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

BOARD OF TRUSTEES
SOUTHWEST OHIO REGIONAL TRANSIT AUTHORITY
MINUTES OF:
DATE:
BOARD MEMBERS
PRESENT:
BOARD MEMBERS
ABSENT:
Regular Meeting of the SORTA Board of Trustees
Tuesday, March 15, 2011, 9:35 a.m.
The SORTA/Metro Mt. Adams Board Room
602 Main Street, Suite 1100
Cincinnati, Ohio 45202
Suzanne Burke; Minette Cooper; Margaret Gutsell; J. Thomas Hodges;
Gregg Hothem; William J. Mallory, Sr.; Karl Schultz; Doug Sizemore;
James R. Tarbell
Christine Matacic; Jason Riveiro; Sean Rugless
STAFF MEMBERS: Terry Garcia Crews; Donna Adkins; Perriann Allen; Bill Desmond;
Butch Gaut; Darryl Haley; Tim Harrington; Sallie Hilvers; Lou Ann Hock;
Dale Madison; Mary Moning; Mike Restle; Mike Ongkiko; Joe Routt; Bill
Spraul
OTHERS:
Jeff Campbell; Brian Cole; April Crews; Troy Miller, Amalgamated Transit
Union Local 627; Joe Curry, Everybody Rides Metro; Rich Moore, Frost
Brown Todd; Chris Moran, League of Women Voters; Tyrone Patrick;
Karima Thomas
CALL TO ORDER
Dr. Gutsell, Vice-Chair of the Board, called the meeting to order.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
Mr. Schultz made a motion that the minutes of the February 15, 2011 regular meeting be
approved as previously mailed and Mr. Hodges seconded the motion. By voice vote, the Board
unanimously approved the minutes with Ms. Burke and Messrs. Mallory and Sizemore
abstaining due to their absence from the February board meeting.
METRO/TANK SHOOT-OUT UPDATE
Mr. Curry reported on the Metro/TANK shoot out, a basketball game between the two transit
entities to raise money for the Everybody Rides Metro foundation and for Welcome House in
Northern Ky. The event was a great success, raising $5,000 for both charities.
RECOGNITION
Ms. Crews presented Brian Cole with the CEO Coin of Excellence for all of his hard work
planning the Metro/TANK shoot out. Ms. Crews also thanked SORTA and ERM board member
Tom Hodges and Veolia Transportation for sponsoring the event.

SORTA Board March 15, 2011
HEARINGS FROM CITIZENS
Dr. Gutsell asked if there were any citizens who would like to address the board. Mr. Troy Miller
from ATU Local 627 asked those present who are against Senate Bill 5 to help fight its passage.
Miss Karima Thomas expressed her concern at the lack of service on the Rt. 47 that services
Winton Terrace and Spring Grove Village. Buses do not run as frequently as before the service
cuts and the Rt. 16 doesn’t run on Sundays. She asked the board to consider increasing the
service in that area. Mr. Tyrone Patrick, a bus operator at Bond Hill, asked the board to
continue to work with operations and maintenance to help them do their jobs and to support the
efforts to fight Senate Bill 5.
COMMITTEE REPORTS
Planning and Development Committee
There were no motions or resolutions to be presented to the board for approval.
Operations and Management Committee
Mr. Tarbell presented the following action item from the Operations and Management
Committee:
1. Proposed Resolution No. 2011-09: Approval of Paratransit Vehicle Procurement
Mr. Tarbell moved for adoption, and Ms. Burke seconded the motion. This resolution approves
a five-year contract for the procurement of paratransit vehicles with Transportation Equipment
Sales Co./Goshen Coach at a total cost not to exceed $4,230,000.
By roll call vote, the Board approved Resolution No. 2011-09.
FINANCIAL REPORT
Mr. Restle reviewed the financial and ridership reports for February 2011. Overall, February
was a very good month. Total revenues were about $6.9 million, which is favorable to budget
by 2.6%. Total expenses for the month were $6.4 million, which is also favorable to budget by
5.0%. This leaves Metro with a total net favorable variance for the month of $512,000. For the
year-to-date, we are overall favorable to budget by $1.1 million. Ridership and fare revenue
were both favorable due to rising gasoline prices and favorable weather conditions. Access
fares and school revenue from the CPS contract were also favorable to budget due to fewer
snow days.
NEW BUSINESS
No new business was introduced.
CEO’S REPORT
During the month of February, Ms. Garcia Crews participated in a Bus Rapid Transit meeting at
which BRT was discussed in the context of a regional transit plan. There is a lot of momentum
behind this project, and OKI will take the lead in creating a regional transit map and a map
overlay that shows future transit development plans. She also met with Rock Ventures to
discuss partnering on bus service to the casino for their employees and a shuttle service from
local hotels for casino patrons. It is important that Metro be involved at the beginning of the
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SORTA Board March 15, 2011
planning/designing process; the initial meeting was very positive. Also discussed was
coordinated stops based on Rock Ventures’ current plan. Mero and Rock Ventures will meet
again as their plans are refined. Ms. Garcia Crews and Mr. Groth gave a presentation before
Cincinnati City Council’s Livable Communities committee regarding ODOT’s decision to rescind
funding for the Innovative Service grants. This decision canceled the proposed express service
to Uptown from Liberty Township and Western Hills. In March, SORTA Board Chair Mr.
Rugless, Ms. Garcia Crews and Mr. Groth traveled to Washington DC as part of the American
Public Transportation Association Legislative Conference and the Ohio Public Transit
Association. Meetings were held prior to the conference with our congressional delegation and
included: Senators Portman and Brown and Representatives Chabot and Schmidt. There is a
$22.4 billion increase in public transportation programs over what was included in the 2010
authorization bill; supporting the President’s transportation priorities is critical. As part of
APTA’s national media efforts, Ms. Garcia Crews was interviewed by local radio station 700-
WLW regarding increasing ridership due to higher gas prices. Ms. Garcia Crews also reported
that Metro is currently recruiting for a Chief Financial Officer and a Director of Procurement and
hopes to have these positions filled within 45 days after posting the job.
EXECUTIVE SESSION
Mr. Hodges made a motion that the Board go into Executive Session as provided in Ohio
Revised Code Section 121.22 (G)(1), “to consider the appointment, employment . . . of a public
employee or official . . .” and (G)(3) for “conferences with an attorney for the public body
concerning disputes that are the subject of pending or imminent court action and Section (G)(4),
“preparing for, conducting, or reviewing negotiations or bargaining session with public
employees . . .”. Mr. Hothem seconded the motion. By roll call vote, the Board unanimously
approved the motion and went into executive session at 10:45 a.m.
Mr. Hodges made a motion that the Board return to regular session, and Mr. Hothem seconded
the motion. The Board unanimously approved the motion and returned to regular session at
11:30 a.m.
Dr. Gutsell made a motion that the meeting be adjourned and Mr. Hodges seconded the motion.
The Board unanimously approved the motion, and the meeting adjourned at 11:30 a.m.
NEXT MEETING
The next regular meeting of the SORTA Board is scheduled for Tuesday, April 19, 2011 at 9:30
a.m. in the SORTA/Metro Board Room, 602 Main Street, Suite 1200, Cincinnati, Ohio.
APPROVED:
Sean Rugless
Chair
Terry Garcia Crews
Secretary-Treasurer
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