City Council Memorandum
TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL DATE: SEPTEMBER 19, 2023 FROM: PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT WARDS: 2, 3, 4, 5 AND 7
SUBJECT: FISCAL YEAR 2023/24 LIST OF PROJECTS FUNDED BY THE ROAD MAINTENANCE AND REHABILITATION ACCOUNT CREATED BY SENATE BILL 1: THE ROAD REPAIR AND ACCOUNTABILITY ACT OF 2017 – RESOLUTION ADOPTION ISSUE:
Adopt a resolution approving the Fiscal Year 2023/24 project list to be completed utilizing revenues from the Fiscal Year 2023/24 Road Maintenance and Rehabilitation Account created by Senate Bill 1: The Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017.
RECOMMENDATION:
That the City Council adopt a resolution approving the Fiscal Year 2023/24 project list to be completed utilizing the projected revenues from the Fiscal Year 2023/24 Road Maintenance and Rehabilitation Account created by Senate Bill 1: The Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017.
BACKGROUND:
On April 28, 2017, the California Governor signed Senate Bill 1, referred to as the Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017 (SB-1), to address basic road maintenance, rehabilitation, and critical safety needs on both the state highway and local streets networks. SB-1 is funded by fuel excise taxes, diesel fuel sales taxes, and vehicle registration fees. Taxes may adjust in future years proportionally to inflation and/or increased fees.
The California State Controller’s Office deposits various portions of these revenues into the State’s Road Maintenance and Rehabilitation Account (RMRA). A percentage of the RMRA funds are apportioned by a formula to eligible cities and counties pursuant to Streets and Highways Code Section 2032(h) as part of the SB-1 Local Street and Roads Program (LSRP).
SB-1 guidelines include accountability and transparency provisions that will ensure the public is aware of the projects being completed utilizing the RMRA funds each fiscal year. Any jurisdiction receiving RMRA funds must adopt a Resolution that includes a list of projects to be completed.
The project list does not limit the flexibility of the City to fund projects in accordance with the City's needs and priorities so long as the projects are consistent with the SB-1 program priorities which include projects associated with road maintenance and rehabilitation, safety, railroad grade separations, complete streets, and traffic control devices.
DISCUSSION:
The SB-1 LSRP enables the City to complete more essential road maintenance and rehabilitation projects. Per LSRP guidelines, the Resolution (Attachment 1) provides the list of projects to be completed utilizing the RMRA funds. The project list included in the Resolution requires a description and the location of each proposed project, a proposed schedule for the project’s completion, and the estimated useful life. The project list for the Fiscal Year (FY) 2023/24 LSRP includes maintenance and rehabilitation improvements on 4.9 miles of City streets including 3 arterial streets, 3 collector streets, 3 commercial streets, and 2 minor streets (see Resolution for specific project locations).
These maintenance improvements generally include asphalt resurfacing; reconstruction of damaged concrete curbs, gutters, sidewalks, and driveways; replacement of pedestrian ramps that are not compliant with the current provisions of the American with Disabilities Act; and replacement of signing and striping as required. The improvements will also include the construction of new landscaped medians on Jurupa Avenue between Tyler Street and Jurupa Avenue.
STRATEGIC PLAN ALIGNMENT:
This Project aligns to Strategic Priority No. 6 – Infrastructure, Mobility and Connectivity and Goal No. 6.2 – Maintain, protect, and improve assets and infrastructure within the City’s built environment to ensure and enhance reliability, resiliency, sustainability, and facilitate connectivity.
It also aligns with each of the Cross-Cutting Threads as follows:
Community Trust – Riverside is transparent and makes decisions based on sound policy, inclusive community engagement, involvement of City Boards & Commissions, and timely and reliable information. Activities and actions by the City serve the public interest, benefit the City's diverse populations, and result in greater public good. The proposed improvements are part of a more significant endeavor to improve the City's roadway network and quality of life for residents and visitors.
Equity – Riverside is supportive of the City's racial, ethnic, religious, sexual orientation, identity, geographic, and other attributes of diversity and is committed to advancing the fairness of treatment, recognition of rights, and equitable distribution of services to ensure every member of the community has equal access to share the benefits of community progress. Public Works strives to improve the City' s roadway network to provide safe and reliable transportation to all areas of the City. Additionally, staff meets with each City Councilmember to discuss goals, budgets, recommendations for street improvements, and obtain feedback on the requests received from their constituents.
Fiscal Responsibility – Riverside is a prudent steward of public funds and ensures responsible management of the City's financial resources while providing quality public services to all. Public Works responsibly manages a variety of funding sources to complete projects included in the City's Capital Improvement Program construction projects are always awarded to the lowest responsive bidders.
Innovation – Riverside is inventive and timely in meeting the community's changing needs and prepares for the future through collaborative partnerships and adaptive processes. This project exemplifies established methods of street improvements.
Sustainability & Resiliency – Riverside is committed to meeting the needs of the present without compromising the needs of the future and ensuring the City's capacity to persevere, adapt and grow during good and difficult times alike. The construction materials utilized for these projects are considered best practices in the industry. The use of rubberized and recycled material greatly benefits the environment, reducing wasted storage, providing extra layers of protection, and adding longevity to our resurfaced streets.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no fiscal impact associated with this action to submit the list of projects to be funded by SB-1 LSRP. However, the adopted FY 2023/24 Capital Improvement Program (CIP) budget included $6,855,945 in the Special Gas Tax Fund allocated to the project "RMRA Rehabilitation & Traffic Improvements" based on the estimated revenues at the time. As of May 2023, the State Department of Finance estimates that the City of Riverside will receive $7,701,933 in FY 2023/24 RMRA funds (Attachment 2). Should these additional funds materialize, a report will be brought forward to Council for an additional appropriation.
Prepared by: Gilbert Hernandez, Public Works Director
Certified as to
availability of funds: Kristie Thomas, Finance Director/Assistant Chief Financial Officer Approved by: Kris Martinez, Assistant City Manager
Approved as to form: Phaedra A. Norton, City Attorney
Attachments:
FY 2023/24 SB-1 Resolution
Projected FY 2023/24 RMRA Revenues
2023/2024 SB-1 Resolution ● Page 2