Oona Smith

The board meeting agenda includes a presentation regarding a Bike Month Proclamation. Key business items on the consent calendar involve the adoption of resolutions for the FY 2023-24 Overall Work Program and Budget Amendment #2, the final draft of the FY 2024-25 Overall Work Program and Budget, and funding allocations for the FY 2023-24 Low Carbon Transit Operations Program. Additionally, the agenda features an informational presentation on the new organizational website.

The meeting agenda includes presentations on the social media performance of 'The Keys Campaign,' an overview of Caltrans Cycle 2 Highway Maintenance 4 projects, and a discussion regarding the prioritization of essential services in the context of the upcoming County budget. The board will address consent items concerning the approval of Local Transportation Fund claims for the cities of Fortuna and Rio Dell. Additionally, action items involve the consideration of the Fiscal Year 2024-25 Overall Work Program and Budget Amendment #1, as well as possible appointments to the Great Redwood Trail Agency.

The meeting addressed several key actions. The Policy Advisory Committee (PAC) convened to include representatives from Caltrans and Humboldt Transit Authority. The consent calendar, which included approval of the January 15, 2025 meeting record and funding claims/apportionments for the Local Transportation Fund, was approved. Key action items included recommending approval for the Draft FY 2026-27 Overall Work Program and Budget, approving the revised SB 125 Formula Transit Funding Allocation, and adopting resolutions related to the Regional Transportation Plan (RTP) and certifying an addendum to the Final Environmental Impact Report. During staff and board reports, updates were provided regarding the RNHA Methodology appeal process, a request for a TAC member seat from McKinleyville Community Services District, progress on various Caltrans construction projects including Broadway Complete Streets and Indianola openings, and HTA's move to a 4-day work week.

The agenda outlines proceedings for the Board of Directors, including an initial convening of the Policy Advisory Committee (PAC) to address transportation-specific items with representation from Caltrans and the Humboldt Transit Authority (HTA). Key PAC discussions involved a presentation on the Caltrans Public Engagement Portal, approval of routine items such as the April 18, 2024 Meeting Record, and recommendations for the FY 2024-25 State Transit Assistance (STA) and State of Good Repair (SGR) Allocations. The PAC also reviewed Federal Transit Administration Section 5311 Fund Allocation Requests. Action items for the PAC included recommending authorization for the Executive Director to submit documentation for the Carbon Reduction Program Strategy to request funds up to $300,000 for a Regional Zero-Emission Fleet Transition and Infrastructure Plan, reviewing the FY 2024-25 Unmet Transit Needs Report of Findings (which determined increased weekday headway between McKinleyville and Arcata is a reasonable unmet need to meet), and recommending contract negotiations with Bluezones and Redwood Community Action Agency for the Humboldt Multimodal and Vibrant Neighborhoods Planning project. Following PAC recommendations, the HCAOG Board convened to address consent items, which included approving applications for Coast Central Credit Union Credit Card Accounts and adopting a resolution authorizing the execution of a Standard Agreement with the California Highway Patrol for supplemental patrols on State Routes 36, 96, and 169 for FY 24-25.

The key discussions centered on the comprehensive update to the Arcada Local Coastal Program (LCP). The commission received a detailed report regarding the LCP update, which mirrors the General Plan 2045, especially focusing on sea level rise policy and implementation to ensure certifiability by the Coastal Commission. The presentation also covered new procedural elements within the coastal zoning ordinance intended to streamline the permitting process. These included a new process for waivers for de minimis development, the introduction of a ministerial Coastal Development Permit (CDP) for developments conforming to objective standards (such as ADUs and Gateway District development), and procedures for Gateway District permitting.