SBCAG confirms committee appointments; discusses San Ynez River Trail contractor authorization and grant coordination

At the Jan. 15 SBCAG meeting the board confirmed a slate of annual appointments to interagency committees and considered a pulled consent item for the San Ynez River Trail contractor agreement.

Committee appointments: Staff read the recommended appointments to CALCOG, the Coast Rail Coordinating Council, the Highway 154 Safety Committee, the SBCAG executive committee and other bodies. Director Kern and members discussed volunteers and alternates; Director Brown moved and Vice Chair Silva seconded the motion to adopt the slate. The board approved the appointments by roll call.

San Ynez River Trail contractor agreement (Item G): Staff read the item into the record as an agreement to authorize the Executive Director to execute a consultant contract for planning and engineering work on the San Ynez River Trail, with performance through Dec. 31, 2028 and authority to approve immaterial amendments. Director Hartman asked whether the project schedule fits the Active Transportation Program (ATP) cycle, and whether a federal grant routed through a tribal award could be folded into the contractor’s optional tasks. SBCAG staff said they have coordinated with the tribe and the Federal Highway Administration and that the federal award (as described in the staff comments) would likely be managed through an agreement chain at FHWA; staff said they expect SBCAG to take on work if the FHWA‑tribe agreement is executed. Staff also said environmental work within the city limits is currently included as a 100% work package for the city, while optional environmental tasks outside the city could be amended later to align with the county’s recreation master plan once it is adopted.

Public speakers earlier in the meeting raised related roadway concerns. Scott Wentz urged removal of a nearby roundabout and offered an alternate design; Wentz said, “That roundabout has proven to be an absolute disaster,” and asked SBCAG to press Caltrans for changes. Directors reminded the public that SBCAG’s jurisdiction is regional transportation planning and that specific law‑enforcement or police‑investigation matters belong to other agencies.

The record shows staff answered technical questions about contracting requirements and federal versus state/local contracting rules, but the meeting did not adopt construction designs or finalize the environmental approvals for the trail. The board approved the consent calendar motions and the committee appointments; staff indicated they would return with required contract documents and next steps when ready.