Board Actions

Board Actions is a statement giving a very brief, general review or summary of the actions taken by the board at their monthly meetings.

In February 2008, the MCAG Governing Board made the following decisions:

• Issued a resolution authorizing the Merced County Regional Waste Management Authority to apply for a grant, Local Government Waste Tire Clean-up/Waste Tire Amnesty Event.  Reauthorized the Amnesty Program with a limit of $2,000 per city and $6,500 for the County for fiscal year 2008/09.
• Rejected a lawsuit claim against the Transit Joint Power Authority for Merced County and referred it to First Transit, Inc. (formerly Laidlaw Transit Services, Inc.).
• Appointed Masoud Niroumand to the San Joaquin Valley Housing Trust as the local government-housing professional for Merced County.
• Appointed Dean Wilson to serve on the Citizens Advisory Committee of the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District.  Appointed Richard Jantz as the alternate.
• Appointed Tom Grave as the Education Representative and Dennis Cote as the Engineering Representative to the MCAG Citizens Advisory Committee.
• Appointed MCAG Director Johnny Mays as the delegate to the California Councils of Government (CALCOG) and Director Gurpal Samra as the alternate delegate.
• Reappointed existing members Bill Spriggs, Jesse Arthur, and Susan Walsh and appointed new members Joe Rivero, Steve Rath, and Jerry O’Banion to represent MCAG on the San Joaquin Valley Blueprint Regional Advisory Committee.
• Approved MCAG staff to host Planners Roundtable meetings, as part of the San Joaquin Valley Blueprint planning process. 
• Adopted a revised Public Participation Plan.
• Awarded the Highway 99 Atwater Freeway Project Study Report contract to Mark Thomas and Company, not to exceed $500,000.
• Awarded the San Joaquin Valley Express Transit Study contract to Nelson/Nygaard Consulting Associates, not to exceed $200,000.
• Awarded Compensation Survey contract to Bryce Consulting, not to exceed $18,500.
• Directed staff to transmit the fiscal year 2008-09 MCAG Work Program to the member jurisdictions (cities and the county). 
• Responded in the negative to Caltrans’ request for funding a study to determine if Highway 99 should be designated a federal Interstate.  The decision was based on questions, such as would making Highway 99 into an Interstate really translate into more economic development, and is the expense more important than construction of Highway 99 to six lanes throughout the San Joaquin Valley.
• Accepted MCAG Executive Director’s employment evaluation and contract renewal and increased salary. 

In March 2008, the MCAG Governing Board will consider the following:

• Request the Solid Waste Division to respond to Total Waste Systems, Inc.’s request for information regarding options for the importation of waste from Mariposa County to Merced County Regional Waste Management Authority Solid Waste Facilities, with the anticipation that this will be a revenue generating activity for the Merced County Regional Waste Management Authority Solid Waste Enterprise.
• Award the Video Surveillance System installation to Removable Media Solutions, Inc.
• Authorize MCAG to apply for grant monies through the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security for California Transit Security Grant Program for State Transit Assistance Agencies for the transit yard and bus shop share of project cost.
• Authorize assignment of the Contracted Transit Operator Agreement (Merced County Contract No. 2005132) from Laidlaw Transit Services, Inc. to First Transit Services, Inc. (First Transit acquired the complete holdings of Laidlaw Transit Services, Inc. in a stock buyout.)
• Authorize a grant application request to the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) for $392,385 in operating funds for THE BUS – Merced County Transit for rural transit services.
• Approve schedule and claim for State Transit Assistance.
• Accept the FY 2006/2007 MCAG Draft Financial Audit.
• Accept the Regional Transportation Impact Fee Program Audit. of Imposition and Collection of Fees.
• Approve the addition of an interview component to the Citizens Advisory Committee application process
• Authorize submittal of a $92,994.60 grant application to the Transit Security Grant Program for installation of a video surveillance system for the Merced County transit yard and bus shop.