Fremont City Council Meeting: 09/03/24 07:00 PM
3300 Capitol Avenue Div/Dept: Human Services Department Fremont, CA 94538 Category: Agreements and Contracts
SCHEDULED
Sponsors:
COUNCIL STAFF REPORT (ID # 5234) DOC ID: 5234
Updated: 8/28/2024 4:59 PM by Susan Gauthier Page 1
CITY OF UNION CITY JOINT POWERS AGREEMENT - Authorization to Execute Task Order to the Joint Powers Agreement with the City of Union City for FY 2024/25 Paratransit Services; and Making Findings of CEQA Exemption.
Contact Persons:
Name: Shawn Fong Christina Briggs
Title: Paratransit Program Manager Assistant City Manager Div/Dept: Human Services Department City Manager's Office Phone: 510-574-2033 510-284-4022
E-Mail: [email protected] [email protected]
Executive Summary: The purpose of this report is to recommend the City Council approve and authorize the City Manager to execute Task Order No. 13 to the Joint Powers Agreement with the City of Union City in the amount of $400,000. The Task Order defines the Wheelchair Accessible Van services that will be provided to Fremont and Newark participants of the City’s Ride-On Tri-City! Program in FY 2024/25.
BACKGROUND: Since 2017, the City’s Ride-On Tri-City! Program has provided paratransit services for Union City residents under a Joint Powers Agreement (JPA) between the City of Fremont and the City of Union City. The JPA outlines the provision of services and has been flexibly structured so that new task orders may be executed as needed, such as on an annual basis, to allow for changes in service needs, costs and funding availability.
The existing JPA with Union City is made pursuant to State law and does not create a separate legal entity. Rather, the JPA allows Fremont to provide services to Union City residents and Union City to reciprocate services to residents served by the City while retaining the legal protections available when providing municipal services within the City’s jurisdiction.
Under this arrangement, the City of Fremont provides Union City seniors and individuals with disabilities with subsidized taxi or ride-haling services through the City’s Ride-On Tri-City! Program. The City of Union City reimburses the City of Fremont for these services.
In FY 2023/24, an additional task order to the JPA was executed for the City of Union City to provide paratransit Wheelchair Accessible Van services to Ride-On Tri-City! participants.
DISCUSSION/ANALYSIS: The City of Fremont has worked with the Cities of Newark and Union City to develop and implement regional transportation services for elderly and disabled Tri-City residents to get rides for health care, shopping, social and recreational opportunities, and other day-to-day needs. These services are provided through Ride-On Tri-City!, a program of the City’s Human Services Department.
The City’s existing JPA with the City of Union City and the City of Newark to provide paratransit services to their respective residents enables all three cities to benefit from economies of scale by streamlining community outreach and education efforts, consolidating staff functions, leveraging funding, and providing cost-effective services to Tri-City Council Staff Report (ID # 5234) Meeting of September 3, 2024 Updated: 8/28/2024 4:59 PM by Susan Gauthier Page 2
residents. These transportation services have been funded by the Measure BB sales tax revenues that are administered by the Alameda County Transportation Commission (Alameda CTC). This funding helps the cities plan for and implement affordable, reliable and accessible transportation services for older adults and people with disabilities living in Fremont, Newark and Union City.
In July 2022, the City partnered with the City of Union City to include its Wheelchair Accessible Van (WAV) services in Union City’s Request for Proposals (RFP) in order to secure a service provider for Transit and Paratransit services for Ride-On Tri-City! program participants residing in Fremont and Newark. The WAV services provided by Union City allows Ride-On Tri-City participants to receive essential and accessible rides when they make advance reservations for those needed trips.
The City is redesigning its Wheelchair Accessible Van service to meet the need for same -day accessible transportation, and there is an accompanying item before the City Council this evening for authorization to execute an agreement with Nomad Transit LLC, to implement same-day Wheelchair Accessible Van service beginning in 2025. However, for the first six months of FY 2024/25 (July 1, 2024 through December 31, 2024), the City will continue to reimburse the City of Union City for Wheelchair Accessible Van services for Fremont and Newark residents under Task Order No. 13.
FISCAL IMPACT: Under Task Order No. 13 for FY 2024/25, the City of Fremont will reimburse the City of Union City in an amount up to $400,000 for all Wheelchair Accessible Van service costs provided to Fremont and Newark residents. Services to Fremont residents will be covered by the City’s Measure BB direct local distribution funds. The City of Newark will reimburse the City of Fremont for all service delivery costs for Newark residents. The City’s FY 2024/25 Operating Budget includes sufficient appropriations in Fund 252 and Fund 176 for the paratransit services described above.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW: The action is exempt from CEQA pursuant to, without limitation, CEQA Guidelines Section 15378(b)(2), (4) and/or (5), and/or 15061(b)(3) as an administrative or fiscal activity that has no potential to cause a significant effect on the environment, directly or indirectly, each of the foregoing providing a separate and independent basis for CEQA exemption.
ATTACHMENTS: None.
RECOMMENDATIONS: Authorize the City Manager or her designee to execute Task Order No. 13 to the existing Joint Powers Agreement with the City of Union City for the provision of FY 2024/25 Wheelchair Accessible Van services to Fremont and Newark residents, in the amount not to exceed $400,000, and make a finding of CEQA exemption.