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.

Summary: On March 15, Fresno COG staff submitted its Federal fiscal year (FFY) 2023/24 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) target for 2023/24 is $19,775,275. Of that, the region has obligated $6,873,896 or 34.8% as of June 30, leaving a balance of $12,901,416. Attached is the list of obligated and de-obligated projects from April to June 30, 2024.

The federal fiscal year ends Sept. 30; however, as of May 1, federal funds became available to the rest of the state on a first-come, first-served basis. Projects not submitted to Caltrans for authorization by May 1 were at risk of being delayed. It is the state’s goal to exceed the OA target and, in August, receive additional federal funds redistributed from other states to projects pending authorization. Fresno COG encourages all agencies to continue submitting their requests for authorization as soon as possible to ensure they are queued up for the funds that will become available. If projects do not receive authorization approval after August, they will be delayed to October, the beginning of the next federal fiscal year.

Please keep Fresno COG staff updated on any changes that could impact the region’s project delivery plan. Contact Matthew Shimizu at 559-233-4148 ext. 240 or mshimizu@fresnocog.org with any questions regarding fiscal year deadlines or the process of obligating project funds. 

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

Action: Staff recommends approving Resolution 2024-24, adopting the Fresno Couty Rural Transit Agency’s 2024-25 Transportation Development Act claims, totaling $21,762,769.35.

Action: Staff recommends approving Resolution 2024-25 adopting the City of Reedley's 2024-25 Transportation Development Act claims totaling $1,821,734.00.

Action: Staff recommends approving Resolution 2024-26, adopting the City of Parlier's 2024-25 Transportation Development Act claims totaling $1,084,404.

Action: Staff recommends approving Resolution 2024-27 adopting the City of Parlier's 2023-24 Transportation Development Act claims totaling $982,185.

Summary: Fresno Council of Governments (Fresno COG) is seeking assistance from community organizations, schools, agencies, businesses and community groups to conduct public outreach during key phases of the 2026 Regional Transportation Plan (RTP) update and the Sustainable Communities Strategy (SCS) scenarios within it.

Fresno COG will provide mini grants for up to $10,000 each to five or more organizations with existing community contacts. Successful applicants will reach out to residents of the Fresno County region, include them in the RTP and SCS transportation planning process via in person and/or online participation to obtain defined input. This program is designed to ensure that input is received from a diverse and extensive number of Fresno County residents throughout the region.

Applications are due to Fresno COG by 5 p.m. on Monday, July 8. A list of selected grantees will be published online by July 17 at the following link: Public Participation – Fresno Council of Governments (planfresno.com)

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

Summary: In late April 2024, Fresno COG submitted an application totaling $199,134,008 for transportation projects that would reduce greenhouse gas emissions to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Cliamte Pollution Reduction grant program.

The coalition comprises nine of Fresno COG's 16 member agences and Fresno County Rural Transit Agency (FCRTA). The applicants include: cities of Fresno, Sanger, Firebaugh, Clovis, Mendota, San Joaquin, Parlier, Fowler, along with FCRTA, and the County of Fresno. Due to EPA’s requirement of having a memorandum of agreement in place prior to Aug. 1, despite notice of awards not being yet released, Fresno COG is working with each of the co-applicants to prepare a MOA.

The MOA will solidy Fresno COG's role to accept responsibility for effectively carrying out the grant's full scope of work and proper financial management. It will also define coalition members' or grant subrecipients' accountability to the lead applicant for proper use of EPA funding and successful project implementation.

Action: Staff requests that TTC/PAC recommend the Policy Board approve Resolution 2024-28, authorizing Fresno COG to submit the MOA to the U.S. EPA to fulfill the grant acceptance requirement.  

Summary:  In accordance with Federal public participation plan requirements, Fresno Council of Governments released its draft 2024 Public Participation Plan (PPP) for a 45-day public review and comment period from May 17 through June 30. The Policy Board also held a public hearing during its regular June 27 meeting, with no comments received regarding the plan. Fresno COG's Policy Board will be asked to adopt the 2024 Public Participation Plan at its July 25 Policy Board meeting.

Fresno COG publicized the public review and comment period and the public hearing as follows:

• Fresno Bee public notices in English and Spanish were published on May 17
• "Coming Up At Fresno COG" e-newsletter article requesting feedback, providing links to the PPP documents and notification of the public comment period and public hearing was sent out on June 3 to more than 5,113 subscribers with a 33% open rate
• Published at fresnocog.org and planfresno.com on May 16 and remains on the websites today
• Available for review in hard copy at the Fresno COG office
• Agenda items discussing the 45-day review and comment period and public hearing were published on TTC, PAC and Policy Board agendas during June and July 2024

The PPP is a plan intended to give Fresno COG's Policy Board and staff guidance in providing for public involvement and interagency consultation early and often during the regional planning process. It contains policies, guidelines, processes, and procedures Fresno COG commits to implementing while seeking and fostering open public involvement during the decision-making process regarding all matters within discretion. The PPP also identifies opportunities to be involved in the metropolitan transportation planning process.

Summary: On April 25, Fresno COG's Policy Board issued a formal call-for-projects for the 2023/2024 mid-cycle Carbon Reduction Program (CRP), with $5.49 million in available funding. Staff received five applications by the June 4 deadline requesting $5.49 million in funding. The CRP scoring committee convened on June 27 to deliberate on the recommended program of projects. The scoring committee comprised representatives from: urban city (Fresno), County of Fresno, east side city, west side city, Caltrans, Fresno COG, Fresno County Rural Transit Agency, and San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District. The scoring committee project recommendations are included with recommended funding.

Action: Staff requests that the TTC/PAC recommend the Policy Board approve the scoring committee’s project recommendations for the 2023-24 Mid-Cycle Carbon Reduction Program (CRP). The Committee may provide additional direction at its discretion.

Summary: In late May 2023, Fresno COG submitted a grant application to the U.S. Build America Bureau’s Regional Infrastructure Accelerator program for $4.3 million to begin the site selection process for the TradePort California project in the central San Joaquin Valley, specifically focusing on the Fresno County region. In November 2023, Fresno COG was awarded $1.75 million, which resulted in scaling down the scope of work. This plan will serve as the fifth phase in developing the inland port concept. The scaled project scope for the TradePort California Site Feasibility Study will include the following:

• Refine site suitability criteria and business plan
• Site identification and selection
• Community engagement to assure project meets environmental justice and social equity objectives
• Begin environmental and traffic analysis process
• Begin site planning, design and engineering for pilot, or model site
• Identify mitigation projects to catalyze TradePort development
• Advance plans to develop specifications for key infrastructure projects and corresponding project finance/public-private partnership structures
• Continued railroad and private industry coordination and acquiring commitments
• Begin site planning, design and engineering for pilot, or model, site
• Further discussions and approach for developing JPA or entity to deliver first phases of project

In May 2024, Fresno COG released a request for proposals for consultants to develop the plan for Fresno County with preliminary planning-level design for up to two sites dependent on the site selection metrics. Fresno COG received one proposal for this project by the June 20 deadline. The scoring committee, with representation from Fresno COG, Caltrans, and the California Inland Port Executive Advisory Committee conducted interviews and selected Mark Thomas due its experience in engineering, detailed task execution, expertise in the region and thorough emphasis on environmental clearance, public outreach and design. The project is expected to be completed in January 2026.

Action: Staff requests that the TTC and PAC recommend the Policy Board authorize the interim executive director to enter into a contract with Mark Thomas to conduct the TradePort California Site Feasibility Study for an amount not to exceed $1,650,000. 

Summary:  Fresno COG is federally mandated to prepare and maintain the Federal Transportation Improvement Program (FTIP). This four-year program of projects includes a listing of all transportation-related projects requiring Federal funding or other approval by Federal transportation agencies. The FTIP also lists non-federal, regionally significant projects for information and air quality modeling purposes. Projects included in the FTIP are consistent with Fresno COG's Regional Transportation Plan and are part of the area's overall strategy for providing mobility, congestion relief, and reduction of transportation-related air pollution in support of efforts to attain federal air quality standards for the region.

Fresno COG is required to update the FTIP every two years. The most recent update was the 2023 FTIP, which was adopted by the Fresno COG Policy Board on July 28, 2022.  As such, Fresno COG is due to update the FTIP again this year and is proposing approval of the final draft 2025 FTIP, 2022 RTP Amendment No. 4 and the corresponding final draft Air Quality Conformity Analysis.  A resolution is enclosed and the most recent FTIP documents are available for review on the Fresno COG website at:  https://www.fresnocog.org/project/federal-transportation-improvement-program-ftip/

Fresno COG held a 30-day public review and comment period for the draft 2025 FTIP, draft 2022 Regional Transportation Plan Amendment No. 4 and the draft Corresponding Air Quality Conformity Analysis commencing on Fri., May 31, and concluding on Sun., June 30. Staff held a public hearing to receive comments on the draft 2025 FTIP documents on Wed., June 12 at the Fresno COG office. Comments received during the 30-day public review period are summarized and addressed in Appendix J (formal comments and responses) of the final draft 2025 FTIP.  Any changes made to the draft 2025 FTIP based on comments received are noted within the responses to such comments. Four comments were received on the draft Air Quality Conformity Analysis and no comments were received on the 2022 RTP Amendment No. 4.

The final 2025 FTIP, final 2022 RTP Amendment No. 4, and final corresponding Air Quality Conformity Analysis meet all applicable transportation planning requirements per 23 CFR Part 450, 40 CFR Part 93, and conform to the applicable State Implementation Plans.

Action: Staff requests that the TTC/PAC recommend the Policy Board approve the Final Draft 2025 Federal Transportation Improvement Program, 2022 Regional Transportation Plan Amendment No. 4 and the corresponding Final Draft Conformity Analysis via Resolution No. 2024-12.

Summary: The Regional Early Action Planning (REAP) 2.0 grant program was included in the 2021 State budget and seeks to accelerate infill development, reduce vehicle miles traveled (VMT) and increase housing supplies at all affordability levels.

Fresno COG was originally awarded $13.5 million in REAP 2.0 funds; however, the most recent budget agreement expressed in Assembly Bill 108 on June 22, trims the program by approximately 6 percent, which leaves the region with an anticipated $12.8 million, minus program management expenses of about $100,000 to date.

REAP 2.0 is primarily administered through the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD), working in conjunction with the California Air Resources Board (CARB), the Governor's Office of Planning and Research (OPR) and the Strategic Growth Council (SGC).

On Dec. 1, 2023, Fresno COG received eight project applications from member jurisdictions seeking a collective $21 million. On Jan. 17, 2024 a scoring committee comprising 11 representatives from various agencies, including three of the State agencies administering REAP 2.0, met to discuss and rank the projects.

Committee members scored the projects based on Fresno COG's guidelines as approved by the State's administering agencies. Of the eight applications, the City of Firebaugh's Downtown Infill Initative, the City of Fresno’s Blackstone Betterment project and the City of San Joaquin's park and trail project were the top three scoring projects, in that order.  A summary of the full program outreach, application and scoring process is attached.

Based on anticipated cuts in Gov. Newsom's January budget, the scoring committee, staff and the TTC recommended in February that the City of Firebaugh receive its full $1.5 million request, while Blackstone Betterment receive the remaining $5 million against a $10.6 million request.  In contrast, the Policy Advisory Committee voted to award the City of Firebaugh $1.5 million, the City of San Joaquin $1 million and the City of Fresno $4 million.

Now that the governor and Legislature have agreed on a budget deal, and Fresno COG has received the first full 25 percent of its revised REAP 2.0 funds ($2.8 million) staff is prepared to offer a revised project award recommendation.

If Fresno COG restores $400,000 of the original $600,000 advanced for program management to projects, it can boost the total funding available to regional projects to approximately $12.6 million. Apportionment would then follow the scoring committee's priority recommendations:

1. City of Firebaugh -- $1.5 million

2. City of Fresno --      $10.6 million

3. City of San Joaquin $500,000

To be clear, while Fresno COG is proposing to contract with project awardees at this time, reimbursement will necessarily be limited to REAP cash on hand and reimbursements as they become available from HCD.

ACTION: Staff and the REAP 2.0 scoring committee request the TTC/PAC recommend two actions to the Policy Board:

    1. Approve the scoring committee recommendation, awarding the City of Firebaugh (Downtown Infill Initative, $1.5 million), City of Fresno (Blackstone Betterment project, $10.6 million), and City of San Joaquin (park and trail project, $500,000) REAP 2.0 funds in priority order.

    2. Authorize the interim executive director to sign contracts with each jurisdiction.

Summary: A well-maintained roadway system ensures efficient transportation for people and reliable delivery of goods and services, and it reduces serious injuries and fatalities on the transportation system. A pavement management system (PMS) helps monitor pavement condition, track rehabilitation history, and prioritize maintenance projects while maximizing funding allocations. Currently, the status of PMS throughout regional jurisdictions varies from inactive software licenses to very old data.

Fresno COG released a request for proposals (RFP) in May 2024 seeking qualified consultants to update the regional PMS. The consultant will be responsible for bringing each PMS of participating agencies to active status, updating the database with the current pavement condition index, and producing a systemwide report for each participating agency, including budgetary analysis.

Two proposals were received in response to the RFP. A scoring committee of three, comprising staff from member jurisdictions, selected NCE. NCE has extensive experience in implementing and updating pavement management plans, database management and pavement rehabilitation and sustainability. NCE has also worked with Fresno COG in similar project in 2019 that implemented PMS for the first time in nine rural cities.

This project is expected to be completed within a year.

With updates to the existing PMSs in the region, it is also deemed necessary to maintain a regional license of PMS software and carry out regional analyses for roadway maintenance. This will help Fresno COG to do regional budgetary and rehabilitation analyses for informed and data driven regional decisions. To accommodate this task, an additional $55,000 is needed to the current allocated budget to Work Element 141.

ACTION: Staff requests two actions:

1. That TTC/PAC recommend the Policy Board amend Fresno COG's 2024-25 Overall Work Program and Budget to  add $55,000 to Work Element 141 for a Pavement Management System regional license and analysis.

2. That the TTC/PAC recommend the Policy Board authorize the executive director to enter a contract with NCE for the Regional Pavement Management System Update for an amount not to exceed $1,245,334.90.

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.

Summary: Following a request from the San Joaquin Valley Regional Planning Agencies’ COG Directors group, Fresno COG contracts on a pro-rata basis for the SJV Valleywide Coordinator on behalf of the eight valley regional planning agencies.

The SJV Valleywide Coordinator undertakes several administrative responsibilities, including:

• Directors’ Committee and Regional Policy Council meeting coordination, agendas, minutes, staff reports, guest speaker coordination, special meetings, and meeting follow ups.
• Public relations (newsletters, press releases, support letters, marketing and rebranding).
• Planning and participating in the Valley Voice advocacy visits, and coordination of government affairs consultant work.
• Research and Organizational Development (Valleywide OWP, multi-organizational MOUs, etc.).
• Assist in planning the Annual Policy Conference
• Coordination with various outside agencies such as CalCOG, Caltrans, California Partnership, California Transportation Commission, Air Resources Board, California Strategic Growth Council, and the SJV Air Pollution Control District.
• Coordination with federal and state legislators and staff as appropriate.
• Website maintenance and administration (sjvcogs.org; with subconsultant support).
• Grant writing as needed.
• Project management and support to other Valleywide initiatives such as SR 99 advocacy efforts.
• Other assignments as directed by the Chair of the Directors’ Committee and the Chair of the Regional Policy Council.

In March 2024, the COG Directors group voted to put the coordinator’s contract out to bid. In response, Fresno COG received four proposals from qualified firms:

• Crocker Knoll, LLC
• LSA
• Rincon
• VRPA Technologies

Sigala, Inc., which has held the contract since 2010, did not propose. The bids ranged, on an annual average, from a low of $131,060 to $173,399 for a three-year term.

The COG Directors and representatives from the SJVAPCD and SJVRRC provided a technical review of each proposal and selected VRPA as the recommended consultant firm at an average, annual cost of $133,498.59.

Action: Staff and the SJV Policy Council request that the PAC recommend Fresno COG's Policy Board authorize two actions:

1. To serve as the fiscal agent; and
2. To authorize the interim executive director to enter into a contract with VRPA Technologies to serve as the SJV
Policy Council Coordinator, for an amount not to exceed $400,495.77, for a three-year contract commencing August 1, 2024, through July 31, 2027.

Summary: The City of Fresno has asked Fresno COG to amend its multijurisdictional housing element contract with consulting firm Placeworks to address a potential funding shortfall related to public comment responses and revisions requested by the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD).

Placeworks' subcontractor Ascent, which is developing the City of Fresno's housing element, is requesting an additional $25,718 to account for anticipated overages on the project. This amount is beyond the $90,000 in Regional Early Action Planning (REAP) funds already included in a November 2023 contract amendment, as well as another $64,282 approved in February 2024. City of Fresno staff propose using the City's own Local Early Action Planning (LEAP) funds to cover this second contract amendment. Attached is the proposed scope of work. 

Action: Staff requests the PAC recommend Fresno COG's Policy Board authorize the interim executive director to approve amendment No. 4 to the Placeworks Multijurisdictional Housing Element, totaling $25,698.75 to be paid by the City of Fresno.

Senate Bill 743 (SB 743, 2013), requires that the traffic congestion metric level of service (LOS) within the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) process be replaced with a metric that would help reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHG), develop a multi-modal transportation system and increase land use diversity. The Office of Planning and Research (OPR) recommended vehicle miles traveled (VMT) as the most appropriate metric to measure the transportation impacts for developments, considering it is more aligned with the state’s goals of reducing GHG emissions through infill development, active transportation and other sustainable land use and transportation projects.

Fresno Council of Governments (Fresno COG), with the help of the consultant LSA, developed the SB 743 regional guidelines for Fresno County and implemented it in July 2020. This document has been serving as a guide to the local governments and the consultants for the traffic impact study. While the city of Clovis has adopted its own SB 743 guidelines, all remaining fifteen agencies have adopted the regional guidelines, developed by COG. 

For the development of the regional guidelines, Fresno COG’s Activity Based Model (ABM) has been used as a main tool. From the formulation of the regional as well as the agency-specific VMT thresholds to VMT mitigation strategies, ABM has been the core of this task. With the update of the ABM, there is a need to update the regional guidelines as it will change the VMT thresholds. Fresno COG is on the verge of completing the base year update of its ABM along with some new model enhancements being incorporated into the model. In addition, the SB 743 VMT analysis within the CEQA itself has evolved over the period of 2020-2024, justifying the need to incorporate those changes in our regional guidelines. Therefore, this is the right time to update the existing regional guidelines and the VMT thresholds. This updated document will also help phase two of VMT mitigation program which will be developed by Fresno COG in FY2024-25.

LSA is an established environmental firm with expertise in CEQA and SB 743. As a recognized leader on SB 743, LSA has in-depth knowledge and understanding of the regulatory environment and has been closely following SB 743 implementation throughout the State. As LSA developed the regional guidelines back in 2020, it is evident to continue working with them on this update. LSA has also been serving as an on-call consultant since 2020 and is very familiar with the local land-use and VMT assessment in Fresno County. Once the update of regional guidelines and VMT thresholds are completed, LSA will be providing on-call support through the end of the fiscal year. Accordingly, $65,000 has been budgeted for FY 2024-25. Attached is the scope of work.

Action: Staff requests that PAC recommend that the Policy Board authorize the executive director to enter into a contract with LSA to update the SB 743 regional guidelines, for an amount not to exceed $65,000.   

Summary: Fresno County is envisioned as a massive host of clean energy development in the state because of the nearly 200,000 acres of farmland to be retired and repurposed in western Fresno County. The Westlands Water district has proposed significant farmland acreage to be retired and repurposed for clean energy generation (primarily utility-scale solar) because of long-term irrigation water availability constraints under the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act.

Westlands is partnering with a clean energy development master planner, Golden State Clean Energy. These two entities are at the epicenter of clean energy planning and development in western Fresno County and the state.

The clean energy transition is ushering in opportunities as well as risks of unpredictable supplies and costs of all types of energy.

Regenerate California Innovation (RCI) Director Keith Berchtold, working with the Fresno, Madera, Tulare and Kings Counties Central Labor Council, propose that Fresno County develop a joint powers authority organization with the authority and savvy to buy and manage power locally for the benefit of all County residents, businesses and institutions.

Local ownership and management of power will also be critical for aligning the water, land, transportation, utilities and skilled workforce infrastructure investments necessary for attracting and growing industries fueled by clean energy with sustainably good jobs and export markets.

Together, the organizations are requesting to work with Fresno COG leadership to form a Reliable, Accessible Renewable Energy (RARE) Planning Committee that includes local governments, labor, busineses, non-profit and community-based organizations.  Mr. Berchtold will offer a presentation on the subject matter.

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

This portion of the meeting is reserved for persons wishing to address the Committee on items within its jurisdiction but not on this agenda.  Note:  Prior to action by the Committee on any item on this agenda, the public may comment on that item.  Unscheduled comments may be limited to three minutes.