IMPERIAL COUNTY TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION

MINUTES FOR OCTOBER 22, 2025

6:00 p.m.

__________________________________________________________________­­­­___________________ 

VOTING MEMBERS PRESENT:

                                                            City of Brawley                                    Gil Rebollar

                                                            City of Calipatria                                  Absent

                                                            City of Calexico                                    Lorenzo Calderon

                                                            City of El Centro                                   Sonia Carter

                                                            City of Imperial                                    Robert Amparano

                                                            City of Holtville                                    Mike Goodsell

                                                            City of Westmorland                           Ana Beltran                                                    

                                                            County of Imperial                              Martha Cardenas-Singh

                                                            County of Imperial                              Absent

                                                            Imperial Irrigation District                Karin Eugenio

STAFF PRESENT:              David Aguirre, Cristi Lerma, Marlene Flores, Maricela Galarza

OTHERS PRESENT:           Andrew Briseno: ICTC Counsel; Ann Fox, John Garcia: Caltrans

PUBLIC:                              None

The following action minutes are listed as they were acted upon by the Imperial County Transportation Commission and as listed on the agenda for the meeting held on Wednesday, October 22, 2025, together with staff reports and related documents attached thereto and incorporated therein by reference.

I.                 CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL 

Chair Robert Amparano called the Commission meeting to order at 6:18 p.m. Roll call was taken, and a quorum was present.

II.                EMERGENCY ITEMS

               There were none.

III.              PUBLIC COMMENTS

    There were none.

IV.             CONSENT CALENDAR

The consent calendar was reviewed and forwarded by the ICTC Management Committee.

A.               ICTC Commission Minutes:                                                        September 24, 2025

B.               Receive and file:

1.                ICTC Management Committee Minutes:                 September 10, 2025 

2.                ICTC TAC Minutes:                                                      August 28, 2025

3.                ICTC SSTAC Minutes:                                                    September 3, 2025

A motion was made by Carter and seconded by Rebollar to approve the consent calendar as presented, roll call:

V.               REPORTS

A.           ICTC Executive Director

Mr. Aguirre had the following updates:

-           Staff are working on developing a bus stop improvement project in the cities of Westmorland, Calipatria and El Centro. The project consists of installing various bus shelters and potentially other amenities. The improvement plans have been finalized at the 100% completion level. Final preparation of the project specifications and contract document plan is being completed. ICTC is working towards procurement and hopes to award in January 2026, with construction to begin several months later due to the lead time for shelters during procurement. 

-           ICTC received news of an increase in Cycle 5 LPP funds following CTC’s redistribution of unused Incentive Funds. This action resulted in a small increase of funds for FY 2025/26, available through June 2028. To access these funds, local agencies will work with ICTC and CTC staff in submitting Nomination Packet to the CTC for approval. There is also a competitive program that is administered by the CTC. Guidelines for the program can be found at https://catc.ca.gov/-/media/ctc-media/documents/programs/local-partnership-program/2024-lpp-competitive-guidelines-adopted-resolution.pdf. It is anticipated that the CTC will be approving this redistribution at their December meeting.  

-           The contractor continues with construction activities on the Calexico Intermodal Transportation Center project. The project remains on time and estimated completion is March 2026.

-           The IVT Ride Now service began operating in its new capacity on September 2, 2025. The service has gained on average 60 new riders a day with an increase in senior riders as well.

-           The consultant for the Comprehensive Operational Analysis will present to the Commission at the November meeting.

-           Request for Proposals (RFP) for the Environmental and Design Services for the proposed ICTC/IVT Operations and Maintenance Facility were released on September 26, 2025, and due on November 14, 2025. Staff also submitted multiple grant applications for the anticipated construction efforts under FTA 5339 for Bus Facilities and Low No Emission Programs. It is anticipated that Environmental and Design Services will take about a year to complete due to the complexity of the project requests that will include zero emission and hydrogen cell infrastructure.

-           The Imperial County region submitted a total of 15 applications for the CMAQ and STBG programs Call for Projects earlier this year. Applications submitted included the cities of Calexico, Calipatria, El Centro, Holtville, Imperial and the County of Imperial. The scoring and ranking of projects were completed by members of the ICTC TAC in June 2025. The recommendations were presented to the Management Committee in July 2025 and to the commission in July 2025. Staff forwarded the final list of recommendations to SCAG for further evaluation in July 2025. SCAG is currently evaluating project submittals across the SCAG region. It is anticipated that determinations pertaining to possible project selection will take place in the near future. This item is scheduled to be on the SCAG Transportation Committee agenda on November 6, 2025, and the Regional Council in December.

-           ICTC received approval to proceed with Right of Way acquisition from the CTC in June 2025 for the Calexico East Port of Entry Intermodal Transportation Center. The proposed property was appraised and on the agenda for October. This project is fully funded, including construction.

-           The Imperial County EV Charging Infrastructure Feasibility Study had a kickoff meeting on October 22, 2025. This project will include stakeholder meetings and will take about 9 months to be completed.

-           ICTC is currently pursuing the implementation of an electronic fare payment system to its fixed route transit services. The system would allow all of its fixed route buses to take card payments in addition to its existing cash payment system. ICTC has received approval to utilize grant funds and intends to proceed with the development of the project. ICTC recently received various bids from interested parties for consideration. ICTC is evaluating the responses and intends to work towards a potential contract award in November 2025.

B.               Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG)

               Mr. Salgado had the following updates:

-           SCAG 2025 Transportation Existing Conditions Report: 

https://scag.ca.gov/transportation-safety 

-           SCAG “Highs, Lows, and Shocks: Key Housing and Economic Trends in Southern California:” https://scag.ca.gov/news/scag-releases-regional-analysis-2024-american-community-survey-data-highs-lows-and-shocks-key

-           Please submit your comments for the SCAG Public Participation Plan 2026: 

https://www.scag.ca.gov/public-participation-plan#:~:text=The%20Public%20Participation%20Plan%20(PPP,plans%2C%20programs%2C%20and%20initiatives.

-           SCAG 2025 Demographic Workshop recordings: https://scag.ca.gov/2025-southern-california-demographic-workshop-revisiting-the-intergenerational-contract#_d_w25-tab-3-name

-           SCAG Future Leaders initiative: https://scag.ca.gov/future-leaders

-           SCAG Regional Pilot Initiatives Technical Assistance: https://scag.ca.gov/regional-pilot-initiatives

-           SCAG/SANDAG Border Resiliency Study: https://www.sandag.org/projects-and-programs/borders-and-interregional-collaboration/binational/california-baja-california-border-resiliency-plan

-           A complete report is on page 26 of the agenda.

C.                 California Department of Transportation (Caltrans)- District 11

                Ms. Fox had the following updates:

-        Federal Update: Caltrans met with U.S Customs and Border Protection to provide an update in our most recent efforts to improve the movements of goods and pedestrians in Imperial County.  

-        State Update: Caltrans had the opportunity to attend the 2025 Binational Delegation to Mexico City in Mexico City. This Binational Delegation provides the opportunity for participants to meet with key federal officials, including members of the Sheinbaum Administration and Mexican Senate, and diverse business industry leaders to discuss major issues.  

-        Projects discussed: 

o   SR-186 Highway Realignment and Construct New Bridge over the All-American Canal (AAC).  The project will replace the existing structure crossing the AAC (carrying SR-186 traffic) with a new segmental concrete bridge, including standard 12-foot lanes, 8-foot shoulders, 6-foot sidewalks, and concrete barrier railing in each direction.  Access for AAC maintenance and operation will be improved.  Replacement of existing bridge structure was requested by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (BOR). Ongoing coordination with U.S. BOR, Imperial Irrigation District, Quechan Tribe of the Fort Yuma Indian Reservation, and International Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC). Status: The Project Report was approved in September 2025 

o   SR-98 Pavement Rehabilitation. Caltrans ensures the reliability and maintenance of the State Transportation System. This is a SHOPP pavement preservation anchor asset project along SR-98 (22-lane miles).  Also included in the scope of the project is lighting rehabilitation, sign panel replacement, upgrades to Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) curb ramps, flashing beacons, census stations, traffic signals, complete street improvements, and replacing existing safety systems. Status: Project is in the Project Approval & Environmental Document (PA&ED) phase with scheduled completion of December 2025. 

o   Middle-Mile Broadband Network (MMBN) Fiber Projects. California Department of Technology (CDT) has determined routes along which fiber will be constructed and selected third party joint builders to design and construct these routes, in their pursuit of bringing high speed and reliable internet access to underserved areas of Imperial County.  Caltrans’ role is as the Permit reviewer for the joint builder’s projects Permit requests. Permit applications have been received for 8 projects, 5 of which have been approved. Routes: I-8 from Arizona to San Diego County line.  SR86 between El Centro and Brawley. SR111 north of Brawley to Riverside County Line.  SR78 from Brawley to Riverside County line. Construction Completion: by December 2026. 

o   Middle-Mile Broadband Network (MMBN) Hub Projects. The fiber communication hubs are a critical element of the MMBN network in the pursuit of bringing high speed and reliable internet access to underserved areas of Imperial County.  Caltrans has been instrumental to the California Department of Technology (CDT) in the design on most of the Imperial County MMBN hubs and has participated in the preliminary design work on the remaining MMBN hub, and the MMBN hubs will be constructed as a Permit job by a third-party joint builder for CDT. 2 Hub permits have been approved so far.  

-        There are many maintenance and traffic operations projects going on in Imperial County that include storm repair and clean-up efforts. Many projects are close to finishing, and some are just beginning. 

-        A complete report is on page 29 of the agenda. 

               D.           Commission Member Reports

                              -     Updates were provided by various commissioners.

VI.              ACTION CALENDAR

               A.           FY 22-23, 23-24 and 24-25 TDA Triennial Performance Audit – Award Recommendation

1.            Approved the award of the Agreement for the FY 22-23, 23-24 and 24-25 TDA Triennial Performance Audit to Moore and Associates in the amount of $75,887.33.

2.            Authorized the Chairperson to sign the agreement.

A motion was made by Rebollar and seconded by Beltran to approve Action A as presented, roll call:

                              Motion Carried.

B.           Award of Contract for Procurement of Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging Equipment and Management Software

1.                Approved the award of contract for the Procurement of Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging Equipment and Management Software to OpConnect, Inc. in the amount of $326,144.62; and

2.                Authorized the executive director to sign the agreement.

A motion was made by Rebollar and seconded by Calderon to approve Action A as presented, roll call:

                              Motion Carried.

C.           Imperial County Transportation Commission (ICTC) – Calexico East Port of Entry Intermodal Transportation Center – Property Acquisition APN 059-438-019 – NE Corner State Route 7 and Carr Rd., Calexico, CA 92231

1.                Approved the acquisition of real property identified as APN 059-438-019 – NE Corner State Route 7 and Carr Road, Calexico, CA 92231 in the amount of $996,653.00, in addition to any applicable closing costs. Said acquisition is contingent upon CalSTA approval.

2.                Authorized the Executive Director to sign any applicable escrow documentation, Certificate of Acceptance and any other documents required to complete the acquisition on behalf of ICTC.

A motion was made by Rebollar and seconded by Calderon to approve Action A as presented, roll call:

                              Motion Carried.

VII.            DISCUSSION CALENDAR

A.               E-Bikes, Scooters and Street Racing Safety Discussion

-        Commissioner Cardenas-Singh asked all agencies to bring a copy of their e-bikes ordinance to the next meeting. The purpose of this is to compare and make them as uniform as possible for consistency across all Imperial County cities.

-        Staff were directed to provide a presentation from the research that has been gathered. The presentation will first be presented to TAC members and then to Management Committee and Commission members.

-        Mr. Salgado noted that the SCAG GO Human program is available as a resource through the Office of Public Safety. The Go Human program provides signage that can be personalized to an e-bike campaign. Go Human website: https://scag.ca.gov/go-human 

-        Other agencies that also have safety campaigns in Imperial County and may be a good resource include County Public Health and the ICOE.

-        A good resource is the CalBike site for legislative updates: https://www.calbike.org/legislative-watch/ 

VIII.          CLOSED SESSION

A.               Motioned to Adjourn to Closed Session (Singh/Rebollar)

B.           PUBLIC EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE EVALUATION (Government Code § 54957)         

        Title: ICTC Executive Director

               C.            Announcement of Closed Session Action(s)

The Commission met in closed session to discuss the performance evaluation of the Executive Director. No actions were taken, but direction was given to the commissioners on how to proceed next. This item will be on the agenda for November.

IX.              MEETING DATE AND PLACE

A.               The next meeting will be on November 12, 2025, at 6:00 p.m. at the ICTC Offices, 1503 N. Imperial Ave., Suite 104, El Centro, CA 92243, and via Zoom Meeting for the public.

X.           ADJOURNMENT

               A.           Meeting Adjourned at 8:13 p.m.