DATE: May 6, 2025
TO: Board of Supervisors
SUBMITTED BY: Steven E. White, Director
Department of Public Works and Planning
SUBJECT: Retroactive Approval of the FY 2025-26 Caltrans Sustainable Transportation Planning Grant Application for the Eastern Fresno County Climate Adaptation Plan
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
TITLE
1. Retroactively approve and authorize the Director of Public Works and Planning’s (”Director”) previous submittal of an application to the California Department of Transportation (“Caltrans”) for the FY 2025-26 Sustainable Transportation Planning Grant (“STPG”) for the Eastern Fresno County Climate Adaptation Plan to study the areas east of Highways 99 and 41 to the County line to plan for the resilience of transportation infrastructure against possible flooding, wildfire, drought, tree mortality, and other climate-related causes ($1,500,000);
2. Adopt and authorize Chairman to execute the Resolution required by Caltrans stating the County’s approval of and commitment to the Climate Adaptation Plan;
3. Approve the draft form of the “Eastern Fresno County Climate Adaptation Sample Grant Agreement”, with Caltrans for the County’s implementation of the Climate Adaptation Plan; and
4. Authorize the Director to approve and execute the final form of the STPG Agreement that the Director determines to be in the best interest of the County, subject to the review and approval of County Counsel as to legal form and the Auditor-Controller/Treasurer-Tax Collector as to accounting form, for the County’s implementation of the Climate Adaptation Plan.
REPORT
To meet the grant filing deadline, the Department of Public Works and Planning (Department) submitted the Grant Application on January 22, 2025, for the FY 2025-26 STPG, contingent upon your Board’s approval. Grant announcements are scheduled to begin by late spring of 2025. The impact of this item pertains to Districts 2, 3, 4, and 5.
Approval of the first recommended action will approve the previous submittal of an application to Caltrans for the FY 2025-26 STPG.
Approval of the second recommended action will adopt a resolution required by Caltrans as a condition of award for the planning grant applications submitted by the Department to Caltrans for the STPG FY 2025-26 cycle.
Approval of the third recommended action will approve the draft form of the Sample Adaptation Grant Agreement between the County and Caltrans for the Climate Adaptation Plan.
Approval of the fourth recommended action will authorize the Director to approve and execute the final form of the STPG Agreement, including such changes to the draft form of the Agreement that the Director determines to be in the best interest of the County, subject to the review and approval of County Counsel as to legal form and the Auditor-Controller/Treasurer-Tax Collector as to accounting form, for the County’s implementation of the Climate Adaptation Plan.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION(S):
If the recommended actions are not approved, the Department will withdraw the grant application, and the proposed project will no longer be considered for State funding under the current FY 2025-26 cycle.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no Net County cost associated with the recommended actions. The Climate Adaption Plan is estimated to cost $1,694,341. If awarded, the County would receive $1,500,000 with the required 11.47% local match of $194,341 paid out of the County’s Road Fund 0010, Org 45104513.
DISCUSSION:
The Caltrans STPG provides much needed funding to support regional sustainable communities’ strategies and keep residents safe from events of wildfire, drought, and flooding. The STPG is available on an annual basis and through a competitive application process. Grants are for transportation planning activities such as planning for active transportation, safe routes to schools, transit services, complete streets, freight corridors, integrated land use and transportation planning. A previous STPG grant for the Western Fresno County Climate Adaptation Plan was approved by the Board on September 24, 2024, and work is starting this year.
On January 22, 2025, the Department submitted an application to the STPG program’s FY 2025-26 funding cycle for the Eastern Fresno County Climate Adaptation (Plan). The Plan proposes studies that will result in an action plan which will identify projects that best protect County residents from the unique hazards of extreme weather events and natural disasters that residents of Eastern Fresno County face. Application evaluations will be conducted in Spring 2025 and grants will be awarded in Summer 2025.
If the grant is awarded, Department staff along with engineering and planning consultants will study the eastern unincorporated communities (east of Highways 99 and 41 to the County line) and overlapping incorporated communities to plan for the resilience of transportation infrastructure in the face of possible flooding, drought, wildfire, tree mortality, and other climate-related causes. When storm events occur, the roads can flood and impact thousands of residents trying to get to school, work, and access to other vital resources. The Plan will explore strategies to harden infrastructure to ensure the safety of residents and allow roads to remain open during storm events and other extreme weather events. This area of study was chosen due to its high concentration of rural communities and its high risk for flash floods, wildfires, and road failures. Deliverables include a report with scoping, cost estimates, and a list of priority projects, with feasibility of recommended actions, identified through a scientific and public process that considers cost, safety, long-term resiliency, and potential environmental impact. The study is in alignment with the Fresno County Hazard Mitigation Plan, the California Transportation Plan, the California Climate Adaptation Strategy, and Climate Action Plan for Transportation Infrastructure (CAPTI). The primary goal of the study is to identify the best ways to prepare, respond, manage, adapt, and maintain in the events of major disasters.
The Plan will assist with meeting the goals of the 2024 General Plan Review including:
o Health and Safety Goals HS-A.8
o Transportation Corridors and Evacuation Routes
o HS-A.10 Retrofit Existing Critical Facilities and Related Infrastructure, HS-A.12
o Access/Evacuation Routes, HS-B.1 Fire Hazards Review
o HS-B.2 Minimize Fire Hazard Risk Design, HS-B.4
o Fire Risk Management, HS-B.7 Fire and Emergency Vehicle Access
o HS-B.20 Route Capacity, Safety and Visibility
o HS-B.30 Hazard Mitigation Plan, HS-C.1
o Countywide Flood Emergency Plan, HS-C.2
o Flood Risk Consideration, HS-C.4 Floodwater Diversion
o HS-C.6 Adapting Infrastructure to Climate Change, HS-C.8
o Flood Risk Information Base, HS-C.9
o Stormwater Flow Control, HS-C.11
o Land Use Regulation for Flood Risk Management, HS-C.12
o 200-Year Water Surface Elevation Investigations
o HS-C.14 200-Year Floodplain Protection, HS-C.18
o Flood Area Open Space, HS-D.9
o Drainage Plans, HS-G.1
o Reduce Impacts of Climate Change, HS-G.2
o Monitor Risks from the Effects of Climate Change, HS-G.3
o Collaborate on Climate Adaptation HS-G.13 and
o Preparation and Implementation of a Climate Action Plan.
REFERENCE MATERIAL:
BAI #10, September 24, 2024
ATTACHMENTS INCLUDED AND/OR ON FILE:
Location Map
On file with Clerk - STPG Application - Eastern Fresno County Climate Adaptation Plan
On file with Clerk - Resolution
On file with Clerk - Eastern Fresno County Climate Adaptation Sample Grant Agreement
CAO ANALYST:
Maria Valencia