BOARD OF DIRECTORS REGULAR MEETING MINUTES November 18, :30 PM 5401 Old Redwood Highway, 1 st Floor Petaluma, CA 94954

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1 BOARD OF DIRECTORS REGULAR MEETING MINUTES November 18, :30 PM 5401 Old Redwood Highway, 1 st Floor Petaluma, CA Call to Order Chair Arnold called the meeting to order at 1:30 PM. Directors Eddie, Fudge, Moulton- Peters, Pahre, Rabbitt, Russell, Sears and Zane were present. Directors Kellner, Mackenzie and Phillips absent. 2. Approval of the October 21, 2015 and November 4, 2015 Board Meeting Minutes MOTION: Director Eddie moved approval of October 21, 2015 and November 4, 2015 minutes as presented. Director Fudge second. The motion carries (Directors Kellner, Mackenzie and Phillips absent). 3. Public Comment on Non-Agenda Items Duane DeWitt stated that the Roseland neighborhood and Moorland/West Avenue is two miles south of SMART s right-of-way. The City of Santa Rosa received money from Metropolitan Transportation Commission for a Roseland Area/Sebastopol Road Specific Plan for Priority Development Areas (PDAs) where greater development density and intensity can be accommodated around transit. He asked that SMART coordinate with the City of Santa Rosa to develop a plan for Southwest residents to get to a train station. Steven Birdlebough stated that any change in location of Petaluma s East Side Station from that laid out in the Petaluma Station Area Plan, and the Petaluma General Plan, SMART must go through a process with a full Environmental Impact Report. If SMART uses the current planned stations in Petaluma, it has many alternatives. Teri Shore (Regional Director, North Bay Greenbelt Alliance) stated they have been a SMART supporter. She voiced that they have serious concerns about the SMART s implementation and actions related to the Eastside Petaluma station. John Channing voiced his concerns about the second Petaluma station. He urged the Board to go through a process with an Environmental Impact Report. Patricia Tuttle Brown acknowledged General Manager Mansourian for working hard in developing safe trains. She addressed two concerns regarding the Petaluma Eastside Page 1 of 7

2 station: 1) the possibility about changing location without an Environmental Impact Report and 2) the possibility of not having a public Request for Qualification and Request for Proposal for the Downtown Station. She submitted her comments to the Clerk of the Board. Maddy Ruvolo (Marin Center for Independent Living) she stated she is very excited about SMART and public transportation that is very important to people with disabilities. They addressed the following concerns: 1) SMART s accessible seating adjacent to the bar; 2) having appropriate signage that gives first priority to wheelchair users and 3) several members of the public and staff who are wheelchair users boarded the train; they noted that the passageway between the seating area and bar was narrow. They recommend that there be a way to contact the Conductor if a wheelchair user boards the train and a bicycle needs to be moved out the way. Peter Mendoza voiced his concerns that the restroom in the train is not ADA compliant for wheelchair users. He urged the Board to address people with disabilities in SMART s Emergency procedures. He also suggested adding a button to notify the conductor that a wheelchair user is boarding on/off the train. John Greener asked if SMART hired an ADA Coordinator. He suggested that the Board establish an Accessibility Advisory Committee to coordinate with the community, SMART staff and Board of Directors to address any issues. Tom Scott stated that his family owns 35 acres on Corona Road and has not been approached about having a possible station on their property. Greg Bellinger thanked Mr. Mansourian for the overview and update presentation regarding SMART s stations. He suggested having a presentation on the new proposed Eastside Petaluma station and existing Downtown Station. He stated that it s very important to get the right location for the second station. 4. Board Member Announcements Director Rabbitt stated that it s important to understand that the Corona Road site is on today s agenda because of the Old Redwood Highway Site. He said that the City of Petaluma does not have any funds available to build a station and is looking forward to today s discussion. Unfortunately, closed session real estate negotiation can t be discussed. 5. General Manager s Report General Manager Farhad Mansourian provided his written report to the Board. He stated that as the House and Senate Democrats continue their budget discussion, SMART is very active in the process in order to protect President Obama s $20M recommendation for the Larkspur Extension Project. He thanked Senators Feinstein and Boxer, Congressmen Thompson and Huffman for their continued support. Congress Committee will meet on December 11 th to discuss differences of Senate and House budget. Page 2 of 7

3 Directors Comments Director Zane asked if accessibility issues can be addressed at a future meeting. Mr. Mansourian stated accessibility is a very important issue and thanked Ms. Ruvolo for her concerns about conductors not having training in dealing with people with disabilities. SMART staff will investigate and develop options. 6. Consent Agenda a. Approval of Monthly Financial Reports b. Approval of Summit Signal, Inc. Amendment No. 3 c. Authorize the Chair of the Board of Directors to Execute a Private Crossing Agreement by and between Marin County Flood Control and Water Conservation District Chair Arnold asked for Board and public comments on the proposed Consent Agenda. Director s Comments Director Rabbit asked for clarification on the miscellaneous revenue in the financial report. Ms. McGrath responded there were revenues that were not anticipated. MOTION: Director Fudge moved approval of the Consent Agenda as presented. Director Russell second. The motion carried (Directors Kellner, Mackenzie and Phillips are absent). 7. Authorize the General Manager to execute a contract in the amount of $1,426,793 with Railpros, Inc. for Professional Engineering Design & Construction Support Services for preliminary engineering of the Larkspur Extension Project Chief Engineer Bill Gamlen gave a brief overview of the project. He stated that SMART is continuing to advance the implementation of the Larkspur Extension Project by beginning preliminary engineering work. This work will build upon the environmental evaluation work that concluded with the Federal Transit Administration issuing a Finding of No Significant Impact in May The preliminary engineering work will provide greater project definition, prepare contracts documents, and advance our work with FTA as part of the New Starts Program. This contract will complete the following major tasks: Develop bridges and drainage; Preliminary design of a flip of the railroad alignment at West Francisco Boulevard; Coordination with the City of San Rafael on the Andersen Drive at-grade crossing; Geotechnical investigation, Hydrology and Hydraulics evaluation; Engineering design (30%) for the civil, track, grade crossings and tunnel systems. SMART conducted a competitive procurement for this work. The process included issuing a Request for Proposals (RFP), advertising in local newspapers, and issuing an to everyone that has signed up for work opportunities through our website. We received three proposals. SMART convened a committee that reviewed and ranked the proposals as well as conducting interviews with each proposer. The highest ranked proposer, RailPros, Page 3 of 7

4 Inc., was invited to submit a price proposal for the work. A scope of work and fee schedule for the work were negotiated and are in the enclosed contract. Mr. Mansourian stated that the Railpros consulting staff will be doing ongoing coordination with transit agencies for the Bettini Transit Center as well as for the highway transportation, Golden Gate Bridge District, Marin Transit Center, City of San Rafael, and City of Larkspur. Directors Comments Director Sears asked for more information about Railpros and why they rose to the top. Mr. Gamlen responded that Railpros is based on the west coast. They have light rail/ commuter rail experience and extensive highway grade crossing experience. Director Zane asked if this impacts the funding that SMART is anticipated to receive from President Obama s budget. Mr. Mansourian stated that this is for design, environmental and construction support services. The funds that SMART is anticipated to receive from the President s budget is for construction. Director Russell asked for clarification on how Value Engineering relates to this contract. Mr. Gamlen responded Value Engineering is to look for alternative, cost-saving elements. Working on an FTA project they like to see that Value Engineering and risk assessments have been considered throughout the project. Director Moulton-Peters asked for clarification on (Pg. 53, Section 4.9; & Pg. 54) Francisco Blvd coordination that the SMART design team will develop the footprint for the space required for the deliverable of a concept design. She asked if this contract will allow flexibility to include the Transportation Authority of Marin s Funding Plan for the bicycle path alignment. Mr. Mansourian stated that he has been meeting with Chair Arnold and the Marin County Bicycle Coalition, Patrick Siedler, and Supervisor Kinsey to coordinate any plans that need to be considered during this process. Lastly, Mr. Gamlen introduced RailPros, Inc. Project Manager Buzz Berger. Public Comments David Schonberg voiced his concerns if the Board approves the contract as proposed there is a significant likelihood that the elements (Anderson Drive Crossing and Multiple Use Pathway, San Rafael) will change resulting in the need to rebuild the work and have additional cost. He suggested that the Board have two separate Notice to Proceed (NTP) documents. Chair Arnold asked for clarification if the contract will have a Notice to Proceed. Mr. Lyons responded yes because it is part of the process. MOTION: Authorize the General Manager to execute a contract in the amount of $1,426,793 with RailPros, Inc. for professional engineering services for preliminary engineering of the Larkspur Extension Project. The motion carried (Director Eddie, No; Directors Kellner, Mackenzie and Phillips are absent). Page 4 of 7

5 8. Update on Access Overview around Guerneville Road and Rohnert Park Stations (Discussion Only) General Manager Farhad Mansourian asked the Board to defer the Rohnert Park Station presentation since Director Mackenzie is absent. All Board Members agreed to defer Rohnert Park Station presentation to a later meeting. Senior Planner Linda Meckel gave an overview of the Guerneville Road Station s access along SMART s right-of-way. Access Overview around Guerneville Road Station Ms. Meckel discussed the following components based on the Guerneville Road Station: 1) Who works and lives in Santa Rosa (42,811 in-commuters, 43,526 out-commuters); 2) Station Area influences; 3) Existing Access to and from Guerneville Station; 4) Gaps and Potential Solutions. She mentioned that within a 0.5 mile radius of Guerneville Station the population is approximately 7,495 with 2,972 housing units, 2,851 jobs and three large employers (Macys, Target and Whole Foods). Within a 3-mile radius of the station, there are three large employers: Kaiser Permanente, Medtronic and Keysight Technology. The existing access around Guerneville Station consists of the following: Walking (Sidewalk Connectivity); Biking (Class 1, 2 and 3); Transit Stops and Routes (Northside Transfer Center is nearby--sonoma County Transit, Golden Gate Transit and Santa Rosa City Bus) Parking (large private surface lots). Directors Comments Director Zane stated that there are also two more large employers near the Guerneville Road Station: 1) Santa Rosa Junior College and 2) County of Sonoma. She urged the Board to give feedback to these presentations to make them useful. She asked if parking projections are being considered and if other parking locations have been explored. Mr. Mansourian responded that SMART s staff has met with Sonoma County Transit, City of Santa Rosa and Santa Rosa Junior College for the purpose of evaluating each station and parking situation. As a result of these conversations, the City of Santa Rosa has funded two projects: 1) station connection from 3 rd Street to Railroad Square and 2) the bus pullout at Guerneville Road that would serve City Bus and Sonoma County Transit. Director Sears suggested having a list of ideas for each station for future presentations. Director Pahre agreed with that idea. The reason that the maps represent a.25 mile radius is because that is what most people walk. There is no solution for single drivers; and adding parking is not a solution. The focus should be on transit and shuttles. Page 5 of 7

6 Public Comments David Schonberg stated that the environmentalists were extremely clear that the purpose for SMART was to plan for the future growth in the North Bay. Director Zane stated and urged the Board to deliver a train that low income people will use and also the Board needs to come up with solutions rather than presentations. Steve Birdlebough stated that the City of Santa Rosa is rearranging all routes. There are approximately 9,000 people who ride the bus. He would like the City of Santa Rosa to coordinate with SMART. Director Pahre stated there is a need to have transportation at each station and believes that SMART will deliver. Peter Mendoza stated that there are several sidewalks around stations that need improvements for accessibility and requests that the Board discuss more updates. Director Moulton-Peter stated that these presentations are very helpful and use of these as tools in the future will be beneficial. Mr. Richards urged the Board to do a careful analysis of the Petaluma station and consider the economic effects of ridership. Vice-Chair Pahre adjourned the Board to closed session at 2:52PM to discuss the following: 9. Closed Session a. Conference with General Manager, Farhad Mansourian, pursuant to California Property: APN(s): and APN(s): and Negotiating Parties: Farhad Mansourian Cornerstone Properties b. Conference with General Manager, Farhad Mansourian, pursuant to California Property: APN(s): ; APN(s): Negotiating Parties: Farhad Mansourian Lomas Partners c. Conference with legal counsel regarding significant exposure to litigation pursuant to California Government Code Section (b)(1); Number of possible cases: Report out of Closed Session Vice-Chair Pahre reported out of closed session at 4:18 PM on the following: Page 6 of 7

7 a. Conference with General Manager, Farhad Mansourian, pursuant to California Property: APN(s): and APN(s): and Negotiating Parties: Farhad Mansourian Cornerstone Properties b. Conference with General Manager, Farhad Mansourian, pursuant to California Property: APN(s): ; APN(s): Negotiating Parties: Farhad Mansourian Lomas Partners c. Conference with legal counsel regarding significant exposure to litigation pursuant to California Government Code Section (b)(1); Number of possible cases: 1. Item 10a, 10b, and 10c Report Out: Nothing to report 10. The next Board of Directors meeting will be held on December 2, :30 PM 5401 Old Redwood Highway, 1 st Floor, Petaluma, CA Adjournment - Meeting adjourned at 4:20 PM. Respectfully submitted, Leticia Rosas-Mendoza Clerk of the Board Approved: Page 7 of 7