City of Pittsburg
Home MenueNews
Pittsburg to consider settlement on road funds
Post Date:05/03/2010
Pittsburg to consider settlement on road funds
By Paul Burgarino
Contra Costa Times
Posted: 04/30/2010 02:49:39 PM PDT
Updated: 04/30/2010 05:53:48 PM PDT
PITTSBURG — Leaders here will consider a proposal Monday from a regional transportation agency to settle a dispute over how city fees are spent.
Pittsburg has threatened to withdraw from the East County Regional Fee and Financing Authority if the agency doesn't put more funding toward city projects, including the long-sought James Donlon Boulevard extension.
Member agencies collect fees from developers that are then handed over to the authority for transportation-related projects.
Agency representatives, minus Pittsburg officials, have crafted a proposal that would guarantee $33.2 million in future fees collected by Pittsburg for two city-related projects.
Pittsburg would have to hand over fees it's refused to pay over the past nine months, plus interest, to the financing authority before a May 13 meeting as an "act of good faith," board Chairman Brian Kalinowski said. The little more than $2 million in unpaid fees would go to other agency projects such as the Highway 4 bypass, program manager Dale Dennis said.
Pittsburg's refusal to pay the fees was "a grinding point" for board representatives, Kalinowski said.
The agreement also would prevent any defections from the group of four East County cities and Contra Costa County until 2030.
During a closed session Monday, the Pittsburg City Council will discuss whether to accept the terms or consider withdrawal from the agency, said Ben Johnson, a Pittsburg councilman.
Last spring, Pittsburg officials told the agency they were considering withdrawing if all future fees the city collected were not put toward Pittsburg projects. Pittsburg's agency representatives have complained that projects that would affect their city have not received a proportionate share of funding.
Pittsburg has withheld monthly fees since July while awaiting a formal response — a violation of the joint powers agreement, Dennis said.
"It's encumbering to let Pittsburg do what it wants to do," said Kalinowski, an Antioch councilman, adding that the proposal is "the best under the circumstances."
Added county Supervisor Federal Glover: "In its totality, (the proposal is) responsible and reasonable."
If the settlement agreement is approved, half of what Pittsburg collects would be doled out for building the James Donlon extension, with the amount capped at $27.2 million. It's believed that James Donlon can be constructed in eight years, but it may take longer to raise that money, Dennis said.
That project is a planned 1.7-mile expressway through the hills south of Pittsburg aimed at aiding commuter traffic while taking thousands of automobiles off city streets.
The other half of Pittsburg's collected money would go toward its portion of the BART extension into East Contra Costa County, dubbed eBART. That amount would be capped at $6 million.
Pittsburg officials believe they can collect at least $2 million a year in transportation fees.
Pittsburg would have the flexibility to negotiate with BART for funding a station near Railroad Avenue, as the city has indicated it would pay for station construction, said Glover, the board vice chairman.
Johnson, Pittsburg's alternate board representative, said he was frustrated by the response when he asked whether the unpaid fees would go entirely toward Pittsburg-related projects. Oakley Councilman Jim Frazier told Johnson his request would kill the deal.
Pittsburg has put close to $17 million into the collection agency since its creation in 1994, not including the withheld funds. By comparison, Oakley has contributed $32 million, Contra Costa County $18.2 million, Antioch $40.8 million and Brentwood $73.3 million.
About $2 million in agency funds have gone toward widening Highway 4 from Railroad Avenue to Loveridge Road, while about $940,000 was put into the James Donlon project for environmental review.
Return to full list >>
By Paul Burgarino
Contra Costa Times
Posted: 04/30/2010 02:49:39 PM PDT
Updated: 04/30/2010 05:53:48 PM PDT
PITTSBURG — Leaders here will consider a proposal Monday from a regional transportation agency to settle a dispute over how city fees are spent.
Pittsburg has threatened to withdraw from the East County Regional Fee and Financing Authority if the agency doesn't put more funding toward city projects, including the long-sought James Donlon Boulevard extension.
Member agencies collect fees from developers that are then handed over to the authority for transportation-related projects.
Agency representatives, minus Pittsburg officials, have crafted a proposal that would guarantee $33.2 million in future fees collected by Pittsburg for two city-related projects.
Pittsburg would have to hand over fees it's refused to pay over the past nine months, plus interest, to the financing authority before a May 13 meeting as an "act of good faith," board Chairman Brian Kalinowski said. The little more than $2 million in unpaid fees would go to other agency projects such as the Highway 4 bypass, program manager Dale Dennis said.
Pittsburg's refusal to pay the fees was "a grinding point" for board representatives, Kalinowski said.
The agreement also would prevent any defections from the group of four East County cities and Contra Costa County until 2030.
During a closed session Monday, the Pittsburg City Council will discuss whether to accept the terms or consider withdrawal from the agency, said Ben Johnson, a Pittsburg councilman.
Last spring, Pittsburg officials told the agency they were considering withdrawing if all future fees the city collected were not put toward Pittsburg projects. Pittsburg's agency representatives have complained that projects that would affect their city have not received a proportionate share of funding.
Pittsburg has withheld monthly fees since July while awaiting a formal response — a violation of the joint powers agreement, Dennis said.
"It's encumbering to let Pittsburg do what it wants to do," said Kalinowski, an Antioch councilman, adding that the proposal is "the best under the circumstances."
Added county Supervisor Federal Glover: "In its totality, (the proposal is) responsible and reasonable."
If the settlement agreement is approved, half of what Pittsburg collects would be doled out for building the James Donlon extension, with the amount capped at $27.2 million. It's believed that James Donlon can be constructed in eight years, but it may take longer to raise that money, Dennis said.
That project is a planned 1.7-mile expressway through the hills south of Pittsburg aimed at aiding commuter traffic while taking thousands of automobiles off city streets.
The other half of Pittsburg's collected money would go toward its portion of the BART extension into East Contra Costa County, dubbed eBART. That amount would be capped at $6 million.
Pittsburg officials believe they can collect at least $2 million a year in transportation fees.
Pittsburg would have the flexibility to negotiate with BART for funding a station near Railroad Avenue, as the city has indicated it would pay for station construction, said Glover, the board vice chairman.
Johnson, Pittsburg's alternate board representative, said he was frustrated by the response when he asked whether the unpaid fees would go entirely toward Pittsburg-related projects. Oakley Councilman Jim Frazier told Johnson his request would kill the deal.
Pittsburg has put close to $17 million into the collection agency since its creation in 1994, not including the withheld funds. By comparison, Oakley has contributed $32 million, Contra Costa County $18.2 million, Antioch $40.8 million and Brentwood $73.3 million.
About $2 million in agency funds have gone toward widening Highway 4 from Railroad Avenue to Loveridge Road, while about $940,000 was put into the James Donlon project for environmental review.
*************************
Marc Fox
Assistant City Manager – Internal Services
City of Pittsburg
Office: (925) 252-4876
Facsimile: (925) 252-4138
Email: mfox@ci.pittsburg.ca.us
Free viewers are required for some of the attached documents.
They can be downloaded by clicking on the icons below.
Windows Media Player
Word Viewer
Excel Viewer
PowerPoint Viewer
