Advisory Board

The Martha’s Vineyard Transit Authority Advisory Board met Friday, January 18, 2019, at 9:30 AM at the offices of the Transit Authority, 11 A Street, and Edgartown.  Present were Alice Butler (Oak Bluffs), John Alley (West Tisbury), Lenny Jason (Chilmark), June Manning* (Aquinnah), Elaine Miller (Tisbury) and Lou Paciello (Edgartown).  Also present were Angela Grant (VTA), Lauren Thomas (VTA) and Suzanne Cioffi (VTA).  

The meeting was called to order at 10:02 AM

Meeting Minutes were reviewed and amended as follows: correct spelling of A. Butler’s last name and OBED to OPEB.   L. Paciello made a motion to approve minutes as amended, L. Jason seconded. Vote: 4-0-1 (J. Alley abstained)

10:07 AM June Manning arrived

Meeting Minutes of 1/18/19 were reviewed and amended as follows: include the work force.  L. Paciello made a motion to approve minutes as amended, J. Alley seconded. Vote: 5-0-1 (E. Miller abstained)

RTA Task Force on Performance and Financing

RTA Task Force Ms. Grant stated there had been18 meetings, all in Boston and none in an RTA service area, with 2 meetings being attended by Secretary Pollack. The Secretary recognized the process was taking too long, however and needed Task Force to move forward for the Legislative session underway. Ms. Grant stated that there will be more reporting requirements going forward customized to each RTA, and with a potentially increased funding tied to these reporting requirements. She stated an MOU between MassDOT and the RTA’s for FY 20 will need to be signed in the future for funding but that RTA’s will keep local control. Transit Authorities have 55% of population and the MBTA has 45%. Reinvigorate the RTA Council that had been put in place but has not been in use as of late, with the Secretary of Transportation involved in the council. Ms. Miller inquired if we have local support from our Legislators. Ms. Grant advised yes they are in support. She stated that the RTA’s and our funding is a statewide issue and not just a Vineyard issue.

Service Update

Ridership through February 2019

Ms. Grant reported that ridership through first eight months of the year is down 2.98%. Ms. Grant stated Tisbury Park and Ride was down, Routes 1, 3, 5 &6 were up and Route 7 & 9 were down, the biggest negative change has been in the Tisbury Park and Ride for the last couple of months.

Operations Update- Transit Connection

10:20 AM Darren Morris, General Manager, TCI arrived to update the board on operations. He stated that they are recruiting like crazy as always. Information had been sent to 24 college campuses and ski resort areas (opposite season as ours); he stated that they usually have a low return rate with that method. He stated that next week he would be traveling to UMASS Amherst, to do a recruitment presentation; stated this is their best recruitment method. He has been in contact with Bridgewater State for returning drivers. Trying this year to recruit from Puerto Rico as they are residents of the United States and do not need a visa or working documents. He stated they had a high response rate but when the individuals realized the jobs were in the United States, people withdrew. He stated he has six people arriving in April but will need licenses and training. Elaine Miller inquired about housing for all the drivers. Mr. Morris stated that they have housing at Church Street apartment and a year round house for seasonal drivers and for contractors in the off season. He stated that there will never be more than eight individuals in one house and subsidized rent is collected; other housing may be secured depending on hirings. Mr. Morris stated that there has been staff turnover. He said a couple of his office people who were also part-time drivers went back to driving full time. He had recently hired a driver to do office duties and drive and one additional person. His HR person left in November so they restructured positions and have just hired an Assistant General Manager who will be starting in a couple of weeks.

He said labor negotiations have been held four times since September and it has been a slow process. He stated mediation has begun and each issue and article has been gone over thoroughly. He said both sides are far apart on issues. He stated that April 2-3, 2019 with a federal mediator will be the next dates for negotiations. Mr. Jason asked how the mediation process worked. Mr. Morris advised parties are in separate rooms and the mediator takes the most salient points and brings to the other parties. If it makes sense to have both parties in the same room, the mediator will bring them together.

10:28 AM Mr. Morris left the meeting

Financial Update

Ms. Thomas gave draft financials through January 31, 2019. She stated vehicle repairs are up as outside technicians have been brought in from NEBR. Insurance Other is up due to workman’s comp audit, in which we have prepaid, but end up owing more based on actual payroll. Travel expense is up due to Administrator travel and that the VTA does not get the town rate from the Steamship Authority. John Alley stated it would be worth having the conversation with SSA and County Commissioners as well to get an adjusted rate for VTA. Ms. Grant did state we have more of a partnership with them now and it would be worth revisiting

State Budget The Governor’s Budget is at $84 million for RTAs but does not include discretionary funding; the RTAs and the task force have requested $90.5 million to put them where they should currently be based on forward funding from FY14/15. The task force added an inflator, similar to the MBTA for an annual increase; this roughly translates to $2.5 million dollars annually going forward

FY20 Budget Mr. Paciello advised that the audit and finance board that the financial subcommittee had just met and that they recommend approval of the FY 20 operating budget in the amount $6,144,428.  He stated he would like the Board’s support of said budget. John Alley made a motion to approve and June Manning seconded the motion.  6-0-0 m/s/c.

Ms. Grant advised Ms. Butler that we will be doing our borrowing earlier as she is going out on medical leave

Electric Drives the Future

Ms. Grant stated the solar canopies have been delayed and will be started in September.  She stated that we will have the energy storage units in place by 6/30/19.  Plan is to charge vehicles from the battery storage units, which will be charged by the solar canopies. There was a meeting with Eversource on 3/14/19 and they are ok with the three locations proposed for inductive charging.  She stated for Church Street she will need to go to Edgartown Selectmen for final approval; that we will have to remove trees and plant tree.  She said all electric buses will need thermostat controls installed to control the heating and cooling of the buses as, the heat uses more energy than the air conditioning.  She stated the electric buses are much more efficient than the diesel fleet, more reliable, quieter and cleaner. All six of the buses that we have purchased to date will be retrofitted for the thermostat controls and BYD will install the inductive charging plates on site.  Six buses will be here end of August/September but they are giving us loaner buses for the summer

Old/New Business

Fare Increase Ms. Grant stated that need to have a conversation regarding fare increases. She said it is unknown how much funding will be required for when the union contract is finalized, but that the projected increased from the State of $150,000 in FY 20 likely will not be enough. She said that we need to have a public hearing around June to increase the fares. She stated it takes about 4 months to get the fare media cards encoded so perhaps zone fares which would fluctuate based on the operating season. Perhaps a micro-transit concept in Chilmark, West Chop, areas of West Tisbury launching in the fall, in lieu of fixed route as ridership may not be strong enough on those routes to warrant fixed route service.

Mr. Jason stated he would like to see a meeting just on fare increases as a board and then the public meeting. Ms. Miller agreed for all board members to be informed before a public hearing. 

Ms. Grant advised board of her upcoming surgery in April

State Ethics 2019 Ms. Thomas advised Ms. Miller that they distributed to board members Summary of Law and Sign off Sheet at the last meeting that she was unable to attend. Ms. Miller signed off and Ms. Manning signed off as well

Items Not Reasonably anticipated for discussion

1.  Ms. Grant spoke about FTA Region 1 Transportation Rural Planning Funds and assisting School district for grant of electric buses

Correspondence

• 1. Faust Letter of injury  
• 2. Kelly Letter of injury
• 3. Senator Markey’s letter

11:06 AM Mr. Jason made a motion to adjourn; Mr. Alley 2nd.  M/s/c/ 6-0-

Documents

• Ridership report through February 2019
• Financials through January 2019
• FY20 Budget
• Faust Attorney Letter
• Kelly Attorney Letter
• Markey Letter