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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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