IMPERIAL COUNTY TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION

MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE

MINUTES OF FEBRUARY 9, 2022

10:30 a.m.

VOTING MEMBERS PRESENT:

STAFF PRESENT: Virginia Mendoza, Cristi Lerma, Marlene Flores, Maria Gamez

OTHERS PRESENT:  David Salgado: SCAG; Rafael Reyes, Benjamin Guerrero: Caltrans; Roger Martinez, Cid Conde: Vasquez & Co; Krista Glotzbach: Via Transportation; Jacob Leon: KTUA

The following minutes are listed as they were acted upon by the Imperial County Transportation Commission Management Committee and as listed on the agenda for the meeting held Wednesday, February 9, 2022, together with staff reports and related documents attached thereto and incorporated therein by reference.

I.                    CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL

Chair Nick wells called the meeting to order at 10:34 a.m., roll call was taken, and a quorum was present.

II.                  ACTION CALENDAR

A.                     Adopt resolution authorizing remote teleconference meetings in accordance with Assembly Bill 361

1.            Approved the resolution of the Imperial County Transportation Commission authorizing remote meetings in accordance with the provisions of the State Assembly Bill (AB) 361.

2.            Authorized the Chairperson to sign the resolution.

A motion was made by Colio-Warren seconded by Morita to approve this item with a change to the resolution to include the City of Imperial; Roll call was taken:

III.                EMERGENCY ITEMS

There were none.

IV.                PUBLIC COMMENTS

There were none.

V.                  CONSENT ITEMS

A motion was made by Morita seconded by Salcido to approve the consent calendar as presented; Roll call was taken:

Motion carried unanimously.

VI.                REPORTS

A.                  ICTC Executive Director

⁻          Ms. Mendoza had the following updates:

o   Application for the STBG and CMAQ program are due by 5:00 p.m. on Friday, February 25, 2022 (or postmarked no later than February 25, 2022) to ICTC at 1503 N. Imperial Ave., Suite 104, El Centro, CA 92243. For additional information, please contact Marlene Flores at (760) 592-4494 or at marleneflores@imperialctc.org.  

o   The next IMBA meeting is scheduled for March 10, 2022 via Zoom Meeting.

-          Mr. Aguirre had the following updates:

o   The Calexico Intermodal Transportation Center continues as a regional priority. The design phase is currently at 90 % of the project. Right of Way acquisition continues to be underway. ICTC with Caltrans submitted a grant to assist with the funding for construction. More funding opportunities will continue to be explored. $12.5 million is needed for construction. The Calexico ITC site is located at 3rd Street between Rockwood and Heffernan.

o   Calexico East Port of Entry Bridge Widening Project is underway. The design portion of the project is ongoing. The project is estimated to begin construction in early 2022 and is scheduled for completion in 2023.

o   The Free Fares Program is ending. IVT will begin charging customers the regular fare on April 1, 2022. Staff will continue to pursue grant opportunities to provide free fares at a later time.

B.                  Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG)

-      The 2022 SCAG Regional Conference and General Assembly is scheduled for May 4-6, 2022. The Regional Conference and General Assembly will be held at the JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort & Spa in Palm Desert, CA. Agencies must appoint their delegates for them to be a voting member.

-      SCAG President Clint Lorimore joined Regional Council members Cheryl Viegas-Walker and Luis Plancarte for a tour of several regionally significant projects underway in Imperial County. The tour began with an up-close look at the Calexico, U.S./Mexico land Ports of Entry border improvement projects that will improve the flow of goods and people, further supporting the region’s ongoing economic recovery. The tour also allowed for an opportunity to see Imperial County’s vital role as an agricultural leader in the state and nation, highlighting the county’s vast agricultural area. The afternoon concluded with a visit to the Salton Sea area Geothermal Fields where investments in lithium extraction and further geothermal energy development will help the state continue to meet the future needs for clean, reliable energy. Mr. Salgado thanked the County and ICTC for assistance with the coordination efforts.

-      Applications are now available for the 2022 SCAG Scholarship Program. The SCAG Scholarship Program offers a $4,000 scholarship award for seven high school seniors or community college students from the SCAG region (and potentially two additional scholarship awards that are not tied to a specific county but may be awarded at the Regional Council’s discretion) and the opportunity to meet with elected officials and practicing planners to learn more about careers in public service. To be eligible for the scholarship, students must be a resident within the SCAG region, enrolled as a high school senior or community college student, have at least a 3.0 GPA and be eligible to work in the United States. Applicants must complete an application form and submit an essay, two letters of recommendation, and a current transcript. All materials must be submitted by Friday, April 1. For more information visit scag.ca.gov/students.

-      A full list of announcements is on page 34 of the agenda.

C.                  Caltrans Department of Transportation – District 11

-          Mr. Hernandez had the following updates:

o   The I-8/Imperial Avenue Interchange project was opened to traffic on December 21, 2021. The landscaping has been completed. The community identifier installation is undergoing adjustments and is estimated to installed in late January.

o   Progress has been made on Stage 1 of the SR-98 widening project, between Rockwood and Ollie Avenue. Stage 2 is expected to begin in March 2022. The project is estimated to be completed by late 2022.

-          Mr. Guerrero had the following updates:

o   Mr. Guerrero introduced Dylan Moore to the group.

D.                  Committee Member Reports

⁻                      There were no updates.

VII.              ACTION CALENDAR

A.                  Imperial County Regional Active Transportation Plan

The ICTC Technical Advisory Committee met on February 3, 2022, and forwarded this item to the Management Committee for review and consideration. It was requested that the Management Committee forward this item to the Commission for review and approval after public comment, if any:

1.            Approve the adoption of the Imperial County Regional Active Transportation Plan.

A motion was made by Morita seconded by Colio-Warren to approve Action A. Roll call was taken:

                Motion carried unanimously.

B.                  Proposed Distribution plan for the COVID Relief Funds FY 2021-22- Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSAA)

The ICTC Technical Advisory Committee met on February 3, 2022, and forwarded this item to the Management Committee for review and consideration. It was requested that the Management Committee forward this item to the Commission for review and approval after public comment, if any:

1.                   Approve Proposed Distribution Plan for the CRRSAA funds

a.       Option #2 Flat Distribution for Jurisdictions with less than 10,000 population Plan, with the caveat if the Cities of Westmorland, Holtville and Calipatria do not have projects to propose their amount would be equably distributed to the other agencies.

b.       Direct staff to return with a list of recommended projects for approval by the Commission

2.                   Authorize staff to submit the recommended projects to the California Transportation Commission (CTC).

A motion was made by Salcido seconded by Figueroa. Roll call was taken:

                Motion carried unanimously.

C.                  Imperial County Transportation Commission (ICTC) resolution for Federal Fiscal Year (FFY) 20222/2023 – 2027/2028 Federal Transportation Improvement Program

                The ICTC Technical Advisory Committee met on February 3, 2022 and forwarded this item to the Management Committee for review and consideration. It was requested that the Management Committee forward this item to the Commission for review and approval after public comment, if any:

1.                   Authorize the Chairman to sign the resolution that certifies funding has been identified for the projects in the FFY 2022/2023 - 2027/2028 FTIP and affirms our commitment to implement all projects in the program.

A motion was made by Morita seconded by Colio-Warren. Roll call was taken:

                Motion carried unanimously.

VIII.             LTA ACTION CALENDAR

A.      Imperial County Local Transportation Authority Annual Financial Audit for Fiscal Year Ended June 30, 2021

It was requested that the ICTC Management Committee forward this item to the LTA Board for their review and approval after public comment, if any:

1.       Receive, Approve and File the FY 2020-21 Imperial County Local Transportation Authority Annual Financial Audit for the following agencies: Brawley, Calexico, Calipatria, El Centro, Holtville, Imperial, Westmorland, the County of Imperial and the ICLTA.

A motion was made by Morita seconded by Wells. Roll call was taken:

                Motion carried unanimously.

IX.                 The next meeting is scheduled for March 9, 2022, at 10:30 a.m. via Zoom Meeting.  

X.                  ADJOURNMENT

A.                  Meeting adjourned at 12:08 p.m.