To: Board of Supervisors
From: John Kopchik, Director, Conservation and Development
Report Title: Agreement with the Metropolitan Transportation Commission to provide a waiver of claims and indemnification.
☒Recommendation of the County Administrator ☐ Recommendation of Board Committee
RECOMMENDATIONS:
APPROVE and AUTHORIZE the Conservation and Development Director, or designee, to execute an agreement with the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) to provide a waiver of claims and indemnification by the County to enable the County to receive $500,000 in technical assistance from MTC Consultants for priority production area planning and implementation.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no fiscal impact.
BACKGROUND:
On June 17, 2019, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) and the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG) released an open call for letters of interest for a new pilot program that introduced Priority Production Areas (PPAs) as a new Priority Area designation. Priority Areas are specific locations well suited for a specific use and previously only included Priority Development Areas (PDAs) and Priority Conservation Areas (PCAs). PPAs were based on new criteria developed by ABAG/MTC that called for the enhancement and protection of industrial areas. The intention of the pilot program was to protect and support the Bay Area’s industrial and manufacturing sectors through the provision of resources and implementation of streamlining actions. Thus, these PPAs are areas that are consistent with current land use designations, have the capacity to add jobs, and spur economic growth.
On December 17, 2019, the Board of Supervisors adopted Resolution No. 2019/636, nominating two County areas in Bay Point and Pacheco as Association of Bay Area Governments/Metropolitan Transportation Commission's recognized Priority Production Areas, and supporting the City of Antioch's nomination of the Wilbur Avenue corridor. At that point in the pilot program, there was no associated grant funding.
In December 2022, the MTC released a solicitation for funding proposals for jurisdictions seeking planning grants and technical assistance for their PPAs. The PPA Pilot Program makes available technical assistance (TA) worth up to $750,000 for projects focused on developing shared analysis or frameworks for implementing programs/policies across multiple PPAs, with no match required.
On February 7, 2023, the Board of Supervisors authorized the Department of Conservation and Development to apply for an accept grant funding of up to $750,000 from the MTC for the Northern Waterfront Priority Production Areas Technical Assistance Project.
On June 28, 2023, the County was approved for an award of $500,000 in grant funding from MTC for the Northern Waterfront Priority Production Areas Technical Assistance Project for the feasibility analysis, framework, and template materials necessary for local staff to get PPA-related programs or policies adopted across multiple PPAs in the Northern Waterfront, namely those in the County and in the Cities of Concord, Pittsburg, Antioch and Oakley.
To assist local public agencies with the procurement of and contracting of technical expertise, MTC has entered or will enter into professional services agreements with several consulting firms under which consultants will provide assistance to the County and the local jurisdictions for local planning and implementation. MTC requires jurisdictions receiving technical assistance to execute the recommended agreement to be able to access these services.
CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:
The Department of Conservation and Development would be prevented from receiving the technical expertise and assistance for local planning and implementation from several consulting firms that MTC has entered or will enter into professional services agreements for the Technical Assistance for Priority Production Area Planning and Implementation.