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SamTrans > General Information > Board of Directors and Citizens Advisory Committee Meetings > Board of Directors Meeting Minutes - February 11, 2004
Committees and Board of Directors Meeting Minutes - February 11, 2004
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:
Michael Guingona (Committee Chair), Shirley Harris, Al Teglia
Other Board Members Present, Constituting Committee of the Whole:
John Barbour, Jim Hartnett, Marc Hershman, Jerry Hill, Arthur Lloyd, Michael
Nevin
Staff Present: Michael Scanlon, David Miller, George Cameron, Bill
Carson, Cheryl Cavitt, Roger Contreras, Brian Fitzpatrick, Jim Gallagher,
Howard Goode, Chuck Harvey, Rita Haskin, Aurora Jose, Martha Martinez, Ian
McAvoy, Bill Welch
Pledge of
Allegiance
Director Nevin called the meeting to order at 2:03 p.m. The Board pledged
allegiance to the flag.
Director Guingona presided over the Community Relations Committee meeting.
Approval of Minutes of Community Relations Committee Meeting
of January 14, 2004
The Committee (Teglia/Harris) unanimously approved the minutes.
Authorization to Adopt the District's Revised Policy
Concerning Substance Abuse
Bill Carson, Manager, Employee Relations and Civil Rights, reported that the
Department of Transportation made changes to its regulations, and the
District's policy must reflect those changes. The revision involves minor
regulatory changes and memorializes practices that are currently in place but
are not incorporated in the policy. He pointed in particular, to the provision
on safety sensitive employees who have been on leave for 90 consecutive days
and who have been removed from the safety sensitive random testing call. They
must undergo drug testing prior to returning to safety sensitive functions.
Mr. Carson requested that the Committee recommend Board approval of the policy
as revised. He added that staff is also proposing that the General Manager/CEO
be authorized by the Board to approve non-substantive revisions to the policy
in the future.
The Committee (Hartnett/Teglia) recommended Board approval of the proposed
actions.
PCC, ALCOM, and ATAC Reports
Bill Welch, Manager, Accessible Transit Services, shared the pamphlet created
by staff in coordination with the Paratransit Coordinating Council (PCC) that
provides information on paratransit eligibility requirements. The new
certification process will begin next week.
Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC) Liaison Report
Ken Feldstein, Chair, Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC), reported on the
committee meeting of February 4, as follows:
- Ed Stewart gave a presentation on SB 1637 (Lease/Leaseback Financing
Transactions). The CAC, in a written motion, expressed its concerns, and
sent a copy to this Board. He requested that it be forwarded to the
congressional representatives in Washington.
- Legal Counsel David Miller, likewise, gave a presentation and update on
the BART/SamTrans partnership. The CAC got a detailed and in-depth
understanding of the relationship.
- The CAC discussed Measure A.
- The CAC examined their goals for the current year. One of the things they
want to review is the Brown Act.
- With the revised timetable that went into effect along with the recent
BART schedule changes, the CAC hoped that the bus service along El Camino
Real is spread out.
- The committee is working on the CAC term limits.
Relative to the PCC, ALCOM and ATAC Reports item above, Dale Edwards, PCC
chair, reported that John Lee of the San Mateo County Transportation Authority,
was the guest at the PCC meeting. He gave an overview of Measure A and brought
the PCC up to speed on the background and the importance of the
reauthorization. He gave the dates of workshops and public meetings that will
be held around the county. Mr. Edwards stated that the PCC is ready to assist
in promoting the reauthorization of Measure A.
ADA Paratransit Performance Report
Chuck Harvey, Chief Operating Officer, reported that staff is currently working
with UC Berkeley on the signal synchronization related to the bus service on El
Camino Real. This is a technology project that could help improve bus service
on a lengthy corridor like El Camino Real. This program would require the
coordination of the State, State highways and local jurisdictions.
Mr. Harvey indicated that Redi-Wheels average weekday ridership remains flat.
It is at a level where the District could comfortably provide good service.
Customer no-shows and complaints had a spike in September. Telephone hold time
likewise increased in September but is now back where it should be.
The new screening process for Redi-Wheels applicants starts this month. The
basis of assessment by the contractor, Orthopaedic Hospital, will be the
functionability of an individual to make sure that there will be no
discrimination in selecting who should get the service.
The RediCoast service began in November. On-time performance is excellent.
Staff is keeping close watch on its productivity, making sure that the system
is kept affordable and at the same time, service delivery is good. Trip denials
on the Coast and customer complaints remained at zero.
Mr. Harvey stated that the transition of scheduling software to Trapeze
resulted in some customer no-shows, a spike on customer complaints and
telephone hold time, as previously mentioned. The decrease in service quality
was caused by transition problems with the Trapeze Windows NT software,
including Geo-code address inconsistencies and trips dropping from the computer
generated-manifests. Staff worked with the Trapeze technical support to address
the issues and be able to manage the opportunity. He outlined the benefits of
switching to this new software program. There is more work to be done to get
back to an acceptable level of performance and staff will be monitoring this
closely.
Director Hartnett expressed appreciation on how staff is keeping data and
reporting them to the Board. He suggested revisiting policies to see if there
is a need to do some changes to help overcome some opportunities.
Multimodal Ridership Report
Mr. Harvey reported that December is typically a down month for ridership
because of the holidays and school break. Year-to-date, ridership is down
about nine percent on the bus, some of which is attributable to routes
eliminated due to availability of BART service. The area also recorded high
rainfall levels in December which historically reduced transit ridership. Also
some companies were closed or forced closures around the holidays. However,
overall, all modes of system are up about 6.4 percent. Year-to-date, ridership
is up about 5,000 rides from where the District was a year ago. He pointed to
the flattening of ridership loss, having come back to the 2002 level. He
anticipates continuing recovery.
Adjourned: 2:28 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, Marc Hershman, Jerry Hill, Arthur Lloyd, Michael Nevin, Al
Teglia
Staff Present: Michael Scanlon, David Miller, George Cameron, Bill
Carson, Cheryl Cavitt, Roger Contreras, Brian Fitzpatrick, Jim Gallagher,
Howard Goode, Chuck Harvey, Rita Haskin, Aurora Jose, Martha Martinez, Ian
McAvoy, Bill Welch
Director Harris called the meeting to order at 2:28 p.m.
Approval of Finance Committee Minutes of January 14, 2004
The Committee (Hartnett/Guingona) unanimously approved the minutes.
Acceptance of Statement of Revenues and Expenses for
December 2003 and Supplemental Information
Roger Contreras, Chief Financial Officer, reported that the District is no
longer experiencing decline in farebox revenues. For this month, there are no
changes in the monthly report on revenues. The District is awaiting December
figures that include the sales taxes for the holiday season. This information
is expected sometime in March. If projections hold, it is believed that the
decrease in sales taxes will be recovered. On the expenditure side, there is a
savings of $350,000 from different categories. There are no changes in the
deficit.
The Committee (Hill/Nevin) recommended Board acceptance of the report.
Acceptance of Quarterly Investment Report and Fixed Income
Market Review and Outlook
Bill Osher of Harris, Bretall, Sullivan, and Smith, reported that the Federal
Reserve is likely to increase interest rates, which is reflective of an
improving economy. Harris, Bretall forecasts this move to take place towards
the end of the year. The rate of increase will depend on job growth. What is
consistent is that all leading indicators of job growth are there. Short term
interest rates are expected to rise a little bit. Longer term interest rates
may rise sooner. The District's portfolio is ahead of the benchmarks. It is
positioned defensively and this posture will be maintained. The way it is
positioned right now, if interest rates rise, when it becomes due, it will be
reinvested at higher interest rates and raise the level of revenue for the
District.
The Committee (Hartnett/Guingona) unanimously recommended Board acceptance of
the report.
Authorization for the General Manager/CEO to Negotiate and
Execute a Lease Extension with the County of San Mateo for the District's
Property at the North Base Maintenance Facility that is Used as a Homeless
Shelter
Brian Fitzpatrick, Manager, Real Estate, reported that the county is applying
for a loan with the State. An extension of the period of the existing lease is
necessary to facilitate the loan. He requested that the General Manager/CEO be
authorized to negotiate and execute necessary documents for the said extension.
The Committee (Nevin/Lloyd) unanimously recommended Board approval of the
proposed actions.
Award of Contract to D.M.G. Janitorial Services for
Providing Bus Shelter Cleaning and Related Services for a Total Estimated Cost
of $572,400 for a Three-Year Term with Two Successive One Year Options
Cheryl Cavitt, Director of Contracts and Procurement, stated that the District
followed the standard Information for Bids (IFB) procedures on this item. The
selection committee found that D.M.G. Janitorial Services was the lowest
responsive and responsible bidder.
The Committee (Hill/Guingona) unanimously recommended Board approval of the
award of contract.
Adjourned: 2:35 p.m.
LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE
COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE
Committee Members Present:
Jim Hartnett (Committee Chair), John Barbour, Marc Hershman
Other Board Members Present, Constituting Committee of the Whole:
Michael Guingona, Shirley Harris, Jerry Hill, Arthur Lloyd, Michael Nevin, Al
Teglia
Staff Present: Michael Scanlon, David Miller, George Cameron, Bill
Carson, Cheryl Cavitt, Roger Contreras, Brian Fitzpatrick, Jim Gallagher,
Howard Goode, Chuck Harvey, Rita Haskin, Aurora Jose, Martha Martinez, Ian
McAvoy, Bill Welch
Director Hartnett called the meeting to order at 2:35 p.m.
Approval of Legislative Committee Meeting of January 14,
2004
The Committee (Lloyd/Guingona) unanimously approved the minutes.
Adoption of 2004 Federal Legislative Program
Ian McAvoy, Deputy Chief of Development, stated that the 2004 policy will serve
as the District's guide in its advocacy in Washington, DC and enable staff to
deal with issues that are of importance not only to this Board but also to the
region. This policy is also vital to the development of the Strategic Plan as
the District develops its goals and guiding principles.
Mr. McAvoy stated that the key points in the advocacy efforts are the
reauthorization process for transportation. It is important that the maximum
funding be obtained over the next reauthorization cycle and at the same time,
retain the basic structure of the Federal transit program that was in place
before. Also, staff will advocate for Federal earmarks for local projects such
as the Zero Emission Bus Program and other Caltrain projects. Staff will also
work for the funding of High-Speed Rail Programs in California, specifically as
it pertains to San Mateo County. Staff will protect as much as possible, the
Lease/Leaseback Program to help transit properties retain innovative financing
capabilities.
The Committee (Harris/Guingona) unanimously recommended Board approval of the
program.
Verbal Update on State Legislative Program
Josh Shaw of Shaw/Yoder, reported on the changes in the Assembly leadership and
personnel complement. The good news is that the rosters of the committees have
not changed much.
The Governor's budget calls for the suspension of Proposition 42, the sales tax
on gasoline, that is supposed to go to transportation programs. A host of the
District's projects will be affected, Baby Bullet not being one of them. The
Governor will also take back $189 million that was supposed to be given to the
Traffic Congestion Relief Program. Several sources of funds for the Public
Transportation Account are proposed to be diverted to the General Fund. He
stated that in the Metropolitan Transportation Commission region, the
Transportation Account cuts will total about $17 million, putting the
District's share of that cut at risk.
He and the District staff will develop an opposition letter and ask the
delegation members to urge the leadership and committee chairs to oppose those
cuts. He noted that two Democratic leaders are strongly advocating for the
preservation of as much transportation funding as possible for projects that
would create jobs. There is a tentative agreement not to make those cuts right
now.
The deadline to introduce new bills is February 20. The Board will be asked to
take positions on some of those bills next month. Mr. Shaw advised that a
constitutional amendment is being introduced to try to make it harder to
suspend Proposition 42. Currently, it requires 2/3 vote of the legislature.
ACA 21 would raise the threshold from 2/3 to 4/5. Also, on the Lease/Leaseback
Financing Transaction, Mr. Shaw's team is advocating that the State legislature
urge their counterparts in Congress and the President to oppose the Senate
action diminishing the ability of transit companies to avail of this financing
mechanism.
Verbal Update on Federal Legislative Program
Mr. McAvoy reported that the Senate approved a reauthorization bill to provide
$56 billion over the next six years. The transit programs that rely on
protected highway trust fund revenues are on-going issues. The programs are
being defined. However, they have to determine how much General Fund money
would be allotted to the programs. There have been some movements on the House
side. The Ways and Means Committee is working very closely on transportation
related issues especially the gas tax. The House Transportation Committee will
provide $69 billion for transit programs. The funding levels that are proposed
for the increase in Federal gas tax are very controversial. They raise a
potential veto from the administration.
The reauthorization may also be impacted by the President's FY 2005 Budget
Proposal that has an estimated $500 billion deficit. The President's program
provides increases for Homeland Security and minor increases in Federal
transportation programs.
Adjourned: 2:50 p.m.
SAN
MATEO COUNTY TRANSIT DISTRICT
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Board Members Present:
Michael Nevin (Chair), Jerry Hill (Vice Chair), John Barbour, Michael Guingona,
Shirley Harris, Jim Hartnett, Marc Hershman, Arthur Lloyd, Al Teglia
Staff Present: Michael Scanlon, David Miller, George Cameron, Bill
Carson, Cheryl Cavitt, Roger Contreras, Brian Fitzpatrick, Jim Gallagher,
Howard Goode, Chuck Harvey, Rita Haskin, Aurora Jose, Martha Martinez, Ian
McAvoy, Bill Welch
Chair Nevin called the meeting to order at 2:50 p.m.
CONSENT CALENDAR
The Board, by motion, (Teglia/Guingona) unanimously approved the following:
- Adoption of Minutes of Board of Directors Meeting of January 14, 2004
- Acceptance of Statement of Revenues & Expenses, December 2003 and
Supplemental Information
- Acceptance of Quarterly Investment Report and Fixed Income Market Review
and Outlook
PUBLIC COMMENT: None at this time.
REPORT OF THE CHAIR
The Board (Nevin/Teglia) unanimously approved Resolution No. 2004-1,
Resolution of Appreciation for outgoing Board Chair Michael Guingona. The
resolution and a gavel plaque were presented to him by Chair Nevin and Vice
Chair Hill.
REPORT OF THE GENERAL MANAGER/CEO
Michael J. Scanlon:
- Extended appreciation to Director Guingona for his efforts and leadership
as Chair of this Board during the challenging year 2003.
- Thanked Ken Feldstein, CAC, for the Committee's offer of support
pertaining to the Lease/Leaseback Financing Transactions; and Dale Edwards,
for the PCC's offer for assistance in the reauthorization of Measure A.
- Recognized Sione Alipate and Fonotaga Tili, SamTrans mechanics, with a
Twenty-Five Years Safe Worker Award. He announced that SamTrans operator,
Loretta Anderson should be receiving her Twenty Years Safe Driver Award.
However, she could not make it to this meeting today.
- Called on Pam Furnari of the American Heart Association, who, in turn,
presented Chair Nevin the award of distinction for the District's recent fund
raising donation of over $37,000. SamTrans is the second highest fund raiser
in San Mateo County. Over the last three years, the District was able to
donate over $87,000. Ms. Furnari gave credit to Frank Burton and Jennifer
Buhr, SamTrans employees, who co-chaired the fund raising team.
- Recognized Cindy Strong, Employee Programs & Development Officer, for her
hard work, who, in coordination with the ATU 1574, headed by Ed Proctor; the
chief officers; and other employees; raised $60,000 for the United Way. Ms.
Strong extended the recognition to and thanked personally, Karen Cundiff of
Finance Department, for stepping up to every fund raising campaign every
year.
- Reported:
- In December, SamTrans exceeded its goal on bus reliability.
- In connection with the Advanced Communication System, next stop and
route destination announcements are now being made automatically on seven
routes including 390 and 391.
- The reconfiguration project of the Sequoia Station in Redwood City has
been completed.
- Caltrain held a public hearing and received testimonies on the proposed
changes to the train schedule. These changes are scheduled to take effect
in late spring.
- In connection with the reauthorization of Measure A, staff presented
the Draft Expenditure Plan to the San Mateo County Transportation
Authority. Staff is exerting unprecedented public outreach efforts to
educate them on the importance and benefits of Measure A.
COMMUNITY RELATIONS COMMITTEE
The Board (Hill/Lloyd) unanimously approved the following resolution:
- Resolution No. 2004-2: Authorization to Adopt the District's
Revised Policy Concerning Substance Abuse.
Director Guingona reported that the Committee discussed the following:
- PCC, ALCOM and ATAC Reports
- Citizens Advisory Committee Liaison Report
- ADA Paratransit Performance Report
- Multimodal Ridership Report, December 2003
FINANCE
COMMITTEE
The Board (Harris/Hartnett) unanimously approved the following resolutions:
- Resolution No. 2004-3: Authorization for the General Manager/CEO
to Negotiate and Execute a Lease Extension with the County of San Mateo for
Property at the North Base Maintenance Facility that is Used as a Homeless
Shelter.
- Resolution No. 2004-4: Award of Contract to D.M.G. Janitorial
Services for Providing Bus Shelter Cleaning and Related Services for a Total
Estimated Cost of $572,400 for a Three-Year Term with Two Successive one Year
Options
LEGISLATIVE
COMMITTEE
The Board, by motion, unanimously adopted the 2004 Federal Legislative Program.
Director Hartnett reported that the Board received the following reports:
- Verbal Update on State Legislative Program
- Verbal Update on Federal Legislative Program
PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE: No meeting.
WRITTEN COMMUNICATIONS TO THE BOARD: Available in the
Board folder.
BOARD MEMBER REQUESTS: None at this time.
DATE AND TIME OF NEXT MEETING: Thursday, March 11,
2004 at 2 p.m., SamTrans Administrative Office, 1250 San Carlos Avenue, San
Carlos, California
GENERAL
COUNSEL PROPOSAL
Legal Counsel Dave Miller reported that listed under closed session is an item
of anticipated litigation.
THE BOARD ADJOURNED IN CLOSED SESSION AT 3:30 P.M. AND RECONVENED TO OPEN
SESSION AT 4:15 P.M.
Closed Session: Anticipated Litigation - significant exposure to litigation
pursuant to Government Code Section 54956.9(b) and (c) [One potential case].
Mr. Miller reported that the Board of Directors met in closed session to
discuss with counsel a matter of potential litigation. Instructions have been
given. This matter will be carried on the agenda at its next meeting.
Adjourned: 4:17 P.M.
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