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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes Corpus Christi Regional Transportation Authority - 07/11/2007 .y: 0678970 r� �� REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY % ` frA BOARD OF DIRECTORS' MEETING q 10l 1 WEDNESDAY, JULY 11, 2007 � SUMMARY OF ACTIONS ? , 1. Held Roll Call ''`tz>;z z. 1)) 2. Provided Opportunity for Public Comment 3. Heard Update on RTAC Committee Activities 4. Approved Consent Agenda a) Discussion and Possible Action to Approve the Board of Directors' Special Meeting and Planning Session Minutes of May 29, 2007 and the Board Minutes of June 6, 2007 b) Action to Accept Committee Reports c) Action to Approve the Procurement Methodology for Buses d) Action to Authorize Issuing an Invitation for Bid (IFB) for Miscellaneous Non-Revenue Service Vehicles for Transportation and Maintenance Departments e) Action to Award the Final Option Year to A. Ortiz Construction and Paving for Concrete Services 5. Approved Issuing a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for Selection of an Owner's Representative 6. Approved RTA's DBE Fiscal Year 2008 Goal 7. Approved the May 2007 Financial Report 8. Heard Update on Harbor Ferry Service 9. Heard Update on Flour Bluff Station 10.Heard B-Line Report 11.Heard General Manager's Report The Regional Transportation Authority Board of Directors met at 9:00 a.m. in the City of Port Aransas, City Hall, 710 W. Avenue A, Port Aransas, Texas. Board Members Present: Rolando Barrera (Board Chair), John Valls (Board Vice- Chair), Anna M. Flores, John Longoria; Crystal Lyons, Glenn Martin, David Martinez, Dr. Maurice Portis, Sara Salvide Board Members Absent: Carmen Arias (Board Secretary), Mannti Cummins ® Staff Present: Ricardo Sanchez (General Manager), David Seiler, Beth Vidaurri, Laura M Yaunk, Ed Carrion, Sylvia Castillo, Vangie Chapa, Mike Horten, Sharon Montez, Kristi Pena, Elias Sissamis, Lamont Taylor, Martin Trevino Public Present: Michael Kovacs,,Port Aransas City Manager; Nova Shields, Dana Smith, MV Transportation Cip Call to Order The Board of Directors' meeting was called to order by Mr. Barrera at 9:05 a.m. aional Transportation Authority Board of Directors Meeting Minutes July 11,2007 Page 2 Mr. Martin extended a welcome on behalf of the City of Port Aransas to all attendees and RTA Board of Directors for holding their monthly meeting in Port Aransas. Opportunity for Public Comment Mr. Michael Kovacs, on behalf of the City of Port Aransas, stated their appreciation for being a part of the Regional Transportation Authority. He touched on the new fixed- route service that would be part of the Job Access Reverse Commute program and its benefits to the Community and local businesses. He stated that this service would help potential employees from the northern bay area to be able to get to jobs located in Port Aransas. It was the consensus of the Committee to move Agenda Item 4 for discussion at this time. Consent Agenda Mr. Barrera stated that the items were of routine or administrative nature and had been discussed previously by the Board or Committees. The Board had been furnished with support documentation. He asked if any items needed to be pulled withdrawn from the consent agenda for discussion. Ms. Salvide asked that Consent Agenda Item 4c be pulled for discussion. a) Discussion and Possible Action to Approve the Board of Directors' Special Meeting and Planning Session Minutes of May 29, 2007 and the Board Minutes of June 6, 2007 b) Action to Accept Committee Reports d) Action to Authorize Issuing an Invitation for Bid (IFB) for Miscellaneous Non-Revenue Service Vehicles for Transportation and Maintenance Departments e) Action to Award the Final Option Year to A. Ortiz Construction and Paving for Concrete Services MR. MARTINEZ MADE A MOTION TO APPROVE CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS 4a, b, d, AND e. MR. VALLS SECONDED THE MOTION. THE MOTION CARRIED. SALVIDE, PORTIS, VALLS, LONGORIA, MARTINEZ, LYONS AND MARTIN VOTING FOR. CUMMINS, FLORES, AND ARIAS ABSENT. Action to Approve the Procurement Methodology for Buses Ms. Salvide stated that the type of bus and fuel used was a critical issue for the RTA and would have long-term implications for the agency. She said that it was imperative that staff conducts extensive research and a cost benefit analysis on the fuel options prior to the Board making a final decision. She recommended that staff survey transit agencies of comparable size and examine budget constraints facing the RTA. She r' ___gional Transportation Authority Board of Directors Meeting Minutes July 11,2007 Page 3 stated that she could not support the purchase of buses that use alternative fuels until a thorough analysis was performed. A brief discussion ensued. Mr. Martin clarified that the intent was to purchase diesel- fueled buses and look at utilizing alternative fuels for the non-revenue vehicles purchase. Mr. Longoria stated that the Request for Proposals would provide for diesel as well as alternative fueled vehicles to be proposed. The final recommendation for the purchases with the preferred fuel option would have to be presented to the Board for their final approval. MR. MARTINEZ MADE A MOTION TO APPROVE CONSENT AGENDA ITEM 4c. MR. LONGORIA SECONDED THE MOTION. THE MOTION CARRIED. SALVIDE, PORTIS, VALLS, LONGORIA, MARTINEZ, LYONS, AND MARTIN VOTING FOR. CUMMINS, FLORES, AND ARIAS ABSENT. Discussion and Possible Action to Issue a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for Selection of an Owner's Representative Ms.. Montez reported that on June 28, 2007, the RTA been approved to had receive $2,900,000 in Transportation Development Credits (TDCs) from the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) for the acquisition of buses and maintenance equipment. At the July 3, 2007 Planning Ad Hoc Committee meeting it was recommended that the services of a Project Management firm to service as the owner's representative during the construction phase be engaged. She stated that the owner's representative would assist the RTA in the procurement of the construction manager at risk, the negotiation of the contract with the construction manger, approval of a guaranteed maximum price under the contract, and overview of the construction management of the facility. She pointed out that the use of an owner's representative would provide a level of greater focus, which would result in reduced costs, and improved coordination implementation schedule. The estimated budget was $85,000 and was included in the Capital Budget. In response to Mr. Longoria, Mr. Sanchez stated that he had met with Mr. Raymond Gignac and discussed the portion of his contract with RTA for the maintenance facility project as it related to construction management services. It was determined that this service could not be taken out of the contract. Mr. Longoria asked that Mr. John Bell review the contract and provide a legal opinion on the matter. Mr. Longoria requested that the recommendation on this item be presented to the Planning Ad Hoc Committee priortobeing discussed by the Operations Committee. MR. LONGORIA MADE A MOTION TO AUTHORIZE ISSUANCE OF A REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS (RFQ) FOR SELECTION OF AN OWNER'S REPRESENTATIVE. MS. SALVIDE SECONDED THE MOTION. THE MOTION CARRIED. SALIVDE, PORTIS, LONGORIA, MARTINEZ, LYONS, AND MARTIN VOTING FOR. CUMMINS, VALLS, FLORES, AND ARIAS ABSENT. ./ ___gional Transportation Authority Board of Directors Meeting Minutes July 11,2007 Page 4 Update on RTAC Committee Activities Ms. Hovda reported on the June 21, 2007, RTAC meeting. She pointed out that the No Show Appeals and Eligibility Appeals Committees had met in June. Reports were heard on the B-Line service, monthly CAF report; and from the Policies and Procedures Subcommittee. The Subcommittee was reviewing the No Show Policy and was planning to present their recommendations on revisions to the policy to the RTA Board in August. Discussion and Possible Action to Approve RTA's DBE Fiscal Year 2008 Goal Mr. Taylor explained that this was RTA's annual Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) goal that would be submitted to the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). After approval by the Board, public comment would be solicited prior to submission to the FTA. An annual overall goal of 15% for 2008 was being submitted. He noted that Dr. Lee would be assisting in identifying additional DBE businesses and providing a baseline to determine future DBE goals. Mr. Barrera inquired about the feasibility of setting a higher goal since RTA had submitted a higher goal when the Administration building was being constructed. Mr. Taylor explained that he would prefer to have the statistical support material that would be provided in Dr. Lee's report prior to changing the 2008 goal. He noted that the report was scheduled to be completed by September 2007. MR. LONGORIA MADE A MOTION TO APPROVE RTA'S DBE FISCAL YEAR 2008 GOAL. DR. PORTIS SECONDED THE MOTION. THE MOTION CARRIED. SALVIDE, PORTIS, LONGORIA, MARTINEZ, FLORES, AND MARTIN VOTING FOR. CUMMINS, VALLS, AND ARIAS ABSENT. Discussion and Possible Action to Approve the May 2007 Financial Report Mr. Sissamis reported that sales tax received in April 2007 was $36,180 lower or 2.2% compared to April 2006. He stated that passenger revenues were 29.0% higher compared to April 2006. Fuel for the month was under budget, but he anticipated higher fuel prices by year-end resulting in the line item being over budget for the year. Bus parts were $36,868 over budget due to fleet age, higher parts cost, and greater demand. Both health insurance and purchased transportation line items were within budget. He said that in July he would present additional information on any trends that are being observed. Referencing the Capital Budget, Mr. Sissamis remarked that limited funding was available. In response to Ms. Salvide, Mr. Seiler noted that the Opus bus was a "light duty" coach that was being used extensively -- thereby resulting in increased maintenance needs. He also stated that the cost of the replacement parts for the Opus buses were higher than projected. __ gional Transportation Authority Board of Directors Meeting Minutes July 11,2007 Page 5 Responding to Dr. Portis, Mr. Sissamis acknowledged that maintaining a balanced budget would be challenging for 2007. He expressed the opinion that the agency did not have the latitude on the funding streams, but did have on the decisions on how to use the funds available. Mr. Barrera mentioned a letter to the Editor printed in the Corpus Christi Caller-Times. Mr. Sissamis responded that the information provided was inaccurate. After a brief discussion, Mr. Barrera agreed to sign a letter clarifying the inaccuracies stated in the letter to the Editor. He also recommended. placing an informational article in the RTA's employee newsletter. MS. LYONS MADE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MAY 2007 FINANCIAL REPORT. MS. FLORES SECONDED THE MOTION. THE MOTION CARRIED. SALVIDE, LONGORIA, MARTINEZ, LYONS, FLORES, AND MARTIN VOTING FOR. CUMMINS, VALLS, AND ARIAS ABSENT. Update on Harbor Ferry Service Mr. Seiler reported that a meeting had been held on June 29, 2007 with the Harbor Ferry partners. The representation had been good and feedback was provided by the partners. Reviewing the outreach plan, Mr. Seiler stated that a follow up meeting with the partners would be held in July. In addition, updates on the service, including an implementation timeline for the 2008 service, would be provided at the July 24, 2007 Operations Committee meeting. The goal was to have the season start before the Memorial Day weekend. In response to Mr. Martin, Mr. Bell stated that under state law RTA did not have to issue Request for Proposals (RFP) for the service. The RFP method of procuring this service has been used since inception of the service. Mr. Sanchez said that the procurement method would be discussed at the July Operations Committee meeting. Mr. Bell clarified that the original contract with HollyHills was not in force. There was a brief discussion on the time needed to have a contract in place in order to ensure that the provider had adequate time to secure a boat for the service. Mr. Barrera asked if it would be feasible for the partners to share in providing the service. For example, the DMD could enter into an agreement with the RTA to maintain a specific stop. Update on Flour Bluff Station Mr. Carrion reported that RTA had received notification of termination of ground lease from the attorneys for the new owners, CVC FB, LP ("CVC"), of the property in Flour Bluff that is the site of RTA's Flour Bluff Station. The lease would terminate by the end of December of this year. y � gional Transportation Authority Board of Directors Meeting Minutes July 11,2007 Page 6 Using a PowerPoint presentation, Mr. Carrion used aerial photos to depict the three identified options for continuing to provide service in the Flour Bluff area. Plan A would be to purchase the current transfer site; Plan B would be to build a new transfer center across from the new HEB store which would entail leasing the land from HEB and RTA would be responsible for all the improvements; and Plan C would be to build improved bus stops along the 10 foot easement owned by the City of Corpus Christi adjacent to the current Flour Bluff station. Mr. Carrion touched on the approximate cost for the proposed Plans noting that Plan C would be the most cost effective and maintain bus service in the area. He stated that the General Manager and Legal Counsel would be meeting with a representative of CVC to discuss options. Ms. Lyons raised the issue of ensuring that the bus stop locations were not built so as to interfere with future development at the current HEB/Flour Bluff Station site. B-Line Report Ms. Shields reported on B-Line service statistics for the month of May 2007. She stated that compared to May 2006 ridership had increased by 3.4%. The service standards that met contract standard were passengers per hour, denials, on time performance, and passenger "in vehicle time." Miles between road calls did not meet contract standards. She reported on various employee relations events held by MV Transportation. General Manager's Report Mr. Sanchez reported that RTA had received the Transportation Development Credits; the bicycle rack on buses campaign was progressing; the Port Aransas JARC service would begin on Monday, July 23, 2007; the 2008 budget kickoff would start with a presentation at the July Administration Committee meeting, then presented at the August Board meeting. He expressed appreciation to David Seiler and Linda Fallwell- Stover for their efforts in hosting the NTI training held at the RTA facility. He stated that the trainer had complimented how well staff had coordinated the training conference. Adiournment There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 10:36 a.m. APO Carmen Arias Date