| Citizens Advisory Committee - July, 7 2004 |
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Click here for a PDF version of the agenda CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEERescheduled Meeting Notice Date: 6:00 p.m., Wednesday, July 7, 2004 6:00 1. Committee Meeting Call to Order 6:05 2. Adoption of Minutes of the May 26, 2004 Meeting - ACTION * (attachment 1) 6:07 3. Chair's Report – INFORMATION 6:15 4. Election of Vice Chair - ACTION Vice Chair, Val Menotti, resigned from the CAC on June 1, 2004. His resignation leaves the Vice Chair position vacant. An election is required to select the Vice-Chair by a majority of the appointed CAC members. Any CAC member is eligible for the Vice Chair position. The term of the Vice Chair will extend through the December 2004 CAC meeting. 5. Status Report on the Third Street Light Rail Project – INFORMATION* (attachment 2) This is a status report on the Third Street Light Rail Project. Construction activities are currently ongoing throughout the entire corridor. As of April 30, 2004 the project had spent approximately 45% of the total budget and it is anticipated to start spending approximately $15 million per month when the Metro East Maintenance Facility begins construction. As of the end of May 2004, total local hires for the corridor reached 160. Efforts continue to address environmental concerns along Third Street, and MUNI continues to publish its air monitoring results. During May 2004, 100% of the tests were below the action threshold. Completion of the rail line is scheduled for the end of 2005 with the Metro East Facility contract completion expected one year later. At the May 18 meeting, the Board approved a revised budget and funding plan for the project subject to budget ratification by the MTA Board and other conditions. At the same meeting, the Board also approved a $12M allocation for construction management, also subject to budget ratification, completing the allocations to this project for this fiscal year. The MTA Board subsequently adopted the Budget and funding plan at its June meeting. This is an information item. Planning and Legislation 6. Approve a Motion of Support to Adopt the Revised Draft 2004 Countywide Transportation Plan – ACTION* (attachment 3) Pursuant to state law, as Congestion Management Agency for San Francisco the Authority is responsible for preparing a long-range transportation plan identifying goals, needs and investment priorities. The Authority has developed the 30-year Countywide Transportation Plan (CTWP) to reflect the priorities in the Expenditure Plan for the Prop K Local Sales Tax for Transportation. In addition to projects, the Draft CWTP also identifies opportunities for strategic initiatives and legislative advocacy on a number of transportation policy issues, including funding. We conducted extensive public outreach on the Draft CWTP from April 13 to June 18. At the July 07 CAC meeting, we will present an overview of revisions made to the Draft CWTP in response to public comments we received. Following action by the CAC in July, we will present the revised Draft Plan to the Plans and Programs Committee and Authority Board for approval in July. We are seeking a motion of support for adoption of the revised Draft 2004 Countywide Transportation Plan. 7. Approve a Motion of Support to Adopt the Spring 2004 Congestion Management Program Network Level of Service Monitoring Report – ACTION* (attachment 4) As the Congestion Management Agency (CMA) for San Francisco, the Authority is responsible for developing and adopting a Congestion Management Program (CMP), which must be updated every two years. The 2003 CMP was updated in Fall 2003 and called for a Spring 2004 monitoring of the CMP network traffic Level of Service, which we have completed. The final Report is attached. LOS Monitoring conducted during April and May 2004 indicates that average vehicle speeds on the congestion management network have remained stable overall since Fall 2001, although the average speeds on some segments dropped. The monitoring results do not identify LOS deficiencies on any segments. Follow-up monitoring on potentially deficient segments will be conducted this Fall 2004, and the next regularly scheduled LOS monitoring will take place in conjunction with the next CMP update in Fall 2005. In addition, the segment definition for the Central Freeway will eventually need to be changed, after construction is complete, to reflect the Market Street terminus. In the interim, the northern monitoring limit of the segment was temporarily defined at the Van Ness Avenue and Mission Street ramps. We are seeking a motion of support to adopt the Spring 2004 Congestion Management Program Network Level of Service Monitoring Report. 8. Review Status and Adopt Positions on Transportation-Related State Legislation – INFORMATION/ACTION At the June CAC meeting we will provide a status report on pieces of state legislation on which the Authority has already taken positions during the current legislative session. We will present new items as appropriate. We are seeking a motion of support to adopt positions on transportation-related state legislation, as appropriate. 9. Central Freeway Project Update – INFORMATION* (attachment 5) This item is a status report for the Central Freeway Replacement project. The project's two main elements, the Caltrans led touchdown ramp, and the DPW led Octavia Boulevard, are both under construction, and anticipated to be complete in mid-2005. DPT is continuing to use parking control officers where warranted to manage the increased traffic load, on city streets, and to manage detours near the construction site. Octavia Central, the Authority's public awareness office continues to disseminate information about the project and to address concerns raised by neighbors and commuters relative to the construction. Ancillary projects are intended to help reconstruct the urban fabric near the touchdown ramp, and address the changing traffic patterns resulting from the project. We are working on developing a prioritized ancillary project list and will be issuing an RFP in the next thirty days for consultant assistance in this effort. The project is on budget and might have a surplus of funds that could be used for additional ancillary projects. The original ancillary project budget was fiscally constrained and not based solely on need. The project currently has adequate funds to construct the first phase. Funding for the second phase, which includes the ancillary projects, Van Ness repaving, and the south of Market signal interconnection, will be subject to land sales. Land sales are scheduled to occur after approval of the new zoning as a part of the Planning Department's Better Neighborhood's Plan. This is an information item. Programming 10. Approve a Motion of Support for Allocation of $15,799,000 in FY 2004/05 Prop K funds to 11 Annual Programs – ACTION* (attachment 6) (Please click here to see programs.) On June 18, 2004, the Authority Board allocated $27,656,000 to 18 annual programs, deferring allocation of nine requests to allow further discussion with project sponsors, primarily to clarify scope, address deliverability issues, and refine scope and budget to match likely recommended funding levels (Attachment 1). On February 9, 2004, we initiated the call for FY 2004/05 Prop K Annual Programs , comprised of annual activities and annual projects. The former are for projects that will receive an amount of Prop K funding to be spent only within the fiscal year, such as incremental operations and maintenance projects or paratransit support. The latter include allocations made to implementing agencies for clusters of small projects, such as installation of traffic signals or curb ramps for wheelchairs at multiple locations throughout the city. The guidelines issued for the call for annual programs reflect the change from a pay-as-you-go program to a program that includes debt issuance in order to satisfy the requirements of an ambitious roster of capital projects and new programs. This is a transition year from Prop B to the Prop K program, and we do not yet have a Prop K Strategic Plan that will provide the long-term road map needed to guide Prop K allocations. We initially received nearly $60 million in requests for annual programs against an estimated $35 million in available resources for this purpose. We've been working closely with project sponsors to make sure that the highest priorities are addressed, and that recommended amounts reflect levels of effort that can actually be delivered by the implementing agencies in FY 2004/05. Since the last CAC meeting, we split one project into two projects to better match the new Expenditure Plan and added one annual program that the project sponsor had inadvertently neglected to submit for funding. We are seeking a motion of support for allocation of $15,799,000 in FY 2004/05 Prop K funds to 11 annual programs as shown in Attachment 3. 11. Approve a motion of support for allocation of $534,000 in Prop K funds to BART for the environmental and engineering design phases of the 16 th Street Station Northeast Plaza Redesign, with a commitment to allocate the remaining $2,142,000 in construction funds when BART substantially completes engineering design and for allocation of $2,000,000 to the Port of San Francisco for construction of Phase 1 of the Illinois Street Intermodal Bridge over Islais Creek – ACTION* (attachment 7, with attachment 7.1 & 7.4) (attachment 7.2) (attachment 7.3) One of the most important tasks currently facing the Authority is to structure a smooth transition into the New Expenditure Plan ushered in by Prop K. The transition process is quite complex, and the differences in the structure of the Prop B and Prop K Expenditure Plans necessitate the development of an entirely new Strategic Plan, to address not just the new categories of funding, but also the realities of moving from a pay-as-you-go program to a program that includes a healthy amount of borrowing on order to satisfy the requirements of an ambitious roster of capital projects and new programs. In the absence of a Prop K Strategic Plan, we established FY 2004/05 funding targets for annual programs and individual capital projects to help provide some guidance to project sponsors. The target for annual programs was $35 million, though already approved allocations and recommended allocations under consideration at the July 7 CAC meeting total about $43,455,000, leaving about $20 million of the original $29 million target for individual capital projects to be allocated during the next 12 months. Earlier this year we conducted a survey of Prop K project sponsors to get a feel for the total amount of FY 2004/05 Prop K funds that they would likely request for individual capital projects, to be considered later in the year after completion of the Strategic Plan. The results of that survey, shown in Attachment 1, total nearly $71 million in requests. As part of the survey, we requested that sponsors identify projects with an urgent need for Prop K funds in the first quarter of FY 2004/05. Of the 47 projects identified in the survey, only two appear to meet our definition of urgency. We are recommending both of them for funding. We are seeking a motion of support for allocation of $534,000 in Prop K funds to BART for the environmental and engineering design phases of the 16 th Street Station Northeast Plaza Redesign, with a commitment to allocate the remaining $2,142,000 in construction funds when BART substantially completes engineering design; and for allocation of $2,000,000 to the Port of San Francisco, for construction of Phase 1 of the Illinois Street Intermodal Bridge over Islais Creek. Administration and Finance 12. Approve a Motion of Support for the Award of a Consultant Contract to the Top-Ranked Firm as Scored by the Selection Panel for the Geary Corridor Transit Study – INFO/ACTION* (attachment 8) Following the Board's action in May to appropriate Prop K funding for the study, we issued a Request for Proposals for consultant services in transportation planning, facility design, and public outreach. Proposals are due to the Authority on June 30, and we have assembled a selection panel comprised of representatives from Muni, DPT and the Authority. Based on a competitive selection process, the panel will make a recommendation for award of consultant contract prior to the July 20 Finance Committee and Authority Board meetings but after the July 7 CAC meeting. We would like to request CAC consideration of a motion to support award of a consultant contract to the recommended firm, so that we may seek Finance Committee and Authority Board approval and give the consultant notice to proceed before the Board recess in August. We are seeking a motion of support for award of a consultant contract to the top-ranked firm as scored by the selection panel for the Geary Corridor Transit Study. 13. Approve a Motion of Support to Authorize the Executive Director to Enter into Grant Agreements and Execute Related Contracts to Carry Out the Outer Mission Transportation Study – ACTION* (attachment 9) The Authority, together with the Department of Parking and Traffic (DPT), applied for and recently was awarded a California Department of Transportation Environmental Justice Planning Grant to undertake an Outer Mission Transportation Study. The purpose of the study is to develop a community-supported transportation plan for low-cost improvements that can be implemented in the short (1-2) years to mid-term (3-5 years). The $81,000 grant will provide for study of pedestrian safety, transit performance, and traffic calming measures through a community-based planning effort. The grant will be matched with $9000 in Surface Transportation Program (STP) funds that have already been included in the Authority's proposed FY2004/05 Budget. The Authority will manage the grant, and implement the study in partnership with DPT and other implementing agencies over a 12-month period starting in Fall 2004. The Authority will also coordinate the study with numerous other studies and projects that are occurring in the study area. The proposed action will enable the Authority to accept the grant and enter into a contract with the State Business, Transportation and Housing Agency to implement the study. We are seeking a motion of support to authorize the Executive Director to enter into grant agreements and execute related contracts to carry out the Outer Mission Transportation Study. 14. Approve a motion of support for the award of a three-year contract with two additional one-year extension options to the independent CPA firm of Macias, Gini & Company, LLP, to provide annual audit services for FY2003/04 through FY2005/06, in an amount not to exceed $255,100, and authorization for the Executive Director to negotiate the non-monetary terms and conditions of the contract . – ACTION* (attachment 10) Under its fiscal policy, Authority financial records are to be audited annually by an independent CPA firm. The prior auditing services contract expired on June 30, 2004. On March 26, 2004, the Authority issued a Request for Proposals for annual audit services for a three-year contract covering fiscal years 2003/04 through 2005/06, with two additional one-year extension options. Four firms submitted bids, which included both a technical and cost component, by the proposal deadline of April 23, 2004. Of these four, one firm withdrew its bid due to other commitments; the remaining three were interviewed by a three-member selection panel, consisting of expert accounting and financial professionals from the Authority and two other Bay Area transportation agencies. Based on the competitive process defined in the evaluation criteria of the request for proposals, the panel recommended Macias, Gini & Company, LLP be awarded the annual audit services contract. We are seeking a motion of support for the award of a three-year contract with two additional one-year extension options to the independent CPA firm of Macias, Gini & Company, LLP, to provide annual audit services for FY2003-2004 through FY2005/06, in an amount not to exceed $255,100, and authorization for the Executive Director to negotiate the non-monetary terms and conditions of the contract. 15. Approve a Motion of Support to Authorize the Executive Director to examine State Board of Equalization records pertaining to transactions and use taxes collected on behalf of the Authority – ACTION* (attachment 11) Pursuant to Authority Resolution 90-2, adopted on January 16, 1990, the Executive Director entered into an agreement with the State Board of Equalization to perform all functions pertaining to the administration and operation of the Transactions and Use Tax Ordinance, including the collection of transactions and use (“sales and use”) taxes on the Authority's behalf. The reauthorization of the half-cent sales tax on November 4, 2003 (Proposition K, Section 1405) extended this agreement for the 30-year life of the Proposition K Expenditure Plan. As part of its ongoing activities, the State Board of Equalization reviews sales and use tax returns filed by California state taxpayers to identify potential errors and adjustments. The details of these transactions are considered confidential information. The Board of Equalization can and does provide access to that information, but it requires an Authority Board resolution authorizing its release to the Executive Director or his designees. We are seeking a motion of support to authorize the Executive Director to examine State Board of Equalization records pertaining to transactions and use taxes collected on behalf of the Authority. 16. Approve a motion of support for adoption of the Authority's Investment Policy – ACTION* (attachment 12) On August 16, 1993, through Resolution 93-21, the Authority Board adopted an Investment and Fund Use Policy. The effect of this action was to adopt the City and County of San Francisco's investment policy as the Authority's own. The policy was focused on the Prop B sales tax revenues held in the City's pooled cash fund. As part of the Prop K transition, the Authority is conducting a sweeping review and update of its policies. Given the Authority's expanded role since its inception in 1989, which includes the programming and administration of non-sales tax funds such as CMA, TFCA and debt proceeds, it is prudent for the Authority to define a systematic investment policy encompassing all funds and investment activities it administers directly. We are seeking a motion of support for adoption of the Authority's Investment Policy. 7:30 Other Updates 7:55 17. Public Comment 8:00 18. Adjournment * Materials Attached Next Regularly Scheduled Meeting: July 28, 2004 CAC MEMBERS WHO ARE UNABLE TO ATTEND SHOULD CONTACT POOJA JHUNJHUNWALA AT 522-4800 This meeting location is wheelchair accessible. In order to allow individuals with environmental illness or multiple chemical sensitivity to attend the meeting, individuals are requested to refrain from wearing perfume or other scented products. All times shown are for information only. Items will be called at the discretion of the Chair. 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