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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - Minutes - Citizens Transportation Oversight Commission - Meeting Date: 10/3/2019Glendale A R I Z O N A MINUTES CITIZENS TRANSPORTATION OVERSIGHT COMMISSION GLENDALE TRANSPORTATION OFFICE 6210 W. MYRTLE AVENUE - BUILDING A, SUITE 111 GLENDALE, ARIZONA 85301 OCTOBER 3, 2019 6:00 P.M. 1. CALL TO ORDER Acting Chair Fundis called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m. 2. ROLL CALL Acting Chair Fundis took roll call and noted that Chair Geurs, Vice Chair Fernandes, and Commissioner O'Connor all informed staff that they would be absent. Commissioner Sund was not present when at the start of the meeting. Present: Chris Fundis, Commissioner Chris Hauser, Commissioner Chuck Jared, Commissioner Marie Nesfield, Commissioner Jack Nylund, Commissioner Barbara Rose, Commissioner Christopher Sund, Commissioner Joan Young, Commissioner Absent: John Geurs, Chair John Fernandes, Vice Chair John O'Connor, Commissioner Also Present: Purab Adabala, Transportation Planning Administrator Patrick Sage, Transportation Planner Trevor Ebersole, Transportation Department Director Dory Ludwig, Traffic Education Coordinator Robert Perez, Business Analyst, Field Operations Kurt Christianson, Assistant City Attorney 3. APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA - WITHDRAWALS AND CONTINUANCES ACTION BY CTOC: Approval of the agenda for the October 3, 2019 Citizens Transportation Oversight Commission as submitted. Motioned by Commissioner Jack Nylund, seconded by Commissioner Barbara Rose AYE: Commissioner Chris Fundis Commissioner Chris Hauser Commissioner Chuck Jared Commissioner Marie Nesfield Commissioner Jack Nylund Commissioner Barbara Rose Commissioner Joan Young Other: Chair John Geurs (ABSENT) Vice Chair John Fernandes (ABSENT) Commissioner John O'Connor (ABSENT) Commissioner Christopher Sund (ABSENT) Passed 4. APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES Commissioner Sund entered the meeting. ACTION BY CTOC: Approval of the minutes from the September 5, 2019 meeting of the Citizens Transportation Oversight Commission as written. Motioned by Commissioner Jack Nylund, seconded by Commissioner Chuck Jared AYE: Commissioner Chris Fundis Commissioner Chris Hauser Commissioner Chuck Jared Commissioner Marie Nesfield Commissioner Jack Nylund Commissioner Barbara Rose Commissioner Christopher Sund Commissioner Joan Young Other: Chair John Geurs (ABSENT) Vice Chair John Fernandes (ABSENT) Commissioner John O'Connor (ABSENT) Passed 5. CITIZEN COMMENTS No citizen comments. 6. GLENDALE FLEET ELECTRIFICATION Mr. Perez gave a presentation on the City's electric vehicle pilot program, which included the following highlights: • Department Right -Size Pilot • Utilization Study • Timing Electric Vehicle Implementation During Pilot • Adoption Challenges • Impact of Electric Vehicles • Current EVs Deployed • Next Steps Commissioner Nesfield inquired as to the number of electric vehicles the city will have over time. Mr. Perez replied that the objective of the program would be to convert as many as the city's business needs and task types will allow. Commissioner Nesfield asked for the typical life span of an electric vehicle. Mr. Perez stated that in typical consumer use, a nine-year life span can be expected. The City may get a better life span based on lower mileage. Commissioner Nesfield asked if the electric vehicle in the Police Department is a police vehicle. Mr. Perez replied that it is specifically for the Public Information Officer or for travel, not for other policing duties. Commissioner Rose asked if the electric cars make noise, so as not to sneak up on someone. Mr. Perez replied in the positive and explained that the cars are designed to emit a fabricated noise that creates an audible presence, warning other drivers, pedestrians, etc. of the car's approach. Commissioner Nylund inquired about the total number of all vehicles in the city fleet. Mr. Perez estimated 1,300 vehicles. Commissioner Nylund commented that the budget could be substantial, recommended better buying power in numbers, and asked if staff has addressed how it will handle purchasing. Mr. Perez noted that this would be a decision for the fleet superintendent. Commissioner Nylund asked if the data gathered by the City would be shared with other valley cities. Mr. Perez responded in the positive and stated that information and data is shared with other cities, such as at regional conferences, and this will continue to be done as a service to the community. Commissioner Nylund wondered if staff has considered partnerships for the charging stations. Mr. Perez replied in the positive, adding that staff is still vetting and negotiating how this would look. Mr. Perez noted that APS is a bigger partner who has stepped up in this regard. Mr. Perez did not have information on any specific locations at this time. Commissioner Nylund suggested inviting other partners, such as local employers, to a forum on the matter. Mr. Perez announced that he facilitated an environmental summit last week. Commissioner Sund asked for the normal life cycle of a traditional vehicle in the City fleet. Mr. Perez responded that it depends on the type of vehicle, make/model, year of purchase, and the usage. Mr. Perez noted that passenger vehicles have a longer life span than trucks. Commissioner Sund noted that typically the City has purchased American makes, such as Chevrolet and Ford, and wondered why the City chose Nissan. Mr. Perez replied that it was based on the lower price and also the Leaf has a good reputation for fleet use. The agenda item was concluded. 7. GLENDALE FAMILY BIKE RIDE 2020 Mr. Ebersole stated that staff would like the Commission's feedback on the Glendale Family Bike Ride (GFBR), which has a history of more than 20 years. Mr. Ebersole gave a presentation on the GFBR, which included the following: • The cost of the GFBR has increased from $15,000 in 2015 to $45,000 in 2019. • The current programmed budget for the Transportation Education Fund, which pays for the GFBR, is approximately $65,000. Several other programs are funded out of Transportation Education. • Transportation Safety Education Needs .Limited Available Resources • Future Scenarios for Glendale Family Bike Ride Commissioner Sund suggested cutting back on t -shirts and helmets and have more of a "grass-roots" event. Commissioner Nesfield suggested obtaining sponsorships for the t -shirts. Commissioner Nesfield stated that she has attended the event for many years, seen the family dynamics, and said that it would be very sad if it was eliminated. Commissioner Nesfield suggested possibly toning down the event. Mr. Ebersole commented that seeking sponsorships takes a lot of staff time and noted that Ms. Ludwig works for about seven months in advance on this event alone under its current configuration. Commissioner Nylund provided several comments: • He views the GFBR as part of the community fabric and the City is losing this fabric in scaling back this event and other events. • Many people will put their name on things as sponsors. People could be hired to seek sponsorships. An RFP could be put out for sponsors. • The City is responsible for maintaining the community fabric. • Street safety is a primary concern, including issues like red light running at 59th Avenue and Bell Road intersection, yet Council didn't move forward with red light cameras. • Car dealerships and insurance companies could be brought in to support driver education. • The GFBR should be protected and strengthened, and if it is a budgetary issue, there are plenty of private partnerships that could fund the event. Commissioner Nesfield stated that almost every city in the valley has some type of bicycle event during Bike Month, and wondered if Glendale really wanted to be one of the few cities without a bike event. Commissioner Fundis understood the point of taking a micro -view of the event, but he did not want to see these family events go away and stressed a macro -view for consideration. Commissioner Fundis commented that there will be 900 more frustrated citizens. Mr. Ebersole reported that Council is well aware of the intersection issues. Mr. Ebersole stated that twelve of the top one hundred most dangerous intersections in Maricopa County are in Glendale. Mr. Ebersole noted that Council is concerned about safety, which is why Council wants the Transportation Department to increase driver education. Commissioner Nylund felt that there were not enough officers on the streets for enforcement and there needs to be more involvement from the insurance companies. Commissioner Nylund asked if an entry fee was charged for the Bike Ride. Mr. Ebersole replied in the negative. Commissioner Nylund stated that the t -shirts, hats, and helmets could be funded by private partnerships. Commissioner Sund relayed that Glendale Community College has police and fire students that work events and suggested outreach to police and fire recruits for volunteer event staffing. Mr. Ebersole identified the cost break down for the event. Commissioner Hauser asked which category had the largest increase. Ms. Ludwig responded that it was the activities at the park and the giveaways. Commissioner Nylund inquired as to the cost of a helmet. Ms. Ludwig replied that that the helmets were free to the City because they were funded by a grant. Commissioner Nylund opined that some riders might buy a helmet at a subsidized price. Commissioner Nesfield asked when Council was scheduled to meet on this matter. Mr. Ebersole stated that he will share the Commissioners' comments with Council. Commissioner Sund commented that he did not want to see the event go away and would like to find a way to keep it going in some manner. Commissioner Nesfield agreed with a smaller footprint and finding private partnerships to keep the event going Commissioner Nylund commented that everything about the event is a feel -good, agreed 900 people was not a lot out of 250,000, and added that once sponsors are obtained, the footprint could get bigger. Mr. Ebersole commented that the event currently has a huge footprint. Commissioner Nesfield surmised that participation may be low because the event was on a Sunday and many people go to church on Sundays. Mr. Adabala relayed that one year the event was held on a Saturday; however, ridership went down. Commissioner Nesfield thought it had rained that year. Mr. Ebersole summarized the Commission's comments in that it would like to keep the event in some fashion, was not opposed to scaling the event back, and sponsors for the event should be obtained. Commissioner Nylund suggested that a committee in the bicycle group be formed that could put time into seeking sponsorships. Mr. Ebersole replied that there is no longer a separate bicycle committee and that function is now rolled back into the CTOC. The agenda item was concluded. 8. PAVEMENT MANAGEMENT PROGRAM UPDATE Mr. Ebersole announced that he gave a Pavement Management Program (PMP) update presentation to Council on September 24th, and proceeded to provide the CTOC with the same presentation. Items covered included the following: • What are we doing? • What have we learned? • Where are we going? • Recommended actions Commissioner Jared commented that he travels 43rd Avenue every day and it looks better on the Glendale side than on the Phoenix side. Commissioner Nylund asked about Council's amenability toward bonding. Mr. Ebersole indicated that bonding opportunities are under consideration: the options have been presented to Council, and Council is receptive. Mr. Ebersole stated that bonding can only be used for reconstruction, not maintenance and the vast majority of the PMP involves maintenance. Mr. Adabala clarified that surface treatments would not be eligible for bond funds. Mr. Ebersole relayed that the practice is not to bond for anything less than a 20 -year life. Mr. Adabala added that if the City bonded for maintenance items, it would shortly run out of money. Mr. Ebersole relayed that Councilmember Turner had asked staff to conduct research to see if ADA modification requirements could be adjusted, because it is very difficult and expensive to keep up with ADA compliance during the PMP. Commissioner Nylund asked if Mr. Ebersole felt comfortable with support from the elected body for Transportation needs. Mr. Ebersole replied in the positive and shared that Council is very sympathetic, concerned, and supportive of what the department needs. Commissioner Young inquired if Council was opened to using General Funds for Transportation needs. Mr. Ebersole surmised that Council would be receptive but stated that the subject was not broached during the workshop. Mr. Ebersole reported that staff has been tasked with coming back to Council with options to close the gaps. Commissioner Nylund commented that Council will hear from the constituents if they are not happy with the roads. The agenda item was concluded. 9. MANAGER'S REPORT Mr. Adabala reported the following: • Northern Parkway • Dysart Road - 111th Avenue: Construction • Grand Avenue — 99th Avenue: Study • Pavement Management Update/Needs • Transportation Plan Needs Exercise • 67th and Orangewood Avenues Sidewalk and Street Improvements • Camelback Road Reconstruction • Save the Date — CTOC Appreciation Event • Thursday, December 19, 2019: Coyotes v Minnesota Wild; Gila River Arena; 7:30 p.m. 10. COMMISSIONER UPDATES Commissioner Nylund reported that he was recently in Kansas City, Missouri and the light rail is expanding dramatically. Commissioner Nylund stated that it is a city of 1 million people and ridership is way up. 11. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS No new items were identified. 12. NEXT MEETING The next regular meeting of the Citizens Transportation Oversight Commission is scheduled for November 7th, 2019 at 6:00 p.m., at 6210 W. Myrtle Road - Building A, Suite 111, Glendale, Arizona, 85301. ADJOURNMENT Commissioner Fundis adjourned the meeting at 8:01 p.m. ns Transportation Oversight Commission meeting minutes of October 3, 2019 were submitted ved this 7th day of November 2019. Patrick'5age Recording Secretary