REQUEST FOR CITY COUNCIL ACTION
DATE: 09/20/2023
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
FROM: Public Works Department
SUBJECT:
Title
ACCEPTANCE OF TWO FUNDING SOURCES FOR THE ONTARIO AVENUE WIDENING AT I-15 PROJECT AND APPROVAL OF REIMBURSEMENT AGREEMENTS WITH RIVERSIDE COUNTY TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION AND WESTERN RIVERSIDE COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS
End
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
This staff report asks the City Council to accept two funding sources that will be allocated to the Ontario Avenue Widening at I-15 Project: 1) Riverside County Transportation Commission’s 2023 Western Riverside County Regional Arterials Call for Projects grant for $7,938,781 and 2) Western Riverside Council of Governments Transportation Uniform Mitigation Fee for $6,160,000. In addition, the report asks the City Council to approve reimbursement agreements with the Riverside County Transportation Commission and Western Riverside Council of Governments, who comprise the agencies responsible for administering the funding to the City of Corona.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Recommended action
That the City Council:
a. Accept a grant award from Riverside County Transportation Commission’s 2023 Western Riverside County Regional Arterials Call for Projects in the amount of $7,938,781 for the Ontario Avenue Widening at I-15 Project.
b. Accept a grant award from Western Riverside Council of Governments Transportation Uniform Mitigation Fee funding in the amount of $6,160,000 for Ontario Avenue Widening at I-15 Project.
c. Authorize the City Manager, or his designee, to execute a Reimbursement Agreement with the Riverside County Transportation Commission in the amount of $7,938,781.
d. Authorize the City Manager, or his designee, to execute a Reimbursement Agreement with the Western Riverside Council of Governments in the amount of $6,160,000.
e. Authorize an appropriation and estimated revenue increase in the amount of $7,938,781 from the Public Works Capital Grants/Agreement Fund 243 and $6,160,000 from the TUMF-WRCOG Fund 479 to Ontario Avenue Widening At I-15 Capital Improvement Project No. ST-2017-04.
Body
BACKGROUND & HISTORY:
In 2017, the City of Corona (City) identified Ontario Avenue between Compton Street and State Street as a priority for widening to address its safety and mobility to be consistent with the City’s General Plan. The Ontario Avenue Widening at I-15 Project (Project) was also recognized in studies performed by outside agencies, such as the Riverside County Transportation Commission (RCTC) and Southern California Council of Governments, that concluded the Project would lead to improved accessibility, less congestion, and safer passage for motorists, bicyclists, and pedestrians. Accordingly, the City, RCTC, and California Department of Transportation entered into a collaborative effort to initiate the Project and begin planning improvements to address the shortfalls of the corridor.
On November 7, 2018, the City Council authorized the approval of a professional services agreement with KOA Corporation to provide Traffic Corridor Impact Study and Design Services for the Project. Currently, the Project is at 35% design and is anticipated to be ready to advertise for construction by spring 2025. Concurrently, staff is finalizing environmental documents per state and federal requirements. Since the establishment of the Project, the City has been seeking grant funding from outside agencies to fund the Project or offset the use of local funds. The current engineer’s estimate for the cost of the project is $21,375,000. City staff have successfully identified and applied for outside funds and now have the opportunity to accept two new sources of funding for the Project and seek the approval of the City Council to accept the funds and develop reimbursement agreements with the administering agencies.
ANALYSIS:
In April 2023, the City applied to RCTC’s 2023 Western Riverside County Regional Arterials Call for Projects administered by RCTC, which dedicated funding to transportation projects in Western Riverside County that performed construction activities for arterial capacity enhancement and improvements, signal synchronization, gap closures, new roads, and freeway interchanges. The City applied for $13,500,000 to fully fund the construction phase of the Project. On June 14, the Riverside County Transportation Commission was presented with and approved a set of funding recommendations prepared by its administrative staff, which included a recommendation to fund the City’s Project in the amount of $7,938,781 dedicated to the Project's construction phase. The approved funding authorized the development of a reimbursement agreement between RCTC and the City. Should the City accept the funding amount from RCTC, the City will be responsible for funding any remaining costs associated with construction of the Project.
Another funding source available for the Project is from the Western Riverside Council of Governments (WRCOG) Transportation Uniform Mitigation Fee (TUMF) Network. The City had the opportunity to secure an allocation of $6,160,000, according to WRCOG’s updated nexus study. On May 10, at a TUMF Northwest Zone Technical Advisory Committee meeting, staff requested the full share be allocated to the City’s Project. On July 5, the Northwest Executive Committee approved the City’s request in full and authorized the development of a Reimbursement Agreement between WRCOG and the City. Although there is no local match requirement associated with the allocation of TUMF funds, the City is responsible for the remaining project costs. The addition of these potential funding sources advances the City’s goal of fully funding each phase of the Project. City staff continues to identify and seek funding through local, state, and federal opportunities.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
Approval of the recommended actions will result in an appropriation and estimated revenue increase in the amount of $7,938,781 from the Public Works Capital Grants/Agreement Fund 243 and $6,160,000 from the TUMF-WRCOG Fund 479 to Ontario Avenue Widening At I-15 Capital Improvement Project No. ST-2017-04.
ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS:
This action is exempt pursuant to Section 15061(b)(3) of the Guidelines for the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), which states that a project is exempt from CEQA if the activity is covered by the general rule that CEQA applies only to projects that have the potential for causing a significant effect on the environment. Where it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the activity in question may have a significant effect on the environment, the activity is not subject to CEQA. The recommended actions are accepting new funding sources and appropriating the funding to project number 72100, and there is no possibility that accepting the funding will have a significant impact on the environment. Therefore, no environmental analysis is required at this time. The environmental document is currently being developed for state and federal approval and will be processed accordingly.
PREPARED BY: PEDRO CEVALLOS, MANAGEMENT ANALYST II
REVIEWED BY: SAVAT KHAMPHOU, PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR
Attachments:
1. Exhibit 1 - Reimbursement Agreement with the Riverside County Transportation Commission
2. Exhibit 2 - Reimbursement Agreement with the Western Riverside Council of Governments