City Council
259 N. Wilma Avenue
Ripon, CA 95366
MEMO
To: Honorable City Council
From: Kevin Werner, City Administrator
Date: 11/12/2024
Subject: Measure K Renewal Cooperative Agreement (C-24-003_Amd 1)
RECOMMENDATION
Approve and authorize the Mayor to sign the First Amendment to the Measure K Renewal Cooperative Agreement (C-24-003 A1) that increases the Blossom Express operations budget to $500,779 and the Measure K Renewal Transit funding to $214,762.48 over a four-year period from July 1, 2023 through June 30, 2027.
BACKGROUND
The City of Ripon operates the Blossom Express transit service. The Blossom Express operates 2 days a week for 5 hours each day providing stops near Bethany Home, downtown Ripon, Kaiser Hospital in Modesto and the Vintage Faire Mall.
The City of Ripon provides the staffing to coordinate the service, manage the funding, and maintain the bus fleet. The City contracts with San Joaquin Regional Transit District (RTD) to provide a driver for the bus. The following table summarizes the annual operating expenses over the last 5 years:
2020-21 2021-22 2022-23 2023-24 2024-25 (budg)
Salaries &
Wages
12,862 10,589 12,126 10,392 13,971
Operating
Expenses
12,951 15,463 18,952 34,417 36,860
RTD Driver 12,899 15,162 18,310 27,280 34,000
Overhead 6,604 7,394 8,663 12,452 19,058
Total 45,316 48,607 58,052 84,540 103,890 1
1. Does not include the budgeted expense for the Short Range Transit Plan.
Over this 5-year period, the operating expenses of the Blossom Express transit service have increased from $45,316 to $103,890 (229%). The largest increase is related to the RTD contract to provide a bus driver. These costs have increased from $12,899 to $34,000 (263%) over the 5- year period while there has been no change to the operating hours.
As part of the funding of the Blossom Express transit service, the City receives Measure K Renewal Transit funds. In order to receive these funds, the City must have a Cooperative Agreement between the City of Ripon and San Joaquin Council of Governments that defines the budget and eligible reimbursement.
DISCUSSION
The current Measure K Renewal Cooperative Agreement covers the transit service period from July 2023 to June 2027. The total budget for this four-year period was $322,829 of which, the Measure K Renewal Transit funds budget reimbursement to the City of Ripon was $227,529 (70% of the budget).
Since the approval the original Agreement, (1) the City is now projecting an increase in operating expenses from $227,529 to $500,779 and (2) now eligible to receive Federal Transit Administration 5311 funds for operations.
As a result of these changes, the share of Measure K Renewal Transit funds reimbursement is projected to decrease from $227,529 (70% of the budget) to $214,762.48 (42.86% of the budget).
Staff is recommending the City Council approve the First Amendment to the Measure K Renewal Cooperative Agreement (C-24-003 A1) with San Joaquin Council of Governments that that increases the Blossom Express operations budget to $500,779 and the Measure K Renewal Transit funding to $214,762.48 over the four-year period from July 1, 2023 through June 30, 2027.
Attachments:
1. C-24-003 A1_SJCOG Agreement Transit