Title
Adoption of Resolution Authorizing the City Manager to Enter into a Project Specific Maintenance Agreement with California Department of Transportation for Streetlights on State Route 61 Along Broadway and Otis Drive and Associated with Alameda Municipal Power’s Underground Utility District 38 Project. (Public Works 31041520)
Body
To: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
From: Gerry Beaudin, City Manager
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Alameda Municipal Power (AMP) is removing overhead utilities and installing underground facilities along Broadway and Otis Drive as part of Underground Utility District (UUD) 38. The project will remove streetlights from the existing joint utility poles and install new streetlight poles along both roadways. The proposed Project Specific Maintenance Agreement will formalize the City of Alameda (City) maintenance responsibilities for the new streetlights within the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) right-of-way.
BACKGROUND
The City established Ordinance No. 2212 on September 18, 1984, creating regulations and procedures for removing overhead utility facilities and installing underground facilities through the UUDs. On March 3, 2015, City Council approved a redesigned Underground Utility District Policy. The revised UUD Program includes criteria for selecting districts that maximize public benefit, incorporates public participation at multiple points in the process, and eliminates conversion costs for the majority of customers.
AMP oversees the UUD Program, which is funded through a UUD Fund established by AMP. AMP sets aside 2% of annual retail electric sales revenue from residential and commercial customers for underground district projects, totaling approximately $1M per year. The AMP electric system has 86 pole-miles of overhead distribution lines and 179 circuit-miles of underground distribution lines. Twenty-five UUDs have been completed in Alameda since 1984.
On February 19, 2019, City Council approved the formation of UUD 38 extending on Broadway from Encinal Avenue to Otis Drive and then along Otis Drive from Broadway to High Street, a length of approximately 1.2 miles. Construction of underground improvements began in early 2025. UUD 38 is within Caltrans right-of-way.
DISCUSSION
Since streetlights provide a general public benefit, the General Fund has historically funded their installation and/or conversion within each UUD, as well as ongoing operations and maintenance.
Caltrans’ streetlight requirements for State Highways generally focus on providing safe lighting levels at established intersections and typically do not include mid-block streetlights. The City currently operates and maintains the existing mid-block streetlights. The Project Specific Maintenance Agreement will formalize the City's maintenance responsibilities for the newly installed streetlights within Caltrans’s right-of-way.
Caltrans has recently incorporated provisions addressing the responsibility for unsheltered encampments and persons experiencing homelessness into maintenance agreements. Because the purpose of this agreement is to establish maintenance responsibilities for streetlights, staff did not recommend expanding or formalizing the City’s responsibilities under the agreement to include unsheltered encampments. Under the proposed agreement, Caltrans will retain responsibility for unhoused encampments along State Route 61 in Alameda. Responsibility for encampments could be considered separately in the future through a separate agreement, if appropriate.
For clarity, Caltrans has also recently incorporated provisions addressing the responsibility for complete streets features and/or enhancements into their maintenance agreements. Although this provision is included in the agreement, no complete streets features or enhancements are included with UUD 38, and none are shown in Exhibit 1.
ALTERNATIVES
City Council may consider the following alternatives or others not listed here:
• Direct staff to renegotiate portions of the maintenance agreement. The Project Specific Maintenance Agreement is based on an approved Caltrans template agreement. Revisions would be subject to negotiation with Caltrans and would delay the completion of UUD 38.
• Do not authorize the City Manager to enter into this agreement with Caltrans. Failure to approve an agreement will prevent the completion of UUD 38 as designed, either eliminating streetlighting along portions of State Route 61 or maintaining the overhead electrical lines serving the existing streetlights located on joint poles.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
There is no immediate financial impact to the City from the maintenance agreement, as the City currently operates and maintains the existing streetlights along this corridor.
MUNICIPAL CODE/POLICY DOCUMENT CROSS REFERENCE
Strategic Plan: Invest in Alameda’s Transportation, Infrastructure & Economy.
This action is subject to the Levine Act.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
Approval of the maintenance agreement does not constitute a “project” as defined in California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines Section 15378 and therefore no further CEQA analysis is required. The UUD 38 project has completed an independent environmental review process.
CLIMATE IMPACT
Maintaining mid-block streetlights encourages pedestrian and bicycle modes of transport, potentially reducing climate emissions.
RECOMMENDATION
Adopt a Resolution authorizing the City Manager to enter into a project specific Maintenance Agreement with Caltrans for streetlights on State Route 61 along Broadway and Otis Drive and associated with Alameda Municipal Power’s Underground Utility District 38 project.
Respectfully submitted,
Erin Smith, Public Works Director
By,
Scott Wikstrom, Deputy Public Works Director
Gary Spenik, AMP Project Manager
Financial Impact section reviewed,
Ross McCarthy, Finance Director
Exhibit:
1. Proposed Project Specific Maintenance Agreement