MCOG staff outlines agency responsibilities, major funding sources, Covelo trail progress and Northern Rural Energy Network rollout

Mendocino Council of Governments staff on Feb. 10 delivered a board orientation that reviewed MCOG’s statutory responsibilities, program budgets and several active projects, including the near‑completion of the Covelo State Route 162 multipurpose trail and the regional rollout of a Northern Rural Energy Network.

Nafili Barrett, MCOG executive director, told the board MCOG was formed through a 1972 joint powers agreement and is the designated regional transportation planning agency for Mendocino County. Barrett and other staff outlined core duties: administration of Transportation Development Act funds, regional planning, programming of federal and state funds, the State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP/RTIP) process, and grant assistance to local agencies.

Key funding and program details presented - Local Transportation Fund (LTF): staff said the quarter‑cent county sales tax dedicated to local transportation generates in the order of about $4,000,000 annually for the county. Janet Orth, deputy director and CFO, noted LTF is a major recurring revenue source for MCOG allocations and programs.

- State Transit Assistance (STA): Orth described STA as a smaller formula pool derived from fuel taxes, roughly around $1,000,000 annually at present.

- Surface Transportation Block Grant (STBG): MCOG administers an annual district formula exchange amount that staff estimated at…