IMPERIAL COUNTY TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION

MINUTES FOR November 12, 2025

6:00 p.m.

__________________________________________________________________­­­­___________________ 

VOTING MEMBERS PRESENT:

                                                            City of Brawley                                    Gil Rebollar

                                                            City of Calipatria                                  Javier Amezcua

                                                            City of Calexico                                    Lisa Tylenda

                                                            City of El Centro                                   Marty Ellet

                                                            City of Imperial                                    Robert Amparano

                                                            City of Holtville                                    Mike Goodsell

                                                            City of Westmorland                           Absent                                                             

                                                            County of Imperial                              Martha Cardenas-Singh

                                                            County of Imperial                              John Hawk

                                                            Imperial Irrigation District                Karin Eugenio

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

OTHERS PRESENT:           Geoffrey Holbrook: ICTC Counsel; David Salgado: SCAG; Ann Fox, Melina Pereira, John Garcia: Caltrans; Manuel Soto: Jarret Walker and Associates, Jessica Padilla

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, November 12, 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 6:02 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:                                                       October 22, 2025

B.               Receive and file:

1.                ICTC Management Committee Minutes:                October 08, 2025 

2.                ICTC TAC Minutes:                                                      September 25, 2025

3.                SSTAC Minutes                                                            October 1, 2025

C.                Fourth Amendment to the Agreement between the Imperial County Transportation Commission (ICTC) and   Nomad Transit, LLC (Via) for the operation of the Calexico Microtransit Service funded by the Clean Mobility Options (CMO) Voucher Pilot Program and the Low Carbon Transit Operations Program (LCTOP)

1.                Approved the Third Modification to the agreement between ICTC and Nomad Transit, LLC (VIA) for the Calexico On Demand service in the amount of $500,000 modifying the total contract value to $2,998,875. The modification is contingent upon receipt of said additional funding.

2.                Authorized the Executive Director to sign Modification No. 4.

A motion was made by Goodsell 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:

-          Imperial Valley Transit (IVT) is hosting its annual Stuff-A-Bus food drive from November 3–21 to support the Imperial Valley Food Bank. Riders who donate canned or dry food items will receive one free ride on IVT fixed route services. Donations are accepted on IVT buses and can also be dropped off at the IVT office at 792 E. Ross Road, El Centro. All collected items will be delivered to the Imperial Valley Food Bank to help prevent food insecurity in the community.

-           In honor of Veterans Day, the Imperial County Transportation Commission is offering free rides throughout November to all active-duty military members and veterans with valid U.S. military ID cards. Eligible riders can enjoy complimentary transportation on Imperial Valley Transit (IVT) Fixed Route, IVT Access, IVT MedTrans, and IVT Ride Now services. Simply show your military ID to the driver and ride for free all month long.

-           Bus Stop Improvement Project: The 65% percent improvement plans have been completed and were distributed to participating agencies. ICTC has received agency comments, and the comments have been forwarded to the consultant for incorporation into the project improvement plans. The improvement plans have been finalized at the 100% completion level. Final preparation of the project specifications and contract documents plans is being completed. ICTC is working towards procurement and hopes to start construction at the end of 2025 or early 2026.

-           2024 Local Partnership Program: 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. Local agencies have begun forwarding their allocation packages to the CTC to secure the additional funding.

-           Calexico Intermodal Transportation Center (ITC): The Contractor continues with construction activities for the project. Demolition activities have been completed and construction efforts associated with the development of building infrastructure are ongoing. Shade canopy improvements have also begun, in addition to site electrical and plumbing work. The project remains on schedule and is anticipated to be completed in early 2026.

-           IVT Ride Service Modifications: The service began operating at its new capacity on September 2, 2025.

-           Transit Comprehensive Operational Analysis: The analysis is anticipated to take a year to complete. The project has kicked off, and outreach efforts have taken place. The Analysis is currently being developed. The consultant is anticipating conducting presentations highlighting proposed recommendations to the commission in November 2025.

-           CTC/IVT Operations and Maintenance Facility: Request for Proposals (RFP) for the Environmental and Design Services was 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.

-           CMAQ and STBG Call for Projects: The Imperial County region submitted a total of 15 applications from 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 presenting its list of recommended projects to the SCAG Transportation Committee at its November 2025 Meeting. The final recommended list of projects is anticipated to be presented for approval at the December 2025 SCAG Regional Council Meeting.

-           Imperial Mexicali Binational Alliance (IMBA): The next IMBA and Strategic Planning meeting is scheduled to be held on November 13, 2025, in Imperial County.

-           Sate Route 86(Northbound) Border Patrol Checkpoint: ICTC’s consultant has finalized the project improvement plans and CBP will proceed with developing environmental documents and pursue funding for the construction of the facility. ICTC continues to engage in discussions with the CBP team on the next steps for the project. The project requires the finalization of the environmental documents prior to proceeding with the construction phase. CBP is currently reviewing the project with their HQ Team to attempt to secure funding.

-           A complete report is on page 25 of the agenda.

B.               Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG)

               Mr. Salgado had the following updates:

-        2025 Southern California Economic Update Set for December Joint Policy Committee: The 2025 Southern California Economic Update will take place during the SCAG Joint Policy Committees meeting on Dec. 4, at 9:30 a.m. This presentation will feature SCAG’s annual economic report and analysis from the SCAG Economic Roundtable, a group of independent economists representing the region’s six counties and key specialties. Following the presentation will be an in-depth discussion about the state of the region’s economy moderated by former Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti. More information is on the website at https://scag.ca.gov/economic-insights-data-resources.

-        More information on the future leaders initiative is on the website at https://scag.ca.gov/future-leaders.

-        Connect SoCal Implementation Roadshow Continues: SCAG continued to host a series of roadshow presentations on implementation of the Connect SoCal 2024 Regional Transportation Plan/Sustainable Communities Strategy with regional partners in Los Angeles County. SCAG staff presented to the Greater Los Angeles Realtors Association on Oct. 8, the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce Transportation Committee on Oct. 14, and both the Conejo Valley Chamber of Commerce Legislative Committee and the Los Angeles County Business Federation (BizFed) Goods Movement/ Transportation Committee on Oct. 28. SCAG staff will present on Thursday, November 29th, at the ICTC TAC meeting at 10:00am. Please join us in hearing about how the region will continue to meet the goals of the regional plan.

-        SCAG to Release Call for Projects Under the REAP 2.0 Lasting Affordability Program:  On Nov. 6, the SCAG Regional Council approved updated guidelines and authorized the call for projects under the Regional Early Action Planning Grants (REAP 2.0)-funded Programs Accelerating Transformative Housing Program (PATH) Notice of Funds Available for Lasting Affordability, Round 2. SCAG previously suballocated $45 million through the first Lasting Affordability funding cycle to create and expand housing trusts, catalyst funds and innovative financing strategies that secure long-term affordability. This call makes an additional $20 million available to existing housing trusts and catalyst funds. The goal is for these trusts to expand finance tools and lending products that create supply, choice, and ongoing affordability through a mix of housing types and price ranges, including those for households at or below area median income. The call for applications will open on Nov. 17, 2025, and close on Jan. 20, 2026, at 11:59 p.m.

-        A complete report is on page 32 of the agenda.

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

                Ms. Fox had the following updates:

-        Caltrans Grant Funding Newsletter and Letters of Support: Stay in touch with Caltrans   and get updates sent directly to your inbox on current and future grant funding opportunities, including calls for Caltrans letters of support and application training webinars, by subscribing to the Caltrans Office of Strategic Investment Planning newsletter.

-        U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) Grant Opportunities: The USDOT website provides a DOT Discretionary Grants Dashboard for grant opportunities in various areas such as: Strengthening Mobility and Revolutionizing Transportation (SMART), Rural Opportunities to Use Transportation for Economic Success (ROUTES), and Federal Transit Administration (FTA) grant programs.

-        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.  

-        A complete report is on page 44 of the agenda. 

               D.           Commission Member Reports

                              -     Updates were provided by various commissioners.

VI.              ACTION CALENDAR

A.           2026 State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) Recommendations for Imperial County

1.                Approved the 2026 STIP Recommendations for Imperial County, requesting to fund project development phases for the Forrester Road project and Planning, Programming and Monitoring (PPM) activities in the following distributions:

a.      Programmed a total of $10,466,238 from 2026 STIP RTIP funds for the Forrester Road project as follows: $4,385,000 for the Project Approval and Environmental Document (PA&ED) phase in FY2028/29, and $6,081,238 for Plans, Specifications and Estimates (PS&E) in FY2030/31.

b.      Programmed a total of $346,000 from 2026 STIP RTIP funds for ICTC staff Planning, Programming and Monitoring (PPM) activities as follows: $173,000 in FY2029/30 and $173,000 in FY2030/31.

c.      Carried over the remaining available balance of $19,702,762 for right-of-way and construction phases for the Forrester Road project.

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

                              Motion Carried.

B.           Calexico Intermodal Transportation Center (ITC) Project – Contract Change Order No. 6

1.                Approved Change Order No. 6 to Hazard Construction Engr. LLC for the Calexico ITC Project in the Not to Exceed amount of ($50,000.00) respectively modifying the total contract value to $12,846,586.28.

2.                Authorized the Executive Director to sign Change Order No. 6.

A motion was made by Cardenas- Singh and seconded by Goodsell to approve Action B as presented, roll call:

                              Motion Carried.

C.         GTFS-RT Implementation Project through Cal-ITP Master Service Agreement – Award Recommendation

1.                Approved the award of the contract for the GTFS-RT Implementation Project to Swiflty, Inc. through the Cal-ITP Master Service Agreement in the amount of a not to exceed value of $123,578.00 through November 2028 or approximately $41,193.00 per year.

2.                Authorized the Chairperson to sign the agreement.

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

                              Motion Carried.

VII.            CLOSED SESSION

A.               Motioned to Adjourn to Closed Session (Goodsell/Tylenda)

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.

VIII.          MEETING DATE AND PLACE

A.               The next meeting will be on December 10, 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.

IX.          ADJOURNMENT

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