TO: Honorable City Council
FROM: City Manager
SUBJECT: A Resolution of the City Council of the City of Commerce, California, Adopting the City’s Title VI Program and Authorizing Staff to Submit to the Federal Transit Administration for Review and Final Approval MEETING DATE: September 24, 2024
RECOMMENDATION:
The City Council will consider approving the Resolution adopting the City’s Title VI Program and authorizing staff to submit to the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) for review and final approval.
BACKGROUND:
Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits discrimination based on race, color, and national origin in programs and activities receiving federal financial assistance. As a recipient of FTA funding, the City of Commerce is required to implement a Title VI Program that demonstrates that no transit program or service provided by the City creates discrimination toward any demographic of the population serviced by the program or service. The Title VI Program must be updated every three years and submitted to the FTA for review and final approval. The City’s current Title VI Program was adopted in 2021.
ANALYSIS:
City staff has prepared a new Title VI Program in accordance with FTA Circular 4702.1B. The Title VI Program provides the City’s commitment to ensuring that no person is excluded from participation in, denied the benefits of, or otherwise subjected to discrimination under any of its programs, activities, or services based on race, color, or national origin. Specifically, the Title VI Program includes the following:
Title VI complaint filing procedures, forms, and records of any Title VI-related investigations, complaints, or inquiries.
A Public Participation Plan identifying policies for public hearings, workshops, and comment periods that encourage public input regarding fare increases or significant service changes and engage minority and limited English proficient populations in the public planning process.
Environmental justice and service equity policies.
A summary of the City’s committees engaged in the decision-making process relevant to transit service operations.
Efforts to ensure sub-recipient compliance with Title VI requirements; and Transit service standards and policies related to vehicle load, headways, on-time performance, service availability, distribution of transit amenities, and vehicle assignment.
Once the City Council approves this Title VI Program, it will be submitted to the FTA for review and final approval. Failure to provide or update this document every three years could result in losing future FTA funding, which is needed to cover the City’s transit operations and capital costs.
ALTERNATIVES:
Approve staff recommendation
Reject staff recommendation
Provide staff with further direction
FISCAL IMPACT:
Adopting this program will not impact the City’s Operating Budget.
RELATIONSHIP TO 2016 STRATEGIC GOALS:
This agenda item relates to the 2016 strategic planning goal of “reviewing and updating services and activities to increase efficiency,” as this program is required for the City to receive FTA funding for transit operating and capital costs.
Recommended by: Claude McFerguson, Director of Transportation Fiscal impact reviewed by: Vilko Domic, Assistant City Manager Approved as to form: Noel Tapia, City Attorney
Respectfully submitted: Ernie Hernandez, City Manager
CITY OF COMMERCE
AGENDA REPORT
Item No.