Agenda #: 5.4
Meeting Date: January 16, 2024
TO: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
FROM: Daniel Fox, City Manager
TITLE: MASTER AGREEMENT ADMINISTERING AGENCY-STATE
AGREEMENT ON STATE-FUNDED PROJECTS WITH THE STATE OF
CALIFORNIA (CALTRANS), AND PROGRAM SUPPLEMENT
AGREEMENT FOR INTERSECTION SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS
PROJECT (CIP# TI24301) FUNDED UNDER THE HIGHWAY SAFETY
IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM.
STRATEGIC
GOAL: Safe, Sustainable & Healthy Community
RECOMMENDATION:
A. Approve, and authorize the Public Works Director/City Engineer to sign, the Master Agreement Administering Agency-State Agreement No. 07-5455S21 and Program Supplement No. 00000A335 accepting $302,850 in grant funds from the Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP);
B. Adopt Resolution No. 2024-01 authorizing the Public Works Director/City Engineer to sign necessary documents in administering the HSIP Grant; and C. Determine that the approval of the funding agreement is not subject to environmental review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Article 18, Section 15378(b)(4).
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
The State of California has awarded the City up to $302,850 in Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) grant funds. As a condition, the grant requires ten (10) percent local match funds from the City. As budgeted, $33,650 of Transportation Development Act (TDA) funds (Fund 209) are available as a local match in the Fiscal Year 2023/24 Capital Improvement Program.
BACKGROUND/DISCUSSION:
Using grant funding from the State, the City previously developed a Local Roadway Safety Plan (LRSP) in adherence to Federal regulations established by the State of California. The LRSP serves as a local complement to the State's Strategic Highway Safety Plan (SHSP). Tailored to address the jurisdiction's specific needs, the LRSP aims to assist the local public roadway owner, the City, in addressing highway safety needs within its respective area. The plan comprises a prioritized list of improvements and actions that highlight defined needs and contribute to the broader statewide safety plan.
To implement the improvement opportunities identified by the Diamond Bar's LRSP, the City prepared an application for the State's Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) Cycle 11 grant funding. On March 11, 2023, the State released HSIP Cycle 11 grant application results, and the City was awarded $302,850 with a ten (10) percent local match requirement for a total project budget of $336,500.
Subsequently, the City prepared and submitted a project plan encompassing improvements such as nearside supplemental traffic signal heads, pedestrian countdown units with Accessible Pedestrian Signal (APS), and high visibility crosswalks re-striping. These enhancements aim to maximize visibility and operations at critical intersections, namely:
• Diamond Bar Boulevard/Golden Springs Drive
• Diamond Bar Boulevard/Sunset Crossing Road
• Diamond Bar Boulevard/Grand Avenue
• Diamond Bar Boulevard/Pathfinder Road
• Diamond Bar Boulevard/Brea Canyon Road
• Golden Springs Drive/Brea Canyon Road
• Golden Springs Drive/Carpio Drive
• Grand Avenue/Summitridge Drive
• Brea Canyon Road/Pathfinder Road
This proposed plan, along with all requisite documentation, was presented to the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), the grant administrator. An illustration of the proposed improvements is provided in Attachment 4.
Caltrans responded with a notification letter, designating $27,540 in State’s HSIP funds for the Preliminary Engineering (PE)/Design phase, effective from October 1, 2023. A local match of $3,060 was also allocated in the City’s current CIP, resulting in a total design budget of $30,600. Any work approved for funding and undertaken in the PE/Design phase after this date will be eligible for reimbursement.
The Preliminary Engineering (PE)/Design phase represents the essential first stage of planning and design, encompassing the evaluation of project feasibility, defining its scope, and formulating an improvement plan that will guide subsequent construction phase. Following the successful completion of the PE/Design phase and the necessary approvals, the project will advance to the construction phase. The remaining fund balance of $305,900 from the total project budget of $336,500 will be allocated for the construction.
Acceptance of the HSIP grant fund necessitates the City to execute a Master Agreement Administering Agency-State Agreement with Caltrans (Attachment 1) and a Program Supplement Agreement (Attachment 2) accepting $302,850 in HSIP grant funds. To streamline grant management, communications, and reporting to Caltrans, the City must also designate a representative. It is recommended that the City Council adopt the attached resolution (Attachment 3) designating the City's Public Works Director/City Engineer to review and approve related documents on behalf of the City.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW:
The City Council's approval of the funding agreement is not a “project” under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), and is thus exempt from environmental review. Section 15387(b)(4) of the CEQA Guidelines expressly states that actions resulting in “(t)he creation of government funding mechanisms or other government fiscal activities, which do not involve any commitment to any specific project which may result in a potentially significant physical impact on the environment” are not projects.
LEGAL REVIEW:
The City Attorney has reviewed and approved the Agreements and Resolution as to form.
PREPARED BY:
REVIEWED BY:
Attachments:
1. 5.4.a Administering Agency-State Agreement City of Diamond Bar and Caltrans
2. 5.4.b Program Supplement Agreement (PSA)
3. 5.4.c Resolution No. 2024-01
4. 5.4.d Project's Proposed Improvements