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Authorize the County Administrator to execute a Memorandum of Agreement for funding the $4 million local match commitment of Solano County for the construction of the State Route 37/Fairgrounds Drive Improvement Project
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Published Notice Required? Yes ____ No _X _
Public Hearing Required? Yes ____ No _X _
DEPARTMENTAL RECOMMENDATION:
The Department of Resource Management recommends that the Board of Supervisors authorize the County Administrator to execute a Memorandum of Agreement for funding the $4 million local match commitment of Solano County for the construction of the State Route 37/Fairgrounds Drive Improvement Project.
SUMMARY:
Solano County, the City of Vallejo, and the Solano Transportation Authority (STA) have been partnering on various project development phases and delivery of the current SR 37/Fairgrounds Drive Improvement Project (“Project”). The Project will provide congestion, mobility, transit, and safety enhancements at the Fairgrounds Drive and Highway 37 interchange, including roadway corridor improvements in front of the Solano County Fairgrounds that were identified in the Solano360 Specific Plan.
STA is seeking a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) included as Attachment A, with Solano County to provide $4 million in funding for the construction of the State Route 37/Fairgrounds Drive Improvement Project. The County’s $4 million in matching funds includes a variety of State and regional funds that the County either manages or has the right to claim through annual grant applications. This County match amount is necessary to supplement the $21.2 million in State, regional, and local funding that is already committed to the Project. In exchange, STA will facilitate the construction work with Caltrans and anticipates completion by the end of 2025.
Approval by the Board authorizes the County Administrator to execute the MOA and assist STA with the various funding applications in support of this Project.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
The funding sources in the MOA that make up the $4 million Project supplement were targeted for their specific applicability to the Project, particularly with regard to their transit, bicycle and pedestrian aspects. These State and regional fund sources provide full match funding without any impact to the General Fund or Road Fund. The costs associated with preparing the agenda item are nominal and absorbed by the Department’s FY2023/24 Working Budget
DISCUSSION:
Since 2006, the County has been working collaboratively with the City of Vallejo (City) and the Solano Transportation Authority (STA) on several improvements to transportation infrastructure along Fairgrounds Drive, its intersection/interchange with Highway 37, and Redwood Parkway. In 2021, STA, the City and the County entered into an amended Funding Agreement for the plans, specification and estimate (PS&E) phase of the SR 37/Fairgrounds Drive Improvement Project in order to bring the Project to shovel-ready status.
Funding Package
The Project obtained a commitment of $15 million in Regional Measure 3 (RM3) bridge toll funding; however, RM3 was legally challenged and upheld, which delayed its approval until 2023. In 2022, the Board approved $800,000 a fund swap agreement with STA which allowed design work to continue during the RM3 legal challenge, and the $800,000 is now being credited back in the MOA as part of Solano County’s local match. STA and Caltrans recently completed the PS&E phase and determined the funding need for construction totals $25.2 million. The $4 million commitment from Solano County within the MOA will complete the Project construction funding, and contains the following funding sources:
1) $800,000 in State Transit Assistance Funds (STAF) (Credit back from 2022 agreement)
2) $800,000 in STA Letter of No Prejudice (LONP) State funds
3) $1.5M in Transportation Development Act Article 4 (TDA 4) funds (County allocation)
4) $500,000 is Regional Transportation Impact Fee (RTIF) District 7 funds
5) $266,331 in Transportation Development Act Article 3 (TDA 3) funds
6) $133,669 in Transportation Funds for Clean Air (TFCA) funds
On March 13, 2024, the STA Board authorized the Executive Director to enter into a MOA with Solano County. Staff in the Department of Resource Management have coordinated the funding strategy with staff from STA and the City of Vallejo to ensure funding applicability. The Project benefits the City of Vallejo by rehabilitating and improving Fairgrounds Drive, including traffic safety improvements, and installation of bike lanes, pedestrian sidewalks/crossings, signage, transit stops and landscaping. The Project will provide a significant benefit to Solano360 and Solano County Fairgrounds because the various improvements on Fairgrounds Drive and the Highway 37 Interchange are required for enhancing and mitigating the future development of Solano360 Specific Plan. A draft construction layout plan is attached as Attachment B (Construction Layout).
Once the MOA is executed, STA will complete the right of way certification process with Caltrans and then put the Project out to bid. Department of Resource Management staff will continue to work with staff from STA and the City of Vallejo to ensure all funding listed in the MOA is applied to the Project. Construction is anticipated to begin as early as October 2024 with completion planned near the end of 2025.
ALTERNATIVES:
The Board may choose not to authorize the County Administrator to execute the Memorandum of Agreement. This is not recommended because the MOA will fully fund the Project utilizing State and regional fund sources without needing General Fund or Road Fund and meets the anticipated improvements identified in the Solano360 Specific Plan.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
Staff from Solano Transportation Authority, City of Vallejo, and Caltrans have been involved in the development of the MOA funding plan.
CAO RECOMMENDATION:
APPROVE DEPARTMENTAL RECOMMENDATION