DEPARTMENT: Public Works
DEPARTMENT HEAD: Razi Hosseini
COUNCIL DISTRICTS IMPACTED: City wide
SUBJECT:
Local On-System Improvement Project Agreements (LOSAs)
SUMMARY:
An ordinance authorizing the City Manager or Director of Public Works to execute Local On-System Improvement Project Agreements (LOSAs) between the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) and the City of San Antonio without further City Council action.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
The Texas Transportation Code requires municipalities of the state to enter into a Local On-System Agreement (LOSA) with TxDOT when construction and improvements made on roadways of the state highway system. The LOSA template agreement attached herein is consistent with such requirements and allows the City to enter, construct, and maintain City funded infrastructure improvement projects within TxDOT right-of-way.
The agreement describes the roles and responsibilities of the City and TxDOT. The referred projects are City projects wholly managed and funded by the City. Once complete, the City is responsible, at its sole cost, for the maintenance of the City constructed improvements. There is no exchange of funds between TxDOT and the City upon execution of the agreement.
ISSUE:
This ordinance authorizes the City Manager or Director of Public Works to execute Local On-System Improvement Project Agreements (LOSAs) between the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) and the City of San Antonio without further City Council action.
The current LOSA approval process requires a plan review, initial agreement draft and approval by TxDOT prior to initiating the City Council approval process. The Council approval process requires on average a minimum of three months before council action can approve the agreement. To accelerate the start of construction and avoid delays of City projects, this ordinance authorizes the City Manager or Public Works Director to execute a standard LOSA with TxDOT without further City Council approval so long as the fixed price amount of payment by City to TxDOT for state costs is set at $0. All required engineering, consulting, environmental and construction contracts associated with such projects will continue to be procured, awarded and fund appropriated in accordance with federal, state and local laws and policies.
Approval of this ordinance will be a continuation of the City’s commitment to maintaining and improving existing infrastructure in collaboration with other governmental agencies.
ALTERNATIVES:
As an alternative, City Council could elect not to authorize the Director of Public Works to execute Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) Local On-system Improvement Project Agreements (LOSAs) without further City Council action; however, this deferment of authorization would result in each LOSA requiring City Council approval delaying each agreement approval by a minimum of three months. This could also potentially delay construction of each project until the LOSA is officially approved at City Council.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no fiscal impact associated with the execution of the Local On-System Agreement.
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends approval of this ordinance authorizing City Manager or Public Works Director to execute a standard TXDOT LOSA agreement without further City Council action required.