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 roughly $1.3 million per year to distribute to member agencies for a broad range of transportation projects.

- SB 125 transit capital program: Barrett and Janet Orth said MCOG has received an initial cash balance related to Senate Bill 125 (a state transit capital program focused on zero‑emission transit infrastructure), with staff noting roughly $3.5 million has been posted to MCOG cash accounts to date; MCOG has adopted an allocation plan but has not yet paid out claims. Staff said the program total and allocation will require development of a claims process and additional board action.

- Rural Planning Assistance (RPA): planning funding from the state has increased for MCOG from about $294,000 to $404,000 annually, staff said during the presentation.

- Two percent local bike and pedestrian set‑aside: the board heard that the 2% set‑aside of LTF used for bike‑ped capital came to about $73,770 in the 2024–25 estimate and is often used as match or pooled to fund larger projects.

Planning programs and projects - Regional Transportation Plan (RTP) update: staff said the RTP/Active Transportation Plan update is underway, with outreach ongoing and a draft expected in mid to late summer, and targeted final adoption in December 2025; staff highlighted an interactive map on the MCOG website for public input.

- Covelo State Route 162 corridor multipurpose trail: staff described the construction project as largely complete and in use, with a remaining pedestrian bridge and final construction items anticipated during the upcoming construction season; project cost was discussed in the meeting as in the neighborhood of $6,000,000 and the trail opened in segments before formal bridge completion.

Northern Rural Energy Network (NREN) Barrett reviewed MCOG’s role in the Northern Rural Energy Network, a multi‑county partnership approved by the California Public Utilities Commission in September and funded through a small charge on utility bills to deliver energy efficiency, electrification and workforce programs targeted to rural areas. Barrett said the network will roll programs out in 2025–26, will deliver rebates and workforce training, and aims to return ratepayer benefits to Mendocino County residents who have paid the fee for years without local access to programs.

SAFE call box program and Caltrans updates Staff reviewed the SAFE (Service Authority for Freeway Emergencies) call box program (funded by a $1 per vehicle registration fee) and noted recent cellular network changes and equipment shortages have left some boxes out of service; MCOG and contractors continue assessment and replacement work. Caltrans District 1 staff also demonstrated the agency’s online customer service request portal and said members of the public may submit non‑emergency requests without creating an account or by calling Caltrans’ customer service line.

Speakers and staff - Nafili Barrett, Executive Director, Mendocino Council of Governments (presentation lead) - Janet Orth, Deputy Director and CFO, MCOG (finance and transit funding) - Alexis Pedrati, MCOG planning lead (RTP and planning work program) - James Seward, Public Information Officer, Caltrans District 1 (demonstrated the customer service request portal)

Clarifying details - SB 125: staff reported about $3.5 million from the program currently in MCOG cash accounts; MCOG has not yet distributed claims and will return to the board with a claims process. - Covelo trail: construction began in 2022; the trail is largely open to users though the pedestrian bridge remains to be installed. Project total discussed in meeting remarks: approximately $6,000,000. - Rural Planning Assistance: increase from $294,000 to $404,000 annually (staff reported receiving notice of the increase the morning of the meeting).

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