Transit Planning & Operations Committee

CALLED TO ORDER at 4:34 p.m.

ROLL CALL:

Members Present: Cortese, Gonzales, Mossar, Valerio

Members Absent: La Poll, Yeager

A quorum was present.

James Wightman, Interested Citizen, addressed the Committee and noted that VTA should place train crossing signs at light rail intersections.

Mr. Wightman inquired about the start date of the platform retrofit project for the low-floor light rail vehicles.

There were no Orders of the Day.

Approved the Minutes of December 19, 2002.

Approved submitting a recommendation to the Board of Directors to authorize the General Manager to execute a contract with the lowest responsible bidder, Pencon Corporation, in the amount of $536,460, for construction of the second phase of Noise Mitigation on the Capitol and Tasman East Light Rail Projects.

Approved submitting a recommendation to the Board of Directors to authorize the General Manager to execute a contract amendment with Parsons Brinckerhoff Quade & Douglas (PBQ&D) for additional work and design support services during construction on the Vasona Light Rail Project in an amount not to exceed $1,850,000 for a new contract amount of $31,695,275, and to extend the contract term through November 30, 2005.

Approved submitting a recommendation to the Board of Directors to authorize the General Manager to amend the total authorized funding for the R & L Brosamer, Inc., civil construction contract from Woz Way to San Jose Diridon Station by an amount of $1,675,000 to fund rail rehabilitation and Community Oriented Design Enhancement (CODE) change orders for a new contract amount not to exceed $15,809,267.  This contract is 74 percent federally funded. 

Approved submitting a recommendation to the Board of Directors to authorize the General Manager to amend the contract with Korve Engineering, Inc., in an amount not to exceed $501,702, for a new contract value not to exceed $3,859,911, and extend the term of the contract for one year to complete the Conceptual Engineering for the Downtown East Valley Project in support of the environmental compliance process.

Approved submitting a recommendation to the Board of Directors to authorize the General Manager to exercise the two remaining one-year options of the existing contract with Kleen-Rite Pressure Washers, extending the contract through March 31, 2005 for pressure washer preventive maintenance and repair services.  The value of the two option years will not exceed $73,000 for the fourth option year and $74,000 for the fifth option year for a total contract amount of $320,000 for the five-year term of the contract.

Approved submitting a recommendation to the Board of Directors to authorize the General Manager to execute a five-year agreement with an option to renew for three additional five-year periods with Level 3 Communications, LLC, a Delaware Limited Liability Company, for conduit space along a portion of the Guadalupe light rail corridor, between the Childrens Discovery Museum and the Santa Teresa Light Rail Stations.

Approved submitting a recommendation to the Board of Directors to authorize the General Manager to execute a contract with The Radiator Doctor, Inc., the lowest responsive and responsible bidder, for the repair and refurbishment of VTAs bus radiators.  The term of the contract is for one year with four one-year options at a cost of $65,670 for the first year.  Option years two, three, four and five are $67,640, $69,670, $71,760 and $73,910 respectively.  The total amount of the contract will not exceed $348,650 for the five-year period.

Received and filed the Community Oriented Design Enhancements (CODE) Program Update November-December 2002.

Received and filed the Report on the Capitol Light Rail Project for the Month of December 2002.

Received and filed the Report on the Tasman East Light Rail Project for the Month of December 2002.

Received and filed the Report on the Vasona Light Rail Project for the Month of December 2002.

Received and filed the Joint Powers Board Monthly Status Report.

Received and filed the Committee for Transit Accessibility Report.

Received and filed the Monthly Legislative Report.

Elected Member David Cortese as Vice Chairperson for 2003. 

The Agenda was taken out of order.

Vice Chairperson Cortese took his seat at 4:42 p.m.

Committee Staff Report:    Heard a report, highlighting the impacts of the proposed State budget on transportation.

Approved submitting a recommendation to the Board of Directors to authorize the General Manager to execute a cost sharing agreement with the East Side Union High School District (ESUHSD) for the relocation of their employee parking lot as a part of the Capitol Light Rail Project.

Approved submitting a recommendation to the Board of Directors to authorize the General Manager to execute an Amendment to the Agreement with Carter Burgess for program controls and construction management for the Facilities Improvement Program, increasing the approved contract amount by $1,600,000 for a new value not to exceed $10,600,000 and extending the contract duration through June 30, 2004.

Approved submitting a recommendation to the Board of Directors to consider Fiscal Emergency Service Reduction Plan:  Receive staff responses to public comments made during the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) comment period for the Fiscal Emergency Service Reduction Plan; Adopt a finding that there is a fiscal emergency, as defined by Public Resources Code (P.R.C.) §21080.32(d)(2), caused by failure of VTA revenues to adequately fund VTA services, programs and facilities; Invoke a Statutory Exemption under CEQA, P.R.C. §21080.32 and CEQA Guidelines Section 15285 (Transit Agency Responses to Revenue Shortfalls) for the purpose of implementing the Fiscal Emergency Service Reduction Plan; Approve the service modifications included in the Fiscal Emergency Service Reduction Plan, which could potentially mean a combined reduction in bus and light rail services of approximately nine percent; and, Authorize staff to implement approximately three percent of the Plan in  April 2003, and defer further implementation of the remainder of the Plan pending an on-going assessment of VTAs financial situation.

Expressed concern regarding public comments received regarding the potential service reductions on Line 88 - Veterans Hospital to Louis & Meadow.

Commented on the proposed recommendation, noting that the recommendation does not clearly state the recommended action. 

Expressed concern about how VTAs financial situation is communicated to the public and media.

Expressed concern regarding the strategy for implementing the proposed service reductions.

Requested that staff provide the Administrative Overview, as provided to the Ad Hoc Financial Stability Committee at their meeting of January 15, 2003, to VTAs Board of Directors.

Reviewed the Committee Work Plan.

There was no Chairperson's Report.

There were no Announcements.

Determined the Consent Agenda for February 6, 2003 Board Meeting.

CONSENT: Item #5. Authorize the General Manager to execute a contract with the lowest responsible bidder, Pencon Corporation, in the amount of $536,460, for construction of the second phase of Noise Mitigation on the Capitol and Tasman East Light Rail Projects; Item #6. Authorize the General Manager to execute a contract amendment with Parsons Brinckerhoff Quade & Douglas (PBQ&D) for additional work and design support services during construction on the Vasona Light Rail Project in an amount not to exceed $1,850,000 for a new contract amount of $31,695,275, and to extend the contract term through November 30, 2005; Item #7. Authorize the General Manager to amend the total authorized funding for the R & L Brosamer, Inc., civil construction contract from Woz Way to San Jose Diridon Station by an amount of $1,675,000 to fund rail rehabilitation and Community Oriented Design Enhancement (CODE) change orders for a new contract amount not to exceed $15,809,267.  This contract is 74 percent federally funded; Item #8. Authorize the General Manager to amend the contract with Korve Engineering, Inc., in an amount not to exceed $501,702, for a new contract value not to exceed $3,859,911, and extend the term of the contract for one year to complete the Conceptual Engineering for the Downtown East Valley Project in support of the environmental compliance process;  Item #9. Authorize the General Manager to exercise the two remaining one-year options of the existing contract with Kleen-Rite Pressure Washers, extending the contract through March 31, 2005 for pressure washer preventive maintenance and repair services.  The value of the two option years will not exceed $73,000 for the fourth option year and $74,000 for the fifth option year for a total contract amount of $320,000 for the five-year term of the contract; Item #10. Authorize the General Manager to execute a five-year agreement with an option to renew for three additional five-year periods with Level 3 Communications, LLC, a Delaware Limited Liability Company, for conduit space along a portion of the Guadalupe light rail corridor, between the Children’s Discovery Museum and the Santa Teresa Light Rail Stations; Item #11. Authorize the General Manager to execute a contract with The Radiator Doctor, Inc., the lowest responsive and responsible bidder, for the repair and refurbishment of VTA’s bus radiators.  The term of the contract is for one year with four one-year options at a cost of $65,670 for the first year.  Option years two, three, four and five are $67,640, $69,670, $71,760 and $73,910 respectively.  The total amount of the contract will not exceed $348,650 for the five-year period; Item #20. Authorize the General Manager to execute a cost sharing agreement with the East Side Union High School District (ESUHSD) for the relocation of their employee parking lot as a part of the Capitol Light Rail Project; and Item #21. Authorize the General Manager to execute an Amendment to the Agreement with Carter Burgess for program controls and construction management for the Facilities Improvement Program, increasing the approved contract amount by $1,600,000 for a new value not to exceed $10,600,000 and extending the contract duration through June 30, 2004. 

REGULAR: Item #22. Consider Fiscal Emergency Service Reduction Plan:  Receive staff responses to public comments made during the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) comment period for the Fiscal Emergency Service Reduction Plan; Adopt a finding that there is a fiscal emergency, as defined by Public Resources Code (P.R.C.) §21080.32(d)(2), caused by failure of VTA revenues to adequately fund VTA services, programs and facilities; Invoke a Statutory Exemption under CEQA, P.R.C. §21080.32 and CEQA Guidelines Section 15285 (Transit Agency Responses to Revenue Shortfalls) for the purpose of implementing the Fiscal Emergency Service Reduction Plan; Approve the service modifications included in the Fiscal Emergency Service Reduction Plan, which could potentially mean a combined reduction in bus and light rail services of approximately nine percent; and, Authorize staff to implement approximately three percent of the Plan in April 2003, and defer further implementation of the remainder of the Plan pending an on-going assessment of VTA’s financial situation.

Adjourned at 5:21 p.m.