HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 02141995 - TC2 _ TL Z
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TO: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS f f-%--A
FROM: TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE CoU*
DATE: February 6, 1995
SUBJECT: Proposed Transportation Legislation for 1995
SPECIFIC REQUEST(S) OR RECOMMENDATIONS) & BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION
RECOMMENDATIONS
Support state legislation during the 1995 session in the following
transportation-related areas:
(1) allow use of area of benefit fees for improvements to State
highways;
(2) allow for annual adjustments in the amount of developer fees
imposed for meeting growth management standards to account for
changes in the cost of construction;
(3) seek funding from the Petroleum Violation Escrow Account
(PVEA) for the County in the amount of $300, 000 to support a
County Bicycle Coordinator position and program for a three-
year period.
Continue efforts to secure special federal authorization for State
Route 4 improvements, working with local jurisdictions, the Contra
Costa Transportation Authority and our Congressional delegation.
FISCAL IMPACT
None identified to County general fund.
BACKGROUND/REASONS FOR RECOMMENDATIONS
With the start of the new legislative session, the Transportation
Committee supports proposals for new legislation developed by the
CONTINUED ON ATTACHMENT: X YES SIGNATURE
RECOMMENDATION OF COUNTYF ADMINISTRAIIOR X RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE
APPROVE OTHE
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SIGNATURE(S) : Jeff Smith Tom Torlakson
ACTION OF BOARD ON f1SAPPROVED AS RECOMMENDED _ OTHER
VOTE OF SUPERVISORS
I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A
UNANIMOUS (ABSENT TRUE AND CORRECT COPY OF AN
AYES: NOES: ACTION TAKEN AND ENTERED ON THE
ABSENT: ABSTAIN: MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF
SUPERVISORS ON THE DATE SHOWN.
Orig Dept: Community Development ATTESTED / yS
Contact: Ernest Vovakis, 646-2355 PHIL BATCHELOR, CtERK OF
cc: Val Alexeeff, GMEDA THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
Claude Van Marter, CAO AND COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR
D.J. Smith and Associates
BY J , DEPUTY
Proposed Transportation Legislation for 1995
February 6, 1995
Page 2
Growth Management and Economic Development Agency's legislative project team.
If the Board concurs with these recommendations, staff will work with our
legislative consultant and seek a sponsor for each bill. A brief description
of each proposal follows.
The County has established a number of areas of benefit as a mechanism for
collecting fees to fund road improvements needed to support new development.
State law currently is silent on whether these funds can be used for
improvements on state highways. It is conceivable that new development in the
County may necessitate improvements to state highways, such as widening of
onramps. Orange County has been authorized by special legislation to use such
fees on state facilities. The committee recommends Contra Costa also seek such
authorization to clarify the legislative intent.
A related issue concerns development fees imposed by the County at the time of
vested tentative map approval. These fees are not collected until building
permits are issued, which may occur several years after tentative map approval.
Vested tentative maps are valid for 8 to 13 years after approval. By this time,
construction costs for the required improvements have increased as a result of
inflation. The committee recommends legislation permitting annual adjustment
of development fees using the Construction Cost Index for the Bay area as
published in the Engineering News Record for cases when construction lags behind
tentative map approval by a year or more.
The Countywide Bicycle Advisory Committee has recently completed the Countywide
Bicycle Action Plan, which proposes a coordinated countywide effort to increase
opportunities for bicycle use. The plan recommends a three-pronged approach for
achieving greater use of the bicycle for transportation purposes: (1) developing
bicycle-friendly communities through the improvement of the design of
residential, commercial and employment centers; (2) developing an integrated
countywide plan of bikeways that connect residential areas with employment
centers, schools, transit stops, hospitals, etc. and (3) increasing the
promotion of bicycle transportation, including provision of training for bicycle
commuters. To coordinate these efforts, the plan recommends hiring a County
Bicycle Coordinator. The Transportation Committee recommends that the County
seek $300, 000 in funding from the Petroleum Violation Escrow Account for support
this position for three years.
At the federal level, legislation to adopt the National Highway System (NHS)
failed to pass in the 103rd Congress. In that legislation, Congressman George
Miller had secured special authorization for the SR 4 West project and
Congressman Bill Baker was successful in including special authorization for the
SR 4 East project. Representative Bud Shuster (R-PA) , the new chair of the
House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, has stated that he expects
new NHS legislation to be out of his committee in about three months. He
indicated that he will allow special projects in this legislation, but that all
special projects must be accompanied by a letter of endorsement from the state
secretary of transportation. This added requirement will make it very difficult
to include special projects in the new NHS legislation.
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