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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2014-03-06 Development & TransportationCITY COUNCIL COMMITTEE ON DEVELOPMENT AND TRANSPORTATION Meeting Minutes March 6, 2014 CALL TO ORDER The meeting was called to order at 5:05 p.m. in Room 1600 of the City Hall Ross Annex. ATTENDANCE The following Committee Members were present: Vincent Sarmiento, Michele Martinez, David Benavides Staff present were: David Cavazos, City Manager; Karen Haluza, Interim Executive Director /Planning & Building Agency; William Galvez, Interim Exec. Director /Public Works Agency; Jason Gabriel, Principal Civil Engineer and Rosa Barela, PBA Executive Secretary. Consultants present were: Hal Suetsugu and Juliet Arroyo, Evan Brooks Associates PUBLIC COMMENTS Peter Katz noted support for the street car project adding it will bring up property values along the routes adding if done right with the right type of cars people will use them. AGENDA ITEMS APPROVAL OF MINUTES: A. December 5, 2013 Special Meeting B. December 12, 2013 Special Meeting C. January 9, 2014 Regular Meeting Motion by Committee member Benavides and seconded by Vice Chair Martinez to approve the minutes and approved unanimously by a vote of 3:0. STREETCAR PROJECT SCHEDULE UPDATE Mr. Galvez provided an update on the street car and on the environmental impact report (EIR), introduced representatives from Orange County Transit Authority OCTA) Jennifer Beringer and Kelly Hart who will provide an update and discuss upcoming meetings with the Transit Committee and the OCTA Board; and noted the meeting between the David Cavazos and OCTA Chief Executive Officer Darrell Johnson. Hal Suetsugu provided a project update handout and introduced Juliet Arroyo who provided an update on the EIR noting they have been working with OCTA the past two to three months to address all concerns between the City of Santa Ana, OCTA, Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) and are close to getting a final sign off from the FTA and hope to release document in April, and will have a project update meeting with the Stakeholder Working Group. Mr. Suetsugu noted the City of Garden Grove approved a Partnership and Support Resolution to partner with the City of Santa Ana in moving forward with the Streetcar Project. Chairman Sarmiento suggested the City should also have a resolution of support. Mr. Cavazos noted he will follow -up. Mr. Cavazos noted he spoke with Garden Grove City Manager Matt Fertal and both will attend the Transit Committee meeting on March 13 and the OCTA Board meeting on March 24. Mr. Suetsugu noted once the FTA authorizes public release of the environmental document, they will mobilize and begin the 45 -day public review and comment period, evaluate and respond to comments and hope to bring to the Council a month or two after the close of the comment period. Mr. Galvez noted there will be a Stakeholders Working Group meeting to keep the public apprised of the project and the environmental process, and will update the website. Mr. Suetsugu noted they will provide a list at the next meeting of the elected officials and OCTA Board members that will indicate if they support, are undecided or do not support the project. Chairman Sarmiento inquired when the EIR document was submitted to the FTA and when they expect the review to be complete. Kelly Hart, OCTA Fixed Guideway Project Manager, clarified the process adding she is the primary contact with the FTA and handles the coordination with FTA on behalf of Santa Ana, Garden Grove and Anaheim, noted they are waiting to hear back from the State Historic Preservation Office and will then submit the final document to FTA for the final review. Chairman Sarmiento thanked OCTA for their attendance and noted the committee, City Council and staff are very supportive and receptive and available to help wherever they can. Jennifer Beringer, OCTA Director of Rail & Facilities, noted the Committee is important and key to vet through some of the tougher issues before they go to the OCTA Board or City Council, noted Mr. Cavazos and staff are slated to provide an overview of the project to the OCTA Transit Committee on March 13 and the OCTA Board on March 2, and noted OCTA staff will then work on the next round of policy decisions that the OCTA Board will need to make. Mr. Cavazos noted the importance of the policy and a buy -in from the city long term and suggested the city make a commitment to share in operational costs which will demonstrate to the Board that the city is in and would recommend a 10% participation, and noted he and Darrel Johnson are in agreement to jointly recommend getting the design done which is critical. Development & Transp. Council Committee Minutes 2 March 6, 2014 Ms. Hart noted the importance of putting out a very clear and concise environmental document that is easy for the public to read and understand and ensure the outreach plan is very thorough and are reaching out to all the key stakeholders which will bode well for the project and for the FTA as well. Vice Chair Martinez noted the messaging perspective as we move forward to the OCTA Board will be very sensitive and needs to be very strategic. Mr. Cavazos noted Santa Ana is the fourth highest density city in the country without any kind of rail mass transit, noted possibility of creating Friends of Transit funded by groups who have vested interest which has been successful in the past. Chairman Sarmiento noted the benefit to the county by reducing the number of vehicles adding it will improve the quality of life and the requirement of the Measure M2 to have a fixed guideway system. COMMITTEE MEMBER COMMENTS - None Karen Haluza announced the next meeting will be held on May 8, 2014. ADJOURNMENT — 6:04 P.M. Karen Haluza Interim Executive Director Planning & Building Agency RB rb Council Corl & Trenep CM -06 -14 Decal & Trans, CC Mlnues Development & Transp. Council Committee Minutes 3 March 6, 2014