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Minutes (3-15-11).DOC - Metro

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BOARD OF TRUSTEES<br />

SOUTHWEST OHIO REGIONAL TRANSIT AUTHORITY<br />

MINUTES OF:<br />

DATE:<br />

BOARD MEMBERS<br />

PRESENT:<br />

BOARD MEMBERS<br />

ABSENT:<br />

Regular Meeting of the SORTA Board of Trustees<br />

Tuesday, March <strong>15</strong>, 20<strong>11</strong>, 9:35 a.m.<br />

The SORTA/<strong>Metro</strong> Mt. Adams Board Room<br />

602 Main Street, Suite <strong>11</strong>00<br />

Cincinnati, Ohio 45202<br />

Suzanne Burke; Minette Cooper; Margaret Gutsell; J. Thomas Hodges;<br />

Gregg Hothem; William J. Mallory, Sr.; Karl Schultz; Doug Sizemore;<br />

James R. Tarbell<br />

Christine Matacic; Jason Riveiro; Sean Rugless<br />

STAFF MEMBERS: Terry Garcia Crews; Donna Adkins; Perriann Allen; Bill Desmond;<br />

Butch Gaut; Darryl Haley; Tim Harrington; Sallie Hilvers; Lou Ann Hock;<br />

Dale Madison; Mary Moning; Mike Restle; Mike Ongkiko; Joe Routt; Bill<br />

Spraul<br />

OTHERS:<br />

Jeff Campbell; Brian Cole; April Crews; Troy Miller, Amalgamated Transit<br />

Union Local 627; Joe Curry, Everybody Rides <strong>Metro</strong>; Rich Moore, Frost<br />

Brown Todd; Chris Moran, League of Women Voters; Tyrone Patrick;<br />

Karima Thomas<br />

CALL TO ORDER<br />

Dr. Gutsell, Vice-Chair of the Board, called the meeting to order.<br />

APPROVAL OF MINUTES<br />

Mr. Schultz made a motion that the minutes of the February <strong>15</strong>, 20<strong>11</strong> regular meeting be<br />

approved as previously mailed and Mr. Hodges seconded the motion. By voice vote, the Board<br />

unanimously approved the minutes with Ms. Burke and Messrs. Mallory and Sizemore<br />

abstaining due to their absence from the February board meeting.<br />

METRO/TANK SHOOT-OUT UPDATE<br />

Mr. Curry reported on the <strong>Metro</strong>/TANK shoot out, a basketball game between the two transit<br />

entities to raise money for the Everybody Rides <strong>Metro</strong> foundation and for Welcome House in<br />

Northern Ky. The event was a great success, raising $5,000 for both charities.<br />

RECOGNITION<br />

Ms. Crews presented Brian Cole with the CEO Coin of Excellence for all of his hard work<br />

planning the <strong>Metro</strong>/TANK shoot out. Ms. Crews also thanked SORTA and ERM board member<br />

Tom Hodges and Veolia Transportation for sponsoring the event.


SORTA Board March <strong>15</strong>, 20<strong>11</strong><br />

HEARINGS FROM CITIZENS<br />

Dr. Gutsell asked if there were any citizens who would like to address the board. Mr. Troy Miller<br />

from ATU Local 627 asked those present who are against Senate Bill 5 to help fight its passage.<br />

Miss Karima Thomas expressed her concern at the lack of service on the Rt. 47 that services<br />

Winton Terrace and Spring Grove Village. Buses do not run as frequently as before the service<br />

cuts and the Rt. 16 doesn’t run on Sundays. She asked the board to consider increasing the<br />

service in that area. Mr. Tyrone Patrick, a bus operator at Bond Hill, asked the board to<br />

continue to work with operations and maintenance to help them do their jobs and to support the<br />

efforts to fight Senate Bill 5.<br />

COMMITTEE REPORTS<br />

Planning and Development Committee<br />

There were no motions or resolutions to be presented to the board for approval.<br />

Operations and Management Committee<br />

Mr. Tarbell presented the following action item from the Operations and Management<br />

Committee:<br />

1. Proposed Resolution No. 20<strong>11</strong>-09: Approval of Paratransit Vehicle Procurement<br />

Mr. Tarbell moved for adoption, and Ms. Burke seconded the motion. This resolution approves<br />

a five-year contract for the procurement of paratransit vehicles with Transportation Equipment<br />

Sales Co./Goshen Coach at a total cost not to exceed $4,230,000.<br />

By roll call vote, the Board approved Resolution No. 20<strong>11</strong>-09.<br />

FINANCIAL REPORT<br />

Mr. Restle reviewed the financial and ridership reports for February 20<strong>11</strong>. Overall, February<br />

was a very good month. Total revenues were about $6.9 million, which is favorable to budget<br />

by 2.6%. Total expenses for the month were $6.4 million, which is also favorable to budget by<br />

5.0%. This leaves <strong>Metro</strong> with a total net favorable variance for the month of $512,000. For the<br />

year-to-date, we are overall favorable to budget by $1.1 million. Ridership and fare revenue<br />

were both favorable due to rising gasoline prices and favorable weather conditions. Access<br />

fares and school revenue from the CPS contract were also favorable to budget due to fewer<br />

snow days.<br />

NEW BUSINESS<br />

No new business was introduced.<br />

CEO’S REPORT<br />

During the month of February, Ms. Garcia Crews participated in a Bus Rapid Transit meeting at<br />

which BRT was discussed in the context of a regional transit plan. There is a lot of momentum<br />

behind this project, and OKI will take the lead in creating a regional transit map and a map<br />

overlay that shows future transit development plans. She also met with Rock Ventures to<br />

discuss partnering on bus service to the casino for their employees and a shuttle service from<br />

local hotels for casino patrons. It is important that <strong>Metro</strong> be involved at the beginning of the<br />

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SORTA Board March <strong>15</strong>, 20<strong>11</strong><br />

planning/designing process; the initial meeting was very positive. Also discussed was<br />

coordinated stops based on Rock Ventures’ current plan. Mero and Rock Ventures will meet<br />

again as their plans are refined. Ms. Garcia Crews and Mr. Groth gave a presentation before<br />

Cincinnati City Council’s Livable Communities committee regarding ODOT’s decision to rescind<br />

funding for the Innovative Service grants. This decision canceled the proposed express service<br />

to Uptown from Liberty Township and Western Hills. In March, SORTA Board Chair Mr.<br />

Rugless, Ms. Garcia Crews and Mr. Groth traveled to Washington DC as part of the American<br />

Public Transportation Association Legislative Conference and the Ohio Public Transit<br />

Association. Meetings were held prior to the conference with our congressional delegation and<br />

included: Senators Portman and Brown and Representatives Chabot and Schmidt. There is a<br />

$22.4 billion increase in public transportation programs over what was included in the 2010<br />

authorization bill; supporting the President’s transportation priorities is critical. As part of<br />

APTA’s national media efforts, Ms. Garcia Crews was interviewed by local radio station 700-<br />

WLW regarding increasing ridership due to higher gas prices. Ms. Garcia Crews also reported<br />

that <strong>Metro</strong> is currently recruiting for a Chief Financial Officer and a Director of Procurement and<br />

hopes to have these positions filled within 45 days after posting the job.<br />

EXECUTIVE SESSION<br />

Mr. Hodges made a motion that the Board go into Executive Session as provided in Ohio<br />

Revised Code Section 121.22 (G)(1), “to consider the appointment, employment . . . of a public<br />

employee or official . . .” and (G)(3) for “conferences with an attorney for the public body<br />

concerning disputes that are the subject of pending or imminent court action and Section (G)(4),<br />

“preparing for, conducting, or reviewing negotiations or bargaining session with public<br />

employees . . .”. Mr. Hothem seconded the motion. By roll call vote, the Board unanimously<br />

approved the motion and went into executive session at 10:45 a.m.<br />

Mr. Hodges made a motion that the Board return to regular session, and Mr. Hothem seconded<br />

the motion. The Board unanimously approved the motion and returned to regular session at<br />

<strong>11</strong>:30 a.m.<br />

Dr. Gutsell made a motion that the meeting be adjourned and Mr. Hodges seconded the motion.<br />

The Board unanimously approved the motion, and the meeting adjourned at <strong>11</strong>:30 a.m.<br />

NEXT MEETING<br />

The next regular meeting of the SORTA Board is scheduled for Tuesday, April 19, 20<strong>11</strong> at 9:30<br />

a.m. in the SORTA/<strong>Metro</strong> Board Room, 602 Main Street, Suite 1200, Cincinnati, Ohio.<br />

APPROVED:<br />

Sean Rugless<br />

Chair<br />

Terry Garcia Crews<br />

Secretary-Treasurer<br />

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