CAPTIONING NOVEMBER 2, 2009 HART BOARD MEETING ***This is not an official, verbatim transcript of the ***following meeting. It should be used for informational ***purposes only. This document has not been edited; ***therefore, there may be additions, deletions, or words ***that did not translate. >>RON GOVIN: GOOD MORNING. I WANT TO WELCOME YOU TO THE HART MEETING THIS MORNING, AND WE'D LIKE TO START OFF WITH THE CALL TO ORDER AND THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. [PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE] OKAY. I THINK WE DO HAVE A QUORUM NOW, SO WE WILL PROCEED WITH THE AGENDA AS IT IS PUBLISHED THERE FOR YOU. THE FIRST THING IS APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES FROM THE OCTOBER 19th MEETING. >> MOVE APPROVAL. >> SECOND. >>RON GOVIN: WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND. IS THERE ANY QUESTIONS OR CORRECTIONS TO THESE MINUTES? SEEING NONE, THOSE IN FAVOR, IF YOU'D VOTE AYE. [CHORUS OF AYES] OPPOSED BY LIKE SIGN. OKAY. WE'LL MOVE ON TO PUBLIC INPUT. LET'S SEE. WE HAVE -- I'M NOT SURE WHICH IS THE DIFFERENCE THERE. >>ALISON HEWITT: [INAUDIBLE] >>RON GOVIN: OH, OKAY. SO THIS IS THE ONE -- THIS ONE? YEAH. OKAY. WE'LL START WITH THE PUBLIC INPUT ON AGENDA ITEMS, AND THE FIRST ONE IS VANESSA CEPHUS. >> ACTUALLY, I WAS TRYING TO JUST DO A GENERAL COMMENT. >>RON GOVIN: OKAY. WELL, YOU'RE ON THAT ONE ALSO. >> OKAY. SO YOU WANT ME TO WAIT FOR THAT? >>RON GOVIN: YOU WANT TO WAIT FOR THAT? >> OKAY. >>RON GOVIN: ALL RIGHT. AND THEN WE HAVE JOHN GREEN. >> [INAUDIBLE] >>RON GOVIN: SAME THING? NO, HE'S GOT JOHN ON THERE. OKAY. I'LL MOVE YOU TO THE OTHER LIST. OKAY. IS THERE ANYONE ELSE THAT WOULD LIKE TO BE HEARD UNDER THE INPUT ON AGENDA ITEMS FROM THE PUBLIC? OKAY. I'M NOT SEEING ANY HANDS. WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON. THE -- THE NEXT ITEM THAT'S ON THERE IS A TIME CERTAIN ITEM WILL TAKE PLACE AT 9:30, AND SO WE WILL COME BACK TO THAT AT THAT TIME. THE -- WE HAVE A NUMBER OF PRESENTATIONS THAT WE WANT TO GET THROUGH TODAY, SO WE'D LIKE TO GO AHEAD AND START WITH THE EMPLOYEES OF THE QUARTER, AND I BELIEVE THOSE ARE GOING TO BE DONE BY THE SUPERVISORS. >> GOOD MORNING. MY NAME IS SYLVIA CASTILLO. I'M STANDING IN FOR JOE ESCOBEDO, CHIEF OF OPERATIONS. HE'S OUT OF THE COUNTRY. THE FIRST GROUP I'M INTRODUCING IS OPERATIONS DRIVER OF THE MONTH. TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR THIS AWARD THEY HAVE TO HAVE AT LEAST THREE OR MORE YEARS OF DRIVING EXPERIENCE WITH HART, AND THEY CAN'T HAVE ANY PREVENTABLE ACCIDENTS OR SUSPENSIONS OR MORE THAN THREE ABSENCES AND NO VALIDATED COMPLAINTS WITHIN THE PAST 12 MONTHS, SO THEY ARE WORTHY OF THIS AWARD. WOULD THE FIRST OPERATOR COME UP, MIGUEL GRACIANO. HE'S BEEN WITH HART SINCE 1999. HE'S THE APRIL OPERATIONS DRIVER OF THE MONTH. THE NEXT DRIVER IS DEVON HASTINGS. HE'S BEEN WITH HART SINCE 2001. HE'S THE MAY OPERATIONS DRIVER OF THE MONTH. AND PAUL HARTMANN, HE'S BEEN WITH HART SINCE 1988, AND HE COULD NOT BE WITH US THIS MORNING. HE'S THE JUNE OPERATIONS DRIVER OF THE MONTH. THEY ARE OUR SHINING STARS. PLEASE JOIN ME IN CONGRATULATING THEM. [APPLAUSE] >>PHILIP HALE: I'M PHILIP HALE. I'M CHIEF OF MAINTENANCE. I HAVE ONE EMPLOYEE THAT'S EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH, AND THIS IS JERRY ALLEN. THE QUALIFICATIONS FOR EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH -- RELAX, JERRY. HE HAS TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR THE AWARD FOR -- CONTINUOUSLY EMPLOYED FOR ONE YEAR, MUST NOT HAVE INCURRED ANY PREVENTABLE ACCIDENTS AND NO SUSPENSIONS. HE ACTUALLY HAS TO BE A VERY GOOD EMPLOYEE IS THE BOTTOM LINE, AND SO WE'RE VERY PROUD OF JERRY. CONGRATULATIONS, JERRY. [APPLAUSE] NOW I HAVE A REALLY GOOD ONE. NOT TO SAY THAT JERRY IS NOT GOOD. [LAUGHTER] KEN. THIS IS -- I'VE HAD THE PLEASURE -- I'VE BEEN HERE JUST NOT QUITE TWO YEARS, AND I'VE BEEN BEFORE YOU TWICE NOW, THIS IS THE SECOND TIME, TO PRESENT THAT HART'S MECHANIC FIRST RUNNER UP FOR THE FLORIDA PUBLIC TRANSIT ASSOCIATION. THIS IS KEN BURK. THIS IS -- [APPLAUSE] -- PRETTY PHENOMENAL. KEN -- WHAT'S -- I GUESS -- TELL US, WHAT WAS THE INCIDENT THAT OCCURRED WHEN YOU RECEIVED THIS AWARD IN JACKSONVILLE? DID THEY HAVE TO SAVE YOU OR SOMETHING? >> YEAH. THAT WAS ACTUALLY THE LUNCH BEFORE THE AWARDS. I HAD GOT A PIECE OF CHICKEN CAUGHT RIGHT DOWN HERE, AND BOB ANDIS SAVED ME. HE DID THE HEIMLICH MANEUVER ON ME, BUT THAT WAS BEFORE THE AWARDS. >> OH, OKAY. [LAUGHTER] I WON'T SAY HE WAS NERVOUS OR ANYTHING, BUT NEEDLESS TO SAY, I THINK I'LL HAVE BOB ANDIS UP HERE NEXT MONTH. BUT ANYWAY, LET ME READ THIS. KEN'S BEEN A TOTAL OF 31 YEARS, WHICH IS A LITTLE DEPRESSING TO ME BECAUSE HE IS YOUNGER THAN I AM. KEN'S BEEN EMPLOYED SINCE -- WITH HART SINCE FEBRUARY 2nd, 1983. HE'S A MASTER MECHANIC. WENT FROM A MASTER MECHANIC -- MECHANIC I TO MASTER MECHANIC LEAD. HE'S WON A LARGE NUMBER OF SAFETY AWARDS AND MAINTENANCE EMPLOYEE OF THE QUARTER AWARDS AND EVERYTHING, AND HE CLEARLY DEMONSTRATES WHAT OUR EXPECTATIONS OF A HART MECHANIC IS, AND I JUST -- I'VE BEEN IN THE BUSINESS FOR ALMOST 37 YEARS NOW, AND IT'S -- IT'S VERY GRATIFYING FOR ME FOR -- TO SEE THE WORKFORCE THAT WE HAVE AND HART EMPLOYEE, AND KEN DEMONSTRATES THIS VERY WELL. THANK YOU. >> ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. [APPLAUSE] >> THE NEXT EMPLOYEE IS -- OF THE QUARTER IS THE EMPLOYEE OF THE QUARTER FOR SUPERVISORY CATEGORY, AND THAT IS ANGELO GINES. NOW, TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR THIS AWARD, YOU HAVE TO BE A NONBARGAINING EMPLOYEE WHO HAS COMPLETED AT LEAST ONE YEAR OF SERVICE WITH HART. YOUR ATTENDANCE RECORD AND -- HAS TO BE PRETTY EXEMPLARY. YOU HAVE -- SPECIAL RECOGNITION AND COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT ARE EVALUATED BY A TEAM THAT THEN SETS THE NAME OUT FOR EVERYBODY TO VOTE ON, AND HE WAS VOTED AS THE SUPERVISORY EMPLOYEE OF THE QUARTER. THANK YOU. CONGRATULATIONS. >> THANK YOU. [APPLAUSE] >> YOU'VE WON THIS THING BEFORE. THIS IS NOTHING FOR YOU, KIRK. WELL, GOOD MORNING. I'M KATHRYN EAGAN, YOUR CHIEF OF SERVICE DEVELOPMENT, AND FOR ANYONE I HAVEN'T MET, HELLO. AND THIS IS KIRK MIECZKOWSKI. DID I GET YOU RIGHT? >> RIGHT. >> SEVEN-YEAR VETERAN? >> YES. >> OUTSTANDING. OVER IN OUR GRAPHICS AREA. I CAN'T INTRODUCE KIRK AND GIVE A FAIR INTRODUCTION FOR HIM OR DO HIM JUSTICE. I'VE KNOWN HIM SIX DAYS, BUT I'M REALLY EXCITED TO WORK WITH HIM. HE DOES ALL OUR REALLY PRETTY STUFF, THE REALLY GREAT GRAPHICS WE DO IN-HOUSE. THERE'S A LOT OF AGENCIES OUT THERE, A LOT OF OUR PEERS THAT CAN'T GET UP TO THIS LEVEL OF CREATIVITY AND TALENT. WE'VE GOT IT IN-HOUSE. KIRK'S WON THIS A COUPLE OF TIMES. YOU'VE ALSO WON AWARDS WITH THE AMERICAN PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION ASSOCIATION, SO YOUR WORK IS RECOGNIZED NATIONALLY. A GRADUATE FROM ST. PETE COLLEGE? >> RIGHT. >> OKAY. I'M TRYING TO MEMORIZE IT ALL. YOUR WIFE ALSO WORKS AT HART, SO I'M SURE SHE TELLS YOU WHAT SHE DOESN'T LIKE THAT'S NOT PRETTY OUT THERE, AND I PERSONALLY FEEL FORTUNATE TO BE ABLE TO WORK WITH HIM AND I GUESS TO CONGRATULATE HIM TODAY. [APPLAUSE] >>RON GOVIN: IS THAT IT? OKAY. GREAT. >>JOHN DINGFELDER: MR. CHAIRMAN. >>RON GOVIN: YES. >>JOHN DINGFELDER: I JUST WANTED TO SAY I'M REALLY -- I'M REALLY PLEASED WE'RE DOING THIS AT OUR BOARD MEETINGS. I THINK IT'S GREAT FOR US TO BE ABLE TO SEE, YOU KNOW, OUR VARIOUS EMPLOYEES AND THEIR SUPERVISORS AND SHARE A LITTLE GOODWILL BACK AND FORTH, SO CONGRATULATIONS TO EVERYBODY. >>RON GOVIN: I AGREE. WE APPRECIATE IT. AND ALONG WITH THAT, I'D JUST SHARE WITH YOU -- I'M SURE MOST OF THE BOARD HAS READ THIS, BUT JUST TO GET IT OUT PUBLICLY, HART HAS RECEIVED A NUMBER OF AWARDS FROM THE FPTA, OR THE FLORIDA PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION ASSOCIATION, AT THE ANNUAL CONFERENCE, AND I THINK THEY'RE WORTHY OF NOTE HERE TODAY, ESPECIALLY THE FIRST ONE WAS THE -- THE FACT THAT WE WERE SELECTED AS THE OUTSTANDING PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM, THE BEST IN THE STATE, AND THAT'S QUITE AN HONOR. IT'S AN ACHIEVEMENT THAT IS MEASURED, GOLLY -- IF YOU GO BACK AND LOOK AT IT, IT INCLUDES SAFETY, OPERATIONS, CUSTOMER SERVICE, FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT, ATTENDANCE, EMPLOYEE COSTS. I WON'T READ THEM ALL. IT JUST -- IT'S MEASURED ACROSS THE AGENCY, AND WE'VE JUST DONE A FANTASTIC JOB WITH THAT, AND OF COURSE, OUR CEO, DAVID ARMIJO, IS -- IS OBVIOUSLY THE GENTLEMAN THAT HAS LED US THROUGH THIS, AND WE WANT TO GIVE CREDIT TO THE ENTIRE AGENCY. ALL 700 EMPLOYEES IS WHAT IT TAKES WHEN SOMETHING LIKE THIS OCCURS. IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE ALSO WON FIRST PLACE IN THE ELECTRONIC MEDIA. THAT'S THE ADS THAT YOU'RE -- YOU'RE BASICALLY SEEING ON TELEVISION. WE'RE ALSO -- ACTUALLY THE FAVORITE AWARD FOR THE TELEVISION COMMERCIALS WAS ALSO GIVEN TO US. FIRST RUNNER UP, THE MECHANIC, OF COURSE, WHICH KEN WAS -- KEN BURK WAS RECOGNIZED EARLIER. AWARD OF MERIT IN ELECTRONIC MEDIA, THAT HAS TO DO WITH THE WEB SITE. AWARD OF MERIT IN PRINT ADVERTISING, THAT'S FOR THE NEXT STOP ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN THAT -- THAT WE HAVE -- HAS BEEN GOING ON. AND THEN SAFETY AWARDS, SECOND RUNNER UP IN GROUP ONE. JUST AN OVERWHELMING NUMBER OF -- OF GOOD THINGS, SO WE'RE -- WE'RE EXTREMELY PLEASED WITH THAT. OF COURSE, OUR CEO IS NOT HERE TODAY. HE IS -- HAS I THINK PROBABLY ONE OF THE MOST PRESTIGIOUS HONORS THAT YOU COULD -- THAT YOU COULD RECEIVE IN THAT HE WAS SELECTED TO -- TO GO ON A MISSION PRIMARILY TO -- WELL, ALL -- ALL OVER SOUTH AMERICA TO -- AGAIN FOR THE -- THE PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION TO DO SURVEYS AND TO TRY TO PUT TOGETHER HOW THEIR PROGRAMS WORK, AND IT SHOULD BE A WIN- WIN FOR US AS AN AGENCY TO HAVE -- HAVE -- HAVE HIM DO THIS, SO HE BASICALLY GOT ON A PLANE YESTERDAY AND I ASSUME IS IN SOUTH AMERICA THIS MORNING. I HAVEN'T HEARD OF ANYTHING OTHERWISE, SO HE SHOULD BE THERE. SO THAT'S THE REASON DAVID IS NOT -- IS NOT WITH US TODAY. SO -- OKAY. GREAT. THAT'S THE BEST KIND OF MEETING WE CAN HAVE IS TO HAVE ALL THAT KIND OF GOOD NEWS TO START WITH. WE'LL MOVE ON TO THE PRESENTATIONS, WHICH -- THAT'S ACTUALLY WHERE WE ARE. LET'S SEE. WE HAVE TWO PRESENTATIONS, THE MPO. BETH ALDEN IS GOING TO BE MAKING A PRESENTATION TO US. >>RAY CHIARAMONTE: ACTUALLY, I'M GOING TO GIVE BETH A BRIEF INTRODUCTION. I JUST WANT TO LET YOU KNOW THIS -- YOU'RE THE FIRST I BELIEVE GROUP TO SEE THE DRAFT OF OUR LONG-RANGE TRANSPORTATION PLAN FOR THE MPO, AND TO PUT YOU IN THE RIGHT FRAME OF MIND, I WANT YOU TO THINK ABOUT IT A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENTLY. THINK ABOUT IT. IT'S A BUSINESS PLAN FOR THE FUTURE PROSPERITY OF OUR COMMUNITY BECAUSE IT IS A DIFFERENT KIND OF MPO PLAN THAN WE'VE EVER HAD IN THE PAST. WE'VE HAD MORE COORDINATION WITH AGENCIES LIKE HART, TBARTA, FDOT TO LEVELS THAT WE'VE NEVER GONE TO BEFORE TO GET REALLY A PLAN THAT EVERYBODY CAN SUPPORT, BUT IT CLEARLY IS A CHANGE IN DIRECTION, NOT AS HIGHWAY ORIENTED, MORE TRANSIT ORIENTED THAN WE'VE EVER HAD BEFORE, SO IT IS A DIFFERENT MPO PLAN. I KNOW YOU HAVE A LOT OF THINGS ON YOUR MEETING, YOU GOT A LATE START. I'M GOING TO LET BETH GO AHEAD AND GIVE THE PRESENTATION. WE HAVE ABOUT A TEN-MINUTE PRESENTATION ON THE PLAN. I'M GOING TO LEAVE A VIDEO WITH YOU THAT IS AN INTRODUCTORY VIDEO RATHER THAN SHOW IT AT THE MEETING. I'LL GIVE EACH OF YOU YOUR OWN COPY, AND WE'LL GET IT TO EACH OF YOU BEFORE THE END OF THE MEETING. THANK YOU. >>RON GOVIN: THANK YOU, RAY. >>BETH ALDEN: THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING US HERE TODAY. BETH ALDEN, MPO STAFF, AND I AM GOING TO TRY TO RUN THROUGH THIS KIND OF QUICKLY. YOU HAVE IN FRONT OF YOU A COUPLE OF THINGS. ONE IS A DRAFT OF OUR NEWSLETTER, WHICH WILL BE COMING OUT IN NOVEMBER. THIS IS OUR PRIMARY FORMAT FOR PUBLIC COMMENT ON THE DRAFT COST-AFFORDABLE LONG-RANGE TRANSPORTATION PLAN, AND IT LISTS PROJECTS OF ALL DIFFERENT MODES THAT BASED ON ANALYSIS AND PUBLIC INPUT WE THINK ARE HIGH PRIORITIES SO ARE PROPOSED TO BE FUNDED. IT ALSO LISTS UNFUNDED NEEDS. THERE'S A MAP IN HERE SPECIFICALLY WITH HART'S PROJECTS SHOWING EXPANSION OF THE BUS SERVICE AND SO FORTH. THE LONG-RANGE TRANSPORTATION PLAN IS SORT OF THE BIG PICTURE FOR TRANSPORTATION IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, AND SO IT SORT OF PROVIDES THE FRAMEWORK WITHIN WHICH ALL OF THE AGENCIES OPERATE, AND IT'S BEEN A PLEASURE WORKING WITH HART STAFF TO -- TO PUT TOGETHER HOW TRANSIT FITS INTO THIS PLAN. IT IS A MULTIMODAL PLAN. ONE OF THE IMPORTANT THINGS TO REMEMBER ABOUT IT IS THAT IT IS HOW OUR LOCAL GOVERNMENTS COME TOGETHER TO SET PRIORITIES FOR SPENDING FEDERAL FUNDS AND SOME STATE FUNDS THAT COME TO THIS AREA. SO IT'S A -- HOW DO WE INVEST IN OUR FUTURE? IT'S BASED ON THE COMPREHENSIVE PLANS THAT ARE ADOPTED BY THE LOCAL GOVERNMENTS THAT IDENTIFY WHERE WILL GROWTH BE, THIS PLAN THAT IDENTIFIES WHAT FACILITIES ARE NEEDED AND THEN IS IMPLEMENTED YEAR BY YEAR BY AGENCIES LIKE HART, THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION, AND SO FORTH. THERE WERE SIX GOALS THAT WERE ADOPTED BY THE MPO BOARD AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS PROCESS, INCLUDING IMPROVING QUALITY OF LIFE, SUPPORTING ECONOMIC VITALITY, PROMOTING ACCESSIBILITY WITH CHOICES, COORDINATING TRANSPORTATION AND LAND USE, ENHANCING SAFETY AND SECURITY, AND PRESERVING EXISTING FACILITIES. WE USED THOSE GOALS TO DEVELOP A MEASURABLE CRITERIA FOR MORE THAN 500 DIFFERENT CANDIDATE PROJECTS, SCORED ALL OF THOSE PROJECTS AND RANKED THEM. WE ARE STILL TAKING COMMENTS ON THAT SCORING AND, YOU KNOW, MAKING ADJUSTMENTS AS NEEDED. BUT HERE'S WHAT WE'VE COME UP WITH SO FAR. SAFETY WAS THE MOST HEAVILY WEIGHTED GOAL, AND SO THERE ARE PROJECTS IN THE PLAN FOR ENHANCED ROADS, WHICH INCLUDES THINGS LIKE INTERSECTION IMPROVEMENTS AND MAKING THE PEDESTRIAN AND CYCLING ENVIRONMENT SAFER, AND THEN PEDESTRIAN ENHANCEMENT CORRIDORS, FOCUSING ON LIKE SOME OF OUR HIGH CRASH AREAS LIKE YOU SEE ON THIS MAP. TRAFFIC CONGESTION'S THE SECOND MOST HEAVILY WEIGHTED FACTOR, AND WE HAVE SOME VERY HIGH DELAY CORRIDORS. SOME OF THE HIGHEST ONES HERE IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY ARE ON OUR INTERSTATE SYSTEM, BUT BRUCE B. DOWNS ALSO RANKS PRETTY HIGH, U.S. 301, KENNEDY BOULEVARD, SOME OF THESE AREAS WHERE TRANSIT CAN PLAY A ROLE IN HELPING WITH THAT. ON THE INTERSTATES, OF COURSE THE CONSTRUCTION OF I-275 BETWEEN DOWNTOWN AND WESTSHORE IS SCHEDULED TO CONTINUE FOR PROBABLY THE NEXT TEN YEARS. ANOTHER PROJECT THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IS ON I-75. THIS IS ONE OF OUR HIGHEST -- PROBABLY THE TOP VEHICLE HOURS OF DELAY PER MILE IS I-75 ALL THE WAY NORTH FROM GIBSONTON ALL THE WAY UP TO THE PASCO COUNTY LINE. WE DON'T HAVE AFFORDABLE NEW CAPACITY IN THIS CORRIDOR YET, BUT WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT HERE IS ADDING NEW POTENTIAL HOT LANES AND USING OUR TRANSPORTATION REGIONAL INCENTIVE PROGRAM AS PART OF THE FUNDING MIX FOR THAT. WE KNOW WE'RE STILL GOING TO HAVE A LOT OF TRAFFIC CONGESTION IN 2035, EVEN IF WE CAN WIDEN ALL OF THE ROADS THAT ARE PROPOSED, SO ALTERNATIVES TO DRIVING, OUR THIRD MOST HEAVILY WEIGHTED FACTOR, INCLUDING THINGS LIKE FILLING SIDEWALK GAPS, ADDING BICYCLE LANES, ADDING BUS SHELTERS, ALL OF THOSE ARE PART OF THE COST-AFFORDABLE PLAN, AND MAKING THAT INTO THIS COMPLETE STREETS CONCEPT WHERE OUR STREETS ARE THEN USABLE BY ALL MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC. SO ALTERNATIVES TO DRIVING, RAIL, OF COURSE, ALSO PLAYING A PART IN THAT, FOCUSING ON OUR HIGHEST-DENSITY POPULATION AND JOB AREAS. THIS MAP SHOWS CONCENTRATIONS OF BOTH JOBS AND POPULATION, JOBS IN THAT DARKER PURPLE COLOR AND POPULATION IN THE DARKER BROWN COLOR. EXPANDING THE BUS SERVICE, OF COURSE, IS A BIG PART OF THAT, AND WHAT WE'VE DONE IS TO USE THE INFORMATION THAT WE'VE GOTTEN FROM YOUR STAFF ABOUT EXPANSION OF THE BUS SERVICE AND LOOKED AT WHERE OUR POPULATION IS GOING TO BE, AND THIS LOOKS LIKE A GREAT PLAN. IT LOOKS LIKE BASICALLY WE'RE EXPANDING OUR FREQUENT SERVICE FROM -- RIGHT NOW WE HAVE FREQUENT SERVICE TO ABOUT 13% OF OUR PEOPLE AND JOBS, AND AFTER THE EXPANSION IN 2035 WITH POPULATION GROWTH, THAT WOULD BE 55% OF PEOPLE AND JOBS AND ALMOST 70% OF THE POPULATION AS A WHOLE WITHIN RANGE OF THAT EXPANDED BUS SERVICE. SO WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? THE FREQUENT SERVICE THAT I MENTIONED IS SHOWN IN DARK GREEN HERE ON THIS MAP. AFTER THE EXPANSION, THAT DARK GREEN COVERS A LOT MORE AREAS, AND THEN OF COURSE YOUR FLEX ROUTES. THE RAIL CAN HELP WITH OUR TRAFFIC CONGESTION. THE BIGGEST AREAS WHERE IT WOULD HAVE AN IMPACT IS IN THE CENTER OF THE COUNTY, I-275 GOING NORTH OF DOWNTOWN AND I- 275 WEST OF DOWNTOWN, INCLUDING THE HOWARD FRANKLAND BRIDGE. THOSE ARE THE AREAS WHERE RAIL COULD POTENTIALLY HAVE THE MOST SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON TRAVEL DELAY. ACTIVITY CENTERS WERE ANOTHER MAJOR FOCUS THAT WE LOOKED AT IN THIS PLANNING PROCESS. 30 OF THOSE AROUND THE COUNTY. AND AS YOU KNOW, WE DO HAVE FOUR OF THOSE THAT HAVE A HIGH CONCENTRATION OF OUR POPULATION AND JOBS. REGIONAL CONNECTIONS, ANOTHER IMPORTANT FACTOR IN THE PLAN, AND OF COURSE, LOOKING AT THE FIRST RAIL SEGMENTS BEING FIRST STEPS IN BUILDING OUT A REGIONAL SYSTEM. KNOWING THAT -- THAT -- YOU KNOW, HOW DO WE FIT INTO THE REGIONAL SYSTEM WAS KIND OF A QUESTION. WE LOOKED VERY SERIOUSLY AT HOW DOES BUILDING REGIONAL CONNECTIONS BENEFIT HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, AND SO WHAT WE DID WAS TO DO A NUMBER OF MODEL TESTS, MODELING FUTURE DEMAND, FUTURE RIDERSHIP, USE THAT "U" LINE AS A BASE AND THEN LOOKING AT THOSE POTENTIAL REGIONAL CONNECTIONS, AND SO WE STUDIED THEM INDIVIDUALLY. WE STUDIED THE "U" WITH A CONNECTION ACROSS THE HOWARD FRANKLAND BRIDGE TO WESTSHORE, WE STUDIED THE "U" WITH A CONNECTION UP TO PASCO IN THE BRUCE B. DOWNS CORRIDOR. WE STUDIED THE "U" WITH A CONNECTION TO BRANDON AND THEN IN THAT BUSCH AND LINEBAUGH CORRIDOR, BOTH ACROSS BUSCH BOULEVARD AND WESTWARD TO PINELLAS COUNTY. WE ALSO LOOKED AT IT WITH A CONNECTION TO SOUTH TAMPA. ALL OF THOSE ARE ABOUT 30- TO 37-MILE SYSTEMS. THEY ALL HAVE FAIRLY SIMILAR AMOUNTS OF IMPACT ON TRAVEL DELAY, EQUIVALENT TO SAVING ABOUT 250,000 PEOPLE 15 MINUTES EVERY DAY IN 2035. THEY DO VARY A LITTLE BIT IN TERMS OF RIDERSHIP. THE "U" ITSELF WAS THE MOST PRODUCTIVE IN TERMS OF PASSENGER MILES PER MILE. THE ONLY ONE OF THOSE SYSTEMS THAT WAS MORE PRODUCTIVE THAN THE "U" WAS THE "U" PLUS THE CONNECTION TO THE REGION, TO - - UP TO PASCO COUNTY AND THEN MAYBE MORE IMPORTANTLY ACROSS TO PINELLAS COUNTY WHERE WE KNOW WE HAVE A LOT OF JOBS, A LOT OF DESTINATIONS RIGHT ACROSS THE BRIDGE. HOW MUCH MORE PRODUCTIVE IN ACTUALLY 80% MORE PRODUCTIVE ON THAT CROSS-BAY CONNECTION. WE DO KNOW, OF COURSE, THAT THAT'S GOING TO BE AN A EXPENSIVE CONNECTION TO BUILD. BOTH THE HOWARD FRANKLAND BRIDGE AND GOING THROUGH THE AIRPORT ARE GOING TO BE EXPENSIVE CONNECTIONS. IN CONTRAST, THE BRUCE B. DOWNS CORRIDOR MIGHT BE THE LEAST EXPENSIVE IF WE HAVE RIGHT-OF-WAY AVAILABLE IN THAT CORRIDOR, BUT BECAUSE OF THE HIGHER PRODUCTIVITY GOING ACROSS THE BRIDGE, WE THINK THAT IT IS WORTH THAT EXPENSE. WE'RE ALSO LOOKING FOR THIS TO BE A PARTNERSHIP WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION AND WITH PINELLAS COUNTY SO THAT WE WOULD ONLY BE LOOKING AT THE COST TO HALFWAY ACROSS THE BRIDGE, PINELLAS THEN COMING UP WITH THE REMAINDER, AND THE ACTUAL BRIDGE CONSTRUCTION BEING TAKEN CARE OF AS THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION REBUILDS THE NORTHBOUND SPAN OF I-275. COMMUNITY SUPPORT IS ANOTHER MAJOR FACTOR IN THE PLAN, LOOKING AT COMMUNITY PLANS. TRANSIT DOES PLAY A ROLE IN A NUMBER OF COMMUNITY PLANS. GOODS MOVEMENT WEIGHTED AT 7%. MAINTAINING OUR EXISTING SYSTEM WAS ANOTHER MAJOR FACTOR, INCLUDING TRAVEL DEMAND MANAGEMENT AND MAINTAINING SUPPORT FOR OUR EXISTING VANPOOL PROGRAM, WHICH REACHES OUT MORE TO OUTLYING AREAS. AND THEN FINALLY SECURITY, MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE MAINTAINING THOSE EVACUATION ROUTES AND LOOKING AT CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE. SO HOW DOES THIS ALL FIT TOGETHER? IT FITS TOGETHER IN FIVE-YEAR PHASES WHERE WE TRY TO BALANCE OUR COSTS AND REVENUES. IN NOVEMBER WE HAVE OUR PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD, BRINGING OUT PROPOSED PROJECTS TO THE PUBLIC. OUR COSTS AND REVENUES, WE'RE REFLECTING FEDERAL FUNDS. THESE ARE IN DARK BLUE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE SCREEN; SOME LOCAL AREA FUNDS IN LIGHTER BLUE; HART FUNDS SHOWN IN GREEN; AND THEN THERE ARE SOME FUNDS WHICH ARE POTENTIAL FUNDS WHICH THIS AREA COULD USE WHICH THEY'RE NOT NECESSARILY USING RIGHT NOW, LIKE WE HAVE NOT ASSUMED THAT OUR EXISTING LOCAL OPTION GAS TAX WILL BE EXTENDED. WE HAVE ASSUMED THAT THE POTENTIAL 1% TRANSIT SURTAX WOULD BE IMPLEMENTED HERE AND BECOME AVAILABLE IN 2011, SO THAT IS ASSUMED IN THIS PLAN. WE ALSO ASSUMED THAT THERE WOULD BE SOME POTENTIAL FEDERAL AND STATE MATCH FOR THAT LOCAL INVESTMENT IN -- IN RAIL. WHY ARE WE LOOKING AT A NEW FUNDING SOURCE? WE UNDERSTAND THAT THERE IS A SIGNIFICANT SHORTFALL BETWEEN OUR AVAILABLE FUNDS AND WHAT ARE THE COSTS OF ALL THE PROJECTS THAT HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED AS BEING NEEDED. THIS IS TYPICAL AROUND THE STATE. THE CENTER FOR URBAN TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH IDENTIFIED GROWING SHORTFALLS AMONG MPOs ALL OVER THE STATE OF FLORIDA, AND SO WE'VE BEEN LOOKING AT WHAT IS -- WHAT IS IT THAT WE ARE ASKING MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC TO CONSIDER IN TERMS OF A SALES TAX, SO WE LOOKED AT THOSE INCOME TAX TABLES FROM 2008, AND BASED ON AVERAGE FAMILY INCOME IN 2008, AN AVERAGE FAMILY WOULD HAVE PAID $142 ON A 1% SALES TAX. SO ALL THIS BRINGS US TO A LIST OF POTENTIALLY AFFORDABLE ROAD PROJECTS. IT'S A DRAFT LIST. IT'S SHOWN IN YOUR NEWSLETTER. BRINGS US ALSO TO A DRAFT MAP AND LIST OF AFFORDABLE TRANSIT PROJECTS ALSO SHOWN IN YOUR NEWSLETTER, BICYCLING PROJECTS, PEDESTRIAN PROJECTS ALSO SHOWN. WHAT IT MEANS FOR US IS THAT WE ARE SHIFTING OUR TRANSPORTATION SPENDING FROM BEING ABOUT 83% FOCUSED ON MAJOR ROADS TO LISTENING TO MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC DURING OUR LRTP OUTREACH PERIOD TELLING US THAT WE NEED TO PAY MORE ATTENTION TO OTHER MODES SO THAT THIS PLAN NOW CONTEMPLATES ABOUT A 50/50 SPLIT BETWEEN HIGHWAYS AND TRANSIT IN TERMS OF CAPITAL FUNDING. AND WE'RE INVITING YOU TO PARTICIPATE IN LOOKING AT THE VIDEO THAT HAS BEEN PRODUCED FOR PUBLIC CONSUMPTION. IT'S POSTED ON OUR WEB SITE. WE'LL BE SHARING COPIES OF THAT WITH YOU. WE'D BE HAPPY TO TALK WITH ANY COMMUNITY GROUPS THAT YOU THINK WOULD BE INTERESTED IN HEARING MORE ABOUT THE PLAN, AND WE WILL BE HOLDING TWO TOWN CALL MEETINGS WHERE FOLKS CAN PHONE IN. >> [INAUDIBLE] >>BETH ALDEN: OH, YEAH. SORRY. WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 18th HAS BEEN CHANGED TO THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 19th. THE OTHER WILL BE HELD TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 10th, AND WE SCHEDULED A RAIN DATE JUST IN CASE THERE WAS A HURRICANE THIS YEAR. HOPEFULLY WE WON'T NEED IT. AND THAT NUMBER IS 1-877-229-8493, AND THE ID IS 15177#. SO THAT BRINGS ME TO THE END OF THIS OVERVIEW OF THE LONG- RANGE PLAN. I'D BE HAPPY TO TRY TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS. >>RON GOVIN: MR. DINGFELDER. >>JOHN DINGFELDER: THANK YOU. THANKS FOR THE PRESENTATION. THE -- TWO QUICK QUESTIONS. THE $5.8 BILLION TO TRANSIT WITH THE 50/50 SPLIT, IS THAT - - IS THAT DEPENDENT ON THE PASSAGE OF THE -- OF THE PENNY SALES TAX? >>BETH ALDEN: YES, IT IS. >>JOHN DINGFELDER: OKAY. IS THE WHOLE LRTP DEPENDENT UPON THE PASSAGE OF THE PENNY SALES TAX? >>BETH ALDEN: NO, AND YOU'LL SEE IN -- IN THE TABLES IN HERE THAT SOME OF THESE PROJECTS HAVE ASTERISKS NEXT TO THEM. THOSE ARE THE ONES THAT MIGHT POTENTIALLY BE FUNDED WITH THE SALES TAX TO THE BEST OF OUR INFORMATION AT THIS POINT WHERE WE'VE USED THE DRAFT LIST COMING OUT OF THE COUNTY'S TRANSPORTATION TASK FORCE AS -- AS A GUIDE FOR IDENTIFYING THOSE, YOU KNOW, KNOWING OF COURSE THAT THE COUNTY COMMISSION HAS NOT ACTED ON THAT. >>JOHN DINGFELDER: WELL, I GUESS WHAT I'M WONDERING IS WORST-CASE SCENARIO IF THE PENNY SALES TAX DID NOT PASS, WOULD -- ARE WE STILL SHIFTING GEARS TOWARD -- TOWARD MASS TRANSIT EFFORTS AND SPECIFICALLY AS RELATED TO THIS AGENCY BECAUSE WE'RE PROJECTING SHORTFALLS, WE WANT TO GROW BUS SERVICE, AND IF THERE'S A SHIFT, REGARDLESS OF THE PENNY SALES TAX, MAYBE -- IS THERE MONEY DOWN THE ROAD THAT WE COULD BE -- MORE MONEY DOWN THE ROAD THAT WE COULD BE ASKING THE MPO FOR? >>BETH ALDEN: THE -- THE CHALLENGES WITH THE FUNDING THAT'S PRIORITIZED BY THE MPO IS THAT IT'S FOCUSED ON CAPITAL PROJECTS, SO WE CAN -- THE MPO HAS PRIORITIZED FUNDING FOR HART FOR CAPITAL. IF YOU USE IT TO FUND OPERATIONS, THERE'S A LIMIT OF UP TO THREE YEARS YOU CAN SPEND IT ON, SO, YOU KNOW -- THEN AFTER THAT YOU HAVE TO COME UP WITH SOME KIND OF FUNDING SOURCE FOR THOSE OPERATIONAL COSTS, AND YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT'S BEEN KIND OF CONTINUALLY OUR CHALLENGE IS FINDING THAT OPERATIONAL FUNDING. >>JOHN DINGFELDER: SO THAT'S A FEDERAL LIMITATION? >>BETH ALDEN: THAT'S A FEDERAL LIMITATION, YES. >>JOHN DINGFELDER: OKAY. AND -- AND MY OTHER QUESTION IS -- PAGES AREN'T NUMBERED, BUT YOU SHOW STRATEGIC INTERMODAL SYSTEM COST-FEASIBLE PLAN, THERE'S A FRAME THERE, AND IT SPECIFIES THREE DIFFERENT BIG PROJECTS, FRANKLAND BRIDGE TO HIMES/I-275, AND THEN IT SAYS I-275/STATE ROAD 60 INTERCHANGE AS A BIG PROJECT. WHAT IS THAT? I-275 -- >>BETH ALDEN: KENNEDY BOULEVARD IS STILL CONSIDERED STATE ROUTE 60 OVER AT -- >>JOHN DINGFELDER: RIGHT. >>BETH ALDEN: -- YOU KNOW, CLOSE TO THE HOWARD FRANKLAND BRIDGE, SO THAT'S CONTINUING TO MAKE SOME CHANGES TO THAT INTERCHANGE SYSTEM. >>JOHN DINGFELDER: OH, AT THE AIRPORT INTERCHANGE? >>BETH ALDEN: CLOSE TO THE AIRPORT, YES. >>JOHN DINGFELDER: BUT IT'S -- OKAY. ALL RIGHT. >>BETH ALDEN: YEAH, SO IT'S JUST A LITTLE BIT SOUTH OF WHERE THE WORK -- THE WORK RIGHT NOW HAS BEEN KIND OF AROUND THE END OF THE COURTNEY CAMPBELL AND GETTING DOWN INTO THE AIRPORT, SO THIS IS A LITTLE BIT FARTHER SOUTH TYING IT INTO THE BRIDGE. >>JOHN DINGFELDER: OKAY. I WAS AFRAID YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT DOWNTOWN AND DOING FLYOVERS DOWNTOWN OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. THANK YOU. >>RON GOVIN: OKAY. ALL RIGHT. COMMISSIONER BECKNER. >>KEVIN BECKNER: THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR, AND THANKS FOR THAT PRESENTATION, BETH. WHEN I WAS GOING THROUGH THE MAPS AND THE DIFFERENT PLANS HERE, I GUESS THE QUESTION THAT I HAD, WITHIN THE NEXT 20 YEARS WHERE DOES SOUTH TAMPA FALL IN FOR TRANSIT PLANS? WHAT WOULD WE BE -- WHAT'S INCLUDED IN A 20-YEAR PLAN FOR SOUTH TAMPA? >>BETH ALDEN: THERE ARE A NUMBER OF IMPROVEMENTS. THERE'S A LOT OF EXPANDED BUS SERVICE, THERE ARE EXPANDED EXPRESS ROUTES, THERE IS I THINK A BRT CORRIDOR RUNNING ON DALE MABRY HIGHWAY. YOU'RE TALKING JUST IN TERMS OF TRANSIT OR IN TERMS OF OTHER PROJECTS AS WELL? >>KEVIN BECKNER: TRANSIT AND OTHER PROJECTS. >>BETH ALDEN: OKAY. ANOTHER ONE THAT WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT IS THE FRIENDSHIP TRAILBRIDGE BECAUSE WE'VE BEEN HEARING FROM PINELLAS COUNTY THAT THEY ARE ACTUALLY INTERESTED IN MAKING THAT CONNECTION WITH US AND MAKING SURE THAT THAT BRIDGE DOESN'T GO AWAY, SO THAT'S IN HERE AS A POTENTIAL PROJECT. I THINK THERE ARE ALSO ENHANCEMENTS ALL UP AND DOWN MacDILL, FINISHING OUT BAYSHORE BOULEVARD, SO TRYING TO STAY AWAY FROM A LOT OF ROADWAY WIDENING BECAUSE, OF COURSE, THAT HAS A LOT OF IMPACT ON BUSINESSES. ANOTHER MAJOR PROJECT IN THAT AREA BECAUSE OF THAT EVACUATION ISSUE IS, OF COURSE, THE GANDY BOULEVARD ELEVATED REVERSIBLE LANE PROJECT, SO THAT IS IDENTIFIED AS A POTENTIALLY COST-AFFORDABLE PROJECT IN THE PLAN AT THIS POINT. >>KEVIN BECKNER: ARE THERE ANY CONNECTIONS FOR MASS TRANSIT AS FAR AS RAIL GOES FOR THAT AREA WITHIN THE 20- YEAR PLAN, ASSUMING THAT THE REFERENDUM PASSES AND WE'LL HAVE SOME LIGHT RAIL AVAILABLE IN OUR COMMUNITY? >>BETH ALDEN: WELL, RIGHT NOW WE'VE IDENTIFIED IT AS A NEXT PHASE OF RAIL, YOU KNOW, POSSIBLY BEYOND THIS PLANNING PERIOD. WE'VE TRIED TO BE VERY CONSERVATIVE WITH OUR NUMBERS AND NOT OVERPROMISE, YOU KNOW, BUT IF SOME OF THOSE NUMBERS COME IN A LITTLE BIT BETTER, THAT MIGHT MEAN YOU COULD, YOU KNOW, MOVE TOWARDS OTHER PHASES OF THE PLAN SOONER. >>KEVIN BECKNER: WHAT LEFT AMOUNT IS -- AS FAR AS THE FIRST PHASE, WHAT WERE THE DETERMINING FACTORS? >>BETH ALDEN: IT WAS BACK TO THAT RIDERSHIP ANALYSIS THAT I SHOWED YOU EARLIER WHERE WE WERE TESTING ALL OF THE, YOU KNOW, POTENTIAL ADDITIONS TO THAT "U" LINE, AND, YOU KNOW, WE JUST SAW A LOT OF POTENTIAL RIDERSHIP IN MAKING THAT CONNECTION ACROSS THE HOWARD FRANKLAND. >>KEVIN BECKNER: OKAY. THANK YOU. >>RON GOVIN: ALL RIGHT. COMMISSIONER FERLITA. >>ROSE FERLITA: I THINK DR. POLZIN WAS FIRST. >>STEVE POLZIN: GO AHEAD. >>ROSE FERLITA: OKAY. I JUST HAVE A QUICK QUESTION FOR BETH. BETH, I WAS SURPRISED TO HEAR YOU, AND I DID SEE THAT THE FRIENDSHIP TRAILBRIDGE WAS SOMEWHERE ON THAT LIST, BUT THE LAST TIME WE HAD DIALOGUE AND THE LAST TIME I THOUGHT THAT COMMISSIONERS OVER IN PINELLAS DISCUSSED THIS THEY WERE NOT INTERESTED IN PARTNERING WITH. IS THERE SOME NEW UPDATE THAT PERHAPS I OVERLOOKED OR DIDN'T HEAR ABOUT, OR WHAT -- >>BETH ALDEN: WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THEIR STAFF, AND ALTHOUGH THEY DIDN'T WANT TO MOVE FORWARD WITH TIGER GRANT FUNDING -- >>ROSE FERLITA: RIGHT. >>BETH ALDEN: -- FOR THAT PROJECT, THEY DO -- THEY ARE PROPOSING TO INCLUDE IT AS PART THEIR PLAN UPDATE, AND SO, YEAH, WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THEM CLOSELY. IN FACT, THEY WERE JUST OUT THERE IN A BOAT LAST WEEK LOOKING AT THE UNDERSIDE OF THE BRIDGE AND, YOU KNOW, WHAT DO THEY THINK IT'S GOING TO TAKE TO STABILIZE THIS. >>ROSE FERLITA: I GUESS THEY SHIED AWAY FROM THAT BECAUSE THEN THEY THOUGHT THEY WERE GOING TO GET IN THE WAY OF THOSE SAME TIGER FUNDS BEING ABLE -- ABLE TO BE USED FOR SOMETHING ELSE THEN? >>BETH ALDEN: THAT'S MY IMPRESSION. >>ROSE FERLITA: THAT'S INTERESTING. THAT'S GREAT. OKAY. AND I KNOW WE HAVE A MEETING LATER ON, SO I'LL ASK YOU MORE DETAILS ABOUT THAT. THANK YOU. >>RON GOVIN: DR. POLZIN. >>STEVE POLZIN: THANK YOU. BETH, SEVERAL QUESTIONS. YOU MENTIONED A 50/50 SPLIT OF REVENUES BETWEEN ROAD AND TRANSIT PROJECTS, BUT YOU SAID CAPITAL. >>BETH ALDEN: I SAID CAPITAL, RIGHT. >>STEVE POLZIN: IF YOU ADD THE OPERATING, PUBLIC OPERATING SUPPORT FOR TRANSIT, WHAT'S THAT SPLIT COME TO THEN? DO YOU HAPPEN TO KNOW? >>BETH ALDEN: YOU KNOW, I HAVEN'T DONE THAT CALCULATION, BUT THE OTHER PIECE OF THAT PUZZLE IS THAT WE DON'T USUALLY PUT IN THE PLAN THE OPERATING COSTS FOR THE ROADWAY SIDE EITHER BECAUSE WHAT WE DO IS WE TAKE ONLY THE REVENUES THAT ARE AVAILABLE AFTER MAINTENANCE, SO, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S IN THE PLAN, AND THIS IS, YOU KNOW, BASICALLY PURSUANT TO FEDERAL GUIDANCE MOSTLY IS, YOU KNOW, FOCUSING ON THE CAPITAL SIDE. >>STEVE POLZIN: OKAY. BUT ALL OF THOSE ARE PUBLIC MONIES THAT GET PROGRAMMED. I'M A LITTLE -- I WOULD CERTAINLY LIKE TO SEE AT SOME FUTURE POINT BOTH -- THE OPERATING SIDE ADDED IN ON ALL THE MODES. RELATIVE TO STATE AND FEDERAL PARTICIPATION GOING FORWARD, I'M WONDERING WHAT YOU ASSUMED IN TERMS OF STATE AND FEDERAL RESOURCE LEVELS COMPARED TO CURRENT, WHAT ARE WE LOOKING AT GOING FORWARD, AND OBVIOUSLY THAT INFLUENCED WHAT YOU PROGRAMMED IN YOUR AFFORDABLE PLAN ON THE ROADWAY SIDE IN PARTICULAR. WHAT HAVE YOU ASSUMED IN THAT RESPECT? >>BETH ALDEN: SURE, AND WE'VE ASSUMED, YOU KNOW, VERY SIMILAR FUNDING LEVELS TO WHAT'S AVAILABLE NOW. MOST OF THE FEDERAL SOURCES AND STATE SOURCES ARE FORECAST FOR US BY THE STATE, SO WE USED THOSE NUMBERS. THEY ARE VERY, VERY LOW GROWTH IN THE FIRST TEN YEARS AND THEN ZERO GROWTH IN THE LATTER TEN YEARS. WITH THE THINGS LIKE THE NEW STARTS GRANTS WE LOOKED AT THINGS, YOU KNOW, LIKE GUIDANCE FROM THE FTA, YOU KNOW, DON'T ASSUME THAT YOU'D BE GETTING, YOU KNOW, MORE THAN $100 MILLION A YEAR, FOR EXAMPLE, SO TRYING TO KEEP THAT WITHIN REASON ASSUMING THAT WE -- THAT OUR PROJECT COMPETES WELL. WE ALSO LOOKED AT THE TOTAL FUNDING FORECAST FOR THE STATE FOR NEW STARTS AND TRIED TO KEEP THAT WITHIN REASON, SO WE'VE BEEN HAVING THAT DIALOGUE WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION STAFF. >>STEVE POLZIN: OKAY. HOW ABOUT IMPACT FEES, CONCURRENCY, THIS MOBILITY FEE FOLKS ARE TALKING ABOUT, WHAT KIND OF REVENUE STREAM ARE YOU ASSUMING FROM THOSE SOURCES? >>BETH ALDEN: THE IMPACT FEES ARE VERY, VERY MODEST. THE -- THAT GROWTH IN IMPACT FEES IS JUST BASED ON HISTORICAL LEVELS, SO, YOU KNOW, STARTING WITH YOUR BASE YEAR AND THEN ESCALATING THAT BASED ON AN INFLATION FACTOR, AND I'VE FORGOTTEN WHAT THAT ONE WAS, BUT I CAN GET THAT BACK TO YOU. BUT IT WAS -- IN ANY CASE, IT'S ALSO A VERY SMALL AMOUNT OVERALL IN TERMS OF REVENUES IN THE PLAN. WE'VE NOT ASSUMED NEW MOBILITY FEES BECAUSE WE DON'T REALLY KNOW WHAT THAT'S GOING TO LOOK LIKE YET. >>STEVE POLZIN: OKAY. WITH RESPECT TO THE COST-AFFORDABLE ON THE TRANSIT SIDE, AS I UNDERSTAND IT, YOU HAVE ASSUMED AT LEAST HALF THE COST OF A HOWARD FRANKLAND ALTERNATIVE, IS THAT CORRECT, IN THE COST-AFFORDABLE? >>BETH ALDEN: THE -- SURE. THE COST OF ACTUALLY PUTTING THE TRACK OUT THERE, ACQUIRING VEHICLES, AND THEN RUNNING THE SERVICE TO THE CENTER LINE OF THE BRIDGE. >>STEVE POLZIN: YOU SAID OPERATING WASN'T COUNTED, SO RUNNING THE SERVICE ISN'T IN THERE; RIGHT? >>BETH ALDEN: THE OPERATING ISN'T COUNTED IN THAT PIE CHART THAT I SHOWED YOU OF THE CAPITAL EXPENDITURES BECAUSE I WAS TRYING TO DO AN APPLE-TO-APPLE COMPARISON. IN THE COST-AFFORDABLE PLAN THERE IS MONIES SET ASIDE FOR OPERATIONS. >>STEVE POLZIN: OKAY. WITH RESPECT TO THE HOWARD FRANKLAND, I'M INTRIGUED WITH THAT FOR A NUMBER OF REASONS. ONE IS UP UNTIL -- WELL, WHEN THE HIGH-SPEED RAIL AUTHORITY LAST MET, THE HIGH-SPEED LINK TO PINELLAS COUNTY WAS PHASE 1-B. DO YOU ANTICIPATE THAT HAPPENING IF THERE IS SOME -- IF, FOR EXAMPLE, THE FEDS FUND THE TAMPA TO ORLANDO PIECE, DO YOU EXPECT A HIGH-SPEED CONNECTION TO PINELLAS OR DOES PINELLAS RELINQUISH THEIR INTEREST IN POSSIBLY HAVING HIGH SPEED TO PINELLAS? >>BETH ALDEN: YOU KNOW, WE HAD A VERY INTERESTING CONVERSATION ON THAT TOPIC AT THE JOINT MPO MEETING WITH THE PINELLAS AND HILLSBOROUGH MPO BOARDS, AND THE -- IT KIND OF COMES BACK TO THE TYPE OF TECHNOLOGY THAT YOU'RE USING. IS HIGH-SPEED RAIL THE RIGHT TYPE OF TECHNOLOGY FOR MAKING THAT CONNECTION FROM HILLSBOROUGH TO PINELLAS? BECAUSE IF IT'S SOMETHING THAT'S ONLY GOING TO RUN, YOU KNOW, ONCE AN HOUR, ONCE EVERY TWO HOURS AND STOP EVERY FIVE TO TEN MILES, DOES THAT PROVIDE THE KIND OF SERVICE THAT PINELLAS REALLY WANTED TO GET ITS RESIDENTS TO DESTINATIONS IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY AND -- YOU KNOW, AND VICE VERSA. IT'S ALSO -- YOU KNOW, OF COURSE HAS SOME IMPLICATIONS FOR THE COST OF THE STRUCTURE ACROSS -- ACROSS THE WATER, SO, YOU KNOW, A LIGHTER-GAUGE CONNECTION IS GOING TO BE LESS COSTLY. >>STEVE POLZIN: SO HAS PINELLAS RELINQUISHED ANY INTEREST IN HIGH-SPEED CONNECTIONS? IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE IMPLYING OR IS THAT WHAT STAFF'S SUGGESTING, OR ARE YOU SUGGESTING THAT WE'D LIKE TO HAVE BOTH? >>BETH ALDEN: THAT'S GOING TO BE LOOKED AT IN A -- AN UPCOMING STUDY -- ASSUMING THAT THE HOWARD FRANKLAND BRIDGE RAIL CONNECTION CONTINUES TO BE SHOWN IN BOTH OUR LONG- RANGE PLAN AND THE LONG TRANSPORTATION PLAN OF THE PINELLAS MPO WITH FUNDING SOURCES IDENTIFIED FOR THAT, ASSUMING THAT BOTH THOSE LRTPs ARE ADOPTED THAT WAY, THEN WE WOULD BE LOOKING AT A CORRIDOR STUDY PROBABLY BY THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION USING SOME PD&E FUNDS THAT THEY HAVE, WHERE THEY'RE LOOKING THEN AT ALTERNATIVES FOR MAKING THAT RAIL CONNECTION, AND WHAT THEY'VE INDICATED SO FAR IS THAT THEY WOULD LOOK AT A RANGE OF DIFFERENT TECHNOLOGIES. >>STEVE POLZIN: OKAY. HOW ABOUT THE ALIGNMENT NORTH OF THE BAY? THERE'S SOME FOLKS THAT HAD SUGGESTED IT AT VARIOUS POINTS IN THE PAST THAT SOME COMMUTER TYPE RAIL OR DMU SERVICE ON THE EXISTING CSX THAT'S LIGHTLY USED FOR FREIGHT MIGHT BE A MUCH MORE AFFORDABLE AND VIABLE ALTERNATIVE. IS THAT GOING TO BE PART OF THAT SAME STUDY? >>BETH ALDEN: I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S GOING TO BE PART OF THAT PARTICULAR STUDY. IT'S A GOOD QUESTION, AND FOR HILLSBOROUGH YOU WOULD GET SOME RIDERS ALONG THAT CORRIDOR. IN PINELLAS THE RIDERSHIP DROPS OFF KIND OF WEST OF THE COUNTY LINE, YOU KNOW, SO I THINK THE QUESTION THAT -- THAT THEY'VE SURFACED IN SOME OF THEIR -- SOME OF THEIR COMMITTEE MEETINGS HAS BEEN, YOU KNOW, HOW DO THEY GET BENEFITS TO THE NORTH END OF PINELLAS COUNTY, YOU KNOW, BUT STILL IN A COST-EFFECTIVE WAY. >>STEVE POLZIN: FINALLY, AND THIS IS REALLY MORE OF A COMMENT THAN A QUESTION, AND I KNOW THE TASK FORCE DIDN'T REALLY GET INTO LOOKING AT THE HOWARD FRANKLAND, AND IT'S NOT AMONGST THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE BOCC TASK FORCE, AND -- AND CURRENTLY THE BUS SERVICE ACROSS THAT BRIDGE CARRIES LESS THAN 200 PEOPLE A DAY. THE AVERAGE BUS HAS SIX PASSENGERS IN IT. THE IDEA THAT THERE'S SOME COMPELLING MARKET TO RISE IT INTO THE COST-AFFORDABLE PRIORITIES AT THE POTENTIAL EXCLUSION OF THE NORTH ALIGNMENT OR SERVICE IN SOUTH TAMPA OR SOME OTHER THINGS, I'M CURIOUS AS TO WHERE YOU GOT THOSE RIDERSHIP NUMBERS. THE ONLY ONES I'VE SEEN ARE THE TBARTA NUMBERS, AND THOSE DIDN'T LOOK VERY EXCITING EITHER IN TERMS OF CROSS-BAY RIDERSHIP. >>BETH ALDEN: WELL, YOU KNOW, I WAS A SKEPTIC TOO. I REALLY WAS. I THOUGHT, YOU KNOW, IT'S A LONG CONNECTION, IT'S EXPENSIVE, YOU'RE NOT PICKING UP OR DROPPING OFF PEOPLE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE WATER. >>STEVE POLZIN: YOU'RE NOT INFLUENCING LAND USE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE BAY? AT LEAST WE HOPE NOT. >>BETH ALDEN: RIGHT. YOU KNOW, SHOULDN'T AN EXPRESS BUS CONNECTION MAKE MORE SENSE, YOU KNOW, AND I THINK SOME OF THE CHALLENGES WITH THE EXPRESS BUS CONNECTION THAT'S OUT THERE RIGHT NOW IS, YOU KNOW, IT SITS IN THE SAME TRAFFIC AS EVERYONE ELSE. >>STEVE POLZIN: IT DOESN'T NEED TO SIT IN THE SAME TRAFFIC. >>BETH ALDEN: YEAH, MAYBE THERE'S A WAY THAT IT COULD WORK BETTER. YOU KNOW, DOES IT RUN AS FREQUENTLY, YOU KNOW, DOES IT GET TO ALL THE DESTINATIONS THAT WE WERE IMAGINING THAT LIGHT RAIL WOULD GET TO AND THAT WE MODELED IT GETTING TO IN DEDICATED RIGHT-OF-WAY? BUT WE USED THE TAMPA BAY REGIONAL PLANNING MODEL, YOU KNOW, THE SAME ONE THAT EVERYONE ELSE IS USING, FOR THESE COMPARISONS, AND, YOU KNOW, I WAS SURPRISED AS -- AS I COULD BE, BUT THERE YOU GO. >>STEVE POLZIN: OKAY. I WOULD ENCOURAGE LOOKING AT A HOT LANE OR A PRICED LANE WITH BUS RAPID TRANSIT AT LEAST AS AN OPTION IN THE INTERIM YEARS IN THAT CORRIDOR. >>RON GOVIN: ALL RIGHT. COUNCILMAN DINGFELDER. >>JOHN DINGFELDER: THANK YOU. JUST -- THESE GOOD QUESTIONS HAVE INSPIRED ONE MORE QUESTION. THANK YOU, MR. -- COMMISSIONER BECKNER AND DR. POLZIN. THE -- WHEN I LOOK AT YOUR RIDERSHIP COMPARISON TABLE ON YOUR SLIDE, IT APPEARS THAT THIS -- THE PROPOSED -- OR ESTIMATED RIDERSHIP IN THE SOUTH TAMPA LINE WITH THE "U" IS SOMEWHERE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF LIKE 47-, 4800 -- IT LOOKS LIKE 4800, CAN'T TELL EXACTLY, AND THAT'S DAILY PASSENGER MILES IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, AND THEN THIS FANTASTIC, WONDERFUL PINELLAS/WESLEY CHAPEL LINE THAT ALL OF A SUDDEN OUTSHADOWS AND TAKES ON A NEW LIFE OF ITS OWN THAT DR. POLZIN WAS DESCRIBING IS ONLY 5200 DAILY PASSENGER MILES IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, SO IT'S 400 -- 400 DIFFERENCE, AND THAT I'M SURE IS BASED UPON HUGE NUMBERS OF HYPOTHETICALS AND -- YOU KNOW, I MEAN, I'M SURE THERE'S A LOT OF VARIABLES THAT GO INTO COMING UP WITH, YOU KNOW, THESE THINGS. I MEAN, WITH ALL DUE RESPECT, IT'S PROBABLY A LITTLE BIT OF VOODOO MATH, SO I GUESS WHAT I'M WONDERING ABOUT -- AND WE'LL CONTINUE THIS DISCUSSION OVER AT THE MPO WITH MY FELLOW BOARD MEMBERS HERE WHO ARE ON THE MPO -- IS WE'RE BASICALLY TELLING SOUTH TAMPA AND ALSO THE FOLKS UP ON THE NORTHERN -- THE NORTHERN CORRIDOR, THE WATERS AVENUE CORRIDOR UP THERE, BUSCH/WATERS, THAT AREA, THAT WE'RE NOT LOOKING AT YOU UNTIL SOME THEORETICAL TIME AFTER 2035 BUT INSTEAD, WE'RE GOING TO PRIORITIZE A ROUTE ACROSS -- AN EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE ROUTE ACROSS THE BRIDGE TO PINELLAS COUNTY AND ALSO I WOULD GUESS A PRETTY EXPENSIVE LINE UP INTO -- UP INTO PASCO COUNTY, AND BY THE WAY, WE WANT YOU TO SPEND YOUR PENNY ON IT. I'VE -- I'VE GOT A BIG PROBLEM WITH THAT. I HAVEN'T BEEN SHY ABOUT SAYING THAT, BUT NOW THAT I'M SEEING THESE NUMBERS, I MEAN, IF YOU SHOWED ME NUMBERS WHERE THE PASCO/PINELLAS PROPOSAL WAS TWICE AS GOOD, THAT SORT OF THING -- YOU'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT TWICE AS GOOD, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT WHAT APPEARS TO ME TO BE ABOUT AN 8% OR 10% DIFFERENCE ON -- ON THESE FUTURE -- YOU KNOW, VERY FUTURISTIC TYPE OF PROJECTIONS, SO I'M JUST GOING TO THROW IT OUT THERE. HART IS NOT GOING TO MAKE THE DECISION ON THE LONG-RANGE TRANSPORTATION PLAN, RIGHT, IT'S GOING TO BE MADE OVER AT THE MPO, SO WE'LL CONTINUE THAT DISCUSSION OVER THERE, BUT, YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN LISTENING TO YOU-ALL ABOUT THIS, AND NOW I'M SEEING THE NUMBERS, AND I DON'T THINK THE NUMBERS ARE THAT COMPELLING TO ALL OF A SUDDEN ELIMINATE OR PUT OFF, YOU KNOW, THESE OTHER PROJECTS FOR, YOU KNOW, MORE THAN 20, 25 YEARS. >>BETH ALDEN: SURE. >>JOHN DINGFELDER: THAT WASN'T REALLY A QUESTION. THAT WAS JUST A COMMENT. THANK YOU. >>BETH ALDEN: WELL, I AGREE WITH YOU, ALL OF THESE DO NEED FURTHER STUDY, AND I THINK ONE OF THE MESSAGES OUT OF ALL OF THIS ANALYSIS TOO IS THAT THE LINES THAT HART IS STARTING WITH PRETTY CLEARLY ARE THE ONES WITH THE GREATEST BENEFIT AND, YOU KNOW, THE GREATEST BANG FOR OUR REGION, AND WE CAN -- LUCKILY THE LONG-RANGE TRANSPORTATION PLAN DOES GET REEVALUATED AND REUPDATED EVERY FOUR YEARS, AND AS WE MOVE FORWARD WITH RAIL PLANNING IN THIS COUNTY HOPEFULLY, WE CAN CONTINUE TO LOOK AT THE BEST AVAILABLE DATA FOR WHAT ARE THE NEXT STEPS. >>JOHN DINGFELDER: RIGHT. BUT MY POINT IS, IS AS WE GO TOWARD THIS VOTE ONE YEAR FROM TODAY, I BELIEVE, YOU KNOW, EDUCATED VOTERS MIGHT GET HOLD OF THIS MAP, OKAY, AND -- AND COME TO THEIR OWN CONCLUSIONS, SO I THINK PERHAPS WE NEED TO LOOK AT MODIFYING THE MAP BASED UPON, YOU KNOW, A DIFFERENT -- A DIFFERENT DIRECTION AND A DIFFERENT POLICY, AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT THE MPO BOARD IS ALL ABOUT, SO WE'LL HAVE THAT DISCUSSION OVER THERE. THANK YOU. >>BETH ALDEN: GREAT. >>RON GOVIN: I'VE GOT ONE MORE COMMENT THAT ILL RECOGNIZE, AND THEN I'M NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO RECOGNIZE ANYMORE BECAUSE OF OUR TIME CERTAIN, SO WE'LL TAKE YOURS, MR. MECHANIK. >>DAVID MECHANIK: BETH, GOING BACK TO YOUR PROJECTED COSTS FOR ACCOMMODATING WHAT I'M ASSUMING IS REALLY A DEDICATED TRANSIT FACILITY ACROSS THE HOWARD FRANKLAND AS OPPOSED TO ALLOWING FOR TRANSIT USAGE ON EXISTING LANEAGE, HAVE YOU- ALL TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT THE COST OF THE IMPROVEMENT OF THE INTERCHANGE AT VETERANS AND 275? I MEAN, IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING -- >>BETH ALDEN: YES. >>DAVID MECHANIK: -- THAT EVEN THE PROGRAMMED CONSTRUCTION THAT IS I THINK FUNDED AND GOING TO BE BUILT IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS OR SOMETHING DOES NOT ACCOMMODATE A DEDICATED TRANSIT CAPACITY THROUGH THAT INTERCHANGE, SO THAT WOULD BE PART OF THE NECESSARY COSTS OF CROSSING THE BRIDGE THERE -- I MEAN CROSSING THE BAY THERE. >>BETH ALDEN: RIGHT. WELL, IN OUR CONVERSATIONS WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION -- IT'S AN EXCELLENT QUESTION, YOU KNOW, HOW WOULD YOU GET TRANSIT THROUGH THAT INTERCHANGE. >>DAVID MECHANIK: RIGHT. >>BETH ALDEN: AND THAT IS ONE OF THE ISSUES THAT'S BEEN RAISED IN THAT THAT INTERCHANGE WOULD NEED TO GET RECONSTRUCTED BEFORE YOU COULD DO THAT, BUT THAT INTERCHANGE RECONSTRUCTION IS PART OF THE FUNDED PLAN. >>DAVID MECHANIK: RIGHT. SO YOU'VE ALREADY BUILT IN THOSE COSTS -- >>BETH ALDEN: RIGHT. >>DAVID MECHANIK: -- SO WE'D KNOW WHAT THOSE ARE BECAUSE I HEARD IT WAS A VERY, VERY LARGE NUMBER. >>BETH ALDEN: RIGHT. ALL OF THOSE INTERCHANGE AND, YEAH, INTERSTATE COSTS ARE VERY HIGH. >>DAVID MECHANIK: RIGHT. OKAY. >>RON GOVIN: BETH, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. OBVIOUSLY THERE'S LOTS OF INTEREST, AND AS WE KEEP MOVING ALONG, THIS PLAN IS GOING TO CONTINUE TO CHANGE AND MOVE, AND WE'RE GOING TO KNOW MORE ABOUT WHAT REAL DOLLARS ARE VERSUS THE ONES WE THINK ARE OUT THERE, SO WE THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION. MR. CHIARAMONTE, APPRECIATE IT. WE'RE GOING TO GO TO THE TIME CERTAIN PUBLIC HEARING, AND I'M GOING TO CALL THAT PUBLIC HEARING TO ORDER, AND WHAT THIS IS IS THE -- THE NOTICE OF ADOPTION, REVISION OF SECTIONS -- THERE'S THREE SECTIONS -- FOUR SECTIONS ACTUALLY THAT ARE BEING REVISED, AND AS WE GET INTO THAT, THAT'LL BE PRESENTED BY OUR ATTORNEY, AND WE ALSO HAVE A PERSON THAT WANTS TO SPEAK ON IT, AND WE'LL RECOGNIZE THAT AT THE BEGINNING, SO ALL I HAVE ON THE SHEET IS MIGUEL. I DO NOT HAVE A LAST NAME. >> [INAUDIBLE] >>RON GOVIN: OKAY. ALL RIGHT. ALL RIGHT. CLARK, YOU'RE UP. >>CLARK JORDAN-HOLMES: THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN. LET ME POINT OUT AGAIN THERE IS A TYPOGRAPHICAL ERROR. THE TWO SECTIONS THAT ARE IN THE 200, THE SECOND ONE SHOULD BE 240.01 NOT 03, BUT IT'S -- WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE ACTUAL VERBIAGE, YOU CAN TELL THAT WAS JUST A TYPOGRAPHICAL ERROR. THESE ARE CHANGES THAT ARE PRIMARILY CLEAN-UP THAT -- MOST OF THEM RESULT FROM THE FACT THAT THE BOARD CHANGED THE TITLE OF THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER FROM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR TO CEO. THE SUBSTANTIVE ONES -- THERE ARE A FEW ON -- IN CHAPTER 200 THERE ARE TWO ITEMS WHERE THEY -- THE CEO WILL NOW SET THE PROCEDURES FOR MEETING PUBLIC RECORDS REQUESTS INSTEAD OF THE BOARD. THAT'S THE ONLY SUBSTANTIVE CHANGE THERE. AND THEN IN THE DRUG AND ALCOHOL POLICY, WHICH IS CHAPTER 400, THERE ARE TWO CHANGES THAT THE FEDERAL REQUIREMENTS CHANGED OVER THE YEARS, AND WE'RE MAKING THEM CONSISTENT WITH THE FEDERAL REQUIREMENTS. IN CHAPTER 500 -- AND THESE ARE ALL SET OUT IN THE -- THE MEMO, BUT IN CHAPTER 500 THERE ARE A COUPLE OF CHANGES WHICH ALLOWS THE CEO TO DELEGATE THE AUTHORITY TO EXECUTE CERTAIN CONTRACTS TO OTHER INDIVIDUALS INSTEAD OF HAVING HIM SIGN -- EXECUTE CONTRACTS THAT ARE VERY MINIMAL AND SAVES HIS TIME A LITTLE BIT, BUT THOSE -- THAT'S A GOOD SUMMARY OF THE CHANGES THAT ARE PROPOSED. THE PROCESS AGAIN IS A THREE-STEP PROCESS. AS THE CHAIRMAN MENTIONED, WE'VE ALREADY HAD ONE WORKSHOP. AT THIS POINT IF THE BOARD ADOPTS THESE, THEN THEY WILL NOT BE CHANGED. IT GIVES ANOTHER 30 DAYS FOR THE PUBLIC TO COME FORWARD AND SAY WHAT THEY WOULD SAY, AND THEN THE FINAL ADOPTION WOULD BE AT THE NEXT MEETING. >>RON GOVIN: ALL RIGHT. COUNCILMAN DINGFELDER. >>JOHN DINGFELDER: THANK YOU. IN LOOKING THROUGH THESE -- THESE POLICIES IN THE LAST FEW DAYS -- AND I KNOW THEY'VE BEEN BOUNCING AROUND FOR A WHILE, BUT IF -- IF I COULD ASK DAVID -- DAVID'S -- I'M SORRY. >>BRENDA MOWEN: BRENDA. >>JOHN DINGFELDER: BRENDA. I'M SORRY. BRENDA, THE INTENT -- AND WHEN IT SAYS IN THESE VARIOUS CHAPTER 520 PROVISIONS THE CEO AND THE CEO'S DESIGNEES -- I HAD SOME CONCERN WITH THAT BECAUSE, YOU KNOW -- I DON'T HAVE A CONCERN WITH HIM DELEGATING OR HIM -- HE OR HER DELEGATING THE AUTHORITY FOR ITEMS LET'S SAY IN THE $25,000 RANGE, BUT I THINK ANYTHING ABOVE $25,000 IN MY OPINION, IF WE'RE NOT GOING TO SEE THAT ON OUR AGENDA, THEN I THINK THE CEO -- WE SHOULD BE COUNTING ON THE FACT THAT THE CEO AND ONLY THE CEO IS SIGNING OFF ON LET'S SAY ABOVE 25,000 BECAUSE IF A PROBLEM AROSE LATER ON AND LET'S SAY WELL, THERE WAS A PURCHASING MISTAKE AND IT WAS $100,000 BUT THE CEO DIDN'T SIGN IT BECAUSE HE HAD DELEGATED THAT TO THE PURCHASING DIRECTOR OR TO SOME OTHER MANAGEMENT PERSON, THEN THERE'S A LOT OF FINGER POINTING GOING ON, AND -- BUT I THINK THAT IT'S IMPORTANT THAT -- LIKE I SAY, IF WE'RE NOT GOING TO SEE IT, WHICH IN MANY CASES WE'RE NOT GOING TO SEE THESE LARGE PURCHASES, THEN I THINK ONLY THE CEO SHOULD -- SHOULD SIGN IT, AND WHETHER OR NOT THAT TAKES A LITTLE BIT LONGER OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, AT LEAST WE KNOW THAT THE BUCK STOPS THERE. >>BRENDA MOWEN: UNDERSTOOD. THE INTENT OF PUTTING THAT LANGUAGE THERE -- WHICH, BY THE WAY, IS ALSO REFLECTED IN OTHER CHAPTERS OF THE BOARD POLICY MANUAL -- WAS FOR PURPOSES OF LIKE DAVID'S OUT OF POCKET FOR TWO WEEKS, AND SO IF SOMETHING CAME UP FOR DAVID'S SIGNATURE, THEN THE AGENCY WOULDN'T BE HAMPERED BY HIS ABSENCE, SO IT'S PRIMARILY FOR PURPOSES WHEN DAVID IS OUT OF POCKET, NEEDS TO DELEGATE HIS RESPONSIBILITY TO OTHER STAFF MEMBERS WHO WOULD BE ACTING IN HIS CAPACITY, AND IT IS VERY SIMILAR TO THE LANGUAGE THAT WE USE IN ALL OF THE OTHER CHAPTERS. >>JOHN DINGFELDER: WELL, I DON'T HAVE THE OTHER ONES IN FRONT OF ME RIGHT NOW, SO I CAN'T SPEAK TO THOSE, BUT I FEEL PRETTY STRONGLY WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, 50- TO 100,000 OR MULTIPLE HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS THAT -- THAT WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO JUST SAY THAT'S THE CEO'S RESPONSIBILITY, YOU KNOW. LIKE I SAY, IF IT'S PURCHASING SOMETHING OR OTHER, IF IT HAS TO WAIT AN EXTRA WEEK -- HE DOESN'T USUALLY TAKE TWO WEEKS OFF. IF IT HAS TO WAIT AN EXTRA WEEK, THEN -- I CAN'T IMAGINE THAT THAT FALLS INTO THE CATEGORY OF AN EMERGENCY. I DON'T KNOW. I'M OPEN FOR OTHER BOARD MEMBERS' COMMENTS ON THAT, BUT THAT WAS JUST SOMETHING THAT CAME TO MY MIND LAST NIGHT. >>BRENDA MOWEN: I'D ALSO OFFER UP THAT THERE IS LANGUAGE IN CHAPTER 5 THAT REQUIRES THE CEO AND STAFF TO BRING CERTAIN CONTRACTING ACTIVITIES TO THE BOARD BEFORE ANY DOCUMENTS ARE EXECUTED, SO THERE IS THAT $100,000 THRESHOLD IN CHAPTER 5 THAT REQUIRES PRIOR BOARD APPROVAL. WE HAVE LIMITATIONS ON CONTINGENCY. >>JOHN DINGFELDER: BUT THAT'S ONLY ON CERTAIN UNUSUAL EXPENDITURES. >>BRENDA MOWEN: THAT'S CORRECT. YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY CORRECT. >>JOHN DINGFELDER: BUT THE REGULAR EXPENDITURES THAT I'M SURE CAN BE PRETTY HEFTY DON'T COME TO THIS BOARD, AND WE'RE ALL FAMILIAR WITH THAT, AND I GUESS WE'RE COMFORTABLE WITH THAT BECAUSE WE'VE HAD THAT POLICY IN PLACE FOR A WHILE. MY BIGGEST POINT IS IF SOMETHING GETS MESSED UP, I'D LIKE TO BE ABLE TO JUST SAY YOU SIGNED IT, IT'S YOUR RESPONSIBILITY, DAVID, NOT FOR HIM TO BE ABLE TO SAY IN TURN, WOW, SOMEBODY ELSE SIGNED IT FOR HIM THAT PARTICULAR WEEK. A LOT OF FINGER POINTING. THAT'S JUST MY FEELING ON IT. I DON'T THINK THIS IS FINAL TODAY, CLARK? >>CLARK JORDAN-HOLMES: NO, IT'S NOT. >>JOHN DINGFELDER: WE'RE JUST MOVING THIS ALONG? >>CLARK JORDAN-HOLMES: WELL, THE NEXT TIME WOULD BE FINAL. >>JOHN DINGFELDER: WELL, HOW WOULD I MAKE THAT -- THOSE -- SOME OF THOSE -- THAT PROPOSED CHANGE IN CHAPTER 500? >>CLARK JORDAN-HOLMES: YOU COULD MAKE A MOTION AND -- AND WE CAN PUT THE LANGUAGE IN. WE MIGHT HAVE TO HAVE ANOTHER MEETING ON THE TAIL END. I'LL HAVE TO LOOK AT THAT. >>JOHN DINGFELDER: OKAY. ANY OTHER BOARD MEMBERS HAVE ANY FEELINGS? >>JOHN BYCZEK: YOU KNOW, I DO. I AGREE WITH COUNCILMAN DINGFELDER, BUT ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE COIN, I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY EMERGENCY $25,000 OR MORE EXPENDITURES -- I MEAN -- AND YOU CAN HELP ME, DAVID, IF YOU WOULD, BUT I THINK EVERYTHING GETS -- WE SEND REQUESTS OUT FOR ORDER. SOMETHING WOULD HAVE TO COME UP, AN EMERGENCY BUS BREAKDOWN THAT COSTS THAT MUCH MONEY, BUT I THINK EVERYTHING FLOWS THROUGH A SYSTEM HERE THAT THERE'S ENOUGH CHECKS AND BALANCES ALONG THE WAY. I DO THINK WE HAVE TO HAVE SOME OVERSIGHT, BUT I THINK THE SYSTEM RUNS SO WELL THAT WE KNOW TO A POINT THAT EVERYTHING'S GOING TO GET LOOKED AT. >>JOHN DINGFELDER: RIGHT. AND IT'S NOT A QUESTION OF THAT I WANT DAVID TO BE THE PURCHASING OFFICER BY ANY MEANS, BUT I JUST -- AT THE END OF THE DAY, SOMEBODY HAS TO SIGN THE PURCHASE ORDER. >>JOHN BYCZEK: SURE. >>JOHN DINGFELDER: AND WHAT I'M SAYING IS IS FOR ITEMS OF -- LET'S EVEN SAY FOR ITEMS OF $100,000 OR MORE, OKAY, THAT IT WOULD BE ONLY THE CEO, YOU KNOW, WHO WOULD -- WHO WOULD SIGN THAT AND WHO WOULD APPROVE THAT. RIGHT NOW IT SAYS THE CEO OR HIS -- HIS OR HER DESIGNEE, AND I THINK DESIGNEE GETS A LITTLE LOOSEY-GOOSEY, AND FRANKLY, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT REAL COMFORTABLE WITH IT. >>RON GOVIN: ALL RIGHT. DR. POLZIN. >>STEVE POLZIN: QUESTION ON THAT, TIMELY IN THE FACT THAT DAVE'S OUT TODAY, AND I THINK THIS IS A QUESTION FOR YOU, CLARK. IN A SITUATION AS -- AS IT RELATES TO THESE POLICIES WHERE DAVID'S IDENTIFIED A DESIGNATED PERSON TO ACT IN HIS ABSENCE, DO ALL OF THE AUTHORITIES WHERE HE'S REFERENCED IN HERE TRANSFER TO THAT DESIGNEE, AND WHEN -- WHEN -- THE WORD "DESIGNEE," IS THAT DESIGNEE AS IN DESIGNATED CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICE FOR AN INTERIM PERIOD OR DOES THIS DESIGNEE IMPLY HE CAN DELEGATE IT TO A SUBORDINATE STAFF MEMBER? >>CLARK JORDAN-HOLMES: IT'S REALLY HIS CHOICE. I THINK NORMALLY WHEN -- FOR INSTANCE, HE'S DESIGNATED BRENDA MOWEN FOR THIS MEETING. THEN SHE'S THE ACTING CEO AND AS SUCH CARRIES THE ORDERS, BUT THROUGHOUT YOUR POLICIES THERE ARE APPELLATE PROCEDURES WHERE IF PEOPLE HAVE SOME PROBLEMS, THEY CAN TAKE THE ISSUE TO THE CEO OR HIS DESIGNEE, AND HE MAY CHOOSE IN THOSE VARIOUS SITUATIONS TO DESIGNATE A PERSON THAT HE THINKS HAS MORE TIME, MORE EXPERTISE, OR WHATEVER, AND I THINK THE -- THE CONTROL IS SUPPOSED TO BE THAT HIM USING HIS -- HIS WISDOM AND HIS MANAGEMENT TO PICK THE RIGHT DESIGNEE FOR THE RIGHT SITUATION. >>RON GOVIN: MR. MECHANIK. >>DAVID MECHANIK: I DON'T REALLY HAVE A LOT OF STRONG FEELINGS ON THIS ISSUE, BUT I THINK -- CLARK, CORRECT ME, BUT I MEAN, IF THE BOARD FELT STRONGLY ENOUGH, YOU COULD WRITE A POLICY TO SAY THAT THIS -- THIS PARTICULAR AUTHORITY DOES NOT APPLY TO A DESIGNEE. COULD YOU NOT? >>CLARK JORDAN-HOLMES: OH, SURE. WE CAN DO WHATEVER YOU TELL US TO FOR THE MOST PART. >>DAVID MECHANIK: I'M JUST SAYING IF YOU CHOSE TO, YOU WOULDN'T HAVE TO JUST ASSUME THAT EVERYTHING IS DELEGATABLE TO SOMEONE ELSE, SO -- >>RON GOVIN: ALL RIGHT. ANYONE ELSE? >>ROSE FERLITA: I THINK THE MORE WE TALK ABOUT THIS, THE MORE VAGUE THE POLICY BECOMES FOR ME. FIRST OF ALL, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT HIM DELEGATING A DESIGNEE WHEN HE'S ABSENT TO DO CERTAIN THINGS, SO THE DIFFERENT DESIGNEES DO DIFFERENT THINGS DURING HIS ABSENCE, SO I DON'T KNOW WHO GETS TO PICK AND CHOOSE THERE, AND IN TERMS OF WHAT MR. DINGFELDER BROUGHT UP, WE -- WE COULD REVIEW THAT AGAIN AND LOOK AT MAYBE A THRESHOLD PERIOD REGARDLESS OF THE NATURE OF THE -- THE PURCHASE OR -- OR THE EXPENDITURE. I MEAN, I DON'T THINK WE'RE FINALIZING IT TODAY. >>JOHN DINGFELDER: RIGHT. >>RON GOVIN: RIGHT. >>JOHN DINGFELDER: MAYBE WE CAN ASK CLARK TO -- AND A I'LL DO THIS BY MOTION. MY MOTION WOULD BE TO ASK CLARK TO VISIT THAT ISSUE AND MATTERS OVER $100,000 AND TO SORT OF TIGHTEN UP THE LANGUAGE, AS ROSE SAID, SO WE KNOW WHAT DESIGNEE MEANS ON THAT PARTICULAR, YOU KNOW, ISSUE. I MEAN, IF IT'S THE SITUATION WHERE HE'S OUT A WEEK OR TWO AND HE'S GIVEN ALL THE AUTHORITY TO BRENDA TO RUN THE WHOLE AGENCY, THEN MAYBE I'M OKAY WITH BRENDA OR HER COUNTERPART DOING THAT BECAUSE THEY ARE THE CEO FOR THOSE TWO WEEKS, BUT IF IT'S A FUNCTION OF -- THAT HE'S DELEGATING THAT AUTHORITY TO A PURCHASING AGENT TO SIGN PURCHASE ORDERS FOR $100,000 OR $500,000, THEN I'M NOT COMFORTABLE WITH THAT, AND I THINK I'M HEARING SOME OTHER BOARD MEMBERS AS WELL, SO IF YOU COULD PERHAPS VISIT THAT WITH SOME SUGGESTED LANGUAGE AND BRING IT BACK NEXT MONTH, IT MIGHT DELAY THIS A LITTLE BIT, BUT I DON'T THINK THAT'S CRITICAL. >>RON GOVIN: IF I COULD, I THINK -- I'M NOT SURE IF THESE THINGS ARE NUMBERED OR WHAT THEY ARE, BUT ANYWAY, IT'S 500, 520. THERE IS AN "H" THAT DOES SAY, THE CEO -- AND THE CEO'S DESIGNEES ARE AUTHORIZED TO EXECUTE CONTRACT MODIFICATIONS -- IT'S A LITTLE DIFFERENT THAN CHANGE ORDERS BUT CONTRACT MODIFICATIONS, INCREASING OR DECREASING ORIGINAL CONTRACTS APPROVED BY THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS IN A TOTAL ACCUMULATED AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $100,000 OR 5%, WHICHEVER IS LESS, SO YOU DO HAVE -- YOU DO HAVE SOMETHING IN HERE ALREADY THAT COVERS PART OF THE EXPOSURE. >>CLARK JORDAN-HOLMES: AND I WASN'T INVOLVED IN PREPARING THIS. IT'S BEEN PREPARED PRIMARILY IN-HOUSE, BUT SYLVIA AND I JUST TALKED. FROM MY READING OF IT, I DON'T THINK IT ALLOWS HIM TO DESIGNATE SOMETHING THAT REQUIRES BOARD APPROVAL, WHICH IS OVER $100,000. >>JOHN DINGFELDER: BUT NOT EVERYTHING OVER 100,000 COMES TO THIS BOARD, AS BRENDA AND I JUST DISCUSSED, IT'S ONLY UNUSUAL ITEMS, YOU KNOW. IT'S THE -- THE DAY-TO-DAY GASOLINE PURCHASES, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT'S JUST A REGULAR ITEM OF BOARD -- THAT THE AGENCY PURCHASES. WE DON'T GET -- WE DON'T SEE THOSE, AND I'M SURE THAT'S MILLIONS OF DOLLARS. >>CLARK JORDAN-HOLMES: I THINK THAT WAS DELETED IN THIS AS I READ IT. >>RON GOVIN: WELL, BUT THAT WOULD ALSO BE COVERED HERE BECAUSE THIS -- THIS -- WHAT THIS LIMITS IS CONTRACTS, WHICH WOULD BE -- YOUR GASOLINE PURCHASE WOULD BE A CONTRACT, AND I DON'T THINK WE WANT TO LIMIT EXPENDITURE ON CONTRACTS. I THINK WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS SOMETHING THAT'S BRAND-NEW THAT COULD BE THROWN IN THE MIX, I THINK IS -- IS THE WAY I'M UNDERSTANDING. >>JOHN DINGFELDER: I THINK IT REALLY PROBABLY COMES DOWN TO A CLARIFICATION OF THE CEO'S DESIGNEE. >>RON GOVIN: YEAH. >>CLARK JORDAN-HOLMES: COULD I MAKE A SUGGESTION? IF THE BOARD IS WILLING TO PASS THE OTHER TWO AREAS, WHICH IS THE DRUG AND ALCOHOL POLICY -- AND I'M TRYING TO FIND IT HERE -- >>JOHN DINGFELDER: AND THE SUNSHINE STUFF, THE -- >>CLARK JORDAN-HOLMES: -- AND THE SUNSHINE, PERHAPS WE CAN THEN REWORK THIS PROCUREMENT CHAPTER AND BRING IT BACK. >>JOHN DINGFELDER: I'M COMFORTABLE WITH THAT. >> THERE'S ONE PART OF THE PROCUREMENT CHAPTER -- >>BRENDA MOWEN: YES, THERE IS ONE PART OF THE PROCUREMENT CHAPTER THAT WE NEED TO GET APPROVED. IT REFERENCES 4221-E, WHICH IS AN OLD FTA REFERENCE. WE HAVE TO UPDATE THAT TO 4221-F BECAUSE WE [INAUDIBLE] -- >>JOHN DINGFELDER: WHERE -- WHERE IS THAT? IS THAT IN OUR -- IS THAT IN OUR 400S OR IN OUR 500S? >> IT IS IN 500. AND IN ADDITION TO COST ESTIMATES, THAT SECTION WILL ALSO NEED TO BE PASSED IN ORDER TO COMPLETE THE FTA'S REQUIREMENTS ON THAT. THAT WOULD BE 500 -- >>JOHN DINGFELDER: I'M SEEING 520.05 REFERENCES FTA CIRCULAR FTA 4220. IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE SAYING? >> CORRECT. >>JOHN DINGFELDER: THAT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE A BIG DEAL. >> AND THE OTHER THINGS YOU CAN COME BACK ON. >>JOHN DINGFELDER: WHAT WAS THE OTHER ONES YOU SAID IN THE 500s? >>BRENDA MOWEN: WELL, ALTERNATIVELY, IF YOU'D LIKE, WE COULD EXCLUDE THE ITEM RELATED TO DELEGATION AND GO FORWARD WITH THE -- THE SMALLER INSIGNIFICANT CHANGES, LIKE CHANGING THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR TO CEO. THAT COULD BE ANOTHER OPTION THAT WE COULD CONSIDER. >>CLARK JORDAN-HOLMES: I THINK THAT WOULD ACHIEVE WHAT THE BOARD'S INTENT IS. >>RON GOVIN: IS THAT -- >>JOHN DINGFELDER: I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND THAT. >>RON GOVIN: SHE JUST WANTS TO EXCLUDE THE AREAS THAT SAY -- TALK ABOUT DELEGATION. >>CLARK JORDAN-HOLMES: IN OTHER WORDS, THE BOARD WOULD PASS A MOTION APPROVING ALL THE LANGUAGE EXCEPT THAT DEALING WITH DELEGATION, AND WE WOULD LOOK AT -- >> EXACTLY. >>JOHN DINGFELDER: ANY REFERENCE TO DESIGNEE, THAT SORT OF THING? >>CLARK JORDAN-HOLMES: YES. >> CORRECT. >>BRENDA MOWEN: IN CHAPTER 500. >>JOHN DINGFELDER: IN 500. I'M GOOD WITH THAT. I'LL MOVE THE POLICIES AS AMENDED. >> SECOND. >>RON GOVIN: OKAY. ALL RIGHT. WE HAVE A MOTION AND SECOND TO ELIMINATE THOSE POLICIES FROM THIS APPROVAL. THOSE IN FAVOR, IF YOU'D SAY AYE. [CHORUS OF AYES] OPPOSED BY LIKE SIGN. ALL RIGHT. WE'RE GOING TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING UNLESS THERE'S FURTHER DISCUSSION FROM THE FLOOR OR FROM THE BOARD. ALL RIGHT. PUBLIC HEARING IS NOW CLOSED. ALL RIGHT. AND WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON TO THE TRANSIT-ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT WITH OUR -- ALAN WULKAN UPDATING US. >> THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRPERSON AND MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, AND GOOD MORNING. AS YOU ALL KNOW, WE'RE GOING TO BE TALKING A LOT ABOUT LIGHT RAIL IN THE NEXT 12 MONTHS. WE'VE ALREADY STARTED TALKING A LOT ABOUT LIGHT RAIL, AND DAVID WANTED ME TO SHARE WITH YOU -- AS YOU GO AROUND THE COUNTRY AND TALK TO OTHER COMMUNITIES WHO HAVE DEVELOPED LIGHT RAIL SYSTEMS, WHY ARE THEY SO EXCITED OVER WHAT HAS HAPPENED IN THEIR SYSTEMS? AND THERE ARE MANY, MANY REASONS WHY OTHER COMMUNITIES AS YOU TALK TO THE LEADERS, PARTICULARLY THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY, WHY THEY'VE BEEN EXCITED OVER NEW LIGHT RAIL SYSTEMS, BUT PROBABLY NONE MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE TRANSIT- ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT, THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, THE JOBS THAT HAVE BEEN CREATED AS A RESULT OF DEVELOPMENT OF NEW TRANSIT PROGRAMS, PARTICULARLY WITH LIGHT RAIL. SO WHAT WE WANTED TO SHARE WITH YOU TODAY WERE A COUPLE OF EXAMPLES, EXAMPLES THAT ARE NOT THOSE TRADITIONAL CITIES THAT YOU MIGHT EXPECT THAT HAVE BEEN DEVELOPING LIGHT RAIL AND ARE VERY EXCITED OVER TRANSIT-ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT, AND WHAT DOES THAT ALL MEAN, THE TYPE OF DEVELOPMENT THAT'S FOLLOWED THE LIGHT RAIL LINES. FOR EXAMPLE, IN PHOENIX, ARIZONA, I WOULD BE REMISS TO SAY -- AND I'VE USED THIS EXAMPLE MANY TIMES BECAUSE I'VE LIVED IN PHOENIX MOVING FROM FLORIDA FOR A LONG TIME. THIS IS NOT THE BASTION OF LIBERAL THINKING WHEN IT COMES TO PUBLIC TRANSIT, I CAN PROMISE YOU. SELLING THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY THAT HAS TAKEN THE LEAD IN DEVELOPING A 20-MILE LINE WHICH JUST OPENED LAST DECEMBER AFTER ALMOST 15 YEARS OF DEVELOPMENT AND ISSUES HAS BEEN VERY, VERY PAINFUL IN THE COMMUNITY IN THE PAST, AND NOW YOU WILL NOT FIND AN ISSUE THAT OUR COMMUNITY IN PHOENIX IS MORE EXCITED OVER. WHY? IT'S A 20-MILE LINE, AND ALONG THAT 20-MILE LINE, WHICH COST $1.4 BILLION, A LOT OF SIMILARITIES, IF YOU WOULD, TO WHAT WE'RE GOING TO BE LOOKING AT HERE IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, MOST OF IT AT GRADE. IT GOES THROUGH THREE DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES. THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY UNDERSTOOD -- AND I WAS CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD AT THE TEMPE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE WHEN WE PASSED THE VERY FIRST SALES TAX IN THE STATE OF ARIZONA FOR PUBLIC TRANSIT -- THAT THAT LINE WAS GOING TO COST ABOUT $1.4 BILLION. TODAY -- WHILE THE CONSTRUCTION OF THAT LINE WAS UNDERWAY - - AND WE'VE ONLY BEEN OPEN ONE YEAR -- THERE HAS BEEN $7.4 BILLION IN NONRAIL DEVELOPMENT ALONG THAT 20-MILE LINE, OVER 17,000 RESIDENTIAL UNITS, OVER NINE MILLION SQUARE FEET OF COMMERCIAL, OVER 3200 NEW HOTEL ROOMS. THE AMOUNT OF RESIDENTIAL HAPPENING IN DOWNTOWN PHOENIX IS MIND-BOGGLING. PEOPLE WOULD HAVE NEVER GUESSED IN A COMMUNITY THAT'S KNOWN FOR SPRAWL, THAT'S KNOWN FOR PEOPLE WHO LOVE THEIR AUTOMOBILE MORE THAN JUST ABOUT ANYTHING THAT YOU CAN IMAGINE IN OUR COMMUNITY, HAVE BEGUN TO CHANGE THE WAY PEOPLE ARE LIVING AND THINKING ABOUT MOBILITY. ONE OF THE VERY INTERESTING THINGS ABOUT OUR SYSTEM IS IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA WHERE THERE WERE YEARS AND YEARS OF EFFORTS TO TRY TO GET REDEVELOPMENT, WHEN THE LIGHT RAIL BEGAN TO BE ANNOUNCED AS A REALITY AND CONSTRUCTION STARTED, THAT WAS WHEN WE STARTED SEEING SOME OF THE HIGH- RISES, SOME OF THE MID-RISES, SOME OF THE LOFT APARTMENTS BEGIN TO GET DEVELOPED. ALONG THE LINE, ONE THAT'S VERY EXCITING IN THE PICTURE IN FRONT OF YOU ON THE BOTTOM, ALONG TOWN LAKE, A LAKE WHICH USED TO BE A DRY RIVERBED WHICH HAS NOW BEEN DEVELOPED ALONG THE LIGHT RAIL LINE AS AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TOOL HAS NOW EXPANDED. WE NOW HAVE OVER A MILLION SQUARE FEET OF CLASS "A" OFFICE SPACE, A 17-ACRE TOWN LAKE PARK AND DEVELOPMENT, OVER 438 LUXURY LAKEFRONT CONDOS, AGAIN SPURRED ALONG THE LINE OF THE -- OF THE LIGHT RAIL SYSTEM. THERE ARE OTHER DEVELOPMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN HAPPENING, NOT JUST THE PRIVATE SECTOR. THE PUBLIC SECTOR HAS ALSO SEEN THE TREMENDOUS ADVANTAGES OF WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU BUILD A LIGHT RAIL LINE. AND LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, I DON'T HAVE TO TELL YOU THIS ANY DIFFERENT THAN WE USED TO BUILD THE FREEWAY SYSTEM AND HIGHWAYS. DEVELOPMENT IS GOING TO FOLLOW ACCESS, AND WE'RE SEEING THAT BOTH ON THE PUBLIC AND THE PRIVATE SIDE. ON THE PUBLIC SIDE WE HAVE A BRAND-NEW PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CITY OF PHOENIX PARTNERED WITH THE SHERATON CORPORATION TO DEVELOP THE VERY FIRST NEW CLASS "A" HOTEL SPACE IN DOWNTOWN IN OVER TEN YEARS, OPENED IN 2008. THE CONVENTION CENTER IRONICALLY, A MAJOR REDEVELOPMENT PROGRAM, OPENED THE SAME DAY THAT WE OPENED THE LIGHT RAIL PROJECT, AND OUR UNIVERSITY SYSTEM, ASU, WHICH IS THE LARGEST STUDENT POPULATION, IF YOU WOULD, IN AMERICA, SURPRISINGLY ENOUGH -- OVER 55,000 STUDENTS AT ASU, WITH TWO CAMPUSES -- NOW HAVE CONNECTED THEIR DOWNTOWN CAMPUS WITH THEIR MAIN CAMPUS IN TEMPE, ARIZONA, AND AS WE HAVE SEEN, RIDERSHIP BY OUR YOUNG PEOPLE ON COMMUTER RAIL -- EXCUSE ME -- ON LIGHT RAIL HAS BEEN AMAZING. ONE OF THE THINGS WE LIKE TO TALK ABOUT IS ON FORECASTS, WE FORECASTED IN PHOENIX 26,000 TRIPS A DAY ON LIGHT RAIL 20 YEARS FROM NOW. THIS MONTH, THE CONCLUSION OF OCTOBER, WE HAVE NOW IN PHOENIX EXCEEDED OVER 42,000 TRIPS A MONTH -- A DAY FOR THE MONTH OF OCTOBER, AND MANY OF THOSE TRIPS -- WE'VE ACTUALLY GOTTEN ALL OF THE RUSH-HOUR TRIPS WE THOUGHT WE WOULD GET. WHAT'S HAPPENED? THE UNIVERSITY STUDENTS, THE NON-PEAK-HOUR TRIPS HAVE FAR EXCEEDED THE NUMBER OF TRIPS WE THOUGHT WE WERE GOING TO GET IN PHOENIX. ALONG THE CITY OF TEMPE, THERE WAS A CORRIDOR CALLED MAIN. FOR -- WHEN I WAS AT THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, WE TRIED EVERY KIND OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TOOL WE COULD TO REDEVELOP THIS CORRIDOR, AND NOTHING WORKED. THIS WAS OUR DRUG CAPITAL, THIS WAS WHERE WE HAD DILAPIDATED TRAILER PARKS AND OTHER ISSUES LIKE BOWLING ALLEYS THAT WERE GOING OUT OF BUSINESS. SINCE THE START OF LIGHT RAIL, I WAS JUST AMAZED. YOU DRIVE DOWN THIS CORRIDOR, AND DEVELOPMENTS LIKE YOU SEE IN FRONT OF YOU ON EVERY OTHER BLOCK ARE NOW TAKING THE PLACE OF THOSE TRAILER PARKS AND OTHER DEVELOPMENT THAT WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO REDEVELOP IN OUR -- IN THAT COMMUNITY FOR THE LAST 15 TO 20 YEARS. I JUST WANT TO GIVE YOU A SENSE. IN 2005 THIS IS WHAT DOWNTOWN PHOENIX LOOKED LIKE. CONSTRUCTION OF LIGHT RAIL HAD JUST BEGUN, AND IF YOU LOOK TODAY, JUST FOUR YEARS LATER, THESE ARE ALL THE NEW DEVELOPMENTS THAT HAVE HAPPENED AND NOW ARE OPEN, NOT UNDER CONSTRUCTION, ARE OPEN SINCE THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE LIGHT RAIL SYSTEM STARTED IN 2005. I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY OF WORKING -- GOING WITH COMMISSIONER SHARPE AND DAVID TO SALT LAKE CITY ABOUT A MONTH AGO. AGAIN, SALT LAKE, NOT A COMMUNITY THAT YOU WOULD NORMALLY THINK OF AS A BIG URBAN AREA THAT'S PRO TRANSIT. THEY HAVE HAD AN INCREDIBLE RUN OVER THE LAST 15 YEARS OF DEVELOPING RAIL IN SALT LAKE CITY. THE STORY THAT I'M GOING TO LEAVE YOU WITH -- AND I'LL GO THROUGH THE SLIDES PRETTY QUICKLY -- ABOUT SALT LAKE. THEY NOW HAVE -- AND COMMISSIONER SHARPE AND I WERE LOOKING AT THE DEVELOPMENT IN DOWNTOWN SALT LAKE. THEY HAVE DEVELOPED -- THEY HAVE UNDER CONSTRUCTION $2.5 BILLION IN LIGHT RAIL OR DIFFERENT RAIL. THEY ALSO HAVE UNDER DEVELOPMENT NOW ALMOST $3 BILLION IN HIGHWAY AND ROADWAY IMPROVEMENTS IN THEIR COMMUNITY, AND THEY HAVE OVER $3 BILLION IN NEW DEVELOPMENT IN DOWNTOWN SALT LAKE AND ALONG THE LINE, AND LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THEIR UNEMPLOYMENT RATE IS JUST OVER 6% AT A TIME WHEN OUR ECONOMIC CRISIS AROUND THE COUNTRY, PARTICULARLY IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA, IS SIGNIFICANT. THE LINKAGE BETWEEN TRANSIT-ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT AND TRANSPORTATION-ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT, AND JOBS CANNOT BE ANY CLEARER THAN IN SALT LAKE CITY, WHICH, AGAIN, IF YOU WERE TO ASK ME 20 YEARS AGO WOULD I USE SALT LAKE AS ONE OF THE SHINING LIGHTS OF PUBLIC TRANSIT AND -- AND RAIL DEVELOPMENT, I WOULD HAVE SAID NEVER IN MY LIFETIME. BUT THEY HAVE A VERY AGGRESSIVE PROGRAM, A VERY SUCCESSFUL APPROACH TO PROVIDING THEIR CITIZENS LIGHT RAIL, AND AGAIN, IF YOU LOOK, THEIR PROJECTED RIDERSHIP 27,000 TRIPS A DAY HAVE NOW REACHED 48,000 TRIPS A DAY. THEY'RE CARRYING OVER ONE MILLION TRIPS A MONTH ON THEIR RAIL NETWORK. THEIR COMMUTER RAIL -- AND THEY'VE DEVELOPED COMMUTER RAIL AHEAD OF A LOT OF OTHER COMMUNITIES IN THE WEST, AND THEY'RE EXPANDING THAT. THEY HAVE OVER 44 MILES OF COMMUTER RAIL LINKING THEIR MAJOR AREAS FROM A REGIONAL CONNECTION PERSPECTIVE, AND WE'VE TALKED I KNOW A LOT ABOUT THAT IN THIS AREA. I'M NOT GOING TO SPEND A LOT OF TIME ON EACH PROJECT, BUT I WILL TELL YOU, AS WE WENT THROUGH AND LOOKED AT HOW INNOVATIVE THEY'VE BEEN ON THEIR LIGHT RAIL PROJECT, THERE ARE A LOT OF LESSENS TO BE LEARNED, AND ONE OF THE THINGS WE'D LIKE TO DO IS TAKE AS MANY PEOPLE AS WE CAN BETWEEN NOW AND A YEAR FROM NOVEMBER TO LOOK AT HOW THEY'VE ACTUALLY DELIVERED THEIR PROJECTS, ALL OF THEM, UNDER BUDGET AND AHEAD OF SCHEDULE. IT'S JUST AMAZING SOME OF THE THINGS THEY'VE DONE, AND ONE OF THE THINGS I WILL TELL YOU THAT DAVID IS NOW IN SOUTH AMERICA -- WHAT WAS EMPHASIZED TO US BY THE GENERAL MANAGER OF SALT LAKE IS WHAT WE SHOULD BE LEARNING, LESSONS LEARNED FROM OTHERS AROUND THE WORLD WHO HAVE BEEN DOING WHAT WE ARE ABOUT TO DO HERE IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, AND YOU WOULD NOT BELIEVE ONE OF THE CREATIVE THINGS. WE ACTUALLY STOOD ON STYROFOAM, BLOCKS OF STYROFOAM THAT WAS USED AS FILL IN THEIR LIGHT RAIL PROJECT. SAVED THEM TWO YEARS AS OPPOSED TO USING TRADITIONAL FILL WHEN THEY WERE DOING CONSTRUCTION ON THEIR LIGHT RAIL SYSTEM. SOMETHING THEY PICKED UP IN EUROPE WHEN THEY WERE TRAVELING AND LOOKING AT WHAT OTHER SYSTEMS HAVE DONE TO DELIVER THEIR PROJECTS FASTER. THEIR TRANSIT-ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT IS AMAZING. ALL ALONG THE LINE, AND PARTICULARLY WHEN YOU GO UP TO THE UNIVERSITY AND SEE WHAT'S BEEN GOING ON RIGHT THROUGH THE HEART OF THEIR UNIVERSITY AND HOW THE STUDENTS ARE USING THEIR SYSTEM -- THEY'VE LINKED THAT TO THE AREA -- WE STOOD IN -- THE MIDDLE PICTURE IS A PICTURE OF AN EXCITING NEW DEVELOPMENT WITH THEIR PUBLIC LIBRARY WITH JOINT DEVELOPMENT ON THE GROUND FLOOR OF THE PUBLIC LIBRARY WITH RETAIL AND COMMERCIAL INTEGRATED ACROSS THE STREET FROM THEIR NEW LIGHT RAIL STATION, WHICH LEADS UP TO THE UNIVERSITY, AND ALL YOU SAW STANDING ON THE PLATFORMS WERE STUDENTS LINKING TO THE UNIVERSITY DOWN TO THIS LIBRARY AREA AND OTHER PLACES. THEIR VISION HAS BEEN THAT ONE -- THEY WILL HAVE -- EVERY RESIDENT ALONG THE WASATCH FRONT WILL HAVE WITHIN ONE MILE A MAJOR TRANSIT STOP BY 2030. THAT'S THE KIND OF ACCESS THEY WANT TO PROVIDE AND THE KIND OF DEVELOPMENT THAT THEY THINK IS GOING TO HAPPEN AND IS HAPPENING. THERE -- A NUMBER OF CASE STUDIES THEY SHOWED US. THIS IS AN AREA IN JORDAN, UTAH, A SUBURBAN COMMUNITY THAT WOULD HAVE NEVER HAD THE KIND OF DEVELOPMENT AROUND THEIR CITY CENTER IF IT WASN'T FOR THEIR LIGHT RAIL PROJECT. AGAIN, THIS IS THE LIBRARY EXAMPLE THAT WE SAW THAT WE WERE -- HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE IN WHAT WAS EXCITING ABOUT A JOINT-USE DEVELOPMENT ACROSS -- IN A PUBLIC LIBRARY. FARMINGTON, UTAH, WE WERE -- WE SAW THE MASTER PLAN OF THIS AND THE -- THE WAY THEY'RE USING THIS AS AN ECONOMIC GROWTH ENGINE FOR THIS SUBURBAN COMMUNITY AND THE NUMBER OF RIDERSHIP AND INCREASING -- LEVERAGING THE PRIVATE-SECTOR INVESTMENT WITH THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT'S BEING SPENT ON LIGHT RAIL. ONE THAT I FOUND VERY INTERESTING, DURING THE HEALTH CARE - - WHATEVER SIDE OF HEALTH CARE YOU'RE ON, YOU'VE HEARD THE ADMINISTRATION USING THE EXAMPLE IN SALT LAKE CITY OF A HOSPITAL THAT'S BEEN VERY CREATIVE IN THE WAY THEY'VE HELD DOWN HEALTH CARE COSTS. ACTUALLY, THIS IS THE HOSPITAL THAT THEY'VE BEEN USING. IT USED TO BE A BROWNFIELD SITE. IT'S NOT LONGER JUST A PICTURE. WE STOOD RIGHT ACROSS FROM IT. WE SAW IT ACTUALLY RIGHT AT THE STATION OF THE LIGHT RAIL SYSTEM IN SALT LAKE. IT WAS VERY EXCITING. THAT LINE WAS NOT THERE -- THAT HOSPITAL, EXCUSE ME, WAS NOT THERE AND WAS NOT EVEN -- THE ABILITY TO BUILD IT UNTIL THEY STARTED GETTING THE ACCESS AND THE EXCITEMENT AROUND THE LIGHT RAIL STATION. AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST I THINK IS MIDVALE, UTAH, AGAIN, WHERE THEY'VE BROUGHT IN JOINT USE -- THE DEVELOPMENT OF LAND WAS GIVEN THAT THEY BOUGHT AROUND THE STATION TO THE DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY, AND NOW YOU HAVE AN EXCITING TOD PROGRAM IN SALT LAKE. I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS GOING TO WORK. [INAUDIBLE] A LITTLE HUMOR. THIS IS IN BANGKOK. I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S CUED UP OR NOT. THIS IS WHAT I WOULD CONSIDER THE MOST -- IT'S PROBABLY NOT GOING TO WORK. IS IT? NO. ALL RIGHT. I DON'T WANT TO WASTE YOUR TIME. THIS IS A REALLY FUNNY -- WHEN YOU GET A CHANCE, WE'LL SHARE IT WITH YOU. THIS IS SOME OF THE MOST CREATIVE JOINT DEVELOPMENT I'VE EVER SEEN IN TRANSIT-ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT, BUT I HAD A FEELING THE FILE MAY BE A LITTLE TOO LARGE FOR THE COMPUTER. ANYWAY, I'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. AGAIN, THE EXCITEMENT OF THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY IN NOT ONLY PHOENIX BUT IN SALT LAKE AND HOUSTON AND IN DALLAS AND CITIES THAT DO NOT HAVE THE RICH HISTORY OF PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION AFTER THEY'VE MADE THEIR COMMITMENT TO LIGHT RAIL AND EXPANDED PUBLIC TRANSIT ARE GREAT EXAMPLES FOR US TO LOOK AT AS WE MOVE FORWARD IN DEVELOPING OUR TRANSIT NETWORK IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN. >>RON GOVIN: THANK YOU VERY MUCH, ALAN. I THINK ALL OF US ARE GETTING MORE AND MORE EXPOSED TO THESE RAIL PROJECTS, AND IT IS KIND OF AMAZING. I JUST SPENT FIVE DAYS IN WASHINGTON, D.C., VACATION. I DON'T KNOW THAT I CAN STRAIGHTEN OUT ANYTHING UP THERE. BUT INTERESTINGLY ENOUGH, THE MAP THAT THEY GIVE YOU, WHICH IS THE RUBBER-WHEELED TROLLEY, ALL OVER THE MAP -- I KEPT LOOKING AT IT, AND I THOUGHT, MAN, THE SUBWAY -- BECAUSE IT WOULD SAY SUBWAY RESTAURANT IS WHAT IT SAID ON THE MAP. WELL, WHAT THAT REALLY WAS WAS NOT SUBWAY'S RESTAURANT, IT WAS STOPS, AND WHAT AMAZED ME IS I -- I UNDERSTAND WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU GET ON TOP OF GROUND BECAUSE I'VE BEEN ON -- I'VE BEEN TO PORTLAND AND I'VE BEEN TO SEVERAL OTHER CITIES AND SEEN THEIR SYSTEM. WHEN YOU THINK OF WHAT GOES ON UNDERGROUND -- BECAUSE I WENT INTO THE STATION RIGHT NEXT TO THE HOTEL. THERE'S A CITY DOWN THERE. NOW, THAT WASN'T DOWN THERE BEFORE, SO THAT ALSO I THINK -- I MEAN, NOT THAT WE'RE GOING TO GO TOO FAR DOWN IN FLORIDA, BUT -- BUT IT JUST IS INDICATIVE OF THE KIND OF DRAW THAT THE RAIL HAS BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO BE SERVICED, AND SO -- SO ANYHOW -- AND I KNOW -- I KNOW MARK IS -- IS BRIMMING TO TELL YOU BECAUSE HE'S -- HE'S SEEN SOME OF THE BEST. >>MARK SHARPE: WELL, BOARD MEMBERS, I'M REALLY ALWAYS EXCITED TO HEAR ALAN SPEAK AND HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO BOTH TO SALT LAKE AND DALLAS, AND THEN WE TOOK A TRIP WITH THE MPO TO CHARLOTTE, AND I KNOW ALL OF YOU HAVE VISITED COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE TRANSIT OR TALKED TO OTHERS WHO HAVE, AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT REALLY STRUCK -- STUCK OUT IN ADDITION TO THE FACT THAT THERE WAS JUST AMAZING EXAMPLES OF VERY UNIQUE AND CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT ALONG THESE STOPS. IN CHARLOTTE WE SAW THE PARK-N-RIDE THAT HAD THE SOCCER FIELD ON TOP OF IT, AND IT SAVED THEM A LOT OF MONEY. THEY WERE ABLE TO BUILD A SOCCER FIELD FOR ABOUT A HALF MILLION DOLLARS WHERE IT WOULD HAVE COST THEM $2- OR $3 MILLION TO ACQUIRE THE LAND AND TO BUILD ONE. IT WAS USED BY STUDENTS AT A LOCAL SCHOOL. IN SALT LAKE WHAT I REALLY LIKED WAS TALKING TO FOLKS WHO HAD BEEN OPPOSED TO WHAT THEY WERE TRYING TO DO OR -- AND SEEING THE PROTESTORS WHO WERE OUT WITH SIGN, DON'T KILL OUR CHILDREN, AND THINGS LIKE THAT WHEN THERE WERE ALL THESE DISCUSSIONS, AND I'M SURE IN PHOENIX YOU HAD THE SAME OPPOSITION. THE CHALLENGE WE'VE GOT IS THAT THERE'S SO MUCH OPPOSITION, AND A LOT OF IT -- THERE'S SOME LEGITIMATE QUESTIONS AND CONCERNS, BUT A LOTS OF THAT I THINK ARE -- ARE -- ARE -- THEY'RE ABLE TO GO THROUGH THOSE -- THOSE CONCERNS ONCE YOU BUILD THE SYSTEM. ONCE YOU HAVE THE SYSTEM UP, PEOPLE BECOME BELIEVERS, AND I KNOW OUR CHALLENGE IS GOING TO BE FIGURING OUT WAYS TO SHOW AS MANY PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY THE POSSIBILITIES THAT TRANSIT WILL BRING. >> I THINK THE GREAT CHALLENGE -- AND WE'VE SEEN THIS IN MANY COMMUNITIES VERY SIMILAR TO WHAT WE'RE HAVING HERE AND THE DISCUSSION EARLIER WITH THE MPO -- IS ONCE YOU START ON THE FIRST LINE -- >>MARK SHARPE: EVERYBODY WANTS IT. >> -- EVERYBODY WILL WANT TO BE NEXT, AND IT'S HOW WE'RE GOING TO BALANCE THOSE PRIORITIES AS WE MOVE FORWARD. >>MARK SHARPE: WELL, IT'S -- SANDY WAS IN SALT LAKE. >> THAT'S CORRECT. >>MARK SHARPE: NOW, SANDY IS A COMMUNITY VERY SIMILAR TO BRANDON. >> YES. >>MARK SHARPE: IN FACT, WHEN WE WERE OUT THERE, I THOUGHT, MY GOSH, THIS IS BRANDON. >> CLOSE YOUR EYES. >> AND SANDY, THE CITIZENS WERE SAYING THEY DIDN'T -- INITIALLY THEY WERE NOT SUPPORTIVE, AND NOW, IT'S RIGHT THERE. IT STOPS RIGHT NEXT TO THE COMMUNITY. THEY'VE GOT HUGE PARK-N-RIDES, AND THE COMMUNITY THAT FOLLOWS SANDY IS SAYING, OKAY, WE WANT IT NOW. >> RIGHT. IN FACT, IN SANDY THEY DIDN'T WANT TO HAVE A STATION BUILT IN THEIR AREA, SO THE AUTHORITY DID NOT ORIGINALLY PLAN FOR THAT STATION, AND THE CITY OF SANDY CAME BACK AND PUT THEIR OWN MONEY UP TO BUILD THAT STATION SO THERE COULD BE ACCESS TO THE LIGHT RAIL PROJECT. >>RON GOVIN: VERY GOOD. COUNCILMAN DINGFELDER. >>MARK SHARPE: THANK YOU. >>JOHN DINGFELDER: IF I MISSED THIS, TELL ME. THE -- THE BUS SYSTEM IN -- IN THE PHOENIX AREA -- >> YES. >>JOHN DINGFELDER: -- WHAT SORT OF -- RIGHT NOW IT SAYS YOU'RE 700 BUSES, 400 VANS, 2,000 EMPLOYEES, ET CETERA. WHAT SORT OF THE GROWTH HAVE YOU SEEN IN THE BUS SYSTEM OVER THE LAST TEN YEARS? >> IT'S BEEN TREMENDOUS. WHEN I MOVED TO ARIZONA ALMOST 20 YEARS AGO, THERE WERE LESS -- IN A COMMUNITY OF AT THAT TIME ABOUT 1.8 MILLION PEOPLE THERE WERE LESS THAN 200 BUSES. WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY BUS SERVICE ON SUNDAYS. ALL BUS SERVICE STOPPED AT 6:00 AT NIGHT. SO AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO THE AUTOMOBILE, THE BUS SYSTEM WAS NOT AN ALTERNATIVE. IT WAS DESIGNED FOR ONLY THOSE PEOPLE WHO HAD TO USE TRANSIT. TODAY THE BUS SERVICE IS CARRYING I BELIEVE -- AND BACK THEN I THINK -- DON'T QUOTE ME, BUT I THINK WE WERE IN THE 30,000-, 40,000-TRIP-A-DAY 20 YEARS AGO. WE'RE OVER NOW I BELIEVE 140- TO 150,000 TRIPS A DAY. WE HAVE BUS SERVICE ALMOST -- I BELIEVE IT'S 18 HOURS A DAY. THE AMOUNT OF FEEDER BUS -- I'VE GOT TO TELL YOU A VERY INTERESTING STORY. IN THE 36 YEARS I'VE BEEN INVOLVED WITH DEVELOPING RAIL TRANSIT AND OTHER TRANSIT SYSTEMS, THE MAJOR ISSUE HAS ALWAYS BEEN YOU CAN NEVER BUILD ENOUGH PARKING AROUND YOUR STATIONS WHEN THE TRANSIT -- WHEN THE RAIL LINE OPENS, AND THE LESSONS LEARNED WHEN WE USED TO TRAVEL AROUND TO BART AND MARTA WAS BUILD AS MUCH PARKING AS YOU CAN, BUT WHAT'S HAPPENED IN PHOENIX IS BECAUSE OF THE TRANSIT-ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT, ACTUALLY WE HAVE, OUR PARK-N-RIDE LOTS, SOME OF THEM NOT EVEN HALF FULL EVEN THOUGH OUR RIDERSHIP IS 40% TO 50% HIGHER THAN WE HAD PROJECTED, AND THE MAIN REASON FOR THAT IS, ONE, MORE AND MORE PEOPLE WOULD RATHER NOT USE THEIR AUTOMOBILE, AS GAS HAS GOTTEN UP TO $3 A GALLON OF GASOLINE AGAIN -- IN FACT I'M PAYING 3.25 IN PHOENIX. PEOPLE ARE USING THE BUS. WE HAVE AN EXTENSIVE FEEDER BUS NETWORK THAT'S FEEDING EACH OF THE STATIONS, AND BECAUSE OF THE DEVELOPMENT, MORE AND MORE PEOPLE ARE WALKING. THEY'RE WALKING FROM THE STATIONS AND THEY'RE WALKING AROUND THE -- AND SO WHAT A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE PROJECTED WOULD HAPPEN EVEN IN A COMMUNITY LIKE PHOENIX IS HAPPENING, BUT WE DID NOT -- WE ALWAYS EMPHASIZE IT'S GOING TO HAPPEN HERE. MORE THAN 60% OF THE MONEY WE'VE SPENT OVER THE LAST TEN YEARS IN UPGRADING OUR TRANSIT SYSTEM HAS BEEN ON THE BUS SYSTEM, NOT ON THE RAIL, AND THE RAIL IS THE BACKBONE, AND IT'S ALWAYS THE SEXY PART AND IT GETS A LOT OF ATTENTION, BUT YOU'VE GOT TO HAVE THIS -- IF PEOPLE ARE REALLY GOING TO HAVE CHOICES, YOU'VE GOT TO LOOK AT THE WHOLE TRIP, NOT JUST THE RAIL LINE. AND JUST LIKE THE PLAN THAT YOU HAVE IN FRONT OF YOU AND THE COMMISSION IS GOING TO HAVE IN FRONT OF IT IN THE NEAR FUTURE, A VAST MAJORITY OF THE MONEY, ESPECIALLY IN THE SHORT-TERM, WILL GO INTO IMPROVING THE BUS SYSTEM AND MOBILITY FOR PEOPLE USING -- MAKING THE BUS A TRUE ALTERNATIVE, NOT JUST FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE TO USE IT. >>RON GOVIN: ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU, ALAN. I APPRECIATE THAT UPDATE, AND I'M SURE IT'S -- WE'LL HAVE MANY OF THEM AS WE GO FORWARD. THANK YOU. ITEMS 2 AND 3 ARE REPORTS FROM THE MAJOR PROJECTS AND LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE MEETING AND FROM THE THS BOARD. DOES EITHER ONE OF THOSE CHAIRS HAVE ANYTHING THAT THEY NEED TO MENTION OR -- OKAY. ALL RIGHT. THEY'RE THERE FOR YOUR READING. ACTION ITEMS, THERE ARE TWO -- TWO ACTION ITEMS THAT ARE THERE FOR YOU. THEY'RE PRETTY -- PRETTY STRAIGHTFORWARD. THE FIRST ONE, MOTION "A," BASICALLY INVOLVES FINDING A -- A LINE THAT WAS NOT AS IT WAS SHOWN ON THE PRINTS I THINK IS THE BEST WAY I CAN SAY IT IF YOU READ THE DETAILS, AND SO THEY HAVE TO REPLACE IT. >>DAVID MECHANIK: I HAVE A QUESTION ON THAT ITEM. >>RON GOVIN: OKAY. >>DAVID MECHANIK: YOU KNOW, IT'S A SIGNIFICANT ENOUGH OF A CHANGE ORDER THAT I JUST NEED TO ASK THIS QUESTION. WHAT -- THE BACKUP SAYS THAT THE CONSTRUCTION DRAWINGS DID NOT REFLECT CORRECTLY WHAT THE PIPING WAS UNDER THE -- UNDERGROUND. WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR PREPARING THOSE CONSTRUCTION DRAWINGS, AND IS THERE -- DO WE, IN FACT, HAVE TO ABSORB THIS COST OURSELVES AS A PUBLIC AGENCY? >> THAT'S STILL OUT IN DEBATE YET. PERSONALLY I THINK THAT THE ENGINEER HAS SOME LIABILITY IN THAT, AND WE WILL PURSUE HIS ERRORS AND OMISSIONS INSURANCE TO SEE HOW THAT SHAKES OUT, BUT RATHER THAN FACE THE EPA FINES, WE NEED TO GO AHEAD AND GET THIS APPROVED SO WE CAN CONTINUE CONSTRUCTION. >>DAVID MECHANIK: SO YOU'RE PRESERVING ALL THE RIGHTS WE HAVE TO MAKE SUCH A CLAIM? >> YES, SIR. >> IS HE THE CEOs DESIGNEE OR -- [LAUGHTER] >>RON GOVIN: WELL, ACTUALLY, I GUESS THE BOARD'S MAKING THE DECISION, SO IT DOESN'T MAKE ANY DIFFERENCE. >>DAVID MECHANIK: SO ALL WE'RE VOTING ON THEN IS TO GO AHEAD AND DEAL WITH THE PROBLEM, BUT IT DOESN'T WAIVE ANY - - >>RON GOVIN: RIGHT. >>DAVID MECHANIK: -- RIGHT WE HAVE TO A CLAIM AGAINST THE ENGINEER? >> DOES NOT. >>RON GOVIN: ALL RIGHT. I THINK WITH THAT ASSURANCE, THEN -- >>JOHN DINGFELDER: I'LL MOVE THE ITEM. I HAD THE SAME QUESTION SCRIBBLED, DAVID, AND I GUESS YOU DON'T NEED ANY AUTHORITY TO PROCEED AGAINST -- AGAINST THE ENGINEER OR THEIR -- OR THEIR O&E INSURANCE? >> NO, SIR, WE DON'T. WE'VE TAKEN ACTION AND NOTIFIED THEIR INSURANCE COMPANY. >>JOHN DINGFELDER: OKAY. ALL RIGHT. I'LL MOVE THAT. >>RON GOVIN: ALL RIGHT. WE HAVE A MOTION. >> SECOND. >>RON GOVIN: AND SECOND. THOSE IN FAVOR, IF YOU'D SAY AYE. [CHORUS OF AYES] OPPOSED BY LIKE SIGN. AND THE -- THE SECOND -- >>JOHN DINGFELDER: I'LL MOVE THAT ITEM. >>ALISON HEWITT: I HAVE A QUESTION. >>RON GOVIN: OKAY. ALL RIGHT. WE HAVE A MOTION, BUT -- >> SECOND. >>RON GOVIN: AND A SECOND. CLARK, YOU WANT TO EXPLAIN -- I THINK I HAVE YOUR NAME ON THERE. >>CLARK JORDAN-HOLMES: YES. THIS IS -- EVERY FIVE YEARS THE -- IT'S REQUIRED THAT THIS AGREEMENT BE REENTERED INTO, AND THIS AGREEMENT IS ESSENTIALLY THE SAME AS THE ONE FIVE YEARS AGO EXCEPT DIFFERENT CITATIONS TO FEDERAL STATUTES, MUCH LIKE THE POLICY HAVE CHANGED, SO THERE HAVE BEEN CHANGES OF THAT NATURE, AND ADDRESSES HAVE CHANGED, BUT THOSE ARE THE ONLY CHANGES THAT ARE IN THERE. AND THIS ALLOWS THE LOCAL GOVERNMENTS AND THE TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITIES TO WORK TOGETHER IN PLANNING AS WAS DEMONSTRATED IN THE PRESENTATION TODAY. >>RON GOVIN: YES. >>ALISON HEWITT: SO THOSE CHANGES -- IN OUR SUMMARY IT SAYS IT'S IN THE PROCESS OF UPDATING, SO WILL THOSE -- SINCE THEY'RE STILL IN THE PROCESS, WE DON'T EXPECT THEM TO DO ANYTHING OTHER THAN WHAT IS THE UPDATED INFORMATION? WITH A LOT OF THE CONVERSATIONS GOING AROUND WITH MPO AND REGIONAL TRANSIT CONVERSATIONS, I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE NOT -- THAT WE'RE NOT APPROVING SOMETHING AND THEY'RE STILL IN THE PROCESS OF UPDATING. >>CLARK JORDAN-HOLMES: NO. THE AGREEMENT THAT IS IN YOUR BOARD PACKET IS THE FINAL ONE, ASSUMING ALL THE AGENCIES INVOLVED WILL PASS IT. >>ALISON HEWITT: OKAY. >>WALLACE BOWERS: SO WE'RE JUST -- WE'RE JUST ONE OF THE AGENCIES THAT'S PASSING -- >>CLARK JORDAN-HOLMES: CORRECT. >>RON GOVIN: ALL RIGHT. WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND. ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS? ALL RIGHT. IF NOT, THOSE IN FAVOR, IF YOU'D VOTE AYE. [CHORUS OF AYES] OPPOSED BY LIKE SIGN. BRENDA, DO YOU HAVE ANY REPORT FOR US? >>BRENDA MOWEN: I DON'T HAVE A REPORT, BUT I DID WANT TO INTRODUCE A NEW HIRE VERY QUICKLY. ADAM GOLDMAN, WHO'S IN THE AUDIENCE, IS OUR NEW DIRECTOR OF PROCUREMENT AND CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION, STARTS WORK TODAY. TODAY IS HIS FIRST DAY OF WORK. HE HAILS FROM LINKS AND CITRUS CONNECTION IN LAKELAND AND ALSO WENT TO SCHOOL IN ST. PETERSBURG, HAS A JD FROM STETSON, AND WELCOME, ADAM. >> [INAUDIBLE] >>RON GOVIN: ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. GLAD TO HAVE YOU. GENERAL COUNCIL'S REPORT, CLARK. >>CLARK JORDAN-HOLMES: THERE ARE TWO ITEMS IN THE GENERAL COUNCIL'S REPORT. ONE IS THAT I -- I WOULD REQUEST THAT THE BOARD INSTRUCT ME TO OBTAIN AN OPINION FROM THE FLORIDA ELECTIONS COMMISSION IN -- IN REGARD TO THE GROUND RULES OF THIS AGENCY. I THINK MOST OF THE BOARD MEMBERS KNOW THAT THE LEGISLATURE THIS YEAR PASSED A NEW STATUTE DEALING WITH REFERENDUMS AND HOW LOCAL GOVERNMENTS -- AND THAT'S THE DEFINED JURISDICTION, LOCAL GOVERNMENTS -- DEAL WITH THOSE. THE WAY IT READS, IT'S -- IT SAYS DISTRICTS OF A COUNTY, OF A CITY, ET CETERA. THAT CREATES DOUBT IN MY MIND WHETHER AN INDEPENDENT SPECIAL DISTRICT SUCH AS HART, WHICH IS A REGIONAL AUTHORITY, IS OF A DISTRICT BECAUSE YOU HAVE INDEPENDENT SPECIAL DISTRICTS AND DEPENDENT. A DEPENDENT IS OF A COUNTY, OF A CITY CONTROLLED BY THAT LOCAL GOVERNMENT. FOR MANY PURPOSES, INCLUDING THE ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES ACT THAT WE DEALT WITH TODAY, HART IS A STATE AGENCY, SO BECAUSE OF THAT WORDING, I THINK THIS AGENCY WOULD BE BETTER SERVED TO KNOW EXACTLY WHERE WE STAND. THE OTHER THING IS A FEDERAL COURT HAS DECLARED THE PORTIONS OF THIS CHAPTER THAT DEAL WITH ELECTIONEERING COMMUNICATIONS TO BE UNCONSTITUTIONAL, AND THAT CREATES A LITTLE BIT OF DOUBT ABOUT WHAT WE COULD DO, AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT ASSUMING THAT -- THAT AN ELECTION IS CALLED OR REFERENDUM IS CALLED FOR 2010 THAT THIS AGENCY UNDERSTAND WHAT IT CAN AND CANNOT DO. IT MAY JUST BOIL DOWN TO -- THE WAY I READ THAT STATUTE, ELECTIONEERING COMMUNICATIONS MIGHT EVEN BE PLEASE VOTE ON NOVEMBER 2nd, IF THAT'S THE DATE OF THE ELECTION, AND WE KNOW THAT WE WOULDN'T ADVOCATE ONE WAY OR ANOTHER, AND THE SECOND POINT IN MY REPORT ARE SOME GROUND RULES, WHAT YOU CAN AND CANNOT DO, THOSE KIND OF THINGS, BUT I DO THINK IT'S IMPORTANT, AND I'D ASK THE BOARD TO INSTRUCT ME TO ASK FOR AN OPINION. >>RON GOVIN: ALL RIGHT. IF YOU AGREE WITH THAT, I WOULD ACCEPT A MOTION. >>ALISON HEWITT: SO MOVED. >> SO MOVE. >>RON GOVIN: ALL RIGHT. WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND. ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS? >>STEVE POLZIN: CLARK, A COUPLE QUESTIONS, AND THIS DOESN'T RELATE EXCLUSIVELY TO THE MOTION, BUT I WANT TO FULLY UNDERSTAND BECAUSE OF THE KIND OF UNIQUE CHARACTERISTICS OF THIS WHERE IT'S THE COUNTY THAT WOULD ACTUALLY PLACE THE REFERENDUM ON THE BALLOT, NOT HART, THEY HAVEN'T DONE THAT YET. IS THERE ANYTHING THAT CHANGES, YOU KNOW, WHEN IN FACT IF IS ON THE BALLOT VERSUS BEFORE IT'S ACTUALLY ON THE BALLOT, AND HOW DOES -- HOW DOES THE GUIDELINES INFLUENCE ALL OF THE OTHER RELATED AGENCIES, INCLUDING THE MPO AND TBARTA AND, YOU KNOW, FDOT, AND US THAT AREN'T NECESSARILY FIRST PERSONS TO THE ACTUAL REFERENDUM? SO IT -- OVER TIME I'D LIKE TO FULLY UNDERSTAND HOW THAT ALL PLAYS OUT. >>CLARK JORDAN-HOLMES: I THINK SOME OF THE IMPORTANT THINGS, WHO'S THE AUDIENCE, LIKE YOU'RE PERFECTLY ENTITLED AND PROBABLY HAVE A DUTY TO GO TO THE LEGISLATURE AND SAY, PLEASE, WE WANT MONEY BECAUSE WE WANT TO DO THAT, AND WHO'S PAYING FOR DIFFERENT THINGS, BUT I'LL BE GLAD TO TALK TO YOU MORE ABOUT THAT OR MAKE A PRESENTATION LATER TO THE BOARD. >>RON GOVIN: ALL RIGHT. WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND. IS THERE ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? IF NOT, THOSE IN FAVOR, IF YOU'D VOTE AYE. [CHORUS OF AYES] OPPOSED BY LIKE SIGN. >>CLARK JORDAN-HOLMES: THANK YOU. >>RON GOVIN: OKAY. >>DAVID MECHANIK: MR. CHAIRMAN. >>RON GOVIN: YES. >>DAVID MECHANIK: I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THE SECOND PART OF CLARK'S REPORT. >>RON GOVIN: OKAY. >>DAVID MECHANIK: ONE THING IS I NOTICED YOU SAID YOU HAD A LIST OF DOs AND DON'Ts ATTACHED AND YOU ALSO SAID YOU HAD A LENGTHY MEMORANDUM OR A COMPREHENSIVE MEMORANDUM, BUT THEY DIDN'T -- THEY WEREN'T IN THE MATERIALS. >>CLARK JORDAN-HOLMES: NO, I DIDN'T KNOW IF EVERYBODY WOULD BE INTERESTED IN A LENGTHY MEMORANDUM, BUT I DO HAVE IT HERE. I'M NOT SURE WHY THE DOs AND DON'Ts WEREN'T THERE, BUT -- THE DOs AND DON'Ts PRETTY MUCH FOLLOW WHAT'S IN THE REPORT ITSELF, BUT I HAVE COPIES OF THAT LENGTHY MEMORANDUM, WHICH ALSO HAS A COPY OF THE DOs AND DON'Ts FOR ANY BOARD MEMBER THAT'S INTERESTED. >>DAVID MECHANIK: I'D APPRECIATE A COPY, BUT I DO HAVE A QUESTION. >>RON GOVIN: COULD YOU POSSIBLY E-MAIL THAT TO US? >>CLARK JORDAN-HOLMES: SURE. >>RON GOVIN: THAT WOULD PROBABLY BE THE BEST WAY TO CIRCULATE IT. >>CLARK JORDAN-HOLMES: AND I HAVE HARD COPIES HERE. >>DAVID MECHANIK: AND CLARK, AS I UNDERSTAND IT, JUST READING YOUR BRIEF BACKUP DESCRIPTION, AS FAR AS THE REFERENDUM GOES, AS A HART BOARD MEMBER, WE'RE NOT -- AS LONG AS WE'RE NOT SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF HART OR USING HART RESOURCES AS AN INDIVIDUAL, THERE ARE NO CONSTRAINTS AS TO HOW OR IN WHAT MANNER WE COULD PARTICIPATE IN THE REFERENDUM ISSUE? >>CLARK JORDAN-HOLMES: CORRECT. BASICALLY -- AND IF YOU DON'T HAVE A STATUTE THAT DEALS WITH IT, THEN YOU HAVE TO GO TO THE COMMON LAW AND WHAT THE CASES HAVE SAID, AND THEY'RE NOT ALWAYS AS CLEAR AS THE STATUTE WHERE IT'S IN BLACK AND WHITE, BUT YOU HAVE TO BE CAREFUL OF THE FUNDS BECAUSE YOU FOLLOW THE FUNDS AND YOU FOLLOW THE EMPLOYEES. IF HART RENTED A HALL TO HAVE A MEETING AND THAT MEETING TURNED OUT PROMOTING ONE SIDE OR THE OTHER OF A REFERENDUM, THEN THAT'S WHERE YOU -- YOU HAVE ISSUES, BUT AS AN INDIVIDUAL, AS LONG AS THERE'S NOT HART PERSONNEL DRIVING IT AND THERE'S NOT HART MONEY DRIVING IT, YOU'RE FREE TO DO AND SAY WHAT YOU WANT. >>DAVID MECHANIK: OKAY. AND THE OPINION THAT WE JUST ASKED YOU TO SEEK WOULD NOT -- YOU DON'T BELIEVE WOULD -- ANY OF THE CONCLUSIONS THERE WOULD HAVE A BEARING ON THIS CONCLUSION AS TO HOW WE CAN ACT AS INDIVIDUAL BOARD MEMBERS? >>CLARK JORDAN-HOLMES: CORRECT. NO, I WOULDN'T SEE THAT. I THINK THE ONLY THING IT WOULD ANSWER IN MY MIND AT LEAST IS WHETHER HART COULD IN ITS MATERIALS SAY, PLEASE VOTE NOVEMBER 2nd. IN OTHER WORDS, ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO VOTE BUT NOT TO VOTE ONE WAY OR THE OTHER. >>DAVID MECHANIK: OKAY. >>RON GOVIN: ALL RIGHT. VERY GOOD. >>DAVID MECHANIK: THANK YOU. >>RON GOVIN: ALL RIGHT. AND THEN CLARK WILL SEND THAT OUT TO US AND ALSO HARD COPY US ON IT. STATUS REPORTS ARE UNDER TAB 6. I THINK -- ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS YOU'D LIKE TO ASK OF STAFF OR -- THEY'RE PRETTY MUCH LAID OUT THERE FOR YOU, THE NUMBER OF RIDES, ET CETERA. AND FROM THERE WE'RE GOING TO GO TO GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT. WE DO HAVE SEVERAL PEOPLE THAT HAVE ASKED TO BE HEARD. AGAIN, IF YOU'LL REMEMBER THAT THAT'S A THREE-MINUTE TIME - - TIME THAT IS ALLOWED. THE FIRST ONE IS MARION GWIZDALA. >> GOOD MORNING. >>RON GOVIN: GOOD MORNING. >> GOOD MORNING. >> I CAME BEFORE YOU IN JUNE TO PRESENT TO YOU A COMPLAINT THAT I FILED WITH THE FEDERAL TRANSIT AUTHORITY ALLEGING DISCRIMINATION UNDER THE ADA CONCERNING THE REGULATIONS ABOUT ANNOUNCEMENTS ON FIXED-ROUTE SYSTEMS, AND YOU ASKED ME TO COME BACK IN A FEW MONTHS AND GIVE YOU AN UPDATE. SHORTLY AFTER -- IN FACT IMMEDIATELY AFTER I LEFT THE ROOM I WAS ASKED TO SET UP A MEETING, AND WITHIN A COUPLE OF DAYS WE MET WITH KEY STAFF MEMBERS OF HART, AND -- WE MEANING SHERRILL O'BRIEN WHO SERVES AS THE VICE PRESIDENT OF THE TAMPA BAY CHAPTER OF THE NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND, MARY SHOCK WHO SERVES AS THE VICE PRESIDENT OF THE EAST HILLSBOROUGH CHAPTER OF THE NFB, AND I MET WITH THOSE STAFF MEMBERS. DURING THAT MEETING WE AGREED THAT WE WOULD SURVEY THE ROUTES AND PROVIDE INPUT TO HART CONCERNING THAT, AND WE DID THAT. MARY AND I SPENT MORE THAN 30 HOURS SURVEYING A MAJORITY OF HART ROUTES AND MAKING SUGGESTIONS AS TO WHERE ANNOUNCEMENTS SHOULD BE MADE IN ORDER TO COMPLY WITH THE REGULATIONS THAT WERE PROMULGATED BY THE FEDERAL TRANSIT AUTHORITY. I'M DISAPPOINTED TO SAY THAT NONE OF THOSE CHANGES HAVE YET BEEN IMPLEMENTED. THERE HAS BEEN -- I HAVE MADE AT LEAST TWO PHONE CALLS WITHIN THE PAST MONTH TO FRANK COLAVOLPE ASKING HIM TO PROVIDE ME WITH SOME -- A REPORT AS TO WHAT IS BEING DONE AND HAVE HAD ABSOLUTELY NO RESPONSE. THE FIX OF THE PROBLEM IS NOT THAT DIFFICULT. WE'RE TOLD IN THE MEETING THAT IT -- IT'S A CHALLENGE BECAUSE OF THE AUTOMATED SYSTEM AND THE FACT THAT YOU'RE SWITCHING OVER FROM ONE SYSTEM TO ANOTHER; HOWEVER, THE FIX IS NOT ALL IN THE AUTOMATED SYSTEM. THE FIX IS VERY SIMPLE, AND THIS IS TO REQUIRE OPERATORS TO VERBALLY MAKE THE ANNOUNCEMENTS THAT ARE NOT BEING MADE BY THE AUTOMATED SYSTEM. THAT IS NOT BEING DONE. COINCIDENTALLY, TODAY I RODE IN ON THE ROUTE 8 AND YESTERDAY RODE OUT -- I SPENT THE WEEKEND IN ORLANDO AT A LEADERSHIP WORKSHOP FOR THE NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND, AND THE AUTOMATED SYSTEM IS NOT WORKING, AND TODAY ON MY WAY IN I NOTIFIED CUSTOMER SERVICE THAT THE OPERATOR WAS NOT MAKING THE REQUIRED ANNOUNCEMENTS. THAT WAS AT ABOUT 7:41 THIS MORNING, AND HE DID BEGIN MAKING ANNOUNCEMENTS AS HE CAME INTO DOWNTOWN. I CALLED THE COMPLAINT IN, AND HE WAS NOTIFIED. I DISEMBARKED FROM THE BUS AT 8:00, AND I WOULD BE CURIOUS TO FIND OUT IF AFTER I LEFT THE BUS IF HE THEN STOPPED MAKING HIS ANNOUNCEMENTS. AND IT'LL BE INTERESTING TO SEE BECAUSE THERE WAS A BROADCAST MESSAGE MADE REGARDING THAT REQUIREMENT TO MAKE ANNOUNCEMENTS, AND WHEN I SAW MR. HALE IN THE BACK OF THE ROOM AND FOUND OUT THAT HE WAS IN CHARGE OF MAINTENANCE, I FOUND OUT THAT HE DIDN'T EVEN REALIZE THAT THE AUTOMATED SYSTEM WAS NOT FUNCTIONING. NOW, THOSE ARE THE INSIDE ANNOUNCEMENTS. AS FAR AS THE OUTSIDE ANNOUNCEMENTS, THERE'S BEEN NO IMPROVEMENT EITHER. IN FACT, YESTERDAY WHEN I WAS COMING BACK FROM ORLANDO, I CAME IN BY GREYHOUND AND WAS WAITING FOR THE ROUTE 8 AT THE -- THE FEDERAL -- YEAH. OVER AT THE COURTHOUSE, THE FEDERAL STATION, AND ONLY ONE BUS WENT BY. THAT WAS THE ROUTE 30, AND IT DIDN'T MAKE ANY OUTSIDE ANNOUNCEMENTS IN SPITE OF THE FACT THAT I WAS THERE WITH MY WHITE CANE AND MY WIFE WAS THERE WITH HER GUIDE DOG. THE BUS DIDN'T EVEN STOP. IT JUST WENT RIGHT PAST THE STATION. SO UNFORTUNATELY IT SEEMS AS IF THERE'S NOT ENOUGH MOTIVATION TO RESOLVE THIS ISSUE, AND I'M VERY DISAPPOINTED THAT HART HAS -- HAS SEEN TO NOT RESOLVE THE ISSUE AND CONTINUES TO DISCRIMINATE AGAINST THOSE PEOPLE IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY WHO HAVE VISUAL IMPAIRMENTS, WHICH, BY THE WAY, THERE'S ABOUT 40,000 BLIND AND VISUALLY IMPAIRED PEOPLE IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, AND SO I'M NOT SURE WHERE WE GO FROM HERE. THE FEDERAL TRANSIT AUTHORITY STILL HAS THE COMPLAINT, AND AGAIN, I'M DISAPPOINTED THAT HARTLINE HAS NOT SEEN FIT TO RESOLVE THIS ISSUE YET. >>RON GOVIN: THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU VERY MUCH. >>RON GOVIN: I DON'T KNOW IF ANYBODY FROM STAFF IS PREPARED TO -- BRENDA. >>BRENDA MOWEN: WELL, WHAT I WAS GOING TO RECOMMEND, SINCE MR. ESCOBEDO IS OUT OF TOWN, HE'S OUR CHIEF OF OPERATIONS, IS THAT I WOULD CONNECT YOU WITH KATHRYN EAGAN, OUR NEW CHIEF OF SERVICE DEVELOPMENT, AND ALSO PHILIP HALE, WHO YOU MENTIONED EARLIER IS CHIEF OF CONSTRUCTION AND MAINTENANCE, SO THEY COULD DISCUSS MORE SPECIFICALLY AND -- THE ISSUES AND TRY TO MAP OUT AN ACTION PLAN, AND AGAIN OUR APOLOGIES FOR THE SECOND VISIT. HOPEFULLY YOUR NEXT VISIT HERE WILL REFLECT POSITIVE IMPROVEMENTS. THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS. >> JUST FOR THE RECORD, THIS IS MY SECOND VISIT AS FAR AS THE COMPLAINT, BUT IT'S BEEN GOING ON FOR 15 YEARS, SO I DON'T KNOW HOW LONG IT'S GOING TO TAKE TO RESOLVE THIS ISSUE, SO -- >>BRENDA MOWEN: THANK YOU, SIR. >> THANK YOU. >>BRENDA MOWEN: THANK YOU. >>RON GOVIN: ALL RIGHT. >> [INAUDIBLE] >>RON GOVIN: YOU'LL HAVE TO WAIT. I'LL RECOGNIZE YOU IF YOU WANT TO BE ADDED TO THE LIST. >> HE'S ON THE LIST. >>RON GOVIN: ARE YOU ON THE LIST ALREADY? >> [INAUDIBLE] >>JOHN DINGFELDER: MR. CHAIRMAN. >> [INAUDIBLE] >>JOHN DINGFELDER: MR. CHAIRMAN. >>RON GOVIN: WE'LL LET YOU ADD THAT TO YOUR RESPONSE WHEN YOU COME UP. OKAY. YES. >>JOHN DINGFELDER: COULD WE SPECIFICALLY GET A REPORT FROM THE CEO NEXT MONTH IN RESPONSE TO THIS? IT HAS BEEN HANGING AROUND FOR A WHILE. PUT THAT ON THE AGENDA. >>RON GOVIN: ALL RIGHT. BRENDA'S WRITING THAT DOWN RIGHT NOW -- >>JOHN DINGFELDER: THANK YOU. >>RON GOVIN: -- SO I'M SURE WE'LL GET A RESPONSE FROM HIM. >>STEVE POLZIN: AND TO ADD TO THAT, WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND WHAT'S A HARDWARE TECHNOLOGY ISSUE VERSUS WHAT'S A SUPERVISION, PEOPLE, PERFORMANCE ISSUE. >>RON GOVIN: OKAY. ALL RIGHT. I CAN'T READ THIS NEXT ONE. OH, ALAN. ALAN, ARE YOU ON THIS LIST? >> PROBABLY THE WRONG -- [INAUDIBLE] >>RON GOVIN: OKAY. ALL RIGHT. >> YOU DON'T WANT TO HEAR FROM ME AGAIN. >>RON GOVIN: WELL, WE ENJOYED YOUR -- VANESSA. >> GOOD MORNING. >>RON GOVIN: GOOD MORNING. >> I'M VANESSA CEPHUS, THE PRESIDENT OF ATU 1593 AT HART. I'M JUST GOING TO -- I'M JUST GOING TO READ SOMETHING THAT I WROTE THAT WE'RE GOING THROUGH A LITTLE BIT AT -- WITH HART MANAGEMENT. UNIONS ARE FORMED TO PROTECT EMPLOYEES' RIGHTS. UNIONS WORK WITH MANAGEMENT TO KEEP THE HARMONIOUS RELATIONSHIP WITHIN THE COMPANY BETWEEN NONMANAGEMENT EMPLOYEES AND MANAGEMENT EMPLOYEES. THIS IS THE JOB WE ARE TRYING TO DO; HOWEVER, THE MANAGEMENT TEAM IS RETALIATING AND UNION BUSTING. THEY ARE FORCING US TO GO TO ARBITRATIONS FOR CASES THAT SHOULD BE WORKED OUT INTERNALLY. WHEN WE -- WHEN WE HAVE ALL THE EVIDENCE IN OUR FAVOR OR THEY DO NOT HAVE ANY EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT THEIR ARGUMENT, THEY'RE STILL PUSHING THE PUNISHMENTS THROUGH. THIS FORM OF BULLYING IS NOT TO BE TOLERATED BY ANY UNION. UNFAIR LABOR PRACTICES AND TITLE VIIs DOES NOT TOLERATE THIS EITHER. THEY TRIED TO FIRE ME WHEN I WAS NOT ON DUTY AND GAVE ME A THREE-DAY SUSPENSION. I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY THIS HAPPENED. I'VE BEEN WORKING REALLY HARD TRYING TO BRING THE NONMANAGEMENT SIDE WITH THE MANAGEMENT SIDE. I'M NOT SAYING IT'S THE ENTIRE COMPANY EITHER. IT'S ONLY ONE PARTICULAR DEPARTMENT, WHICH IS REALLY WEIRD BECAUSE I CAME AND SAID SOME POSITIVE THINGS ABOUT THEM AND THEN TURNED AROUND AND IT JUST WENT ALL HAYWIRE FOR SOME REASON. WE WERE DOING WELL. IS THAT THE PLAN, TO GET RID OF THE UNION PRESIDENT, BECAUSE THAT'S GOING TO BACKFIRE. YOU CAN'T EXPECT THE UNION TO BE UNDERSTANDING AND WORK HARD WITH MANAGEMENT AND THEN TURN AROUND AND DECIDE, WELL, WE DON'T LIKE WHAT THE UNION PRESIDENT DID OR WE DON'T LIKE WHAT THE UNION PRESIDENT HAS SAID OR WE DON'T LIKE WHATEVER, SO LET'S DO THIS, LET'S GET RID OF HER. NO, YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO WORK WITH HER, WORK WITH THE UNION. IT WAS OBVIOUS THAT THEY WAS TRYING TO UNION BUST, SO OUR MEMBERSHIP WENT UP, SO THANKS. I'M STILL FINDING THIS RIDICULOUS CHARGE. INTERNALLY AND EXTERNALLY CHARGES HAVE BEEN FILED. WE NEED MANAGEMENT EMPLOYEES THAT ARE PROFESSIONAL AND NOT TAKE THINGS PERSONAL. OPERATIONS, WHICH IS THE CORE OF THE COMPANY, HAS REPLACED ONE MANAGER WITH TWO, AND THOSE TWO DO NOT ADD UP TO THAT ONE; HOWEVER, THE TWO SALARIES TOGETHER DOUBLES THAT ONE MANAGEMENT PERSON'S SALARY. WE COULD HAVE JUST KEPT HIM. I'M GOING TO SKIP AROUND AS I -- THERE'S SOME THINGS THAT I'M GOING TO TALK TO PRIVATELY OUTSIDE -- YOU KNOW, WITHIN THE COMPANY. NO EMPLOYEE SHOULD BE ASKED BY A MANAGER, WHY ARE YOU MAKING ALL THESE CHANGES AND THE ANSWER BE BECAUSE WE WANT TO. NO EMPLOYEE SHOULD BE TOLD TO SIGN HERE WITHOUT KNOWING WHAT THEY ARE OF THEY ARE SIGNING FOR, AND WHEN THEY'RE ASKED, WHAT ARE WE SIGNING THIS FOR, WHAT IS THIS ABOUT, THEY'RE TOLD SIGN IT OR YOU HAVE TO DEAL WITH JOE. HOW MUCH IS A UNION SUPPOSED TO TAKE? EVERYTHING WE HAVE DONE IS BECAUSE OUR MANAGEMENT TEAM HAS FORCED OUR HANDS TO DO WITH ANSWERS LIKE THAT. THIS UNION IS NOT UNREASONABLE. WE ARE QUITE COOPERATIVE, BUT WHEN A MANAGER TELLS US HE IS NOT MAKING ANY CHANGES, AND IF WE DON'T LIKE IT, TOO BAD, WHAT DO YOU EXPECT ME TO DO? I HAVE A JOB TO DO AS WELL. AND AM I SUPPOSED TO PROTECT THE NONMANAGEMENT EMPLOYEES? THEY HAVE THE RIGHT TO BE TREATED FAIRLY, RESPECTED, SHOWN NO RETALIATION, AND NOT TO BE INTIMIDATED. THIS GOES FOR ALL OF US. MY OPINION ABOUT DAVID HAS NOT CHANGED, BUT HE NEEDS A MANAGEMENT TEAM THAT IS ABLE TO MOVE THIS COMPANY FORWARD. IF WE ARE CONSTANTLY ARBITRATING CASES AND OUR RELATIONSHIP IS NOT HARMONIOUS, THEN WE WILL GO NOWHERE. WE DON'T NEED TO BECOME [INCOMPREHENSIBLE] INTERNALLY OR EXTERNALLY. WE JUST -- WE SHOULD JUST HAVE A TEAM WILLING TO WORK WITH US AND DO THE RIGHT THING AND LET'S MOVE ON. I REPRESENT OVER 500 EMPLOYEES OF THE 732. 325 AND GROWING ARE UNION MEMBERS. THAT SAYS A LOT. WE NEVER EVEN HAD THAT MANY MEMBERS BEFORE. UNFORTUNATELY, I HAVE TO BE THE ONE TO BRING THE BAD NEWS AFTER SUCH A WONDERFUL OPENING TO THIS MEETING. I'M STILL OPTIMISTIC, AND WE ARE STILL WORKING WITH OTHER DEPARTMENTS, MAINTENANCE, HR, ET CETERA. I WAS TOLD LAST NIGHT THAT CHANGES TO OPERATIONS ARE COMING. LET'S WORK TOGETHER. THIS UNION IS WILLING. AND WE HAVE PROVEN THAT. NEXT MONTH I WANT THE ENTIRE MEETING TO BE POSITIVE. WE HAVE COME A LONG WAY AND HAVE A LONGER WAY TO GO. EVERYONE HAVE A NICE DAY, AND WHEN I SEE YOU NEXT MONTH, I HOPE EVERYTHING WILL BE OKAY. >>RON GOVIN: DO YOU -- >> [INAUDIBLE] >>RON GOVIN: I WOULD JUST ASK YOU ONE QUESTION FROM THE BOARD. I MEAN, DO YOU FEEL THAT YOU HAVE THE ATTENTION OF MANAGEMENT AT THIS POINT? >> NO BECAUSE -- YOU KNOW WHAT, I DON'T UNDERSTAND -- MOST OF THE MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENTS ARE FINE, LIKE MAINTENANCE AND HR. I WORK WITH STEVEN, I WORK WITH MR. HALE. I'VE GOT A MEETING WITH HIM THIS WEEK. SOMETHING HAPPENED IN OPERATIONS. I KNOW OPERATIONS IS SO IMPORTANT THAT YOU PUT THE RIGHT PEOPLE IN THAT AREA BECAUSE MOST OF THE COMPANY ARE BUS DRIVERS, AND THAT IS OPERATIONS. >>RON GOVIN: ALL RIGHT. SO YOUR BIGGEST CONCERN IS IN THE OPERATIONS AREA? >> YES, THE WAY THEY'RE BULLYING AND -- >>RON GOVIN: ALL RIGHT. WE'RE GOING TO PASS THAT INFORMATION ON TO BRENDA, AND SHE'LL INDEED GET THAT TO -- >> HI, BRENDA. I HAVEN'T EVEN GOT A CHANCE TO TALK TO YOU. I'M SORRY I HAD TO MEET YOU THIS WAY, BUT I WILL COME SEE YOU TODAY. >>RON GOVIN: VERY GOOD. THANK YOU FOR THE COMMENTS -- >> THANK YOU. >>RON GOVIN: -- AND WE'LL GET STAFF TO COMMUNICATE. ARE THERE ANY OTHER COMMENTS FROM -- FROM THE BOARD? OKAY. IF NOT, WE HAVE OLD BUSINESS. NO. I'M SORRY. GOT ONE MORE. JOHN GREEN. THANK YOU. I FORGOT. >> GOOD MORNING. THANK YOU FOR GIVING ME THE OPPORTUNITY. WHILE I APPLAUD WHERE HART IS GOING -- I'M ALSO WILLING TO SUPPORT IT, BUT -- VANESSA JUST GAVE YOU A GENERAL STATEMENT OF WHAT'S HAPPENING, BUT I WANT TO SHOW YOU SO YOU CAN SEE WHAT'S ACTUALLY GOING ON. MAYBE YOU COULD TAKE ONE OF THESE AND PASS IT AROUND SO -- AND I'LL EXPLAIN TO YOU WHAT'S GOING ON. I THINK THE BEST WAY TO GET A POINT ACROSS IS FOR YOU TO SEE IT OTHER THAN US JUST COMING UP HERE JUST RATTLING OFF AT THE MOUTH. AND WHAT YOU'LL BE LOOKING AT IS BASICALLY THE NOI THAT WAS GENERATED FROM WHEN VANESSA WAS DISCIPLINED FOR THESE THREE DAYS. IT ACTUALLY CAME AFTER WE REJECTED THE NEW SCHEDULING MARKUP, AND I WAS WITH HER THE DAY THAT SHE GOT -- WHEN SHE WENT BACK TO WORK. WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT IN FRONT OF YOU IS OUR NOI. THIS IS HOW IT IS WRITTEN UP INITIALLY, BUT DURING THE INVESTIGATION WHAT I NOTICED, THEY GENERATED -- WELL, SOMEWHERE DOWN THE LINE THEY GENERATED A SUMMARY OF WHAT -- WHAT HAD HAPPENED. THAT'S THE NEXT PAGE FOLLOWING THE NOI. THE "A" INFRACTION MEANS THAT SHE CAN -- MAY BE DISCHARGED, AND BASED UPON THE EVIDENCE WHEN WE WENT INTO THE HEARING AND LOOKED AT THE TAPE FROM WHEN SHE PUNCHED IN, SHE WAS DEFINITELY AND CLEARLY OFF THE CLOCK. SHE WASN'T -- IT WASN'T EVEN HER REPORT TIME YET. IF YOU FLIP TO THE NEXT PAGE, THE NEXT ONE IS A SUMMARY OF ONE OF THE SUPERVISORS AND DISPATCHER -- AT DISPATCH WHO WROTE WHAT HAPPENED. NOW, AT THE TIME -- HIS TIMELINE IS OFF FOR SURE. WE KNOW THAT ALREADY FROM THE FILM. BUT AS YOU CAN CLEARLY SEE HERE, HE STATED AT THE BEGINNING IT WAS 1:58, WHICH IS WRONG, AND WHAT -- WHAT THEY WAS DOING IS ACTUALLY SUPPOSED TO SWAP OUT ANOTHER BUS BECAUSE A BUS HAD BROKEN DOWN. THEY WAS SUPPOSED TO SWAP OUT ANOTHER BUS, AND BY THE TIME VANESSA CAME TO THE WINDOW TO SIGN IN, SHE WAS TELLING THE DISPATCHER THAT I'M NOT ON THE CLOCK, YOU ALREADY HAVE SOMEONE AVAILABLE TO DO THE JOB, JUST GIVE HIM THE -- GIVE HIM THE JOB, GIVE THAT OPERATOR THE JOB, AND THE SERVICE CAN CONTINUE ON. BUT HE STATED FOR HIMSELF THAT, NO, HE'S GOING TO HOLD THE WORK UNTIL SHE GET ON -- UNTIL SHE GOT ON, WHICH IS WRITTEN IN -- WHICH IS WRITTEN IN THESE SUMMARIES. ON THE THIRD PAGE YOU CAN SEE THE SUPERVISOR NARRATIVE, WHICH IS JEFF. HE WAS THE ONE WHO CALLED FOR THE SWAP, AND AS YOU CAN SEE AT THE VERY BEGINNING, LUIS LAVERA, WHICH IS IN OPERATIONS -- THIS IS WHERE ALL THE PROBLEMS IS STEMMING FROM -- HE CHANGED SOMEBODY ELSE'S REPORT TIME TO MAKE IT FIT HIS TIMELINE. THAT'S CLEAR, AND HE ADMITTED THAT -- HE ADMITTED THAT TO US WHEN WE WAS IN THE HEARING. SO THAT'S CLEAR FOR NUMBER ONE. NOW, YOU CAN SEE AT THE VERY TOP IT SAYS 1400 HOURS, WHICH THAT'S 2:00. SO WE CLEARLY KNOW THAT EVERYTHING HAS TAKEN PLACE PRIOR TO VANESSA EVEN BEING ON THE CLOCK. IF YOU FOLLOW -- IF YOU -- ON THE NEXT PAGE IS WHERE THEY - - THEY FAILED TO DO AN INCOMPLETE INVESTIGATION. WHAT I DID WAS I WENT AND HAD EVERYBODY WHO WAS AVAILABLE FOR WORK, AND I TALKED TO THE ONE GIRL WHO WAS SUPPOSED TO DO THE WORK, AND I HAD HER WRITE A STATEMENT, AND THIS IS HER STATEMENT. AT THE BOTTOM I HAD -- I MADE SURE THAT SHE HAD IT STAMPED IN TIME AND DATED AND WHICH NONE OF THE REPORTS PRIOR TO THIS WAS DONE, AND FROM MY UNDERSTANDING, YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO STAMP AND DATE AND VALIDATE YOUR REPORTS. SO NONE OF THAT WAS DONE. SO SHE WROTE HER STATEMENT TELLING HER -- TELLING HER -- TELLING THE DISPATCHER THAT I WAS SUPPOSED TO GET THE WORK. VANESSA WASN'T SUPPOSED TO GET IT. SHE WAS NEXT IN LINE TO GET A PIECE OF WORK, WHICH COULD HAVE BEEN FOUR TO EIGHT HOURS OR WHATEVER, AND THAT'S THAT. AND THEN IF YOU GO TO THE VERY LAST PAGE, THIS IS THE GRIEVANCE THAT VANESSA HAD WROTE FOR DISCIPLINE TO HAPPEN FOR -- TO SEE WHAT THEY HAVE DONE TO CORRECT THIS SITUATION WITH THE DISPATCHER. IF YOU LOOK AT THE VERY BOTTOM -- AND IT STARTED OFF, ALTHOUGH THE DISPATCHER MAY HAVE MADE AN ERROR IN THE EXTRA BOARD ASSIGNMENT OF THE WORK, THE GRIEVANCE AS SUBMITTED BY MS. CEPHUS AND THE REQUEST -- YOU CAN GO ON AND READ IT, BUT THEY GO ON TO DENY THE WHOLE -- THE WHOLE GRIEVANCE, SO I'M JUST SHOWING YOU THE TIMELINE. MY MAIN THING IS THE TIMELINE AND LETTING YOU KNOW THAT THIS COULD HAVE BEEN RESOLVED. IT'S ON THE TAPE CLEARLY THAT SHE WAS AT WORK PRIOR TO HER START TIME, AND THEY STILL WENT FORWARD TO GIVE -- TO DISCIPLINE VANESSA BY GIVING HER THREE DAYS -- PUTTING HER ON -- PENDING INVESTIGATION WITHOUT NO WORK, WITHOUT PAY, AND SO ON AND SO FORTH. ANOTHER ONE -- ANOTHER -- ANOTHER NOI I WANT TO YOU SEE AS WELL -- >>STEVE POLZIN: WE CAN'T GO ON. >>RON GOVIN: YOU KNOW, YOU'RE ACTUALLY PAST YOUR THREE MINUTES. >> OKAY. >>RON GOVIN: WE UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE DOING, BUT REALLY THIS WILL HAVE TO BE RESOLVED BY STAFF WITH YOU GUYS, AND THEY NOW HAVE -- I WOULD MAKE SURE THAT THAT DOCUMENT COMES TO BRENDA SO THAT SHE CAN FOLLOW IT UP, AND THEN YOU CAN JUST MAKE SURE THAT IN THE NEXT MEETING WE HAVE A REPORT. >> AND I WANT TO MAKE THIS CLEAR AS WELL. WE SAT -- PRIOR TO ALL THIS HAPPENING, WE SAT IN THE OFFICE WITH JOE ESCOBEDO, AND WHAT HE SAID SPECIFICALLY WAS THAT HE WANTED TO STAY INFORMED AND KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH THIS CASE SO THAT THEY, MEANING HIM AND HIS STAFF, CAN MAKE SURE IT'S DONE RIGHT. NOW, HOW SHOULD I TAKE IT? I DON'T KNOW, BUT AS VICE PRESIDENT OF ATU, MY JOB IS TO LOOK AT THE GOOD AS WELL AS THE BAD. THANK YOU. >>RON GOVIN: WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS. WE DO APPRECIATE IT, AND I'M NOT TRYING TO PUT YOU OFF, BUT I THINK THE PLACE FOR THIS TO BE RESOLVED IS GOING TO BE -- BE WITH STAFF AND THAT THEY NEED TO COME BACK TO US AND REPORT THAT AS THEY REVIEW THE FACTS. >>STEVE POLZIN: ACTUALLY, TWO ITEMS. >>RON GOVIN: DR. POLZIN. >>STEVE POLZIN: ONE IS -- AT SOME POINT I WAS UNCOMFORTABLE BECAUSE I DON'T THINK WE'RE A HEARING BOARD FOR COMPLAINTS, AND I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S ANY LEGAL GUIDANCE CLARK NEEDS TO GIVE US IN THIS RESPECT. I CERTAINLY RESPECT THE RIGHTS OF ANY OF THE EMPLOYEES TO COME AND SHARE CONCERNS, BUT I DON'T WANT TO GET INTO A HE SAID/SHE SAID, CERTAINLY NOT WHEN IT HASN'T GONE THROUGH ALL THE CHANNELS APPROPRIATE WITHIN THE STAFF. SO, AGAIN, IF IN THE FUTURE CLARK OR DAVID CAN TELL US EXACTLY WHAT, YOU KNOW, SHOULD BE APPROPRIATE FOR DISCUSSION IN FRONT OF THE BOARD, PLEASE DO THAT. I WOULD, IF I COULD, UNDER NEW BUSINESS LIKE TO RAISE AN ISSUE. I KNOW STAFF SENT OUT A NOTICE ON FRIDAY TO EVERYBODY WITH SOME LINKS TO THE TBARTA BOARD MEETING, AND I LISTENED TO THAT YESTERDAY, AND I'VE BEEN FOLLOWING SOME OF THE ISSUES FOR QUITE SOMETIME. AND YOU'LL REMEMBER WAY BACK IN I BELIEVE IT WAS JUNE OR SO WE HAD A DISCUSSION ABOUT TBARTA AND THE RELATIVE ROLES, AND THERE WAS SOME DISCUSSION -- I BELIEVE IT WAS IN OUR STRATEGIC PLANNING MEETING -- ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF A JOINT BOARD MEETING AND SOME OF THOSE KINDS OF THINGS. NOTHING CAME OF THAT PARTICULAR INITIATIVE. WE ALSO SENT THEM A LETTER SOME MONTHS AGO REGARDING PARTNERSHIP ON OUR ALTERNATIVE ANALYSIS STUDY. I KNOW THEY'RE PARTICIPATING IN SOME OF THE ADVISORY COMMITTEES. THEY DIDN'T, TO MY KNOWLEDGE, RESPOND TO OUR REQUEST TO BE FINANCIAL PARTNERS IN THAT STUDY, AND THERE'S AN AWFUL LOT OF DISCUSSION TAKING PLACE IN TBARTA AND IN THE TBARTA COMMITTEES REGARDING RELATIVE ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES, EVERYTHING FROM WANTING VETO POWER FOR LOCAL PREFERRED ALTERNATIVES TO LOGOS ON OUR BUSES INDICATING THE PARTNERSHIP, TO DISCUSSION ABOUT THE LEVEL OF THEIR SUPPORT CONDITIONED UPON OUR PLANS AND PROPOSALS BEING SATISFACTORY TO THEM AS WE MOVE TOWARDS THE REFERENDUM, AND -- AND I CERTAINLY -- YOU KNOW, WE'VE SAID REPEATEDLY THAT WE WANT TO BE CONSISTENT WITH AND COMPATIBLE WITH THE REGIONAL PLAN, BUT WE NEED TO -- WE HAVE STEWARDSHIP RESPONSIBILITIES OVER THE RESOURCES OF THIS AGENCY, AND THERE'S ALL KINDS OF TALK OF THINGS LIKE INTERAGENCY AGREEMENTS AND PARTNERSHIPS, PARTICULARLY AGREEMENTS IN TERMS OF LONG-TERM RELATIONSHIPS AND OPERATING AUTHORITY, AND I THINK THAT NEEDS TO START TO GET THE ATTENTION OF THIS BOARD. WE NEED TO WORK WITH THEM, WE NEED TO DO THE APPROPRIATE STUDIES, WE NEED HELP FROM LEGAL IN TERMS OF WHAT WE CAN AND CAN'T DO IN TERMS OF PARTNERSHIPS, THE IDEA OF RELINQUISHING RESPONSIBILITY FOR THINGS OVER THE LONG-TERM. WE'VE GOT AGENCY -- OR AGREEMENTS WITH THE CITIES AS WELL. WHAT CAN WE SIGN THAT DOESN'T VIOLATE THAT? WHY WOULD WE SIGN ANYTHING ISN'T PARTICULARLY CLEAR TO ME AT THIS POINT IN TIME, BUT THESE ISSUES ARE BREWING AND FESTERING, AND THEY CERTAINLY HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO CONFUSE THE PUBLIC AT A MINIMUM AND PERHAPS KIND OF HOLD US HOSTAGE IN TERMS OF WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING TO DO WITH OUR REFERENDUM RESOURCES TO WIN THEIR SUPPORT, SO I DON'T -- I DON'T HAVE ANYMORE SPECIFICS THAN THAT. I'D ENCOURAGE YOU TO LOOK THROUGH THE MATERIALS THAT WERE IN YOUR HANDOUT PACKET AT THE TABLES THIS MORNING, AND IF YOU HAVEN'T HAD A CHANCE TO LISTEN TO THE TBARTA AUDIO/VIDEO LINK THAT WAS SENT OUT BY STAFF ON FRIDAY, PLEASE DO THAT. LOOK AT THOSE SECTIONS. IT'S IMPORTANT FOR -- FOR EVERYBODY ON THIS BOARD TO UNDERSTAND THE KINDS OF DISCUSSIONS THAT ARE BEING HELD SO THAT WE'RE IN A POSITION TO -- TO ADDRESS THOSE ISSUES AS WE MOVE AHEAD. THANK YOU. >>RON GOVIN: THANK YOU. ANY -- YES. MS. HEWITT. >>ALISON HEWITT: TWO COMMENTS, PLEASE. ONE ABOUT THE -- THE EMPLOYEES. WE DID -- I HAD STARTED RECEIVING CALLS A FEW WEEKS AGO FROM SEVERAL OF THE OPERATORS AND HAVE TALKED TO MR. ESCOBEDO AND MR. ARMIJO, AND THEY HAD PLANNED ON IMPLEMENTING SOME NEW STRATEGIES UPON THEIR RETURN WITH MANAGEMENT, BUT THIS IS CONVERSATIONS THAT DAVID ARMIJO IS ALREADY HAVING WITH HIS MANAGEMENT TEAM TO BEGIN TO ADDRESS. BUT THIS -- >>RON GOVIN: VERY GOOD. >>ALISON HEWITT: -- THIS INFORMATION HAD BEEN -- THE UNION HAS BEEN VERY CLEAR WITH COMMUNICATION AND VERY OPEN WITH THEIR COMMUNICATION AS WELL AS NONUNION OPERATORS WHO ARE - - HAVE BEEN ABLE TO EXPRESS SOME THOUGHTS THAT MR. ARMIJO AND MR. ESCOBEDO ARE LOOKING INTO. >>RON GOVIN: THANK YOU. MR. BOWERS. >>WALLACE BOWERS: I'M VERY PLEASED AT WHAT I'M HEARING ABOUT THE COOPERATION BETWEEN THE EMPLOYEES AND THE MANAGEMENT, BUT I AM CONCERNED -- AND I KNOW THIS IS NOT OUR JOB TO DO, BUT I AM CONCERNED THAT WE DO WHAT'S NECESSARY TO KEEP THAT KIND OF RELATIONSHIP AND CERTAINLY WOULD NOT WANT TO -- IF THERE IS ANY RETALIATION TO ANY EMPLOYEE BECAUSE OF SOME -- SOMETHING THAT IS NOT REALLY SUBSTANTIATED, SO I REALLY WISH THAT WE WOULD HAVE STAFF TO, AS YOU SAID, LOOK INTO THIS TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY'S TREATED FAIRLY. >>RON GOVIN: I BELIEVE STAFF HAS PROBABLY RECEIVED THAT MESSAGE AT THIS POINT. YES. >>ROSE FERLITA: AND I AGREE WITH WHAT MR. BOWERS IS SAYING, AND I CERTAINLY UNDERSTAND WHAT STEVE IS SAYING. THIS IS NOT A GRIEVANCE BOARD ABOUT TRYING TO DECIDE WHO'S DOING WHAT APPROPRIATELY OR OTHERWISE, BUT I CERTAINLY DON'T DISCOURAGE ANY OF THE LEADERSHIP, VANESSA, ET CETERA, TO COME AND SAY THAT YOU HAVE ISSUES. WE DON'T HAVE TO GET INTO THE SPECIFICS, BUT AT LEAST THAT KIND OF PIQUES OUR ATTENTION THAT MAYBE THERE'S SOMETHING WRONG THERE AND IT NEEDS TO BE RESOLVED, CERTAINLY UNDER THE RIGHT VENUE, BUT I DON'T WANT ANYTHING THAT WAS SAID HERE TO DISCOURAGE YOU FROM COMING HERE AND SAYING WE HAVE A PROBLEM. THAT'S WHAT WE NEED TO KNOW. >>RON GOVIN: ALL RIGHT. ANY FURTHER BUSINESS TO COME BEFORE THE BOARD? >>STEVE POLZIN: CAN I JUST SAY ONE MORE THING? AND WE WANT THEIR HELP GETTING THIS ISSUE OF COMMUNICATIONS OF STOPS TO THE HANDICAPPED COMMUNITY. WE NEED THE UNION'S HELP ON THAT. >>RON GOVIN: ABSOLUTELY. >> [INAUDIBLE] >>RON GOVIN: ALL RIGHT. WITH THAT I'M GOING TO CALL THE MEETING. YOU-ALL HAVE A GOOD DAY. 1