Active Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Meeting - November 18, 2020

The Active Transportation and Infrastructure Committee met on November 18, 2020, at 10:00 AM via Zoom, in compliance with Executive Order 29-20 suspending certain Brown Act requirements due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The meeting was chaired by Councilmember Mark Kersey, who presided over his final committee meeting after eight years of service. The committee considered consent items, two discussion items (a mid-year CIP budget report and amendments for a pump station project), and two informational items (Vision Zero Strategic Plan and Get It Done customer service evolution). All votes were unanimous.

Consent Calendar

• Item 1: Extension of K151293 MAC 3A multiple award construction contract for water, wastewater, and stormwater pipeline projects for an additional 12 months.
• Item 2: Ratification of eight FY20 emergency sole source contracts for Engineering and Capital Projects.
• Item 3: Award of a third amendment to the consultant agreement with Brown and Caldwell for design and construction support of Tierra Santa pump station (contract H115441). All consent items were approved unanimously with no committee member questions or requests to pull items.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Martha Welts spoke during non-agenda public comment, criticizing the city's lack of pump safety and signs, and also mentioned MTS fences and hoops. She later commented on the consent agenda, expressing hope that the chair would ensure proper preparation for the system. On item 4 (CIP budget), she called for outside financial audits, claiming internal audits were insufficient and referencing commercial paper issues. On item 5 (pump station amendments), she expressed support for the project but reiterated the need for a financial audit to believe the city. She also noted that the project page on the city website said $58 million, hoping the project would go through.
• Angeli Calanant (Policy Manager, Circulate San Diego) supported the Vision Zero Strategic Plan, emphasizing the need for equitable investment in communities of concern, de-emphasis on enforcement, and annual budget alignment with safety goals.
• Andy Hanshaw (Chair, City Mobility Board) supported the Vision Zero plan, recommending prioritization of communities of concern, annual goals and metrics, and exploring enforcement alternatives.
• Francine Maxwell (Southeastern San Diego, 4th district resident) expressed concern about the Get It Done app, noting that many communities lack Wi-Fi and rely on old-fashioned methods like city employees driving neighborhoods. She emphasized the need to maintain non-digital services.

Discussion Items

• Item 4: Fiscal Year 2021 Capital Improvements Program Mid-Year Budget Monitoring Report and CIP Budget Revisions
  • Karen McGriff (Finance Department) presented the report, noting $6.9 million in increasing appropriations (91% from restricted sources: $3.3 million developer fees, $1.8 million TransNet, $1.1 million SR209/274 co-op). $9.8 million in appropriation transfers. The city has reduced TransNet funds held at SANDAG from $55 million in 2016 to an estimated $22.5 million by end of FY2021, one of the lowest cash-on-hand balances in the region. Gas tax funds are fully allocated. $42.6 million from the SBCCU stadium sale was deposited into the Capital Outlay Fund, with $24.3 million held for future debt service. Nearly $60 million of $88 million in commercial paper funds authorized in 2018 had been expended by September 2020. The report also highlighted administrative authorities used to return savings to fund balance ($61,000 from completed projects, $322,000 from the COYS Community Park Comfort Station).
  • Jillian Cassidy (IBA) noted that the action shifts funding from several projects to support stormwater drainage projects, but those projects will receive developer fee revenues with no impact. She highlighted that the RMRA fund balance increased from $16 million (FY19) to $32 million (FY20) and the infrastructure fund from $14 million to $27 million, primarily due to delays in slurry seal projects (operating expenses). CIP-related fund balances remained relatively unchanged.
  • Vice Chair Ward asked about the Third and Washington traffic signal ($50,000 allocation) – completion expected spring 2021; and Olive Street Park ($500,000) – a fund swap, not a cost overrun, with construction still targeted for spring 2021 pending neighborhood code compliance.
  • Chair Kersey thanked staff and noted concern about emergency stormwater projects drawing from other important projects, but supported the motion.
• Item 5: First Amendment with Black & Veatch Corporation and Third Amendment with Lee & Ro, Inc. for Pump Station 2 Power and Reliability and Surge Protection Project
  • Elif Chetin (Deputy Director, Engineering and Capital Projects) and Luis Shar presented. The project is a regional sewer pump station near the airport, handling up to 432 million gallons per day. The need arose from EPA guidelines for backup power, surge protection, and upgrading two pumps to electric motors. Construction began August 2017, originally four-year completion. The contractor missed the first pump replacement window (May 2020) because the generator building was not built. Current estimated completion is December 2022, but could slip to 2024 if the generator building is not finished by May 2021. The requested amendments add $2.5 million for Black & Veatch (construction management, total $6.2 million) and $975,000 for Lee & Ro (design support, total $5.225 million), extending contracts through 2024/2025. Total project budget increases from $72.2 million to $75.7 million (increase of $3 million).
  • Chair Kersey asked if delays would impact Pure Water operations; staff confirmed no expected impact.
  • Motion to forward to full council with recommendation for approval passed unanimously.

Key Outcomes

• Consent Calendar (Items 1-3): Approved unanimously.
• Item 4 (CIP Budget Report): Motion by Vice Chair Ward, seconded by Councilmember Kate, to approve the budget revisions and monitoring report. Passed unanimously.
• Item 5 (Pump Station 2 Amendments): Motion by Councilmember Kate, seconded by Vice Chair Ward, to recommend approval to the full City Council. Passed unanimously.
• Item 6 (Vision Zero Strategic Plan): Informational item; no vote taken. Committee members expressed support and requested follow-up data by council district on hotspot locations and roundabout designs.
• Item 7 (Get It Done Evolution): Informational item; no vote taken. Councilmember Moreno raised concerns about graffiti response time disparities (citing a Union-Tribune article showing 21 days in La Jolla/Pacific Beach vs. 47/42 days in lower-income neighborhoods like Tijuana River Valley and Mid-City). Staff committed to a more robust analysis of the data. Chair Kersey emphasized the need to serve residents without smartphones or Wi-Fi.
• Closing Remarks: Chair Kersey thanked committee members, agency representatives, and staff for eight years of collaboration. He noted progress in infrastructure, including 663 completed projects and 863 in design/construction, and expressed hope for future work on stormwater, sidewalks, and unimproved streets.