IMPERIAL COUNTY TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION

MINUTES FOR APRIL 23, 2025

6:00 p.m.

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VOTING MEMBERS PRESENT:

                                                                City of Brawley                                       Gil Rebollar

                                                                City of Calipatria                                    Javier Amezcua

                                                                City of Calexico                                      Lisa Tylenda

                                                                City of El Centro                                    Marty Ellett

                                                                City of Imperial                                      Robert Amparano

                                                                City of Holtville                                       Mike Pacheco           

                                                                City of Westmorland                           Ana Beltran                               

                                                                County of Imperial                                John Hawk  

                                                                County of Imperial                                Absent

                                                                Imperial Irrigation District                 Karin Eugenio                                                                            

STAFF PRESENT:               David Aguirre, Cristi Lerma, Esperanza Avila, Michelle Bastidas (zoom)

OTHERS PRESENT:            Eric Havens: ICTC Counsel; Ann Fox, Melina Pereira, John Garcia: Caltrans; Manuel Soto: Jarrett Walker & Associates;

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 Wednesday, April 23, 2025, together with staff reports and related documents attached thereto and incorporated therein by reference.

I.                    CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL 

Chair Amparano called the Commission meeting to order at 6:00 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:                                                 March 26, 2025

B.                 Receive and file:

1.                  ICTC Management Committee Minutes:         March 12, 2025 

2.                  ICTC TAC Minutes:                                               February 27, 2025

3.                  ICTC SSTAC Minutes:                                           February 5, 2025

C.           Workplace Violence Prevention Plan (WVPP)

1.                   Approved and Adopted the ICTC Workplace Violence Prevention Plan

D.           Travel Policy and Guidelines

1.            Approved and Adopted the ICTC Travel Policy and Guidelines

E.            Low Carbon Transit Operations Program (LCTOP) Application for FY 2024-25 Funds

                               1.            Authorized the ICTC Chairperson to sign the attached resolution.

2.            Authorization for the Execution of the LCTOP Project application: Calexico on Demand for eligible transit operations.

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

V.                  REPORTS

A.           ICTC Executive Director

Mr. Aguirre had the following updates:

-          A Budget Workshop will be held at the ICTC offices on May 28, 2025, at 5 p.m. (prior to the Commission meeting)

-          The CMAQ and STBG call for projects is due this Friday, May 16, 2025, at 5 PM. There is more information and resources on the website regarding the requirements. If you need assistance, please reach out to staff asap.

-          Construction has begun on the Calexico Intermodal Transportation Center, starting with building abatement and demolition. ICTC will continue to provide updates on the Calexico Intermodal Transportation Center construction progress.

-          IVT Ride service modifications are underway with a target date of July 1st. Staff will be reaching out to city councils and senior groups to provide presentations regarding the changes. 

-          The Calexico East Port of Entry Intermodal Transportation Center project is underway. The Master Agreement between Caltrans and ICTC was approved in April. Next will be site acquisition. 

-          ICTC is moving forward with the electronic fare payment mechanisms for fixed route services. This will allow riders to use electronic payment to ride the bus. 

-          Next steps for the Forrester Road project will be to allocate the STIP funds to proceed with the next phase of the project.

-          ICTC to proceed with construction procurement for the Bus Stop Improvement Project by the end of the year.

-          All ICTC Executive Directors’ updates can be found on page 53 

B.                               Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG)

                                Mr. Salgado had the following updates:

-          The 2025 SCAG Regional Conference & General Assembly was held on May 1-2, 2025, at JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort & Spa, Palm Desert, Ca. There were over 900 participants, the highest attendance ever. ICTC Commissioner and SCAG Regional Council Member Mike Goodsell was appointed to the Executive Committee. 

-          Two Imperial Valley students were awarded the SCAG $4,000 scholarship. Thank you to ICTC Commissioner and SCAG Regional Council Member Mike Goodsell for serving on the scholarship committee.

-          Mr. Salgado reminded everyone about the CMAQ STBG Call for Projects, urging submission of applications.

-          All other updates can be found on the SCAG report on page 62 of the agenda.

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

                Ms. Fox had the following updates:

-          Federal Update: Caltrans is working with US Department of Transportation including Federal Highway Administration, Federal Transit Administration, and Federal Rail Administration. As the new Administration appointees fill in, we will share information.

-          District 11 Truck Parking and Medium/Heavy Duty ZEV Charging Station Site Assessment: The Project Initiation Document (PID) is on hold. PID efforts will restart in July of this year.

-          Calexico West Port of Entry (POE) Travel Corridor Improvements: The Project Study Report-Project Development Support to be completed by May 2025.

-          SR-86 and Dogwood Road Intersection Widening and Installation of Traffic Signals: Currently in design phase with a tentative updated construction start date of October

-          2025. Coordination with County of Imperial. Improvements are part of the mitigation measures listed under the Environmental Impact Report for the Imperial Valley Mall, the Imperial Valley Commons, and the Plaza at Imperial Valley.

-          SR-186 Highway Realignment and Construct New Bridge over the All-American Canal (AAC): The Categorical Exclusion/Categorical Exemption (Environmental Document) was approved in January 2025. The Project Report is in circulation. The Project Report to be completed by May 2025.

-          SR-98 Pavement Rehabilitation: Project is in the Project Approval & Environmental Document (PA&ED) phase with scheduled completion of December 2025.

-          All other updates can be found on page 65

         D.       Commission Member Reports

-          Updates were provided by various commissioners.

VI.                ACTION CALENDAR

A.                  Approval of Master Agreement between the Imperial County Transportation Commission (ICTC) and the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) – Transit Intercity Rail Capital Program – Calexico East Intermodal Transportation Center

The ICTC Management Committee met on April 9, 2025, and forwarded this item to the Commission for their review and approval after public comment, if any:

1.                   Approved the attached resolution authorizing the Executive Director or his designee to execute the Master Agreement and to take any actions necessary on behalf of the ICTC for use of TIRCP Funds.

2.                   Authorized the Executive Director or his designee to execute the Master Agreement between ICTC and Caltrans for use of TIRCP funds.

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

                               Motion Carried.

B.                   Calexico Intermodal Transportation Center (ITC) Project – Contract Change Order No. 1 and Contract Change Order No. 2

The ICTC Management Committee met on April 9, 2025, and forwards this item to the Commission for their review and approval after public comment, if any:

1.                   Approved Change Order No. 1 and Change Order No. 2 to Hazard Construction Engr. LLC for the Calexico ITC Project in the amount of ($295,495.11) and ($20,680.00) respectively modifying the total contract value to $12,759,768.21.

2.                   Authorized the Executive Director to sign Change Order No. 1 and Change Order No. 2.

3.                   Authorized the Executive Director to execute potential Change Order(s) for a total Not-To-Exceed value of seventy-five thousand ($75,000.00) dollars.

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

                               Motion Carried.

C.                   Consideration of Vacation of ICTC Appointed Energy and Environment Committee (EEC) Seat

The ICTC Commission met on March 26, 2025, and requested that this item be brought to the Commission in April for their review and consideration after public comment, if any:

               No action was taken.

VII.              PRESENTATION CALENDER

                A.           Imperial Valley Transit Comprehensive Operations Analysis

·         Mr. Soto from Jarrett Walker & Associates provided a presentation on the progress of the Imperial Valley Transit Comprehensive Operational Analysis (IVT COA). The project is on track for completion by March 2026. Mr. Soto also noted that additional public engagement workshops are scheduled to take place later this year to gather further community input and feedback.

                B.           Imperial Irrigation District (IID) Presentation

·         IID staff delivered a comprehensive overview of the agency’s departmental structure and operational functions. They also highlighted several customer assistance initiatives, including the Ready, Ease, and Shield programs, as well as other energy savings programs aimed at supporting customers and promoting energy efficiency. Additionally, staff provided an update on the agency’s recent and upcoming rate changes, offering context and rationale behind the adjustments.

VIII.            DISCUSSION CALENDAR

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

The Commission met to discuss E-Bikes, Scooters and Street Racing Safety concerns. The commission elected to form an ad hoc committee to further discuss the possibilities of creating unified solutions to combat the issues regionally.

IX.                MEETING DATE AND PLACE

A.                  The next meeting will be on May 28, 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 8:00 p.m.