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SamTrans > General Information > Board of Directors and Citizens Advisory Committee Meetings > Board of Directors Meeting Minutes - August 13, 2003

Committees and Board of Directors Meeting Minutes - August 13, 2003

SAMTRANS ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE
2nd FL. AUDITORIUM
1250 SAN CARLOS AVENUE, SAN CARLOS, CALIFORNIA

Board of Directors
Community Relations
Finance
Legislative
Planning and Development

COMMUNITY RELATIONS COMMITTEE
COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE
(Accessibility, Senior Services, and Community Issues)

Committee Members Present: Jerry Hill (Committee Chair), Shirley Harris (arrived 2:20 p.m.), Albert Teglia

Other Board Members Present, Constituting Committee of the Whole: John Barbour, Michael Guingona, Jim Hartnett, Mary Janney, Arthur Lloyd, Michael Nevin

Staff Present: Michael Scanlon, Dave Miller, Pat Boland, George Cameron, Roger Contreras, Tina Dubost, Jim Gallagher, Corinne Goodrich, Howard Goode, Chuck Harvey, Aurora Jose, Martha Martinez, Ian McAvoy, Ed Stewart

Pledge of Allegiance
Director Hill called the meeting to order at 2:09 p.m. and led the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag.

Approval of Minutes of Community Relations Committee Meeting of July 9, 2003
The Committee (Barbour/Nevin) recommended Board approval of the minutes.

PCC, Advocacy and ATAC Reports
Tina Dubost, Accessibility Coordinator, invited attention to the sections in the ATAC and PCC minutes that refer to the demonstration of the low-floor bus. Ken Quijano, Bus Maintenance Contract Administrator, arranged with Gillig for the ATAC Committee to see an example of the low-floor buses that SamTrans will be getting soon. The committee reviewed and commented on the accessibility features of the buses. Ms. Dubost also reported that staff is updating the paratransit scheduling software used by Redi-Wheels with newer, more sophisticated software called "Trapeze." MV Transportation staff is undergoing training and will go live with reservations on August 31.

Dale Edwards, PCC Chair, reported that August is a vacation month for most of the PCC members. However, other members will be recruiting new members for the PCC council. He invited interested people in the audience to join the team. They can put in their applications through the web site at www.sanmateopcc.org. The PCC Executive Committee will meet on August 28 to review the applications.

Citizens Advisory Committee Liaison Report
Mary Lou Ciranni, CAC Chair, stated that the August 6th CAC meeting was a very productive one. She thanked Director Hill; General Manager/CEO Michael J. Scanlon; Chief Communications Officer Rita Haskin; Manager, Executive/Governing Boards Support Martha Martinez; Legal Counsel Joan Cassman; Marketing Manager Pat Boland, and CAC Secretary Andre Legos in attending the said meeting. Director Hill led the discussion on the role of the CAC in relation to the District and the Board of Directors. They also reviewed the application of the Brown Act to the CAC meetings. Some of the issues addressed were the degree of detail required to agendize an item and the elimination of the word "Action" after each informational item. Relative to Measure A, it was agreed that the Committee would lend its support when the Board and staff are ready.

Chuck Harvey, Chief Operating Officer, commented that after the CAC meeting, one committee member had a dialogue with him and Chester Patton, Manager of Bus Transportation, regarding the danger posed to the riders by a bus stop located in downtown Half Moon Bay. He recognized Chester Patton for the immediate action taken the next day by checking on the report and moving the bus stop to a different location. He remarked that this is an example of the things the CAC could bring to the attention of the District.

Year-End Performance Report
Chuck Harvey reported on the following:
SamTrans

SamTrans ridership number is trending down with the economy.
Service quality is much improved. He credited Mr. Patton and his group especially the dispatchers.
SamTrans on-time performance is the same as those of the contracted services. The reason is that both parties are working on the same ACS system. They get the same data and get better coordination.
There has been very good progress in reducing preventable accidents. More attention will be focused to maintain safe operation on the streets by giving more training to drivers.
The complaint graph shows customer feedback but does not reflect details like calls from customers wanting different service. The details will be given in the monthly reports.
Accomplished this year are the following:

New bus simulator was put in place and operators have been trained.
The repower project has been completed.
New articulated buses were introduced.
Advanced Communication System (ACS) project is on-line although some more work is going on to make it fully operational.
All routes have been restructured for the BART opening.

Preview of projects coming up next year:

Low-floor buses will be brought in for the first time.
Express buses funded from Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) grants are coming. New service will be planned and instituted.
The ACS service will be in full operation. It will facilitate automated announcements, provide ridership data and improve on-time performance.
The El Camino Real service will be looked at for possible improvements by applying the Bus Rapid Transit principles and technology.

Redi-Wheels

Average weekday ridership has dropped; the rate of increase is shrinking. Zero denials are maintained. Reliability is getting better. There are now three taxi providers serving as back up - a significant accomplishment.
The RFP for the eligibility certification is in the final selection process. Recommendation will be taken to the Board for action.
The Coastside Paratransit service contract is being formalized. Final recommendation will be taken to the Board for action.
The MV Transportation drivers had their first roadeo competition.
Preview of projects coming up next year:

Full eligibility program will be rolled out.
Travel training will be expanded.
Paratransit scheduling software will be upgraded and make the dispatch center operate more effectively.
To reduce no-shows, an automated system would be put in place to call a customer once a bus has left its last drop off, notifying that the bus would be arriving shortly.
The current Redi-Wheels contract is up for renewal. The selection process will start during this fiscal year.

Caltrain

On-time performance is affected by the construction on Thursday and Friday evenings. However, overall, for the rest of week, on-time performance is very good.
Ridership has been tracking down. Decline in the system is about four percent.
On the safety side, there have been seven fatalities for the first half of the year. A lot of work is going on at the railroad to maintain safety and prevent suicide.
Ticket Vending Machines (TVMs) continue to be a success. Ticket sale through the conductors is three percent of the market share.
Significant accomplishments this year:

New fare structure and Proof of Payment (POP) will start on September 22.
Baby Bullet equipment is here. Staff is working on Express schedules.
CTX construction is moving along and will be completed in the spring.
Millbrae Intermodal connecting service began on June 22.

Preview of projects coming up next year:

Full implementation of POP in the Fall of 2003.
Baby Bullet service is scheduled to start in the Spring of 2004.
Completion of the CTX Project.
Restoration of the weekend service in the Spring of 2004.
Contingency planning for the assumption of service from Amtrak.

BART

On-time performance is good.
The SamTrans team did a lot of work to make it easy for customers to understand the system and make system transfers smooth.
Preview of projects coming up next year:

Staff will be monitoring the extension stations as to ridership, service levels and costs.

Multimodal Ridership Report, June 2003
Mr. Harvey reported SamTrans average weekday ridership for the month of June was down 7.6 percent. Year-end, it is 6.6 percent down. Paratransit was up 11.7 percent for the month of June. Year-end, it was up 26.6 percent. BART ridership was flat. BART shuttles were down a bit due to companies going down. Year-end, Caltrain was down in San Mateo County by 8.7 percent.

Director Hill shared his delightful experience in a recent trip that he took riding BART. Director Janney added that the system is very safe and passengers are well taken care of.

Adjourned: 2:29 p.m.

FINANCE COMMITTEE
COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE

Committee Members Present: Shirley Harris (Committee Chair), John Barbour, Jim Hartnett

Other Board Members Present, Constituting Committee of the Whole: Michael Guingona, Jerry Hill, Mary Janney, Arthur Lloyd, Michael Nevin, Al Teglia

All Committee members were present. Director Harris called the meeting to order at 2:29 p.m.

Approval of Finance Committee Minutes of July 9, 2003
The Committee (Hartnett/Lloyd) unanimously recommended Board approval of the minutes.

Acceptance of Statement of Revenue and Expense for June 2003 and Supplemental Information: Preliminary Year-End Results
Roger Contreras, Chief Financial Officer, reported operating revenues are on target with the year-to-date revised budget. Expenses are lower by $2.2 million mainly as a result of savings from salaries and wages. Year-end audit is going on at this point. Therefore, the numbers reflected in the June report are preliminary, inasmuch as sales tax is expected to be lower by $.5 million. The Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) also has advised that Transportation Development Act (TDA) allocations for the District will be further reduced by $180,000. Mr. Contreras however, advised that the reduction in revenues would be offset by the $2.2 million savings in salaries and wages. Final numbers will be reported in December when the audit process is concluded.

The Committee (Teglia/Hartnett) unanimously recommended Board acceptance of the statement.

Acceptance of Quarterly Investment Report and Fixed Income Market Review and Outlook
Bill Osher of Harris, Bretall, Sullivan and Smith, reported that the economy looks better. He cited the growth in retail sales by five percent. Growth of a Thousand Dollars (GDP) will be close to four percent for the remainder of the year, which is a pleasant change from last year. Once the economy grows, people will be employed again. Increase in demand would force businesses to increase production and build up their inventories. Significant increase in employment is expected by the next quarter and the coming year. This will help sales taxes and ridership. Equity and fixed income markets are reflecting this optimism. Equity market has started to move up nicely. There is a lot of confidence for business leaders to follow through.

The bond market is a little bit more complicated. There is a concern about deflation. The tax cut and refinancing will give people disposable income. The District has a very defensive portfolio because economy is expected to pick up. When interest rates begin to rise, the District's investments will not get hurt. There are no credit concerns about the portfolio. It is performing exactly the way it is designed to perform.

The Committee (Hartnett/Teglia) unanimously recommended Board acceptance of the report.

Award of Contract to Granite Rock Company dba Pavex Construction Division for Pavement Rehabilitation at South Base Bus Maintenance and Operations Facility at a Total Bid Price of $426,650
George Cameron, Chief Administrative Officer, reported that approval of the award would complete the major rehabilitation work at South Base. He anticipated that a similar project would not be necessary within the next 10 years.

The Committee (Nevin/Hill) unanimously recommended Board approval of the award.

Authorizing the District to Purchase from Sierra Detroit Diesel Allison, Inc. dba Stewart & Stevenson, Allison Transmission Parts Kits and Related Overhaul Parts in the Open Market for a Three-Year Term at a Total Estimated Cost of $478,475 with Two One-Year Option Terms
Mr. Cameron noted that staff went out on a competitive solicitation for this project in late 2002. Stewart and Stevenson, the only bidder, took significant exceptions to the liability stipulations required by the District. As a result, upon recommendation of staff, the Board in its meeting of March 2003 rejected the bid for being unresponsive. Staff, in conjunction with legal department, now recommends that the Board authorize the District to purchase transmission parts on the open market and negotiate a contract with Stewart & Stevenson with modified liability requirements.

The Committee (Nevin/Hartnett) unanimously recommended Board approval of proposed actions.

Award of Contract to Seven Specified Placement Agencies for On-Call Temporary Staffing Placement Services for a Five-Year Term at a Total Estimated Cost of $4.5 Million
Mr. Cameron advised that staff is recommending award of contracts for no guarantee on-call temporary staffing to:

Act-1 Personnel Services of Torrance, California
Ajilon Finance of Foster City, California
Apple One Employment Services
Kelly Services
MPS Group (a.k.a Modis)
Procurement Services Associates
Spherion

The Committee (Guingona/Janney) recommended award of contracts to the each of the seven service providers identified above.

Adjourned: 2:49 p.m.

LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE
COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE

Committee Members Present: Arthur Lloyd (Committee Chair), John Barbour, Michael Nevin

Other Board Members Present, Constituting Committee of the Whole: Michael Guingona, Shirley Harris, Jim Hartnett, Jerry Hill, Mary Janney, Al Teglia

All Committee members were present. Director Lloyd called the meeting to order at 2:49 p.m.

Approval of Legislative Committee Meeting of July 9, 2003
The Committee (Guingona/Nevin) recommended Board approval of the minutes.

Verbal Update on State Legislative Program
Ian McAvoy, Deputy Chief of Development, introduced Tony Rice from Shaw/Yoder.

Mr. Rice reported that the State budget was completed. Transportation fared a lot better than it could have and this could be attributed to the impression made by advocates on the legislators. The TCRP will be preserved for one more year, which is good for the SamTrans and Caltrain projects that are moving forward.

Ed Stewart, Legislative Analyst, stated that the legislature adjourned after the budget deal was concluded. It will be on recess until August 18. He noted the following in regard to legislative bills:

AB 557 which would require motorists to yield to right of way of buses, failed in light of substantial oppositions from the Senate Transportation Committee chair. It may be reconsidered next year.
SB760 that allows transit operators like SamTrans to continue lease/lease-back type of transactions as a means of generating operating revenue is scheduled for hearing in the Assembly Appropriations Committee on August 20. This is similar to Safe Harbor.
AB 839 amending the one-year storage requirement for video recordings is still alive. As amended, it will require storage for five days which is easier and more feasible to do. It will be voted upon by the legislature when it reconvenes.
SB 916 which would raise bridge tolls to $3 to fund a variety of transit improvements has passed the Transportation Committee. Its next stop will be the Assembly Appropriations Committee. Included in the transit improvements is the Dumbarton Rail Project. A couple of amendments are expected. One would remove the provision for studying the Altamont Pass alignment for High Speed Rail and another amendment to provide funding for the Caldecott Tunnel in Contra Costa County and BART to Warm Springs.

Director Lloyd inquired what the chair's objections are to AB 557. He stated VTA already has this into effect. Mr. Stewart answered that the chair's concern is the potential impact on motorists by shifting the liability on infractions to the driving public. VTA's was a pilot program that is set to expire. Without this bill, the pilot program will die.

Mr. Rice added that the chair really dislikes the bill. Along with VTA, Santa Cruz also has a pilot program. Assemblyman Dutra will talk directly with Assemblyman Murray on this.

Director Lloyd recalled that the Board previously took a stand supporting this bill.

Verbal Update on Federal Legislative Program
Mr. McAvoy gave the following updates:

On July 24, the House Appropriations Committee approved the FY 2004 Transportation spending bill. The bill provides $7.2 billion overall for transit, $52 million above the FY 2003 level and $5 million above the President's request. There were lots of oppositions from congressional representatives. The Chair of the subcommittee reconsidered the language of the bill and through a manager's amendment, changed the bill to include more transit funding.
On earmarks, SamTrans received $100,000 for the Zero Emission Bus Program. The District is working on this with VTA and VTA received another $400,000 for their earmark program, bringing the total to $1.2 million for the program in FY 2003-2004. He credited Congressional Representatives Tom Lantos and Anna Eshoo for their help in the process.
Amtrak is not getting enough money from the bill as it is currently written.
Enhancements program is very popular with environmentalists. However, this is proposed to be cut significantly.
The budget does not reflect the previously defined expectations for transportation. The expectation especially for transit is to increase the levels of funding in the foreseeable future. No major growth is seen in view of the limited budget.
The next step on the appropriations process is that the bill will be voted upon by the full house and there is a possibility that it may be amended on the house floor depending on how members will act.
No action on bills is expected until Labor Day when recess is over and the Congress returns.
On the Senate side, the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation is expected to act on the transportation budget bill sometime after the recess.
The House Transportation Infrastructure Committee is expected to propose a one-year extension of TEA21 and consider an authorization of $375 billion over a six-year period when Congress returns after Labor Day. The reason why these two proposals are expected is that it is not certain that the House will agree on a six-year program or just continue an extension for one year, mainly because there is no concurrence on spending levels and revenue expectations between the two parties.
The proposed gas tax increase was stalled today. He mentioned that Paul Weyrich, a conservative and a champion of transit, has written many articles on why people should vote for transportation transit funding. He actually endorsed a gas tax increase. The House Ways and Means Committee which is the group responsible for the Tax Code has no real desire to raise the gas tax.
The Senate made it very clear that they will not mark up the reauthorization bill until the increase of revenues has been resolved. If this larger issue can be resolved, there is a chance that the reauthorization bill could happen between now and the end of the year.

Director Lloyd noted that the papers indicate four Republican Senators blocking the proposed bail out of Amtrak. Mr. McAvoy responded $12 billion funding over six years is at a level that the management of Amtrak is asking for.

Director Lloyd expressed concerns on what will happen if Amtrak disappears. It has a secondary effect on Caltrain. He advised that he was appointed by Caltrans on a committee that will look at and discuss the issue that affects all the corridors in which Amtrak operates.

Adjourned: 3:17 p.m.

PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE
COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE

Committee Members Present: Jim Hartnett (Committee Chair), Mary Janney, Jerry Hill

Other Board Members Present, Constituting Committee of the Whole: John Barbour, Michael Guingona, Shirley Harris, Arthur Lloyd, Michael Nevin, Al Teglia

Staff Present: Michael Scanlon, Dave Miller, George Cameron, Roger Contreras, Tina Dubost, Jim Gallagher, Corinne Goodrich, Howard Goode, Chuck Harvey, Rita Haskin, Aurora Jose, Martha Martinez, Ian McAvoy, Ed Stewart

All members were present. Director Hartnett called the meeting to order at 2:49 p.m.

Approval of Minutes of Planning and Development Committee Meeting of May 14, 2003
The Committee (Lloyd/Nevin) recommended Board approval of the minutes.

Strategic Plan for Accessible Transportation Services (SPATS)
Chuck Harvey, Chief Operating Officer, advised that this is a collaborative effort that has been going on for nearly two years between the District and the San Mateo County Department of Aging and Adult Services. He acknowledged the fact that the number of aging people in California is increasing and this leads to more unmet transportation needs. One of the goals of SPATS was to determine how to meet these needs so that people can age in place and not be institutionalized.

Corinne Goodrich, Manager, Strategic and Long-Range Planning, informed that for over two years there has been excellent collaboration between the District and County Health Services Division on Aging and Adult Services working on this project. She acknowledged the presence of Charlene Silva, director of Aging and Adult Services. She stated that the Steering Committee is composed of representatives from the San Mateo County Health Services - Aging and Adult Services Division, San Mateo County Transit District, Paratransit Coordinating Council, Commission on Disabilities, Commission on Aging, and the San Mateo Health Plan.

Ms. Goodrich outlined the overall goals of SPATS as follows: (1) To enhance the mobility of underserved populations; (2) Identify the transportation needs of the underserved populations with a variety of outreach activities; and (3) To develop strategies to address identified needs with a focus on preventing premature institutionalization.

Outreach efforts were conducted through 24 focus groups using different languages such as English, Mandarin, Cantonese and Spanish. The groups included people with visual, cognitive and physical disabilities and caregivers. An Open House was held at SamTrans to get input on existing issues. A video was developed and shown on TV for three weeks. Interviews were conducted of different stakeholders. A transportation hotline was established.

Ms. Goodrich pointed out that the Strategic Plan under development for SamTrans is very quantitative information while SPATS is very qualitative. The qualitative information gives the breadth of what the issues are; whereas, the quantitative data describes how big the problems are.

She discussed the different themes that arose from the outreach, as follows:

Seniors who stop driving need mobility options.
Safety and security are a concern for seniors and persons with disabilities.
There are more limited services in the hills and the less densely populated areas. This is a transit dilemma - to balance providing transit service to people in less densely populated areas versus providing service in more densely populated areas where it serves more people and is therefore more cost effective.
Because of language barriers, understanding what resources are available can be a problem.
In the county, the majority of trips are by automobile. When people stop driving, they are not aware of other transportation alternatives.
Residents of skilled nursing and residential care facilities have special needs. These are people who may need a higher level of assistance than can be provided by ADA paratransit.
Many children on special education buses have long rides due to the lack of drivers and buses.
There is more limited coastside public transportation. It is very challenging to provide transit service in remote areas.
ADA paratransit meets the needs of many people but cannot be expected to meet all the needs of all the people.
There are people with cognitive mental health and disabilities who are not eligible for ADA paratransit services but at the same time may have difficulty using fixed route service.

According to how important the issues are, the availability of funding and readiness to go ahead with the solutions, the Steering Committee and the consultant prioritized the themes as follows:

Those that need immediate actions or things that are already in the works and have existing funds (Tier 1: FY 2004)
Short Term Actions (Tier 2: FY 2004-2006)
Long Term Recommended Actions (Tier 2: FY 2006-2014)

Ms. Goodrich noted that many of the solutions identified by the Committee have nothing to do with SamTrans. SamTrans will consider recommendations under its purview as the SamTrans Short Range Transit Plan is developed. A sample of the Committee's recommendations is:

Tier 1

Create a video on fixed route usage targeted toward seniors.
Explore expanding the AARP 55-Alive program to include non-auto options.
Invite mental health representatives to participate in transit operator training.
Explore carpools and vanpools for commuters with disabilities.

Tier 2

Develop peer-to-peer training for seniors before they lose their driver licenses.
Explore the feasibility of renewing HealthRide or other medical rides options.
Accessible taxis: research process used in other suburban counties to strengthen ordinances.

Tier 3

Explore options to serve geographically isolated areas.
Explore locations for installation of "Talking Signs".
Develop public education campaign to educate employers about the need to accommodate workers with disabilities regarding transportation issues.

Ms. Goodrich outlined the next steps to be taken by the Committee, noting that SamTrans will continue to participate in the study. She informed that the Board of Supervisors adopted this plan. She commented that the group has created a unique social service partnership to improve accessible service transportation. They found populations that are truly underserved. The focus now is to look at things that can be funded and work on a long-term increase of funding to continue and fulfill the recommendations.

In answer to the question of Director Hartnett concerning the percentage of population that are over 65 years old in San Mateo County, Ms. Goodrich noted that according to the Older Americans Transportation Study (OATS) of the MTC, San Mateo County is the only county in the inner Bay Area with high proportions of seniors and seniors who are aging in place. Aging in place means the person stays in his original residence.

Director Nevin commented that San Mateo County has the highest number of seniors in California.

Director Hartnett asked what the projections are in regard to the growth of senior population in the Bay Area. Ms. Goodrich explained that the current number of persons that qualify for ADA paratransit service would double over the next 20 years.

To the question of Director Nevin on funding for special education, Ms. Goodrich stated that this is funded by the Office of Special Education.

Director Hartnett questioned if the Board will actually be requested to approve the plan in the future or if SamTrans is merely participating as a partner. General Manager/CEO Michael J. Scanlon responded that the report was brought to the Board as an informational item. Off hand, he does not see a need to ask for Board action. However, since the District acts as the mobility manager for the county, staff believes that the Board should be made aware of it.

Director Teglia was glad to hear about special education and older people being part of the study. He recognized that the longer people will live, the less they would be driving. Their ability to function at an older age and maintain their quality of life will depend on their access to transportation in the county. He is encouraged to see the development on this project.

Director Nevin asked Ms. Charlene Silva about her feeling towards SamTrans and the Board's relationship with the Aging and Adult Services, considering her many years of involvement and role in the agency. Ms. Silva responded that previously, there used to be some tension in the relationship between SamTrans and the Commission on Disabilities and the Commission on Aging. When Mr. Scanlon joined the District, she approached him and imparted the desires of the commission. Within a few minutes of identifying issues and finding solutions, there had been an understanding between the parties and since then, things have been moving forward every step of the way.

Director Teglia remarked that San Mateo County has pockets of isolation and some people cannot access the health system through public transportation. Some of them also have age or language barriers. The undocumented ones are even afraid to see their doctor. He expressed delight upon hearing about this project because he saw a light for these people.

Director Janney shared the expressions of Director Teglia because currently, she is working with the elderly population. She is also grateful that special education is included in the plan.

Adjourned: 3:17 p.m.

SAN MATEO COUNTY TRANSIT DISTRICT
BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Board Members Present: Michael Guingona (Chair), Mary Janney (Vice Chair), John Barbour, Shirley Harris, Jim Hartnett, Jerry Hill, Arthur Lloyd, Michael Nevin, Al Teglia

Staff Present: Michael Scanlon, Dave Miller, George Cameron, Roger Contreras, Tina Dubost, Jim Gallagher, Corinne Goodrich, Howard Goode, Chuck Harvey, Aurora Jose, Martha Martinez, Ian McAvoy, Ed Stewart

Chair Guingona called the meeting to order at 3:17 p.m.

CONSENT CALENDAR
Motion
The Board (Harris/Hartnett) unanimously approved the following items:

Adoption of Minutes of Board of Director's Meeting of July 9, 2003
Acceptance of Statement of Revenues & Expenses, June 2003
Acceptance of Quarterly Investment Report and Fixed Income Market Review and Outlook

PUBLIC COMMENT: None at this time.

REPORT OF THE CHAIR
Ms. Pam Furnari of the American Heart Association presented to Chair Guingona a certificate of appreciation for SamTrans and its employees for all the support they have given to the American Heart Association, having raised $27,000 in 2001and over $27,000 in 2002. This year, they are engaged in another campaign with a goal of $30,000.

REPORT OF THE GENERAL MANAGER/CEO
Michael J. Scanlon congratulated Director Lloyd for having been elected Secretary of the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) Transit Board. He also expressed pride for the great feedback he received about the session on "Board Synergy" conducted by Director Harris and Manager, Executive/Governing Boards Support Martha Martinez. Further, Director Harris, as member of the APTA Leadership Committee, was the facilitator in the recent training that took place for the future leaders of the APTA.

Mr. Scanlon further:

Recognized James Prasad for his Twenty-Five Years of Safe Job Performance. Director Guingona presented the certificate of recognition to Mr. Prasad.
Called on Chuck Harvey, Chief Operating Officer, who made a presentation on the recently held SamTrans Roadeo Competition. He informed that it was the 26th Roadeo Annual Competition and the first James V. Castagno Memorial Bus Roadeo event. The competition was participated in by 26 bus operators from SamTrans, three full maintenance teams, six maintenance drivers, and six instructors and 12 MV operators who had their own separate operator category. He thanked Jeff Johnson, Manager of Transit Operations Training and his instructors for the planning, coordination, and preparations made relative to this event. Mr. Harvey discussed how this competition is conducted and how the judges (composed of people from the law enforcement and training instructors from other bus companies) rate participants. He announced the following winners:

Edwin Freeman - 1st Place Bus Operator
Jai Prasad - 2nd Place Bus Operator
John Espinoza - 3rd Place Bus Operator

He noted that these winners would compete both individually and as a combined team at the Regional Roadeo Competition to be held in AC Transit. The person with the best combined individual score will vie in the National Roadeo event to represent SamTrans.

On the Maintenance side, the winners are: Gregory Reschke, Gary Cox and Ashok Singh.

Ron Jordan and Henry Silvas won the Instructors Team category. They will represent the SamTrans Instructors Team at the Regional Roadeo Competition.

Mr. Scanlon:

Recognized Ben Mahabir, SamTrans bus transportation supervisor, for returning a purse that came into his possession, everything intact, to the owner at her residence. A dinner gift certificate was handed by Chair Guingona to Mr. Mahabir as a token of appreciation for Mr. Mahabir's commendable act.
Legal Counsel David Miller passed on the good news that a legislative counsel opinion was rendered at the request of Congressman John Dutra that the lowering of the threshold in passing some tax measures may take effect immediately and simultaneously with other measures. A language was suggested that the measure will take effect as of the date of the election. In the case of Measure A, that would mean that a measure to reduce the threshold from 2/3 to something like 55 percent if on the same ballot, may take effect at the same time.
Service for the 49er football games will start. Pre-season games are scheduled for August 14 and 23.
The maintenance team at North Base has worked 44,581 days without a lost day of work since June 2002.

COMMUNITY RELATIONS COMMITTEE
Motion
The Board (Hartnett/Janney) unanimously approved the minutes of Community Relations Committee meeting of July 9, 2003.

Subjects Discussed
Director Hill reported that the Committee discussed the following:

PCC, Advocacy and ATAC Reports
Citizens Advisory Committee Liaison Report
Presentation on BART Opening
Multimodal Ridership Report, May 2003

FINANCE COMMITTEE
Resolutions
The Board (Harris/Hartnett) unanimously approved the following:

Resolution No. 2003-39: Authorizing Award of Contract to Granite Rock Company dba Pavex Construction Division of Redwood City for Pavement Rehabilitation at the District's South Base Bus Maintenance and Operations Facility for the Base and Option Bids at a Grand Total Bid Price of $426,650
Resolution No. 2003-40: Authorizing the Purchase of Allison Transmission Overhaul Parts Kits and Related Overhaul Parts in the Open Market at a Three-Year Estimated Cost of $478,475
Resolution No. 2003-41: Authorizing Award of Contracts for On-Call Temporary Staffing Services at a Combined, Total Estimated Cost of $4,500,000

Motion
The Board (Harris/Hartnett) unanimously approved the minutes of Finance Committee meeting of July 9, 2003.

LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE
Motion
The Board (Lloyd/Janney) unanimously approved the minutes of Legislative Committee meeting of July 9, 2003.

Subjects Discussed
Director Lloyd reported that Ian McAvoy and Ed Stewart gave thorough updates on State and Federal legislative programs.

PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE
Motion
The Board (Hartnett/Harris) unanimously approved the minutes of Planning and Development Committee meeting of May 14, 2003.

Subjects Discussed
Director Hartnett stated that the Board had a very informative discussion of the Strategic Plan for Accessible Transportation Services.

GENERAL COUNSEL PROPOSAL
Attorney David Miller advised that a closed session item is listed under the General Counsel Proposal. The General Manager/CEO will render a report.

At this point, Director Teglia, informed that Ms. Miriam Gholikely, a former SamTrans Board member, passed away. She served the District with distinction for several years. He mentioned some of Ms. Gholikely's achievements and advocacy efforts and noted that she was one of those who made it possible for SamTrans to reach this threshold today. Upon his request, the Board will adjourn the meeting in honor of her memory.

Mr. Scanlon noted that Passenger Transport, a publication of APTA, featured Ms. Gholikely with her photo on it. Mr. Scanlon reported that he was approached by several senior members of the association who offered their condolences. Ms. Gholikely was well respected and highly regarded in the industry. She also served in an advisory capacity in the White House.

THE BOARD ADJOURNED IN CLOSED SESSION AND RECONVENED AT 4:12 P.M.

Closed Session: Anticipated Litigation -Significant exposure to litigation pursuant to Government Code Section 54956.9(b) and (c) [One potential case.]

General Counsel, David Miller, reported that the Board of Directors convened in closed session to discuss a matter of potential litigation. Mr. Miller further advised that no action was taken and the matter will be continued on the calendar for further discussions with the Board.

Adjourned: 4:15 p.m.