Report Prepared by: Ken F. Elwin, PE, Director of Public Works
Title
SUBJECT: Selection of Projects for the Road Repair and Accountability Act (SB1) FY17/18 Apportionment
REPORT IN BRIEF
Approves the list of projects proposed to be funded with Road Maintenance and Rehabilitation Account (RMRA) funds pursuant to SB1.
RECOMMENDATION
City Council - Adopt a motion approving Resolution 2017-50, A Resolution of the City Council of the City of Merced, California, Approving the “FY 2017-2018 Project List” for the Road Repair and Accountability Act (SB1), Local Streets and Roads Funding for Fiscal Year 2017-2018; and, authorizing the Interim Finance Officer to make the necessary budget adjustments.
Body
ALTERNATIVES
1. Approve as recommended by staff; or,
2. Approve, subject to modifications by City Council; or,
3. Deny.
AUTHORITY
Streets and Highways Code (SHC) Section 2034(a)(1) requires an eligible city to submit to the California Transportation Commission a list of projects proposed to be funded with Road Maintenance and Rehabilitation Account (RMRA) funds; the approved project list must be incorporated into City budget and adopted at a regular public meeting.
CITY COUNCIL PRIORITIES
Addresses City Council Priority for local roads/sidewalks/traffic.
DISCUSSION
Background
On April 28, 2017, the Governor signed Senate Bill 1 (SB1), also known as the Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017. This program provides funding for basic road maintenance, rehabilitation, and critical safety needs for state highways and local streets.
The funding will be deposited by the State Controller into the Road Maintenance and Rehabilitation Account (RMRA) and will be apportioned by formula to eligible cities. In order for a city of be eligible to receive RMRA funding, an approved project list must be first incorporated into their city budget and adopted at a regular public meeting.
Projects eligible for RMRA funding include, but are not limited to, road maintenance and rehabilitation, safety projects, railroad grade separations, complete street components (including active transportation purposes, pedestrian and bicycle safety projects, transit facilities, and drainage and stormwater capture projects in conjunction with any other allowable project), and traffic control devices.
The project list must include a description, location, completion schedule, and estimated useful life of the improvement. This project list does not limit the City’s flexibility in completing projects based on local needs and priorities, as long as the projects meet the standards in the RMRA guidelines. The City will be required to annually submit a project list to the CTC in order to be eligible for RMRA funding.
Pavement Management System (PMS)
The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) defines PMS as: “A pavement management system is a set of tools or methods that assist decision makers in finding optimum strategies for providing, evaluating, and maintaining pavements in a serviceable condition over a period of time.” By developing reliable pavement inventory and condition information, the City will be better able to identify and prioritize pavement maintenance and rehabilitation needs within budget or other considering constraints that may exist, in a more cost-effective manner.
A pavement management system relies on objective, repeatable pavement condition information to determine current and future maintenance and rehabilitation needs. Therefore, the first step involves conducting a meaningful pavement evaluation. This evaluation could comprise of both a functional evaluation and a structural evaluation.
A functional evaluation considers the surface characteristics of a road, such as, cracking, smoothness, noise, friction etc. The functional pavement evaluation typically results in what is called a pavement condition index (PCI) which is based on the type, severity, and quantity of distress present. A structural evaluation is used to determine the ability of the pavement to carry traffic loadings, with information such as pavement layer thicknesses, subgrade, and is typically done at a project specific level.
The decision makers (staff, council) will need to base their program recommendations not only on a PCI, but instead recommendations will need to consider existing constraints as well as funding limitations. For example ranking of projects could be established by giving higher weight to projects that reflect the City’s priorities, for instance, higher volume roads may have higher priority than lower volume facilities.
The Merced County Association of Governments (MCAG) is currently working to release a request for proposal (RFP) for a countywide pavement management system, which the City of Merced will be a part of.
It is the hope that the City’s list of projects submitted for the following year will be selected using as an objective tool such as a pavement management system. This tool will provide the type of information needed to support the City’s decision-making process.
RMRA Apportionment and Project List
The City of Merced is anticipated to receive $484,000 in RMRA funding for FY17/18. The Public Works Director and City Engineer have developed an initial list of projects to be funded utilizing the FY 17/18 RMRA Apportionment. These projects were selected based on being able to have a quick turn around getting project out to bid and installed with minimal engineering design.
1. 1`Sidewalk Replacement at various locations throughout the City. See attached project list and attached location maps.
2. Curb and Gutter replacement at various locations throughout the City. See attached project list and attached location maps.
3. Scrub Seal Projects on Canal Street from Childs to 16th Street, East El Portal Avenue from “G” Street to Joerg Avenue, West 26th Street from “G” Street to “M” Street and Merced Avenue from Parsons Avenue to Motel Drive.
IMPACT ON CITY RESOURCES
The adopted project list must be submitted to the California Transportation Commission no later than October 16, 2017 in order for the City of Merced to be eligible to receive the FY 17/18 apportionments beginning in January 2018.
A city or county receiving an apportionment of RMRA funds is required to sustain a “Maintenance of Effort” (MOE) by spending at least the annual average of its “general fund” expenditures during the 2009-10, 2010-11, and 2011-2012 fiscal years for the street and roadway purposes. Finance Staff is working with the State of California to confirm the MOE amount. The current MOE estimate is $1,050,000 per year in order to remain eligible for RMRA funding. Although the language used is “general fund” the MOE can be and will be met with a variety of funding sources, including Public Works Administration (Fund 029), Street Trees (Fund 558), Streets Maintenance (Fund 022), Measure C (Fund 061), and the General Fund. Sufficient funding is available in the FY 2017/18 budget to allow the City to meet this MOE requirement.
ATTACHMENTS
1. Resolution
2. Project List
3. Location Maps
4. Pictures (Sidewalks & Curb and Gutter)
5. Pictures (Roadway pavement condition)