City of Alexandria, Virginia
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MEMORANDUM
DATE: APRIL 17, 2019
TO: THE HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL
FROM: MARK B. JINKS, CITY MANAGER /s/
DOCKET TITLE:
TITLE
Consideration of a Resolution to Adopt the Updated Title VI Program for the City of Alexandria [ROLL-CALL VOTE]
BODY
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ISSUE: Consideration of a Resolution to adopt the updated Title VI Program for the City of Alexandria.
RECOMMENDATION: That City Council receive and approve the attached resolution (Attachment 2) which adopts an updated program (Attachment 1) implementing the provisions of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
BACKGROUND: The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) requires that all direct and primary funding recipients document compliance with Title VI regulations by submitting a Title VI program to their FTA civil rights officer once every three years. City Council last approved the City’s Title VI program in June 2016.
The City is currently a subrecipient of FTA funds through the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission (NVTC). As a result, following City Council’s resolution to adopt an updated Title VI program, the City will submit its Title VI program to NVTC, and then NVTC will submit it to the FTA.
DISCUSSION: The objectives of the FTA’s Title VI program are the following:
• Ensure that the level and quality of public transportation service is provided in a nondiscriminatory manner;
• Promote full and fair participation in public transportation decision-making without
regard to race, color, or national origin; and
• Ensure meaningful access to transit-related programs and activities by persons with limited English proficiency.
Historically, only direct recipients of FTA funds were required to document how FTA requirements were being met. A new set of guidance promulgated at the end of 2012 set forth a more comprehensive set of requirements for subrecipients. As a subrecipient, the City must:
• Submit Title VI Programs to the primary recipient from whom they receive funding;
• Supply and utilize a notice to beneficiaries, complaint procedures, and complaint forms;
• Provide information related to its public participation plan and language assistance plan;
• Generate a list of complaints, investigations, or lawsuits;
• Develop a table depicting the racial breakdown of the membership of any transit-related non-elected planning boards, advisory councils, or committees; and
• Describe efforts made to encourage the participation of minorities on such committees.
The City of Alexandria’s Title VI program (Attachment 1) includes each of the required elements and notes that no Title VI complaints have been filed since its last submittal in 2016. No Title VI complaints were filed prior to 2016. As noted above, if City Council approves the plan, staff will submit it to the Title VI program to NVTC, and NVTC will submit it to the FTA.
In updates to the City’s 2019 program, Attachment 1 notes examples of recent initiatives such as the Alexandria Transit Vision Study, which has involved distributing materials in both English and Spanish at a variety of locations where large groups of transit patrons are likely to congregate. These efforts are included as part of the City’s application of U.S. Department of Transportation’s Four-Factor analysis that is intended to encourage people with Limited English Proficiency become more involved in the process of planning transportation services.
FISCAL IMPACT: The proposed plan will not have a fiscal impact on the City.
ATTACHMENTS:
Attachment 1: Alexandria Title VI Program
Attachment 2: Proposed Resolution
STAFF:
Emily A. Baker, P.E., Deputy City Manager
Yon Lambert, AICP, Director, T&ES
Joanna Anderson, City Attorney
Jean Kelleher, Director, Human Rights
Christopher Ziemann, Division Chief, T&ES
Jim Maslanka, Principal Planner, T&ES