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CALL TO ORDER

The Regular Meeting of the Policy Advisory Committee (PAC) was called to order at 4:09 p.m. by Chairperson Sandoval in Conference Room B-104, Valley Transportation Authority (VTA), 3331 North First Street, San Jose, California.

ROLL CALL

Members Present
Paul Correa
Dan Furtado
Steve Glickman
Dennis Kennedy
Breene Kerr
Yoriko Kishimoto, Vice Chairperson
Norman Kline
King Lear
Linda J. LeZotte
Barbara Nesbet (Alternate)
Victor Ojakian
Greg Perry

Delores Sandoval, Chairperson

Members Absent
Dominic Caserta
Ron Swegles
Althea Polanski

A quorum was present. 

Orders of the Day

There were no Orders of the Day.

Public Presentation 

There were no Public Presentations.

Minutes of October 14, 2004

M/S/C (Kennedy /Ojakian) on a vote of 10 ayes to 0 nays to 1 abstention to approve the Minutes of October 14, 2004.  Member Nesbet abstained.

Committee Staff Report

Carolyn Gonot, Chief Development Officer, reported that the Valley Transportation Plan 2030 (VTP 2030) was deferred from the December 9, 2004 Board of Directors Meeting to the February 3, 2005 Board of Directors Meeting to afford opportunities to provide presentations either to staff, in study sessions or at Council Meetings.

Chairperson Sandoval requested the VTP 2030 be agendized for the
January 13, 2005 PAC Meeting.

Nominating Committee for Chairperson and Vice Chairperson for 2005

Upon query of Chairperson Sandoval, Members Glickman, Kline, and Kennedy volunteered to participate on the Nominating Committee for Chairperson and
Vice Chairperson for 2005.   Chairperson Sandoval requested that the Nominating Committee provide a report at the December 11, 2003 Meeting.

Chairperson Sandoval requested a report back at the January 13, 2005 PAC Meeting.

On order of Chairperson Sandoval, there being no objection, Members Glickman, Kline, and Kennedy were appointed as the Nominating Committee for Chairperson and Vice Chairperson for 2005.

Chairperson’s Report

Chairperson Sandoval reminded the Committee that action on the revised PAC Bylaws will be addressed at the January 6, 2005 Board of Directors Meeting.

Chairperson Sandoval announced that Joanne Benjamin, Policy and Program Manager, is making a career move and that this would be her last meeting. 

City Groupings Reports

Vice Chairperson Kishimoto reported that the North County City Group met and discussed the following: 1) safe routes to school, 2) the El Camino Boulevard Project.

Member Kennedy reported that the Milpitas, Gilroy, and Morgan Hill (MGM) Group met and discussed: 1) the major bottleneck south of Morgan Hill due to the widening of Highway 101, he reported that the City of Gilroy requested that the project be elevated in the VTP 2030, 2) Bob Livengood’s interim appointment replacing Trish Dixon until the City of Milpitas conducts reappointments, 3) Coyote Valley plans have not been included in the VTP 2030, 4) San Martin is moving forward with a plan to incorporate as city may become an addition to the South County City Group.

On order of Chairperson Sandoval, there being no objection, the City Groupings Reports were received.

PAC Bylaws

Stephen Flynn, Senior Management Analyst, reported that the bylaws were revised to include changes discussed at the October 14, 2004 PAC Meeting.

M/S/C (Kennedy/Kishimoto) approve amending the Policy Advisory Committee bylaws.

Proposed Operating and Capital Scenarios. (Continued from the October 14, 2004 PAC Meeting)

Ms. Gonot distributed a memorandum with two options; Attachment A – Caltrain Electrification Moved Forward, and Attachment B – Caltrain Electrification Delayed Using Board Adopted Evaluation Criteria.   She reported that earlier today the Board of Directors   approved releasing the document for public review and comment.

Board Member Kerr reminded the Committee that PAC, as well as the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors, recommended the development of a plan that does not include the ½-cent sales tax.

Chairperson Sandoval stressed the importance of beginning Caltrain Electrification
in the year 2014.

Jerry Grace, Interested Citizen, expressed confusion regarding both scenarios remaining on the table.

M/S/C (Perry/Kerr) to advise the Board of Directors that the Policy Advisory Committees preference is to move Caltrain Electrification forward to the year 2014.  

M/S/C (Perry/Nesbet) on a vote 9 ayes to 3 nays to 0 abstentions to request a worse-case/no new ½-cent sales tax expenditure scenario be reconsidered on a future Board of Directors agenda. Members Glickman, Furtado, and Chairperson Sandoval voted nay.                      

Member Kennedy left the meeting at 4:39 p.m.

BUSINESS REFERRED TO COMMITTEE BY THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS/ GENERAL MANAGER

Draft Policy Advisory Committee Work Plan

Mr. Flynn explained that a Committee Work Plan is a helpful tool in balancing the Committees workload between meetings.

On order of Chairperson Sandoval, there being no objection, the Committee Work Plan was received, and on general consensus, approved for placement on all future Policy Advisory Committee agendas.

Presentation on Status of Downtown East Valley (DTEV) Transit Improvement Project

Steven Fisher, Senior Transportation Planner, distributed the Downtown East Valley Transit Improvement Plan and provided a brief history of the project.  He reported that the DTEV planning process began in 1997 encompassing the entire southeast area of
San Jose.   He reported that the DTEV Policy Advisory Board was also established in 1997.  The Major Investment Study (comprehensive transit study) began in early 1999. Mr. Fisher reported that projects identified in the original study were Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) on Monterey Highway, light rail transit extension to Capital Expressway, and the Santa Clara/Alum Rock Corridor were both Enhanced Bus and Single Car Light Rail.  In 2001 comprehensive conceptual engineering and environmental impact process began on Capital Expressway from the Alum Rock Station to the intersection of Route 87 and Guadalupe.  The environmental impact process was completed early in 2004. The Draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR) was circulated in April 2004 and a public hearing took place in May 2004.  He reported that following the public comment, staff returned to the DTEV PAB with a recommendation to divide the corridor into segments: 1) light rail line from Alum Rock Station to Eastridge Transit Center, 2) extending the light rail line one station further south to Nieman Boulevard to serve a large potential transit oriented development.  Mr. Fisher reported that regarding the area south of Nieman Boulevard to Route 87, there is a comprehensive transportation study in progress that has not yet made its recommendations. VTA is currently conducting a study on U.S. 101 Central Corridor and until recommendations come out of the Nieman to Route 87 study VTA hesitates to develop staff recommendations that may pre-empt recommendations that may come out of the Nieman Boulevard to Route 87 study.   He reported that staff anticipates presentation of the EIR to the Board of Directors for approval in February 2005.

Chairperson Sandoval requested a review of the Draft DTEV EIR be placed on the Work Plan.

On order of Chairperson Sandoval, there being no objection, the Presentation on Status of Downtown East Valley (DTEV) Transit Improvement Project, was received.

Joint Development Policy and Developer Selection Process

David Miller, Commercial Development Manager, reported that the intent of the joint development effort is to create a long-term, continuing source of revenue to support the operations of VTA and increase utilization of the community’s public transit system.  He reported that the Joint Development Policy provides a framework for creating and pursuing the highest and best opportunities for development around station areas and along corridors.  The policy is intended to establish guidelines and procedures for identifying such opportunities to optimize return on investment to VTA. Joint Development includes coordination with local jurisdictions in station area land use planning to establish development patterns that enhance transit use.

Member Furtado left the meeting at 5:38 p.m.
Member LeZotte left the meeting at 5:45 p.m.

M/S/C (Perry/Kline) to have the Policy Advisory Committee encourage the Board of Directors to look further into transit improvement districts or around any new BART or Light Rail Stations.

2004 Tier 1 Bicycle Projects Biennial Review

Ms. Benjamin provided a brief overview of the 2004 Tier 1 Bicycle Projects Biennial Review.  She noted that the Hetch Hetchy project has been deleted and the Campbell project has been changed in location and scope.

Member Kerr stated there was a bicycle and pedestrian safety issue around Foothill College and requested that a bicycle project near Foothill College to address the safety issue be placed on the list.

Member Correa left the meeting at 5:46 p.m.
Member Glickman left the meeting at 5:50 p.m.

On order of Chairperson Sandoval, there being no objection, the remainder of the Agenda was postponed.

Community Design and Transportation Program: First Cycle Planning Grants

Regional Bicycle/Pedestrian Program-Project Prioritization

1996 Measure B and TEA-21 Pavement Management Program Final Report

Programmed Projects Quarterly Monitoring Report for July-December 2004

Proactive CMP Reviewed and Approved Projects Quarterly Status Report

OTHER

Announcements

There were no Announcements.

Adjournment

On order of Chairperson Sandoval, there being no objection, the meeting was adjourned at 6:25 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Barbara R. Box, Board Assistant
VTA Board of Directors