IMPERIAL COUNTY TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION

MINUTES FOR JANUARY 25, 2017

6:00 p.m.

______________________________________________________________________

VOTING MEMBERS PRESENT:

                                                                        City of Brawley                        Donnie Wharton (Alt.)

                                                                        City of Calipatria                      Maria Nava-Froelich

                                                                        City of El Centro                      Alex Cardenas (Alt.)

                                                                        City of Westmorland                Ana Beltran (Alt.)

                                                                        City of Holtville                       James Predmore

                                                                        County of Imperial                   Luis Plancarte

                                                                        County of Imperial                   Ryan Kelley

NON-VOTING MEMBERS PRESENT:        Caltrans District 11                   Dara Wheeler

STAFF PRESENT:     Mark Baza, Kathi Williams, David Aguirre, Michelle Bastidas, Virginia Mendoza, Cristi Lerma

OTHERS PRESENT:  Marcelo Peinado, Sam Amen: Caltrans; David Salgado: SCAG; Flavio Vargas: First Transit; John Gay: County of Imperial Public Works

The following action minutes are listed as they were acted upon by the Imperial County Transportation Commission and as listed on the agenda for the meeting held Wednesday January 25, 2017 together with staff reports and related documents attached thereto and incorporated therein by reference.

I.                    CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL 

Chair Predmore called the Commission meeting to order at 7:23 p.m.  Roll call was taken and a quorum was present.

II.                 EMERGENCY ITEMS

            There were none.

III.              PUBLIC COMMENTS

There were none.

IV.              CONSENT CALENDAR

A.                 Approved ICTC Board Draft Minutes:                                        December 14, 2016

B.                  Received and Filed:     

1.                   ICTC Management Committee Draft Minutes:               January 11, 2017

2.                   ICTC SSTAC Minutes:                                                 December 7, 2016

3.                   ICTC TAC Minutes                                                      December 15, 2016

C.                  Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Title VI Program (2017) for Federal Transit Funds

1.                   Approved the Imperial County Transportation Commission Title VI Plan (2017).

A motion was made by Kelley and seconded by Beltran to approve consent items A through C; there was one abstention by the City of Calipatria, Motion carried.

V.                 REPORTS

A.                 ICTC Executive Director

            Mr. Baza and staff had the following announcements:

-          On January 6th, ICTC issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) to complete the “Regional Bus Stop Inventory, Signage Replacement and Technology Assessment” project. The requested services will provide ICTC with a comprehensive bus stop inventory inclusive of an assessment of supporting infrastructure, uniform bus stop signage and recommendations for technology based upgrades pertaining to real time route and schedule service information and kiosk upgrades. The project goal is to have an inventory database and assessment for use by ICTC and its member agencies and that can be used to acquire and prioritize funding for future infrastructure and facility/equipment improvements. ICTC staff will request a member agency staff person to participate in the proposal, evaluation and scoring process in February.

-          On December 14th, ICTC issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) to complete an annual maintenance audit for the IVT fleet. The requested services will provide ICTC with a comprehensive review annually of the care and maintenance performed on the 53 transit vehicles now owned by ICTC. The project goal is to have an annual report for use by ICTC that can be used to manage fleet resources and insure compliance with industry practices and contractual requirements. If a contract is approved by the Commission in February, the project budget will need to be established in the FY 2016-17 ICTC Overall Work Plan and Budget through a budget amendment. 

-          Staff is exploring transit connection opportunities with Sunline Transit that serves the Coachella Valley region, and pursuing grant opportunities for interregional transit services to/from Westshores and Coachella. A meeting is tentatively scheduled with SunLine Transit Agency in February.

-          A meeting was held on December 20, 2016 between Caltrans, Border Patrol (USCBP) and ICTC regarding the Border Patrol Checkpoint on SR-86.  All parties agreed to a concept that has potential to be cost-effective. Caltrans Traffic Operations has completed a draft concept that would include four canopied inspection lanes (allowing two inspection lanes for vehicles and two inspection lanes for trucks) and improved secondary inspection, impound and employee parking areas.  The concept has been emailed to USCBP to expedite review and then cost estimates will be estimated by Caltrans. Another meeting is anticipated for late February.

-          The next IMBA meeting is scheduled for January 26, 2017 at 10 a.m. at CETYs University in Mexicali.

-          The FY 2017-18 Unmet Transit Needs Public Hearing is scheduled on February 9th at 3:00PM. The hearing will take place at the El Centro City Council Chambers in El Centro.  Participating agencies include the cities of Brawley, El Centro, Calexico and the County of Imperial. Alternates include the cities of Holtville and Westmorland.

-          The Southern California Association of Government (SCAG) requested a CRFC and CUFC project nomination list from all Regional Transportation Planning Agency (RTPA).  On January 10, 2017, ICTC reviewed the regional project list and submitted the following projects to SCAG: 

-          The Consultant has completed draft Mobility Hub Concept Designs for the intermodal facilities in the City of Brawley, Imperial Valley College and the City of El Centro.  The draft concept designs will be distributed for feedback from project stakeholders.  The project is anticipated to be completed by June 2017.  For more information about the project or to access the draft concepts please visit the ICTC website at http://www.imperialctc.org/mobility-hubs-strategy/.   Please forward any comments on the concept plans to Virginia Mendoza at virginiamendoza@imperialctc.org by no later than 5 p.m. on January 31, 2016.

-          A complete list of ICTC updates can be found on Page 60 of the agenda.

B.                  Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG)

                        Mr. David Salgado had the following announcements:

-          Through SCAG’s Earthquake Preparedness Initiative, two workshops are being offered to all jurisdictions. Each City/County should be prepared to send a team of three representatives: an Elected Official, a Building Official, a City Manager and/or a Public Safety Official.  Dates are January 31, 2017 (Ontario) and February 6, 2017 (Carson). To RSVP for one of the workshops please complete the online form at http://bit.ly/2jB32Nz. For questions you may contact Javiera Cartagena at 213-236-1980.

-          SCAG is committed to highlighting excellence in sustainable planning efforts and development projects throughout the region. Each year SCAG honors projects which best exemplify the core principals of sustainability with awards at the annual Regional Conference and General Assembly. Eligible submittals include plans, projects, and programs completed or adopted after January 1, 2013 and prior to December 20th, 2016. The criteria and nomination packet is available online. There are 6 award categories to include, Against All Odds, Integrated Planning, Collaborative Partnership, Healthy & Safe Communities, Green Region Initiative, and Active Transportation. Submittals were due January 23, 2017 by 2 p.m.

o   Mr. Baza mentioned that ICTC submitted two projects for consideration.

-          A Regional Transportation Plan-Sustainable Communities Strategy (RTP-SCS) Amendment #1 Public Hearing was held at the SCAG Los Angeles Office on Wednesday January 18th, 2017 from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. The hearing was provided via video conference throughout the SCAG region and in the Imperial County Office.

-          Please save the date of May 4th and 5th, SCAG will be having the 2017 General Assembly (GA) at the J.W. Marriot Desert Springs Resort and Spa in Palm Desert, CA. SCAG is working to present a new Strategic Plan at the GA which will drive SCAG moving forward.

-          The revised CalEnviro Screen Tool has been revised. Version 3.0 has been released and is improved from the 2.0 version. CalEPA previously held a workshop in Imperial County to gather feedback from stakeholders regarding issues which may not be considered when establishing the disadvantage communities and environmental justice criteria for grant awards. Border air quality impacts were considered in the new tool amongst a whole host of other new criteria for implementation. A summary of the revisions can be found on the CalEPA website.

-          On April 7, 2016, SCAG’s Regional Council adopted the 2016 RTP/SCS, a long range visioning plan that balances future mobility and housing needs with economic, environmental and public health goals. It outlines more than $556.5 billion in transportation system investments through 2040. The Plan was prepared through a collaborative, continuous, and comprehensive process with input from local governments, county transportation commissions, tribal governments, non-profit organizations, businesses and local stakeholders within the counties of Imperial, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and Ventura.  The 2016 RTP/SCS is available for download by chapter or as one file. The executive summary is available upon request.

-          Mr. Salgado stated that Ms. Viegas-Walker is at a Legislative Advocacy trip in Sacramento and therefore had to miss the Commission tonight.

-          Mr. Baza stated that he attended a conference call hosted by Secretary Kelley. The call resulted in the state’s request for agencies to submit 2-3 priority projects in preparation that funds become limited.

-          A SCAG report can be found on page 34.

C.                  California Department of Transportation (Caltrans)

-          Ms. Wheeler introduced herself as the new interim Deputy Director of Caltrans District 11. Everyone welcomed her.

-          Ms. Wheeler had the following updates:

-          The I-8 CRCP Project is underway.

o   Segment 1, is near El Centro from 0.6 mile west of Anderholt Road overcrossing to 0.5 mile east of the East Highline Canal Bridge.  It was awarded to Coffman Specialties, Inc. on November 18, 2015. Construction began the first week of February 2016. Construction is expected to be completed in June 2017, which is one full year ahead from its original completion date.

o   Segment 2, which is located 26 miles east of El Centro from 0.8 mile west of SR-98/I-8 separation to 0.6 mile east of the All American Canal, was awarded to Coffman Specialties, Inc., on December 15, 2015.  Construction began in early March 2016 and is scheduled to be complete in July 2017, which is one full year ahead from its original completion date.

o   Segment 3, near Winterhaven from 0.7 mile west of the SR-186/I-8 separation to 0.3 mile east of Fourth Avenue overcrossing, was awarded to Security Paving Company, Inc., on December 22, 2015.  Construction began mid-March 2016 and is scheduled to be completed in early 2018. 

-          The remaining two segments were advertised in November 2016 and are scheduled for construction in the summer 2017.  These two segments are: 

o   Segment 4, near El Centro from 0.6 mile west of I-8/SR-111 separation to 0.6 mile west of Anderholt Road overcrossing and from 0.5 mile east of the East Highline Canal Bridge to 0.8 mile west of I-8/SR-98 separation.

o   Segment 5, near Winterhaven from 0.7 mile west of Ogilby Road overcrossing to 0.7 west

-          The SR-98 / Cesar Chavez Widening Project contract approval anticipated for January 2017. Construction is scheduled to begin March 2017 and end in Spring 2018.

-          Ms. Nava-Froelich inquired about the Two Rivers Rest Stop closure. She stated that the area is currently fenced and was interested in what it was being used for. Mr. Amen approached the podium and stated that currently Caltrans is using it as a storage facility for maintenance material.

-          A full Caltrans report can be found on page 78 of the agenda.

D.                 Commission Member Reports 

-          Ms. Beltran stated that Center St. and 2nd St. are currently under construction for road improvements.

-          Mr. Plancarte stated that he is happy to be at ICTC’s meeting for the first time.

-          Ms. Nava-Froelich stated that the League of California Cities meeting is Thursday, February 2, 2017 at the Town Pump in Westmorland. Expansion improvements are being made to the Circle K in Calipatria. She also stated that the Calipatria School District recently contracted with the County to provide services to residents in Calipatria.

-          Mr. Wharton stated that construction is currently being completed on Palm Ave. He also stated that he appreciated being present.

-          Mr. Predmore stated that they will soon be having a ribbon cutting for their new $15 million water treatment plant.  He also invited all to attend the “Rib Cook Off” on Saturday, January 28, 2017.

-          Mr. Cardenas invited all to attend the City of El Centro’s State of the City Address on January 31, 2017 at 8 a.m. at the Community Center in El Centro.

VI.               ACTION CALENDAR

A.                 Rotation of Chair and Vice-Chair Positions

It was requested that the Commission take any appropriate action for the rotation and assignment of the Chair and Vice-Chair positions for 2017.

A Motion was made by Kelley to nominate Council Member Maria Nava-Froelich (Calipatria) as the Chair for 2017, seconded by Cardenas, Motion Carried unanimously.

A Motion was made by Cardenas to nominate Supervisor Luis Plancarte (County of Imperial) as the Vice-Chair for 2017, seconded by Kelley, Motion Carried unanimously.

B.                  Appointments to the SCAG Community, Economy and Housing Development Committee (CEHD) and the SCAG Energy and Environment Committee

Mr. Baza stated that Council Member Bill Hodge was interested in being appointed to the SCAG Community, Economic and Human Development (CEHD) Committee; Supervisor Luis Plancarte was interested in being appointed to the SCAG Energy and Environment Committee (EEC). Council Member expressed interest in serving on a SCAG Committee as an alternate.

It was recommended that the ICTC Commission take the following actions:

1.                   Appointed Supervisor Luis Plancarte (County of Imperial) to sit on the SCAG Energy and Environment Committee (EEC).

2.                   Appointed Council Member Bill Hodge (Calexico) to sit on the SCAG Community, Economic and Human Development (CEHD) Committee.

3.                   Appointed Council Member Ana Beltran (Westmorland) to sit on the SCAG Energy and Environment Committee (EEC).

A Motion was made by Nava-Froelich, seconded by Predmore, Motion Carried unanimously.

C.                  Appointment of an Alternate Member to the SANDAG Borders Committee

Mr. Baza stated that Mayor Pro-Tem Cheryl Viegas-Walker (El Centro), Council Member Bill Hodge (Calexico) and Supervisor Luis Plancarte (County of Imperial) all expressed interest in serving on the SANDAG Borders Committee as an alternate to Supervisor John Renison (County of Imperial).

It was recommended that the ICTC Commission take the following actions:

1.                   Appointed Supervisor Luis Plancarte (County of Imperial) to sit on the SANDAG Borders Committee as an alternate.

A Motion was made by Kelley, seconded by Nava-Froelich, Motion Carried unanimously.

VII.           INFORMATIONAL CALENDAR

A.                  Status of Call For Projects for Article 3, Bicycle and Pedestrian Project Funding for Fiscal Year 2016-17

Mr. Aguirre presented this item. He stated that ICTC issued a Call for Projects at the October 27, 2016 Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) Meeting for the FY 16-17 TDA Article 3 Bikes and Pedestrian Funding. All participants were provided a summary noting the funding allocation associated with their respective jurisdiction, in addition to being informed of the project submittal requirements. Said project submittals were to note the proposed project in addition to providing a cost estimate for the proposed project.

The funding allocation associated with all agencies is as follows:

            Brawley                       $26,245

            Calexico                      $34,689

            Calipatria                     $12,235

            El Centro                     $37,300

            Holtville                       $13,750

            Imperial                       $21,162

            Westmorland                $11,389

            County                         $32,230

During the TAC Meeting, the participants were also informed that the submittal deadline associated with the Call for Projects was December 30, 2016. As of January 6, 2017 no applications were received. Funding allocations not requested will be accumulated for late requests by each jurisdiction. It was noted during the TAC meeting that agencies at times allow the balance to accumulate over various fiscal years to allow the agencies to facilitate a larger project.

This item was for informational purposes only.

VIII.         NEXT MEETING DATE AND PLACE

A.                 The next meeting of the Imperial County Transportation Commission will be held on Wednesday, February 22, 2017 at 6:00 p.m., at the County of Imperial Board Chambers, at 940 W. Main Street, El Centro, CA.

IX.              ADJOURNMENT

A.                 Meeting adjourned at 8:16 p.m. (Nava-Froelich/Cardenas) Motion carried.