Agenda Item A.3
CONSENT CALENDAR
Meeting Date: March 17, 2026
TO: Mayor and Councilmembers
SUBMITTED BY: Luz “Nina” Buelna, Public Works Director
PREPARED BY: Teresa Lopes, Principal Civil Engineer
SUBJECT: Annual Claim with the Santa Barbara County Association of Governments for Allocation of Fiscal Year 2026/27 Transportation Development Act Funds
RECOMMENDATION:
Adopt Resolution No. 26-__ entitled “A Resolution of the City Council of the City of Goleta, California, Authorizing the Filing of a Claim with the Santa Barbara County Association of Governments for Allocation of Transportation Development Act Funds for Fiscal Year 2026/27.”
BACKGROUND:
The California Transportation Development Act (TDA) authorized a funding source for the development and support of public transportation needs that exist in California (Public Utilities Code Section 99200 et seq.). The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) is responsible for oversight of the TDA program on a statewide basis. State- designated Regional Transportation Planning Agencies (RTPAs) are responsible for implementing the TDA, administering the distribution of funds to local TDA recipients (claimants), and monitoring the subsequent use of those funds to ensure conformity with all state and local requirements.
Funds are allocated to areas of each county based on population, taxable sales, and transit performance. The TDA provides funding for use by local jurisdictions and agencies for a variety of transportation purposes, with public transportation as the first priority.
Other eligible purposes are regional transportation planning and programming, bicycle and pedestrian projects, and local street and road projects when certain conditions are met.
The Santa Barbara County Association of Governments (SBCAG) is the RTPA for Santa Barbara County and is responsible for distributing Local Transportation Funds (LTF) to the jurisdictions and local agencies within the County. In prior Fiscal Year (FY) 2025/26, the City received $36,319 of TDA funds. For FY 2026/27, staff anticipates between 1 Meeting Date: March 17, 2025
$36,000 and $42,000. The actual amount will not be known until it is released by SBCAG in March.
Below are the steps for the distribution of the funds:
Apportionment
Per the TDA, SBCAG divides the estimated amount to be deposited in the fund over the coming fiscal year among each of the County’s local jurisdictions based on population percentages (Public Utilities Code section 99231) provided by the California Department of Finance. After SBCAG receives the fund estimates from the County Auditor on February 1st, SBCAG informs each jurisdiction of the amount, also known as the apportionment (California Code of Regulations section 6644). Once funds are apportioned to a jurisdiction, they can only be allocated to that jurisdiction.
Claims
To file a claim with SBCAG, the City of Goleta City Council must adopt a resolution authorizing the filing of an LTF Claim. Today’s action will authorize the City Manager to file a claim on behalf of the City. SBCAG usually notifies the agencies in late February/March of the amount for the current FY.
Allocations
Typically occurring in June, the SBCAG board approves, through a resolution, the amount of funding to be distributed to each local agency and the eligible uses of funds based on the claims submitted.
Payment
Based on the amounts claimed by each jurisdiction, SBCAG provides instructions to the County Auditor to remit payment to each jurisdiction. Disbursement instructions from SBCAG to the County Auditor are typically provided monthly, as indicated in the resolution approved by the SBCAG board and based on actual receipts. The approved resolution is also provided to the County Auditor annually.
DISCUSSION:
To receive the City’s share of the LTF monies, the City is required to submit a claim to SBCAG. Before submitting a claim, the City must adopt the attached resolution (Attachment 1). Public Works staff is requesting approval of the attached resolution so that a claim for the City’s allocation of LTF funds can be filed.
FISCAL IMPACTS:
There is no direct financial cost to the City associated with submitting the proposed TDA claim to SBCAG, except for staff time required for regulatory and record-keeping related 2 Meeting Date: March 17, 2025
to the use of TDA funds. There are no limitations on how soon the funds must be expended. The TDA fund revenue allocated to the City for FY 2026/27 is estimated to be between $36,000 and $42,000, with a revised estimate becoming available in late February/March. The revised estimate will be included in the FY 2026/27 budget and is accounted for in Fund 202.
ALTERNATIVES:
City Council may elect not to adopt the attached resolution authorizing the submittal of a TDA claim for LTF monies. However, not adopting it now will result in non-compliance, and the City would not receive LTF funds for FY 2026/27.
LEGAL REVIEW BY: Isaac Rosen, City Attorney
APPROVED BY: Robert Nisbet, City Manager
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Resolution 26- _ entitled “A Resolution of the City Council of the City of Goleta, California, Authorizing the Filing of a Claim with the Santa Barbara County Association of Governments for Allocation of Transportation Development Act Funds for Fiscal Year 2026/27.”
3 ATTACHMENT 1
Resolution 26-___ entitled “A Resolution of the City Council of the City of Goleta, California, Authorizing the Filing of a Claim with the Santa Barbara County Association of Governments for Allocation of Transportation Development Act Funds for Fiscal Year 2026/27”
4 RESOLUTION NO. 26-___
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
GOLETA, CA LIFORNIA, AUTHORIZING THE FILING OF A
CLAIM WITH THE SANTA BARBARA COUNTY ASSOCIATION
OF GOVERNMENTS FOR ALLOCATION OF
TRANSPORTATION DEVELOPMENT ACT FUNDS FOR FISCAL
YEAR 2026/27
WHEREAS, the Transportation Development Act (TDA), as amended (Public Utilities Code Section 99200 et seq.), provides for the allocation of funds from the Local Transportation Fund for use by eligible claimants for various transportation purposes; and
WHEREAS, pursuant to the provisions of the TDA, as amended, and pursuant to the applicable rules and regulations thereunder (Cal. Code of Regulations Sections 6600 et seq.) a prospective claimant wishing to receive an allocation from the Local Transp ortation Fund or State Transit Assistance fund shall file its claim or amended claim with the Santa Barbara County Association of Governments (SBCAG).
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF GOLETA AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1.
That the City Manager is authorized to execute and file appropriate claim and necessary claim amendments pursuant to the terms of TDA and pursuant to applicable rules and regulations promulgated thereunder together with all necessary supporting documents, with SBCAG for an allocation of TDA funds in FY 2026/27.
SECTION 2.
The authorized claim is based upon the estimate provided by the Santa Barbara Association of Governments is anticipated to fund pedestrian and bikeway facilities and/or projects.
SECTION 3.
A copy of this resolution shall be transmitted to SBCAG in conjunction with the filing of this claim.
5 SECTION 4.
The City Clerk shall certify the passage and adoption of this resolution and enter it into the book of original resolutions.
PASSED, APPROVED AND ADOPTED this _____ day of ____ 2026.
__________________________
PAULA PEROTTE
MAYOR
ATTEST: APPROVED AS TO FORM:
_________________________ __________________________
DEBORAH S. LOPEZ ISAAC ROSEN
CITY CLERK CITY ATTORNEY
6 STATE OF CALIFORNIA )
COUNTY OF SANTA BARBARA ) ss.
CITY OF GOLETA )
I, DEBORAH S. LOPEZ, City Clerk of the City of Goleta, California, DO HEREBY CERTIFY that the foregoing Resolution No. 26-__ was duly adopted by the City Council of the City of Goleta at a regular meeting held on the ___ day of ____, 2026, by the following roll-call vote of the City Council:
AYES:
NOES:
ABSENT:
(SEAL)
______________________
DEBORAH S. LOPEZ
CITY CLERK
7