TECHNICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE MINUTES

October 28, 2021

              Catherine Gutierrez                       City of El Centro

1.       The meeting was called to order at 10:04 a.m. A quorum was present, and introductions were made. 

There were no public comments made. 

2.       Adopted resolution authorizing remote teleconference meeting in accordance with Assembly Bill 361. ICTC requested a motion to adopt. (Galvan/ Falomir). Motion Carried.

3.       A motion was made to adopt the minutes for September 23, 2021 (Hamby/Atondo) Motion Carried.

4. Presentation: Inland Southern California Climate Collaborative (ISC3)

(Presented by: Bryn Lindblad, Deputy Director and Team)

A presentation was made on the ISC3 regarding the Inland Southern California Climate

Collaborative. ISC3 members met with staff from the Office of Governor Newsom to share feedback on implementation of California 30x30 Natural and Working Lands EO, including resources and programs that could support their efforts. They also strategized on how to maximize co-benefits, like workforce development and economic diversification, into High-Speed Rail investments coming into the region. ISC3 member also received guidance from the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research on how SB 379 compliance can be met in a streamlined, yet community-serving way. For more information visit www.iscclimatecollaborative.org. 

5. Congestion Mitigation Air Quality (CMAQ) & Surface Transportation Block Grant (STBG)

2022 Call for Projects DRAFT Guidelines (Presented by: Marlene Flores and Virginia Mendoza)

ICTC staff forwards this item to the Technical Advisory Committee for   discussion and recommendation to submit to the ICTC Management Committee             and Commission after public comments, if any:

1.                   Approve and adopt the Congestion Mitigation Air Quality (CMAQ)  and Surface Transportation Block Grant (STBG) 2022 Call for Projects Guidelines. 

2.                   Direct staff to open a competitive call for projects for member agencies for estimated STBG and CMAQ funds, effective November 18, 2021, through February 25, 2022.

3.                   Direct staff to convene an evaluation committee to score and rank the projects; and,

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

*FFY 24/25 amounts shown for CMAQ and STBG are estimated apportionments. Updated estimates for FFY 2024-2025 for CMAQ and STBG are expected to come from Caltrans by winter of 2021. 

Marlene Flores mentioned how the new guidelines have been combined into one set. A sample application has been added to the guidelines to guide local agencies with the application. A DRAFT copy of the Call for Project Guideline was provided to all TAC members. 

A motion was made to approve both Call for Projects Guidelines by the TAC Committee, (Atondo/Fiorenza) Motion Carried.  

6.       Caltrans Updates / Announcements (Presented by: Rafael Reyes):

-          September 3, 2021 was the deadline to submit Inactive invoices. Agencies that did not invoice prior to September 30, 2021, must submit a justification on the Inactive Justification Form spreadsheet. 

-          Exhibit 9-A This form was updated and needs to resign the agreement. 

-          CTC Schedule is updated.  Please review and follow the deadlines. 

-          The Clean California Local Grant Program will provide approximately $296 million in funds to communities to beautify and improve streets and roads, tribal lands, parks, pathways and transit centers to restore pride in public spaces. Clean California Local Grant Program Guidelines Workshops available. Workshop will be on October 7, 2021. 

-          DBE Goal Methodology Mid- Year Adjustments- OCR issued the following temporary guidance to increase the DBE goal for the rest of the current year. When the Exhibit 9-D: Contract Goal Methodology is sent to OCR for review and approval, OCR may modify the reduction factor from 80 percent to 100 percent. This modification will be on a contract by contract, district by district basis. When local agencies set DBE goals for their contracts, they will still use the factor of 80 percent. 

-          Active Transportation Resource Center Webinar on October 19, 2021. During this webinar they will inform two State active transportation- related non-infrastructure funding programs, one focused on plans and another on education and encouragement. You will also learn how to leverage existing local funding sources and other technical assistance resources available to help your agency's non-infrastructure application be more competitive in the next ATP funding cycle. 

-          At-Risk Preliminary Engineering (PE)- local agencies may begin reimbursable Preliminary Engineering (PE) work prior to receiving federal authorization for such work, assuming the project and PE phase are included in a federally approved Federal Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (FSTIP) document or an FSTIP amendment prior to incurring costs.

-          QAP Updates- City of Imperial is about to expire. Please see the updated list provided by Ben Guerrero. Updated QAP packages must be submitted to the Local Area Engineer, Ben Guerrero. Otherwise, no Construction funding authorization requests will be processed.

-          Virtual Training Updates available. Federal Aid Series is coming up as well as other trainings.

-          Daniel Hernandez from Caltrans provided a brief update on the I-8 interchange project. 

7.       SCAG Updates / Announcements (Presented by David Salgado): 

-          Fall 2021 Housing Policy Forum: A Rundown of Federal and State Funding and Legislation NOVEMBER 1, 2021, 12:00pm to 2:00pm: Federal housing legislation aligns with state and regional goals to meet housing needs. Discussed key themes and current trends in state housing policies and potential impacts. Engage with interactive tools to provide input on housing policy priorities.

-          SCAG Broadband Action Plan at the February 4th SCAG Regional Council (RC)

Meeting, the SCAG RC adopted a resolution which directs SCAG staff to develop a “Broadband Action Plan.” The development of an action plan would provide a model resolution and policy paper for local jurisdictions, pursue funding opportunities and partnerships to assist local jurisdictions with broadband implementation, convene a working group, and further support broadband planning and data research. These efforts would also be developed to complement SCAG’s ongoing efforts to support an Inclusive - Economic Recovery and efforts supporting Racial Equity and Social Justice.

-          SCAG Regional Data Platform (RDP): The Regional Data Platform will standardize regionally significant datasets, provide opportunities for local partners to update their data in real time, and draw insights from local trends. More specifically, it will be an online tool or SCAG and local jurisdictions to access data necessary for local general plan development trends, housing and economic growth, and sustainability conditions.

8.       Cities and County Planning / Public Works Updates:

                      -    Local agencies gave an update on their local projects in progress.  

9.       ICTC Updates / Announcements                                                                                                    

Presented by Marlene Flores

a. Transit Planning Updates

- ICTC is still operating under COVID-19 requirements those which include Free fares for Transit riders apart from Med Trans.   

b. Transportation Planning Updates

1. Active Transportation Plan Update- ATP project had their Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) meeting on October 19, 2021. Upcoming events include public workshops during the month of October and November.  - October 28, 2021, from 5:00pm – 7:00pm – Calexico Halloween Family Night

-          October 30, 2021, from 4:00pm – 7:00pm – Heber Fall Festival 

-          November 6, 2021, from 10:00am – 2:00pm – Brawley Chili Cookoff 

-          November 6, 2021, from 10:00am – 2:00pm – Holtville Veterans Parade 

2. FY 2020-21 Programmed Project Obligation Updates

- Federal and State project list was presented. The list is a list of projects that reflects projects that have funding in FFY 21/22. 

                                    3.  CRRSAA Covid Relief Funds 

-          The projects must appear on and be approved by the Commission prior to requesting allocation/authorization from the Department. The list may be for the region’s full apportionment or reflect a portion of available funding.

-          Rural and small urban areas should identify all projects for which State funds are being requested no later than June 2022. This allows the Department to develop an expenditure plan for the swapped funds.

-          Marlene Flores mentioned how this will be elaborated more on the next TAC Meeting in the month of November.  

10. General Discussion / New Business

Next TAC meeting will be on December 16, 2021, via Zoom

11. Meeting adjourned at 11:57 a.m.