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:  Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin in programs and activities receiving Federal financial assistance. Specifically, Title VI provides that "no person in the United States shall, on the ground of race, color, or national origin, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance." (42 U.S.C. Section 2000d).

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) requires that all direct recipients document compliance of Title VI requirements and guidelines by submitting a Title VI Program to their FTA regional civil rights officer once every three years. 

Fresno COG’s latest update is due April 1, 2022. The draft 2022 Title VI Program has been updated pursuant to FTA's 2012 Circular 4702.1B.  The full document with appendices is available through this link: https://www.fresnocog.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/2-16-22_Title-VI-Plan.pdf. 

Action:  Staff requests the TTC/PAC recommend the Board approve Resolution 2022-05 to adopt the 2022 Fresno COG Title VI Program.

Summary: Fresno COG and the California State Transportation Agency (CalSTA) have partnered to host a listening session on Gov. Newsom’s FY22-23 freight budget. This listening session mirrors similar sessions being held statewide. Local stakeholders are encouraged to provide input on the freight budget with a focus on San Joaquin Valley priorities and projects. Fresno COG will be sending out invitations and a save-the-date soon.

Contact Braden Duran at bduran@fresnocog.org or 559-233-4148 Ext 217 with any questions.

Action: Information. This Committee may provide further direction at its discretion.

Summary: Fresno COG and the American Planning Association California-Central Section have opened the 2022 San Joaquin Valley Blueprint Awards' call for nominations. The program encourages quality in planning and development by recognizing outstanding achievements and practices in the built environment. In recognizing and celebrating projects that reflect the Blueprint principles, the program hopes to provide visual examples of attractive, functional and environmentally friendly projects that could have relevance throughout the Valley.

Awards will be presented at the 15^th annual San Joaquin Valley Spring Policy Conference in a luncheon ceremony on May 12 at the Clovis Veterans Memorial District.

The full nomination packet and award criteria are available at: https://sjvcogs.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/2022-Blueprint-Awards_Call-for-Nominations.pdf

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

Summary: Fresno COG will host the 15th annual San Joaquin Valley Regional Policy Conference Wednesday through Friday, May 11-13, at the Clovis Veterans Memorial District in downtown Clovis.

The conference will offer multiple opportunities for attendees to explore the charms of Old Town Clovis, beginning with a reception hosted by QK at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 11 in Centennial Plaza.  Thursday will include a full day of plenary sessions, breakout workshops and tours of Clovis' trail system, "tiny homes" examples, and other highlights via trolley. The annual Blueprint awards, honoring outstanding individuals, developments and planning projects, will be celebrated with a gala luncheon. A conference flyer and sponsorship form are attached to this staff report.

Elected officials are especially welcomed for the two-day event to hear topics including the future of State Route 99, state and federal funding opportunities, Valleywide housing issues and other critical issues in the planning realm. Registration is available through sjvcogs.org/events. While sponsorships are still being solicited, the sponsor list includes: Mark Thomas, AECOM, Mintier Harnish, Michael Baker, QK Inc., the California Partnership for the San Joaquin Valley and the San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission.

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

Summary: The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) Employment and Training Administration (ETA) has issued a notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) for the 2022 Apprenticeship Building American (ABA) Grant Program as part of the Registered Apprenticeship Program (RAP).

The program is designed to expand the number of apprenticeship programs and apprenticeships offered under RAP, diversify the workforce in industries using RAP, and increase the access to RAPs in underrepresented and underserved communities. There is $113 million in estimated total program funding. DOL expects to award between 20 to 30 grants. Award sizes range from $1 million to $8 million each. The anticipated project period begins July 1, 2022. There is no cost share requirement. The deadline to submit an application is April 25, 2022. DOL will post a pre-recorded prospective applicant webinar after March 15, 2022. Please see the attached grant memo for more information on the opportunity.

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

Summary: Staff will provide a presentation on the California Inland Port Project.

Action: Information. This Committee may provide additional direction at its discretion.

Summary: Fresno COG, acting as project manager on behalf of multiple State partners, is leading the effort to develop the California Inland Port Project.

The Inland Port is envisioned as a public-private platform to help transform California's logistics network into the cleanest, most sophisticated supply chain in the world. The Port system would establish higher efficiencies through new strategic mobility hubs, sustainable technologies, and business partnerships. It will be a multi-modal network of integrated clean and automated truck, rail, and cargo facilities underpinning a next-generation ecosystem of goods movement and radically boosting California's economic competitiveness.

This approach would be a paradigm shift and serve to: cut greenhouse gases, improve air quality, reduce road congestion, increase traffic safety, increase investment and jobs, and shape California’s extraordinarily large intrastate freight movement system as the most advanced in the world.

This “system of projects” is designated as an emerging project under an agreement by the California State Transportation Agency (CalSTA) and the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) due to its long-term benefits to help the supply chain crisis.

USDOT has designated the project a Regional Infrastructure Accelerator (RIA) under a new demonstration program, and will provide $1 million in funding for continued planning work.

Partnering with the Build America Bureau and the USDOT will widen the pipeline of Inland Port projects eligible for federal Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act and/or Railroad Rehabilitation & Improvement Financing programs, which, in turn, will help leverage substantial local and private co-investment.

This RIA-funded Phase Five planning work would include design and preliminary engineering on the intermodal hubs, environmental analyses, developing the pipeline for project funding, and examine implementation. Specifically, this phase would consider an implementing entity, including best practices, legal structure, governance funding, and financing options.

The application, submitted in March 2021, received immense support from partners around the state, and was awarded late last year. This project was one of five that USDOT selected nationwide as the inaugural recipients.

There is no local match required for this award and this phase is 100% federally funded.

CONSULTANT SELECTION

Fresno COG released a request for proposals in 2021 for Phase Three understanding that the selected team would concurrently work on the separate RIA phase due to overlap in work tasks.

The Policy Board approved the Phase Three contract in January. The selected team, led by Global Logistics Development Partners (GLDPartners), brings expertise in key areas critical for the RIA phase, including: ports and rail, logistics, public private partnership (P3) structures, environmental strategy, and transportation planning and engineering. GLDPartners has been involved with the project since Phase One in 2017 and has project-critical, institutional knowledge.

Action: Staff requests that the TTC and PAC recommend the Policy Board authorize the executive director to enter into a contract with GLDPartners for an amount not to exceed $960,000 to conduct the RIA Phase Five of the California Inland Port Project.

Summary:  Fresno COG received an additional $289,662 in FHWA PL, and $52,318 less than anticipated in FTA 5303 under final federal appropriations for the fiscal year beginning October 2021. Caltrans requires the additional funding to be programmed in the Overall Work Program by May 2022. 

Work Element (WE) 112 – Regional Traffic Monitoring

Work Element (WE) 114 – Intelligent Transportation Systems

Work Element (WE) 170 – Regional Transportation Plan

Staff proposes an administrative transfer to shift federal funds among WE 112, 114 and 170 and maximize federal planning carryover. Heavy emphasis on completing the Regional Transportation Plan in 2021-22 warrants transferring $52,318 of the additional FHWA PL to WE 170. This is in addition to transferring  FTA 5303 funds from WE 112 and WE 114 to recognize the decrease in current year apportionment so the scope and total funding for all three work elements remain unchanged.

Work Element 174 California Inland Port Feasibility Study Phase Four – After accounting for the $52,318 decrease in FTA 5303 (above) the remaining, additional $237,345 in FHWA PL funds are programmed to open Phase 4 of the California Inland Port Study. FCOG will program an additional $402,659 in FHWA PL anticipated in 2022-23 and is negotiating with the State Transportation Agency to apply for federal grants to fund the balance of this $2 million phase of the project. Contracts will only be let for the amount secured by a funding agreement.

Work Element 175 California Inland Port Feasibility Study Phase Five – Fresno COG received a $1 million Federal Accelerator Grant for Phase 5. Approximately $960,000 will be used for the study and $40,000 is reserved for staff administration.

Action:  Approve Resolution 2022-04 adopting Fresno Council of Governments 2021-22 Overall Work Program Amendment No. 5, increasing the budget $3 million to $40,783,219.

Summary: Staff will provide a short update on the Measure C renewal process and timeline.

Action:  Information and discussion.  The Committee may provide additional direction at its discretion.

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