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Home My WebLink AboutRESO 99281 Resolution No. 9928 Resolution of the City of Palo Alto Opposing the Valley Transportation Authority’s 2016 Measure B 10-Year Outlook Base Scenario WHEREAS, in 2016, the Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) Board of Directors placed before the voters of Santa Clara County Measure B, a one-half cent sales tax measure operative for 30 years that would fund nine program categories, with the primary goals to provide meaningful congestion relief throughout the County and improve road pavement conditions; WHEREAS, the nine program categories included in 2016 Measure B are: Local Streets and Roads, BART Phase II, Bicycle/Pedestrian, Caltrain Grade Separation, Caltrain Corridor Capacity Improvements, Highway Interchanges, County Expressways, State Route 85 Corridor, and Transit Operations; WHEREAS, BART Phase II is just one of the nine programs authorized in the Measure and is limited to a maximum of 25 percent of the total Measure B revenues; WHEREAS, in November 2020, VTA administration began presenting VTA Board of Directors’ advisory committees with a proposed 2016 Measure B 10-Year Outlook Base Scenario, covering program allocations for Fiscal Year 2022 to Fiscal Year 2032, that contain built-in assumptions that are unacceptable to the City of Palo Alto; WHEREAS, the built-in assumptions are that the BART Phase II project is the highest priority for the next ten years, providing it with first call on the Measure B revenues, and that minimal bonding will be used to fund BART Phase II, which results in little to no Measure B funding being available for the majority of the other Measure B programs during this 10-year period; WHEREAS, under the Base Scenario, the six program areas that are currently identified for zero Measure B funding over the ten-year period are Local Streets and Roads, Caltrain Grade Separation, Caltrain Corridor Capacity Improvements, Highway Interchanges, County Expressways, and State Route 85 Corridor; WHEREAS, this approach is inconsistent with the promises made to the voters in 2016 because it will not result in meaningful progress being made for all nine programs over the first fifteen years of the measure; rather, progress will be deferred on most programs until the second fifteen years of the measure which violates voters’ and taxpayers’ trust and expectations in approving the Measure; DocuSign Envelope ID: 2A2F542C-CE04-4D6D-8807-494AF3760DBF 2 WHEREAS, in approving Measure B, voters countywide agreed to pay an increased half cent sales tax for thirty years, thereby instituting one of the highest sales tax rates in the Bay Area and State, yet under the proposed 2016 Measure B 10-Year Outlook Base Scenario only a small portion of the County will benefit and the bulk of county taxpayers will be paying increased taxes and see few significant benefits for a ten-year period; WHEREAS, eliminating and/or significantly reducing investments in the other programs will result in worsening congestion throughout the entire County, worsening pavement conditions throughout the entire county, increased costs due to project delays, and increased delays for long lead-time projects; WHEREAS, front-loading BART Phase II as proposed in the 2016 Measure B 10-Year Outlook Base Scenario programs the project to received nearly $2 billion in tax revenues (presumably in inflation-adjusted year of expenditure dollars), without providing similar inflation-adjusted funding for other programs, and notwithstanding the fact that anticipated tax revenues are down (thereby reducing the 25 percent share); WHEREAS, it is imperative that the Measure B 10-Year Outlook serve the needs of the entire county to the greatest extent possible and not be focused on a single project to the exclusion of the other essential Measure B programs; WHEREAS, the VTA Board of Directors should consider a range of options for the BART Phase II project so other Measure B programs also receive funding during this 10-year period, including approaches such as more aggressive bonding, borrowing other funds, and/or using other funding sources for BART Phase II, as well as the possibility of further phasing or slowing the BART Phase II project. NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the City of Palo Alto urges the VTA Board of Directors to support a Measure B 10-Year Outlook that balances investments among all nine Measure B programs, including avoiding or minimizing reductions in the annual formula programs (Local Streets and Roads, Bicycle/Pedestrian, and Transit Operations) and maintaining progress for the capital projects in the other programs that are already under way during this 10-year period, thereby ensuring countywide benefits as promised in the 2016 ballot measure. INTRODUCED AND PASSED: November 30, 2020 AYES: CORMACK, FILSETH, FINE, KNISS, KOU, TANAKA NOES: ABSENT: DUBOIS ABSTENTION: DocuSign Envelope ID: 2A2F542C-CE04-4D6D-8807-494AF3760DBF 3 ATTEST: APPROVED: _________________________ ___________________________ City Clerk Mayor APPROVED AS TO FORM: _________________________ ___________________________ City Attorney City Manager DocuSign Envelope ID: 2A2F542C-CE04-4D6D-8807-494AF3760DBF Certificate Of Completion Envelope Id: 2A2F542CCE044D6D8807494AF3760DBF Status: Completed Subject: Please DocuSign: RESO 9928 Opposing The Valley Transportation Authority’s 2016 Measure B 10-Yea... Source Envelope: Document Pages: 3 Signatures: 4 Envelope Originator: Certificate Pages: 2 Initials: 0 Danielle Kang AutoNav: Enabled EnvelopeId Stamping: Enabled Time Zone: (UTC-08:00) Pacific Time (US & Canada) 250 Hamilton Ave Palo Alto , CA 94301 Danielle.Kang@cityofpaloalto.org IP Address: 199.33.32.254 Record Tracking Status: Original 12/7/2020 8:48:14 AM Holder: Danielle Kang Danielle.Kang@cityofpaloalto.org Location: DocuSign Security Appliance Status: Connected Pool: StateLocal Storage Appliance Status: Connected Pool: City of Palo Alto Location: DocuSign Signer Events Signature Timestamp Molly Stump Molly.Stump@CityofPaloAlto.org City Attorney City of Palo Alto Security Level: Email, Account Authentication (None) Signature Adoption: Pre-selected Style Using IP Address: 174.222.9.16 Signed using mobile Sent: 12/7/2020 8:53:14 AM Resent: 12/10/2020 2:36:09 PM Viewed: 12/10/2020 3:20:30 PM Signed: 12/10/2020 3:20:44 PM Electronic Record and Signature Disclosure: Not Offered via DocuSign Ed Shikada Ed.Shikada@CityofPaloAlto.org Ed Shikada, City Manager City of Palo Alto Security Level: Email, Account Authentication (None) Signature Adoption: Pre-selected Style Using IP Address: 199.33.32.254 Sent: 12/10/2020 3:20:46 PM Viewed: 12/10/2020 4:31:05 PM Signed: 12/10/2020 4:31:25 PM Electronic Record and Signature Disclosure: Not Offered via DocuSign Adrian Fine Adrian.Fine@CityofPaloAlto.org Security Level: Email, Account Authentication (None) Signature Adoption: Pre-selected Style Using IP Address: 108.228.10.70 Signed using mobile Sent: 12/10/2020 4:31:27 PM Viewed: 12/10/2020 4:34:39 PM Signed: 12/10/2020 4:34:52 PM Electronic Record and Signature Disclosure: Not Offered via DocuSign Beth Minor beth.minor@cityofpaloalto.org City Clerk City of Palo Alto Security Level: Email, Account Authentication (None) Signature Adoption: Pre-selected Style Using IP Address: 199.33.32.254 Sent: 12/10/2020 4:34:54 PM Resent: 12/14/2020 7:52:17 AM Viewed: 12/14/2020 7:52:47 AM Signed: 12/14/2020 7:53:02 AM Electronic Record and Signature Disclosure: Not Offered via DocuSign In Person Signer Events Signature Timestamp Editor Delivery Events Status Timestamp Agent Delivery Events Status Timestamp Intermediary Delivery Events Status Timestamp Certified Delivery Events Status Timestamp Carbon Copy Events Status Timestamp Witness Events Signature Timestamp Notary Events Signature Timestamp Envelope Summary Events Status Timestamps Envelope Sent Hashed/Encrypted 12/7/2020 8:53:14 AM Certified Delivered Security Checked 12/14/2020 7:52:47 AM Signing Complete Security Checked 12/14/2020 7:53:02 AM Completed Security Checked 12/14/2020 7:53:02 AM Payment Events Status Timestamps