Measure C Citizen Oversight Committee

Summary:  During its first 20 years, Measure C delivered over $1 billion in improvements to state highways, county roads and city streets. Due to the success of the original measure, 78% of voters approved extending Measure C for an additional 20 years, from 2007-2027. The extension expenditure plan expanded Measure C’s role to fund six programs for many different transportation improvements and programs with revenues of $1.4 billion.

As the extension measure comes to an end, a second renewal effort has begun. Fresno COG’s Executive Director, Robert Phipps, will provide a renewal process update to the committee, outlined in the agenda attachment.

Action: This is an information item.

Action: Review and comment, comment with edits, the June 13, 2024 Measure C Citizen Oversight Committee Action Summary.

Summary: Fresno Council of Governments is beginning the 2026 Regional Transportation Plan/Sustainable Communities Strategy (RTP/SCS). A Regional Transportation Plan (RTP) and Sustainable Communities Strategy (SCS) are essentially long-term planning tools that help guide how a region will develop its transportation network in a way that benefits both people and the environment. The Regional Transportation Plan (RTP) is a roadmap for a region’s transportation future, covering the next 20 to 30 years. It looks at things like highways, public transit, bike lanes, and pedestrian paths. The goal is to plan how these different transportation systems will grow to meet the needs of a growing population. It also considers how to keep traffic moving, reduce congestion, and make travel safer. The Sustainable Communities Strategy (SCS) is a component of the RTP that focuses specifically on sustainability. It looks at how land use, housing, and transportation choices can work together to reduce environmental impacts—like cutting down on greenhouse gas emissions from cars. The SCS encourages development patterns that make it easier for people to live close to where they work, shop, or go to school, so they don’t have to drive as much. This part of the plan aims to create walkable, bike-friendly, and transit-accessible communities, which helps reduce pollution and create healthier, more sustainable communities. Together, the RTP/SCS provide a vision and practical steps for a region to grow in a way that balances economic, social, and environmental goals. They’re often required by state or federal laws, and they involve public input to reflect community priorities.

Now, Fresno Council of Governments is asking that the Measure C Citizens Oversight Committee serve as a representative on the SCS subcommittee to represent the interests of the urban, sub-urban, and rural parts of the region.

Meetings are scheduled to begin mid-November and introduce the scenarios and its concept in December. The subcommittee will meet biweekly (or as needed) in 2025 to finalize the preferred scenario by Summer of 2025. Any information related to 2026 RTP/SCS or previous RTP/SCS can be found at planfresno.com. Santosh Bhattari, Principal Planner, will be present to answer questions about the 2026 RTP Sustainable Communities Strategy (SCS) process.

Action: Approve the selection of Shannon Avila as the primary representative and Donna as the secondary representative to serve as the Measure C Citizens Oversight Committee representatives on the 2026 RTP SCS Committee.

SUMMARY: Local Transportation Pass-Through Projects and Programs and Short-Term Regional Transportation Program Annual Reporting Requirements and Submittals for Measure C Extension Fiscal Year (FY) 2022-23 Funds

Pursuant to the adopted Fresno County Transportation Authority procedures for administration of Measure C Extension Funds for Local Transportation Pass-Through Projects and Programs, and Short-Term Regional Transportation Program projects, local agencies are required to submit their Measure C Extension Expenditure Report(s) for the FY 2022-23:

• City of Sanger

While the agency above did not meet the Measure C Extension Reporting Deadline Requirement for FY 22-23 they were given an extension due to staffing turnover and hiring of a new City Manager. The report will be audited for accuracy and compliance by Price Paige & Company.

ACTION: Review and comment.

SUMMARY: Price Paige & Company Certified Public Accountants was retained by the Authority to perform the audit of finances on all local agencies receiving Measure C Extension revenue as required in the 2006 Measure C Extension Expenditure Plan. The firm has recently completed the audit of finances and submitted the final report for fiscal years ending June 30, June 30, 2021¹, June 30, 2022¹ , and June 30, 2023¹ for the agencies listed below:

FY/21: City of Huron

FY/22: City of Coalinga, City of Firebaugh, City of Fresno, Fresno FAX, Fresno Airports, City of Kingsburg, City of Selma

FY/23: City of Clovis, Clovis Transit, Fresno Airports, City of Mendota, City of Reedley, Fresno COG, FCRTA, Fresno County, City of Kingsburg

In summary the firm stated that overall, local agencies continue to adhere to the record keeping and reporting requirements, as well as proper expenditure of Measure C funds in accordance with provisions of the Measure C Transportation Sales Tax Extension. The remaining agencies in process of their audits will be presented to the Committee at a future meeting.

¹FCTA Audits of local agencies are dependent on agency audits.

ACTION: Review and comment.

SUMMARY: The Authority has retained Brown Armstrong Accountancy Corporation to perform FY 2020-2021 and 2021-2022 audit of finances. They have recently completed their analysis and submitted the final report, which is included in the agenda package.

In planning and performing the audit of the financial statements of the governmental activities, each major fund, the Special Purpose Trust Fund of Fresno County Transportation Authority as of the years ended June 30, 2021 and 2022, in accordance with auditing standards generally accepted in the United States, considered the Authority’s system of internal control over financial reporting (internal control) as a basis for designing audit procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances for the purpose of auditing the Authority’s financial statements.

The attached report provides an analysis and summary of the audit findings.

ACTION: Review and comment.

Summary:  Each fiscal year the Citizen Oversight Committee (COC) asks all local agencies receiving Measure C Local Transportation Pass-Through Funds to complete a reporting of how they expect to spend the current year’s Measure C Local Program allocations. The request goes out to local agencies via a form that staff updates and emails out each year.

To date, the following required Local Agency Budget Forms were completed and returned for COC review by local agencies:

• City of Clovis
• City of Coalinga
• City of Fowler
• City of Kingsburg
• City of Reedley
• City of Sanger
• Clovis Transit
• Fresno County Rural Transit Agency (FCRTA)

Action: Review, approve and recommend action.

 

Summary: The Measure C Citizen Oversight Committee reviewed the 2023-2024 Annual Report for the Measure C Expenditure Plan. This was worked on by the subcommittee members consisting of Shannon Avilla, Louis Herrera, and David Martin. Staff from both Fresno Council of Governments and Fresno County Transportation Authority (FCTA) cannot influence this report. Staff remains unbiased and provides only technical information from direction of the subcommittee.

Action: This is an information item.