City Council
259 N. Wilma Avenue
Ripon, CA 95366
MEMO
To: Honorable City Council
From: Kevin Werner, City Administrator
Date: 12/09/2025
Subject: San Joaquin One Voice Advocacy Trip 2026
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
If the City Council is interested in sending a representative or representatives to participate in the 2026 One Voice trip, please designate and approve the City’s representative(s) to attend.
BACKGROUND:
San Joaquin One Voice is San Joaquin Council of Government’s federal advocacy program for San Joaquin County that promotes projects, programs, and issues of regional significance to federal legislators and agencies typically through an annual trip to Washington, D.C.
With the return of federal earmarks, continued availability of funding opportunities from transportation and infrastructure legislation, the SJCOG is focusing the One Voice initiative on elevating regional projects and maximizing funding success. As a result, projects being submitted to SJCOG for One Voice support will need to ensure they’re clearly aligned with SJCOG’s legislative priorities and eligibility requirements for the discretionary and federal earmark programs.
In 2022 the SJCOG developed a new process to review and evaluate project applications. This new criterion for the One Voice projects is intended to allow SJCOG to bring forward and focus on the projects that provides the best chance at securing available funds. The following is a summary of the criteria that will be used by SJCOG to select One Voice projects:
Project needs to prove it is regional and has a federal nexus; Complete or near complete National Environmental Policy Act clearance; Significantly developed to warrant Federal spending; and Demonstrated community support.
Each jurisdiction will be limited to one regionally significant project.
DISCUSSION/ANALYSIS:
SJCOG has requested project submittals for the 2026 San Joaquin One Voice trip. Submitted projects will be reviewed by SJCOG staff and the SJCOG Executive Committee and will be subject to the approval by the full SJCOG Board to be included as part of the 2026 One Voice trip.
Over the last 10 years, the City of Ripon has been attending the One Voice trip focused on funding for the South San Joaquin Irrigation District Surface Water Connection project and the Altamont Commuter Express Station (planned to be located on Industrial Avenue) project. Both projects have received federal funding through these efforts. For the 2026 One Voice trip, the City of Ripon does not have a project that meets the criteria identified by SJCOG for a project submittal.
SJCOG will be submitting a regional project that impacts the City of Ripon - State Route 99 / 120 Connector Project, Phase 1B. The current 99/120 freeway to freeway interchange is subject to significant congestion, delays, and high accident rates. This has resulted in drivers taking alternative routes to avoid this interchange, including City of Ripon local streets that were not designed for this increased volume of traffic. The SR 99/120 Connector Project, Phase 1B will widen the connector from northbound SR 99 to westbound SR 120 and construct a westbound auxiliary lane on SR 120 between SR 99 and Main Street in Manteca in order to improve the interchange operations and keep commuters on the state highway system rather than using local roads to avoid the interchange.
Phase 1A of the project (addressing eastbound SR 120 and southbound SR 99) is currently under construction. SJCOG’s intent is to complete the design and right-of-way phases of Phase 1B during the Phase 1A construction period, allowing Phase 1B to enter construction seamlessly upon the completion of Phase 1A.
The 2026 One Voice trip is tentatively scheduled for May 3 to May 7, 2026. This does not conflict with the May City Council meeting. If the City of Ripon was to send a representative(s) to the 2026 One Voice trip, they would be advocating for the SR 99/120 Connector Project, Phase 1B, along with other regionally significant projects.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The projected cost for each One Voice participant is estimated to be $5,000 that would be paid from the General Fund.