IMPERIAL COUNTY TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION

MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE

MINUTES OF JANUARY 12, 2022

10:30 a.m.

VOTING MEMBERS PRESENT:

STAFF PRESENT: Virginia Mendoza, Cristi Lerma, Daveline Villasenor

OTHERS PRESENT:  David Salgado: SCAG; Benjamin Guerrero, Ryan Fallica, Daniel Hernandez: Caltrans; Liz Zarate: City of El Centro; Rebecca Terrazas-Baxter: County of Imperial; Cesar Sanchez: First Transit

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, January 12, 2022, together with staff reports and related documents attached thereto and incorporated therein by reference.

I.                    CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL

Chair Tyler Salcido called the meeting to order at 10:30 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 Wells seconded by Colio-Warren 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 Wells seconded by Morita 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   The STBG and CMAQ Call For Projects began on November 18, 2021. The approved 2022 CMAQ & STBG Guidelines are posted on the ICTC website at http://www.imperialctc.org/call-for-projects/. Applications 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 January 20, 2021 via Zoom Meeting.

o   Imperial County Transportation Commission is undertaking a Regional Active Transportation Plan (ATP) to improve access, mobility, and safety for non-motorized modes of travel, including walking, bicycling, and riding trans it. The Regional ATP is grant funded by the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG). ICTC staff kicked off this project in April 2021 and has conducted two (2) Technical Advisory Committee meetings with City, County, SCAG, and Caltrans staff to start data gathering and early outreach efforts. A dedicated project page has been developed for the project: https://ictcatp-ktuagis.hub.arcgis.com/   ICTC staff has coordinated with Caltrans planning staff leading the state’s ATP effort. Participation and information sharing will continue between the two planning efforts. Additional public education and engagement has been conducted with help of the Go Human Program from SCAG. Billboards and radio announcements promoting active transportat safety and awareness have been online starting the last week of November 2021. The 6th Project Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) meeting was held on Wednesday, December 1, 2021 to discuss a summary of the completed community engagement process and overview of the regional priorities with special attention to the City priorities and regional connections. The final TAC meeting is scheduled for Thursday, January 13, 2022, via Zoom. The final plan and presentations are scheduled for ICTC TAC, Management Committee, and Commission in the months of January and February 2022.

-          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.

-          Ms. Villasenor had the following updates:

o   IVRMA has begun the preparation of the application for the City County Payment Program (CCPP) which is due on January 18, 2022. Allocated funding combined between all (8) jurisdictions totals to $59,331.00 upon approval. IVRMA may require additional support documentation from the member agencies.

o   Effective January 1, 2022, CalRecycle’s regulations to meet the organic waste reduction targets for 2020 through 2025 take effect and are enforceable. The Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle) is administering a one-time grant program meant to provide aid in the implementation of regulations adopted required to comply with SB1383. This non-competitive grant program provides $57,000,000 of funding to local jurisdictions to assist with the implementation of regulation requirements associated with SB 1383. Applicants must certify they will adopt a Mandatory Organic Waste Disposal Reduction Ordinance to CalRecycle by April 1, 2022, or they will be disqualified. The deadline to apply is February 1, 2022.

B.                  Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG)

-      With support from the State’s Regional Early Action Planning (REAP) grant program and to support the region’s efforts in response to recent state investments in planning to accelerate housing production and meet the goals of the Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA), SCAG has developed a series of trainings that will support elected officials, advocates, and interested stakeholders in moving forward a pro-housing development agenda. The SCAG Housing Policy Leadership Academy (SCAG-HPLA) offers a 10-session online training for emerging and established community leaders who want to better understand how to advance policy solutions to increase the supply and availability of affordable housing. The course brings together people from different backgrounds and disciplines in monthly sessions to examine issues and solutions from multiple perspectives and apply their learning to current housing policy challenges. Sessions explore the relationship between policy, planning, and housing development with a focus on how different policy solutions shape both the physical and social landscape and capacity to produce housing for all. The course is grounded in the HPLA 5Ps framework, which provides a foundation for examining the physical and social aspects of a healthy housing ecosystem. Applications can be completed online and are due by January 10, 2022. Notifications of acceptance will be issued no later than Jan. 18, 2022.

-      Mark your calendars: General Assembly will be held on May 4, 2022, in Palm Desert in person. An email has been sent to the City/County clerks requesting appointments for delegates.

-      SCAG is accepting nominations for the 2022 SCAG Sustainability Awards. Each year, the Sustainability Awards celebrate plans and projects that use innovative planning to promote a healthier, happier, and resilient Southern California. Now through Thursday, Jan. 13, nominations will be accepted for the following award categories:

        •     Active, Healthy and Safe Communities

        •     Clean Cities: Alternative Fuels & Infrastructure

        •     Efficient & Sustainable Land Use

        •     Equity

        •     Green Region Initiative: Resource Conservation & Climate Action

        •     Housing Innovation

        For questions regarding the 2022 Sustainability Awards, please contact Lyle Janicek at janicek@scag.ca.gov. For more information on the SCAG Sustainability Awards including the award criteria or to view past award winners visit www.scag.ca.gov/sustainabilityawards.  

-      Go Human opportunities are still available. SCAG was recently awarded a 1.25 million grant from the Office of Traffic Safety to fund continued work on Go Human.  

-      The Governor has released the state budget with $9.1 billion allotted for transportation. Please reach out to Mr. Salgado for questions or further discussion.

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   Clean California Local Grant Program Workshop on January 12, 2022, from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m.

D.                  Committee Member Reports

⁻                      There were no updates.

VII.              ACTION CALENDAR

A.                  Rotation of Chair and Vice-Chair Positions

It was requested that the Management Committee take any appropriate action in the consideration of the rotation and assignment of the two positions.

A motion was made by Salcido seconded by Medina to appoint Mr. Nick Wells from the City of Holtville as the Chairperson of the ICTC Management Committee for 2022. Roll call was taken:

                Motion carried unanimously.

A motion was made by Piedra seconded by Wells to appoint Mr. Miguel Figueroa from the City of Calexico as the Vice-Chair of the ICTC Management Committee for 2022. Roll call was taken:

                Motion carried unanimously.

B.                  Imperial County Long Range Transportation Plan – Services Contract Award – Michael Baker International

Ms. Mendoza provided project background information and award process of the Imperial County Long Range Transportation Plan. A staff report is located on page 60 of the agenda.

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

1.                   Approve the award of the Services Agreement for the Imperial County Long Range Transportation Plan – to Michael Baker International in the amount of $299,827.83.

2.                   Authorize the Chairperson to sign the Services Agreement.

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

                Motion carried unanimously.

C.                  Approving and execution of the Agreement between the Imperial County Transportation Commission (ICTC) and Nomad Transit, LLC (Via) for the implementation/operation of the Calexico Microtransit Service funded by the Clean Mobility Options (CMO) Voucher Pilot Program

Mr. Aguirre provided background information to the Calexico Microtransit project to the Committee. A staff letter is located on page 63 of the agenda.

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

1.                   Authorize the Chairman to sign the agreement between ICTC and Nomad Transit, LLC. (Via) in the amount of $1,253,296 for a period of two years of service operations.

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

                Motion carried unanimously.

VIII.             IVRMA ACTION CALENDAR

A.                  Extension of Lease between the Imperial Valley Landfill, Inc. and Imperial Valley Resource Management Agency 

Ms. Villasenor presented this item to the Committee. A full staff report is on page 66 of the agenda.

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

1.                   Approve a new ten (10) year extension to the Lease Agreement with Imperial Valley Landfill, Inc. at a rate of one dollar ($1.00) a year. Said lease extension would commence on January 26, 2022 and expire January 25, 2032.

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

                Motion carried unanimously.

B.                   Senate Bill (SB) 1383 Local Assistance Grant Program FY 2021–22 Grant Submittal Authorization

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

1.                   Authorize the Interim Executive Director or his designee to submit an SB 1383 Local Assistance FY 2021–22 Grant Application, execute all required documents and any amendments with CalRecycle as required.

2.                   Authorize the IVRMA Chairperson to sign the attached resolution.

3.                   Direct staff to forward the Grant Application and associated documentation to CalRecycle and any associated parties.

                After an elaborate discussion by all agencies, it was decided that each agency would submit their own grant application and all other requirements of SB 1383. No further action was taken.

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

X.                  ADJOURNMENT

A.                  Meeting adjourned at 12:02 a.m.