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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes Corpus Christi Regional Transportation Authority - 10/08/2003 1s • REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY ?��6 A 2 yo 77, BOARD OF DIRECTORS' MEETING WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2003 DEC 2003 '.11 RECEIVED 8 SUMMARY OF ACTIONSTo CITY SECRETARY'S v� d OFFICE 4,"/ 1. Recognized Participants of 28th International Bus Roadeo 9`�s �'/ 2. Administered the Oath of Office to Nueces County and Small City Il iS rdr Committee Appointees to the RTA Board 3. Held Election and Swearing in of RTA Board Chair 4. Adopted Resolutions for Outgoing Board Members Julio Garcia Jr., Guadalupe Gomez, Mack Rodriguez and Carole Wilkinson 5. Provided Opportunity for Public Comment 6. Approved the Board of Directors' Minutes of September 3, 2003 7. Tabled Committee Appointments by the;Board Chair and Election of Other Officers of the Board Required in the Event of Any Vacancies 8. Heard Update on RTAC Committee Activities 9. Accepted.Committee Reports 10. a. Approved Awarding a Contract to VPSI for Vanpooling b. Approved a Resolution Authorizing Signatory For 2004 STAP Electric Services Agreement c. Approved a Resolution Supporting the Proposed Amendment of the City of Corpus Christi Code of Ordinances, Chapter 24, Human Relations, Adding Article V d. Authorized the Continued Use of Local Budget Funds to Fund the Temporary Body Shop Person Position e. Approved the Financial Report for August 2003 11. Authorized the General Manager to Award a Contract to Technology Solutions Providers for ADART 12. Approved One (1) Vehicle Technology and Two (2) Alternative Alignments for Downtown Transportation Environmental Assessment 13. Authorized the General Manager to Award a Contract to Paul York for Bus Repainting 14.Heard Update on B-Line and Purchased Transportation 15.Heard Report by RTA Staff on B-Line Performance Standards 16.Received 2004 Proposed Budget 17.Heard General Manager's Report The Regional Transportation Authority Board of Directors met at 8:30 a.m. in the Regional Transportation Authority Facility located at 5658 Bear Lane, Corpus.Christi, Texas. Board Members Present: Mike Rendon (Board Chair), Vicki Garza (Board Vice-Chair), Abel Alonzo, Carmen Arias, Rolando Barrera, John Buckley, Abel Herrero, David Martinez,, Stan Terry SCANNED Page 1 e 1.egional Transportation Authority Board Of Directors Meeting Minutes 1/4° at*b. October 8,2003 ds Page2 F• :zy Board Members Absent: John Corder, Anna Flores ,Staff Present: Linda Watson (General Manager), David Seiler, John Bell, Beth Vidaurri, Kevin Bunce, Stuart Sher, Ricardo Sanchez, Patricia Collins, Sylvia Castillo, Lamont Taylor, Eduardo Carrion, Fred Haley Public Present: Carlos Lopez, Q104.9; Becki Rendon; Mikaela Rendon; Mary Rendon; Mack Rodriguez, Carole Wilkinson, Lupe Gomez, Julio Garcia Jr., Judge Bobby Gonzalez, Robstown; Judge Robert Balderas, JP 1-3; Judge Terry Shamsie, Nueces County Judge; Crystal Lyons, C. C Committee for Persons with Disabilities; David Garcia, Greg Salazar, Teamsters 1110; Noemi Martinez; Priscilla Martinez; Santiago Bayando; Joe M. Bayando; Rosie Rios; Noemi Pachero; Daniel Martinez; Ramona Sawyers, Roland Garza, RTAEA; Wayne Fritz, Brenda Fernandez, Edna Arredondo, MV Transportation; Robert Vasquez, Mike Rickey, Liz Rickey, Port of Corpus Christi; Armando Vasquez; Carol Scott, Kailo Communications; Alan Wulkan, PB Consult Call to Order The Board of Directors' meeting was called to order by Mr. Rendon at 8:33 a.m. Recognition of 28th International Bus Roadeo Participants Ms: Watson stated that every year a local Bus Roadeo competition is held at the RTA complex. The top competitors in the local competition then represent the RTA at the International Roadeo which for 2003 was held in Salt Lake.City, Utah. She explained that the purpose of the competition is to promote excellence and professionalism in their work. In the Bus Category there were 103 bus operators - 32 drivers in 35' competition and 71 drivers in the 40' competition. In the Maintenance Category there were 44 maintenance teams. The following International Bus Roadeo participants were recognized and presented with a photographic remembrance of the event. Ruben Morales, representing MV Transportation in the Bus category, placed 23rd in the competition. He has competed internationally four times. Participating in the Maintenance Category were 1) Tony Garza, a first time competitor and RTA employee for six years; 2) Rudy Lopez, an eight year participant in both the local and international level and an RTA employee for seventeen years; and, 3) Cesar Garza, an RTA employee for seventeen years who has placed ten times in the top three in the local competition and participated nine times in International competition and often is one of the top scoring competitors. Participating in the Bus Category representing RTA was Julian Carranza, who has participated in eleven local Roadeos, placing first eight times and second twice. She announced that this year Mr. Carranza had placed fourth in the 35' Bus Category at the International competition, which was the highest level an RTA participant has achieved. Page 2 regional Transportation Authority Board Of Directors Meeting Minutes October 8,2003 Page 3 Action to Administer the Oath of Office to Nueces County and Small City Mayors' Committee Appointees to the RTA Board Mr. Rendon called on Judge Terry Shamsie to administer the Oath of Office to Nueces County Appointees Carmen Arias and David Martinez and Small City Mayors' Committee Appointee Abel Herrero. Ms. Watson announced that Mr. Lopez with Q104.9 would be broadcasting this portion of the agenda. Election and Swearing in of RTA Board Chair Mr. Rendon opened the floor for nominations for the position of Board Chair. Ms. Garza nominated Mr. Rendon. Mr. Rendori called for other nominations. MR. TERRY MADE A MOTION THAT NOMINATIONS BE CLOSED AND THAT MR. RENDON BE ELECTED BY ACCLAMATION. MS. GARZA SECONDED THE MOTION. THE MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. Adoption of Resolutions for Outgoing Board Members Julio Garcia Jr., Guadalupe Gomez, Mack Rodriguez and Carole Wilkinson MS. GARZA MADE A MOTION TO ADOPT RESOLUTIONS FOR OUTGOING BOARD MEMBERS JULIO GARCIA, JR., GUADALUPE GOMEZ, MACK RODRIGUEZ AND CAROLE WILKINSON. MR. BUCKLEY SECONDED THE MOTION. THE MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. Mr. Rendon noted that Mr. Garcia had served his full eight-year term and presented him with a resolution and a B plaque. Mr. Garcia gave an informational speech on his term and the improvements that RTA has been able to implement with various funding partnerships. He mentioned that he was the last member of the team that hired Ms. Watson as General Manager and commended her for her contributions to the organization. He also thanked all RTA employees and stated that he felt they made up one of the best teams. Mr. Rendon presented Carole Wilkinson with a resolution and a B plaque. Ms. Wilkinson stated that it had been an honor and a privilege to represent Nueces County on the RTA Board. She commented on the organization's growth over the years and her pride in being a part of the organization. She stated that she would continue to be an advocate for RTA. Page 3 - r icegional Transportation Authority Board Of Directors Meeting Minutes October 8,2003 Page 4 Mr. Rendon presented Guadalupe Gomez with a resolution and a B plaque. Mr. Gomez stated that he had enjoyed serving on such a well-organized Board. He noted that his tenure had been brief, but that he would be saddened to leave the Board and would miss working with such a talented team. Mr. Rendon presented Mack Rodriguez with a resolution and a B plaque. Mr. Rodriguez stated that it had been a pleasure to serve on the Board and working with staff and other Board Members for the past six years. Mr. Rendon called for a brief recess. • Mr. Rendon called the meeting to order at 9:34 a.m. Opportunity for Public Comment Mr. Rendon called for public comment from the audience. Mr. Roland Garza, Regional Transportation Authority Employee Association (RTAEA) representative, addressed the Board Members and stated'that he has been helping the transit workers for the last five years. He introduced Lupe Salazar, RTAEA president and Ramona.Sawyers, RTAEA representative. He welcomed the new Board Members. He stated that they had an opportunity to build a relationship based on trust and honesty. He stated that he felt that past issues would be resolved. Discussion and Possible Action to Approve the Board of Directors' Minutes of September 3, 2003 MR. BARRERA MADE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE BOARD MINUTES OF SEPTEMBER 3, 2003.. MR. TERRY SECONDED THE MOTION. THE MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. Action to Confirm Committee Appointments by the Board Chair and Elect Such Other Officers of the Board as May Be Required in the Event of Any Vacancies Mr. Rendon asked that this item be tabled to the November 5, 2003 Board meeting. MR. HERRERO MADE A MOTION TO TABLE AGENDA ITEM 7 TO THE NOVEMBER 5, 2003 BOARD MEETING. MR. TERRY SECONDED THE MOTION. THE MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. Page 4 hgional Transportation Authority Board Of Directors Meeting Minutes October 8,2003 Page 5 Update on RTAC Committee Activities Ms. Staley welcomed the new Board Members and extended an invitation to all Board Members to attend their monthly meetings generally held on the third Thursday. She explained that the committee was comprised of representatives of the ridership: They were created to advise the RTA Board on issues regarding fixed route and paratransit service. Summarizing the September 18, 2003 Regional Transportation Advisory Committee (RTAC) meeting, Ms. Staley reported that: the No Show Appeal Committee enforced one 7-day service suspension; the Eligibility Appeal Committee confirmed seven riders as eligible for ADA paratransit service; Mr. Taylor gave a presentation on the ADA compliance process; Mr. Haley solicited comments from the.committee regarding route service; Ms. Collins presented the B-Line update; and, Ms. Stover reported on the second quarter Customer Assistance Form (CAF). The members were concerned about the increase in.CAF's. She also reported that the committee would be reviewing the denial policy. Mr. Alonzo commented that he hadnot been aware that Mr. Taylor was the RTA's ADA Compliance Officer. He asked.Mr. Taylor how many ADA complaints he had received. Mr. Taylor stated that equipment concerns have been received. Action to Accept Committee Reports Mr. Rendon called for additions or corrections to the Operations Committee Meeting Minutes of August 26, 2003 and the RTAC Committee Minutes of June 19, 2003. MR. TERRY MADE A MOTION TO ACCEPT THE COMMITTEE REPORTS. MS. GARZA SECONDED THE MOTION. THE MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. Consent Agenda Items Mr. Rendon called for consideration of the Consent Agenda items which are of a routine or administrative nature. He asked if there were any items that should be pulled from the Consent Agenda. There being none, Mr. Rendon called for a vote on the following. consent items: a) Action to Approve Awarding a Contract to VPSI for Vanpooling b) Action to Approve a Resolution Authorizing Signatory For 2004 STAP Electric Services Agreement Page 5 negional Transportation Authority Board Of Directors Meeting Minutes October 8,2003 Page 6 c) Action to Approve a Resolution Supporting the Proposed Amendment of the City of Corpus Christi Code of Ordinances, Chapter 24, Human Relations, Adding Article V d) Action to Authorize the Continued Use of Local Budget Funds to Fund the Temporary Body Shop Person Position e) Action to Approve the Financial Report for August 2003 MS. GARZA MADE A MOTION TO APPROVE CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS 10a THROUGH 10e. MR. BARRERA SECONDED THE MOTION. THE MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. Action to Authorize the General Manager to Award a Contract to Technology Solutions Providers for ADART Mr. Faria, using a PowerPoint presentation, highlighted the features of the Autonomous Dial-A-Ride Transit (ADART) system. He stated that it was a sophisticated; web based, dynamic routing and scheduling system. He explained that traditionally routing and scheduling was done manually: ADART would allow customers to book their trips either on-line, or use a telephone if they preferred talk to a call taker. The system would offer curb-to-curb service and provide a call back five minutes prior to pick up. An electronic identification card (E- card) would be used to acknowledge passenger boarding and alighting. . . Providing historical background, Mr. Faria stated that Dr. Robert Dial developed the concept in 1995. The project has been funded by the federal government because of its importance to the nation and the potential benefits to transportation. Continuing with the report, Mr. Faria stated that some of the advantages would be service reliability enhanced by maps which show the driver both the trip origin and destination, and its ability to improve the Toad factors by maximizing the number of passenger per trip. The most important advantage would be.that RTA would own the program. Reporting on the project's progress, Mr. Faria stated that within the last eight months: a Peer Review meeting was conducted; a series of RTA Team meetings have been held; extensive on-road testing has been conducted;there have been several marketing efforts to promote the concept; and, the pilot paratransit service area has been identified. Mr. Faria pointed out that, during project development, software that was critical to ADART working efficiently was identified. TelContar, who charged $50,000 per year to use their software, owned it. An alternative software was developed and will be owned by Corpus Christi RTA. Also developed was interactive voice response in both English and Spanish. The web-based system would also be in English and Spanish. Other Page 6 _ gional Transportation Authority Board Of Directors Meeting Minutes October 8,2003 Page 7 features of the system would be: wheelchair accessibility and capacity; complete rider information available to the system's administrator through the use of the E-card; and, guaranteed pick up with the utilization of taxi cabs if needed. Providing an update on the proposed Phase IV B, Deployment Pan, Mr.'Faria said that the team continues to work with MV Transportation personnel on a weekly basis. The ADART service would be gradually phased, into revenue service for the entire B-Line service. They would be starting the pilot program with a small service area, which had already been identified. They would be starting with sedans and, as the software was modified to accommodate wheelchair boardings, the proper vehicles would be added. Training for all personnel involved in the project would start within two weeks. The deployment plan, according to Mr. Faria would include the internal local approach in addition to a nationwide approach. The goal was to develop the program in Corpus Christi and use it as a model. The software would be capable to generating revenue for the Corpus Christi RTA after implementation. Several cities have requested that their systems be used as a test site. Mr. Faria stated that one goal was to develop an ADART simulator to aid in system demonstrations. To enhance the marketing efforts, Mr. Faria stated that nation-wide mail outs would be distributed to inform the transit community about the project and presentations would be made at several conferences. The expenses for this marketing effort would be covered by ADART funds. • Mr. Alonzo inquired if the fares'would be increased. Ms. Watson stated that this was a policy question that would be addressed at a later date. Mr. Barrera asked about RTAC involvement. He stated that he felt that a user of the paratransit system should be involved. Mr. Faria stated that he wouldschedule a presentation to the committee. Mr. Faria'acknowledged the contributions to the project by RTA's MIS Director Ed Carrion. - Mr. Rendon asked that a workshop be conducted for any Board Member interested in the project. Mr. Herrero inquired about the project costs. Mr. Faria noted that funding has been provided through grants and that RTA provides in-kind contributions for the local match. After a brief discussion, contract support material was provided. Mr. Faria detailed the following breakdown: 1) Approximate Labor- $502,200; 2) Robert Dial = $75,000; 3) Page 7 regional Transportation Authority Board Of Directors Meeting Minutes October 8,2003 Page 8 Hardware/Software Purchases -$50,000; 4) Travel and Committee Expenses - $50,000; 5) Customer Surveys - $5,000; 6) ADART Marketing - $20,000; 7) ADART Temporary Personnel - $50,000; and 8) Contingency - $247,800 for a total contract amount of$1,000,000. Ms. Watson responding to Mr. Buckley stated that this expenditure was included in the budget. Mr. Sissamis replied to Mr. Buckley that the hardware and software would be included in RTA's fixed assets. Regarding the contingency amount, Mr. Buckley asked if Board approval could be required prior to-any expenditure of the contingency funds. Mr. Alonzo expressed the opinion that the entire Board should be involved with all RTA projects. MR. BARRERA MADE A MOTION TO AUTHORIZE THE GENERAL MANAGER TO AWARD A CONTRACT TO TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS PROVIDERS FOR ADART, PROVIDING FOR BOARD APPROVAL OF CONTINGENCY FUND EXPENDITURES. MR. BUCKLEY SECONDED THE MOTION. THE MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. Discussion and Possible Action to Approve One (1)Vehicle Technology and Two (2) Alternative Alignments for Analysis in the Downtown Transportation Environmental Assessment Mr. Wulkan remarked on the extensive Board and Staff involvement with the project and public outreach efforts. He stated that on September 17, 2003, about fifty representatives from the community participated in a workshop held at the Solomon Ortiz Center. He explained the six step evaluation process that was used in the workshop as follows: 1) Determine North/South Segment 1 (Between John Sartain and 1-37); 2) Determine North/South Segment 2 ( Between 1-37 and New Arena/Convention Center); 3) Determine North/South Segment 3 (New Arena/Convention Center to New Baseball Stadium); 4) Determine whether or not to include North/South Segment 4 (John Sartain to Holiday Inn); 5) Determine East/West Segment (Shoreline to Staples); 6) Determine a transit service concept to serve the Marina. The workshop results were very clear. The historic trolley was the preferred vehicle technology. Three alignments were identified for further evaluation: 1) North/South alignment using Chaparral completely; 2) a combination of Water Street with Chaparral north of 137 and; 3) a Shoreline alignment. All three alignments would share the same Ease/West alignment which was Williams to Lipan; Staples to Leopard and down Lawrence Street. The group supported extending the service to Memorial Coliseum Page 8 ±Lgional Transportation Authority Board Of Directors Meeting Minutes October 8,2003 Page 9 and Holiday Inn. The question of how to service the Marina resulted in the following recommendations: 1) use of a rubber trolley; 2) the operator of the marina would provide the service; or 3) the Shoreline alignment would provide a stop close to the marina. Continuing with his report,Mr. Wulkan reported on the feedback received from the following presentations. The Corpus Christi City Council expressed support for extending the service to Memorial Coliseum/Holiday Inn. They asked city staff to look into potential funding options such as inclusion in the bond election, a surcharge on event tickets and coordinating this project with the City's infrastructure projects. Additional public involvement was conducted by RTA staff at two community events. Survey results from participants at Buy the Bay Showcase and at Dance Around Downtown, showed that the preferred alternative was Shoreline Boulevard, the vehicle technologypreferred was the streetcar, and they were in favor of extending the route during the first phase to Memorial Coliseum/Holiday Inn. The PB consult team performed additional technical evaluations based on traffic, land use/ridership; and capital costs. He noted that the Chaparral alignment would create significant traffic disruption. Another consideration was the need to keep the project cost under$25 million dollars in order to qualify for Federal Funding exempt status. He stated that it,may be necessary to include extending the route to Memorial. Coliseum/Holiday Inn in the second phase of the project. The technical recommendation for further North/South alignment analysis was 1)Water Street/Chaparral Street; and 2) Shoreline Boulevard including extending the service to Memorial Coliseum/Holiday Inn in the initial phase. At the end of the study they would bring their final recommendations for Board approval. Mr. Wulkan explained that approval of the agenda item would initiate the conceptual engineering and the detailed environmental analysis on the two alternatives. The plan was to have another workshop the first week of December to look at station locations. He noted that the project was on schedule. Mr. Alonzo commented that he was not supportive of the project He expressed the opinion that if the City Council placed this item on the Bond election, he felt that the bond election would fail. Responding to Mr. Alonzo, Mr. Wulkan stated that there has been some discussion about running the project along Shoreline and not connecting with Staples Street Station. He stressed the need to have this project be a public transportation project that interfaces with the current transit program. He reminded everyone that there were some streetcarlines without development around them. He stated that urban planning and other developments around the line promote development. Page 9 Regional Transportation Authority Board Of Directors Meeting Minutes October 8,2003 Page 10 Mr. Alonzo expressed concern about the additional operational costs that would be required for the project and the immediate need to provide good service to transit- dependent riders. There was a discussion concerning the purpose of the study, community development variables that could affect the projects direction and the need to improve the local perception of public transportation, and traffic patterns that encourage using public transportation. Ms. Watson stated that the rubber trolley that circulates the Downtown area averages about 45.passengers per hour. That was twice the ridership of the existing system. Mr. Alonzo challenged the Board Members to ride the bus on a random basis. MR. BARRERA MADE A MOTION TO APPROVE ONE (1) VEHICLE TECHNOLOGY AND TWO (2) ALTERNATIVE ALIGNMENTS FOR ANALYSIS IN THE DOWNTOWN TRANSPORTATION ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT AS PROPOSED BY THE CONSULTANT. MS. GARZA SECONDED THE MOTION. THE MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. Discussion and Possible Action to Authorize the General Manager to Award a Contract to Paul York for Bus Repainting Mr. Alonzo inquired about prior work performed by Paul York. Mr. Bunce explained that on the first trolley sent for repair there had been substantial rust deterioration/damage due to the service in Port Aransas and the repair costs were greater than anticipated. Subsequent trolley bodywork repair has been done in-house. MR. BARRERA MADE A MOTION TO AUTHORIZE THE GENERAL MANAGER TO AWARD A CONTRACT TO PAUL YORK FOR BUS REPAINTING. MR. BUCKLEY SECONDED THE MOTION. THE MOTION • CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. . Update on B=Line and Purchased Transportation Ms. Collins' brief informational report for August 2003 included the following: 1) ridership was up 1.3% compared to August 2002; 2) based on the ridership average chart for 1999 - 2001, ridership was anticipated to increase in 2003; 3) denials were low at 0.08% of 17,804 requested trips; 4) passengers per hour was 2.71; 5) on-time performance was 93.84% which was below the contract standard of 95%; and, 6) the average call center hold time was 41 seconds. Page 10 .:;giona1 Transportation Authority Board Of Directors Meeting Minutes October 8,2003 Page 11 Mr. Alonzo handed out a list of concerns and stated that for the record he would be submitting his concerns in writing. He asked that the concerns be addressed at the next Board meeting. Reporting on the recruitment efforts for the General Manager position, Mr. Fritz stated that seventeen resumes had been received. Telephone interviews were conducted with eight applicants and four were given personal interviews. He announced that Brenda Fernandez had been hired as the new General Manager for RTA's B-Line service. He commented on her background and qualifications. He announced that she would officially assume her position on October 22, 2003. Ms. Fernandez expressed her enthusiasm about starting to work in Corpus Christi and looking forward to working with the Board and the community. _ Mr. Fritz added that the Selection Committee consisted of Alex Lodde, Dawn Rasmussen; David Garcia, and Sylvia Mendez from RTA. Report by RTA Staff on B-Line Performance Standards Mr. Barrera noted that passengers were spending additional in-vehicle time and asked if this affected the passenger per hour statistic. Ms. Collins stated that it did not. Ms. Watson stated that this would be an indicator that improved scheduling was needed. There was a brief discussion regarding what actions are being taken by the contractor.. to address the scheduling problem. Ms. Collins explained that when the new contractor took over the service, they did not have access to the prior contractor's scheduling records and had to familiarize themselves with the local scheduling requirements in order to optimize the service. Some measures taken by the current contractor include getting input from drivers on group trips and bringing vehicles off the road during non- peak times. . Responding to Mr. Barrera, Ms. Collins explained that on-time performance was measured on liquidated damages and incentives were measured on a per-incident - basis. She noted that in-vehicle time for the year was at its peak at 98.1% and that there were 41 violations out of 30,000 audited trips. Looking at denials, Mr. Barrera asked why denials were not included as part of the liquidated damages. Ms. Collins explained that because they are considered unacceptable they are not included in the contract. She also explained that the term virtually-zero denials referred to the acceptable rate established by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) for denials, which was 98.8%. Mr. Alonzo also commented on on-going trip denials and wondered if they were being denied in order to increase productivity. Page 11 ttegional Transportation Authority Board Of Directors Meeting Minutes October 8,2003 Page 12 Mr. Rendon noted that the Customer Assistance Forms (CAF's) report included several instances of reported speeding incidents. These were unacceptable because one of the company's goal was to provide safe service. Mr. Fritz responded that in addition to the normal road supervisor supervision, they were randomly auditing the routes and also performing ride checks in unmarked vehicles. If a driver was found to be in violation, they were counseled. Mr. Rendon stated that this concern has been voiced from the beginning and should have been addressed in a timelier manner. Mr. Fritz agreed. Responding to Mr. Alonzo, Ms. Watson stated that ride checks are not performed on RTA bus drivers, but that on a yearly basis the agency hired a secret shopper service and anonymous ride checks are performed. Mr. Terry expressed concern about the increase in cancellations. Ms. Collins stated that RTAC was looking into the feasibility of reducing advance reservations from 14 days to 7 or even 3o 4 days. This was being practiced.in Las Vegas and Dallas. The stricter enforcement of the no-show cancellation policy was also being reviewed. The RTAC approved recommendations would be presented to the Board for approval prior to implementation. Mr. Barrera thanked Ms. Collins for the informative report which provided an understanding of the rating method which should be used when evaluating the paratransit contractor. Distribution of 2004 Budget The proposed 2004 Operating Budget was distributed to all Board Members present. Ms. Watson briefly explained the various sections within the budget binder. She commented that the assumptions discussed at the September Administration Committee meeting had been incorporated into the budget. She asked Board Members to contact either herself or Mr. Sissamis if they had any questions. She stated that a detailed budget workshop would be scheduled in approximately two weeks. General Manager's Report Reporting on the status of the Southside Transit Station, Ms. Watson stated that the station had opened to the public on Monday, October 6, 2003. The Customer Programs Department provided on-site assistance to passengers since several routes serving the new station had been rerouted. Sunday, prior to the opening, an employee open house was held and drivers were also invited to visit the station and test drive the new route. - Work was continuing on the crosswalk connecting to the mall side. The grand opening was anticipated to occur in October or November. Page 12 _._ gio nal Transportation Authority Board Of Directors Meeting Minutes October 8,2003 Page 13 - Ms. Watson explained to the new Board Members that during Phase I of the Bear Lane Master Plan it was determined that razing the old administration building would save about $50,000 per year in operational costs. The demolition was scheduled to start within two weeks. . Also noted by Ms. Watson was that a reception hosted by PB Consult would be held this evening at the OMNI hotel from 6 p.m. until 7:30 p.m. to welcome new Board Members to the Board. _ There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 11:47 a.m. tri irr John Corder Board Secretary P 7—cs Date . . Page 13