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HomeMy WebLinkAboutStaff Report 3.D 10/19/2015Agenda Item #3.D L DATE: October 19, 2015 TO: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council through City Manager FROM: Dan t. J ASCE — Director, Public Works & Utilities Joe Rye — Transit Manager SUBJECT: Resolution to Accept Fiscal Year 2014 -15 and Future Annual Transportation for Clean Air (TFCA) Funding from the Sonoma County Transportation Authority (SCTA) for Petaluma Transit Marketing Projects and Authorizing the City Manager to Execute the Grant Agreements RECOMMENDATION It is recommended that the City Council adopt a Resolution to Accept Fiscal Year 2014 -15 and Future Annual Transportation for Clean Air (TFCA) Funding from the Sonoma County Transportation Authority (SCTA) for Petaluma Transit Marketing Projects and Authorizing the City Manager to Execute the Grant Agreements. BACKGROUND The Transportation Fund for Clean Air (TFCA) is managed regionally by the Bay Area Air Quality Management District ( BAAQMD) and funded by a regional $4 fee on all vehicles registered. Projects eligible for funding must provide emissions reductions, so most transit operations projects, marketing, and some roadway ITS projects are eligible for funding. BAAQMD delegates the programming of Sonoma County's specific portion of TFCA funds to the SCTA. Prior to December 2013, Petaluma was the only transit system in the County that did not receive a robust "off -the -top" share of TFCA funding for transit marketing. The SCTA Board of Directors, at the urging of Petaluma and SCTA staff, approved Petaluma joining Sonoma County Transit and Santa Rosa CityBus in securing stable TFCA funding, effective in FY 15/16. DISCUSSION The City of Petaluma received its first "off- the -top" annual apportionment of TFCA funds in FY 14/15 and its second annual apportionment of $80,006 in FY 15/16. These funds are used to support all marketing efforts undertaken by Petaluma Transit, including schedule brochures, mobile website, bus stop information, participation in Google Transit, 511.org, and outreach efforts in the community. Staff is seeking approval by City Council at this time, for FY 15/16 and all future annual TFCA apportionments for transit marketing, should there not be significant changes in annual apportionments or terms of the grant agreements. The proposed action meets Council Goals: "Improve and Enhance Fiscal Stability and Sustainability" FINANCIAL IMPACTS These additional new funds assist Petaluma Transit in providing a high level of transit service and increasing ridership in future years while maintaining reserves to avoid service reductions. ATTACHMENTS 1. Resolution 2. SCTA Adoption of Modified TFCA Criteria December 9, 2013 2 Attachment 1 RESOLUTION TO ACCEPT FISCAL YEAR 2014 -15 AND FUTURE ANNUAL TRANSPORTATION FUND FOR CLEAN SCTA FOR TRANSIT SONOMA COUNTY TRANSPORTATI ON AUTHORITY ( MARKETING PROJECTS AND AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE GRANT AGREEMENTS WHEREAS, the City of Petaluma is an eligible project sponsor and may receive funding from the Transportation Fund for Clean Air (TFCA) now or sometime in the future for transit projects; and WHEREAS, the statutes related to SCTA and Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD) locally and regionally funded transit projects require a local or regional implementing agency to abide by various regulations; and WHEREAS, Petaluma was always eligible to apply for the competitive portion of the SCTA- controlled TFCA funding along with other communities that lacked transit systems, but unable to receive a stable annual apportionment of funds to support transit marketing efforts like all other jurisdictions in the County that operate their own transit systems; and WHEREAS, Petaluma Transit is strongly supported by the City Council and the City Council supported efforts to establish equality in the distribution of TFCA funds among the 3 transit systems in Sonoma County, accordingly SCTA was approached to modify its policy to provide stable TFCA funding for Petaluma Transit as it does for Sonoma County Transit and Santa Rosa CityBus; and WHEREAS, the SCTA Board of Directors voted on December 9, 2013 to modify TFCA Program Management policy to include the City of Petaluma into the annual off -the -top apportionment to local transit operators to support enhanced transit marketing efforts and reward Petaluma for recent transit system improvements, effective in FY 14/15; and WHEREAS, the City Council wishes to delegate authorization to execute these documents for FY 15/16 and future fiscal years thereto to the City Manager. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of Petaluma: That the City Manager, on behalf of the City of Petaluma, is authorized to receive annual apportionments of TFCA funding through SCTA, including this $80,006 for FY 14/15 and future apportionments should there be no significant change in funding levels or terms. 2. That the City Manager is appointed Authorized documents and agreements for FY 14/15 TFCA and authorized to execute all required ments and for future apportionments should there be no significant change in terms and conditions. 11 Attachment 2 SCTA .0 490 t.vtiT*(:1N0 Nfwila� SU]Te � DA WMN RMA, Ch 95-jol R 1111— APS staff Report To: Sonoma County Transportation Authority From: Diane Dohm, Transportation Planner (tom: 4*2 — Transportation Fund for Clean Air (TFCA) funding Criteria Date: December 9, 2013 Issue; Shall the SCTA Board approve an OCIJUStrnent to the'rr-,CA funding criteria to include ongoing funding for the City of Petaluma? Atek 0 - q MML s Fund Sonoma County Transportation Authority (SCTA) is the 'Program Manager" for the Trawwrt (of Cloan Air (TFCA) county Program Manager Fund. This fund N also known as the AD 434 Program. SCTA is charged with administering the program and approving an Irypenditufa Plan" and a 'Program of projects" to utilize tho6e, full" oach year. The Bay Area Air Quality Management Dis0fict (FIAMAD) awards funding to projects designwi to 1-larvefit air quality. These funds are gejjwalod through a $4 surcharge on vehicle registrations in the Bay Aloe. Each county is guaranteed 400K, of the funds generated vAfnln their county for the County program Manager program, In Sonoma County, only the southern portion of the County is within the Air Mtflct, Cloverdale, lloaldsbuig and the unincorporated areas north of 116-ldsor do not racolveTPCA funds administered by SCTA. Currently, funds are distributed according to clitoris, basud on BAAQ?AD guidance, ad0fited by the SCTA Board on October 16. 20DG, which is a two -pert distribution: I . r-j(Eit, Me County and eva cdy of Santa Rosa receive a guaranteed percentage of the funding to maintain their ongoing transit and transit marketing I-voJects. Those projeds must meet ft requirements of the TrCA pfogran) In every fund cycle. 2. Secondly, the cities of Petaluma, Rohnort Park, Sonome, Sebastopol, Calati, and the Town of Windsor, are eligible to apply for the competitive portion at the funding, By agreement, the City of Santa Rosa arld the County of Sonoma wIll submit applk;atiuns for funding from the COMI>0tItIva POW04) Only if the eligible Cii'aa do not put forth a sufficient package of qualified proposals to fully ufilj7e the entire amount of avallable funding. "I actually I v Ives The agread-upon scenario of how the COMP911itive WiOn Process W� ' ually work' 1) 0 diqcrj5sjans between entities to reach agreements, so that pit cjs ready to go' will be funded in each given Voar, cungidering that carry-over balances are no torqef Bilowed, this cooperative approach will ensure that 1311 available TF47A funds art-- utilized within jho County each fijrtdlrbg cycle, and will ftinhermore alloy the smaller dtic-S to Interryllitently apply for funding amounts greater than the smaller per-year populaiian-based sums. The benefit Of the competitive funds should rotato arfronQ onlitles to ensure appfo)6niate equity, The Lalow table dernonstratos the 7-year history of which entities have lecalvad funding from the competitive portion of the funds, 5 � 4 hN-41'�'4-� q6j?-�(W� wlil."'014 ?.VrTaials Pata lunle Rohnolt Palk sal.mlopol 7RIPF-200H (IS G T) VWW4 (Sol) 5 MAW S 2000 ------- 31 fi „r27. 3 1b7,522 1&3,OM �nancx 135,642 1�35.1;12 4,400 S OS,Of141 S 70,07 si 240.051 Petaluma 'transit has recently engaged SCTA in discussions, and requested that they receive guaranteed funds to maintain their origolmg transit programs assuming thuie pfeJOCtS will Meet the 13AAQPAD program requirements, These TFOA funds would provide consistent marketing funding to support Petaluma Transit to enable the City to Increase efforts to prorrvoto, the City's groviing tfallzA system (106% ridership increase over last 4 fiscal years) while protecting existing TDA funding for daily operations. 'I'lie FGA funds will be used to expand the transit rnafkeflrqj progiam, enhance the Petaluma Transit website, assist staff in exploring a real-time t(unril: information system, support the annual Summer Youth Pass, and help fund the part-time travel tfairiedmarketing assistant p4sition. In addirlien, tile TFCA funds. will offset lost fare revenues from the City's Popular new means -based low iriconict student bus pass; partriership with the Petaluma City School Dlslffzt. This one year old program offers students who qualify for free or reduced lunch subsidies the ability to purchase bus passes at a 5o percent discount. Tl�o means.-bawl passes are said by the academic quarter at each of the four participating schuels (patsFuma, Jr., Polalurna High, Casa Grande, High. and Kenilworth Jr.). Patalurna Translt sold over 550 Quarterly Passes in the 12-13 academic year, and hopes to increase that amount I,) the future, This We gram reduces; ernlsstons and congestion around these campuses. Fiscal InnippEt In FY 0114, the competitive porfinri was 35,94% of the total TFOA funds for Sonoma County, Or 5205,607,18. Uadfm the now proposed criteria, the ccompetitive portionviouldl be approximately 22%, whlrrb would have been 5129,915.18 in FY13114 (this number in dependent upon population fluauatlons and the @11jount. of Yehlcle registrations In Sonoma County). action Req The Board of Directors Is requested to Consider this modification to the TFGA fuMing criteria, The Technical Advisory Committee and Transit Technical Adylsoiy Conthlittiju racommundad to the f3aard this change to the TFQA fundmg criteria at their meetings on SepAember 26, 2013 and August 21, 2013, rospoLtively.