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1 <br />ORANGE COUNTY <br />BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br />ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br />Meeting Date: April 7, 2015 <br />Action Agenda <br />Item No. 6 -f <br />SUBJECT: Resolution Authorizing Staff to File Applications with the Federal Transit <br />Administration <br />DEPARTMENT: Planning and Inspections PUBLIC HEARING: (Y /N) No <br />ATTACHMENT(S): <br />1. Authorizing Resolution <br />INFORMATION CONTACT: <br />Bret Martin, Transportation Planner, <br />919- 245 -2582 <br />Peter Murphy, Transportation <br />Administrator, 919 - 245 -2002 <br />Craig Benedict, Planning Director, 919- <br />245 -2592 <br />PURPOSE: To consider a resolution authorizing the Orange County Transportation Planner <br />and Orange Public Transportation Administrator to file applications with the Federal Transit <br />Administration for Federal financial assistance. <br />BACKGROUND: Orange County transportation planning staff is currently coordinating with the <br />Federal Transit Administration (FTA) to become a direct recipient of Federal financial assistance <br />for public transit projects it undertakes within the Burlington and Durham Urbanized Areas <br />(UZAs). For the entirety of its existence, Orange Public Transportation (OPT) has only been a <br />sub - recipient of Federal financial assistance for transit projects it provides in rural areas, with <br />the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) acting as a pass- through entity that <br />receives the funds directly from the FTA and administers and oversees OPT's use of the funds. <br />Federal financial assistance for public transportation projects undertaken in UZAs requires a <br />local recipient to receive the funds directly from the FTA. In doing so, the direct recipient <br />assumes the responsibility of showing compliance with regulations and reporting requirements <br />attached to the funds. <br />Each decennial census, a greater portion of OPT's service area is encompassed by both the <br />Burlington and Durham UZAs. In order for OPT to retain its current level of Federal transit <br />funding in the future and to be eligible for additional sources of Federal transit funding that could <br />be used to support more service, OPT must position itself to become a direct recipient of <br />Federal financial assistance. The '/2 percent public transportation sales tax and vehicle <br />registration fees would function as the local match that allows OPT to leverage these additional <br />sources of Federal transit funding. Federal financial assistance for which OPT is eligible for <br />projects it plans to undertake within the Burlington and Durham UZAs was assumed in the five - <br />year bus service expansion program approved by the BOCC in October 2014. <br />Authorizing Resolution: <br />One requirement of the FTA for OPT to become a direct recipient of its UZA grant funding is for <br />the governing body (BOCC) of the transit agency to adopt a resolution that authorizes a <br />