CITY OF SEBASTOPOL
CITY COUNCIL
AGENDA ITEM
Meeting Date: October 17, 2023
To: Honorable Mayor and City Councilmembers
From: Kari Svanstrom, Planning Director
Subject: Resolution to Accept the Caltrans Sustainable Transpiration Grant for the Sebastopol Main Street Planning and Redesign project and Approve a Budget Amendment for the Project
Recommendation: Approve the Resolution to Accept the Grant and Approve a Budget Amendment Funding: Currently Budgeted: _______ Yes ___X____ No _____ N/A Net General Fund Cost: $0
Net Traffic Impact Fee Fund Cost (Fund 212): $29,822
Account Code/Costs authorized in City Approved Budget (if applicable) ________ (verified by Administrative Services Department) Funding: Currently Budgeted: ☐ Yes No ☐ Not Applicable Net General Fund Cost: $0
Account Code: Net Traffic Impact Fee Fund Cost (Fund 212): $29,822 Costs authorized in City Approved Budget: ☐ Yes (Finance Initialed _____) ☐ No (Finance Exempt) INTRODUCTION/PURPOSE:
Council authorized City staff to apply for a Caltrans Sustainable Transportation Grant (STG) to plan for improvements for the SR 116 and SR 12 corridors in the Sebastopol Downtown core. The city has been notified by Caltrans that the grant application was successful. T item includes both authorization to accept the Grant, and a budget amendment to the Traffic Impact Fund for the matching requirement.
DISCUSSION:
Sebastopol is one of the few incorporated cities in California where two State Highways intersect and serve as the Downtown’s two primary routes of travel. The high volume of regional traffic has negatively impacted the vitality of local businesses and the safety of pedestrians and bicyclists traversing the Downtown area.
The City of Sebastopol applied for a Sustainable Transportation Grant (STG) from Caltrans in an effort to garner funds to plan for improvements to this area. The goal of the grant is an effort that will produce:
• A preferred plan for the downtown segments of State Route (SR) 116 and SR 12 to address safety, sustainability, accessibility, connectivity, economic development, and mobility for all transportation modes and reduce the reliance on vehicle travel, while supporting the City’s land use and housing goals.
• A regional strategy for State, County and other local roadways to address capacity and freight movement to support the downtown corridor plan.
• Active community engagement with disadvantaged residents to effectively address communityidentified needs and inequities.
The full grant Scope of Work (revised after-award to address Caltrans comments) is attached to this report.
Agenda Item Number 4 Agenda Item Number 4
City Council Meeting Packet of October 17th, 2023
The conditions of the grant requires the City accept the grant, and authorize a signatory (City Manager) to execute contract documents. Additionally, while staff identified the source for the match in the grant application (Traffic Impact Fees), the City does not commit funds in budgeting for grants until / unless awarded, so a budget amendment is require to commit those funds (note, these funds are expected to be carried over into next fiscal years as the grant study period is through April 2026).
GOALS:
This action supports the following General Plan Actions and City Council Goals:
• Policy CIR 1-15: Continue to evaluate the benefits and feasibility of a two-way street system on some or all of SR 116 between McKinley Street and just south of Palm Avenue. The two-way street system should focus on slower vehicle speeds and enhancements to pedestrian and bicycle travel. • Policy CIR 1-16: Identify potential for bypass route(s) or “beltway connector” route(s) which minimize impacts to the Laguna, and provide regional travel options with the intention of providing traffic with an optional route away from downtown Sebastopol.
• Policy CIR 1-20: Discourage through traffic located on State Highways and Bodega Avenue from using residential streets as bypass routes.
• Action CIR 1b: Coordinate with the County of Sonoma, Caltrans, and the City of Santa Rosa to investigate, and as appropriate, determine feasible alternative routes, bypasses or “beltway connector” routes, including both north-south and east-west routes, (e.g. Llano Road extension from SR 12 to Occidental Road, or measures to divert some Hwy. 116 traffic at the southern terminus of Llano Road, or diversion of some Hwy. 12 traffic to Occidental Road at Fulton Road, or improving Ragle Road) and evaluate benefits provided by these routes. If appropriate, work collaboratively with the County of Sonoma and Caltrans to determine the extent of roadway improvements needed to support these bypass routes, add the project to the City’s Capital Improvement Plans (CIP) and/or seek County or other agencies plan improvements, encourage proactive participation and coordination by the SCTA and support funding through the SCTA or other sources, and as appropriate, update both City and County General Plan Circulation Elements to include these routes. • Action CIR 1c: In collaboration with Caltrans, complete a comprehensive 2-way street analysis for SR 116 (South Main Street, Petaluma Avenue and McKinley Street) including traffic operational analysis, concept designs, urban design/landscaping improvements, economic benefits and identification of potential funding sources. As appropriate, work with SCTA, Caltrans, and other affected agencies to update policy objectives based on the results of the analysis. As interim roadway improvements to the SR 116 corridor are proposed, they shall be evaluated by City staff for compatibility with a future conversion to 2-way streets, in order to foster informed decision making. • Action CIR 1r: Coordinate with Caltrans to implement traffic calming, vehicle safety, and bicycle/pedestrian network improvements throughout Sebastopol. Also encourage Caltrans to maintain good pavement conditions on State Highways within Sebastopol, in order to reduce trafficrelated roadway noise.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW:
The proposed action is ☒ Not a project under CEQA ☐ Not exempt ☐ Exempt under Section ______ from the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
Agenda Item Number 4 Agenda Item Number 4
City Council Meeting Packet of October 17th, 2023
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 as supplemental 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:
Approval of this budget amendment would not impact the city’s General Fund. The cost of the grant match, $29,822, would be from the City’s Traffic Impact Fund, which is a development impact fee (restricted) fund to be used for planning and construction of transportation improvements to accommodate future growth. This match is less than 12% of the total cost of the project, and would allow the City to leverage grant funding for this planning work.
RECOMMENDATION:
Adopt the Resolution accepting the grant and authorizing the City Manager to execute related documents, and approving the budget amendment.
Attachments:
City Council Resolution
Grant Award Letter
Grant Application
Scope of Work
Agenda Item Number 4 Agenda Item Number 4
City Council Meeting Packet of October 17th, 2023
1 RESOLUTION NUMBER: -2023
CITY OF SEBASTOPOL
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SEBASTOPOL AUTHORIZING APPROVAL
OF THE SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORTATION GRANT AGREEMENT BETWEEN CALTRANS DEPARTMENT OF
TRANSPORTATION AND CITY OF SEBASTOPOL FOR THE SEBASTOPOL DOWNTOWN STREETS PLANNING
AND REDESIGN AND APPROVING A BUDGET AMENDMENT FOR THE LOCAL MATCH REQUIREMENT WHEREAS, the City of Sebastopol completed a comprehensive General Plan update with adoption of a new General Plan on November 15, 2016, which includes a Circulation Element to plan for transportation improvements; and,
WHEREAS, pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA, codified at Public Resources Code § 21000 et seq.) and the State CEQA Guidelines (14 CCR, § 15000 et seq.), on November 15, 2016, the City Council certified and adopted an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the Sebastopol General Plan (the “Project”; State Clearinghouse No. 2016032001); and,
WHEREAS, the City of Sebastopol (City) is eligible to receive State funding for its Downtown Streets Planning and Redesign project through the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) Sustainable Transportation Grant program to assist with furthering study and planning of the improvements considered in the adopted General Plan; and,
WHEREAS, Caltrans has awarded a grant to the City in the amount of $230,178 from their Sustainable Transportation Planning Grant program; and,
WHEREAS, a Restricted Grant Agreement needs to be executed with Caltrans before such funds can be claimed through the Sustainable Transportation Planning Grant Program; and, WHEREAS, the City wishes to delegate authorization to execute these agreements and any amendments thereto, to the City Manager; and,
WHEREAS, the City will utilize these funds to assist the City in developing a comprehensive vision for the SR 116 and SR 12 corridors in the Sebastopol Downtown core by exploring alternative circulation options and making the area more welcoming to pedestrians, bicyclists, and transit users; and, WHEREAS, the budget for the Project is $260,000.00 for planning, public participation, and transportation engineering work, of which the Caltrans grant funds $230,178; and, WHEREAS, the City has agreed to use $29,822 in Traffic Impact Fees (TIF) as the match to this grant, some of which will be expended in the current fiscal year; and, WHEREAS, the proposed funding sources are summarized in the table below:
Table 1 Proposed Funding Sources and Budget Amounts for the Sebastopol Sustainable Transportation Grant work Fund No. Funding Source Budget Amount
213 Traffic Impact Funds $29,822.00
-- Sustainable Transportation Grant (Caltrans Grant) $230,178.00 Agenda Item Number 4 Agenda Item Number 4
City Council Meeting Packet of October 17th, 2023
2 WHEREAS, this project is not in the current 2023-24 CIP budget and staff recommends commencing with planning efforts in January 2024; and
WHEREAS, the City Council held a duly noticed public meeting to consider the item on October 17, 2023, and heard public comment; and,
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the City of Sebastopol City Council hereby adopts this Resolution Which finds, determines, resolves and orders as follows:
1. The recitals listed above are true and correct.
2. The Council authorizes the City Manager, or their designee, to execute the Restricted Grant Agreement, and any amendments therefore, with the California Department of Transportation.
3. This resolution is effective immediately upon adoption.
4. Approving a Budget Amendment in the amount of $29,822.00 from the Traffic Impact Fund for the project.
The above and foregoing Resolution was duly passed, approved, and adopted at a meeting by the City Council on the 17
th day of October, 2023, by the following vote:
VOTE:
Ayes:
Noes:
Abstain:
Absent:
APPROVED: _______________________________________
Mayor Neysa Hinton
ATTEST: ______________________________________________________________________ Mary Gourley, Assistant City Manager/City Clerk, MMC
APPROVED AS TO FORM: __________________________________________________ Larry McLaughlin, City Attorney
Agenda Item Number 4 Agenda Item Number 4
City Council Meeting Packet of October 17th, 2023
“Provide a safe and reliable transportation network that serves all people and respects the environment”
DIVISION OF TRANSPORTATION PLANNING
P.O. BOX 942873, MS–32 SACRAMENTO, CA 94273–0001
(916) 261-3326 | TTY 711
www.dot.ca.gov
August 31, 2023te
SENT VIA E-MAIL
On behalf of the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), Division of Transportation Planning, we are pleased to congratulate you on your Sustainable Transportation Planning Grant award.
Sustainable Transportation Planning Grant Program
Grant Award
Fiscal Year
Grant
Category
Grant Fund
Source
Project Title
Grantee/Agency
Executive Director
Grantee/Agency
Contact
Sub-Recipient(s)
Caltrans District
Contact(s)
Caltrans District
Contact(s) E-mail
Grant Award Local Match
(Cash)
Local Match
(In-Kind)
Total
Local Match
%
Local Match
Total
Project Cost
Conditions of Award Due to Caltrans Grant Expiration Date Final Invoice Due * The final contractually agreed upon Local Match and Fund Source are located on the Grant Application Cover Sheet and Project Cost and Schedule. Any change in Local Match that increases/decreases the Total Project Cost must be approved by Caltrans and may require a Formal Amendment. Each invoice must include the contractual/agreed upon local match % - any deviation to this amount requires an approved Tapered Local Match Amendment prior to invoice submittal. Any change to the Local Match Fund Source requires prior Caltrans approval and an Administrative Amendment. 2023-24 Sustainable Communities Competitive RMRA Sebastopol Main Street State Highways Subregional Planning and Core Redesign City of Sebastopol Larry McLaughlin Mario Landeros Stephen Conteh, Becky Frank [email protected], [email protected] $230,178 $29,822 NA $29,822 11.47% $260,000 9/28/23 4/30/26 6/29/26 Agenda Item Number 4 Agenda Item Number 4
City Council Meeting Packet of October 17th, 2023
Caltrans Sustainable Transportation Planning Grant Program Grant Award
“Provide a safe and reliable transportation network that serves all people and respects the environment” Next Steps
1. The Caltrans District Grant Manager will schedule a Conditional Award Meeting with your agency soon.
The attached specific and general conditions and project revisions necessary to accept grant funding will be discussed at this meeting.
2. The required conditions must be submitted to the Caltrans District Grant Manager no later than the date listed in the table above.
Failure to satisfy these conditions will result in the forfeiture of grant funds.
3. The Caltrans District Grant Manager will review and approve all items required to fulfill the attached specific and general conditions.
4. Once the required conditions are met and the agreement is executed, the Caltrans District Grant Manager will:
Send a Notice to Proceed letter (for MPO/RTPAs, this will happen after the OWP/OWPA formal amendment is processed). Grant work cannot begin until the Notice to Proceed letter is received by your agency. Coordinate and schedule a grant kick-off meeting with your agency.
If you have questions concerning your Conditional Grant Award, please reach out to your Caltrans District contact listed in the table above.
Sincerely,
ERIN THOMPSON
Chief, Office of Regional and Community Planning
Attachments:
Specific and General Conditions
Agenda Item Number 4 Agenda Item Number 4
City Council Meeting Packet of October 17th, 2023
Sustainable Transportation Planning Grant Program
Grant Award Specific and General Conditions
Specific Conditions
If Specific Conditions have been identified for this grant, they will be listed below.
Please make all necessary revisions to the Grant Application Cover Sheet, Scope of Work (SOW), and/or the Cost and Schedule, and complete the right column to indicate where the specific conditions were addressed.
Specific Conditions
Conditions Addressed
List Document,
Section & Page(s)
2. Separate TAC and City Council Meetings into a separate task from Task 04 community engagement.
4. Consider increasing the funding for the Community Engagement Task 04 budget without increasing the grant award.
3. Remove "Coordination" from the title and remove this deliverable from Task 04: "Bi-weekly City Project Manager and Consultant check-in meetings." Spread the cost of project coordination across the tasks where it occurs.
1. Identify the authorized signer(s) and email address(s) for the grant agreement that will be routed via Adobe Acrobat Sign.
Agenda Item Number 4 Agenda Item Number 4
City Council Meeting Packet of October 17th, 2023
Specific Conditions
Conditions Addressed
List Document,
Section & Page(s)
Agenda Item Number 4 Agenda Item Number 4
City Council Meeting Packet of October 17th, 2023
General Conditions
Please review the General Conditions below and complete them, as necessary. Most of these items are outlined in the Grant Application Guide, Ch. 6 and Appendix B. • Board Resolution – A current (less than one year old) Local Board Resolution, signed by the governing board that includes the grant project title and job title of the person authorized to enter into a contract with Caltrans, is required to be submitted to Caltrans by October 15, 2023.
• Payee Data Record (STD. 204) states government entities are not required to submit the form; however, it is required by Caltrans Accounting to ensure payments are sent to the correct recipient and address.
• Scope of Work (SOW) and Project Cost and Schedule (Refer to Grant Application Guide, Appendix B Checklists) These are frequently missed requirements:
o Project Management stand-alone tasks, staff and/or consultant coordination are not allowed. Project Management activities must be charged to the tasks in which they accrued.
o Include tasks for a kick-off meeting with Caltrans, invoicing, quarterly reporting, and Board adoption or acceptance.
o Ensure the deliverable for the consultant procurement task includes: Request for Proposal (RFP), executed consultant contract, and a copy of your agency’s procurement procedures.
o The earliest project start date is January 2, 2024, with an end date of April 30, 2026. The Project Cost and Schedule will need be updated to reflect your proposed start date.
At least one Task must extend to the grant expiration date on April 30, 2026. o Indirect Costs - For Local Government Agencies requesting to bill for indirect costs:
Indirect costs must be identified in the SOW and Project Cost and Schedule, and the indirect cost rate included at the bottom of the Project Cost and Schedule. • Grant Application Cover Sheet and Project Cost and Schedule o Ensure the grant award, local match, and total project costs are consistent with the award letter amounts.
• Grant Application Cover Sheet - Must identify the specific source of cash and in-kind local match funds; and must identify the agency providing the local match. o If your agency is using staff time as a cash match, the application cover sheet must identify the source of local match funds for staff time (e.g., General Fund). o Direct grantee staff time is not an allowable in-kind match and must be identified as cash match.
• Third Party In-Kind Valuation Plan, if applicable - Third-party in-kind contributions consist of goods and services donated from outside the grantee’s agency (e.g., printing, facilities, interpreters, equipment, advertising, staff time, and other goods or services). If utilizing thirdparty in-kind contributions to satisfy the local match requirement:
o Ensure in-kind contribution information is identified on the Grant Application Cover Sheet and Project Cost and Schedule.
Agenda Item Number 4 Agenda Item Number 4
City Council Meeting Packet of October 17th, 2023
o To clarify, sub-recipient staff time, if reimbursed, is considered cash match. If donating their time, it is considered in-kind.
o Submit a Third-Party In-kind Valuation Plan. The District can provide a copy of the valuation plan checklist and template.
• Ensure Consistency - All changes made to the Grant Application Cover Sheet, SOW, and Project Cost and Schedule are made consistently in all documents.
Grant Administrative Requirements
Refer to the Grant Application Guide, Ch. 6, and the Restricted Grant Agreement boilerplate for a detailed overview of the Grant Administrative Requirements that must be adhered to over the life of the project. In summary:
• Third Party Contracts - Competitive consultant procurement, i.e., Request for Proposals (RFP) is required for all grant projects
o If there is a consultant on-board, ensure the process to procure the consultant was a competitive process (documentation must be provided to Caltrans); the grant work must have been part of the original RFP
o If using an on-call consultant list, the process for establishing the list must be competitive and less than five years old (documentation must be provided to Caltrans) o If the consultant helped to prepare the Project Scope of Work or grant application, they shall not be considered in the consultant procurement • Quarterly Reporting – Quarterly Progress Reports (a narrative of completed project activities) are submitted on a quarterly basis
• Invoicing and Financial Requirements –
o Maintain a proper accounting system (MS Excel is unacceptable) o Request for Reimbursements/invoices (RFRs) at least quarterly, but no more than monthly
One-time, lump sum invoices are not allowed
If requesting reimbursement of indirect costs, a copy of the ICAP/ICRP acceptance letter must be submitted with the first invoice
Local match commitments must be satisfied with every RFR/invoice, including any local match amount above the minimum amount. If you are unable to meet this commitment, coordinate with your district Contract Manager. All work must be completed by April 30, 2026.
Final RFR/invoice and the final product are due no later than June 29, 2026. The final RFR/invoice will not be processed without the final product o An Indirect Cost Allocation Plan/Indirect Cost Rate Proposal (ICAP/ICRP) must be submitted each year to the Inspector General Independent Office of Audits and Investigations for approval. Instructions for submitting an ICAP/ICRP are available at the following webpage: https://ig.dot.ca.gov/resources
• Grant Amendments - Proposed changes to the Grant Application Cover Sheet, SOW, and Project Cost and Schedule (e.g., local match amount, fund source, movement of funds) will require an Amendment and Caltrans approval. Please contact Caltrans for guidance on this process.
Agenda Item Number 4 Agenda Item Number 4
City Council Meeting Packet of October 17th, 2023
Agenda Item Number 4 Agenda Item Number 4
City Council Meeting Packet of October 17th, 2023
Agenda Item Number 4 Agenda Item Number 4
City Council Meeting Packet of October 17th, 2023
Agenda Item Number 4 Agenda Item Number 4
City Council Meeting Packet of October 17th, 2023
Agenda Item Number 4 Agenda Item Number 4
City Council Meeting Packet of October 17th, 2023
Agenda Item Number 4 Agenda Item Number 4
City Council Meeting Packet of October 17th, 2023
Agenda Item Number 4 Agenda Item Number 4
City Council Meeting Packet of October 17th, 2023
Agenda Item Number 4 Agenda Item Number 4
City Council Meeting Packet of October 17th, 2023
Agenda Item Number 4 Agenda Item Number 4
City Council Meeting Packet of October 17th, 2023
Agenda Item Number 4 Agenda Item Number 4
City Council Meeting Packet of October 17th, 2023
Agenda Item Number 4 Agenda Item Number 4
City Council Meeting Packet of October 17th, 2023
Agenda Item Number 4 Agenda Item Number 4
City Council Meeting Packet of October 17th, 2023
Agenda Item Number 4 Agenda Item Number 4
City Council Meeting Packet of October 17th, 2023
Agenda Item Number 4 Agenda Item Number 4
City Council Meeting Packet of October 17th, 2023
Agenda Item Number 4 Agenda Item Number 4
City Council Meeting Packet of October 17th, 2023
Agenda Item Number 4 Agenda Item Number 4
City Council Meeting Packet of October 17th, 2023
Agenda Item Number 4 Agenda Item Number 4
City Council Meeting Packet of October 17th, 2023
Agenda Item Number 4 Agenda Item Number 4
City Council Meeting Packet of October 17th, 2023
Agenda Item Number 4 Agenda Item Number 4
City Council Meeting Packet of October 17th, 2023
Agenda Item Number 4 Agenda Item Number 4
City Council Meeting Packet of October 17th, 2023
Agenda Item Number 4 Agenda Item Number 4
City Council Meeting Packet of October 17th, 2023
Agenda Item Number 4 Agenda Item Number 4
City Council Meeting Packet of October 17th, 2023
Agenda Item Number 4 Agenda Item Number 4
City Council Meeting Packet of October 17th, 2023
Agenda Item Number 4 Agenda Item Number 4
City Council Meeting Packet of October 17th, 2023
Agenda Item Number 4 Agenda Item Number 4
City Council Meeting Packet of October 17th, 2023
Agenda Item Number 4 Agenda Item Number 4
City Council Meeting Packet of October 17th, 2023
Agenda Item Number 4 Agenda Item Number 4
City Council Meeting Packet of October 17th, 2023
Agenda Item Number 4 Agenda Item Number 4
City Council Meeting Packet of October 17th, 2023
Agenda Item Number 4 Agenda Item Number 4
City Council Meeting Packet of October 17th, 2023
Agenda Item Number 4 Agenda Item Number 4
City Council Meeting Packet of October 17th, 2023
Agenda Item Number 4 Agenda Item Number 4
City Council Meeting Packet of October 17th, 2023
Agenda Item Number 4 Agenda Item Number 4
City Council Meeting Packet of October 17th, 2023
Agenda Item Number 4 Agenda Item Number 4
City Council Meeting Packet of October 17th, 2023
Agenda Item Number 4 Agenda Item Number 4
City Council Meeting Packet of October 17th, 2023
Agenda Item Number 4 Agenda Item Number 4
City Council Meeting Packet of October 17th, 2023
Agenda Item Number 4 Agenda Item Number 4
City Council Meeting Packet of October 17th, 2023
Agenda Item Number 4 Agenda Item Number 4
City Council Meeting Packet of October 17th, 2023
Agenda Item Number 4 Agenda Item Number 4
City Council Meeting Packet of October 17th, 2023
Agenda Item Number 4 Agenda Item Number 4
City Council Meeting Packet of October 17th, 2023
Agenda Item Number 4 Agenda Item Number 4
City Council Meeting Packet of October 17th, 2023
Agenda Item Number 4 Agenda Item Number 4
City Council Meeting Packet of October 17th, 2023
Agenda Item Number 4 Agenda Item Number 4
City Council Meeting Packet of October 17th, 2023
Agenda Item Number 4 Agenda Item Number 4
City Council Meeting Packet of October 17th, 2023
Agenda Item Number 4 Agenda Item Number 4
City Council Meeting Packet of October 17th, 2023
Agenda Item Number 4 Agenda Item Number 4
City Council Meeting Packet of October 17th, 2023
SCOPE OF WORK
Project Information
Grant Category Sustainable Communities Competitive
Grant Fiscal Year 2023-24
Project Title
Sebastopol Main Street State Highways Subregional Planning and Core Redesign, aka “Downtown Streets Planning and Redesign”
Organization
(Legal name) City of Sebastopol
Disclaimer
Agency commits to the Scope of Work below. Any changes will need to be approved by Caltrans prior to initiating any Scope of Work change or amendment.
Introduction
Located in western Sonoma County and with a population of 7,800, Sebastopol is one of the few incorporated cities in California where two State Highways intersect and serve as the Downtown’s two primary routes of travel. Historically the movement of through regional traffic has been prioritized over local mobility needs, as SR 116 and SR 12 carry an estimated 27,500 and 22,500 vehicles per day, respectively. This high volume of regional traffic has negatively impacted the vitality of local businesses and the safety of pedestrians and bicyclists traversing the Downtown area. In 2019, the Office of Traffic Safety crash rankings rated Sebastopol as the worst among 74 similar-sized communities in California in terms of crashes involving pedestrians age 65 and older, second-worst for pedestrians overall, and seventh worst for bicyclists (see attached). Looking at detailed collision records in the Transportation Injury Mapping System (TIMS), there were 29 injury crashes involving pedestrians or bicyclists from 2012 through 2021 in the project area, 37% of the citywide total.
Downtown Sebastopol is a compact mixed-use area with the City's largest concentration of job opportunities, a wide range of goods and services, and local and regional bus routes. Given Sebastopol’s small size and short trip distances, there is tremendous potential for people to shift transportation modes if conditions can be improved to create safer, more comfortable places to walk or bike. However, because of Sebastopol’s location as a gateway to west Sonoma County, local circulation projects can have broader impacts. As a result, the City will partner with Caltrans, the County of Sonoma, Sonoma County Transportation Authority (SCTA), and City of Santa Rosa to explore potential improvements to the roadway network outside the City limits that complement recommended projects Downtown.
Many of the City’s disadvantaged residents live in close proximity to Downtown, as Block Group 2 in Census Tract 1534.03 has a median income below 80% of the statewide median. This area is adjacent to the project area and includes two mobile home parks as well as several designated affordable housing complexes; the City’s largest concentration of affordable housing is located one-half mile west of Downtown on Bodega Avenue, with 198 units. Given lower income households’ lower levels of vehicle ownership, they would especially benefit from improved nonvehicle transportation options with improved access to goods, services, and employment opportunities. These residents will be sought out for inclusion in the project’s outreach process, Agenda Item Number 4 Agenda Item Number 4
City Council Meeting Packet of October 17th, 2023
through direct engagement and partnering with community-based organizations that work with this population.
Project Stakeholders
The City of Sebastopol will procure a consultant to assist with this effort. Agency stakeholders will include Caltrans, County of Sonoma, Sonoma County Transportation Authority (SCTA), and the City of Santa Rosa. Regarding the more detailed improvements to be considered for Downtown Sebastopol, stakeholders will include Caltrans, local businesses, residents, community-based organizations, Sonoma County Transit, Sonoma County Bicycle Coalition, and the Sebastopol Police and Fire Departments. Focused outreach will also be undertaken with disadvantaged residents living in the vicinity of the project and local organizations that provide services to these residents.
Overall Project Objectives
• Enhance multimodal safety, accessibility, and comfort to help make Downtown Sebastopol a more desirable place to walk, bike, or use transit. • Encourage mode shift to reduce vehicle travel and increase the use of alternative transportation modes to support the City’s greenhouse gas reduction goals. • Reduce the negative impacts of regional through traffic on Downtown Sebastopol, including truck traffic.
• Engage with the Downtown business community to identify mobility and design enhancements that would help to revitalize the area and create a more inviting place to do business.
• Develop consensus with Caltrans, County of Sonoma, and City of Santa Rosa regarding recommended improvements to enhance regional circulation on selected roadways in the vicinity of Sebastopol and supports the preferred alternative for Downtown. • Engage disadvantaged residents in the planning process to identify and address their mobility priorities.
• Identify a preferred alternative to improve active transportation while maintaining adequate vehicle circulation to, within, and through Downtown. • Develop urban design and streetscape concepts to enhance the sense of place in Downtown and contribute to establishing the Downtown area as more of a destination. • Develop a set of concept-level design plans for Downtown multimodal mobility enhancements that can be used to pursue grant funding to complete design and construction.
Summary of Project Tasks
Task 01: Project Initiation
City of Sebastopol will hold a kickoff meeting with Caltrans and administer the project in alignment with grant requirements. City of Sebastopol will revise the Scope of Work, cost and schedule as needed to address Caltrans comments.
Task Deliverables
• Kick-off meeting with Caltrans - Meeting Notes, quarterly invoices and progress reports • Revised Scope of Work, cost schedule and project schedule • Executed contract documents
Agenda Item Number 4 Agenda Item Number 4
City Council Meeting Packet of October 17th, 2023
Task 02: Consultant Procurement
Grantee will procure a consultant, consistent with state and federal requirements, Local Assistance Procedures Manual for procuring non-Architectural and Engineering consultants, the Grant Application Guide, Regional Planning Handbook, and the executed grant contract between Caltrans and the grantee.
Task Deliverables
• Request for Proposals
• Proposals from responding firms, including selected firm. • Technical services agreement for Sebastopol Main Street State Highways Subregional Planning and Core Redesign and any necessary amendments (if needed). • Staff reports
• Kickoff meeting notes
Task 1: Existing Conditions
The consultant shall participate in an internal kickoff meeting with City staff. City staff and consultant will identify and meet with regional partners and community stakeholders to gather information. Consultants will collect relevant data on existing conditions and constraints, including but not limited to multi-modal traffic demand; current and future transit needs; parking; land uses adjacent to the Corridor; any future plans from Caltrans or the County that may impact how the corridor is used. This will entail desktop survey of existing data as well as collection of new data as necessary, such as segment volumes and intersection turning movement counts.
Task Deliverables
• Existing conditions report, including but not limited to summary of existing facilities for all modes of transportation, urban design opportunities and constraints, traffic conditions, collision history, parking supply, and summary of relevant city, county, and regional plans.
Task 2: Community Engagement and Coordination
Consultants and staff will establish a flexible, multi-media engagement approach (electronic, virtual, interactive) as well as traditional outreach, including walking audits of the project area.
Overall project coordination with the project team is key to positive outcomes, especially prior to each community outreach meeting. The planning study will include a robust, inclusive community engagement component to develop up to three corridor alternatives. The community engagement effort will be refined with the development of a Participation Plan with the consultant, and include the following:
• Project web site: The consultant will develop a project web site to serve as a central clearinghouse for project-related information. It will include an interactive map of the project area where participants can provide comments, surveys for residents to provide input and vote on alternatives, information about upcoming events and milestones, and archived meeting recording and draft documents for review. • Public workshops and focus groups: The consultant will work with the City to Agenda Item Number 4 Agenda Item Number 4
City Council Meeting Packet of October 17th, 2023
organize public workshops and focus groups to generate community dialogue about the project and potential alternatives. Meetings and focus groups may be in-person, virtual, or a hybrid format, and meeting days, times and venues will be selected to maximize participation. Community-based organizations will be engaged to help activate their constituencies, with a particular focus on groups that work with disadvantaged residents. The participation of disadvantaged residents will be assessed during the planning process and additional targeted outreach to these residents may be conducted if needed. • Stakeholder meetings: Stakeholder meetings will be conducted with representatives of selected organizations including businesses in Downtown, the Sonoma County Transportation Authority (SCTA), Sonoma County Bicycle Coalition. • Walking audits: Walking audits will be held in the Downtown area to assess existing conditions and potential enhancements in terms of pedestrian facilities, bicycle facilities, transit access, and streetscape treatments.
• Sebastopol Planning Commission meetings/workshops: Project overview and project updates, as well as opportunities for Commission and public input, will be held throughout the process.
• Project Management tasks include: City Project Manager and Consultant check-in meetings on a regular basis; consultant meetings with staff Task Deliverables
• Participation Plan
• Project web site, including online interactive map
• Online public surveys to solicit input and vote on alternatives, copy of survey instrument and data collected and survey analysis
• Minutes or summary notes for stakeholder meetings, workshops, walking audits, TAC meetings
• Overall summary report of community participation results Task 3: Corridor Vision, Alternatives, and Analysis
An overall design approach will be developed for SR 116 between Keating Avenue and Willow Street to the south and for SR 12 between Barnes Avenue and High Street.
Develop Local Alternatives: The City envisions the development of three options which will be developed based on input from the public and from the various stakeholders, but could include, for example, improvements that: 1) benefit pedestrians and bicyclists without worsening the Agenda Item Number 4 Agenda Item Number 4
City Council Meeting Packet of October 17th, 2023
current level of service at various intersections in the Downtown area, 2) optimizes bicycle and pedestrian movement, but will likely impact the current level of service at various intersections, and 3) compromise between the two options with respect to vehicles versus ped/bicycle movement. At least one option should include two-way street concept for the existing SR 116 one-way couplet.
Develop Alternatives for Regional Routes: Based on meetings with Caltrans, the County, City of Santa Rosa and SCTA stakeholders, alternative vehicle capacity modifications for regional routes that may affect through traffic in the City’s Downtown should be conceptualized. These should include, but not necessarily limited to Occidental Road, Todd Road, Llano Road extension from SR 12 to Occidental Road and potential future interchange at SR 12/Fulton Road including its connection to Occidental Road. At least one scenario should not include any regional vehicle capacity enhancements to inform the effects on the City.
Analyze Scenarios: The Downtown planning study will include a traffic operational analysis and active transportation impact assessments of the three options, as well as a planning level cost estimate for implementation. A preferred option will be identified based on the existing conditions analysis; input collected from agencies, stakeholder groups, and the public; and the alternatives analysis. There will need to be sufficient analysis in order for the City Council to select a preferred option, especially if there is a Level of Service reduction that is inconsistent with the General Plan.
Concept Plans and Urban Design: The stakeholder interaction, public input, analysis, and Council review would result in a preferred scenario consisting of alternatives for both the City study area and for specific regional routes. Geometric concept plans (equivalent to 30% design) will be prepared as well as an Urban Design plan to be developed hand in hand with the traffic engineer coordinating with the urban design team members. The 30% geometric concept plans should be prepared for the City study area only indicating intersection controls and lane geometrics, pedestrian facilities, and bicycle lanes and facilities. These concept plans should be developed as early in the process as possible so that there is sufficient time for review, updates and modifications. The team’s urban designers should prepare streetscape urban design plans for the City study area including examples of pavement treatments, public spaces, parklets, street furniture, landscaping and building façade improvements. The urban design plan should include a component which focuses on an enhanced connectivity between Main Street and the Barlow district. All of the elements of the urban design plan should be done in an interactive fashion with the team’s traffic engineering staff, especially for the in-street components.
Technical Review
City will develop a Technical Advisory Committee to review documents throughout the process, and provide feedback to the project team related to the existing conditions issues; potential concepts; alternatives analysis; and, potential regional improvements (both within the City but outside the core area and outside of city limits).
• Technical Advisory Committee (TAC): Public agency partners including Caltrans, County of Sonoma, City of Santa Rosa, and the Sebastopol Police, Fire, Planning, and Engineering Departments will be included in a Technical Advisory Committee to provide guidance regarding alternatives.
Additionally, City Staff will also work with these stakeholders and technical advisors informally as needed to gather information needed for the project. The City may also submit the concepts to Caltrans for technical review with the assistance of the consultant.
Agenda Item Number 4 Agenda Item Number 4
City Council Meeting Packet of October 17th, 2023
Task Deliverables
• Assessment of three concept alternatives for Downtown, including traffic operations analysis
• Potential improvements for regional roadways
• Urban design/streetscape plan
• 30% concept plans for the preferred alternative
• Concepts for Caltrans review
Task 4: Regional Circulation Assessment
Potential regional roadway enhancements outside the City limits to complement the recommended improvements for Downtown will be identified and analyzed. Consultants will coordinate with the SCTA to use the countywide travel demand model to evaluate the impacts of proposed changes to road and/or intersection configurations. Modeling exercises should consider existing travel modes as well as any potential future modes and technologies as appropriate. Traffic modeling should also account for future development and its effect both with and without corridor reconfiguration. Potential modifications to regional facilities outside of the City should include, but not be limited to: Occidental Road, Todd Road, Llano Road extension from SR 12 to Occidental Road and potential future interchange at SR 12/Fulton Road including its connection to Occidental Road.
Agenda Item Number 4 Agenda Item Number 4
City Council Meeting Packet of October 17th, 2023
Task Deliverables
• Travel demand model analysis of alternatives, including technical memo summarizing results
Task 5: Implementation Strategies and Analysis Requirements The implementation cost of the preferred scenario – including the Downtown study area modifications and the regional routes – will be estimated based on coordination with SCTA staff.
An implementation strategy including identification of key partners and potential funding strategies will be developed, also incorporating input from SCTA staff. Depending on the changes proposed as part of the plan and its anticipated impacts, the level of environmental analysis anticipated for the next step of implementation will be determined in accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
Task Deliverables
• Planning level cost estimate for alternatives
• Identification of project partners and potential funding sources • General assessment of analysis to be required under CEQA Task 6: Draft and Final Plan
The previously generated analysis, including the existing conditions report, alternatives assessment, preferred corridor plan, and regional road network recommendations will be integrated into a draft plan. One of the community workshops will be devoted to presenting the draft plan to the public and soliciting comments. The plan will also be posted on the project web site and circulated for comments from local and regional stakeholders. Comments will be collected and incorporated into the plan as appropriate.
Task Deliverables
• Draft Plan
• Public Comments Received
• Final Plan that includes a summary of next steps towards implementation, credits Caltrans on the cover or title page, submitted to Caltrans in an ADA accessible electronic copy
Task 7: Council/Board Review/Approval
The finalized Plan will be presented to the Sebastopol City Council and the SCTA board, if appropriate, for their approval.
• Two meetings with the Sebastopol City Council during the process: (1) A project overview and preliminary review of alternatives will be presented to the City Council to provide comments; this will offer an additional public input opportunity and may be a ‘study session’ format; (2) review and approval of final concept • Project will also be presented to one (1) SCTA Board meeting and one (1) Sonoma County Board of Supervisors meeting
Task Deliverables
• Meeting minutes with resolution(s) and final draft report • Resolutions of acceptable/approval
Agenda Item Number 4 Agenda Item Number 4
City Council Meeting Packet of October 17th, 2023
If yes, what is the estimated indirect cost rate? ______
J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J 01 $0 $0 $0 $0
02 $0 $2,500 $0 $2,500
1 $14,562 $3,438 $0 $18,000
2 $43,687 $10,313 $0 $54,000
3 Corridor Vision, Alternatives and Analysis $69,523 $4,477 $0 $74,000 ` 4 $18,790 $1,210 $0 $20,000
5 $5,167 $833 $0 $6,000
6 $76,100 $5,900 $0 $82,000
7 $2,349 $1,151 $0 $3,500
$230,178 $29,822 $0 $260,000
California Department of Transportation
Sustainable Transportation Planning Grant Program
COST AND SCHEDULE
Grant Category Sustainable Communities Competitive
Sebastopol Main Street State Highways Subregional Planning and Core Redesign, AKA Downtown Streets Planning and Redesign Estimated
Local
In-Kind Match*
Estimated Total
Project Cost* Task Title
FY 2023/24
FY 2023-24
Use the Local Match Calculator to ensure that grant and local match amounts are correct: Local Match Calculator Reimbursements/
Invoicing
Disclaimers
Agency commits to the Cost and Schedule below. Any changes will need to be approved by Caltrans prior to initiating any Cost and Schedule change or amendment.
Use only whole dollars in the financial information fields. No rounding up ordown and no cents.
Grant Fiscal Year
City of Sebastopol
Project Title
Organization
(Legal name)
Does your agency plan to use the Tapered Match approach for invoicing purposes? Draft and Final Plan
Council/Board Review and Approval
Totals
Does your agency plan to request reimburesement for indirect costs? Implementation Strategies and Analysis Requirements
Project Kickoff
Consultant Procurement
Existing Conditions
Regional Circulation Assessment
Community Engagement and Coordination
FY 2024/25 FY 2025/26
Task
#
Grant Amount*
Estimated
Local Cash
Match*
Yes No
Yes No
Agenda Item Number 4 Agenda Item Number 4
City Council Meeting Packet of October 17th, 2023