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SamTrans > General Information > Board of Directors and Citizens Advisory Committee Meetings > Board of Directors Meeting Minutes - April 13, 2005
Committees and Board of Directors Meeting Minutes - April 13, 2005
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:
Adrienne Tissier (Committee Chair), Art Lloyd
Committee Member Absent:
John Barbour
Other Board Members Present, Constituting Committee of the Whole:
Michael Guingona, Shirley Harris, Jim Hartnett, Marc Hershman, Jerry Hill, Michael
Nevin
Staff Present: George Cameron, Joan Cassman, Cheryl Cavitt, Brian
Fitzpatrick, Gigi Harrington, Chuck Harvey, Rita Haskin, Aurora Jose, Michael J.
Scanlon, Dave Miller, Mark Simon, Ed Stewart, Bill Welch
Pledge of
Allegiance
Chair Hill called the meeting to order at 2:07 p.m. and led the Pledge of
Allegiance.
Approval of Minutes of Community Relations Committee Meeting of
March 10, 2005
The committee (Lloyd/Harris) unanimously approved the minutes as revised.
Approval of Appointment of Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC)
Members
Director Tissier said on March 24 the Selection Committee, composed of Directors
Barbour, Lloyd and herself, interviewed 13 candidates to the CAC seats. She said
the committee recommends the reappointment of incumbents John Baker, Maureen Hall,
and Wayne Kingsford-Smith and the appointment of new members Alan Eddington and
Seth Yatovitz. The reappointees will represent the same constituencies they are
currently representing. Mr. Eddington will represent Multimodal Riders, Mr.
Yatovitz will represent Bus Riders.
The committee (Hershman/Lloyd) unanimously recommended Board approval of the
appointments.
PCC, AL-Com, and ATAC Reports
Bill Welch, Manager of Accessible Transit Services, gave an update on the
eligibility process currently being conducted at the Coastside. He said
recertifications are going as expected.
Dale Edwards, Chair, Paratransit Coordinating Council, said the ADA eligibility
process was well received by the consumers who said the process was very
professional, sensitive to consumers' needs, and fair in their assessments. He
said the success of the process was the result of good coordination between the
PCC and District staff. He also said MV Transportation (MV) shared with the PCC a
directory that is very helpful to the Redi-Wheels and RediCoast drivers and
customers in locating hard-to-find pick-up points at hospitals, colleges,
universities, and shopping centers. Mr. Edwards said the PCC participated in the
Daly City Annual Family Health Fair on April 9. Health tests and screenings were
conducted for about 140 people. A booth was set up for PCC and District
representatives who distributed brochures about the eligibility process, SamTrans
route maps, Caltrain schedules and Paratransit Information Guide. More than 500
people visited the fair.
Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC) Liaison Report
Ken Feldstein, Chair, CAC, said at its meeting of April 6, the CAC received an
update from Beth Thomas, Senior Planner, on the District's 2025 Strategic Plan. He
said the committee expressed concerns on how the agency will cope with the
increasing fuel costs and how service could be provided to the increasing number
of aging people. The committee proposed ways to relieve some pressures on the
budget and still be able to provide some levels of service. Mr. Feldstein said the
El Camino Real CAC subcommittee suggested methods of running limited and express
buses within the budget. He also said the Shelters/Stops subcommittee reported on
several shelters that need cleaning. The Connectability subcommittee is looking at
Hillsdale, Redwood City, and Millbrae bus stops to establish seamless connections.
The Quality Assurance subcommittee is drawing up some guidelines for more quality
service throughout the county.
BART Performance Report, March 2005
Chuck Harvey, Chief Operating Officer, said:
- Average weekday ridership (AWR) for the entire BART system was up.
- AWR on the extension within San Mateo County was up.
- AWR in Colma trended down over the last couple of years.
- AWR at the SFO jumped seasonally with travel demand.
- There was overall growth of AWR in South San Francisco, Millbrae and San
Bruno.
- On-time performance slipped in February due to BART performance problems.
- Direct mailers with promotional tickets were sent to 50,900 homes located
along the extension. There were poster promotions, in-flight commercials,
holiday ad campaigns, and promotions with area hotels. An agreement was being
negotiated with the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) to fund the
equivalent fare revenue to provide free transportation on five "Spare the Air"
days in the Bay Area.
- Total ridership on the five extension stations in March 2005 was up about 10
percent from last year. A 12.5 percent ridership increase was assumed in the FY
2005 budget. Daily ridership on the extension during the Thanksgiving week set a
record of 32,000.
- Station ridership record were set South San Francisco and San Bruno on April
5, 2005. Director Nevin asked if the ridership number for the airport was
brought about by the holiday. Mr. Harvey answered ridership at this station goes
up during holiday weeks.
- Activities slated for 2005 are: Monitoring of extension stations as to
ridership, service levels, service reliability, costs and parking. Staff will
meet with BART to develop a service plan and prepare the FY 2006 budget and FY
2006 promotional programs.
Multimodal Ridership Report - February 2005
Mr. Harvey said Average Weekday Ridership (AWR) in February 2005 compared to
February 2004 were as follows:
- All modes - up 3.6 percent to nearly 104,000 passengers
- Paratransit - down about 2 percent
- Caltrain - up 16.4 percent
- Caltrain Shuttles - up about 7.5 percent
- The rate of growth on the BART extension line now is slowing down.
Adjourned: 2:24 p.m.
FINANCE COMMITTEE
COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE
Committee Members Present:
Marc Hershman (Committee Chair), Michael Guingona
Committee Member Absent:
John Barbour
Other Board Members Present, Constituting Committee of the Whole:
Shirley Harris, Jim Hartnett, Jerry Hill, Arthur Lloyd, Michael Nevin, Adrienne
Tissier
Staff Present: George Cameron, Joan Cassman, Cheryl Cavitt, Brian
Fitzpatrick, Gigi Harrington, Chuck Harvey, Rita Haskin, Aurora Jose, Michael J.
Scanlon, Dave Miller, Mark Simon, Ed Stewart, Bill Welch
Director Hershman called the meeting to order at 2:24 p.m.
Approval of Finance Committee Minutes of March 10, 2005
The committee (Hartnett/Lloyd) unanimously approved the minutes.
Acceptance of Statement of Revenues & Expenses for February
2005 and Supplemental Information
Gigi Harrington, Chief Financial Officer, said the budget was reduced three months
ago due to decreasing fare revenues. Through the end of March, fare revenue was
close to the budget after the downward adjustment. Expenditures year-to-date are
under budget by $2.1 million primarily due to favorable variances in the motor bus
area. She said the budget for fuel was adjusted upwards a couple of months ago.
Fuel price continues to increase. Unless something changes, staff may ask the
Board authority to adjust further upwards the budget for fuel.
Chair Hill questioned the need for continuous budget adjustments throughout the
year. He said the Board is aware that the budget already has been set at a certain
point and staff does not need to explain the trend each time adjustments happen.
General Manager/CEO Scanlon said he believes that seeing the variances in the
budget is healthy. Director Hill asked consensus from the Board if they want to
change this practice.
General Counsel David Miller said if the Board would like to make a formal
decision, this matter may be agendized. He said the District does not have a
formal policy in this respect. If it is the consensus of the Board to change this
practice, the General Manager/CEO can implement it.
Ms. Harrington suggested the Board grant a certain amount of appropriation
authority relative to expenses to give staff flexibility to move within the
budget. Towards the end of the year, staff needs to adjust the appropriation
authority on the expenditure side so that staff will not exceed the authority
granted. That will not change the amount that was budgeted initially for those
expenses.
With the consensus of the Board and upon suggestion of General Manager/CEO
Scanlon, this new procedure will be implemented beginning FY 2006.
The committee (Lloyd/Guingona) unanimously recommended Board acceptance of the
report.
Authorize Execution of a Funding Agreement with the
Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) to Receive $63,840 in Planning
Assistance from MTC's Transportation for Liveable Communities Program
The committee (Nevin/Lloyd) unanimously recommended Board approval of the proposed
action.
Authorize Negotiation and Extension Until March 31, 2024 of
Lease Contract No. 800217 with the County of San Mateo for Property Used as
Homeless Shelter
The committee (Nevin/Tissier) unanimously recommended Board approval of the
proposed action.
Authorize Execution of a Three-Year Use Agreement with Sunset
Real Properties, LLC for Pico Boulevard in Redwood City for Access to South Base
Brian Fitzpatrick, Manager, Real Property, said Pico Boulevard is the main
entrance to the District's South Base. When this property was bought in 1980, the
District did not buy access to South Base via Pico Boulevard. South Base was
constructed on the assumption that said access was available. The agreement will
allow the District to use the property for three years at a very fair rate.
Chair Hill asked if the property would be used in perpetuity, if reconfiguring the
building to not need this access would be more cost efficient than spending $6,000
a month.
Mr. Fitzpatrick said he was advised that reconfiguring the building would be
costly and difficult. The use agreement would give staff time to find a long-term
solution.
The committee (Tissier/Harris) unanimously recommended Board approval of the
execution of the agreement.
Authorize Award of Contract to John Glenn Adjusters &
Administrators, Inc. for the Provision of Public Liability Claims Administration
Services for an Estimated Cost of $1,025,000 for a Five-Year Term
Director Hershman said the law firm of which he is a member, has business dealings
with John Glenn Adjusters. He recused himself and left the meeting while this item
was considered. Chair Hill took over and continued the proceedings.
Cheryl Cavitt, Director of Contracts and Procurement, said the contract will
provide the District an experienced administrator to support the District's
processing of public liability claims. The services will be performed at a per
claim fee of $569 for the first year. Thereafter, it will be adjusted according to
the Consumer Price Index (CPI). In addition to the per claim fees, if there are
subrogation services provided by John Glenn, they will receive compensation at the
rate indicated on the written report.
The committee (Nevin/Harris [Hershman-recused]) recommended Board approval of the
award of contract.
Award of Contracts for Heavy-Duty Towing Services
Ms. Cavitt said there are two contractors involved:
- Action Towing of Redwood City, California at an estimated one year cost of
$15,720; and
- P&S Towing and Recovery of San Francisco at an estimated one year cost of
$18,130.
Each of these contractors will have an option of up to two one-year option terms.
The committee (Hartnett/Lloyd) unanimously recommended Board approval of the award
of contracts.
Authorize Rejection of Single Bid of Spiteri's Auto Service for
Repair and Services to Service Vehicles and Authorizing Amendment to Extend the
Current Contract with Spiteri's on a Month-to-Month Basis at an Estimated Cost of
$18,000 per Month
Ms. Cavitt said Spiteri's Auto Service's single bid exceeds the District's budget
and the cost estimates for the services. Staff is proposing rejection of said bid
and extension of the current contract with Spiteri's on a month-to-month basis at
an estimated cost of $18,000 per month. The extension of the contract will allow
staff to reprocure the services based on revised requirements.
The committee (Nevin/Harris) unanimously recommended Board rejection of the single
bid and extension of the current contract.
Adjourned: 2:41 p.m.
LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE
COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE
Committee Members Present:
Art Lloyd (Committee Chair), Jim Hartnett, Michael Nevin
Other Board Members Present, Constituting Committee of the Whole:
Michael Guingona, Shirley Harris, Marc Hershman, Jerry Hill, Adrienne Tissier
Other Board Member Absent:
John Barbour
Staff Present: George Cameron, Joan Cassman, Cheryl Cavitt, Brian
Fitzpatrick, Gigi Harrington, Chuck Harvey, Rita Haskin, Aurora Jose, Michael J.
Scanlon, Dave Miller, Mark Simon, Ed Stewart, Bill Welch
Director Lloyd called the meeting to order at 2:41 p.m.
Approval of Minutes of Legislative Committee Meeting of March
10, 2005
The committee (Hartnett/Guingona) unanimously approved the minutes.
Support for AB 1010 (Oropeza) Re: State Oversight of Rail
Crossings
Ed Stewart, Legislative Analyst, said approval of this bill would shift oversight
for rail crossing construction activities to Caltrans effective January 1, 2007.
This bill would simplify the approval process for future grade separation projects
along the Caltrain line in San Mateo County by eliminating lengthy and contentious
Public Utility Commission (PUC) hearings. He, however, said that future amendments
are possible. Staff will inform the Board if future changes are made.
Director Lloyd said having worked with Amtrak for years and as a pro bono
facilitator of the San Joaquin Valley Rail Committee, approval of this bill would
be beneficial to the District.
The committee (Tissier/Harris) unanimously recommended Board support of the bill.
Support for AB 1169 (Torrico) Re: Assault on Transit Operators
Mr. Stewart said this bill is pending before the Assembly Public Safety Committee.
It would increase fines for assault and battery against transit vehicle operators
who are engaged in the performance of their duties or while the vehicle is in
motion. He said this is a safety issue not only for the operators but the
passengers as well.
The committee (Tissier/Guingona [Director Hartnett dissenting]) recommended Board
support the bill.
Support for SB 1020 (Migden) re: Transportation Development Act
Revenue
Mr. Stewart said this bill is being heard in the Senate Revenue and Taxation
Committee. This would allow individual counties to increase the portion of the
state sales tax that is dedicated to the Transit Development Act (TDA) funds. This
is subject to approval by each county's local Board of Supervisors and the vote of
the electorate. He said the increase would double SamTrans' TDA annual revenues
from $25 million to about $50 million, a rare opportunity for transit operators to
obtain additional operating funds.
The committee (Harris/Tissier) unanimously recommended Board support of the bill.
Verbal Update of State Legislative Program
Mr. Stewart said Speaker of the Assembly Fabian Nuņez is proposing to eliminate
the sales tax on gas to reduce the price of gas by 10 cents to 12 cents, increase
the general state tax by .25 percent to fund transportation improvements,
gradually increase the excise tax on gas by 4 cents and index it at 3 percent
every five years, and issue a $10 billion bond to repay some of the prior year's
transportation funds that had been loaned to the General Fund. The $10 billion
bond would require voter approval and would be backed by the increase in the gas
tax. The overall goal is to lower the price of gas today and provide more funding
in the long term for transportation and also to backfill the revenues
transportation has lost in recent years. These proposals would eliminate
Proposition 42, the sales tax on gas. There are many who want to fix Proposition
42, because it is simpler. However, if that is not possible, the speaker's
proposals would provide some alternatives.
Update on Federal Legislative Program
Mr. Stewart said the Senate has passed the federal highway and transit Program
reauthorization bill at the committee level. The proposal is $284 billion. There
is a plan to raise that funding level when the bill reaches the Senate floor. The
Senate Majority Leader, however, wants to stay at the $284 billion level. Transit
advocates and transportation interests are urging the Senate to act quickly to
meet the May 31st deadline when TEA 21 is set to expire. If the Senate does not
act by May 31, there will be a need to extend TEA 21 for the seventh time.
Adjourned: 2:48 p.m.
SAN
MATEO COUNTY TRANSIT DISTRICT
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Board Members Present:
Jerry Hill (Chair), Michael Guingona, Shirley Harris, Jim Hartnett, Marc Hershman,
Arthur Lloyd, Michael Nevin, Adrienne Tissier
Board Member Absent:
John Barbour
Staff Present: George Cameron, Joan Cassman, Cheryl Cavitt, Brian
Fitzpatrick, Gigi Harrington, Chuck Harvey, Rita Haskin, Aurora Jose, Michael J.
Scanlon, Dave Miller, Mark Simon, Ed Stewart, Bill Welch, Ed Stewart, Bill Welch
Chair Jerry Hill called the meeting to order at 2:48 p.m.
CONSENT CALENDAR
Motion
The Board (Hartnett/Guingona) unanimously approved the following:
- Adoption of Minutes of Board of Directors Meeting of March 10, 2005
- Acceptance of Statement of Revenues and Expenses, February 2005 and
Supplemental Information
PUBLIC COMMENT: None.
REPORT OF THE CHAIR
Chair Hill presented a Certificate of Appreciation to Donald Phillips, outgoing
member of the Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC).
REPORT OF THE GENERAL MANAGER
General Manager/CEO Michael J. Scanlon thanked Mr. Phillips for his outstanding
job on the CAC, as well as Mr. Richard Poe who was unable to attend this meeting.
He also presented Jose Argenal a 25 Years Safe Driving Award and Robert Nelson, a
20 Years Safe Driving Award.
Mr. Scanlon recognized Paul Lee, Associate Business Contract Administrator, for
developing a Redi-Wheels Multiple Stop directory that will eliminate confusion and
help paratransit operators and customers locate specific pick-up and drop-off
points.
Mr. Scanlon reported:
- Redi-Wheels operated a record 600,000 miles without a preventable accident.
He recognized John Murphy, MV Transportation General Manager for Redi-Wheels and
RediCoast, and his staff for this achievement.
- This year will be extremely difficult because of the high cost of fuel.
Staff will propose a public hearing later in May to take public testimony and
consider the merits of increasing bus fare by 25 cents. An in-house committee
named "FRED" was established to come up with recommendations on how to keep the
service and make it better with the resources available.
- Caltrain has a $13.6 million deficit. The Joint Powers Board (JPB) conducted
a workshop, followed by public hearings. An overwhelming majority of public
speakers opposed the suspension of service at College Park in San Jose,
Atherton, and Broadway in Burlingame. Upon request of Director Hartnett, Mr.
Scanlon discussed the formula of how the JPB partners split net losses and how
they could contribute to close the deficit.
- In the communications field, the Baby Bullet won the "Crystal Award of
Excellence." The SamTimes employee newsletter won an "Award of Distinction." He
congratulated Rita Haskin, Chief Communications Officer, and her team for this
achievement.
Ms. Haskin reviewed marketing promotions to get more riders on the buses:
- Summer Youth Pass telling parents that this is a way kids could get around
for three months at less than the cost of a tank of gas. Take-ones will be
available in the buses.
- BART mailers with complimentary tickets were sent to 50,900 households
from Burlingame north. The promotion generated about 70,000 rides, increasing
the March average weekday ridership by 8.8 percent at 27,800. In April 2005,
South San Francisco had ridership 46 percent higher than the previous year;
while San Bruno ridership increased by 36 percent over the previous year.
- Express Weekly Pass: More than 260 commercials ran on Comcast in San Mateo
County. Staff received 162 calls requesting the free pass, 30 percent were
first-time riders.
- Caltrain Weekend and Off-Peak radio and print campaigns ran with the
themes of creating lifetime memories, taking Caltrain to go shopping, and
going out with friends on an adventure.
- APTA PT2 promotion to run in newspapers to show that taking the bus or the
train will help the community's economy.
Ms. Haskin presented video TV commercials on the PT2 and express bus service.
COMMUNITY RELATIONS COMMITTEE
Motion
The Board (Tissier/Hartnett) unanimously approved the appointments of Citizens
Advisory Committee Members:
- John Baker
- Alan Eddington
- Maureen Hall
- Wayne Kingwford-Smith
- Seth Yatovitz
Subjects Discussed
Director Tissier said the committee discussed the following:
- PCC, AL-Com and ATAC Reports
- Citizens Advisory Committee Liaison Report
- BART Performance Report
- Multimodal Ridership Report, February 2005
FINANCE
COMMITTEE
Resolutions
The Board (Hershman/Guingona) unanimously approved the following:
- Resolution No. 2005-13: Authorize Execution of a Funding Agreement
with the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) to Receive $63,840 in
Planning Assistance from MTC's Transportation for Liveable Communities Program
- Resolution No. 2005-14: Authorize Negotiation and Extension Until
March 31, 2024 of Lease Contract No. 800217 with the County of San Mateo for
Property Used as Homeless Shelter
- Resolution No. 2005-15: Authorize Execution of a Three-Year Use
Agreement with Sunset Real Properties, LLC for Pico Boulevard in Redwood City,
for Access to South Base
- Resolution No. 2005-17: Authorize Award of Contracts for the
Provision of Heavy-Duty Towing Services to:
- Action Towing for a Total Estimated Cost of $15,720, and
- P&S Towing & Recovery for a Total Estimated Cost of $18,130
for a One Year Base Term with up to Two Additional One Year Option Terms
- Resolution No. 2005-18: Authorize Rejection of Single Bid of
Spiteri's Auto Service for Repair and Services to Service Vehicles and Authorize
Amendment to Extend the Current Contract with Spiteri's on a Month-to-Month
Basis at an Estimated Cost of $18,000 per Month
The Board (Tissier/Guingona [Hershman recused]) approved:
Resolution No. 2005-16: Authorize Award of Contract to John Glenn Adjusters
& Administrators, Inc. for the Provision of Public Liability Claims Administration
Services for an Estimated Cost of $1,025,000 for a Five-Year Term
LEGISLATIVE
COMMITTEE
Motions
- The Board (Lloyd/Harris) unanimously supported AB 1010 (Oropeza) Re: State
Oversight of Rail Crossings.
- The Board (Lloyd/Tissier [Hartnett dissenting]) supported AB 1169 (Torrico)
Re: Assault on Transit Operators.
- The Board (Lloyd/Guingona) unanimously supported SB 1020 (Migden) Rd:
Transportation Development Act Revenues
Subjects Discussed
Director Lloyd said Mr. Ed Stewart gave an update on the State and Federal
Legislative Programs.
PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE: No meeting.
WRITTEN COMMUNICATIONS TO THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS:
Already distributed to the Board members.
BOARD MEMBER REQUESTS: None.
GENERAL COUNSEL PROPOSAL: None.
DATE AND TIME OF NEXT MEETING: Wednesday, May 11, 2005
at 2 p.m., SamTrans Administrative Office, 1250 San Carlos Avenue, San Carlos,
California
ADJOURNMENT: 3:27 p.m.
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