Active Transportation & Infrastructure Committee Meeting - January 30, 2019
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Active Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Meeting - January 30, 2019
The Active Transportation and Infrastructure Committee met on January 30, 2019, at 10:00 AM. Vice Chair Chris Ward and Councilmember Vivian Moreno were present; Councilmember Kate was absent. The committee addressed consent items, a five-year capital infrastructure outlook, budget revisions, an MOU with MTS, construction and engineering contracts, and an informational item on a creative crosswalk pilot program. All votes were unanimous.
Consent Calendar
- Meeting Minutes (Nov. 14, 2018): Approved unanimously after Councilmember Moreno confirmed she had reviewed materials from before her tenure.
- Consent Items 1 & 2: Forwarded to City Council with recommendation for approval. Item 2 – a consultant agreement for design of Phase 2 of the Mira Mesa Community Park improvements – was noted as a priority for Councilmember Kate.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Martha Welch (non-agenda): Expressed strong concerns about cracked roads, potholes, storm drains discharging untreated water into the ocean, and questioned where infrastructure funds have gone. She claimed to work with the governor and warned of impending federal indictments.
- Martha Welch (on Item #4): Expressed support for the MOU, urging quick trolley extension completion.
- On Item #9 (creative crosswalks):
- Howard Blackson: Supported the pilot but urged broader creative possibilities, citing studies showing positive psychological and social effects of colorful crosswalks.
- Robert Lay (San Diego Pride): Expressed full support for the rainbow crosswalk in Hillcrest, noting Pride would serve as fiscal sponsor.
- Beryl Foreman: Supported creative crosswalks but criticized the proposed restrictions, arguing they limit community-driven artistic expression and should allow more design freedom.
- Kristen Victor (Beautiful PB): Supported creative crosswalks but highlighted that safety comes from traffic calming, not paint color, and urged broader policy review.
- Ben Nichols (Hillcrest Business Association): Expressed strong support for the pilot, noting the crosswalk reinforces community identity and that the association has raised over $4,000 for installation.
Discussion Items
Item #8: Five-Year Capital Infrastructure Planning Outlook (FY2020–2024)
- Presentation by James Nagelvert (Director of Public Works) and Myrna Day: The report is a planning tool, not a budget. Over $2 billion invested in infrastructure from July 2014–December 2018 (445 completed construction contracts). Key statistics: total asset needs over five years projected at $5.6 billion; projected revenue $3.8 billion; resulting funding gap $1.8 billion. The gap is concentrated in general fund assets (especially stormwater, at $700 million). Trends: costs rising due to high construction demand, skilled labor shortages, and material cost volatility (especially steel). The city's asset base is aging, with many 1960s and 1970s assets reaching end of life.
- IBA Comments (Jillian Cassie): Noted that capital needs grew 29% ($1.3 billion) over the prior report, driven by Pure Water, water/wastewater, and stormwater. Sidewalk repair backlog costs rose from $46M to $94M. Funding gap increased 18% to $1.86B (including park condition assessment). Recommended council feedback from fall 2018 survey be incorporated sooner.
- Committee Discussion:
- Chair Kersey: Thanked staff and noted the report is sobering but important for long-term vision. Asked about fire station funding spike ($94M in 2024) – staff explained it reflects project data and will be normalized. Discussed procurement strategies to reduce materials cost volatility (e.g., city buying asphalt/concrete).
- Councilmember Moreno: Asked about development impact fee collections ($32M in FY18) and grant forecasting; staff explained conservative approach. Stated 80% of revenue comes from non-general fund sources, so the gap falls on general fund. Called for bringing forward revenue options to close the gap; IBA offered to refresh a 2015 report on the topic.
- Vice Chair Ward: Suggested breakout of Pure Water costs in summary tables. Supported exploring bulk materials purchases. Raised that council office CIP priorities were omitted due to timing; staff acknowledged the error. Discussed fungibility of repaving funds for other right-of-way needs. Clarified that stormwater gap increased due to TMDL requirements and corrugated pipe replacement; noted ongoing negotiations with state board.
Item #3: CIP Budget Revisions and Appropriations
- Presentation by Elif Chitin: Request to move ~$5M into 11 projects, reallocate ~$4.5M from completed or delayed projects, and add ~$650K in new appropriations. Notable: Thompson Medical Library canceled after high bids; $2M reallocated to other park projects (including Ocean Beach Dog Beach walkway).
- IBA Comments: Recommended more detail on the Dog Beach project and better reporting on commercial paper expenditures.
- Committee Discussion: Vice Chair Ward sought assurance that ADA project at Hunapero Sarah Museum (funding deferred) would be replenished; staff confirmed intent. Councilmember Moreno questioned why $2M from city facility improvements was not needed and flagged Fire Station 6's condition. Staff clarified the language meant funds not needed that day, and projects would be re-funded later. The item was forwarded to council.
Item #4: MOU with MTS for Light Rail Transit Street Use
- Presentation by Duncan Hughes: The MOU consolidates prior agreements and governs maintenance responsibilities for the Mid-Coast LRT extension (under construction, completion 2021). City will maintain crash cushions (reimbursed by MTS); MTS will maintain rail facilities and pedestrian bridges with free public passage.
- Committee Discussion: Councilmember Moreno (UCSD alum) expressed support. Motion to forward to council, passed unanimously.
Item #5: Construction Management Service Contracts
- Presentation by Luis Shahr: Request to award three contracts (total $45M over 5 years) to Arcadis, Kleinfelder, and Louis Berger to augment in-house staff. About 80% of work done in-house; contracts provide flexibility.
- Committee Discussion: No public comment. Motion to forward to council, passed unanimously.
Item #6: Engineering Contract for Alvarado Canyon Road Realignment
- Presentation by Akron Bastioni: Request to award $3.5M contract to Doken Engineering for design over eight years. Project aims to alleviate congestion at the intersection of Alvarado Canyon Road, Mission Gorge, and Camino del Rio North.
- Committee Discussion: No public comment. Motion to forward to council, passed unanimously.
Item #7: Sole Source Contract for La Media Road Improvements
- Presentation by Akron Bastioni: Request to award $665K contract (with amendment authority up to $1M) to RIC Engineering for design and construction support over seven years. Project addresses flooding and improves truck route to border crossing. Total project cost estimated at $33M; funding not fully identified.
- Committee Discussion: Councilmember Moreno emphasized the road's regional importance and expressed hope for state/federal funding. Motion to forward to council, passed unanimously.
Item #9: Creative Crosswalks Pilot Program (Informational)
- Presentation by James Nagelvert and Kathy Duncan: Staff presented a pilot allowing up to two intersections per council district with multicolored crosswalks (painted between white bars) at all-way stop signs, under 35 mph, with specific design and material standards. Process: council offices sponsor applicants; applicants pay permit fees (~$3,700) and maintain the crosswalks; city retains removal rights. Goal: test and evaluate safety and community satisfaction before making permanent.
- Public Testimony: Multiple speakers supported broader creative opportunities, but all were generally favorable.
- Committee Discussion: Vice Chair Ward (sponsor) praised the pilot as a way to celebrate community pride, citing examples in other cities. Councilmember Moreno requested future inclusion of signalized intersections and school zones. Staff noted the pilot is a first step; school district coordination needed. The item was informational only; no vote taken.
Key Outcomes
- Consent Calendar items (minutes and items 1 & 2): Forwarded to City Council.
- Item #8 (CIP Outlook): Received and discussed; no formal vote.
- Item #3 (Budget revisions): Forwarded to City Council (motion by Vice Chair Ward, second by Councilmember Moreno; unanimous).
- Item #4 (MOU with MTS): Forwarded to City Council (motion by Councilmember Moreno, second by Vice Chair Ward; unanimous).
- Item #5 (CM contracts): Forwarded to City Council (motion by Vice Chair Ward, second by Councilmember Moreno; unanimous).
- Item #6 (Alvarado Canyon design contract): Forwarded to City Council (motion by Vice Chair Ward, second by Councilmember Moreno; unanimous).
- Item #7 (La Media Road contract): Forwarded to City Council (motion by Councilmember Moreno, second by Vice Chair Ward; unanimous).
- Item #9 (Creative crosswalks): Informational only; staff will issue a memo to council offices by February 1, 2019, inviting applications for the pilot program. No vote.
Meeting Transcript
Good afternoon, everybody. Thank you for joining us for today's meeting of the newly renamed Active Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. Today is Wednesday, January thirtieth, twenty nineteen. Let the record reflect that we are joined by Vice Chair Ward as well as Council Member Morena. Welcome to our committee. Our IBA representative Jillian Cassie. Our Mayor Representative Lee Friedman. We do have one member of the public, Martha Welch. Please come forward. Everywhere I go on the bus or walk, I see all these cracks everywhere around. Broadway is the worst everywhere. It's really bad. It's all cracked up and there's a bit further and it's all cracked up. It's it's got cracks everywhere and it's getting it's worse everywhere. I this everywhere I potholes are going uh uh also. Now the storm drains, they go right in the ocean. I don't think you care about the ocean. They're not filter or anything. There's so many of them in the city. And some of the drains say go right to the ocean also. So uh what do you do here? You don't you know filter or anything like that. Now I saw when you had that damage up on normal they had a truck with um capturing the water and maybe that's a new thing coming on, but um but it's it's not right. Um go to the ocean. You're you're polluting the ocean everywhere you look. The outfalls um down in Tijuana, everywhere. It's it's you're you're completing the ocean everywhere you do. It's like San Diego's the most pollute uh in the whole country, but I bet you the worst polluter in the whole country because no one else does this thing like that, storm grains. I think it's the worst thing I've ever heard about that. They're all over the city. There they anything could be in a possibly anything in the world could be in there. A heavy metal, anything could be in those strains. I know most of them are should be the county, but they put on the city, that's what they do. That that's all that you're stuck with that because you don't the county, you don't back to the county. I just wonder how many people have SSD in this this room or something because uh I stopped those checks. So I work with the governor, I've been working with him for over two years. And he reads my Facebook and Twitter. That's how he walked as a meeting. That's how I know what goes on here. And um now right now the FBI is back and they're they're doing their job because there's gonna be federal cases, believe me, pretty soon they'll be indicted. What they did because I know what happened. I know uh it's it's it's gonna happen right now because right now isn't um there's no more calls. That's beautiful, I think. But um, you know, it's just wrong what you do here with the roads. Um where's the money go for inner um structure? Where's that money go? We haven't seen this, we haven't seen much of the money go anywhere right here uh at all. And um it's like it's it's like it's stopped, and we have these five-year plans, like we're communist or something. We have at least five. We didn't have that before.
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