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Home My WebLink AboutCC Resolution 14562 (Grand Jury Report on Yellow School Bus Service for Traffic Relief)RESOLUTION NO. 14562 A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SAN RAFAEL APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR TO EXECUTE THE CITY’S RESPONSE TO THE JUNE 1, 2018 MARIN COUNTY GRAND JURY REPORT ENTITLED "YELLOW SCHOOL BUS FOR TRAFFIC CONGESTION RELIEF” WHEREAS, pursuant to Penal Code section 933, a public agency which receives a Grand Jury Report addressing aspects of the public agency’s operations must, within ninety (90) days, provide a written response to the Presiding Judge of the Superior Court with a copy to the Foreperson of the Grand Jury, responding to the Report’s findings and recommendations; and WHEREAS, Penal Code section 933 specifically requires that the “governing body” of the public agency provide said response and, in order to lawfully comply, the governing body must consider and adopt the response at a noticed public meeting pursuant to the Brown Act; and WHEREAS, the City Council of the City of San Rafael has received and reviewed the Marin County Grand Jury Report, dated June 1, 2018, entitled “Yellow School Bus For Traffic Congestion Relief”, and has agendized it at this meeting for a response. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the City Council of the City of San Rafael hereby: 1.Approves and authorizes the Mayor to execute the City’s response to the Marin County Grand Jury’s June 1, 2018 report, entitled “Yellow School Bus For Traffic Congestion Relief”, copy of which response is attached hereto and incorporated herein by reference. 2.Directs the City Clerk to forward the City’s response forthwith to the Presiding Judge of the Marin County Superior Court and to the Foreperson of the Marin County Grand Jury. I, Lindsay Lara, Clerk of the City of San Rafael, hereby certify that the foregoing Resolution was duly and regularly introduced and adopted at a regular meeting of the San Rafael City Council held on the 20th day of August 2018, by the following vote to wit: AYES: COUNCILMEMBERS: Bushey, Colin, Gamblin, McCullough & Mayor Phillips NOES: COUNCILMEMBERS: None ABSENT: COUNCILMEMBERS: None _______________________ LINDSAY LARA, City Clerk Gary O. Phillips, Mayor • John Gamblin, Vice Mayor • Maribeth Bushey, Councilmember • Kate Colin, Councilmember • Andrew Cuyugan McCullough, Councilmember August 21, 2018 The Honorable Paul M. Haakenson Presiding Judge Marin County Superior Court Mr. Pat Randolph 2018-19 Foreperson, Marin County Civil Grand Jury P.O. Box 4988 San Rafael, CA 94913 Re: City of San Rafael response to “Yellow School Bus for Traffic Congestion Relief” Marin County Civil Grand Jury report dated June 1, 2018 Dear Judge Haakenson and Foreperson Randolph: At the regular City Council meeting on August 20, 2018, The City Council reviewed the report “Yellow School Bus for Traffic Congestion Relief” and responded to recommendations R2, R4, R7, R8, and R10 as requested. The response is attached. Should the members of the Grand Jury require additional information, please contact Jim Schutz, City Manager at 415 485-3070. Sincerely, Gary Phillips Mayor 1 CITY OF SAN RAFAEL RESPONSE TO GRAND JURY REPORT FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS REPORT TITLE: Yellow School Bus for Traffic Congestion Relief REPORT DATE: June 1, 2018 PUBLIC RELEASE DATE: June 8, 2018 RESPONSE BY: Mayor Gary Phillips and City of San Rafael GRAND JURY FINDINGS F1. Traffic congestion is consistently cited as the number one problem in the County and school-related traffic is a significant contributor. F2. School buses have been shown to reduce traffic congestion. F3. There are school districts with no bus service and others with varying levels of service. The lack of coordination results in inefficiencies. F4. Current school bus funding includes bus pass sales and various municipality and county contributions. The municipal and county contributions are temporary and inconsistent. F5. There is demand to establish and/or expand YSB programs in the County. F6. Securing dedicated YSB bus parking and a maintenance facility is essential for expansion of a countywide YSB program. F7. The YSB programs in Marin face many challenges, including dependable funding sources, bus drivers and coordinated school bell times. F8. Marin Transit is the appropriate entity to efficiently manage a coordinated YSB program. Response to Findings • We agree with Findings F1, F2, F4, F5, F6, F7 • We partially disagree with Findings F3 and F8 F3 Explanation: While we agree that there are school districts with no bus service and others with varying levels of service, the lack of coordination does not always result in inefficiencies. Some school districts may operate independently and very efficiently without coordination with other districts. Therefore, the finding should be that the lack of coordination may result in inefficiencies. F8 Explanation: Marin Transit is one potential entity to manage a coordinated yellow school bus program for the County. However, there are other models for governance and management of a 2 coordinated program. An example might include a multi-agency Joint Powers Authority (JPA). In fact, Marin County already has a JPA to coordinate special needs yellow school bus service that nearly all Districts participate in. Marin Transit currently serves as a manager of home to school yellow school bus programs and will continue in that role in the near term. In the meantime, a countywide program may evolve into another structure. Therefore, the finding should be that Marin Transit is an appropriate entity to efficiently manage a coordinated YSB program. GRAND JURY RECOMMENDATIONS The Grand Jury requested that the City of San Rafael respond to the following recommendations: R2. All municipalities should work with Marin Transit to secure ample locations for bus parking and a location for bus maintenance by the end of 2018 R4. Marin Transit should facilitate negotiations for a financial arrangement across the full group of participants that would distribute any tax revenue lost by a municipality or the County for providing a parking or maintenance facility. R7. School Districts (with or without existing YSB programs) and municipalities within the urbanized area of the County should join and actively participate in the YSB committee providing guidance to Marin Transit on YSB issues, such as cost allocations, bell times, and routes. The initial meeting should be held by October of 2018 R8. The YSB committee should work toward the establishment of a coordinated YSB for K-8 program for the urbanized areas of Marin with the goal of beginning the coordinated program by the 2019-2020 school year. R10. The County and municipalities of the urbanized corridor should make financial support of all YSB programs a part of each years’ budgeting process. Response to Recommendations • We agree with Recommendations R4, R7, and R8 and will implement them (see below) • We disagree with Recommendation R2 in part, and will implement it as appropriate (see below) • Recommendation R10 will not be implemented at this time (see below) Overview The City of San Rafael supports the overall direction of the Grand Jury’s recommendations to create coordinated YSB in Marin County. The City believes there are two issues that must be resolved before a coordinated program will be successful. The first is securing reliable, ongoing funding for operations and a funding source for capital purchases such as a parking and maintenance location and potentially for bus purchases. The second and related issue is securing a site for a permanent or long-term parking 3 with the potential to perform some or all vehicle maintenance. These needs must be considered as a part of the responses to the specific recommendations below. Responses to Individual Recommendations R2. The City disagrees with the timeframe of this recommendation. When Marin Transit identifies parcels that might serve the purpose of bus parking and maintenance, the City of San Rafael will work with Marin Transit to secure those facilities. However, light industrial land is in high demand and the availability of large parcels for this purpose are rare and expensive. It may not be reasonable to assume that a parcel either within the City of San Rafael, or in the larger County will be identified and secured in 2018. R4. The City agrees with this recommendation. The City of San Rafael will participate to determine an equitable cost sharing arrangement for taxes lost due to the acquisition of a new bus parking and maintenance facility within the County. R7. The City agrees with this recommendation. The City of San Rafael will actively participate in the YSB committee providing guidance to Marin Transit on YSB issues, such as cost allocations, bell times, and routes. R8. The City agrees with this recommendation. The City of San Rafael will actively participate in the YSB committee in order to work toward the establishment of a coordinated YSB for K-8 program for the urbanized areas of Marin with the goal of beginning the coordinated program by the 2019-2020 school year. R10. The City will not implement this recommendation at this time. The City of San Rafael does not have a source of funds available to support YBS in the urbanized corridor of Marin County. Should funding become available through other sources that San Rafael has influence over, the City will make financial support of all YSB programs a part of each years’ budgeting process. Date: ________________ Signed: _________________________________________ Gary O. Phillips, Mayor Attest: ______________________________ Lindsay Lara, City Clerk Number of Pages Attached: 0