Report to Mayor and City Council
Tuesday, October 17, 2023
Consent
SUBJECT:
Title
CONSIDER APPROVING A MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING WITH LOS ANGELES COUNTY METROPOLITAN TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY FOR PROPOSITION A DISCRETIONARY INCENTIVE GRANT PROGRAM FUNDING (CITY COUNCIL)
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I. SUMMARY
The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LACMTA) issues a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to over 40 participating agencies each year as part of its voluntary Proposition A Discretionary Incentive Grant Program. In exchange for reporting transit data to support local, state, and regional planning efforts, agencies may request an allocation of grant funds. By executing the proposed MOU with LACMTA for Report Year 2021, the City will be eligible to retroactively invoice LACMTA in the total amount of $228,507.
II. RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
TAKE the following actions:
1. APPROVE the “Proposition A Discretionary Incentive Grant Program Memorandum of Understanding for Collecting and Reporting Data for the National Transit Database for Report Year 2021” between the City of Carson and LACMTA (Exhibit No. 1. “LACMTA MOU”); and
2. AUTHORIZE the Mayor to execute the LACMTA MOU, following approval as to form by the City Attorney.
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III. ALTERNATIVES
TAKE another action the City Council deems appropriate.
IV. BACKGROUND
On an annual basis, LACMTA issues a MOU to over 40 participating agencies as part of its voluntary Proposition A Discretionary Incentive Grant Program. Participants, including the City of Carson, report transit data from the prior fiscal year to the National Transit Database (NTD) by October 31st each year. This data aids the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) with local, state, and regional planning efforts. Additionally, the data provides decision-makers with resources such as multiyear comparisons and trend analyses relating to public transit services nationwide. In exchange for this data, agencies may request an allocation of grant funds through LACMTA.
Allocations are based on the number of revenue miles (i.e., service miles) performed over the course of a given fiscal year. LACMTA issues MOUs approximately two years following each fiscal year on a rolling basis. For Report Year 2021, i.e., July 1, 2020 - June 30, 2021, the City will receive $27,291.45 for rendering Dial-A-Ride data. The City was not able to submit Motor Bus data as its fixed-route service remained suspended through January 3, 2022 out of safety concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Fortunately, the City is eligible to receive $201,215 in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Act equivalent Program Funds to support transit programs impacted by the pandemic. Eligibility for Motor Bus funding is anticipated to resume with the subsequent MOU for Report Year 2022.
The proposed MOU is a standard form agreement of LACMTA that is required for all participating agencies, and the City has not sought to negotiate its provisions. The conditions of the funding are set forth in Article 4, including an indemnification provision in favor of LACMTA, a provision stating the City agrees that the funds will be used for projects that meet the eligibility, administrative, audit and lapsing requirements of the Proposition A and C Local Return guidelines most recently adopted by the LACMTA Board, and a provision stating the expenditures will be subject to audit as part of LACMTA’s annual Consolidated Audit. Article 5 states that LACMTA reserves the right to terminate the MOU and withhold or recoup funds if it determines that the City has not met the requirements specified by the FTA for collecting and submitting NTD statistics through LACMTA.
By executing the proposed MOU with LACMTA for Report Year 2021, the City will be eligible to retroactively invoice LACMTA in the total amount of $228,507.
V. FISCAL IMPACT
Should the City Council approve the recommendation, payment from LACMTA in the total amount of $228,507, once received, will be deposited in Proposition A account no. 218-99-999-999-4513.
VI. EXHIBITS
1. LACMTA MOU (pgs. 3-9).
Prepared by: Michael Whittiker, Director of Community Services, Recreation, and Park Maintenance; Jason Jo, Transportation Program Manager