HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda Report - January 20, 2010 D-10AGENDA ITEM rJ4111410
CITY OF LODI
COUNCIL COMMUNICATION
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AGENDA TITLE: Affirm Project Nominations for San Joaquin Council of Governments' One Voice
Trip
MEETING DATE: January 20,2010
PREPARED BY: City Manager
RECOMMENDED ACTION: Affirm project nominations for the San Joaquin Council of
Governments' One Voice trip.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION: The San Joaquin Council of Governments (COG) is again
developing regional priorities in preparation for the annual "One
Voice" lobbying trip to Washington, D.C., in April 2010. The One
Voice trip is an opportunity for all jurisdictions in the county to work cooperativelyto secure federal funds.
There is no guarantee of success, and the One Voice trip is only one of several ways in which the City
lobbies to fund needed projects.
SJCOG again invited the City to submit two projects for consideration: One regional transportation project
and one local project, transportation or otherwise. The grant request is limited to $5 million, as noted in
the COG evaluation criteria checklist.
City staff submitted the two projects to SJCOG with a history of endorsements by the City Council: the
Lodi Lake Park Nature Area Protection Project and improvements to Harney Lane. The Lodi Lake project
was the City's top priority a year ago, and funding for Harney Lane/State Route 99 interchange
improvements was requested the previous two years. This year's Harney Lane funding request is
expanded to include a grade separation at the Union Pacific Railroad tracks along with the previously
requested interchange improvements.
The City Council is well aware of the eroding riverbank in the Nature Area near Pigs Lake. Preliminary
estimates put the cost of a permanent repair at $1,978,845. On November 12, 2008, the City submitted a
request to the State of California for $1,861,970 in grant funding through the River Parkways and Urban
Streams Restoration programs. Because of the State's financial difficulties, the grant program has been
delayed. A temporary repair attempted in March 2009 in which plastic sheeting was placed on the
riverbank, failed to last the year. Because the City has not identified any other funding source for the
permanent repair, and because a riverbank failure would result in the loss of a highly valued City and
regional resource, staff recommends the Council again choose the Project as its top priority and request
funding of $1,861,970.
For the regional transportation project nomination, staff again submitted reconstruction of the Harney
Lane interchange at State Route 99, adding the element of a grade separation at the Union Pacific
Railroad tracks. On June 17, 2009, the City Council voted to make the Harney Lane alternative its priority
for Measure K railroad grade separation funding. Reconstruction of the interchange, which has an
APPROVED: ^�
Blair K(!!§�y Manager
outdated design and poor operating conditions, and the grade separation are estimated to cost $60
million. The interchange is importantto the local and regional economy as critical linkage of the adjacent
Blue Shield office complex and future retail commercial uses at Reynolds Ranch. Most of the required
right-of-way has already been acquired. A $5 million grant from the federal government would be
matched with $55 million in local funding. This was submitted as the City's second priority project.
FISCAL IMPACT: Award of funding for the Lodi Lake Park Nature Area Protection Project would
protect the General Fund from being used to pay for future emergency repairs;
award of funding for the Harney/99 interchange and grade separation would free
transportation funds for other needed projects.
FUNDING AVAILABLE: Not applicable.
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Blair King �-�J
City Manager