HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda Bill 3.C 10/04/2010I
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DATE: October 4, 2010
TO: Honorable Mayor and Members of the Ci y Council through City Manager
FROM: Vincent Marengo, Public Works Directo
SUBJECT: Resolution of Support for Measure W, the November 2010 Ballot Measure from
Sonoma County Transportation Authority (SCTA) that Establishes a $10 DMV
Registration Fee to Fund Various Local Transportation Projects and Programs
RECOIVIMIJNDA'I'I ON:
It is recommended that the City Council adopt the attached resolution of support for Measure W,
the November 2010 ballot measure from Sonoma County Transportation Authority (SCTA) that
establishes a $10 DMV registration fee to fund various local transportation projects and
programs.
BACKGROUND:
At its meeting of September 20, 2010, the City Council asked that staff prepare a resolution of
support for Measure W, to be presented on the October 4, 2010 agenda. SB 83 (Hancock)
authorizes a countywide transportation planning agency, such as the SCTA, to propose an annual
fee of up to $10 on motor vehicles registered within the county for transportation programs and
projects that provide congestion relief or air pollution mitigation. SCTA is sponsoring such a
measure on the November 2010 ballot, requiring simple majority voter approval.
SCTA staff first presented the concept to the SCTA Board in March 2010, in order to meet the
deadline for the June 2010 ballot. At that time, there was not a street maintenance component in
the proposed expenditure plan. The SCTA Board voted not to place the measure on the June
ballot, opting to have Board members return to their respective elected bodies to seek
recommendations.
On May 4, 2010, the Petaluma City Council considered this item. Following an overview of the
measure by SCTA Representative Glass, City Council discussed the ballot measure, including
both the SCTA-proposed expenditure plan and a hybrid expenditure plan that included funding
for street maintenance. The Council ultimately provided direction to their SCTA representative
to support the measure, but to request that SCTA include funding for street maintenance in the
Agenda Review:
City Attorney Finance Director ~ City Manager
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final. expenditure plan. At the May 10, 2010 SCTA Board meeting, discussion of the measure
continued, with Board members reporting on their respective agency recommendations.
Representative Glass reported that the Petaluma City Council supported the measure on a split
vote, but strongly urged that street maintenance funding be included (the Hybrid Plan). The
SCTA Board continued to support the original expenditure plan. At their June 14th SCTA Board
meeting, SCTA staff presented recent polling, conducted locally by the SEIU (Service
Employees International Union), that established the measure as having a better chance of
passage if it included street maintenance in its expenditure plan (55% versus 46% without
streets). Thus, SCTA staff included a second expenditure plan option that included street
maintenance as an eligible expense, at 23% of the overall expenditure plan. SCTA Board
approved placement of the measure on the November 2010 ballot, with the expenditure plan
including street maintenance in a category with bike and pedestrian projects. The final
expenditure plan included on the ballot measure is shown in the Discussion section below.
DISCUSSION:
It is proposed that 60% of funds dedicated to the four local transit operators (Petaluma Transit,
Santa Rosa City Bus, Healdsburg Transit, and Sonoma County Transit) be distributed by
formula, according to TDA population share. The remaining 40% of funds (23% Streets, 12%
Safe Routes to School and 5% Administration) will be awarded in a competitive process
integrated into the regional transportation planning. This effort will seek geographic equity over
successive five-year cycles.
The final expenditure plan, prepared by SCTA staff and approved by their Board, is shown in
Table 1, below, with projected annual revenues by category. The transit element. and projected
five-year transit revenues are shown in Table 2:
TABLE 1
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Transit 60% $2,990,464 $3,008,407 $3,026,457 $3,044,616 $3,062,884
SR2S 12% $598,093 $601,681 $605,291 $608,923 $612,577
Roads/Bike Paths 23% $1,146,344 $1,153,223 $1,160,142 $1,167,103 $1,174,105
Administration 5% $249,205 $250,701 $252,205 $253,718 $255,240
Total 100% $4,984,107 $5,014,01 1 $5,044,095 $5,074,360 $5,104,806
TABLE 2 -Transit Split
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Sonoma Co $1,570,807 $1,580,232 $1,589,713 $1,599,251 $1,608,847
Santa Rosa $992,433 $998,388 $1,004,378 $1,010,404 $1,016,467
Petaluma $354,822 $356,950 $359,092 $361,247 $363,414
Healdsburg $72,402 $72,837 $73,274 $73,713 $74,155
Total $2,990,464 $3,008,407 $3,026,457 $3,044,616 $3,062,884
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Measure W Impacts
Petaluma Transit
Petaluma Transit will receive its population share of Measure W funding on an annual basis.
Prior to funding its own capital and operating expenses, Petaluma Transit is obligated to pay
28°/a of its total budget to outside transit agencies for intercity services (primarily an annual
subsidy of $500,000-$600,000 to Golden Gate Transit). At current and projected operating
costs, an annual Measure W amount of $363,414, for example, would enable Petaluma Transit to
provide at least 4,000 additional annual revenue hours of service, fund critical capital projects
and replenish reserves. This would improve frequencies, extend evening hours, and allow for
Sunday service.
Roads(Bike Paths (Street Maintenance)
Petaluma has a PCI (Pavement Condition Index) of 53, down from 56 two years ago. A PCI of
100 is perfect, and 25 or below is equivalent to a dirt road. The annual revenue from Measure
W, competitively programmed every three years, would allow Petaluma to use the funds as local
match to leverage outside funding for improvement of pavement conditions. Projects to be
funded with this proposed expenditure category could also include:
® ADA improvements (curb ramps, sidewalk improvements); and
~ signal interconnection and transit signal priority projects. .
Safe Routes to School (SR2S)
SR2S has enjoyed success in Petaluma in recent years, and an annual infusion of revenue, also
competitively programmed every three years, could be utilized to continue recent Petaluma
projects obtained through competitive grants. Projects eligible for funding from this component
include:
sidewalk gap closures nears schools; and
installation of smart, lighted crosswalks near schools.
Measure W does not have a sunset clause, but requires renewal and/or amendment to the
expenditure plan at various intervals in time, and at least every 10 years. The expenditure plan
would be amended by a 2/3 super-majority vote of the SCTA Board, following noticing to the
cities and County.
FINANCIAL, IMPACTS:
Total Cost of Proposal or Project: $0
Amount Budgeted.: $0
ATTACHMENTS
1. Resolution of Support for Measure W
2. Official Sonoma County Voter's Pamphlet -Measure W
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AYTe!~~~iVBIEPOT 1
RESOLUTION OF SUPPORT .FOR MEASURE W, THE NOVEMBER 2010 BALLOT
MEASiJRE FROM SONOMA COUN'T'Y TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY (SCTA)
THAT ESTABLISHES A $10 DMV REGISTRATION FEE TO-FUND VARIOUS LOCAL
TRANSPORTATION PR03ECTS AND PROGRAMS
WHEREAS, the City of Petaluma has acute funding shortfalls to Petaluma Transit
operations, street maintenance, bicycle and pedestrian facilities and local safe routes to school
programs; and
WHEREAS, the Sonoma Courity Transportation Authority (SCTA) voted on July 12,
2010, to place a ballot measure on the November 2, 2010, countywide ballot that will enact a
new registration fee on all vehicles registered in Sonoma County and dedicate the new funds to
local transportation projects and programs; and
W>EIEREAS, the City of Petaluma will benefit greatly from the voter passage of Measure
W, a $10 per vehicle registration fee to be collected countywide by~the Department of Motor
Vehicles for the purposes of creating local funding to support transportation projects and
programs; and
WHEREAS, Measure W is estimated to generate $5,104,806 by Year 5, for Sonoma
County transportation projects and programs; and
WHEREAS, these new and stable Measure W funds will enable expanded safe routes to
school projects, enhance the ability to leverage street maintenance funding, replace lost service
and implement long-awaited improvements to Petaluma Transit, and provide enhanced safety to
bicycle and pedestrian facilities; and
WHEREAS, local control will be maintained with Measure W by requiring that the
expenditure plan be renewed or amended at least every ten years, by a 2/3 vote of the Sonoma
County Transportation Authority Board of Directors, to ensure that the funds from Measure W
continue to support the most important local transportation needs.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the City Council hereby adopts this
Resolution of Support for Measure W and urges voters to approve the measure in the November,
2010 general election.
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