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HomeMy WebLinkAbout10/18/2006 - STAFF REPORTS - 2.N. �` 7r SA RERN`ROIMO S K o October 6, 2006 RECEIVED OCT 12006 Mayor Ron Oden City of Palm Springs 3200 E. Tahquitz Canyon Way Palm Springs, CA 92262 Subject: inland Empire Jurisdictions Support for the Goods Movement Initiative Dear Mayor Oden: As you are aware, on September 27, 2006, Mayors and the Chairs of the Riverside and San Berardino Boards of Supervisors convened a groundbreaking meeting to collectively voice support for the development of regional goods movement strategies that will augment economic development, improve air quality and transportation and enhance the quality of life in the Inland Empire. The focus of the event, held at the Historic Santa Fe Depot in San Berardino, was the signing of the attached "Statement By Elected Representatives of Every Jurisdiction in Sacs Bernardino & Riverside Counties that Goads Movement Must Become Southern California's Overriding Priority." Mayors from 19 Inland Empire cities signed the Statement, as did the Chairs of the Board of Supervisors representing both Counties. Their boards had passed a joint resolution in support of this effort. Also attending the event and signing the Statement were Senators Bob Dutton and Nell Soto, and Assemblyman Bill Emmerson. The event received media coverage from the San Bernardino County Sun, the Press Enterprise, the Daily Bulletin, the Los Angeles Times, and the Associated Press. On behalf of the more than 20 Inland Empire leaders who have already signed the document, we request your endorsement and signature. In order to demonstrate the importance of the message to be conveyed to regional, state and federal leaders, we believe it is extremely important that the attached Statement be signed by all leaders in Riverside and San Bernardino Counties. After we compile signatures from all of the Mayors in the Inland Empire, this document will be transmitted throughout the region and state, and will set the stage for Inland Empire leaders to convene a series of meetings and dialogues with state and federal representatives regarding the development of goods movement strategies that will recognize and fully address impacts on the Inland Empire. Again, your signature is critical to the success of this important effort. Please sign the attached signature block and return it to the attention of Manny Leon, in the Office of Mayor Ron Loveridge, City of Riverside, 3900 Main Street, Riverside, CA 92522. You may alternatively send your signature electronically to mleon a,riversideca.org. Please ensure that your signature is received by Friday October 20, 2006, so that staff can add yours to the existing list of signatures. Item No. n . 1 V e If you have any questions, please feel free to contact any of us. Thank you for your participation in this important endeavor. ob B stf ter Ujam P. s Chairman,Riverside County Chairma , S ernaniinn Board of Supervisors Board o ervisom Pa ' k L Morris Ran I,ovendge _ a Mayor yor City of Riverside City of San Bernardino Attachments: 1. Signature block 2. "Statement by Elected Representatives..." 3. Media articles of September 27, 2006 event 2. Resolution No. 2006-403, A RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS OF THE COUNTY OF RIVERSIDE SUPPORTING A COOPERATIVE EFFORT BY THE COUNTY OF SAN BERNARDINO, COUNTY OF RIVERSIDE, AND THE FORTY-EIGHT CITIES WITHIN BOTH COUNTIES TO ENSURE THAT THE INLAND EMPIRE REGION IS GIVEN DUE CONSIDERATION IN REGARDS TO GOODS MOVEMENT EXPANSION IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA Statement By Elected Representatives of Every Jurisdiction In San Bernardino & Riverside Counties Goods Movement Must Become Southern California's Overriding Priority As local, regional, national and state leaders discuss the impacts of the goods movement on Southern California, those of us who are elected Inland Empire officials want to make it very clear that we intend that our region's perspective on the growth of logistics be clearly understood and receive the weight it deserves. We collectively agree that the region's overriding priority must be to find a solution to the health, infrastructure and employment issues associated with goods movement. We say this as our communities are the state's fastest growing and because, along with the immediate harbor area, our 4 million residents have the most to gain or lose by the manner in which Southern California's logistics growth is handled: 1. Down-Wind. The Inland Empire is downwind from the coastal counties and much of the pollution generated by ships, trains, trucks and congestion, there, ultimately adds to health risks, here. 2. Huge Impact Of Trade. The vast majority of'goods moving across Southern California travel through the Inland Empire via our area's Cajon (1-15, .BNSF& UP Railroads) and San Gorgonio (1-10, UP Railroad) passes. The resulting growth of truck traffic is exacerbating congestion and tearing up our freeways. The expanding rail traffic is adding to diesel particulate emissions, while often stopping traffic and emergency vehicles at our numerous at-grade crossings. 3. robs & Incomes Needed. The Inland Empire now supplies over half of Southern California's new homes and faces a difficult jobs:housing imbalance. Our lower rents and home prices have also led to a major in-migration from the coastal counties, a fact partly responsible for 50% of our adults not having gone beyond high school. This has impacted local income levels and placed added stress on local health care and other social systems. Our area thus has a disproportionate need for the decent paying jobs that an efficient fast- growing logistics system can generate. 4. Room To Grow But Health Concerns. The communities most impacted by the need for good-paying goods movement jobs tend to be located deeper inside the Inland Empire where logistics operations can locate due to the availability of large tracts of undeveloped industrial land. Community support for these activities, however, will depend upon addressing the transportation infrastructure and health risks posed by this type of activity. Given these facts, we seek the following 6-step approach to the health, infrastructure and job issues raised by the goods movement expansion in Southern California: 1. Full Systems Approach. Create a strategic framework to addressing the full range of issues raised as goods move from the ports through Barstow, Indio and beyond. This must include an integrated solution dealing with the full range of geographic, transportation, health, community and economic issues raised by Southern California's rising volume of cargo. It must simultaneously address the concerns of fragmented industry groups, agencies with limited jurisdictions, and stakeholders with widely divergent interests. 2. Health Improvement. Work with industry, health organizations, environmental groups, community groups and regulatory agencies to create a strategy and agreed upon project list to lower particulate emissions and other pollutants from ships, trains, trucks, intermodal yards and airports to significantly below today's levels, even as logistics activity rise. 3. Private Sector Investment. Encourage private sector investment for new transportation infrastructure by allowing companies to receive tax credits and/or allowing them to issue tax exempt bonds in exchange for financing the construction of new transportation projects and/or related environmental mitigation measures. 4. Federal Customs. Work with federal legislators to have the incremental growth in U.S. customs revenues designated for use in financing a system of regional improvements to the goods movement transportation system and related environmental mitigation measures. 5. Voluntarily Negotiated User Fees. Work with federal and state legislators to enable shipping and transportation companies that interact with the nation's sea ports to voluntarily ncgotiate user fees to help fund dedicated regional goods movement infrastructure improvements and related environmental mitigation measures. 6. Universal Proicet List. Create a carefully considered goods movement transportation project'list that is universally supported by regional stakeholders, allowing for maximum relevance and support among federal and state decisions-makers. Goods Movement Must Become Southern California's Overriding Priority Questions & Answers 1. Is it possible to create an integrated solution given-the divergent issues and groups? Southern California's good movement issues defy piecemeal solutions. Too widespread an area is affected, the relevant agencies and industries are fragmented, and the issues in conflict are inextricably linked. Given this fact, mechanisms must be created to facilitate reconciliation of diverse concerns and opportunities. One approach is the Multi-County Goods Movement Action Plan work financed by Caltrans, SCAG, and County Transportation Commissions from Ventura to San Diego. Another is an attempt by most of these agencies to convene a strategic Southern California National_ Freight Gateway Collaborative involving local, regional, state and federal entities plus industry, environmental and other stakeholders to create a memorandum of understanding aimed-at-creating agreement on regional transportation and environmental projects and the expeditious permitting and funding of them. 2. Why a vetted list of environmental projects? There has been much discussion about the need to lower particulate and other emissions. To turn these discussions into action, it would be helpful to have scientific, regulatory and industry experts detail a strategy and budget for attaining such a result. These must be credible, measurable and acceptable to the people it will affect including community groups, environmental groups and the segments of the goods movement industry. Each of these groups has historically been capable of stalemating action that does not have their consent. 3. Why private sector investment? It will take far more money to build the transportation infrastructure and related environmental mitigation projects than there will be public dollars available. The long term underlying financial strategy must therefore make it within the financial interest of investors to help finance such projects. The combination of tax credits and tax exempt bonds has been shown to be effective in increasing the flow of private £ands into publicly desirable projects. The concept is to tap these sources to help fund solutions to the goods movement problem. 4. Why attempt to tap the incremental growth of federal customs fees? The U.S. government collects billions in customs fees on imports flowing into the country. None of this money is currently financing the transportation infrastructure or related environmental mitigation projects needed to deal with moving these goods inland from the ports. Instead, local communities are having to use local funds to deal with these issues. This is flawed policy. The reason for only looking at the incremental growth is to lower the opposition from representatives of states that are benefiting from the current system, whereby tariff revenues are spent on items like agricultural subsidies. It will also hopefully deflect some of the opposition from ocean carriers who oppose existing tariff levels. 5. Why voluntarily negotiated fees instead of mandated fees to finance the construction of goods movement infrastructure and associated environmental mitigation measures? Given the billions of dollars needed, it will be impossible to build the goods movement infrastructure and associated environmental mitigation measures without private companies investing in paying off the debt incurred in building the system. The approach advocated is to make partners of the logistics firms using Southern California's transportation system. This will require showing them that by investing in the system via user fees, the speed and reliability of their cargo deliveries will increase, helping their profits. To date, the research indicates that this will be the case. If that becomes the consensus view of the affected firms, a negotiated process would ensure that the funds are appropriately raised, protected and invested. Without such a voluntarily negotiated approach, a fees system would likely never survive the political process. 6. Why a universally supported project list with maximum relevance to state/federal decision makers? Ultimately, the success of Southern California's goods movement infrastructure will require an integrated agreement about what needs to be built across seven counties (Imperial, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, Ventura), Partial solutions will not work. As a result, the public officials representing these areas at the local, regional, state and federal levels must be given a consensus group of integrated projects to fund and build. I i Tinted from pe.com Page 1 of 2 I )ffcials want .rail to be priority VLAND: A coalition of leaders seeks funding to reduce the noise and traffic created by trains. ):00 PM PDT on Wednesday,September 27,2006 y PHIL PITCI-EFORD he Press-Enterprise .s a young brakeman for the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Company,Pat lorris watched boxcars of produce from the Coachella, San Joaquin and Imperial Inland freight alleys leave Southern California along the railroad tracks through his hometown of feedles. Seventy percent of the containers offioaded at )evades later, Morris is the mayor of San Bernardino and trying to deal with the 100- the ports of Los Angeles [us trains per day that roll through what is now the BNSF Railway train yard. Instead of and Long Beach uits and vegetables,many of the trains are full of electronics, clothing and other goods eventually make their nported from Asia through the ports of Los Angeles.and Long Beach and destined for way through the Inland ores across the country. area. :eightened noise, pollution and traffic delays at railroad crossings are commonplace. Top five commodities imported through West We're stunned by the impact this has had on our community," Morris said Wednesday Coast ports in 2003: :an event attended by more than 20 elected officials from the Inland area. "These days, ie goods that leave this valley don't come from here. They come from the ports, in Furniture and bedding -- iassive quantities." 1 million containers forris and several other political and business leaders spoke at a "Goods Movement Electronics -- 749,000 ummit" at the Santa Fe Depot in San Bernardino. containers he two-hour event, organized by Riverside Mayor Ron Loveridge and economist John Toys, games and sports [using,was designed to demonstrate to state and federal officials that Inland officials equipment-- 663,000 pant the jobs generated by the logistics industry, but they also want help in dealing with containers re resulting problems. Machinery-- 661,000 The event ended with mayors, city containers council members, county supervisors and state legislators Vehicles and parts -- from Yucca Valley to Corona 480,000 containers signing a joint statement that calls for goods movement to become Sources: Leachman and "Southern California's overriding Associates LLC, City of priority." Riverside Organizers will mail copies of the statement to "every elected official in the region, the state and the nation who have 'something to do with goods movement," Loveridge said, He and other elected officials said they are frustrated that leaders from around the state Itn•//"+ 'Wr -nm/r i-hin/hi/vnld r •int.r i I nnn/-)fit and Southern California seethe issue only throughxhe prism of . Stan Lim/The Press-Enterprise how it affects residents immediately around theports. Mayor lion of Riverside, shares a moment withh Mayor Bill Alexander, of The surge in port traffic in the past few years "caugkt Aur rig%pn ' May B - Rancho Cucamonga, during Wednesday's somewhat unawares and unprepared," Riverside County Supervisor Goods Movement Summit at Santa Fe Depot Bob Buster said. in San Bernardino. 11 Several speakers encouraged the passage of Prop. IB, Gov. Schwarzenegger's transportation bond on the November ballot. The 1sure calls for$20 billion to fund road and rail line improvements. :ing called for portions of the record amounts of federal tariffs collected on imported goods to be devoted to roved railroad crossings and other projects. )t one dime of those tariffs are going to the infrastructure to move that stuff through here and deal with the ironmental impacts,"Husing said. "That has to change." )ut a half-dozen members of the Center for Community Action and Environmental Justice, an advocacy group based I len Avon, stood in the back of the room during the event and held signs in opposition to the bond measure. u communities are already inundated with diesel, warehouses and intermodal facilities," said Rachel Lopez,the ap's healthy communities director and goods movement coordinator. "There's a much bigger picture out there, and ✓are not looking at it." rch Phil Pitchford at 951-368-9475 orppitchford@,PE.com ne at: hftp://www.r)e.com/locairiews/iniand/stories/PE News Local H goods28.35f833d.html r//www.pe.com/egi-bin[bi/gold_prirlt.cgi 9/29/2006 Page 1 of 2 Article launched: 9/28/2006 12:00 AM 2 counties join hands on goods traffic Andrew Sllva,Staff Writer San Bernardino County Sun The Increasing number of trucks and trains rolling through the area presents a great economic opportunity but also threatens the region's health and quality of life, officials from both San Bernardino and Riverside counties said Wednesday In an unprecedented joint statement. Download: Read the declaration "It's a good news, bad news thing,"San Bernardino Mayor Pat Morris told about 80 officials and activists from both counties in the lobby of his city's historic Santa Fe Depot. . As he spoke,a BNSF Railway freight train rumbled past,just outside the windows behind him. "Those are goods," Morris said,flipping his thumb over his shoulder. "Outside these doorways every day, 100 trains use these tracks." The meeting was a first step In showing a united and aggressive front In tackling the problems related to the growth of shipping, also called goods movement. The Inland Empire Is the literal hub of trade In the Southwest, with rail lines and freeways branching out across the nation. Movement of goods Is the biggest Issue facing the Inland Empire, presenting both economic opportunity and the potential for great harm,said Redlands-based economist John Husing, who studies the area. "Goods movement IS a two-edged sword,"he said. The warehouse and shipping jobs being created provide a chance for law-Income and poorly educated residents In the region to move Into the middle class. "Fifty percent of the adult population has not stepped Inside a college classroom," Husing said. At the some time, trucks and trains jam roads while spewing toxic diesel fumes Into the air. Those health Issues also have to be addressed, Husing emphasized. There is technology now coming onllne that will greatly reduce the pollution from diesel sources, but It's a transition that will take years. ❑uring the brief speeches Wednesday,environmental activists from bath counties stood at the back of the room holding small signs protesting Proposition 1B,a$19.9 billion transportation bond measure on the November ballot. San Bernardino and Riverside counties have some of the highest levels of diesel-generated particulate pollution in the nation, known to cause lung and heart problems,along with early death. San Bernardino resident Jan Mlsquez got Involved In air-pollution Issues on the Westslde during the controversy some years ago over Omnitrans' fueling facility.' 'Will the railroads and Industry pay for the health costs of communities affected?"she asked after the meeting. "let's look at breathing first and then growth." Union Pacific and BNSF representatives did not attend the meeting, but the two rail companies are generally supportive of the effort. Lupe Valdez, director of public policy and community affairs for union Pacific, said her position was created specifically to work with local communities. "We are working on different levels to Improve Infrastructure and capacity,and eliminate problems for local jurisdictions,'she said. i I • r n II , . , t n r ••n m7l - nn ��nr - ISF spokeswoman Lena Kent said, "we'd be more than willing to sit down with the counties to discuss Infrastructure needs." ISF Is spending$100 million Just this year on system improvements,she said. le of the proposals by the two counties Is to create Incentives for railroads to do even more,such as tax credits or authority to Float tax-free nds. Ilclals also hope for more help building bridges at railroad crossings to reduce the ever-Increasing delays faced by motorists. e first of five such bridges In San Bernardino County will soon be under construction, but at least 38 are needed, at an estimated cost of$750 Illon. ick and train traffic, particularly from the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, has erased party lines and county lines. e mayors and city council members signed a Joint declaration pledging to work together and outlining a series of proposals to reduce the negative ects on traffic and air while seizing the potential for well-paying Jobs. lerslde Mayor Ron Loverldge called the meeting "an extraordinary gathering of elected officials." ' his is the first of Its kind,"he said, e declaration and plan will be sent to elected officials throughout the state, Loverldge said. ten, Los Angeles County Is the sole Focus on Issues related to shipping, but policy-makers at the state and federal levels need to understand the land Empire Is Just as affected, he said. --------- SIDE I A4 'ELING RIDERSHIP :trollnk gained riders when gas prices went up earlier this year, but kept many of those new riders as prices started to decline. Metrollnk officials ig felt prices would)need to exceed$3.50 per gallon for regular unleaded gas before commuters,who typically drive alone,would abandon their rs for rail and other public transit. p://www.sbsun.com/portlet/ardele/btrnUfragments/print artioleisp?article=4408716 9/29/2006 )s Angeles Times: Inland Empire Officials Seek Greater Say in L.A. Port Issues Page 1 of 2 tt� http://www.latimes.tom/news/local/inland/la-me-ports28sep28,1,7401189_story?toll=la-editioiis-inland-news Inland Empire Officials Seek Greater Say in L.A. Port Issues Increase in cargo traveling by truck and train greatly affects the area,they say. By Sara Lin Times Staff Writer September 28, 2006 Cargo entering the United States through ports in Los Angeles and Long Beach doesn't stop at the L.A. County line, and neither should government funding for overburdened highways and railways, elected officials from Riverside and San Bernardino counties said Wednesday. Leaders in the two counties have banded together to remind California's elected officials that the increase in imports has had a major effect on traffic, air quality and jobs across county lines. "There are tendencies by leaders in Los Angeles County and legislators from Los.Angeles to focus on goods movement as a port issue only. But it's not just a port issue," said San Bernardino County Supervisor William Postmus. "A huge share of those containers move by truck down our freeways in the Inland Empire." About a dozen elected officials gathered Wednesday morning at the historic Santa Fe train depot in San Bernardino to call for a regional plan to address health, infrastructure and employment issues associated with growth at the two ports. Organizers hope to have the statement signed by representatives from each of the Inland Empire's 48 cities and both counties before sending it to all of California's elected officials, Today,the Los Angeles-Long Beach seaport complex is the fifth-busiest in the world. Container traffic,which more than doubled in the last decade, is expected to nearly triple in the next 15 years. Too often, said Riverside Mayor Ron Loveridge,transportation officials forget about the Inland Empire when hying to accommodate more trade, even though it is where Southern California's main truck and rail routes intersect. The region's two major railroads--Burlington Northern Santa Fe and Union Pacific—meet in Colton in San Bernardino County and often create traffic jams at railroad crossings on major roads. Meanwhile,truck traffic on two heavily traveled area routes,the 10 and 60 freeways, is expected to double by 2025, according to the Southern California Assn. of Governments. "We're on a significant national trade route," Loveridge said. "We're asking for our fair share." Riverside-based economist John Husing said the federal government's foreign policies had helped push a lot of manufacturing and production of goods to Asia, increasing the amount of imported goods. Yet little, if any, of the tariffs the federal govenunent collects goes toward improving rail lines or freeways,he says. "That has to change," he said. But as elected officials talked about increasing rail and road infrastructure to handle more cargo traffic, slow- growth advocates stood in the back of the hall with placards that read "Community First, Smart Growth"and "Diesel Starts 'With Die." ralking about [transit improvements) is fine,but what about alternative fuels, low-sulfur diesel or natural gas for to trues and trains7"'said Jan Wsquez,.45,.of San,$ernard' "'They need to address the health impacts that are ready,=Gheze." zralin@latimes.com Copyright 2006 Los Angeles'Times I Privacy Policy I Terms of Service Home delivery I Advertise I Archives I Contact I Site Map I Help PARTNERS: p d41010. o r//www..Iatimes.com/news/local/inland/la-me-ports28sep28,1,2534461,print.story?coll�la-editions-inla... 9/29/2006 I BOARD OF SUPERVISORS COUNTY OF RIVERSIE E 2 RESOLUTION NO. 2006-403 3 RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS 4 OF THE COUNTY OF RIVERSIDE SUPPORTING A COOPERTIVE EFFORT BY THE COUNTY OF SAN BERNARDINO, 5 COUNTY OF RIVERSIDE, AND THE FORTY-EIGHT CITIES WITHIN BOTH COUNTIES TO ENSURE THAT THE INLAND EMPIRE REGION IS GIVEN DUE 6 CONSIDERATION IN REGARDS TO GOODS MOVEMENT EXPANSION IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA 7 8 9 On Tuesday September 26, 2006, on motion by Supervisor stone duly 10 seconded by Supervisor Wilson and carried, the following resolution is adopted 11 by the Board of Supervisors of Riverside County, State of California; 12 WHEREAS, with a large majority of the-cargo traversing Southern California b� 13 truck or train flowing through the Inland Empire, plus air cargo volume expanding a 14 local airports and international trade acting as one of the region's largest job generators, 15 the movement of goods is an issue of utmost importance; and 16 WHEREAS, the people of the Inland Empire continue to be significantly impacts 17 by the growth of cargo moving through the area; and 18 WHEREAS, the Inland Empire's overriding priority must be to find a solution to 19 the health, infrastructure and employment issues associated with goods movement; and 20 21 WHEREAS, extensive discussions are underway by numerous local, regional, 22 state and federal bodies concerning the environmental and economic impacts of the 23 explosive growth of cargo moving through the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach as 24 weld as the region's airports; and 25 no i 1 WHEREAS, it is the responsibility of elected Inland Empire officials to make 2 certain that the region's perspective on the growth of logistics be clearly understood by 3 state and national leaders in order for the Inland Empire to receive the consideration it 4 deserves. 5 6 NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED by the Board of Supervisors that the 7 County of Riverside supports a cooperative effort with the County of San Bernardino 8 and the forty-eight cities within both counties to ensure that the Inland Empire region is 9 given its due consideration by state and federal officials in regards to the goods 10 movement expansion in Southern California. 11 12 PASSED'AND ADOPTED by the Board of Supervisors of the County of 13 Riverside, State of California, by the following vote: 14 ROLL CALL: 15 Ayes: Buster, Tavaglione, stone, Wilson and Ashley Nays: None 16 Absent: None 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 The foregoing is certified to be a true copy of a resolution duly adopted by said Board of Supervisors 24 on the date therein set forth. FANCY ROM, Clerk ofsaid Board 25 BYl ���C4\ _.G� �y �� Deputy 09.26.06 3.78