Inter-Regional Partnership

The Inter-Regional Partnership (IRP) is composed of the counties of Alameda, Contra Costa, San Joaquin, Santa Clara, and Stanislaus. There are ten city members. Mayor Dan Bilbrey is not only the representative for our City of Tracy, but is also the co-chair of the Interregional Partnership. Staff support and services are provided by the three councils of governments (COGs) for the Bay Area, San Joaquin County and Stanislaus County.

Evelyn Tolbert was involved in the formation of this group and was initially the only local city representative in attendance. Evelyn continues to provide critical input and support to the Inter-Regional Partnership.

Senator Tom Torlakson authored legislation that was approved as AB 2864 and provided for the funding of a new State Pilot Project. The IRP State Pilot Project criteria mandated that 5 to 10 Jobs/Housing Opportunity Zones be equitably distributed across the IRP region to remedy the jobs/housing imbalance. There are 2 projects/opportunity zones from each county. The purpose of the IRP State Pilot Project is to create a model for the rest of the State of California to be used in other areas as they, too, encounter problems of jobs/housing imbalance.

The Inter-Regional Partnership reviewed and approved Request For Proposals for Jobs/Housing Opportunity Zone designations. Development projects within the Jobs/Housing Opportunity Zones were eligible for one or more incentives offered by regional and/or state agencies.

Request for Proposals were received and reviewed by an IRP Evaluation Committee, which ranked them according to a point system described in the Request for Proposal.

Evelyn Tolbert attended one of the meetings held in Livermore and spoke in strong support of the Tracy Gateway Business Park. The Tracy Gateway Business Park was subsequently selected for funding and incentive consideration under the IRP State Pilot Project.

Evelyn Tolbert feels that it is important to continue her interaction with the Inter-Regional Partnership to bring a full perspective to Tracy citizens of how our singular issues connect with those of the region as a whole. Evelyn Tolbert believes that this work undertaken by the IRP is crucial to the future of the Greater Bay Area and to the Central Valley.

Because of the massive budget deficit faced by the State of California, the funding to fully initiate the IRP State Pilot Program has not been forthcoming. The Inter-Regional Partnership continues to explore methods by which the Opportunity Zones can be fully initiated with various forms of incentives that will be beneficial to the developers of the projects that were selected for funding.

Meantime, the Tracy Gateway project in Tracy forges ahead. Staff and Gateway's consultants, BKF, have been meeting weekly for the past several months to design the project infrastructure, specifically focusing, in this early phase, on the roadways. Lammers Road will be six lanes at build out and the ultimate right of way near the Tracy Gateway has to be allowed for in advance. There also needs to be plans made to accomodate the new high school and a new interchange on I-205 that will connect to Lammers. Phase I plans with regard to all infrastructure elements, have been submitted and are currently under review by City of Tracy staff. These plans will become part of the Final Map, which will go to the City Council for approval later this year. Based on the progress being made on the infrastructure items, City of Tracy staff expects that the Tracy Gateway project will be requesting a grading permit later this year. 

This page last updated: June 2006