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SamTrans > General Information > Board of Directors and Citizens Advisory Committee Meetings > Board of Directors Meeting Minutes - October 9, 2002
Committees and Board of Directors Meeting Minutes - October 9, 2002
SAMTRANS ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE
2nd FL. AUDITORIUM
1250 SAN CARLOS AVENUE, SAN CARLOS, CALIFORNIA
Board
of Directors
Community
Relations
Finance
Legislative
Planning and Development
Committee
COMMUNITY
RELATIONS COMMITTEE
COMMITTEE
OF THE WHOLE
(Accessibility,
Senior Services, and Community Issues)
Committee Members Present:
Shirley Harris, Al Teglia
Committee Member Absent:
Michael Nevin (Committee Chair)
Other Board Members Present:
Michael Guingona, Jerry Hill, Mary Janney, Arthur Lloyd, Stephen Schmidt
Other Board Member Absent:
John Barbour
Staff Present: Michael Scanlon, David Miller, Stan Arend, George Cameron,
Monica Colondres, Roger Contreras, Jim Gallagher, Howard Goode, Chuck Harvey,
Rita Haskin, Aurora Jose, Gary Lambert, Martha Martinez, Arlene Patton, Ed
Stewart, Bill Welch
Pledge of
Allegiance
Board Chairman Hill led the pledge of allegiance to the flag.
In view of the absence of Director Nevin, Chair of this Committee, Board
Chairman Hill appointed Director Harris to preside over the meeting. Director
Harris called the meeting to order at 2:07 p.m.
Approval
of Minutes of Community Relations Committee Meeting of September 5, 2002
The Committee (Teglia/Janney) unanimously recommended Board approval of the
minutes.
PCC and
PCC Advocacy Reports
Bill Welch, Manager of Accessible Transit Services, referred to the minutes of
the Paratransit Coordinating Council (PCC) meeting that are in the packet. He
reported staff is working with the PCC Redi-Wheels Efficiency Committee, to
come up with measures that will continually enhance the efficiency of
Redi-Wheels to accommodate the continually increasing ridership. On this, he
spoke about the expanded use of negotiating ride times with customers to ensure
that existing software is used most efficiently to schedule rides.
Dale Edwards, PCC Chair, reported the PCC members, Redi-Wheels consumers and
transit professionals met this month. The Advocacy Legislative Committee (AlCom)
also met. Per the Consumer Corps, there were 145 reports submitted during the
month of August. The indication was that service was good. There were no
denials. The Escort Program is very much alive. He thanked Marianne Mannia
for her dedication and hard work on this. SamTrans and MV Transportation
created a new brochure. The theme is "Be a Redi-Wheels Ambassador." On
Measure A that is coming up in the near future, the PCC will be among the
stakeholders.
Citizens Advisory Committee Liaison Report
General Manager/CEO Michael Scanlon advised that Mary Lou Ciranni, CAC Vice
Chair, sent an e-mail about the tour of the North Base. They were escorted by
Jerie Moeller of Maintenance Operations. The Committee thanked Mr. Moeller for
his explanations of the various functions performed at the site. Andre Legos,
CAC Secretary, also reported that Tad Wood, Manager of Bus Operations, took
them through the dispatch and bus operators' area. Dave Olmeda, Maintenance
Manager, showed them the repower project. Messrs. Moeller and Olmeda
complimented the CAC for their input that really helps the system.
Redi-Wheels Performance Report
Chuck Harvey, Chief Operations Officer, reported Redi-Wheels ridership
continues to grow. Average daily ridership is approaching 1,000 riders per day.
That is extremely taxing to the system. It is very difficult to maintain both
the quality of service and zero denials. On-time performance in September has
slipped to 86 percent due to the increase of ridership number and the effort to
obtain zero denials. The needs of the public are being balanced with the
limitations of the system. Customer no-shows are up slightly. Sanctions will be
implemented on no-shows to remind the customers to notify the system ahead of
time of cancellations, to be able to use the full capacity of the system. A
certification/recertification process is being developed to make sure that
Redi-Wheels is serving members of the public who truly should be served.
Director Hill asked what steps are taken to guarantee that the patron that
should be served is served. Mr. Harvey answered that new applications will
require a full functional test to insure that the applicant is incapable of
riding fixed route. The process will also track those who have passed away or
who have moved.
Mr. Harvey also discussed the taxi program operated by Peninsula Yellow Cab. It
serves a portion of the area as a pilot program. Some adjustments were made to
the compensation structure. Drivers get a little bit more pay for trips and
still produce cost savings for the system. The program has been extended for
an additional 90 days. Staff is planning to extend this program to other
regions within the service area and get other taxicab companies involved.
Due to the increasing Redi-Wheels ridership, if a point is reached where demand
and growth overtake the system's ability to provide a ride, trip denials cannot
be avoided.
Mr. Scanlon expects trip denials to happen as he is amazed how the system is
able to maintain zero denials during the last couple of months. He added
automatic locators are being installed on all fixed route vehicles and
Redi-Wheels vehicles at this point. Dispatchers will be able to know the exact
location of vehicles at all times.
Mr. Harvey noted that Redi-Wheels is about 1.1 percent over budget for the
first quarter.
Multimodal Ridership Report, August 2002
Mr. Harvey reported ridership is on a downward trend. SamTrans is down 9.5
percent. BART was down and Caltrain was also down 15 percent. Shuttle ridership
percentage changes as shuttles are taken from one place and redeployed
somewhere else. The biggest losses in ridership are the main lines on El Camino
Real and to the San Francisco airport.
Rita Haskin, Chief Communications Officer, reported on the ridership promotions.
It will not be a systemwide approach this time. Staff will find where the
potential is and market it there, then take it elsewhere. One target is Canada
College and the area along the line that connects to the mainline service (El
Camino) and the Redwood City Caltrain Station. Staff is also participating in
the American Public Transportation Association's "Communities in Motion"
program. The program includes a focus on "Mobility, Access, and Freedom" and
includes bus side ads, newspaper ads, and radio spots. Staff is finishing the
production of a youth video, targeting kids to get them to ride the bus for
things other than school. The video will be shown to the Board in December.
An El Camino Real ridership promotion will focus on the comfort of taking the
bus by having them available about every 10 minutes. Some radio promotions will
be done with the theme "Communities in Motion."
Mr. Harvey advised that service will be realigned when BART opens. A
presentation will be done next month. He reported that the school situation in
Pacifica has improved. Cabrillo Unified School District helped resolve the
problem and they are starting to stabilize.
Public Comment
Jerry Grace, Oakland, was surprised that SamTrans has a contract with the
Yellow Taxicab. He wanted to know if taxis are available if something happens
to a bus at night. He also pointed out that SamTrans buses are slow. They do
not come on time and sometimes do not show up. Mr. Scanlon explained that the
taxi's role is to augment the paratransit service. Also, incidents of buses
coming late or not showing up at all, happen not on purpose.
Adjourned: 2:40 P.M.
FINANCE COMMITTEE
COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE
Committee Members Present:
Mary Janney (Committee Chair), Michael Guingona, Shirley Harris
Other Board Members Present:
Jerry Hill, Arthur Lloyd, Stephen Schmidt, Al Teglia
Other Board Members Absent:
John Barbour, Michael Nevin
Staff Present: Michael Scanlon, David Miller, Stan Arend, George Cameron,
Monica Colondres, Roger Contreras, Jim Gallagher, Howard Goode, Chuck Harvey,
Rita Haskin, Aurora Jose, Gary Lambert, Martha Martinez, Arlene Patton, Ed
Stewart, Bill Welch
All Committee members were present. Director Janney called the meeting to
order at 2:40 p.m.
Approval of Minutes of Finance Committee Meeting of
September 5, 2002
The Committee (Guingona/Teglia) unanimously recommended Board approval of the
corrected version of the minutes that shows the correction of spelling of the
word "issued" and the date of Revenues and Expenses Report to be July 2002
instead of February 2002.
Approval of Statement of Revenues and Expenses for August
2002
Roger Contreras, Chief Financial Officer, reported revenues are on target with
the revised budget for the month of August. However, compared to that of last
year, the total revenues are $2.6 million lower. This is due to lower Local TDA
and STA Funds and District ½ Cent Sales Tax brought about by the economic
slowdown. Expenditures on the monthly report reflect budgeted amounts because
transactions are not reliable for comparison purposes. However, for the month
of September, staff will be presenting actual figures.
The Committee (Teglia/Harris) unanimously recommended Board acceptance of the
report.
Informational: FY 2002 Year-End Statement
Stan Arend, Director of Accounting, reported under Revenues, Passenger Fares
were $1.4 million less than the budget due to the decline of ridership and
economic slowdown. TDA & STA Funds were on target. Other revenues were positive
by $1.4 million of which a significant portion represented a refund rebate from
PERS due to high-yielding investments made during the last few years. Sales
tax was less than the projection by $13.3 million. Interest revenue was 10
percent under budget due to lower interest rates in the financial market.
Operating Cost shows savings of $5.1 million. District Motor Bus is the major
contributor to these cost savings. Wages and Benefits were $2 million under
budget due to selective hiring freeze. The other component is fuel prices,
which are under budget by $1.1. Multimodal Programs reflected the reduction of
Caltrain shuttle operation as a result of high unemployment in the region. ADA
Programs were essentially on target. Mr. Arend discussed the figures and the
components corresponding to Total Revenues, Operating Costs, Capital Program,
and Debt Service. The total shows an actual year-end deficit of $2 million
which, compared to the budgeted deficit of $0.7 million, is an increase of $1.3
million. However, this compares much favorably when considering that revenues
declined by more than $14.9 million during the fiscal year.
Director Teglia asked whether the PERS rebate will end up costing the District
because interest rates are now very low. Mr. Contreras responded that cities
and counties are old organizations with many retirees. SamTrans is a
relatively young organization with fewer retirees. Therefore, the District
would not reach the cities' or counties' levels.
Establishment and Standardization of Restrictions on Parking
Lots and Other District Properties Open to Public Use - CVC §21113
Gary Lambert, Manager of Risk Management, severed the regulations that are in
the report pertaining to bicycles and skateboards and stated staff will bring
them back another time. He requested approval of the parking regulations
pertaining to vehicles only at this time. He indicated that the District needs
a resolution to enforce said regulations on District properties.
The Committee (Guingona/Lloyd) unanimously recommended Board approval of the
resolution to cover vehicles only.
Monica Colondres, Director of Human Resources, presented the two personnel
items cited below and requested the Committee to recommend Board approval of
the proposed actions.
- Approval of an Amendment to the Contract between the California Public
Employees' Retirement System and the San Mateo County Transit District to
Change Retirement Formula to 2% @ 55 Effective December 29, 2002
- Renewal of Long Term Disability Insurance Contract with Canada Life
Assurance Company for a Two-Year Period Ending October 2004 at an Estimated
Cost of $63,000 Per Annum
The Committee (Lloyd/Harris) unanimously recommended Board approval of the
resolutions.
Adjourned: 2:57 p.m.
LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE
COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE
Committee Members Present:
Arthur Lloyd (Committee Chair), Stephen Schmidt
Committee Member Absent:
Michael Nevin
Other Board Members Present:
Michael Guingona, Shirley Harris, Jerry Hill, Mary Janney, Al Teglia
Other Board Member Absent:
John Barbour
Staff Present: Michael Scanlon, David Miller, Stan Arend, George Cameron,
Monica Colondres, Roger Contreras, Jim Gallagher, Howard Goode, Chuck Harvey,
Rita Haskin, Aurora Jose, Gary Lambert, Martha Martinez, Arlene Patton, Ed
Stewart, Bill Welch
Director Nevin, Committee member, was absent. Director Lloyd called the
meeting to order at 2:57 p.m.
Approval of Minutes of Legislative Committee Meeting of
September 5, 2002
The Committee (Schmidt/Janney) unanimously recommended Board approval of the
minutes.
Opposition to Proposition 51 - Traffic Congestion Relief and
Safe School Bus Act
Ed Stewart, Legislative Analyst, stated Proposition 51 will benefit transit
properties in California. However, staff is recommending opposition to the bill
because it will cost the State General Fund nearly $1 billion annually,
exacerbating projected budget deficits. This will continue in perpetuity,
threatening all non-constitutionally protected State General Fund programs.
Also, Proposition 51 undermines State and regional transportation planning
processes that regional agencies have supported for a number of years. The
Proposition ignores this and funds a number of new projects that have not been
reviewed by either the public at large or transportation policy-makers. Mr.
Stewart further stated Proposition 51 will create a cumbersome funding
structure. None of its funding categories can be amended without a subsequent
statewide vote, so the measure cannot respond to changing demands upon the
State's transportation system.
The Committee (Teglia/Janney) unanimously recommended Board opposition to the
bill. Director Lloyd abstained, having previously been listed in support of the
measure in a circular published by the Rail Passenger Association.
Report on State Legislative Affairs
Josh Shaw of Shaw/Yoder, Inc., introduced Yvette Gomez Agredano, Legislative
Aide, and Tony Rice, Legislative Advocate, staff members of Shaw/Yoder who
provide support in the research, analysis, advocacy and coverage of various
bases in the functions of his office.
Mr. Shaw outlined the status of various bills for which the Board had adopted a
position:
- AB 2048, Storage of Transit Vehicle Video Recordings: This bill would
have exempted the transit system from storing video recordings for one year.
The governor vetoed this bill because of his concerns on security and the
repercussions if the tapes have not been stored. He suggested staff to
determine what kind of threshold is sustainable.
- AB 2184, Penalties for Interfering with Transit Operations: This is the
measure that gives all transit districts the ability to enforce sanctions for
infractions within transit facilities or vehicles. This was signed by the
governor.
- AB 2189, Transit Contractor Employees: This would have severely
restricted the District's ability to enter into contracts for services cost
effectively. Staff met with the governor's deputy secretary about the impact
of this bill. Other agencies similarly opposed this bill. The governor
vetoed this bill.
- AB 2582, Paratransit Vehicles-HOV Lanes: Allows paratransit vehicles to
use HOV lanes even if there is less than required occupancy. The governor
supported this bill.
- SB 873, Regional Transit Expansion: Incorporates MTC's funding program
for all transit purposes in the Bay Area. The governor signed this bill.
- SB 1856, High Speed Train Bond Act of 2002, was signed by the governor.
- AB 1677, Labor Code, Rest Breaks for Vehicle Operators: This bill would
have dramatically reduced the District's ability to provide cost effective
transit service and at the same time, increase costs by providing some
benefits through the contracts that the District does not necessarily have to
have and that are more appropriate within the purview of the local collective
bargaining. The governor, realizing that the costs would be unbearable to
transit, vetoed the bill.
Mr. Shaw gave the Board an overview of the projects staff plans to do within
the next three months in preparation for the bills next year. He urged the
Board, the CEO and staff to attend meetings set up with legislative delegations
and other key legislators like the Transportation Committee chairs and
officials in the governor's administration and invite them to come down and see
the services, to give them a better idea of what staff is talking about when
they lobby in Sacramento.
Mr. Scanlon thanked Mr. Shaw and his associates, recognized legislative
advocate Bill Duplissea and staff members Ian McAvoy, Howard Goode, Ed Stewart,
Monica Colondres, and others for their hard work and team work in not only
obtaining the passage of the High Speed Rail bill but also in successfully
presenting to the governor the adverse effects of AB 1677 that led the Governor
to veto the bill. He thanked Senator Jackie Speier for her work and support of
the High Speed Rail Bond Act, an important piece of legislation.
Verbal Report on Federal Legislative Affairs
Mr. Stewart reported both the House and Senate appropriations committees have
approved transportation spending bills for FY 2003. Both bills provide $7.5
billion for the Federal transit program. On the House side, the SamTrans' Zero
Emissions Bus project with VTA was allocated a $2.77 million earmark. VTA got
an additional $1.5 million for the project. Caltrain received a $500,000
earmark for development of a train tracking system. On the Senate side, the
District did not get any earmarks. However, staff is optimistic that the House
earmarks will be preserved in some form once the bills are reconciled in the
conference committee. Final action on the appropriations bills will probably
not occur until after the November elections.
Adjourned: 3:16 p.m.
PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT
COMMITTEE
COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE
Committee Members Present:
Michael Guingona, Al Teglia
Other Committee Member Absent:
John Barbour
Other Board Members Present:
Shirley Harris, Jerry Hill, Mary Janney, Arthur Lloyd, Stephen Schmidt
Other Board Member Absent:
Michael Nevin
Staff Present: Michael Scanlon, David Miller, Stan Arend, George Cameron,
Monica Colondres, Roger Contreras, Jim Gallagher, Howard Goode, Chuck Harvey,
Rita Haskin, Aurora Jose, Gary Lambert, Martha Martinez, Arlene Patton, Ed
Stewart, Bill Welch
In the absence of John Barbour, Committee Chair, Director Guingona was
appointed by Board Chairman Hill to preside over the meeting. Director
Guingona called the meeting to order at 3:16 p.m..
Approval of Minutes of Planning and Development Committee Meeting of September
5, 2002
The Committee (Teglia/Schmidt) unanimously recommended Board approval of the
minutes.
Authorization for the General Manager/CEO to Execute a Contract with the City
of San Carlos to Create a Plan of Development for Agency-Owned Property Located
around the San Carlos Caltrain Station
Arlene Patton, Real Estate Officer, reported that the property is going through
a rezoning process from highway commercial to transit oriented development that
includes offices and housing.
The Committee (Janney/Harris) unanimously recommended Board approval of the
proposed resolution.
Adjourned: 3:17 p.m.
SAN
MATEO COUNTY TRANSIT DISTRICT
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Board Members Present:
Jerry Hill (Chair), Michael Guingona (Vice Chair), Shirley Harris, Mary Janney,
Arthur Lloyd, Stephen Schmidt, Al Teglia
Board Members Absent:
John Barbour, Michael Nevin
Staff Present: Michael Scanlon, David Miller, Stan Arend, George Cameron,
Monica Colondres, Roger Contreras, Jim Gallagher, Howard Goode, Chuck Harvey,
Rita Haskin, Aurora Jose, Gary Lambert, Martha Martinez, Arlene Patton, Ed
Stewart, Bill Welch
Directors John Barbour and Michael Nevin were absent. Chair Hill called the
meeting to order at 3:17 p.m.
CONSENT
CALENDAR
The Board (Teglia/Janney) unanimously approved the following items under the
Consent Calendar:
- Adoption of minutes of Board of Directors meeting of September 5, 2002
- Statement of Revenues and Expenses, August 2002
PUBLIC COMMENTS
Jerry Grace, Oakland, talked about too much violence and killings. The police
and everybody are tired of it. In order to stop these, he invited everyone to
join upcoming events in San Francisco and Emeryville.
REPORT OF THE CHAIR - Jerry Hill
- Welcomed back from maternity leave, Ms. Martha Martinez, Manager,
Executive and Governing Boards Support.
- He shared with everyone a letter received from John Ficarra, former Chief
Operating Officer, who recently retired from the service with the District.
Mr. Ficarra, in his letter, expressed pride and appreciation for staff's and
the Board's recognition of his contributions to the District by naming the
South Base Facility after him.
- The Board (Teglia/Janney) unanimously proclaimed October as "Disabilities
Awareness Month." The proclamation was received by Ina A. Pottorf, President
of the San Mateo Commission on Disabilities.
REPORT OF THE GENERAL MANAGER/CEO
- Congratulated Ina Pottorf and thanked her for her works.
- Presented the Twenty Years of Safe Driving Award to Brij Prasad, SamTrans
operator.
- Recommended approval of the Resolution naming the South Base and
Operations Base the John T. Ficarra South Maintenance and Operations Base.
The Board (Guingona/Janney) unanimously approved Resolution No. 2002-62.
- Introduced co-chairs Carol Wolf and Gary Lambert and the rest of the team
that worked for the recent Heartwalk SamTrans fund raising campaign. The team
was able to raise $27,000.
- Reported on the recent APTA Conference and Expo that was held in Las
Vegas and the participation of some Board members in the sessions in
representation of the District. He also thanked the maintenance and bus
operator teams for their fantastic job representing the District in the
competitions.
- Announced the upcoming People Who Care Awards Dinner. Matt Sieger,
Accessibility Specialist for the District, will be honored in the
professional category.
- The Public Transportation Partnership for Tomorrow (PT2) will launch a
national and educational outreach program that will increase the awareness
and perception of how communities benefit from public transportation. In
cooperation with APTA's program, the District will be focusing on the theme
of "Access, Freedom and Mobility".
- The Communications Division received two first place awards at the
AdWheel Conference. In the Print category for the transit systems between 4
million and 30 million annual riders, SamTrans, specifically Ms. Rita Haskin,
was recognized for the grand award.
- On October 23, Director Art Lloyd and Mr. John Ficarra will receive from
the MTC the Ericson Distinguished Service Award in the field of
transportation.
- A call for help was made for a District employee, Fonotaga Tilli, whose
family suffered from a tragic fire in their home, causing one of his twin
sons to sustain injuries. An account was opened with the Bank of America for
contributions to the Tilli family.
- The District honored those who perished from the tragic events that
occurred on September 11 last year in the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.
- Announced the celebration of the Pumpkin Festival on October 19 and 20 in
Half Moon Bay.
COMMUNITY RELATIONS COMMITTEE
Motion
The Board (Harris/Teglia) unanimously approved the Community Relations
Committee minutes of September 5, 2002.
Subjects Discussed
Director Harris reported the Committee discussed the following:
- PCC and PCC Advocacy Reports
- Citizens Advisory Committee Liaison Report
- Redi-Wheels Performance Report
- Multimodal Ridership Report, August 2002
FINANCE
COMMITTEE
Resolutions
The Board (Janney/Lloyd) unanimously approved the following:
- Resolution No. 2002-60
: Authorizing an Amendment to the Public
Employees' Retirement System Contract
- Resolution No. 2002-61
: Authorizing Renewal of the Long-Term
Disability Benefits Program with Canada Life Assurance Company for a Two-Year
Term at an Estimated Cost of $63,000 Per Year
- Resolution No. 2002-63
: Adopting Regulations Applicable to Vehicle
Parking at District Parking Facilities, as Authorized by the California
Vehicle Code
Motion
The Board (Janney/Guingona) unanimously approved the minutes of Finance
Committee meeting of September 5, 2002.
Subject Discussed
Director Janney stated the Committee heard the report on the FY 2002 Year-End
Statement.
LEGISLATIVE
COMMITTEE
Motions
The Board (Janney/Harris) unanimously approved the Minutes of
Legislative Committee meeting of September 5, 2002.
The Board (Lloyd/Teglia), Director Lloyd abstaining, opposed
Proposition 51, the Traffic Congestion Relief and Safe School Bus Act.
Subjects Discussed
Director Lloyd reported the Committee heard and discussed the reports on State
Legislative Affairs and the Federal Legislative Affairs.
PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE
Resolution
The Board (Guingona/Teglia) unanimously approved the following:
Resolution No. 2002-64: Authorizing Execution of an Agreement with the
City of San Carlos to Create a Plan of Development for Property Located in
Proximity to the San Carlos Caltrain Station.
Motion
The Board (Guingona/Teglia) unanimously approved the Planning and Development
Committee minutes of September 5, 2002.
GENERAL
COUNSEL PROPOSAL: None at this time.
Adjourned: 3:51 p.m.
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