Folsom City Council Regular Meeting: Transit, Fleet, and Business Items - February 27, 2024

The Folsom City Council held its regular meeting on February 27, 2024. The agenda featured presentations on proposed transit changes and state mandates for fleet electrification, followed by public comments, a consent calendar, and council member requests for future agenda items.

Presentation: Sacramento Regional Transit Proposed Bus Route Changes

• James Drake, Senior Manager of Service Planning for SacRT, presented proposed bus route changes in Folsom. The proposal includes eliminating Route 30 (averaging 3 riders daily) and making midday cutbacks on Route 10 (affecting 8 riders daily) to fund new weekend and holiday service on Route 10 (expected to carry 70-100 riders daily). The plan also introduces 15-minute weekday light rail frequency to Folsom in Summer 2024.
• Public speaker Bob Holderness expressed strong support for the transit expansion, noting that future urban development near light rail stations will enhance public transportation use and relieve pressure on Highway 50.
• Online caller Margie Donegan asked about paratransit service impacts. Mr. Drake confirmed that paratransit service will continue to cover the city seven days a week without change.

Presentation: Fleet Conversion to Electric Vehicles

• Public Works Director Mark Rackov presented on the city's required transition to zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs) under the Advanced Clean Fleets (ACF) regulation. Key challenges highlighted included vehicle availability, significantly higher purchase costs (up to five times conventional vehicles), extensive charging infrastructure needs, potential grid capacity limits, safety concerns such as thermal runaway battery fires requiring 40,000 gallons of water and 50-foot quarantine zones, and a lack of current facility space for EV maintenance.
• Staff recommended hiring a new Fleet Compliance Manager to manage regulatory reporting and compliance.
• Councilmember YK Chalamcherla questioned the procurement process and the lack of centralized oversight for fleet contracts. Councilmember Anna Rohrbough expressed concern that the 2035 timeline is unrealistic and places a heavy financial burden on the city. Councilmember Sarah Aquino suggested creative strategies such as shared vehicle agreements with other agencies and leasing vacant auto mall space for fleet maintenance.
• Public speaker John Lane, representing a private fleet also subject to the ACF regulation, affirmed the presentation's accuracy, calling the regulation "painful" and predicting significant cost increases for contractors doing business with the city.

Business from the Floor

• Barbara Leary, a 32-year Folsom resident and former planning and parks commissioner, spoke against a developer proposal to expand city limits by adding 4,400 new homes. She argued the proposal ignores the SACOG Blueprint, raises unresolved water and transportation issues, and gave the impression that a decision had already been made. She requested multiple full public forums before proceeding.

Consent Calendar

• Items 3, 5, 6, and 8 through 12 were approved unanimously by a single motion.
• Item 4 (Resolution 11168, a program supplement agreement with Caltrans for a roundabout feasibility study) was pulled for discussion to clarify its scope and passed unanimously.
• Item 7 (Resolution 11171, a design and consulting services contract with Kimley-Horn and Associates for the roundabout study) was pulled by Councilmember Chalamcherla, who expressed concern that the procurement evaluation did not include cost as a scoring factor. The motion passed 3-2, with Councilmembers Chalamcherla and Rohrbough dissenting.

Council Requests for Future Agenda Items

• Councilmember Rosario Rodriguez requested a formal discussion on recognizing long-time community volunteers (citing Carrie Howell, Will Kempton, and Joe Galliardi) through naming or awards, consistent with past council practices.
• Councilmember Anna Rohrbough requested progress on previous agenda requests, including an action plan for the city's strategic plan, a presentation by the police department on addressing crime and homelessness, and a workshop clarifying the city's unfunded pension liability. The mayor and city manager indicated these items are being developed for future meetings.

City Manager Reports and Council Comments

• The city manager announced upcoming projects and community events, including nighttime traffic improvements at Iron Point and East Bidwell, the Friends of the Folsom Library book sale, and a central business district revitalization survey.
• Councilmember Chalamcherla highlighted ongoing Folsom Water Vision workshops and thanked CERT volunteers for contributing hundreds of hours.
• Councilmember Rohrbough shared a story of a Folsom Cordova bus driver, Marina Gable, who helped find a lost non-verbal autistic child, and thanked the library for hosting a Lego competition.
• Councilmember Aquino encouraged public participation in the upcoming budget process.
• Mayor Mike Kozlowski reported a 22% increase in SacRT ridership year-over-year and $160 million in secured infrastructure funding, provided updates from a community meeting in the Folsom Ranch area, and adjourned the meeting in memory of beloved middle school teacher Michelle Cagney.