Stockton Miracle Mile Work Group Meeting Minutes 10-11-23
Miracle Mile Ad Hoc Workgroup
Meeting Minutes
DATE: October 11, 2023
TIME: 6-8pm PDT
LOCATION: University of the Pacific, Biology Services Center, Room 101, 3401 N. Kensington Way, Stockton, CA 95211
Welcome
Welcome and acknowledgement of purpose of meeting and reason for everyone being present – to make the Miracle Mile better.
Ground rules:
- Respect one another.
- stay on topic.
Housekeeping Items
Spanish translator on site – Hilda Sousa
Caltrans Non-Discrimination Policy (excerpt):
- The California Department of Transportation, under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, ensures: “No person in the United States shall, on the ground of race, color, or national origin, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving federal financial assistance.”
- Caltrans will make every effort to ensure nondiscrimination in all of its services, programs and activities, whether they are federally funded or not, and that services and benefits are fairly distributed to all people, regardless of race, color, or national origin. In addition, Caltrans will facilitate meaningful participation in the transportation planning process in a nondiscriminatory manner.
- Related federal statutes, remedies, and state law further those protections to include sex, disability, religion, sexual orientation, and age.
Live stream is available through YouTube with comments. Recording available after meeting: Meeting Livestream Video
Opening Remarks from Assemblymember Carlos Villapudua (AD-13)
Assemblymember Carlos Villapudua – this is a collaboration effort between the Assemblymember’s office, Caltrans, City of Stockton and the San Joaquin Council of Governments.
Nearly 200 applications were received and a committee of 16 members was selected for the ad hoc meetings.
Ad Hoc Workgroup Roll Call
Miracle Mile Ad Hoc Workgroup members shared their expectations for the Miracle Mile initiative.
Ad Hoc Workgroup members in attendance:
- Assemblymember representing Miracle Mile
Assemblymember Carlos Villapudua - Residents of Miracle Mile area (within 5 miles)
Frederic "Chip" Hanker
Phillip Herrera
Ted Leland
Mariela Lomeli
Howard Seligman - Business owner with property on Miracle Mile and member of Miracle Mile Improvement District
Kevin Dougherty - Business owner with no property on Miracle Mile and member of Miracle Mile Improvement District
Jonathan Hernandez - Miracle Mile business owner who is not part of Miracle Mile Improvement District
Joanne Chappell - Commercial property owner with no business on Miracle Mile
Ravdeep “Rex” Dhatt - University of the Pacific representative
Jean Callahan - Delta College representative
Cameron Farrens - Developer
Kevin Hernandez - Local service clubs representatives
Diana Lowery - Architect, civil engineer, traffic engineer, or land use and urban planner
Paris Allen
Cyclist who commutes to Miracle Mile
Jerry Enni
There is one vacant seat representing the Stockton Chamber of Commerce.
Charter Presentation
Ad Hoc Workgroup Charter was shared by Marlon Regisford (Deputy District Director Planning, Local Assistance & Environmental, Caltrans District 10) discussing each section of the charter:
- Background
- Purpose
- Goals
- Roles and Responsibilities
- Chair and Vice Chair
- Reporting Structure
- Meeting Frequency, Protocol, Attendance, Frequency
- Decision Process
- Amendments
Public Comments on Charter
Below are public comments and responses:
- Regarding expenditures of funds that need to be expended by Jan. 2028. What is the target date of transferring the funds to the City and when will the City start constructing the project?
- Marlon Regisford: project recommendations to the City will be early next year so the City has as much time as possible to go through the delivery process. The quicker the working group proposes a scope, the quicker the City can get started.
- Empire Theatre has been removed. What is the plan for the adjacent buildings?
- Rex Dhatt (Ad Hoc Workgroup member): the second building will be torn down.
- Perform outreach to the broader community as well as transit considerations for the Miracle Mile
- Marlon Regisford: the main goal is to make this project as accessible to the public as possible; every public meeting and recording will be published on the website.
- Does UOP intend to hold meetings with the student body and if so, when will they be scheduled:
- Jean Callahan (ad hoc committee member): great idea; let’s talk offline and find some dates to get this scheduled.
- Please keep the style of the Miracle Mile similar and historic and try not cut down the trees.
- What can the grant be used for and what can it not be used for? The stop lights seem to be turned off every night (blinking); keep art deco and historical style up.
- What plans will be discussed regarding additional grants, how do you prioritize what is needed on the Miracle Mile, collaboration/communication with the City of Stockton; community liaison with public encouraged to eliminate rumors and misinformation?
- To the City of Stockton – business owners will reach out to the Miracle Mile Improvement District to get questions answered; communication is imperative.
- What expertise or background is required to fill a still vacant position?
- Position still vacant for the Stockton Chamber of Commerce.
- Lives near Miracle Mile and the homeless problem has not been mentioned yet; employees, customers and residents should feel safe
- Thank you all for what the group is doing; What is in place regarding security? Can additional efforts be made?
- Marlon Regisford: The assembly bill states to provide pedestrian crossing upgrades, safety improvement and to revitalize the community at the Miracle Mile. There is lots of opportunity for the public and the committee to consider but keep in mind what the assembly bill authorizes.
Charter Approval
Open discussion for 10 minutes with the Ad Hoc Workgroup regarding Charter:
Jean Callahan (ad hoc committee member): discussions took place regarding wording: provide “direction” to the City, not “recommendations” to the City – be consistent.
Howard: comments that are made today will need to be available to the public
Harry Black (City of Stockton) explained distinction of recommendation and direction. Direction means “shall be done”, vs. recommendation allows for flexibility and leeway allowing for ease of biddability.
Jean Callahan disagreed with the City Manager’s comment referencing the expertise of Caltrans should be utilized.
Kevin Dougherty (ad hoc committee member): what would be the issue with using “direction” or what is the City’s concern?
Harry Black: it comes down to credibility; previous comment was based on past experience.
Jodi Almassy (City of Stockton): there will be a lot of great conceptual ideas. The City will do the actual environmental clearance, the Design and the construction once the recommendations are received from the working group. Recommendations will allow for flexibility to maximize the scope of the project due to budget constraints.
Kevin Dougherty: construction will be very dynamic and fluid. Ideally the committee wants to give direction and build in flexibility to outline priorities for the committee.
Assemblymember Villapudua: There is a reason why I am part of this committee; everyone that has a voice matters, the plan is not to just give a recommendation and walk away – we are a team.
Joey Nespoli: Clarification to summarize the discussion, the language of the charter will remain the same, but the flexibility will be in the spirit of this effort when it comes to contracting and ongoing conversations with the public.
Motion was made to approve the charter, motion was seconded. Vote to approve Charter:
- Approve: 15
- Decline: 0
- Abstain: 1
(CORRECTION: 16 approved the Charter, there were no abstentions.)
Chair Selection
Motion to nominate Kevin Dougherty and Jean Callahan as Chair was made then seconded by members of the Ad Hoc Workgroup.
Each nominated chair gave a one-minute overview of what is important to them.
A secret ballot was requested to vote for the Chair:
- Jean Callahan received eight votes.
- Kevin Dougherty received eight votes.
Motion to amend the charter to have two co-chairs was made, motion was seconded. Vote to approve charter amendment:
- Approve: 16
- Decline: 0
Motion to have Kevin Dougherty and Jean Callahan serve as co-chair was made, motion was seconded. Vote to elect Co-Chairs:
- Approve: 16
- Decline: 0
Vice Chair Selection
Vice-chair selection no longer required.
Active Transportation Presentation
Kevin Dougherty and Jean Callahan assumed responsibility to preside over remainder of meeting as Miracle Mile Ad Hoc Workgroup Co-Chairs.
First order of business, Co-Chairs introduced Charles Carroll (Active Transportation Portfolio Manager with Caltrans, District 10) to give a presentation on Active Transportations and Complete Streets Possibilities.
Below are questions/comments from the Ad Hoc Workgroup pertaining to the presentation and responses:
- Kevin Hernandez (ad hoc committee member): pictures in the presentation are helpful and those are the discussions and decisions that will be moving forward to the City of Stockton.
- Diana Lowery (ad hoc committee member): as the ad hoc group moves forward, Police and Fire departments should be involved and provide input.
- Kevin Dougherty: what is the thought process on sitting down with the City to discuss already proposed improvements? Should a meeting get scheduled?
- Jodi Almassy: it will be a continuous process to be engaged.
- Kevin Dougherty will schedule a meeting with the City and the rest of the City stakeholders.
- Jeanne: can one way streets be considered?
- Charles Carroll: one way streets are possibilities (temporary or to facilitate festival), depends on what the community wants to do and support.
- A copy of the presentation will be made available to the Ad Hoc Workgroup.
- Mariela Lomeli: do you recommend a specific bike lane based on what is available right now?
- Charles Carroll: Pacific Ave is currently bike accessible but does not reflect a designated bike lane. To provide more protection for bicyclists, possibly a buffer Class II or a Class IV can be implemented (may impact parking).
Public Comment Period
The Co-Chairs opened the floor to public comments.
Below are questions/comments from the public and responses:
- For the City – money was allocated for projects, parking lots, resurfacing etc; will the money be used for this project?
- Jodi Almassy: rectangular rapid flashing beacon will proceed but it will be downsized since the Miracle Mile improvement project is moving forward. Construction to be completed by the end of this year; parking lots are proceeding, and will happen in parallel to this project.
- Regarding raised crosswalks and speed bumps, how does narrowed lanes impact safety for businesses.
- Charles Carroll: the wider the lane, the higher the chance of vehicles going faster, a lane reduction may be a good solution to slow traffic down; slower cars have proven safety benefits for active transportation
- Virtual: African Americans are not represented in the committee workgroup
- Joey Nespoli: We want to have all voices heard through this process, and will be sure that is included at every public meeting; there is also a vacancy still to be filled on the Ad Hoc Workgroup. Invitation for all members of the community to be heard and represented – please bring your voices into the discussion at meetings or online.
- Is there consideration to improve lighting on the main street intersections (Tuxedo, Walnut etc)
- Marlon Regisford: Yes, there is value for the committee to consider lighting.
- Previous planning efforts have been done such as the comprehensive bicycle master plan which identified the need for more bikes and pedestrians. Managing speed and improving comfort is critical.
- Regarding revamping Pacific Ave, is the city considering installing round abouts to reduce the speed? In conjunction with the redevelopment, will there be a traffic study done to account for increase in traffic patters in the neighborhood? Complete Street proposals mentioned in the presentation, 12 different items, all come with a price tag and how long would it take to construct it etc. The committee has to figure out what comes first etc.
- Charles Carroll: The ad hoc working group will have a conversation regarding the cost benefit strategy; round abouts depend on the community; Caltrans will provide technical expertise to move these decisions forward. Cost and right of way acquisitions for round abouts has to be considered.
- Virtual: Can we implement license plate readers to help with public safety?
- Marlon Regisford: License plate readers may not be directly in the spirit of the legislation, however safety is directly addressed. The committee should consider and determine if this is outside of the scope.
- Virtual: Is additional funding available to hire security?
- Marlon Regisford: Hiring security is not directly part of the language.
- Can funds be used to reinforce the store fronts (gates or shutters for business windows)? Can the Empire Block be included?
- Marlon Regisford: We have to keep the actual language in the Assembly Bill in mind.
Next Steps
Next public meeting is scheduled for December 6th, 2023. Press releases and news announcements will be forthcoming.
Closing Remarks from Assemblymember Carlos Villapudua (AD-13)
Co-chairs invited Assemblymember Villapudua to help make closing remarks.
Assemblymember Villapudua invited the ad hoc committee members to the podium.
A check in the amount of $3,100,000 was revealed and presented to the Miracle Mile ad hoc committee working group. The additional funds will be used for public safety, maintenance and parking on the Miracle Mile.
Adjournment
Motion to adjourn the meeting was made by the Co-chairs, motion was seconded. Motion passed unanimously with audible vote.
The meeting was adjourned, and all people present joined the Assemblymember and Ad Hoc Workgroup at the front of the room for a photo.
Below are all public comments that were submitted online during the live stream:
- The lack of African American representation is glaring!
- There was a mention of positions still left to fill on the committee. Are these specific expert positions? What kind?
- I recall hearing one was a representative from the Chamber of Commerce.
- Why is there a lack of African American representation on the committee? This is not a true representation of the patrons who spend money on the Miracle Mile.
- Is this in Stockton?