with any questions regarding fiscal year deadlines or the process of obligating project funds.  

Action: Information/discussion. The Board may provide additional direction at its discretion.

Summary: Measure C's Transit-Oriented Infrastructure for Infill Development (TOD) Program was created to boost transit ridership and incentivize transit-supportive land uses such as high-density residential and mixed uses near transit. The program strives to encourage livable, sustainable and healthy communities that promote walking, biking, transit uses and reduce dependence on private automobiles. The projects that have been funded by this program serve as models to reduce vehicle miles traveled, improve air quality and provide transportation options.

The program is estimated to generate about $17 million in its 20-year life span and accrues approximately $850,000 per year. The eighth cycle has approximately $990,000 available. The TOD program has provided close to $9 million for projects and programs since 2011.

The TOD program provides funding for three types of programs/projects: 1) infrastructure projects that provide accessibility to transit facilities, 2) planning projects that focus on creating transit-oriented communities, and 3) housing in-fill programs that help offset housing impact fees. As the TOD Policies and Guidelines require, projects must score an average of 70 points to receive funding.

The application package for the eighth funding cycle is attached to the agenda. The TOD Program Policies and Guidelines document are available at https://www.fresnocog.org/measure-c-transit-oriented-development/.

The 2020 call-for-projects opened on January 10, 2020, and applications are due on February 28, 2020. The scoring committee is expected to meet in March, and the final recommendation for funding will go to the COG Policy Board for approval in April and the FCTA Board in June.

A workshop is tentatively scheduled on February 12 to provide opportunities for questions and answers for this program.

Questions regarding the TOD program should be directed to Kristine Cai at kcai@fresnocog.org or Trai Her-Cole at traih@fresnocog.org.

Action: Information/discussion. The Policy Board may provide additional direction at its discretion.

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 Policy Board 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 Policy Board concerning the item before action is taken.

Summary: Attached is the most recent legislative report for the California State Legislature session and a federal report from Simon and Company.  To locate current and past-year state bill information, go to the Official California Legislative Information webpage at leginfo.ca.gov/

To locate current and past-year federal bill information go to THOMAS, the Library of Congress’s bill information website at http://thomas.loc.gov/

Summary: Fresno COG's legislative platform includes advocacy priorities in state and federal legislative matters. It provides a consistent, reliable voice when communicating legislative priorities to our state and federal lawmakers as well as to relevant state and federal agencies. It also offers Fresno COG staff and partners guidance when advocating on behalf of the Policy Board. Attached is the draft 2020 Legislative Platform for review and comment. Any comments should be submitted by February 3 to Trai Her-Cole at traih@fresnocog.org .

Action: Information. The Policy Board may provide additional direction at its discretion.

Summary: The Overall Work Program (OWP) is an annual administrative document that details all tasks and deliverables that Fresno COG intends to provide during a budget year to meet state and federal guidelines. Projects requested by local, state and federal agencies that address regional issues and concerns are included in order to provide a comprehensive overview of the annual Fresno COG program. The project scope is limited by available funding.

Agencies are encouraged to submit appropriate projects to Fresno COG staff for possible inclusion in the FY 2020-21 OWP. These proposals may include but are not limited to:

• Freight and rail studies
• Corridor or interchange studies
• Transit studies or plans and
• Requests for technical assistance.

Requests should be submitted in writing to the Executive Director no later than January 31, 2020. All requests will be reviewed for project eligibility and budgetary impacts. Eligible projects will be included in the Draft Overall Work Program that will be presented to Fresno COG’s Board in February or March 2020.

Action: Information. The Policy Board may provide additional direction at its discretion.

Summary: Fresno COG staff began soliciting priority issue white papers in December 2019 for its 2020 One Voice-Washington, D.C. initiative after the U.S. Senate published its calendar late in the year. By the January 17 deadline, Fresno COG received three formal priority issues:

     1) Fresno Metropolitan Flood Control District: Re-Operation of Big Dry Creek Reservoir

     2) Fresno Economic Opportunities Commission (EOC): Community Services Block Grant

     3) Fresno EOC: Reconsider Poverty Guidelines from the Department of Health and Human Services

In addition, the City of Clovis has expressed interest in pursuing federal funding through the Veterans Administration for a new hospital during the One Voice trip.

To date, staff is unaware of any major transportation-related grant applications or projects seeking federal support. Previously, Fresno COG's Board has insisted on including transportation-related projects as the fundamental basis for the agency administering One Voice, considering staff time and expenses are at least partially funded with transportation dollars.

The trip is tentatively scheduled for April 25-30, 2020; however, given the dearth of transportation-related priorities, staff has yet to secure a hotel contract that could commit the agency to upwards of $25,000 if the trip fails to materialize.

In addition, to date, Fresno COG has received no sponsorship offers, despite two calls for such awards. Finally, presidential election years have in the past proven to be problematic for both trip scheduling and Congressional prioritization.

These conditions lead staff to recommend that the Fresno COG Board cancel the 2020 One Voice program. A call for new priorities would be issued in the November-December 2021 timeframe.

Action: Discussion and provide direction to staff.

This portion of the meeting is reserved for persons wishing to address the Policy Board on items within its jurisdiction but not on this agenda.  Note:  Prior to action by the Policy Board on any item on this agenda, the public may comment on that item.  Unscheduled comments may be limited to 3 minutes.