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.

1.

City of Parlier Fiscal Year 2022-23 Transportation Development Act Claims (Les Beshears) [ACTION]

2.

City of Orange Cove Fiscal year 2022-23 Transportation Development Act Claims (Les Beshears) [ACTION]

3.

City of Firebaugh Fiscal Year 2022-23 Transportation Development Act Claims (Les Beshears) [ACTION]

4.

City of Mendota Fiscal Year 2022-23 Transportation Development Act Claims (Les Beshears) [ACTION]

Summary: Measure C funds totaling $2,703,469 are available in 2022-23 for programs Fresno COG administers. In accordance with Fresno County Transportation Authority procedures, Resolution 2022-34 adopts claims for the ADA/Seniors/Paratransit ($871,731), Farmworker Vanpools ($640,005), Rideshare/Vanpools ($640,005), and Administrative/Planning programs ($551,728).

Action: Adopt Resolution 2022-34 approving Measure C claims for the ADA/Seniors/Paratransit, Farmworker Vanpools, Rideshare/Vanpools, and Administrative/Planning programs.

Summary: The Fresno State Transportation Institute (FSTI) receives Measure C New Technology grant funding under a five-year contract set to expire in February 2023. Unfortunately,  over the past two-and-a-half years, the COVID pandemic and resulting lockdowns -- in combination with supply chain and workforce issues --  have significantly disrupted almost all aspects of the original FSTI plans and operations. Due to these unavoidable impacts, FSTI Director Dr. Aly Tawfik outreached to Fresno COG and the Fresno County Transportation Authority (FCTA) requesting a three-year, no-cost extension of its contract.  If the extension were to be approved, the contract will expire in February 2026 instead of February 2023.  Under the contract, FSTI Has four primary missions:

1.) Education

• Provide hands-on education to K-12 students on contemporary practices and systems in advanced multi-modal transit systems;
• Provide hands-on education to college students on contemporary practices and systems in advanced multimodal transit systems;
• Provide training for high school teachers on contemporary practices and systems in advanced multimodal transit systems;
• Develop undergraduate and graduate courses in advanced transportation technologies for workforce development;

2.) Research

• Support Fresno County communities in identifying existing local and regional transportation challenges;
• Provide innovative and customized solutions to identified local and regional transportation challenges;

3.) Technical Services

• Support Fresno County communities in identifying existing local and regional transportation challenges;
• Provide innovative and customized solutions to local and regional challenges;

4.) Outreach  

• Training for high school teachers on contemporary practices and systems in advanced multimodal transit systems;
• Provide innovative and customized solutions to the local and regional transportation challenges;

Over the two years between FSTI signing the contract in February 2018 and the lockdown in March 2020, FSTI made significant progress in all four of the identified mission areas. However, since March 2020, the pandemic has understandably limited FSTI’s ability to deliver many of the originally scheduled projects and programs. It is anticipated that with the re-opening of the CSUF campus and a return to more normal operations,  FSTI  will be able to continue to build on its earlier work and meet the goals identified for each of the targeted areas.  Based on our conversations, FSTI is excited grow the Institute to serve our community as originally proposed.
 

Action:  Fresno COG and Fresno County Transportation Authority staff request that TTC/PAC recommend the Policy Board approve a three-year contract extension for the Fresno State Transportation Institute due to unforeseen circumstances surrounding the COVID pandemic.

Summary: The 2022-23 Overall Work Program and Budget Amendment No. 1 is proposed to reconcile carryover balances from the 2021-22 fiscal year to actual costs incurred and make changes to funding estimates per Caltrans guidance. The budget decreased $918,437 to $47,234,240.

WE 154 – Regional ATP Update – The federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) requires 2% of Federal Highway plannign funds (FHWA-PL) to be used for Complete Streets Planning. Caltrans has advised staff that WE 154 contains eligible tasks and recommends programming $54,842 in FHWA-PL apportionment in this work element to be in compliance with the new requirement.  Caltrans also advised there was $4,702 in additional Road Maintenance and Rehabilitation Account (RMRA) formula funds available, which are also programmed in this work element.  The total work element is now $379,544.

WE 165 – San Joaquin Valley Household Travel Survey – Response to the initial survey was underwhelming so consultant RSG proposed a follow up survey early in 2023. Additional costs, including outreach to Valley housing authorities, will be $96,557. The Valley COG directors concur with the extra work and have committed to funding the extended survey if necessary. Kings County Association of Governments (KCAG) proposes to fund the extra work with carryover FHWA-PL funds that are expiring and has agreed to transfer $96,557 to Fresno COG.  After adjusting for this additional funding and for work completed in 2021-22, the total work element decreases $806,255 to $710,894.

WE 168 – California Inland Port Phase III – This work element was adjusted down $138,251 to $346,749 reflecting work completed in 2021-22. 

WE 170 -  Regional Transportation Plan – This includes changes to various funding sources that cover the transfers in WE 154 discussed above.  The net total of this work element remains unchanged at $456,885.

WE 173 – Regional VMT Mitigation Program - This work element was adjusted down $33,475 to $197,698, reflecting  work completed in 2021-22. 

Action: Staff requests that TTC/PAC recommend the Policy Board adopt Resolution 2022-37, approving the 2022-23 Overall Work Program and Budget Amendment No. 1.

Summary: Fresno COG serves as the fiscal agent for the San Joaquin Valley Regional Early Action Planning (REAP) Committee, which is responsible for distributing nearly $19 million in state housing planning funds. Those funds are intended to assist member jurisdictions and regional planning agencies prepare for the sixth-cycle Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA) process.

To date, approximately $5.5 million has been reserved for tasks, activities and deliverables intended of a Valleywide scope and benefit among all eight counties.  In May, REAP delivered its initial project, a comprehensive housing report detailing an inventory of available residentially zoned land uses across all jurisdictions, along with demographic data, potential impediments to housing, best practices and recommendations.

Phase two of Valleywide activities, tasks and deliverables includes $1.5 million in technical assistance work to assist jurisdictions in updating housing elements with Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH) requirements, zoning codes, infrastructure planning, GIS mapping and other assistance on an as-needed basis.  Specifically, requests were issued for the following:

• Valleywide AFFH assistance (by jurisdiction, on an as-needed basis).
• An analysis/report of how the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) will affect residential development in the Valley
• An analysis/report addressing inclusionary zoning policies/practices in the Valley
• An analysis/report regarding condominim development in the Valley, including impediments and best practices

Staff requested abbreviated proposals from its REAP consultant "bench" of firms that included rate sheets and additional detail on eligible planning activities for these projects/activities. Of those proposals, one firm -- Mintier-Harnish -- will engage an existing technical assistance contract to provide AFFH assistance and produce the SGMA analysis/report.  Two other firms have been selected to move forward to contract at this time for a combined total cost not to exceed $275,635.  Those consultants are:

1. Raimi Associates for AFFH technical assistance: $250,000
2. Economic & Planning Systems (EPS) for the separate, inclusionary zoning and condominium analyses: $125,635

Action: Staff recommends two, separate actions:

1. Staff requests that PAC recommend the Policy Board authorize the executive director to sign a contract with Raimi Associates at a cost not to exceed $250,000 to provide AFFH technical assistance to San Joaquin Valley jurisdictions through the REAP program.

2. Staff requests that PAC recommend the Policy Board authorize the executive director to sign a contract with EPS at a cost not to exceed $125,635 to develop the condominium and inclusionary zoning analyses and reports.

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:  The Regional Clearinghouse calendar contains “project notification and review reports” for grant proposals.

I.      U.S. Housing and Urban Development

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.

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.