Policy Advisory Committee

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.

1st quarter report FY 25-26

Action: Staff requests the TTC/PAC recommend the Policy Board approve the FY 2025-26 first quarter report.

Fresno Council of Governments Audit Committee Letter 2025

Fresno Council of Governments Financial Statements 2025

Summary:  CPA firm Price Paige & Company has provided Fresno COG’s 2024-25 financial audit.  The report details that Fresno COG managed its operations according to funding covenants, within budget and reported no findings of non-compliance.  The report normally satisfies requirements of Federal and State funding agencies; however, due to the Federal government shutdown, final Single Audit Act compliance requirements have not been issued.  If final requirements are issued prior to the Board meeting, a revised draft, including Single Audit Act information, will be provided.  Total revenues were $19,643,692 and total expenses were $19,077,788, resulting in an increase in fund balance of $565,904.  Total fund balance at year end is $5,081,884.

Action: Staffr requests the TTC/PAC recommend the Policy Board receive and file Fresno COG’s 2024-25 Financial Audit.

FY 24-25 OA Quarterly Report - (JUL - SEP 2025)

Summary: On Feb. 27, Fresno COG submitted its Federal fiscal year (FFY) 2024/25 obligation plan to Caltrans’ Division of Local Assistance, which documents Fresno COG’s estimated project delivery for the remainder of the year. The obligational authority (OA) final target for FFY 2024/25 was set at $22,879,779.

Of that, the region has obligated $37,859,686 in combined Surface Transportation Block Grant (STBG) and Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) Improvement funds as of Sept. 30, 2025. This equates to roughly 165.5% of Fresno COG’s OA delivery target.

Attached is the list of obligated and de-obligated projects from July 1 through Sept. 30, totaling $13,587,836 in Federal project obligations during that quarter. It is the State of California’s goal to exceed the OA target and, in August, receive additional federal funds redistributed from other states to projects pending authorization. The State, along with many of its unyielding MPOs, succeeded in their goal, and was able to secure August Redistribution from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). Fresno COG was able to secure $2,179,673 for the region, more than any other MPO in the Valley.

Please keep Fresno COG staff updated on any changes that could impact the region’s project delivery plan. Contact Blake Rincon at 559-233-4148 ext. 203 or brincon@fresnocog.org with any questions regarding fiscal year deadlines or the process of obligating project funds.

Action: Information. The TTC/PAC may provide additional direction at its discretion.

Annual Calendar 2026

Action: Staff requests the TTC/PAC recommend the Policy Board approve the 2026 Fresno COG Meeting Calendar.

Fresno COG Regional PMP Update

Summary: A well-maintained pavement management system is essential for monitoring pavement conditions, tracking rehabilitation history, and prioritizing maintenance projects to optimize funding allocations.

In July 2024, Fresno COG selected Nichols Consulting Engineers (NCE) to update pavement management systems across the region. As part of this effort, NCE reactivated systems where licenses had lapsed, updated pavement databases with recent Pavement Condition Index (PCI) data, and collaborated with participating agencies to revise decision trees. Additionally, NCE produced a comprehensive systemwide report for each agency.

To support implementation and ongoing use, NCE conducted a two-part training session totaling six hours. The training covered key functions of the StreetSaver software, including recording pavement inspections, updating roadway networks, conducting budgetary analyses, and exporting data.

As a final deliverable, NCE has prepared a regional report based on the individual analyses completed for each member agency. The report is attached to this agenda item. The consultant team will present the findings.

Action: Staff requests TTC and PAC recommend the Policy Board accept the final regional pavement management system report as the project deliverable.

Background:  With Amendment No. 9 to the 2006 Measure C Expenditure Plan., the Fresno COG Policy Board and Fresno County Transportation Authority (FCTA) established the Measure C Regional Safe Routes to Schools (SRTS) program through a one-time transfer of $6 million from the Senior Scrip, carpool/vanpool and agricultural vanpool programs for eligible projects on a competitive basis. The SRTS guidelines prioritize bicycle and pedestrian-friendly projects within one-half mile of a school site and establish a project limit of $1.5 million, among other characteristics. The program is available to 14 jurisdictions in the Fresno region. 

Summary: The call for projects for the one-time funding opportunity opened July 11 and was extended to Oct. 14. Fresno COG received 18 applications totaling over $17 million in requested funds against an available $6 million. The SRTS scoring committee comprised representatives from Fresno County Transportation Authority, Fresno COG, the County of Fresno, Eastside and Westside city staff, the City of Clovis, a health and safety advocate, and a community organization at-large. The scoring committee convened on Oct. 29 and after careful consideration and exhaustive review of all applications recommend the following:  

These seven projects recommended for funding are collectively serving 20 schools. More than half of the recommended projects involve pavement installation, upgrading from dirt pathways for routes to school. Due to the overwhelming number of projects submitted and limited funding availability, the scoring committee requested that applications above a $1 million request be scaled down, and chose to distribute funding among seven of the nine jurisdictions that applied. The scoring committee emphasized the proximity and number of schools served, safety of children walking on paved walkways, favored traffic calming measures and project readiness. 

Please contact Simran Jhutti at jhutti@fresnocog.org for any questions regarding this program.  

Action: Staff and the SRTS scoring committee request TTC and PAC recommend the Policy Board approve funding recommendations for the Measure C SRTS program. 

TIFIA Apportionment Breakdown

TIFIA Informational Document

TIFIA Y041 Distribution

Summary: Congress is transferring unused funding from the Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA) Program into the Surface Transportation Block Grant (STBG) Program for reallocation.

The funds distributed to California were pursuant to the Fiscally Responsible Highway Funding Act of 2024 (FRHFA). Attached is the FHWA notice for distribution of these funds. These apportionments are new and are available for regions to use on STBGP eligible-type projects.  The process for using the apportionment is similar to the STBG apportionment given to our member agencies. Caltrans District 6 is aware of these funds, and understands the process for the request for reimbursement (RFA) submittals and reporting to be the same. The total amount distributed to Fresno COG is $1,503,976.

Fresno COG staff has determined that the most responsible methodology for distributing these funds is to refer to the latest STBG call-for-project’s contingency list. When analyzing the final cumulative score sheet, staff chose the next two highest scoring projects, as determined by our selected evaluators, to receive the new TIFIA funds. These two projects are the City of Sanger’s “Academy Avenue Rehabilitation – 4th Street to California Avenue” and the City of Mendota’s “Smoot Avenue Improvements.” The two respective projects applied for a combined total of $1,500,815 of STBG funds. These funds, when converted into the TIFIA apportionment, will use nearly 100% of the total distribution.

To receive these funds, Fresno COG staff asks that the above-named agencies comply with the set obligation deadlines, and that all funds be obligated by Sept. 30, 2028, or risk forfeiture. Therefore, staff convened with both member agencies to confirm that all phases of their projects were programmed by or before the 2027/28 fiscal year, and that each member agency was in good financial standing to deliver the 11.47% federal match requirements.

Staff has also asked each member agency to subsequently provide a city council-approved resolution before the Dec. 31, 2025 stating that participants agree to the above-named terms.

Action: Staff requests that TTC/PAC recommend that the Policy Board approve funding of the City of Sanger’s “Academy Avenue Rehabilitation – 4th Street to California Avenue” and the City of Mendota’s “Smoot Avenue Improvements” projects using new TIFIA programming, mirroring an STBG allocation of $1,500,815, before the conclusion of FFY 2027/2028.

Summary: As part of the 2026 Measure C renewal effort, Fresno COG contracted with Fairbanks, Maslin, Maullin, Metz & Associates (FM3) for two statistically valid surveys of likely votes throughout the Fresno region.  The first survey, conducted Oct. 9-20, included 1,600 voters with a base sample of 783 respondents in the urban area and an oversampling of 877 in the smaller, rural communities outside of Fresno and Clovis.

The survey focused primarily on support for continuing Measure C and the top transportation priorities for Fresno County’s residents.

Representatives with FM3 will offer a presentation on the results of that survey.

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

Nov-6-2025-Steering-Committee-PPT-Updated

MEC-SC-Handouts-Nov-6-2025

Summary: At its Nov. 6 meeting, 28 of 30 voting members of the Measure C Steering Committee, or 93 percent of the membership, approved the “High-Priorities” option for apportioning future Measure C funding across five broad categories.

The “High-Priorities” option was based on a previous, initial vote that committee members approved, and that incorporated input from the Fresno COG Policy Board, city staff and elected officials, public comments, surveys and other stakeholders.

Under the recommendation, the 2026 Measure C ballot proposal would include five categories of expenditures:

• Existing Neighborhood Streets and Roads: 65 percent         $4,809,098,575
• Public Transportation:                                  25 percent         $1,849,653,297
• Regional Connectivity:                                 5 percent           $369,930,660
• Transportation Innovation:                           4 percent           $295,944,528
• Administration:                                             1 percent           $73,986,132

The Public Transportation category would be split based on a population formula among the region’s three transit operators – Fresno Area Express, Clovis Transit and the Fresno County Rural Transit Agency.

Public transportation has consistently been listed as the No. 2 transportation issue in the county. The 25 percent recommendation represents an overall 1 percent increase in transit spending across the region and is intended to allow for greater expansion and coordination of the countywide transit system, including an expansion of Bus Rapid Transit and on-demand types of service, particularly in denser urban areas.

The Regional Connectivity category includes funding for capital improvements such as major arterial roadways and highway/freeway interchanges.

Transportation Innovation anticipates funding for additional infrastructure to address electric vehicle charging stations, electric grid expansion and battery storage, autonomous vehicles and zero or reduced transit fares for senior citizens, active military, veterans, and disabled populations.

The 1 percent administration set-aside includes costs associated with: staffing; annual audits; expenses related to the Measure C Oversight Committee; technical assistance to jurisdictions; public outreach and notifications for amendments to the expenditure plan; and a project database.

Previously, the Steering Committee had recommended that the Measure be approved as a 30-year extension of the current initiative.

Attached to this annotated report are the PowerPoint presentation the Steering Committee received, as well as handouts comparing the two options Committee members considered for the General Category Allocations and a side-by-side summary table comparing the two options against allocations in the current Measure.

Action:  Staff and the Measure C Steering Committee request the TTC/PAC recommend the Policy Board approve the “High-Priorities” option for the 2026 Measure C General Category Allocations, and a 30-year extension timeline.

Summary:   Fresno COG’s One Voice effort brings together multiple agencies, jurisdictions and transportation stakeholders to rally around an approved list of policy issues and/or funding requests. After a five-year hiatus, the One Voice effort was revived in 2024 with a public-private delegation visiting Congressional and Federal agency representatives in Washington, D.C. to pursue funding, grant opportunities and policy changes. One Voice delegates agreed that the advocacy trip was successful and should be scheduled annually.

With the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) expiring in September 2026, Fresno COG has an interest in advocating for continued Federal partnership and investment along a range of funding programs.  Historically, local partnering agencies, including the Fresno County Economic Opportunities Commission, Workforce Development Board and Westlands Water District, have also expressed an interest in participating in the  One Voice effort. However, staff seeks the Policy Board’s assistance in identifying regional transportation-related issues or projects that could be carried to D.C. next spring.

With anticipation, staff is developing a Regional Priority Submittal Form, which could be released to the public this month. Any public or private entity is welcome to submit a priority for consideration by the One Voice Steering Committee and the Fresno COG Policy Board. Submitting entities must commit to sending or assigning a representative to Washington D.C. with the delegation to speak on the priorities’ behalf. Staff proposes the trip be tentatively set for late spring 2025.

The 2024 Priorities Summary and additional trip information is available here:  Fresno COG’s One Voice Webpage.

Action: Information and discussion