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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 08051997 - C44 TO: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS = _ Contra FROM: TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE Costa Courty DATE: August 5, 1997 SUBJECT: Senate Bill 479 by Senator Alpert SPECIFIC REQUEST(S) OR RECOMMENDATION(S) & BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION L RECOMMENDED ACTION: Oppose Senate Bill 479 unless the following amendments are made: 1. Exclude from this legislation projects on local roads and transit projects even if the funs for the projects comes from state transportation funds. 2. Exclude from the legislation projects on State highways with 100% of the project funds from local sources and if the local entities are paying for the cost of engineering and contract administration. 11. FINANCIAL IMPACT None to General Fund. CONTINUED ON ATTACHMENT: SIGNATURE: _ RECOMMENDATION OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR X RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE _ APPROVE _ OTHER SIGNATURE(S): JO CANCIAMILLA DONNA BER ACTION OAugust 997 APPROVED AS RECOMME D x OTHER I hereby certify that this Is a true and correct coplr of an action taken and entered on the minutes of the VOTE OF SUPERVISORS A� BTEo Supervisors on the date shown. �jC�� 7 PHIL BAT ELOR,Clerk oftlre of Sup and County Adminloot" X UNANIMOUS (ABSENT II ) AYES: NOES: By ABSENT: ABSTAIN: Contact Person,Maurice Shiu(510)313-2251 Orig: Div:Transp..Committee cc: V.Alezeeff,GMEDA Director Smith&Kempton ,MMS:ly g:lv/Bdord/agn8-5.wpd Senate Bill 479 August 5, 1997 Page Two Ill. Reasons for Recommendations and Background: Senate Bill 479 by Senator Alpert will require "state employees"to perform all engineering work done on state highways or financed totally or in part with "state transportation funds". Exemption to this provision can be made if the State Controller's Office, 1/. verifies that it will be less expensive to contract out, or 2/. concludes that the engineering services are urgently needed to protect public health and safety or 3/. concludes that the quality of the work will be lowered if performed by state employees. For the purpose of this bill, local entities' employees are not considered to be state employees. Senate Bill 479, if passed, will affect the County in the following ways: 1. It will affect most of the County's road capital improvement program. It will require state employees to perform all engineering work on all projects involving the expenditure of "state transportation funds'. State transportation funds means all money appropriated by the Legislature for expenditure by Caltrans and all money included in special funds that Caltrans controls. Since all state highway and transit funds and federal highway funds flows through Caltrans, and since a large part of the County's capital improvement program is funded with state and federal grants, the county will lose control of these projects to Caltrans' engineers. 2. It will affect County's transit project in a similar way. Most transit capital improvements involve state and federal funds. While federal transit funds do not go through Caltrans, the state "Transit Capital Improvement" fund is controlled by Caltrans. Important projects such as rehabilitation of the BART system and capital improvements to the Capital Corridor will again be under the control of Caltrans engineers. 3. It will affect the implementation of State Route 4 in East County. County and the City of Brentwood have had an understanding with Caltrans over the development of State Route 4 in East County for a long time. Since State Route 4 in East County is a conventional highway with many intersections with local streets, and since the funds used to improve this road are all locally generated or development related, and State Route 4 will be relinquished to the local entities once State Route 4 Bypass is complete, it is more appropriate for the local entities to design and construct the improvements. This bill will require Caltrans to do the design and construction management of all improvements to State Route.4. 4. It will affect the implementation of State Route 4 Bypass. The County and the cities of Antioch and Brentwood are involved in the planning and construction of the State Route 4 Bypass. At this time, this route is not a designated state highway and we do not anticipate any State Transportation funds to finance the project. The understanding with Caltrans is that Caltrans will take over the responsibility of the Bypass as soon as a usable segment is completed and the road connecting the Bypass to the existing State Route 4 is generally the same as the existing State Route 4. Senate B 479 would require us to contract with Caltrans to design and construct the Bypass and would take the decision making and management of this important road out of the hands of the local decision makers. Senate Bill 479 August 5, 1997 Page Three 5. It will affect the delivery of promised projects funded with Measure C-88 and may impact the County's effort to seek further voter approval for transportation funds. Contra Costa County voters approved Measure C-88 which provides over $200 million to improve 1-680, State Route 242 and State Route 4. Over the last eight years, through a partnership of the Transportation Authority, cities and counties, the consulting engineering community and Caltrans, the County was able to deliver many highway improvements ahead of schedule with substantial cost savings. Eliminating the involvement of local entities and the consulting engineering community will effectively give State employees the monopoly to perform engineering work. Monopoly could lead to an inefficient and non-responsive operation and may delay delivery of needed highway improvements to our residents. IV. Consequences of Negative Action: If Senate Bill is passed, there will be major disruption in the implementation of the County Transportation Improvement Program with the resulting in traffic delay.