SamTrans.com - Committees and Board of Directors Meeting Agenda

Home

Contact

Sitemap

SamTrans > General Information > Board of Directors and Citizens Advisory Committee Meetings > Board of Directors Meeting Minutes - September 10, 2003

Committees and Board of Directors Meeting Minutes - September 10, 2003

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

Board of Directors
Community Relations
Finance
Legislative

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

Committee Members Present: Jerry Hill (Committee Chair), Shirley Harris, Al Teglia

Other Board Members Present, Constituting Committee of the Whole: John Barbour, Michael Guingona (arrived 2:04 p.m.), Jim Hartnett, Mary Janney, Arthur Lloyd, Michael Nevin

Staff Present: Michael Scanlon, Dave Miller, Joan Cassman, George Cameron, Cheryl Cavitt, Monica Colondres, Roger Contreras, Jim Gallagher, Rita Haskin, Howard Goode, Chuck Harvey, Aurora Jose, Martha Martinez, Ian McAvoy, Ed Stewart, Bill Welch

Pledge of Allegiance
In the absence of Chair Guingona, Vice Chair Janney called the meeting to order at 2:02 p.m. and led the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag.

Director Hill presided over the Community Relations Committee meeting.

Approval of Minutes of Community Relations Committee Meeting of August 13, 2003
The Committee (Teglia/Harris) recommended Board approval of the minutes.

PCC, Advocacy and ATAC Reports
Bill Welch, Manager, Accessible Transit Service, advised that there are no PCC and ATAC minutes in the packet because they did not meet in August. He reported that the upgrade of the software that is being used by Redi-Wheels is on the way. Staff will have better capabilities to monitor operations and get data and records. Refinements are being made to make it fully operational.

Dale Edwards, Chair, Paratransit Coordinating Council, reported:

The PCC had been working very closely with staff on the ADA certification process. The contract is before this board for action. The PCC will continue to be actively engaged in this process to make sure that it is consumer friendly and caring and implemented in a worthwhile manner as it will impact every single paratransit rider.
Mike Stallings, Park and Recreation Director of Daly City, thanked the PCC and the SamTrans Board for responding to his request to replace a much needed bus shelter at Doelger Senior Center.
Director John Barbour introduced him to Charise McHugh, President/CEO of the Half Moon Bay Chamber of Commerce, and Mel Solomon of Moss Beach. Mr. Solomon had applied for PCC membership to represent the Coast. He had already made valuable contributions to the service "over the hill." Mr. Edwards encouraged the PCC members to support his membership.

Citizens Advisory Committee Liaison Report
Ken Feldstein, CAC member, thanked Messrs. Jeff Johnson and Chuck Harvey for their excellent job at the last CAC meeting. Mr. Johnson made a presentation about the impressive training given to bus operators and the maintenance of the buses. They discussed how unruly passengers are being handled by bus operators. The Committee tabled the proposed establishment of a Code of Conduct. The Committee voted to tour the North Base facility as they are particularly interested in seeing how the bus simulator operates. Mr. Harvey addressed questions regarding the fare collection system, farebox, ticket machines and the District's transfer policy. The matters of location of bus shelters and the possibility of expanding student discounts will be discussed at a future meeting.

SamTrans Performance Report
Chuck Harvey, Chief Operating Officer, reported that:

Ridership continues to track with the economy. Measurements will be done in September when school opens.
Token usage remains very strong.
About 10 schedules are missed a month which is unbelievable considering that there are 42,000 schedules operated a month.
On-time performance is meeting the goal.
There was a blip in the contract service in July. This is attributable to the change in the "Run Book". Some routes are near the schools. Statistical variations will be looked at. The main line however, is looking good.
The Advanced Communication System (ACS) continues to progress. The next stop announcement system is now working and is in a test mode on five routes. This will continue to roll out five routes at a time until the ACS becomes fully functional. This equipment tells if feeder routes are scheduled correctly and if the drivers are able to get from one schedule to the next. It also will help staff focus on areas where performance is not so good.
The first of the new 40-foot low-floor buses has just been delivered. It has wonderful improvements, one of which is accessibility for persons with disabilities. The Board will have a chance to take a look at it. There are 60 of these buses and all will be delivered by the end of the year.
An express bus service will be initiated in January 2004, linking East Palo Alto with Oracle and to the Millbrae Intermodal Terminal, providing a way to feed passengers from the eastside of Highway 101 into mainline Caltrain and BART services.
Staff is working with East Palo Alto on community-based transportation planning concerning grants and budget amendments.
Staff is partnering with the City of Daly City on the needs assessment of the community to give staff an idea of what the people of Daly City want, to develop other ways of providing service including shuttle service.
San Carlos is discussing expansion of the community "SCOOT" shuttle.
As the Strategic Plan is being developed, staff will do more work in areas like deviated fixed route or partnership of communities, cities and shuttles.
There will be signal preemption along the El Camino corridor and work will start with Bus Rapid Transit (BRT).

Multimodal Ridership Report, July 2003
Mr. Harvey noted that because of the opening of the BART Extension, some bus routes that were designed specifically to replace BART until it opens were closed. The overall ridership of all modes on a given weekday is up by four percent. The BART ridership on the entire extension is up 41 percent compared to the pre-extension opening. Ridership is slowly growing. Caltrain seems to still be tracking a little bit worse than the economy although the shuttle side is stabilizing. The growth in paratransit that was in double digits last year, has now leveled off.

Adjourned: 2:25 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 2:25 p.m.

Approval of Finance Committee Minutes of August 13, 2003
The Committee (Lloyd/Janney) recommended Board approval of the minutes.

Acceptance of Statement of Revenue and Expense for July 2003 and Supplemental Information
Roger Contreras, Chief Financial Officer, reported that for the month of July, revenues were slightly lower than the budget. However, they were basically the same as last year's. On the expenditure side, year-to-date, total expenses were slightly lower than the budget. Of note is that total expenses include payment to BART that was made in July.

The Committee (Nevin/Janney) recommended Board acceptance of the report.

Approvals to Increase the FY 2004 SamTrans Operating Budget:

$4,051,500 to Underwrite the BART/SFO Extension Operating Costs
Mr. Contreras noted that the approval of this action would bring the aggregate total to $6 million, which is being funded through the reserves.

$82,400 Section 5303 Federal Transportation Act and Transportation Improvement Program Grants Received from Metropolitan Transportation Commission for the Preparation of the Short Range Transit Plans
Mr. Contreras advised that the increase will come from the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) grant.

$50,000 to Support a Funding Agreement with City/County Association of Governments (C/CAG) for Community-Based Transportation Planning Services
Mr. Contreras stated that the $50,000 would support the funding agreement with the City/County Association of Governments.

The Committee (Nevin/Hill) recommended Board approval of the amendments to the Operating Budget.

Award of Contract to MV Transportation, Inc. for Furnishing Coastside Paratransit Service for a Three-Year Base Period at the Aggregate Not-to-Exceed Cost Limit of $2,900,000 with Two One-Year Option Terms at the Not-to-Exceed Cost of $1,020,000 Per Year
Chuck Harvey, Chief Operating Officer, reported that the District currently operates under a Memorandum of Understanding with the Coastside Opportunity Center (COC) where annual budgets are prepared and advanced every quarter. This arrangement is not consistent with the District's procurement process and is difficult for audit purposes. The proposed Purchase of Services Contract allows the District to define service standards, rates, audit of revenues and expenses, determine ridership, pay bonuses and make assessments accordingly. Mr. Harvey described the bid process that was adopted, the interviews of bidders that were conducted, the evaluation, ranking, and the multiple checks and balances that were put in place. He stated that of the three bidders that participated, MV Transportation was the highest ranked proposal and Coastside Opportunity Center came in second.

Mr. Harvey outlined the points that gave MV an advantage over COC, such as the depth of management support, the availability of a dedicated program manager for the coast, superior training plan, professional training of operators, newer fleet of vans, and dedicated mechanics available at the dispatch facility. They own and operate a maintenance facility where heavy repair work could be done. They have computer-assisted reservation and dispatching and monitoring telephone systems. MV allows the District to achieve a $300,000 saving over the base term of the contract. In dispatching, vehicles will be located at a facility in Half Moon Bay. The existing COC drivers will be offered jobs. For medical and non-medical appointments, the trip will be taken from the beginning to the end without transfers.

Mr. Harvey discussed the review of the process undertaken by the director of Contracts and Procurement and legal staff to make sure that it is in strict adherence to the requirements under the Procurement Manual. He added that he reviewed the whole process, personally ranked the proposals and came to the same conclusion. He noted that since MV took over the contract for Redi-Wheels service from the previous provider, zero trip denial has been maintained for two years. Service complaints went down. MV surpasses the District's standard for complaint levels. Safety and on-time performance improved. MV will be held accountable for service and MV has been fully responsive and sensitive to the patrons' needs.

Mr. Harvey pointed out that the complaints in the letters from patrons that are in the Board members' reading file relate to experiences of patrons in 1999, riding Redi-Wheels. They do not refer to the current service provider. It is also a fact that the COC has monthly denials in their system.

In responding to the question of Director Nevin, Mr. Harvey advised that the contract has many protective provisions like the right to terminate for cause if the customers' needs are not being met. Service of MV will be measured on a monthly basis.

Director Hill inquired about the benefits that the Coastside riders would get from MV compared to the benefits they are getting under the existing service. Mr. Harvey responded that MV has deep and talented team of managers who will be available to the system. The newer fleet of vehicles would result in more reliability and comfortable ride for passengers. MV will hire as many existing COC drivers as possible. They already know the customers, their needs and their pick-up and drop-off locations. There are resources available in case anything goes wrong. Also, the goal for reservations this time will be zero denial.

Director Barbour, pointed to the letter of Mel Solomon, a private citizen, that outlined numerous deficiencies of the MV Transportation in providing Redi-Wheels service. He believed that the allegations are serious. Mr. Harvey replied that people are not traveling between the two systems. The operator at that time for Redi-Wheels subject of the complaints was Laidlaw. MV became the operator in August 2000. If in fact the drivers were treating customers as described by Mr. Solomon, the Paratransit Coordinating Council (PCC) Consumer Corps Report would have measured that and brought the issues to the District's and the Board's attention. On the contrary, the PCC at their Advocacy meetings had been giving very good compliments about the service.

Director Teglia asked if the paratransit group was involved in the selection process. Mr. Harvey responded that Messrs. Bill Welch and John Griffiths who work with the existing paratransit services and a scheduling assistant who has extensive experience in transportation but does not work with Redi-Wheels program were on the Evaluation Committee.

General Counsel David Miller, at this point, commented that there is a protest before the Board. The next phase of the proceedings would be to allow the protesting party to present their position for this Board to hear and act upon, before taking action on staff's proposal.

Cheryl Cavitt, Director, Contracts and Procurement, stated that the COC filed a timely protest against the award of contract to MV. The basis of the protest is that the District did not consider the quality of service provided by the COC. On this, she pointed out that the Request for Proposal did contain evaluation criteria directly aimed at considerations of quality. She identified several factors that were checked and considered in arriving at staff's conclusion. Overall, compared to COC service, MV's proposal is most advantageous to the District. She recommended that the protest be rejected and that the contract be awarded to MV.

General Counsel Miller advised that as part of the procurement process, this is the opportunity for the protester to pursuade the Board of his point of view.

Graydon Simser, Director of the Coastside Opportunity Center, asked that the Board reconsider the recommendation of staff in awarding the paratransit contract on the Coastside. He cited that the COC is a human service agency that provides a wide range of human service needs including provision of transportation to those who do not get it due to location and minimal available transportation. Mr. Simser looked back on how the COC started in 1970 in response to the call of the elderly and people with disabilities for transportation assistance to meet their medical and other critical appointments. It was then funded by the United Way and other foundations. It has always been considered an important part of social service program, not just a transportation program. It is non-profit organization with the clients' needs foremost in their minds.

Mr. Simser noted the many letters sent to the District by patrons and other coastal agencies supporting the COC. He said SamTrans could help the COC continue providing the valuable service and help other social service programs.

He attributed the occasional few denials to the limited resources, the geographical location and size of the service area. For the whole of last year, they received only one complaint. Redi-Wheels receives about 40 complaints a month. He impressed upon the Board the difficulty to be faced by riders if the service provider would be changed.

Director Barbour asked about the $300,000 difference in cost considering that MV is a profit generating organization as compared to COC, which is non-profit. Mr. Simser stated he cannot understand how MV can do it. He believed that MV would have a tough time.

Maria Pfau, Moss Beach, stated that the Coastside people are doing fine, the current service is very good. The needs of the clients are unique and COC is in tune with that. Their needs are being met. Most people know the COC, denials are not that many. The change of service provider would be very hard for the Coastsiders.

Evelyn Gavel, Pescadero, said she likes the COC and does not like Redi-Wheels. She is afraid of Redi-Wheels drivers and has heard too many bad things about them. She trusts the COC. She is happy with the service and thinks the COC is the best.

Angelo Combis, Half Moon Bay, pointed out that he and his wife (a wheelchair invalid) use the COC twice a week in going to their doctor. Efficient, quality service, the COC has it all. He cited instances when he witnessed and experienced the great service the COC provides to other needy patrons.

John Monson, President and CEO of MV Transportation, recalled that when MV was awarded the Redi-Wheels service contract, he made promises. Director Teglia warned him that the District will hold him for those promises because consumers come to the Board monthly with significant complaints. He believed that MV had fulfilled all their promises in providing good paratransit services. In the bid, MV offered a number of improvements. He encouraged the Board to consider the ability of the contractor to provide the consumers' needed service. He noted that MV will be providing newer vehicles, in-house maintenance in Half Moon Bay, and they will hire as many current COC drivers as possible.

Maria Pfau informed that there is a large Portuguese and Hispanic population in the Coast who do not speak English. She asked if MV is prepared to provide that.

Director Nevin stated that MV would hire the existing staff who worked for COC. He understands that change is difficult. However, he guaranteed that the change will be overwhelmingly acceptable in a very short time. He feels satisfied that the Board would be taking the best possible move by denying the protest and approving the contract with MV Transportation.

Director Hartnett wondered what is the burden on the part of the protester to show that their protest should be upheld. Attorney Miller advised that the protest is predicated upon the standard of review that was employed by staff. The record is replete with sufficient evidence that staff has adequately considered service quality and has given sufficient basis to legally reject the protest. Director Hartnett, with that explanation found that staff appropriately considered the criteria and that there is overwhelming support for staff's recommendation. He thinks that it would be an abuse of the Board's policy-making authority to uphold the protest. He added that it does not mean that the protester has not provided a good service and does not do very good work in the community. The denial of the protest and award of contract as recommended should not be considered as a slight to the organization. Further, he pointed out that $300,000 is a very significant amount of money that should be seriously considered. He expressed support of the motion but maintains great respect for the service provided by the COC.

Director Teglia understood the emotion attached to a service that patrons have been accustomed to. The money consideration is critical because of the budget deficits that the agency is facing. He expressed support of the motion and assured that MV's performance will be evaluated. If for some reasons the service deteriorates, this Board will take appropriate action upon recommendation of staff. There was a legal bid process. MV met all the criteria and all qualifications. He believed that the Board needs to go towards that direction. He expressed support of the motion.

Director Barbour inquired if there is any way to address the allegations in the letter of Mr. Solomon. He is concerned about it and suggested that the issue before the Board be reevaluated subject to verifications of the allegations.

Director Hill agreed that the accusations are serious. However, the PCC is vigilant in monitoring the Redi-Wheels and Paratransit service in this county. Mr. Bill Welch would have brought these concerns to the Board so that MV may be readdressed or have some sanctions. Also, it could have been brought by patrons to the members of the Board. However, the Board never heard about it. He said had this been an issue of significance in the past, the Board would have definitely heard about it and asked MV to mend their ways.

Director Hartnett, in response to Director Barbour's concern remarked oftentimes, people in expressing their sentiments, complain about matters in the present but they are referring to matters that occurred many years ago. Also, the performance standards imposed under this contract are severe. Staff has heard the public as well as the Board that this is a matter not to be taken lightly, that service must be delivered appropriately and that those providing the service must be held accountable. He expects that any future problem will be brought to the Board's attention.

The Committee (Nevin/Hill - Director Barbour abstaining) recommended Board rejection of the protest and award of the contract to MV Transportation.

Director Harris thanked the Coastside representatives for speaking with the Board and assured that they will receive the kind of service that they are used to receiving and better.

Award of Contract to Orthopaedic Hospital for Providing ADA Paratransit Eligibility Certification Program for a Two-Year Base Period at a Not-to-Exceed Cost Limit of $1,600,000 with Two One-Year Option Terms at a Not-to-Exceed Cost of $560,000 Per Year
Cheryl Cavitt, Manager, Contracts and Procurement, reported that award of this contract would provide the District with a revised program to manage all eligibility certification and recertification requirements for the county's residents requiring ADA paratransit services. Only one proposal was received in response to the solicitation. Staff performed an evaluation of the proposal and found that Orthopaedic Hospital has addressed all the criteria. The evaluation team concluded that the proposed price is fair and reasonable.

The Committee (Hill/Lloyd) recommended Board approval of the proposed actions.

Award of Contract to Pioneer Contractors for Roof Replacement at North Base and South Base Bus Maintenance and Operations Facilities at a Total Bid Price of $411,550
Ms. Cavitt stated that staff is proposing that the Committee recommend to the Board award of contract to Pioneer Contractors, the lowest responsive responsible bidder.

Authorizing the Following:

Amendment to the Contract with Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company to Exercise the Option for the Tire Tread/Run-Out Usage or Purchase of Tires for a Three-Year Term at an Estimated Cost of $420,000; and

Award of New Contract to Bridgestone/Firestone North American Tire, LLC for Mileage Rental and Servicing of Tires and Wheels for a Five-Year Term at a Total Estimated Cost of $2,324,289 and Authorize the General Manager/CEO to Exercise the Option to the Contract for the Tire Tread/Run Out Usage or Purchase at the End of the Contract Term

Ms. Cavitt reported that the first part of the action requested is the authorization for the General Manager/CEO to execute an amendment with the District's contract to run out/tire wear for a period of three years and/or to exercise that option to purchase the tires that the District now has in its position. The second part of the action is to request award of a new contract to Bridgestone/Firestone for a total estimated cost of $2,324,289 for a five-year term.

The Committee (Hill/Guingona) recommended Board approval of all the proposed actions cited above.

Renewal of Vision Services Plan Contract for Continued Provision of Vision Insurance Coverage for Two Years Beginning October 1, 2003 at an Estimated Annual Cost of $137,000
Monica Colondres, Director of Human Resources reported that staff is proposing that the Committee recommend Board approval of award of contract to Vision Services Plan. The annual estimated cost is $137,000.

The Committee (Lloyd/Janney) recommended Board approval of the contract.

Adjourned: 3:28 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 3:28 p.m.

Approval of Legislative Committee Meeting of August 13, 2003
The Committee (Janney/Guingona) recommended Board approval of the minutes.

Verbal Update on State Legislative Program
Ed Stewart, Legislative Analyst, reported that Friday is the last for the Legislature to approve bills this year. He gave updates on the following bills:

SB 916 (Perata) - $3 Toll on Bay Area Bridge: The bill passed the Assembly on Monday. It is currently before the Senate for a concurrence vote. It should be sent to the Governor by the end of the week. The bill includes $135 million for the Dumbarton Commuter Rail service plus an annual operating subsidy of $5.5 million. Funding for ferry service between South San Francisco and San Francisco is also included. A new amendment includes $2.5 million that can be used by BART and Caltrain to study the issue of access to the proposed High-Speed Rail System in the Bay Area. That amendment replaced an earlier provision that would have urged the High-Speed Rail Authority to consider an Altamont pass alignment. Funding for the Transbay Terminal is also included in this bill. If the Governor signs SB 916 this matter will be taken to the voters in March 2004. With a simple majority vote of the counties, this toll increase could take effect in July 2004.
SB 760 (Scott) - Lease/Lease-Back Transactions: Mr. Stewart advised that SamTrans is among the agencies looking at initiating lease/lease-back transactions to generate operating revenue in this difficult economic climate. This bill will be before the Governor shortly. There is some opposition from the Department of Finance and at this point, staff could only hope for the best.
AB 839 (Salinas) - Storage of Video Recordings: Current law requires transit operators to store video tape recording from security cameras for one year. Last year, the Governor vetoed a bill to exempt transit from this requirement. This year, there are significant amendments to address the Governor's concerns. The bill would allow exemption if storing the tapes is not economically or technologically feasible. Transit operators will be required to use the best available technology.

Josh Shaw of Shaw/Yoder, stated that there are only three days left in the legislative session. He reported:

Two weeks ago, the California Highway Patrol came to the Legislature and said the budget for 2003/2004 does not provide enough money to cover CHP operations for the next fiscal year. One of the funding sources that is being looked at by the Legislature is about $50 million in transit funding that is currently held in reserve by Caltrans for certain capital projects both highway and transit. Caltrain capital projects will certainly be hurt if money is diverted. Mr. Shaw urged everyone to continue to tell the Legislature how important it is to maintain public transit funding.
Several Workers' Compensation reform proposals have been discussed this year. The Legislature halted all related bills until a conference committee had been formed to work out some kind of comprehensive proposal. Senator Jackie Speier is directly involved in this issue. This morning, the conference committee issued a final proposal for Workers Comp this year that includes some substantial savings. For instance, there are some limits imposed on outpatient surgery center costs. The proposal could generate millions of dollars in savings for employers. He will give a report to staff with an analysis of the proposal and expects the governor will sign this bill. He urged the Board to ask Senator Speier to support additional measures that would increase savings.

Verbal Update on Federal Legislative Program
Ian McAvoy, Deputy Chief of Development, reported that the Senate has acted on the spending bill and provided SamTrans with $1 million for the Zero Emission Bus Program, which is more than expected. TEA-21 expires end of the month and there still is no reauthorization bill. Chances are they may not be an extension proposal before the end of the month. The appropriations process is underway in the Senate, and he hoped that transit would maintain its $7.2 billion figure which was approved by the House.

Adjourned: 3:40 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

Chair Guingona called the meeting to order at 3:40p.m.

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

Adoption of Minutes of Board of Director's Meeting of August 13, 2003
Acceptance of Statement of Revenues & Expenses, July 2003

PUBLIC COMMENT
Jerry Grace, Oakland, commented on the administration of Governor Gray Davis. He pointed out that people have suffered from too much damage and lay-offs. He said the people need someone better than Governor Davis. Also, he praised SamTrans for doing a good work. AC Transit raised their fare and a one-day strike is expected next week.

REPORT OF THE CHAIR: None at this time.

REPORT OF THE GENERAL MANAGER/CEO
Michael J. Scanlon:

Recognized Operator Jaime Moran with a Twenty-Year Safe Driver Award. The Certificate was handed to Mr. Moran by Chair Guingona and Vice Chair Janney.
Reported the following winners in the Northern California Regional Roadeo Competition:
     Operator Team:           3rd Place      Edwin Freeman, Jay Prasad and John Espinosa
     Maintenance Team:     2nd Place     Greg Reschke, Gary Cox, Ashok Singh
     Instructor Team:          1st Place       Enrique Silvas and Ron Jordan
The Operator Team and Maintenance Team winners will represent SamTrans in the international competition in Salt Lake City.
49er Football service is very good. Ridership number is already higher than the year before.
Audrey Rice-Oliver is the new Joint Powers Board director replacing Maria Ayerdi who is now the executive director of the Transbay Terminal Joint Powers Authority.
Proof of Payment Program for Caltrain will start on September 22.
The Baby Bullet intermediate stops at Millbrae, Hillsdale, Mountain View, and Palo Alto have been unveiled.
The Transportation Authority received an update from the C/CAG Technical Advisory Committee on the initial projects for the Measure A reauthorization fund raising from the Public Works offices of various cities.
SamTrans staff is engaged in fund raising activities for the American Heart Association Walk on September 18.
The IKEA opening in East Palo Alto resulted in minimal traffic congestion.
Dina Stewart, Manager of General Ledger Accounting, has been accepted to the APTA Leadership Program. The chair of the APTA Leadership Committee is Director Shirley Harris.

COMMUNITY RELATIONS COMMITTEE
Motion
The Board (Hill/Teglia) unanimously approved the minutes of Community Relations Committee meeting of August 13, 2003.

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

PCC, Advocacy and ATAC Reports
Citizens Advisory Committee Liaison Report
SamTrans Performance Report
Multimodal Ridership Report, July 2003

FINANCE COMMITTEE
Resolutions
Director Harris asked for Board approval of all the proposed action items. Chair Guingona reminded that the approval of the award of Coastside paratransit service contract to MV Transportation must indicate the abstention of Director Barbour. General Counsel David Miller added that said resolution also will incorporate the rejection of the protest by Coastside Opportunity Center. These clarifications having been noted, the Board (Harris/Hill) approved the award of contract to MV Transportation. Along with it, the proposed actions for the rest of the items on the Finance agenda were likewise approved. The resolutions are as follows:

Resolution No. 2003-42: Authorizing an Amendment to Increase the FY 2004 Operating Budget in the Amount of $4,051,500
Resolution No. 2003-43: Authorizing an Amendment to Increase the FY 2004 Operating Budget in the Amount of $82,400 to Account for Metropolitan Transportation Commission Section 5303 Grant Funding
Resolution No. 2003-44: Authorizing an Amendment to Increase the FY2004 SamTrans Operating Budget in the Amount of $50,000 and Execute a Funding Agreement with City/County Association of Governments for a Community-Based Transportation Planning Project in East Palo Alto
Resolution No. 2003-45: Rejecting the Protest Submitted by Coastside Opportunity Center and Authorizing Award of Contract for Coastside Paratransit Service to MV Transportation, Inc. for a Three-Year Period at an Estimated Not-to-Exceed Amount of $2,900,000 with Two-One-Year Options at an Estimated Not-to-Exceed Amount of $1,020,000 Each
Resolution No. 2003-46: Authorizing Award of Contract for an ADA Paratransit Eligibility Certification Program to Orthopaedic Hospital for a Three-Year Period at an Estimated Not-to-Exceed Amount of $1,600,000 with Two-One Year Options at an Estimated Not-to-Exceed Amount of $560,000 Each
Resolution No. 2003-47: Authorizing Award of Contract to Pioneer Contractors of San Francisco for Roof Replacement at the District's North Base and South Base Bus Maintenance and Operations Facilities for the Base and Option Bids at a Grand Total Bid Price of $411,550
Resolution No. 2003-48: Authorizing an Amendment to the Contract with Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company and Award of a Contract to Bridgestone/Firestone North American Tire, LLC for Furnishing and Delivering Mileage Rental and Service of Bus Tires and Wheels for an Estimated Cost of $2,324,289
Resolution No. 2003-49: Authorizing Award of Contract to Vision Services Plan for Furnishing Vision Insurance Coverage for a Two-Year Term at an Estimated Cost of $274,000

LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE
Motion
The Board (Lloyd/Hill) unanimously approved the minutes of Legislative Committee meeting of August 13, 2003.

Subjects Discussed
Director Lloyd reported that Messrs. Stewart and Shaw discussed the State Legislative Program and Mr. McAvoy gave an update on the Federal Legislative Program.

PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE: No meeting.

GENERAL COUNSEL PROPOSAL
Attorney David Miller reported that the General Manager/CEO and himself will address the Board regarding one item of potential litigation.

THE BOARD ADJOURNED INTO CLOSED SESSION AT 3:54 P.M. AND RECONVENED IN OPEN SESSION at 4:10 P.M.

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

Attorney Miller stated that a report was rendered by the General Manager/CEO and counsel. The Board discussed this matter of potential litigation. No Board action was necessary at this time. Attorney Miller recommended that this item be continued next month.

WRITTEN COMMUNICATIONS TO THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS: Communications were received in the packet.

BOARD MEMBER REQUESTS: None.

DATE AND TIME OF NEXT MEETING: Wednesday, October 8, 2003 at 2 p.m., SamTrans Administrative Office, 1250 San Carlos Avenue, San Carlos, California.

Adjourned: 4:15 p.m.