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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes Corpus Christi Regional Transportation Authority - 11/05/2003 REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY. - 4 BOARD OF DIRECTORS' MEETING M 2004 121 WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER.5, 2003 RECEIVED N' CITY SECRETARY'S t SUMMARY OF ACTIONS �eo OFFICE $' w 04 1. Administered Oath of Office to Nueces County Appointee Ann b£Zk,'ed Flores and Small City Mayors' Committee Appointee John Corder to the RTA Board 4. Adopted a Resolution for Gilbert Garza 5: Provided Opportunity for Public Comment 10.Approved Issuing a Request for Proposal (RFP) for Purchased Transportation 2. Elected a Board Secretary to Fill Unexpired Term 3. Confirmed Committee Appointments by the Board Chair 6. Approved the Board of Directors' Minutes of October 8, 2003 7. Update on RTAC Committee Activities Was Not Provided 8. Accepted Committee Reports 9. - a) Approved Renewals of General-Liability; Auto Liability; Auto Catastrophe; Property Insurance; Errors and Omissions; and Workers' Compensation Coverage through Texas Municipal League (TML) b) Approved the September 2003 Financial Report 11..Approved Exercising the First of Two One-Year Options for Annual Financial Audit Services to Gowland, Strealy, Morales & Co. 12.Authorized Awarding a Contract to the Houston-Galveston Area Council of Governments (HGAC) for the Purchase of Two (2) B-Line Para-Transit Vehicles 13.Deferred Discussion and Possible Action to Authorize Entering Into an Agreement with the City of Corpus Christi, Downtown Management ' . District (DMD) and Other Entities in the Amount of$20,000 for the Completion of a Master Plan for the Downtown Area to the Administration Committee 14. Authorized the General Manager to Award a Contract to Dr. Robert Dial for Consulting Services Related to ADART 15.Heard B-Line Update. 16.Heard Presentation on People First Language 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), John Corder (Board Secretary), Abel Alonzo, Carmen Arias, Rolando Barrera, John Buckley, Anna M. Flores, Abel Herrero, David Martinez, Stan Terry SCANNED • = ' egional Transportation Authority rd Of Directors Meeting Minutes November 5,2003 Page 2 Board Members Absent: None Staff Present: Linda Watson (General Manager), David Seiler, Kevin Bunce, Stuart Sher, Ricardo Sanchez, Sylvia Mendez, Patricia Collins, Sylvia Castillo, Lamont Taylor, Elias Sissamis, Eduardo Carrion, Evangelina Chapa, Beth Vidaurri Public Present: Roland Meza, Tejas; Greg Salazar, Teamsters 1110; Alex Lodde, Wayne Fritz, Dawn Rasmussen, Edna Arredondo, Robert Ramos, MV Transportation; Crystal Lyons, Corpus Christi Committee for People with Disabilities; Diane Staley, Eloy Sosa, RTAC; Mrs. Kathleen Garza, Gilbert Garza Jr. Call to Order The Board of Directors' meeting was called to order by Mr. Rendon at 8:36 a.m. Action to Administer Oath of Office to Nueces County Appointee Anna M. Flores and Small City Mayors' Committee Appointee John Corder to the RTA Board Mr. Rendon administered the Oath of Office to Nueces County Appointee Anna M. Flores and Small City Mayors' Committee Appointee John Corder. With the concurrence of the Board of Directors, Agenda Items 4, 5 and 10 were discussed. Action to Adopt a Resolution for Gilbert Garza Ms. Watson, on behalf of the RTA, expressed sadness at the loss of Mr. Garza who had passed away on Saturday, October 18, 2003. She acknowledged Mr. Garza's contributions and enthusiasm for serving as a member of the RTAC. committee. MR. TERRY MADE A MOTION TO ADOPT A RESOLUTION FOR GILBERT GARZA. MS. GARZA SECONDED THE MOTION. THE MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. Ms. Staley and Mr. Rendon presented a plaque and the resolution to Mrs. Kathleen Garza and her son, Gilbert Garza Jr., in recognition of Mr. Garza's dedicated service to the transit dependant community and RTAC. Mrs. Garza expressed her gratitude for the recognition her belated husband was receiving. 2 ".egional•Transportation Authority rd Of Directors Meeting Minutes November 5,2003 Page 3 • Opportunity for Public Comment Mr. Rendon called for public comment from the audience. • Mr. Robert Ramos, an MV employee for eleven months, stated that he enjoyed working for MV Transportation becauseof its family atmosphere and that it was a good.company. Mr. Roland Meza, Tejas Management System, expressed his satisfaction with the interactions with MV personnel. He congratulated the call takers and staff for their excellent work. Mr. Greg Salazar, Teamsters representative, reported that David Garcia, Teamster Steward, had a heart attack and was recovering. Reporting on the issues with MV Transportation, he stated that they had met with Mr. Lodde and Ms. Fernandez and were resolving pending issues. Discussion and Possible Action on the MV Transportation Contract for Purchased Transportation Mr. Rendon explained that this item was placed on the agenda-due to questions that— -- had been raised concerning the quality of service being provided and the company's contract compliance. Mr. Lodde presented a progress report on pending issues. The first issue, employee benefits had been changed to provide a $10,000 life insurance policy as well as short and long-term disability to the present plan which would be effective January 1, 2004. The cost of a medical office visit was adjusted from $35 to $20. Upon supplying a receipt, employees would be reimbursed by MV Transportation for the difference of all office visits retroactive to January 1, 2003. The second issue, that the hiring process used for the new general manager did not include a face-to-face meeting. He explained the hiring process and that Ms. Fernandez could not attend the scheduled in-person interview on Tuesday, September 16 but was able to visit the facility on Saturday, September 13. She also returned for a follow up interview with Mr. Fritz on September 22. Continuing with his report, Mr. Lodde addressed the third issue, why B-Line was operating over budget. He summarized that until August of 2003 the company had been operating under the assumption of 66,000 vehicle service hours instead of 62,484 vehicle service hours. The fourth issue, productivity. He noted that for the month of October productivity was 2.60 ppvh compared to the standard of 2.50 ppvh; on time performance was 95.13% compared tothestandard of 95%; and 3 " egional.Transportation Authority rd Of Directors Meeting Minutes November 5,2003 Page 4 denied trips was 0.0004 compared to the standard of 0. He compared the current MV performance rates with those of First Transit and highlighted the improved performance rates. He requested that the Board table the agenda item for one month and allow him to present a progress report at the December meeting. Mr. Rendon clarified the Board's options as 1) continue with the current contractor or 2) start the process for re-bidding the purchased transportation contract, which would take approximately five to six months. He stated that the second option would give MV Transportation the opportunity to show that they can meet contract expectations while providing the RTA with management options for the purchased transportation service. He recommended that MV participate in the process. He explained that they would have a probation status during this time and if they did well, then maybe MV could retain the contract. This option would not disqualify them from participating in the bid process or from keeping the contract. Mr. Alonzo expressed that the biggest problem was that inaccurate data was being provided to the Board and that someone was changing the numbers: He asked what steps were being taken to ensure that someone was monitoring the service. Mr. Rendon stated that he felt that a process of checks and balance could be put together to make sure the numbers are right. He would work with Ms. Watson to ensure that the numbers were correct. Mr. Buckley noted that compared to last year, the performance numbers were better. He cited denials as an example. He asked if there was information that refuted this information; and if not, then he questioned why rebidding the contract was being discussed. Mr. Alonzo stated that copies of a letter were being made_and he would provide a copy to Board Members. Mr. Rendon stated that Board Members and members of the community have been expressing their concerns about the service and asking that the Board take action on their concerns since last March or April. He indicated that MV had the opportunity to improve their service at that time and if they had done what they are attempting to do now, this matter would not be before the Board. In July, service issues were again discussed and MV made a management change, at RTA's request.. He noted that MV's numbers looked good for last month, but their overall track record was not good. He also voiced concern that they were over budget and the possibility that it would continue to increase. He reported that Mr. Lodde had stated to him that they would come in within budget because MV would absorb the cost. Mr. Buckley agreed that he was also concerned about the budget but was concerned that when an entity selects a new contractor there is a change in personnel and managers. He indicated that no matter what kind of business you are, it takes some months to get the kinks worked out. His opinion is that the Board 4 • egional Transportation'Authority • rd Of Directors Meeting Minutes November 5,2003 Page 5 needs to let MV get to the point that they are doing the best that they can do and then if we are not satisfied, go out for bid. If the RTA gets a new.contractor in five to six months we will have another transition period. It takes a lot of staff time on both sides during a transition. If we think the numbers are better but it has just taken MV too long to get there; we are not going to accomplish something by letting staff go through a six-month process on this. Mr. Corder indicated that he did not believe a disservice would be done if the contract was rebid. . MR. CORDER MADE A MOTION TO DIRECT STAFF TO SOLICIT PROPOSALS FOR PURCHASED TRANSPORATION. MS. FLORES SECONDED THE MOTION. Mr. Terry stated that he was aware of the service provided because he uses them all the time. He agreed that during March and April there were concerns and that they werediscussed at RTAC and Board meetings. He also stated that there was dissatisfaction with the MV General Manager and when the Board told MV about it, MV asked for 30 days to address the problem and they changed the manager. He noted that today the Board had heard from MV employees that the employment issues have been worked out. A representative from an agency that works with a large number of our customer base also said that things have made a complete turn around compared to February or March. He also noted that the productivity, safety, on-time performance numbers all appeared to be within our standards. Responding to the comment that the numbers were not accurate, he stated that RTA had an employee that oversees the contract and the numbers come from the Trapeze system, which is the RTA's computer program. He questioned why RTA senior staff was not making a recommendation if there was a concern. Mr. Alonzo indicated that by issuing the RFP, MV would be held responsible and again expressed that he was waiting for the copiesof a letter from staff that said the, opposite. Mr. Corder indicated that there would be an opportunity to reverse the decision to solicit proposals within one or two months if needed. Ms. Flores indicated that the Board needed to stay focused on this and concentrate on the service that is provided to the ridership. Mr. Barrera indicated concerns he has had with the denial rates and miscommunication over the wage increases. He noted that the current contractor's liquidated damages report.had just been submitted in September whereas the previous contractor submitted the report on a monthly basis and the previous operation was seamless between union and non-union members. He asked if the 5 '_egional'Transportation Authority __rd Of Directors Meeting Minutes November 5,2003 Page 6 cost for going out for proposals and the amount of staff time that would be needed was known. Ms. Watson responded that previously it had taken an incredible amount of time because the contract had not been bid in a while and staff wanted to review what was going on in the industry. Now it would be less intensive but it would still take four to five staff people working on it over the next six months. Responding to Ms. Garza, Mr. Bell indicated that there were no legal ramifications for going out to bid. In response to Mr. Barrera, Mr. Lodde stated that to his knowledge the contract that his company signed did not state the vehicle service hours. Ms. Watson explained that 66,000 vehicle service hours was used in the RFP as a comparison basis to be able to evaluate all the proposals evenly. Variable cost was included for the first time in the proposal to allow for operational costs to decline if ridership declined. Ms. Watson stated that operational cost should be affected by the rise and fall in ridership, no shows and cancellations. According to RTA staff calculations, the increased 2003 ridership should have resulted in about a $40,000- $50,000 operational cost increase. The increased costs can be based on increased ridership and a poor start up for the first three months. She felt that the increased costs incurred due to the poor transition should. not be borne by the RTA. Mr. Terry again voiced his concern over not having heard from two important groups on this issue, RTAC and senior staff. He stated that they were important in the process and that the Board was only the policy maker. Ms. Watson indicated that there had not been an RTAC meeting and staff had not had an opportunity to meet with RTAC since this issue was placed on the agenda. There was not a recommendation from staff. Mr. Lodde requested that the Board wait one month before doing any actual work on the RFP process to give MV time to check the Trapeze numbers, make some additional improvements to resolve the budget issues in writing and another month under their belt in operations. It would also allow for any other documentation that RTA staff might need to review, including the Trapeze numbers. He indicated that he was confident that the numbers were accurate. Responding to Mr. Herrero, Mr. Bell stated that the contract with MV Transportation provided for termination without cause but that was not what was being considered at this time. 6 !gional'Transportation,Authority ' 'd Of Directors Meeting Minutes November 5,2003 Page 7 There was a general discussion on health insurance and MV indicated that they have matched the contribution levels that employees made under the previous contractors' plan. There was also a general discussion on the budget. Mr. Buckley again questioned why it was so urgent that a decision be made today before going through the normal process of hearing from RTAC and having a staff report. He also summarized that MV's numbers are better than ever; the budget issue has not been resolved; and it's going to take five to six months to go through the process. Ms. Arias asked if the previous bids could be considered instead of re-bidding the contract. Mr. Bell stated that the previous proposal was released almost one and a half years ago and it would be in the best interest of RTA to solicit new proposals to make'sure there is a fair and open bid. In response to Mr. Terry, Ms. Watson stated that the services of a consultant would probably not be necessary if Requests for Proposals were issued. Mr. Alonzo asked that the Chairman of the RTAC committee not be excluded in the contract evaluation process. Mr. Rendon called for a vote on the motion on the floor. MR. CORDER HAD MADE A MOTION TO DIRECT STAFF TO SOLICIT PROPOSALS FOR PURCHASED TRANSPORATION. MS. FLORES HAD SECONDED THE MOTION. THE MOTION PASSED WITH MARTINEZ; ARIAS, ALONZO, FLORES AND GARZA VOTING FOR; BUCKLEY, BARRERA, AND TERRY VOTING AGAINST; CORDER ABSENT; AND HERRERO ABSTAINING. Mr. Rendon called for a brief recess. The meeting was reconvened at 10:33 p.m. and Mr. Rendon continued with Agenda Item 2. Action to Elect a Board Secretary to Fill Unexpired Term Mr. Rendon opened the floor for nominations for Board.Secretary, to fill an unexpired term. MS. GARZA MADE A MOTION THAT MR. CORDER BE APPOINTED BOARD SECRETARY. MR. ALONZO SECONDED THE MOTION. THE MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. ' ., ;., "igional:Transportation Authority •d Of Directors Meeting Minutes November 5,2003 Page 8 Action to Confirm Committee Appointments by the Board Chair Mr. Rendon asked that the Board of Directors confirm the following Committee appointments. He appointed Roland Barrera as Operations Committee Chairman and.Carmen Arias and David Martinez as members. Appointed to the Administration Committee were Anna Flores and Abel Herrero. MR. TERRY MADE A MOTION TO CONFIRM COMMITTEE APPOINTMENTS MADE BY THE BOARD CHAIR. MS. FL ORES SECONDED THE MOTION. THE MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. Discussion and Possible Action to Approve the Board of Directors' Minutes of October 8, 2003 Mr. Herrero noted a correction to the minutes. MR. TERRY MADE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE BOARD MINUTES OF OCTOBER 8, 2003 AS AMENDED. MR. HERRERO SECONDED THE MOTION. THE MOTION CARRIED . UNANIMOUSLY. Update on RTAC Committee Activities Mr. Sosa concurred with Mr:Alonzo and suggested that a third party should monitor the reportsthat are provided to RTA by the paratransit contractor. He stated that the paratransit service provided in Corpus Christi was one of the worst in the state. In response to Ms. Arias, Ms. Watson replied that a workshop on the B-Line service was being planned. Action to Accept Committee Reports Mr:.Rendon called for additions or corrections to the RTAC Committee Minutes of September 18, 2003, the Administration Committee Meeting Minutes of September 24, 2003. There being none the following motion was made: MS.GARZA MADE A MOTION TO ACCEPT THE COMMITTEE • REPORTS. MR. BARRERA SECONDED THE MOTION. THE MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. 8 egional.Transportation Authority • rd Of Directors Meeting Minutes November 5,2003 Page 9 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 Renewals of General Liability; Auto Liability;Auto Catastrophe; Property Insurance; Errors and Omissions; and Workers' Compensation Coverage through Texas Municipal League (TML) b) Action to Approve the September 2003 Financial Report MR. TERRY MADE A MOTION TO APPROVE CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS 5a AND 5b. MS. GARZA SECONDED THE MOTION. THE MOTION CARRIED WITH ALONZO ABSTAINING ON ITEM 9 ??. Discussion and Possible Action to Approve Exercising the First of Two One- Year Options for Annual Financial Audit Services to Gowland, Strealv, Morales & Co. Ms. Watson stated that the rating spreadsheet from the original bid which was used to evaluate the proposals was included in the Board packet as requested at the • Administration meeting. She detailed each firm's qualifications and explained why the contract had been awarded to Gowland, Strealy, Morales and Company. MR. TERRY MADE A MOTION TO APPROVE EXERCISING THE FIRST OF TWO ONE-YEAR OPTIONS FOR ANNUAL FINANCIAL AUDIT SERVICES TO GOWLAND, STREALY, MORALES & CO. MS. FLORES SECONDED THE MOTION. THE MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. Discussion and Possible Action to Authorize Awarding a Contract to the Houston-Galveston Area Council of Governments (HGAC) for the Purchase of Two (2) B-Line Para-Transit Vehicles Ms. Watson briefed the Board that the vehicles would increase the fleet by two vehicles, would be placed in ADART revenue service immediately upon delivery, and would be used as replacement vehicles. She stated that if the item were approved, the vehicles would be in service by approximately December since RTA was tagging onto an existing order from another transit agency. 9 • Dgional Transportation Authority _rd Of Directors Meeting Minutes November 5,2003 Page 10 MS. GARZA MADE A MOTION TO AUTHORIZE AWARDING A CONTRACT TO THE HOUSTON-GALVESTON AREA COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS (HGAC) FOR THE PURCHASE OF TWO (2) B- LINE PARA-TRANSIT VEHICLES. MS. FLORES SECONDED THE MOTION. THE MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. Discussion and Possible Action to Authorize Entering Into an Agreement with the City of Corpus Christi, Downtown Management District (DMD) and Other Entities in the Amount of$20,000 for the Completion of a Master Plan for the Downtown Area Mr. Rendon asked that the item be tabled to the next Administration Committee meeting. He explained that media reports that the Board had approved the contribution were misrepresented. Mr. Alonzo asked that newspaper articles on the plan be included with the next agenda packet support material. MR. TERRY MADE A MOTION TO TABLE DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION TO AUTHORIZE ENTERING INTO AN AGREEMENT WITH THE CITY OF CORPUS CHRISTI, DOWNTOWN MANAGEMENT DISTRICT (DMD) AND OTHER ENTITIES IN THE AMOUNT OF $20,000 FOR THE COMPLETION OF A MASTER PLAN FOR THE DOWNTOWN AREA TO THE NEXT ADMINISTRATION COMMITTEE MEETING. MS. GARZA SECONDED THE MOTION. THE MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. Discussion and Possible Action to Authorize the General Manager to Award a Contract to Dr. Robert Dial for Consulting Services Related to ADART Mr. Rendon explained that previously a six-month contract had been approved but after additional review it was determined that a twelve-month contact would be in the best interest of the project. Dr. Dial, the software developer and inventor of ADART was instrumental to the successful completion of the project. Mr. Faria concurred with Mr. Rendon's summary. Responding to Mr. Barrera, Mr. Faria stated that the additional $75,000 would be budgeted from the contingency fund. MR. BARRERA MADE A MOTION TO AUTHORIZE THE GENERAL MANAGER TO AWARD A CONTRACT TO DR. ROBERT DIAL FOR CONSULTING SERVICES RELATED TO ADART. MR. MARTINEZ SECONDED THE MOTION. THE MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. 10 Dgional Transportation Authority rd Of Directors Meeting Minutes November 5,2003 Page 11. B-Line Update Mr. Seiler stated that the RTA staff was very professional and committed to providing accurate information to the Board. He expressed his support for a paratransit workshop. Reviewing the B-Line report for the month of September, Mr. Seiler stated that ridership had .increased to 14,178; ridership year-to-date was 125,713; denials were at virtual 0 at 0.02%; passenger per hour was 2.68; on-time performancewas90.8% which was below the contract standard of 95%; average call center customer hold time was 1 minute 9 seconds; 25 Customer Assistance Forms (CAF's) were processed, and no-shows and same day trip cancellations were at"10.8% of trips reserved. He stated that RTAC was reviewing policies related to reservations and cancellations. There was a discussion related to responsibility for reports provided to the Board and the consequences of cancellations and no-shows. Presentation on People First Language` Ms. Crystal Lyons handed out a People First Language brochure and presented a video on sensitivity and dealing with people with disabilities. General Manager's Report: Ms. Watson reported that ADART had started revenue service on September 4th She noted that the call takers and drivers were enthusiastic about the project. She announced her appointment to the Transportation Research Board (TRB). She pointed out that only two transit systems were represented on the Board. Other board members included the administrators from the Federal Aviation Administration, Federal Transit Administration, Federal Railroad Administration, the Maritime Administrator and the Deputy Secretary of Transportation. Also noted was that Gayle Knight had been invited to participate in the Community Transportation Association Seminar, an organization similar to APTA for the rural communities, at no cost to the RTA. Ms.'Watson stated that she hadbeen invited to be a facilitator at a workshop on the downtown plan hosted by Council Member"Colmenero. Also included in her report was that the Community Newsletter would be issued next week; a budget workshop would be held on Tuesday, November 11th at 10:30 a.m.; 11 " gional Transportation Authority _ f xl Of Directors Meeting Minutes November 5,2003 Page 12 . " and all Board Members were invited to the RTA Thanksgiving dinner on Friday, November 21st from 11:30 a.m. until 3 p.m. She asked Board Members to volunteer to be dessert judges. The official ribbon cutting ceremony for the South Side Transit Station would be held Friday, November 7th at 12 noon. She invited the Board Members to ride the bus, along with other community dignitaries, from the Dillard's parking lot to the entrance to the station where the bus would drive through a ribbon at the entrance. The official ceremony would follow. There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 11:42 a.m. 620 John Corder Board Secretary /—/ —o Date 12