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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 09282004 - C.38 TO: BOARD OF SUPERVISORSon , FROM: DENNIS M. BARRY, AICP Costa COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR -' -County DATE: SEPTEMBER 28, 2004 • " ^ SUBJECT: PROPOSED NEW JOINT POWERS AUTHORITY TO RUN SAN JOAQUININTERCITY TRAIN SERVICE SPECIFIC REQUEST(S) OR RECOMMENDATION(S) & BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION RECOMMENDATIONS REFER to the Transportation, Water and Infrastructure Committee the matter of a proposed new joint powers authority to run the San Joaquin train service, which is now operated by Caltrans. FISCAL IMPACT NONE from referring this matter to the Transportation, Water and Infrastructure Committee. Should the new ten-county joint powers authority be created with Contra Costa County as one of the members, the County would bear some share of start-up costs estimated at$100,000. Staff has not yet identified a County funding source, pending discussion of the matter with the Transportation, Water and Infrastructure Committee. BACKGROUND/REASONS FOR RECON`r&IENDATIONS The San Joaquin train service links Bakersfield, Fresno, Stockton and other Central Valley cities with Contra Costa and Alameda Counties. Currently the San Joaquin has four daily round-trips through Contra Costa County, with stops at Antioch, Martinez and Richmond. From Richmond, the train continues on to Berkeley, Emeryville and Oakland. The trains are operated by Caltrans. An advisory committee that works with Caltrans,called the San Joaquin Valley Rail Committee,is proposing that the service be shifted from Caltrans to a new joint powers authority that would be composed of all ten counties along the route. Contra Costa County is represented on the advisory committee by Supervisor Uilkema (with Supervisor Gioia as the alternate), and by Mr. Howard Abelson of EI Cerrito. The suggestion for a new JPA uses the same model used about a decade ago for the Capitol Corridor service between Sacramento and the Bay Area,which includes stops at Martinez and Richmond. That service also was initiated by Caltrans with three daily round-trips.The service was handed over in the mid- 1990s to the then-new Capitol Corridor Joint Powers Authority. The CCJPA aggressively advocated for funding from various sources, increased the marketing program for the service, and has increased the service to 12 daily round-trips,with plans to go to 16 in a few years.The CCJPA can engage in lobbying, advocacy, and marketing activities that cannot be done by a state department such as Caltrans. Exhibit A is a letter from the Chair of the San Joaquin Valley Rail Committee, asking for the County's comments on the proposal. Staff recommends the Board of Supervisors refer the matter to the Transportation,Water and Infrastructure Committee for review and possible recommendajion to the full Board. - CONTINUED ON ATTACHMENT: X YES SIGNATURE ,.,--RECOMMENDATION OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR RECOMM` NDA. ON OF Bt7ARD C. ITTEE APPROVE .�OTHER SIGNATURE S ACTION OF B0, ON °d' APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED OTHER VOTE OF SUPERVISORS I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A TRUE /"—"UNANIMOUS (ABSENT ) AND CORRECT COPY OF AN ACTION TAKEN AYES: NOES: AND ENTERED ON THE MINUTES OF THE ABSENT: ABSTAIN: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS ON THE DATE Contact: John Greitzer(925/335-1201) SHOWN. cc: Community Development Department (CDD) ATTESTED S. Kowalewski, Public Works JOHN SWEETEN, CLERK OF Ad Hoc Intercity Rail Advisory Committee THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS AND COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR G:\groupsktms\greltzer\BO\Draft\sepL28_04 jpa san joaquin BY �-e-- d j �', , DEPUTY EXHIBIT A ° Ulm �q REPRESENTING COUNTIES ALONG THE ROUTE OF THE $AIV JOAOUINS The Honorable Connie Conway _f Board of Supervisors SEP 0 REC D County of Tulare 2800 West Borrel Avenue � Visalia, CA 93291-4582 August 13, 2004 The Honorable Federal Glover, Chair Contra Costa.County Board of Supervisors 651 Pine Street .Martinez, CA 94553 Dear Mr. Glover: Subject: Joint Powers Authority As authorized by Senate Bill 457, the counties along the route of the San Joaquin trains, extending from San Francisco and Sacramento on the north to Los Angeles on the south, can enter into a Joint Powers Authority to oversee the operation of these trains. This is similar to the Capitol Corridor Joint Powers Authority, already in operation, and the Los Angeles/San Diego (LOS AN) corridor,which is considering such a move. Financing would continue under the Division of.Pail at Caltrans. Such a move can increase direct decisions on the operation and marketing of our trains. Enclosed is a statement outlining these details. We are interested in your interest in what we feel is an improvement to the ever-increasing use of the San Joaquin trains and better involvement by our counties. If you wish, we can schedule an appearance at a convenient date of your meeting. Thank you. ,Sine ely Tulare County Supervisor Connie nway, Chair San Joaquin Valley Rail Comm' ee Enclosure U1M ar� � AU REPPESENTING COUNTtEs ALONG 7NE ROUT€ OF THE SAN JOAOUtNS ll Co JOINT POWERS AUTHORITY-STATEMENT The San Joaquin Valley Rail Committee (SJVRC) has committed 'itself to giving serious consideration to the formation of a Joint Powers Authority (TPA) to assume management of the corridor provided by Caltrans, Division of Rail. JPAs are common among providers of transportation and the SJVRC observes the Capitol Corridor-Joint Powers Authority (CCJPA)as a model of how the structure can be successfully applied to Amtrak corridors. In the consideration of a JPA, the SJVRC implies no criticism of the work done by Caltrans, Division of Rail. To the contrary, the SJVRC applauds the diligent stewardship Caltrans, Division of Rail has exhibited in its partnership with Amtrak and its overall management of the corridor. However, an advantage of working under the aegis of a JPA is the opportunity to better communicate with elected representatives, nationally, state, and local. SJVRC, operating as a JPA would have the ability to lobby, promote, and publicly campaign for expansion and improvement of the service. These are activities that Caltrans, Division of Rail, and Amtrak are unable to legally perform. Caltrans, Division of Rail will continue to fund the corridor through the proposed JPA and a continued good relationship is expected much as is presently in effect with the CCJPA. Executive and staff management of the JPA is to be selected by the SJVRC JPA Board. One central understanding the SJVRC has reached concerns the issue of financial exposure and risk. The SJVRC has researched these points and has concluded that both financial exposure and risk are minimal. The operation would be self-funding, and should it cease to be self-funding, the agreement to assume management from Caltrans provides for the return of operations to Caltrans This does not mean that there would be no costs associated with the formation and startup of the JPA. The largest of these costs are associated with the preparation of a detailed Business Plan, as prescribed by the enabling legislation. While these costs would otherwise be considerable, it is felt that most of the legal and preparatory work done by the CCJPA would be almost wholly transportable, leaving only a small portion to be covered. These casts might be on the order of $100,000, although no detailed cost projection has been performed to date. Additionally, there is an organizational issue to be dealt with before proceeding. Currently the SJVRC affords tow representative members from each of the 10 counties it serves, as prescribed by the legislation creating the SJVRC. The existing enabling legislation permitting a TPA for the San Joaquin Corridor, however, calls for only on representative from the counties of Alameda, Contra Costa and Los Angeles. This.matter, which is not considered a stumbling black, will nonetheless have to be addressed legislatively in order to proceed.