TO:
Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
THROUGH:
Talyn Mirzakhanian, City Manager
FROM:
Mark Leyman, Parks and Recreation Director
Ted Semaan, Public Works Director
Gilbert Gamboa, Acting City Engineer
Michelle Ami, Recreation Supervisor
Marzena Laskowska, Senior Civil Engineer
SUBJECT:Title
Consideration of a Resolution Approving the Updated 2026 Title VI Program and Authorizing the City Manager to sign the Title VI Policy Statement for the City of Manhattan Beach Pursuant to the Federal Transit Administration Circular 4702.1B for Federal Transit Administration Grant Recipients to Remain Eligible to Receive Grant Program Funds (No Budget Impact) (Parks and Recreation Director Leyman and Interim Public Works Director Semaan).
ADOPT RESOLUTION NO. 25-0142
Body
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RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that the City Council adopt Resolution No. 25-0142 approving the revised 2026 Title VI Program and authorizing the City Manager to sign the Title VI Policy Statement for the City of Manhattan Beach to maintain eligibility for awarded federal grants per the Federal Transit Administration Circular 4702.1B.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) requires the City to adopt the Title VI Program to remain eligible for federal grant funds. The program is submitted through the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) on a three-year cycle. Funds have already been allocated for all eligible projects, so no additional funding is needed.
BACKGROUND:
The City of Manhattan Beach Public Works and Parks and Recreation Departments applied for grant money through the MTA’s Fiscal Year (FY) 2019 Solicitation for Proposals for the Federal Section 5310 Program - “Enhanced Mobility of Seniors and Individuals with Disabilities”. Both projects received preliminary approval from MTA in November 2019 for funding. On January 15, 2020, MTA approved funding for the Aviation Boulevard Sidewalk Gap Project and the Dial-A-Ride buses.
The City’s Public Works Department received an award of $540,000 for the Aviation Boulevard Sidewalk Gap Project. The Metro Funding Agreement was fully executed on December 17, 2020, to accept and utilize the grant for the Project. This Project aims to enhance accessibility to the fixed route bus system by adding a new segment of sidewalk and five curb ramps that comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) along Aviation Boulevard, situated between 33rd Street and the rear entrance of the Manhattan Gateway Shopping Center. The required match of $60,000 is provided using Measure R local return funds.
The Parks and Recreation Department received an award of $462,600 for traditional capital assistance to procure replacement buses for the Dial-A-Ride program. The required match of $51,400 for the bus purchases and future bus maintenance is provided using Proposition A Local Return funds. The City Council authorized the purchase of two buses for a total of $407,730.92 on August 1, 2023. The California Association for Coordinated Transportation (CALACT-MBTA) Assignment to Purchase Agreement was issued on August 17, 2023. Both buses are low-floor models, which are more customer-friendly. Subsequent to the purchase, the City received a reimbursement of $366,957 from the grant. The remaining balance of the grant totaling $95,643 is intended to be used for future bus maintenance.
On January 7, 2020, the City Council approved the Title VI Program for the City of Manhattan Beach to obtain funding from the FTA Section 5310 Grant Program. This program encompassed the triennial period from February 1, 2020, to January 31, 2023.
On February 6, 2024, the City Council approved the revised 2023 Title VI Program for the City of Manhattan Beach, which encompasses the triennial period from February 1, 2023, to January 31, 2026.
DISCUSSION:
As a recipient of federal funding provided by the Section 5310 Program, the City must comply with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination based on race, color, and national origin. The Title VI Program must be revised every three years and re-approved by the City Council. Therefore, the revised 2026 Title VI Program, encompassing February 1, 2026, to January 31, 2029, will continue to ensure the following:
• City services are provided in a nondiscriminatory manner, and the opportunity for full and fair participation is offered to all program participants and community members.
• This program has been prepared in accordance with Section 601 of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Executive Order 13116 (Improving Access to Services for Persons with Limited English Proficiency).
Furthermore, Caltrans requires that the City Manager sign the City’s Title VI Policy Statement included in the program.
The Resolution would adopt the Title VI Program and authorize the City Manager to sign the Title VI Policy Statement. Therefore, staff recommends that the City Council adopt the attached resolution.
PUBLIC OUTREACH:
Notices to the public were posted at the Joslyn Community Center, City Hall, and Manhattan Heights Community Center regarding the availability of the previously adopted Title VI Program and will continue to be posted for the updated 2026 Title VI Program. Furthermore, the Title VI Program is posted on the City website and has been assigned a friendly URL: <http://www.manhattanbeach.gov/titleVI> for ease of access.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW:
The City has reviewed the proposed activity for compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and has determined that there is no possibility that the activity may have a significant effect on the environment; therefore, pursuant to Section 15061(b)(3) (the “common sense” exemption) of the State CEQA Guidelines, the activity is exempt from CEQA. Thus, no environmental review is necessary. Future CEQA review may be required for the projects associated with the federal funding (Aviation Boulevard Sidewalk and Dial-A-Ride buses) when these projects return to the City Council for project review and action.
LEGAL REVIEW:
The City Attorney has reviewed this report and determined that no additional legal analysis is necessary.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Resolution No. 25-0142
2. Title VI Program
3. Location Map