CITY OF SEBASTOPOL
CITY COUNCIL
AGENDA ITEM
Meeting Date: August 2, 2022
To: Honorable Mayor and City Councilmembers
From: Toni Bertolero, Engineering Consultant
Subject: Sustainable Transportation Planning Grant
Recommendation: Authorize Staff to Apply for Sustainable Transportation Planning Grant and Adopt Resolution Amending the Engineering Operating Budget
Funding: Currently Budgeted: _______ Yes ___X____ No _____ N/A Account Code/Costs authorized in City Approved Budget (if applicable) ____AK____ (verified by Administrative Services Department) INTRODUCTION/PURPOSE:
The item is to request Council authorize staff to apply for a Caltrans Sustainable Transportation Planning Grant and adopt a resolution amending the Fiscal Year 2022-23 Engineering Operating Budget for consultant cost to prepare the grant application.
BACKGROUND :
The Sustainable Transportation Planning Grant Program was created to support the California Department of Transportation’s (Caltrans) Mission: Provide a safe and reliable transportation network that serves all people and respects the environment. The California Legislature passed, and Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. signed into law, Senate Bill 1 (SB 1, Beall, Chapter 5, Statutes of 2017), the Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017, a transportation funding bill that will provide a reliable source of funds to maintain and integrate the State’s multimodal transportation system.
In addition to traditional State and federal grants, SB 1 funds for Sustainable Communities Grants is available for the Fiscal Year (FY) 2023-24 grant cycle. The period of grant fund availability spans over three fiscal years and approximately 27 months for grant project activities after the grant agreement is executed and Caltrans issues a Notice to Proceed. The SB 1 grant funding is intended to support and implement Regional Transportation Plan (RTP) Sustainable Communities Strategies (SCS) (where applicable) and to ultimately achieve the State’s greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction target of 40 and 80 percent below 1990 levels by 2030 and 2050, respectively.
Eligible planning projects must have a transportation nexus per Article XIX Sections 2 and 3 of the California Constitution. Therefore, successful planning projects are expected to directly benefit the multi-modal transportation system. These grants will also improve public health, social equity, environmental justice, the environment, and provide other important community benefits. The preliminary schedule for the grant:
• September 2022 – Release FY 2023-24 Grant Application Guide/Call-for-applications • October 2022 – Grant application deadline (exact date TBD) • Fall 2022 – Winter 2023 – Application evaluation and management approval of grant recommendations • Spring 2023 – Grant announcements
• Fall 2023 – Grant recipients begin project activities Agenda Item Number 6 Agenda Item Number 6
City Council Meeting Packet for August 2, 2022
• Winter-Summer 2026 – Grant projects are completed, and grant funds expire (expiration dates depend on grant recipient and fund-type)
DISCUSSION:
For the Sebastopol Downtown the proposed project description for the planning grant: The project will develop a plan for the Sebastopol downtown area to improve the pedestrian environment, support revitalization, and preserve the rich heritage of this historic community and the west Sonoma County region. The City will conduct an extensive and highly participatory, multifaceted community engagement process to identify strategies for change.
The resulting plan will include short and long-term streetscape and multi-modal safety and access improvements for pedestrians, bicyclists, transit and motorists, steps to spur public and private investment in the downtown, and strategies for maintaining a cohesive, well-connected community. The plan fully supports state and regional goals of reducing vehicle miles traveled and greenhouse gas emissions, maximizing mobility and accessibility, preserving and ensuring a sustainable regional transportation system, protecting the environment and health, and promoting equitable economic development.
A copy of the proposal from W-Trans is attached (Attachment 2). The proposed scope of work is for the preparation of the Caltrans Sustainable Transportation Planning grant and the estimated fee is not to exceed $15,160 (Attachment 2). The budget request is for the fee plus a 10% contingency, rounded up, equals $17,000.
GOALS:
This action supports the following City Council Goals and General Plan Action:
• Circulation 2 – Maintain and expand a safe and efficient pedestrian, bicycle, and transit network that connects neighborhoods with key destinations to encourage travel by non-automobile modes while also improving public health.
PUBLIC COMMENT:
As of the writing of this staff report, the City has not received any public comment. However, staff anticipates receiving public comment from interested parties following the publication and distribution of this staff report.
Such comments will be provided to the City Council assupplemental materials before or at the meeting. In addition, public comments may be offered during the public comment portion of the agenda item.
PUBLIC NOTICE:
This item was noticed in accordance with the Ralph M. Brown Act and was available for public viewing and review at least 72 hours prior to schedule meeting date.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The consultant cost for the planning application grant preparation was not included in the adopted Fiscal Year 2022-23 Budget because at the time of the budget preparation, it was unknown what the consultant cost would be. Therefore, a budget amendment is needed to provide for the grant preparation. It is recommended that a budget amendment for the W Trans fee including a 10 percent contingency be approved, for a total budget amendment amount of $17,000 (Attachment 1). The account number for this budget adjustment will be 124-23- 02-4210.
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends the Sebastopol City Council authorize staff to apply for the Caltrans Sustainable Transportation Planning Grant and adopt the Resolution amending the Engineering Operating Budget by an additional $17,000 from the General Fund.
Agenda Item Number 6 Agenda Item Number 6
City Council Meeting Packet for August 2, 2022
Attachment:
1 – Resolution
2 – Proposal from W-Trans dated 7/25/22
Agenda Item Number 6 Agenda Item Number 6
City Council Meeting Packet for August 2, 2022
RESOLUTION NUMBER: _____________
CITY OF SEBASTOPOL
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SEBASTOPOL AUTHORIZING A BUDGET
AMENDMENT FOR CONSULTANT SERVICES TO PREPARE
CALTRANS SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORTATION PLANNING GRANT
WHEREAS, the City Council desires staff proceed with applying for a Fiscal Year 2023-24 Caltrans Sustainable Transportation Planning Grant; and
WHEREAS, additional budget under the Engineering Division Operating Budget is needed for traffic engineering consultant services for the preparation of the Fiscal Year 2023-24 Caltrans Sustainable Planning Grant in the amount of $17,000; and
WHEREAS, as reviewed by the Administrative Services Director, the following expenditure with a General Fund source is needed as shown on Table 1.
Table 1 - Adopted and Proposed Budget
EXPENDITURE Account No. ADOPTED PROPOSED
Consultant services 124-2302-4210 $242,500. $259,500.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the City Council of the City of Sebastopol does hereby approve a budget amendment increasing the Contract Services account no. 124-2302-4210 by an additional $17,000 for the Engineering Division Operating Budget.
The above and foregoing Resolution was duly passed, approved, and adopted at a meeting by the City Council on the 2nd day of August 2022, by the following vote:
VOTE:
Ayes:
Noes:
Absent:
Abstain:
APPROVED: __________________________________________
Mayor Patrick Slayter
ATTEST: _______________________________________________________________ Mary Gourley, Assistant City Manager/City Clerk, MMC
APPROVED AS TO FORM: _______________________________________________ Larry McLaughlin, City Attorney
Agenda Item Number 6 Agenda Item Number 6
City Council Meeting Packet for August 2, 2022
490 Mendocino Avenue, Suite 201 Santa Rosa, CA 95401 707.542.9500 w-trans.com SANTA ROSA • OAKLAND • SAN JOSE
July 25, 2022
Mr. Larry McLaughlin
City Manager
City of Sebastopol
P. O. Box 1776
Sebastopol, CA 95473
Proposal to Prepare a Caltrans Sustainable Transportation Planning Grant Application for a Downtown Sebastopol Main Streets Project Dear Mr. McLaughlin;
As requested by Ms. Toni Bertolero, W-Trans is pleased to present this proposal to prepare an application for a Caltrans’ Sustainable Transportation Planning Grant focusing on the downtown of Sebastopol. The Sustainable Transportation Planning Grant Program includes:
Sustainable Communities Grants ($29.5 million) to encourage local and regional planning that furthers state goals, including, but not limited to, the goals and best practices cited in the Regional Transportation Plan Guidelines adopted by the California Transportation Commission.
It is envisioned that these planning grants will provide much needed funding to support regional sustainable communities’ strategies and ultimately achieve the State's greenhouse gas reductions targets of 40 and 80 percent below 1990 levels by 2030 and 2050, respectively.
Sebastopol’s downtown main streets, South Main Street and Sebastopol Avenue are State Highways that are impacted by high volume pass-through vehicle traffic traveling at high speeds. These vehicular traffic conditions reduce safety for pedestrians and bicycles, discourage these active transportation modes and have tempered the revitalization of the downtown. The project would create a long-term Downtown Revitalization and Complete Streets Plan to a) provide other subregional travel routes outside of the downtown, b) identify redesign of the downtown roadway geometrics in order to slow traffic flow and improve the pedestrian/bike experience and c) create a redesigned urban environment in keeping with the downtown setting in order to prioritize the pedestrian experience and encourage active transportation modes. The focus of the plan would be to improve the pedestrian environment, support downtown revitalization, and create a setting which will increase active transportation travel to the downtown, increasing pedestrian and bicycle comfort and safety and increase opportunities for transit use while reducing VMT. The plan process would include a vigorous outreach to downtown merchants, property owners and the community in general using a variety of contact formats. In order to develop a regional transportation network to accommodate transport needs, the City would engage the County of Sonoma, the SCTA and Caltrans. The plan would fully support State and regional goals of reducing vehicle miles traveled and greenhouse gas emissions, maximizing mobility and accessibility, preserving and ensuring a sustainable regional transportation system, protecting the environment and health, and promoting equitable economic development.
Caltrans will release the FY 2023-2024 Grant Application Guide/Call for Applications and conduct virtual workshops in September. The grant application deadline is October 2022 (exact date TBD). The application grant announcements will take place in the Spring 2023 with project activities beginning in the Fall of 2023.
Based on last year’s grant program, the grant minimum is $100,000 and a maximum of $700,000. The required local match is 11.47% minimum (in cash or an in-kind contribution). The entire minimum 11.47% local match may be in the form of an eligible in-kind contribution. Staff time from the primary applicant counts as cash match. It is expected that the project grant requirement will be approximately $250,000 to $300,000. (Caltrans recently awarded the County of Sacramento a grant of $212,000 for the Isleton Main Street Redesign and Revitalization Plan Agenda Item Number 6
Agenda Item Number 6
City Council Meeting Packet for August 2, 2022
Mr. Larry McLaughlin Page 2 July 25, 2022
which appears to be a good prototype for this effort. The project will develop a plan for Isleton’s Main Street to improve the pedestrian environment, support revitalization, and preserve the rich heritage of this historic community and the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.)
Barry Bergman from W-Trans, who led the preparation of the ATP application, will be the project manager for this effort with Steve Weinberger acting as the Senior Principal, providing input and direction.
The following tasks are included:
Tasks
1. W-Trans staff will participate in an initial conference call with City staff to obtain input and discuss the application and identify any documentation needed to support the application.
2. The Caltrans Grant Application Guide for FY 2023-2024 will be reviewed and followed. The Grant Application Guide and all fillable application documents can be found on the Sustainable Transportation Planning Grant website.
3. W-Trans will prepare the Caltrans application using the template provided by Caltrans.
4. The following documents are not required but enhance the overall application and typically result in a more competitive application during the evaluation process: Letters of Support, Graphics, Safety Data, Travel Mode Data and other related data. Therefore, these items will be included in the grant application.
5. W-Trans will coordinate with City staff to acquire Letters of Support. W-Trans will provide suggestions for sources of support and develop a template letter of support. Staff will request support letters from individuals.
6. Graphic maps showing the study area will be prepared.
7. Traffic data including traffic volumes, truck counts, travel mode data, pass-through traffic and vehicle collision data will be acquired and summarized. W-Trans would coordinate with SCTA staff as needed to obtain some data from the Countywide travel demand model.
8. A project schedule and budget will be prepared.
9. W-Trans will provide a draft application package for review by City staff.
10. W-Trans will incorporate staff comments and revise the application package for final submittal. The application will be submitted by City staff.
Exclusions – The scope of services includes only those items that are specifically identified above. Any additional services, such as requests for further analysis or responding to additional rounds of comments, if needed would be provided on a time and materials basis after receiving written authorization for the extra work.
Schedule and Budget
The application will be completed in time for the October submittal deadline set by Caltrans assuming authorization to proceed by the end of August 2022. Our services will be conducted on a time and materials basis at the rates indicated on the enclosed sheet. Monthly invoices will be provided electronically unless a hard copy via mail is requested. The estimated maximum fee for this work is $15,600.
Agenda Item Number 6 Agenda Item Number 6
City Council Meeting Packet for August 2, 2022
Mr. Larry McLaughlin Page 3 July 25, 2022
Please forward authorization or documents for my signature or a Purchase Order if you wish to initiate work. This proposal will remain a firm offer for 90 days from the date of this letter. Thank you for giving us the opportunity to propose on these services.
Sincerely,
Steve Weinberger, PE, PTOE
Senior Principal
SJW/sjw/SEB908. P1
Enclosure: 2022 Fee Schedule
Agenda Item Number 6
Agenda Item Number 6
City Council Meeting Packet for August 2, 2022
490 Mendocino Avenue, Suite 201 SANTA ROSA, CA 95401 707.542.9500 414 13th Street, 5th Floor OAKLAND, CA 94612 510.444.2600 w-trans.com
Fee Schedule
2022 Staff Billing Rates
Position Billing Rate (per hour)
Senior Principal $290 – $335
Principal $225 – $275
Senior Engineer/Planner $180 – $210
Engineer/Planner $170 – $180
Associate Engineer/Planner $150 – $165
Assistant Engineer/Planner $120 – $140
Technician/Administrative $115 – $130
Intern $30 – $80
Field Technician $30 – $75
2022 Expense Charges
Item Charge
Mileage $0.64/mile*
Services and Expenses 10% surcharge
These rates are valid for work performed prior to December 31, 2022. Work performed after January 1, 2023, and any
subsequent year may be billed at the revised rates established for that year.
* Mileage charge will be based on the IRS Standard Mileage Rate (set at $0.585/mile effective January 1, 2022) plus 10 percent.
Agenda Item Number 6 Agenda Item Number 6
City Council Meeting Packet for August 2, 2022