HomeMy WebLinkAbout02/18/1992, C-10 - MPO DESIGNATION FOR TRANSIT FUNDING I��gll�^IIIINI�IIIIII��IIUIII MEET
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COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT ITEM NUMBER:/
FROM: Ken Hampian, Assistant City Administrative Officer �yf'
Prepared by: Harry Watson, Transit Manager VVG
SUBJECT: MPO Designation for Transit Funding
CAO RECOMMENDATION: Adopt a resolution designating the San Luis
Obispo Area Coordinating Council (SLOACC) as the Metropolitan
Planning Organization (MPO) .
DISCUSSION:
As a result of the City's recent designation as an urbanized area,
Federal regulations require that a Metropolitan Planning
Organization be formed to act as a "congestion management agency" .
The attached SLOACC staff report explains the benefits and
requirements of forming an MPO. In short, the formation of an MPO
is a necessary step in order for the City to receive the
approximate $500, 000 in Section 9 transportation funding which will
be available to the City as a result of the "urban" designation.
Both City and SLOACC staff will be available at the February 18
Council meeting to answer questions on the MPO designation, if any.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
The MPO will be financed by Federal Highway Administration funds
under a category designated as "planning funds" . As mentioned
earlier, the urban designation will make substantial additional
funds available to the City's transit program.
CONCURRENCES:
The San Luis Obispo Area Coordinating Council voted to act as the
MPO for San Luis Obispo County at their December 1991 meeting.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. SLOACC staff report on formation of an MPO
2. Resolution
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C -10- 1
SAN LUIS OBISPO AREA COORDINATING COUNCIL
STAFF REPORT
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SUMMARY
The Area Council has long been designated the Regional Transportation Planning Agency for the
County. As a result of San Luis Obispo City and an adjacent contiguous unincorporated area
exceeding a population of 50,000, the county is now defined as urbanized and must meet more
rigorous State and Federal planning requirements, in order to receive State and Federal
transportation funding. A Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) must be formed to assume
these transportation planning and programming responsibilities. No action would result in the
loss of all existing and prospective federal, state and local transportation revenues to the region
and all local iurisdictions.
RECOMMENDATION
The San Luis Obispo Area Coordinating Council on December 4th unanimously supported
designating itself as the MPO for the region and directed staff to distribute draft staff reports and
resolutions to all jurisdictions soliciting their support to designate the Area Council as the MPO
for the region for transportation purposes.
DISCUSSION
The county is now defined as an Urban County,which requires the designation of a Metropolitan
Planning Organization (MPO) to comply with State and Federal requirements for a specified
continuing, cooperative, and comprehensive transportation planning process.
Contacts with the U.S. Census have noted that the urbanized status designation, for all intents
and purposes, is final. Local participation is neither invited nor required: nor has any such
designation ever been revoked.
As a result of this finding, the Governor is required by Federal Law to designate an MPO to meet
federal planning and programming requirements. In general this results in some additional
requirements above and beyond those presently conducted by the Area Council acting as the
RTPA for the region. Unless further requested, the Governor would designate the existing RTPA
as the MPO for the county. There does not appear to be any other organization that could
assume these responsibilities in San Luis Obispo County.
Benefits and Requirements.
The following identifies the major benefits and requirements associated with becoming an Urban
County as they affect transportation funding, planning and programming.
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Funding.
1. San Luis Obispo City will change from an Urban Mass Transportation Assistance (UMTA)
Section 18 potential rural grant recipient to an UMTA Section 9 urban recipient. This change
entitles the City to $300,000 to $600,000 annually in Section 9 funds (exact amount to be
determined based upon the new.federal Transportation Act). This change will also benefit
all other jurisdictions by eliminating SLO City as an eligible UMTA Section 18 grant recipient.
2 The Area Council will become eligible for$140,000 to$280,000 per year in additional federal
planning funds (Amount to be determined based upon the new federal Transportation Act).
This funding is earmarked to the MPO to fulfill federally approved work programs required
to meet state and federal planning and programming requirements. This funding is expected
to be sufficient to meet all additional state and federal planning requirements and hopefully
reduce the amount of local TDA funds presently used for these purposes.
3. The Area Council will become eligible for apportioned UMTA Section 8 funding for transit .
planning in the amount of $20,000 to $30,000 annually. Presently the Area Council must
compete statewide for such funding and typically receives between $10,000 to $15,000
annually.
4. All jurisdictions are now eligible for a new source of state funding, Transportation Systems
Management funding. This funding is allocated annually by Caltrans on a competitive basis
for low-cost °system improvements" such as street and road channeliization, traffic signals,
etc. To be eligible for such funding all projects must be derived from an approved
countywide Congestion Management Plan (a new requirement discussed below).
Planning and Programming.
5. Federal law requires designation of a Metropolitan Planning Organization to fulfill additional
Sate and Federal transportation planning and programming responsibilities. These include
developing continuous, comprehensive and cooperative intergovernmental planning and
programming process. This process is currently undertaken by the Area Council acting as
the RTPA for the region.
S. An Overall Work Program (OWP) and budget must be prepared identifying all tasks,
products, manpower and schedules for the upcoming fiscal year in conformance with State
and Federal guidelines and requirements. To be eligible for any funding in FY 92/93 the OWP
must be submitted by February 15, 1992 The OWPs and budgets are presently developed
to largely satisfy these requirements.
7. All federal transportation funding must now be included in a Transportation Improvement
Program (TIP), including highway projects, UMTA transit grants, and Federal Aid Urban
(FAU), Federal Aid Secondary(FAS) and Combined Road Program (CRP) funds. Previously,
all these funds were requested through a variety of means independent of one another.
These fund requests must now be requested concurrently in a comprehensive capital
improvement program.
• 2
Highway Funding. Previously, the Area Council legally responded to projects proposed by
Caltrans. As a result of MPO designation this process is reversed for certain categories of
funding, and Caltrans must now respond to recommendations made by the Area Council.
All jurisdictions are also entitled to a new source of funding for Transportation System
Management (TSM) projects
Transit Grants. Previously, all transit grants were reviewed, prioritized, and approved annually
by the Area Council. As an MPO, such grants would have to be considered concurrently with
all street, road and highway projects in the TIP.
Combined Road Program Funds. Previously these funds were allocated annually by an CRP
Committee consisting of the Engineers of each jurisdiction. As an MPO, all CRP projects
must be in the TIP which would be approved by the MPO governing board. The CRP
Committee could remain as an advisory body. The final outcome of these funds and the
committee is subject to the new federal Surface Transportation Act (information is currently
not available).
8. Federal law requires that the Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) beinconformitywlth
the State Implementation Plan (SIP), as required by the Federal Clean Air Act. Recent court
cases have required a quantitative rather than qualitative analysis, resulting in the need to
prepare a comprehensive traffic/air quality emission model, to certify all transportation
projects will not adversely affect attainment of Federal clean air standards. This is a
significant new requirement The national Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is drafting
implementing regulations. It is unclear at this time what kind of review process would be
required for counties such as SLO that currently meets federal clean air standards.
Administrative.
9. In addition to OWP and budgetary requirements, federal law also necessitates that the
prospective MPO's accounting and budgetary system complies with all Federal requirements.
Additionally, an Indirect Cost Negotiation Agreement must be executed between the Federal
Highway Administration (FHWA) in order to charge indirect costs to Federal Planning funds.
10. A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) must be executed between the proposed MPO and
Caltrans outlining new roles and responsibilities.
11. Finally, a Disadvantaged,Women, and Veterans Business Enterprise Plan and goals must be
submitted if the MPO intends to use Federal Planning funds to contract for services.
Other Programs. Achieving urban county status also affects regional housing programs in that
the City of San Luis Obispo will be eligible for "entitlement" status under the federal Department
of Housing and Urban Development's regulations. This will allow the city to receive direct annual
grants from the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program, rather than requiring it
to compete with other rural cities and counties in the state for grants. The region's health system
is also assisted since urbanized status provides for increases in the eligibility of the area for
urbanized health program funding. The designation of the Area Council as the MPO would have
no effect on non-transportation related programs.
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ALTERNATIVES
Several alternative actions are available for consideration, including: no action; delay designation
of the Area Council as the MPO and CMA; or designation of another organization as the MPO.
As noted below, the costs and risks are too high to delay an action or designate any agency
other than the Area Council as the MPO.
No action - Choosing this alternative would result in the region being ineligible to receive
$140,000+in Federal transportation planning (PL)funding,and another$20,000+in UMTA transit
funding, and SLO City being ineligible to receive over$300,000 in transit. It may also jeopardize
all other local, state and federal and funding since we would not have a comprehensive planning
process consistent with state and federal law. Local funds consist of TDA funds in excess of$4.5
million per year, and CRP (formerly FAU & FAS) in excess of$2 million per year, and funding for
major highway projects.
Delay Action - To be eligible for any Federal funding in the upcoming fiscal year (FY 92/93),
Federal law requires submittal of an approved Overall Work Program (OWP), consistent with
Federal standards, to be submitted to the State and FHWA by February 15th, 1992- A one year
delay would also not allow sufficient time to complete a Congestion Management Program, which
is required to be complete by December, 1994 to be able to request additional State highway
projects in the STIP and for all jurisdictions in the region to receive the increased gas tax revenue
authorized by AB471 (1990).
Designate the Area Council as the MPO - The Area Council is the designated Council of
Governments (COG) and Regional Transportation Planning Agency (RTPA) for the county. It
develops an annual Overall Work Program (OWP) and budget for transportation planning, carries
out a regional transportation planning process, and develops a Regional Transportation Plan
(RTP), in compliance with State requirements that are substantially similar to Federal requirements.
The jurisdictions could create another agency for these purposes and split responsibilities with
the Area Council, but this would result in duplication of work and funding. Cattrans has indicated
that it would oppose designation of any organization other than the Area Council.
Staff Report Prepared by
Ronald De Carli, Executive Director
San Luis Obispo Area Coordinating Council
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RESOLUTION NO. (1992 Series)
A RESOLUTION OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO
DESIGNATING THE SAN LUIS OBISPO AREA COORDINATING
COUNCIL AS THE METROPOLITAN PLANNING ORGANIZATION
FOR SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY
WHEREAS, as a result of the 1990 census, San Luis Obispo
County now contains an urbanized area with a population of more
than 50, 000 people, which requires establishment of a Metropolitan
Planning Organization (MPO) , and
WHEREAS, the State law requires that the County Board of
Supervisors and the City Councils of a majority of the cities
representing a majority of the population of the incorporated area
of the county adopt resolutions designating a Metropolitan Planning
Organization, and
WHEREAS, the San Luis Obispo Area Coordinating Council (herein
known as the Area Council) is the designated Regional
Transportation Planning Agency (RTPA) for the San Luis Obispo
region, and
WHEREAS, Area Council delegates include the five members of
the County Board of Supervisors and an elected member from each of
. the seven incorporated cities in the county, and
WHEREAS, as the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) the
Area Council will be eligible to receive Federal funds which can
be used for various regional planning purposes, and
WHEREAS, it is in the best interest of the City of San Luis .
Obispo that the Area Council be designated a Metropolitan Planning
Organization for San Luis Obispo County.
C -lO -lo
Resolution No. (1992 Series)
Page 2
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, the City hereby designates the
Area Council as the Metropolitan Planning Organization for San Luis
Obispo County.
Upon motion of , seconded by
and on the following roll call
vote:
AYES:
NOES:
ABSENT:
the foregoing resolution was adopted this day of
1992 .
Mayor Ron Dunin
ATTEST:
Pam Voges, City Clerk
APPROVED:
C'� a , rz�
ity dminist tive Off cer
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