210 N. Church St. Suite B Visalia, California 93292 (559)623-0450 FAX (559)733-6720 www.tularecog.org Agenda Tulare County Association of Governments Railroad Advisory Committee Tuesday, July 28, 2015 1:30 p.m. Tulare County Government Plaza RMA Large Conference Room 5961 S. Mooney Blvd, Visalia, CA Item Agenda Topic No. 1. Call to Order and Welcome (conduct roll call and verify quorum) 2. Public Comments 3. Approval of minutes from June 1, 2015 meeting 4. Discussion: Tulare County Rail Corridor Preservation Update Item Summary: An update will be provided regarding the City of Porterville s efforts to preserve rail along the Union Pacific rail corridor in and near the City. (Presenter: City of Porterville) 5. Discussion: City of Visalia Industrial Park Visalia EDC Group Item Summary: Update regarding recent efforts to upgrade and add rail connections within the City of Visalia s industrial park located east of State Route 99 and north of Goshen Avenue. (Presenters: Nancy Lockwood and Ted Smalley) 6. Discussion: High Speed Rail impacts to rail operations in Tulare County Item Summary: Discussion of High Speed Rail alignment and potential issues of conflict with the freight rail system that serves Tulare County. (Presenters: Staff from the California High Speed Rail Authority) 7. Comments from Committee Members 8. Future Agenda Topics/Next Meeting Date 9. Adjournment Dinuba Exeter Farmersville Lindsay Porterville Tulare Visalia Woodlake County of Tulare
Tulare County Association of Governments (TCAG) Rail Advisory Committee Members Dean Uota Vacant Pam Kimball, Chair Virginia Gurrola Bob Link Phil Cox Mike Knopf Bob Bloomer Bob Stocker Wyatt Best Richard Best City of Dinuba City of Exeter City of Lindsay City of Porterville City of Visalia County of Tulare Measure R Citizens Oversight Committee (COC) Member-at-Large Member-at-Large Shipper Stakeholder Member Shipper Stakeholder Member TCAG Staff Office Address Ted Smalley, Executive Director Tulare County Association of Governments Benjamin Kimball, Deputy Executive Director 210 N. Church Street, Suite B Ben Giuliani, Executive Director-LAFCO Visalia, CA 93291 Gabriel Gutierrez, Associate Regional Planner P: (559) 623-0450 Derek Winning, Associate Regional Planner F: (559) 733-6720 Brideget Moore, Staff Services Analyst www.tularecog.org Doreen Alvez, Department Secretary Dinuba Exeter Farmersville Lindsay Porterville Tulare Visalia Woodlake County of Tulare E:\Transportation Planning\Rail\TCAG Rail Committee\2015\July 28, 2015\Draft Agenda (072815)(gg).doc
Tulare County Association of Governments Rail Advisory Committee July 1, 2015 ATTENDANCE LIST City Member-Chair Pam Kimball P City Member Bob Link P Shipper Stakeholder Richard Best P City Member Dean Uota P Measure R Oversite Mike Knopf A Member at Large Bob Stocker A City Member Virginia Gurrola P Shipper Stakeholder Bob Bloomer P P- Present A- Absent Others Present: Phil Cox, Wyatt Best, Loretta Johnson, Chuck Littlefield, Devon Jones, Allen Ishida, John Lollis, Michael Washam, Nancy Lockwood TCAG Staff Present: Ted Smalley, Brideget Moore, Doreen Alvez, Derek Winning, Ben Giuliani, Gabriel Gutierrez, Benjamin Kimball TCAG Counsel: Jennifer McNichols Summary Meeting Minutes 1. Call to Order & Welcome The Rail Advisory Committee (RAC) was called to order by Chair Kimball at 11:01 a.m. on June 1, 2015. Chair Kimball asked if the committee had quorum. Ms. Alvez confirmed quorum was met. 2. Public Comments Public comments opened/closed at 11:04 a.m. No public comments received. 3. Action: Approval of minutes from October 28, 2014 meeting 1 Ms. Alvez stated the last meeting minutes misidentified Jeff Stover as Ken Stover. Upon motion by Member Gurrola and seconded by Member Best, the Railroad Advisory Committee unanimously approved the minutes from the October 28, 2014 meeting as amended. 4. Discussion: Tulare County Rail Corridor Preservation Member Gurrola discussed the City of Porterville s acquisition of 8.2 miles of abandoned Union Pacific rail line that was purchased for $3,050,000 for future use of the rail and the acquisition of 100 ft. of Right of Way (ROW) (areas that are 50 ft. and 25 ft. wide, as the Porterville museum purchased some areas of right of way before the City of Porterville). Member Gurrola discussed the City of Porterville s disappointment for not receiving a grant from the Affordable Housing Sustainable Communities Program (AHSCP), which was part of Cap and Trade, for a multimodal corridor project. Member Gurrola stated the proposal was for 1.5 miles of rail between west Putnam south of the museum to the college which included a bicycle pedestrian trail with solar lighting, drought tolerant landscaping, and the crossing at the intersection with lighted features. Member Gurrola stated the city was coordinating with TCAG staff to do the corridor plan but as the city was not able to get funding from AHSCP it is requesting direction and guidance from the 1 Item No. 3 heard before Item No. 2. 1
committee for how to proceed to fund the corridor study. Member Gurrola stated the city had a plan and concept but did not know how the environmental study would be funded in order for the project to be shovel-ready during the next cycle of Cap and Trade. Mr. Lollis added that TCAG s financial support had been outstanding and stated the preliminary environmental was completed with no hazardous conditions to report. Mr. Lollis stated the phase I environmental was clean but not to a standard for the environmental documents necessary for Cap and Trade and Federal funding, and stated the city was moving forward to have the environmental documents done as the corridor study has identified the acquisitions use and determined what the utility is in the absence of rail. Mr. Lollis discussed the main focus of the rail and how it is planned going forward considering not only Porterville but 8 miles going to Strathmore and further North to Lindsay and Exeter. Ms. Gurrola provided a handout to the committee which reflected what the corridor looks like in terms of expansion and discussed the City of Porterville s idea for rapid bus transit with bicycle/walking trails and the benefits to its residents who depend on transit as the city has seen increased ridership. Mr. Lollis commented that the agreement talks about expanding to fifty feet of rail rightof-way. Mr. Smalley stated at times TCAG may fund corridor studies however; the City of Porterville would need to define the corridor study in order for TCAG to amend the TCAG budget and fund the study. Mr. Smalley discussed the long range transit plans that will look into prioritization of the corridors, and stated that the corridor the City of Porterville is doing was previously identified initially as a critical corridor in addition to the corridor between the Cities of Tulare and Visalia. Mr. Smalley stated the study will go before the board by the next fiscal year end (a year from now) where the options will be before the TCAG board for project prioritization. Mr. Smalley encouraged the cities to move forward with their projects and be tenacious in applying for Cap and Trade funds no matter how slim the possibilities may be. Mr. Smalley discussed the new Cap and Trade requirements and the need for the COG s to have a greater role of deciding projects and keep the process from being a grant writing process. Mr. Smalley stated TCAG would be looking to help the agencies go after funding aside from Measure R as Measure is going to play a small part, and encouraged the city managers to send a one paragraph email requesting funding for corridor studies so TCAG can review the budget to help fund the studies. Committee members requested clarification of the east side corridor for transit, and the type of transit to be provided. Member Gurrola discussed rapid transit and its ability to go on and off the rail when necessary, and stated it would go off on D street in Porterville, then go to the transit center and pick up people, then go back on again and could also do signal changes. Mr. Smalley clarified the rapid transit would not be on the rail but the rail right-of-way. 5. Discussion: City of Visalia Industrial Park- Visalia EDC Group Ms. Lockwood provided a status update on the City of Visalia s Industrial Park located east of SR 99 and north of Goshen Ave. Ms. Lockwood stated the Visalia Economic Development Corporation (EDC), brokers, property owners, TCAG, and the City of 2
Visalia had a series of meetings to review the shortage of rail service properties and how they can enhance rail services in the industrial park. Ms. Lockwood stated there is a lot of interest and is optimistic they will get to a point where there is additional rail service properties for the next big employer. Ms. Lockwood stated that periodically there is interest from a prospective employer for rail line service, however there is no land or infrastructure to meet their needs. Ms. Lockwood highlighted a field trip to the Modesto Rail Park during the week for which the EDC committee will be provided a tour. Mr. Smalley added that TCAG and EDC were working to gather information at this time for a presentation to the TCAG board at the December 2015 TCAG board meeting. Mr. Smalley discussed the vision to make the Visalia Industrial Park a rail park to meet the growing need for rail, and discussed the challenges the EDC has in laying out a map and the concepts for the TCAG board to review. Mr. Smalley stated this is an opportunity for folks to put their vision and concepts together which could potentially bring thousands of jobs to Tulare County. Committee members discussed who was on the Visalia EDC committee and whether a County Representative has been invited on the tour. Mr. Cox stated the County should be involve in the process as the property is in the County. 6. Discussion: High Speed Rail impacts to rail operations in Tulare County Member Littlefield provided handouts to the committee and relayed his concerns for the high speed rail proceeding with changes to the rail without notifying the rail authority of its impacts to the line. Member Littlefield stated in conversations with SJVR it was discovered that the High Speed Rail Authority had planned to take out a critical connection that brings volumes to the Port of Ivory, Union Pacific (UP) and Tulare County. Member Littlefield stated the SJVR was able to argue the impacts to the line and those affected and was able to change the High Speed Rail Authority decision. Member Littlefield asked if Tulare County knew of the High Speed Rail impacts to the line, what the plans were for the rail and its affects to Tulare County. Member Littlefield highlighted the maps of the rail from Fresno County to Tulare County and the High Speed Rail Authority s planned construction. Member Littlefield stated the impact would have taken out the whole southern corridor (main line) for SJVR. Member Littlefield discussed his concerns for not being aware of the impacts to the line and other impacts not known, and the need for someone from the committee to be a representative to advocate how Tulare County would be impacted. Mr. Washam discussed the multiple meetings with the High Speed Rail Authority on its impacts to roads, overpasses, businesses and the financial impacts for road closures and the building of alternative frontage roads however; rail impacts had not been discussed. Mr. Littlefield discussed how UP will need to build a run around track while there is construction to deliver product to Tulare County which will impact how the trains come in and interchange and pass. Mr. Smalley asked Chair Kimball if TCAG Staff, Derek Winning and Gabriel Gutierrez, could set up a meeting with the Committee and invite the High Speed Rail Authority to discuss their plans. 3
Committee members discussed the need for answers for how the rail will be impacted (short term and long term), and the need for maps and time schedules. 7. Other rail items: CMAQ Funding Policy Amendment Mr. Smalley noted a correction on the agenda for CMAQ not CEQA. Mr. Smalley highlighted that the TCAG board agreed to amend the TCAG policies for the allowance of a partnership on rail projects and that currently TCAG staff is in the process of defining the partnership to include funding requirements as part of the partnership, a prioritization list, and the need to make sure there are no impacts to already approved projects planned. Mr. Smalley discussed that the TCAG board was moving forward with the idea that some money can and should be used for rail improvements and the discussions for the comparison of building a road versus cost of a rail line, and the opportunity to create more jobs and the benefits for rail. Mr. Smalley discussed the challenges for rail, the efforts conducted during the Washington DC trip, how CMAQ is being used for rail, and discussed how the policy change would allow for phased improvements. Chair Kimball asked if anyone was developing a project list. Mr. Smalley stated that the City of Visalia and TCAG were working together to set an example and prototype on how this is done, determining cost sharing provisions, staff s perspective of no exclusive right to the rail line which would allow for other connections to be done, and the testing with Economic Development Corporation (EDC) as they move forward. 8. Comments from Committee Members Discussion re: Rate Equalization Member Best discussed his concerns for rates not being equalized with cost increases of $500 on the San Joaquin Valley Railroad (SJVR) versus direct service from the BSNF for Tulare County, and asked the committee if a letter could be written from every town involved with the SJVR that needs future or have existing rail service for rate equalization on the line. Member Littlefield added that the boundaries between the Fresno County line going south into Bakersfield is classified as a Geo Zone that warrants higher rates which was believed to be the result of the Sante Fe line when the railroads merged. Member Littlefield stated they have lost business due to the cost increases. Mr. Smalley requested Mr. Littlefield to write a distinct summary and submit to TCAG staff, Derek Winning and Gabriel Gutierrez so they can write a boilerplate letter, and requested permission from the committee to talk with Congressman Nunes office for feedback. Mr. Smalley invited the committee members to reiterate their concerns for rate equalization once a meeting has been set up with Rudy Mendoza, Representative with Congressman Nunes office. Chair Kimball directed that a letter be drafted that the cities can support and that Congressman Nunes office be contacted by Mr. Smalley. Membership Changes Member Bloomer stated that he did not qualify as a stakeholder as his business had dissolved and expressed his interest in staying on the committee in another capacity. 4
Chair Kimball verified that a member-at-large position was available and requested Member Bloomer be appointed to a member-at-large. Mr. Richard Best requested that his son Wyatt Best be involved in the committee as he is Vice-President and would take over the company when Mr. Richard Best retired. Mr. Smalley stated Mr. Gutierrez would make the changes for Member Bloomer as Member-at-Large, adding Mr. Wyatt Best as Stakeholder and Phil Cox as County representative from the Board of Supervisors. Central Valley Rail Authority Member Bloomer discussed his concerns with the committee being more proactive and come up with a plan to form a joint rail committee with the surrounding counties near Tulare County to own the rail line like SEDACOG did. Chair Kimball asked where the Central Valley Rail Authority was at. Mr. Smalley discussed the concerns of abandoned rail, the inability to own the rail and that TCAG staff was working on a plan for the formation of the Central Valley Rail Authority. Mr. Ishida discussed the benefits of buying right-of-way (ROW) vs. buying rail, discussed the San Joaquin Valley JPA vote to take over Amtrak from Kern to Stockton and the progress of the contract with Caltrans. Mr. Ishida stated the impacts of the takeover would increase service and more trains, and discussed comet car trains on the line. Water Member R. Best discussed the short term and long term opportunities for potable water availability to the cities of Exeter and Porterville, and the current testing of water being done, and stated the biggest cost is freight on the rail. 9. Future Agenda Topics/Next Meeting Date Mr. Smalley requested that the next meeting date be determined once TCAG sets up the meeting with the High Speed Rail Authority. 10. Adjourn at 12:17 p.m. 5