APPROVE Resolution 2020-14 providing authority for the Executive Director to execute amendment No. 1 to the fiscal year 2020/21 Overall Work Program and Budget to incorporate state planning funds carried over from fiscal year 2019/20 and updates information for existing approved funding for the Monterey County Resource Conservation Investment Strategy.

This amendment will allow $28,327 of Rural Planning Assistance funds carried over from last fiscal year to be utilized in the Transportation Agency's current fiscal year activities and reconciles the fund balance for the SB1 state planning grant received to create the Monterey County Resource Conservation Investment Strategy.

Overall Work Program Amendment No. 1 adds $28,327 Rural Planning Assistance funds to the fiscal year 2020/21 Overall Work Program and budget. 

The annual Transportation Agency Overall Work Program describes the activities to be accomplished during the fiscal year beginning July 1 and ending June 30.  Adopting an annual work program is mandatory to utilize Rural Planning Assistance funds and discretionary planning grants that the Transportation Agency receives from Caltrans. Carry-forward amounts and new funding awards need to be amended into the Overall Work Program and Budget before associated tasks can be initiated.  

The Transportation Agency receives an annual allocation of $447,000 in Rural Planning Assistance funds and has the flexibility to program these funds to eligible activities as it deems appropriate.  Carry-over funds from the prior fiscal year can likewise be allocated as needed and approved by Caltrans.  Rural Planning Assistance carry-over funds totaling $28,327 are available to be programmed into fiscal year 2020/21.

Staff recommends the carry-over Rural Planning Assistance funds be used to pay for staff activities in Work Element 6410. This work element covers coordination with Caltrans, Association of Monterey Bay Area Governments and local jurisdictions to insure project funding is correctly programmed in state and federal Transportation Improvement Program documents and to support funding allocation requests when projects are ready to utilize programmed funds. The carry over Rural Planning Assistance funds will be used to cover higher than anticipated activity through the remainder of the fiscal year.   

The amendment to Work Element 6740 reconciles the amount of grant funding carried over from last fiscal year for the Monterey County Resource Conservation Investment Strategy. A draft of the Monterey County Regional Conservation Investment Strategy is currently available for public review. The final plan is scheduled for adoption at the Transportation Agency's February 2021 Board of Directors meeting. 

The ATTACHED revised Work Program pages reflect the above recommendations.