[00:00:02]
AND, UH, THANK YOU FOR JOINING US
[I. Call to Order]
AT THE JANUARY MEETING OF THE CAPITOL METRO BOARD OF DIRECTORS.TODAY IS MONDAY, JANUARY 30TH, AND THE TIME IS 1217.
SO I'M CALLING THE MEETING TO ORDER AND THE FIRST ITEM ON OUR
[II. Public Comment:]
AGENDA TODAY WILL BE PUBLIC COMMENT.I UNDERSTAND THAT WE HAVE SEVERAL SPEAKERS SIGNED UP WITH US IN ADVANCE.
SO WHEN WE CALL YOUR NAME, UM, IF YOU WILL, UM, UNMUTE YOURSELF IF YOU'RE ONLINE OR COME TO THE PODIUM IF YOU'RE HERE IN THE ROOM.
AND OUR FIRST SPEAKER WILL BE MS. AMY BENNY BELDING.
CAN YOU PUSH THE BUTTON TO MAKE THE LITTLE RED LIGHT COME ON ON THE MICROPHONE? PERFECT.
UM, SO I WENT ONLINE AND I, UH, WAS MUTED.
YOU GUYS MUTED ME THE ENTIRE TIME.
SO ANYWAY, I HAD TO COME DOWN HERE IN PUBLIC, UH, TO TALK ABOUT IT.
SO MY SON, RYAN, IS A CLIENT OF YOURS.
UM, WE'VE HAD QUITE A STRUGGLE.
UH, I WORK, I'M A SINGLE MOM AND WE STRUGGLE.
SO YOUR, UM, SERVICE HAS BEEN A BLESSING TO US.
AND I KNOW THAT YOU GUYS HAVE A WHOLE BUNCH TO SAY, AND I'M REALLY EXCITED FOR YOU
BUT, UM, IT HASN'T BEEN THAT GREAT.
SO I DEPEND ON YOU TO, TO ALLOW MY SON TO BE A PRODUCTIVE MEMBER OF SOCIETY.
AND HE TRIES SO HARD AND HE HAS TWO JOBS.
AND IN ORDER FOR HIM TO HAVE THESE JOBS AND ME TO ALSO WORK, YOU KNOW, TO PROVIDE MONEY FOR US, WE RELY ON YOU AND IT'S AWESOME.
BUT YOU GUYS HAVE LEFT HIM ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD.
YOU HAVE LEFT HIM, UH, IN A DITCH.
I HAVE HAD TO LEAVE WORK AND PICK HIM UP FROM A CONSTRUCTION SITE ON SECOND STREET BECAUSE WHEN YOU GUYS DON'T COME, HE DOESN'T WANNA BOTHER ME BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, HE'S HANDICAPPED AND HE DOESN'T UNDERSTAND.
AND SO HE TRIES TO WALK HOME AND HE'S TRIED TO WALK HOME THROUGH THE WOODS AND HE'S TRIED TO WALK HOME THROUGH THE CITY AND HE IS ENDED UP IN PLACES.
AND I HAVE HAD TO LEAVE WORK AND I HAVE HAD TO CALL MY FRIENDS.
AND I HAVE HAD A LOT OF TROUBLE TRYING TO LIVE THIS LIFE THAT I DID NOT ASK FOR.
AND I'M REALLY SORRY THAT MY SON DEPENDS ON YOU, BUT HE DOES.
AND I NEED YOU GUYS TO EDUCATE YOUR STAFF THAT WHAT THEY DO IS CRITICAL.
IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT UNIMPORTANT.
IT'S THEIR, THEIR LIVES IN INVOLVED.
AND WHEN I GET MAD AND THE PEOPLE THAT I CALL AND I'M LIKE, HEY, YOU GUYS ARE LIKE, LIKE, HEY, YOU GUYS ARE LATE.
LIKE, WHERE'S THE RIDE? IT'S, IT'S NEVER ON THE WAY THERE.
IT'S ALWAYS ON THE WAY HOME BECAUSE I JUST WANT 'EM TO BE SAFE.
AND WHEN PEOPLE ARE ACTING LIKE I'M FRUSTRATED OR IRRITATED, I'M NOT.
AND I JUST WISH THAT YOU GUYS WOULD EDUCATE YOUR STAFF TO KNOW THAT THIS IS, THIS IS LIFE AND DEATH.
IT'S NOT JUST GETTING TO AND FROM WORK.
THIS IS SOMEONE'S, MY, MY SON HAS A DOOR TO DOOR AND, AND HE DESERVES THAT.
AND ONCE WHEN MY GATE DIDN'T OPEN, YOU GUYS LEFT HIM ON THE ROAD, LIKE STANDING BY A DITCH AND I HAD TO LEAVE WORK.
I CAN'T JUST PICK UP AND RUN OFF AND GO GET HIM.
AND I WISH THAT I HAD SOMEONE TO HELP ME.
BUT YOUR, YOUR JOBS ARE IMPORTANT AND I JUST WISH THAT YOU WOULD EDUCATE THEM THAT IT'S NOT, NOT A BIG DEAL.
AND MY SON'S LIFE IS IMPORTANT.
AND FOR US TO BE PRODUCTIVE MEMBERS OF SOCIETY, WHICH IS WHAT YOU GUYS WANT, IT'S WHAT HE IS TRYING TO DO.
LIKE, I JUST WISH THAT YOU WOULD HELP US NOT HAVE TO HAVE THAT WORRY.
I JUST WANT THAT TO BE ONE LESS WORRY THAT I HAVE IS THAT MY SON COULD GET BACK AND FORTH TO WORK WITH YOUR SERVICE, WITH YOUR GOVERNMENT FUNDING AND MY MONEY THAT I PAY, THAT HE CAN ACTUALLY GET BACK AND FORTH TO WORK.
AND IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT I HAVE TO CONSTANTLY STRESS ABOUT.
THANK, THANK YOU FOR COMING AND, AND PRESENTING TODAY.
SHOULD WE HAVE GOOD TALK TO SOMEONE? OKAY.
BEING THE REMOTE GUY HERE, I DON'T SEE WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE ROOM THERE.
UH, I'M, AM I TO ASSUME THAT, UH, DOTTY THAT THERE IS SOMEBODY IN THE ROOM THAT IS GETTING WITH MS. AMY NOW? YES, SIR.
WE JUST HAD, WE JUST MADE THE EYES OF ONE ANOTHER AND
[00:05:01]
AND STAFF WILL BE REACHING OUT TO HER.I, I CAN, I CAN AT LEAST SOMEWHAT RELATE SO, AND THANK, TELL HER THANK YOU FOR HER SERVICE AND I HOPE WE CAN GET THAT TAKEN CARE OF QUICKLY, MR. CHAIR.
BOARD MEMBER COOPER? YEAH, JUST A QUICK, UH, COMMENT.
I JUST WANT TO, I LOST THE BACKGROUND, MA'AM.
I JUST WANT TO SAY, UH, THANK YOU FOR COMING DOWN.
BEEN ON THE BOARD EIGHT YEARS AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S ALWAYS IMPRESSED ME IS THE RELATIONSHIP THAT WE HAVE IN HELPING FOLKS WHO HAVE DIFFERENT ABILITIES LIVE FULL LIVES.
AND SO FROM ALL OF US, APOLOGIES IF WE'VE, UH, LET YOUR SON DOWN AND YOU DOWN IN THAT RESPECT.
BUT IT'S REALLY ONE OF THE MOST ENCOURAGING THINGS THAT WE SEE HERE AT CAP METRO IS MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY WHO HAVE DIFFERENT ABILITIES, UH, TRYING TO GET TO WORK AND, AND TRYING TO, TO BE PRODUCTIVE AND LEAD FULL LIVES.
AND CERTAINLY IT'S PART OF OUR MISSION TO ASSIST WITH THAT.
SO ON BEHALF ALL OF US, UH, APOLOGIES FOR ANY DIFFICULTY WE'VE CAUSED BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S ONE OF THE COOL THINGS THAT WE DO IS, UH, IS, UH, LET PEOPLE, UH, LEAD UH, PRODUCTIVE, UH, AND FULL LIVES.
SO JUST WANTED TO, UH, ISSUE OUR APOLOGY TO YOU IN THAT REGARD AND TO, UH, ENCOURAGE YOUR SON TO KEEP UP HIS EFFORTS.
DO WE HAVE ANY OTHER? ALL RIGHT.
UM, I HAD BRAIN SURGERY SEVERAL YEARS AGO, SO IT'S HARD FOR ME TO SPEAK FROM MEMORY.
I WROTE IT DOWN, SO PLEASE BEAR WITH ME.
UH, MY NAME IS MARIE THORN AND I'M HERE TO EXPRESS MY FRUSTRATION AND DISAPPOINTMENT WITH METRO ACCESS.
I DON'T ABUSE THE SYSTEM AND TRY TO ONLY USE METRO ACCESS WITH MY DOCTOR APPOINTMENTS WHEN THE BUS ROUTES ARE NOT CLOSE TO THE OFFICES.
AND I HAVE MANY, MANY DOCTORS.
UM, NOW WHY AM I HERE? OVER THE PAST FEW MONTHS, ON TWO OCCASIONS, METRO ACCESS HAS BEEN EITHER A NO-SHOW OR LATE CAUSING ME TO MISS MY DOCTORAL APPOINTMENTS, RESULTING IN $50, NO-SHOW FEES.
UM, AND FOR A PATIENT BEING REFUSED OF THE APPOINTMENT, UM, USUALLY THAT MEANS WHEN THERE'S THREE NO-SHOWS BY SOME DOCTORS, THEY'RE UM, THEY HAVE THIS PRO, THIS PROCESS.
THAT MEANS IF THERE'S THREE NO-SHOWS, THE PATIENT IS GONNA BE REFUSED ANY MORE PA UH, ANY MORE APPOINTMENTS.
SO THAT'S ONE OF THE PROBLEMS THAT I'M FACING RIGHT NOW IS IF THERE'S ANY MORE NO-SHOWS, THE DOCTOR'S GONNA TAKE ME OFF THE ROSTER.
I'M NOT SURE IF YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH THE RIGHT RESERVATION PROCEDURES.
WHEN WE CALL, WE TELL THEM WHERE WE ARE GOING, WHETHER IT'S A DOCTOR'S OFFICE, GROCERY STORES, ET CETERA, AND WHAT TIME WE HAVE TO BE THERE OR WE LIKE TO BE PICKED UP, UH, THEN WE'RE GIVEN A 30 MINUTE WINDOW THAT THEY'LL PICK US UP TO GET TO OUR DESTINATION.
IF THE RIDE IS LATE, THEN WE CALL TO CHECK ON THE STATUS OF OUR RIDE.
BUT LATELY, WHEN WE CALL TO CHECK THE STATUS, WE ARE PLACED ON HOLD FOR 20 MINUTES OR MORE JUST TO BE TOLD THAT THE RIDE IS NOT AVAILABLE OR WE WILL PICKED UP AN HOUR LATE.
I CAN SEE THIS BEING ACCEPTABLE FOR SOMEONE GOING TO A GROCERY STORE OR TO A FRIEND'S HOUSE, BUT NOT TO A DOCTOR APPOINTMENT OR TO A JOB.
THE RESERVATIONS HAVE TO BE MADE AT LEAST BY FIVE AT THE LATEST, BY 5:00 PM THE DAY PRIOR TO THE RIDE.
SO THE MANAGEMENT KNOWS A DAY IN ADVANCE HOW MANY RIDERS THEY HAVE AND CAN PLAN ACCORDINGLY.
HAD I BEEN GIVEN A DAY OR A FEW HOURS ADVANCED NOTICE THAT THERE'LL BE NO RIDE FOR ME.
I COULD HAVE EITHER CANCELED MY DOCTOR APPOINTMENT OR MADE OTHER RIDE ARRANGEMENTS, BUT BY THE TIME I FOUND THAT A RIDE IS NOT COMING, IT WAS ALREADY TOO LATE OR TRIED TO MAKE OTHER ARRANGEMENTS.
WHEN I SPOKE TO A SUPERVISOR AT METRO ACCESS, HE MENTIONED THAT THEY HAVE A LABOR SHORTAGE AND THE SYSTEM IS SO AND EQUATED THAT THERE'S NO WAY TO TEXT OR SEND AUTOMATED CALLS TO WRITERS AFFECTED.
THERE SHOULD BE A VOUCHER PRO.
THERE USED TO BE A VOUCHER PROGRAM THAT METRO ACCESS WRITERS COULD USE ON A TAXI IN CASE OF A NEED FOR SOME RIDERS ON THE SAME DAY.
WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE TO ALLOW THAT PROGRAMING BACK FOR, FOR USE ON TAXI OR COMPANIES LIKE UBER WHILE THEIR METRO ACCESS RIDER ARE NOT AVAILABLE?
[00:10:02]
I'M SORRY FOR METRO RIDES ARE NOT AVAILABLE.I DO WANT TO SAY THAT I AM GRATEFUL FOR ALL THE SERVICES THAT CAPITAL METRO PROVIDES.
I LOVE THE BUS AND METRO ACCESS, UH, DRIVERS.
THEY'RE VERY KIND AND HAVE A HELPFUL ATTITUDE.
UM, I URGE YOU TO PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS.
IT EITHER REQUIRES A SYSTEM OVERHAUL, BETTER PAY TO TACKLE THE SHORTAGE OR BETTER MANAGEMENT OF THE WAY RESERVATIONS ARE MADE AND PRIORITIZE OR ALL OF THE ABOVE.
TIME, THANK YOU FOR COMING TO ADDRESS THE BOARD AS WELL.
ALRIGHT, WE'LL HAVE SOMEONE SPEAK WITH YOU AS WELL.
OUR NEXT PERSON IS, UH, ROBERT ALLEN.
SEVERAL BOARD MEMBERS KNOW ME PERSONALLY, BUT THE OTHERS THAT DON'T.
I GREW UP IN SOUTH AUSTIN AND, UM, STARTED POLITICS AT THE AGE OF 18 WHEN I WAS A PRECINCT CHAIR FOR JEFF FRIEDMAN'S MAYORAL CAMPAIGN AND WENT TO THE LBJ SCHOOL AND HAD BEEN INVOLVED IN VIRTUALLY EVERY CITY COUNCIL AND MAYOR'S RACE, UH, AND OTHER ELECTIONS HERE IN THE TRAVIS COUNTY AREA DURING THE SEVENTIES, EIGHTIES AND NINETIES.
ALAN KAPLAN WAS MY POLITICAL PARTNER AND FOR EIGHTIES AND NINETIES, AND HE SERVED AS PRESIDENT OF THE METRO, UH, BOARD FOR FIVE YEARS.
SO I KNOW A LOT ABOUT METRO AND BEEN VERY SUPPORTIVE OF METRO.
I JUST NEVER USED IT THROUGHOUT MY LIFE FOR THE MOST PART.
AND IN THE LAST FIVE TO 10 YEARS, I'VE BEEN USING THE BUS SYSTEM AND METRO ACCESS AND METRO PICKUP.
AND I THOUGHT THERE WAS NO WAY IN THE WORLD THAT I COULD SPEAK IN THREE MINUTES TODAY, BUT I CAN SPEAK IN JUST A FEW SECONDS CAUSE I JUST FOUND OUT THAT EVERY COMPLAINT I HAD IS GONNA BE SOLVED IN MAY.
YOU HAVE THE MOST DISGUSTING, PATHETIC GPS COMPUTER SYSTEM.
NO, MANKIND, FOR 21 YEARS IT'S GOTTEN WORSE AND WORSE.
AND NOW IN MAY I UNDERSTAND YOU'RE GONNA HAVE A BRAND NEW SYSTEM AND ALL I CAN SAY IS ABOUT TIME.
AND I CONGRATULATE YOU ON MAKING THOSE MOVES BECAUSE THAT WAS THE REAL SERIOUS COMPLAINT THAT I HAD.
CUZ I'M NOT THE TYPICAL METRO ACCESS PERSON THAT USES YOUR SERVICES WITH MY EXPERIENCE AND BACKGROUND.
AND, UH, I JUST NOTICED ALL KINDS OF THINGS AND I, I, I REALLY THINK YOU'RE GONNA MAKE HUGE IMPROVEMENTS.
NOW, THE OTHER COMMENT I WANNA MAKE IS I LIVED IN MITCHELL PICKUP AREA FOR ABOUT NINE MONTHS.
ANY, ANYTIME YOU COULD EXPEND IT ANYWHERE IN THE CITY, PLEASE DO SO CAUSE IT'S A WONDERFUL, WONDERFUL SERVICE.
AND, UM, UM, THE, UM, ONLY COMPLAINT THAT I HAVE LEFT ABOUT METRO ACCESS IS THAT YOU HAVE TO WAIT AN HOUR AFTER YOUR WINDOW FOR YOUR NEXT STOP.
AND I'VE TALKED TO EXPERTS ABOUT THAT AND THAT'S NEVER GONNA CHANGE.
SO THERE'S NO REASON TO COMPLAIN ABOUT THAT.
THAT'S THE BEST YOU'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO DO WITH THAT.
AND YOUR PEOPLE REALLY DO A GREAT JOB OF TRYING TO MOVE UP THOSE APPOINTMENTS.
CUZ THERE'S TIMES WHERE I GO SOMEPLACE AND I'M GONNA BE THERE FOR FIVE MINUTES AND I'LL BE WAITING OVER AN HOUR, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE I HAVE TO WAIT FOR THAT WINDOW.
BUT YOU ALWAYS DO A GOOD JOB OF MOVING IT UP.
THE ONLY OTHER COMMENT I WANTED TO MAKE WAS, YOU'RE GONNA SOLVE YOUR DRIVER SHORTAGE PROBLEM VERY QUICKLY.
I'VE BEEN IN AN ELECTION JUDGE FOR 45 YEARS.
THEY RAISED THE PAY $5 AN HOUR A COUPLE YEARS AGO.
WE NEVER HAD, WE ALWAYS HAD A PROBLEM GETTING ENOUGH CLERKS AND, AND JUDGES FOR ELECTION.
WE DON'T HAVE THAT PROBLEM ANYMORE.
OKAY? SO YOUR PAY INCREASE THAT YOU PUT IN, I THINK IT'S GONNA MAKE A, A REAL DIFFERENCE AND I THINK YOU'LL BE ABLE TO TAKE CARE OF YOUR SHORTAGE, UH, OF DRIVERS VERY, VERY QUICKLY.
UH, THE NEXT PERSON IS, UH, SCHEDULED AS REMOTE.
UM, ED, DO WE HAVE, UH, SUSAN PANTEL? MS. PANTEL, ARE YOU WITH US? YES.
I OBJECT TO THE PROCESS THAT YOU USED FOR SELECTING THE PRESIDENT BECAUSE THERE WASN'T A, AN OPPORTUNITY FOR PUBLIC INPUT.
AND THE LAST TIME YOU SELECTED A PRESIDENT, THERE WAS A PUBLIC MEETING AND THE PUBLIC WAS ALLOWED TO MEET THE CANDIDATES AND, AND PROVIDE INPUT ON WHO WE PREFERRED.
THIS IS A PUBLIC AGENCY AND YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE TO THE PUBLIC.
AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT THE PUBLIC HAVE A SAY IN THE SELECTION OF THE PRESIDENT.
I UNDERSTAND THE CONCERN THAT PEOPLE DON'T WANT TO REVEAL
[00:15:01]
THAT THEY'RE LOOKING FOR A JOB IN THE PUBLIC ARENA, BUT THAT'S PART OF WORKING FOR PUBLIC AGENCIES AT IN A HIGH LEVEL.YOU KNOW, WHEN THE CITY OF AUSTIN LOOKED FOR A NEW CITY MANAGER, A NEW POLICE CHIEF, RECENTLY, A NEW, UH, WATER DEPARTMENT HAD THOSE POSITIONS WERE MADE PUBLIC.
THE THE CANDIDATE FINALISTS WERE MADE PUBLIC AND THE THE PEOPLE COULD WEIGH IN.
I AM NOT OBJECTING TO, UH, THE PERSON YOU SELECTED.
I THINK THAT MS. WATKINS HAS A NUMBER OF POSITIVE QUALIFICATIONS, BUT NEITHER CAN I SUPPORT THE SELECTION BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW WHO THE ALTERNATIVES WERE.
AND I REALLY THINK THAT THE PRESIDENT START DOWN AT A, IN A STRONGER POSITION WHEN THE PUBLIC HAS VETTED THE CANDIDATES AND HAS HOPEFULLY SUPPORTED THE CANDIDATE YOU CHOOSE.
IT'S ALSO VERY IMPORTANT THAT THE PRESIDENT UNDERSTAND THAT THEY ARE RESPONSIBLE TO THE PUBLIC.
THEY REPORT TO THE BOARD, BUT THEY ARE RESPONSIBLE TO THE PUBLIC.
AND BY HAVING, LETTING THE PUBLIC HAVE A SAY IN THEIR SELECTION, IT MAKES THAT MORE CLEAR.
ALSO, I CONTACTED EDNA TWO OR THREE MONTHS AGO.
I I SAID, I WANNA BE INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS.
LET ME KNOW WHEN THE PUBLIC WILL HAVE A SAY.
AND SHE SAID SHE THOUGHT THE PUBLIC WOULD HAVE INPUT IN JANUARY.
UH, SHE NEVER GOT BACK TO ME ABOUT THAT.
I ONLY FOUND OUT THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE A SAY WHEN I SAW YOUR AGENDA AND THAT SOMEONE HAD ALREADY BEEN SELECTED.
SO IN ADDITION TO NOT INVOLVING THE PUBLIC, THE PROCESS WAS SECRETIVE.
THE PROCESS WAS NOT MADE PUBLIC.
AND, AND THAT'S A CONCERN ALSO AS A PUBLIC AGENCY, YOU REALLY SHOULD, UM, YOU, YOU SHOULD ALLOW THE PUBLIC TO HAVE INPUT IN, IN A DECISION ABOUT THE PRESIDENT.
IF I HAVE A A, A SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME.
I JUST WANTED TO EXPRESS MY APPRECIATION FOR, UH, FORMER COUNCIL, MEMBERS'S KITCHEN AND RENTERIA FOR THEIR SERVICE ON THE CAT METRO BOARD.
THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME TO COMMENT TO THE BOARD.
UM, THE NEXT PERSON I THINK IS ALSO REMOTE AND IT IS ZIA JOSEPH.
IS SHE CONNECTED? MR. CHAIR? I DID NOT GET CONFIRMATION FROM MS. JOSEPH THAT SHE WAS GONNA BE PARTICIPATING TODAY, SO NO, SHE IS NOT ON THE LINE.
UH, NOW, UH, DO WE HAVE ANYONE ELSE IN THE ROOM? OH, LET'S SEE.
UM, SOPHIE, SHERRY TAYLOR, JOB.
THIS IS A PRIVILEGE TO SPEAK TODAY.
I AM NOT YET A WHEELCHAIR, UM, TRAVELER, BUT I SAY THAT PEOPLE KEEP LIVING LONG ENOUGH THAT AFTER A WHILE, PARTS OF THEIR BODIES DON'T WORK.
SO I AM A, UH, A WHEELCHAIR MENTOR IN TRAINING FOR A PROGRAM CALLED BLUE APPLE EXPRESS.
AND THIS IS MY COMPANION MAY IN MAE E.
NOW FOR MEDICAL PRIVACY, I CAN'T TELL YOU HER LAST NAME, BUT IT BEGINS WITH A LETTER B.
AND I HAVE BEEN TRAVELING AROUND ON AUSTIN ON Y'ALL'S, UH, UH, BUSES AND RIDING THE RAMPS.
AND I'VE JUST HAD A AWAKENING EXPERIENCE OF AWARENESS OF WHAT WHEELCHAIR RIDERS GO THROUGH.
UH, THERE'S A PROGRAM DEVELOPED BY DEBORAH HARMON MILLER CALLED BLUE APPLE EXPRESS.
SO IT IS PAYING $1,600 A MONTH TO THOSE WHO BE INTERESTED IN BECOMING A WHEELCHAIR RIDERS MENTOR.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO TOUCH 'EM, YOU DON'T HAVE TO CHANGE ANYTHING.
YOU DON'T, IF THEY FOLLOW OUT, YOU JUST CALL 9 1 1.
BUT THE POINT IS, IS TO GIVE THEM BACK A LIFESTYLE OF BEING OUT AND BEING SOCIAL AND RIDING THE BUS AND NOT BEING AFRAID ONCE THE CAR ACCIDENT OR THE AMPUTATION OR WHATEVER CAUSING THEM BEING IN A WHEELCHAIR.
UH, WHEN THEY GET OVER THAT, THEY STILL WANT TO GO OUT, BUT THEY'RE AFRAID THAT THEY'RE GONNA FALL OUTTA THEIR WHEELCHAIR ON THESE, UM, BUMPY, UH, SIDEWALKS.
OR MAYBE SOMEBODY LEAVE A SCOOTER.
CAN'T TELL, IS NOW EXITING IF SOMEBODY LEAVES A SCOOTER IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SIDEWALK, CUZ THEN THEY'RE JUST IN THE COURT OF THEM, UH, MAY CAN'T GET UP AND MOVE IT AND THEN CONTINUE TO TRAVEL.
AND THERE'S A TERRIBLE PLACE AT 10 11 SAN JACINTO, WHERE IT'S AT THE END OF A BLOCK RIDING ON
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A NICE SMOOTH SIDEWALK, AND YOU GET TO THE END AND THERE'S NO RAMP TO GET OFF OF IT.SO, UM, I HOPE THAT THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE INTERESTED IN GETTING $1,600 A MONTH, IT DOES NOT INTERFERE WITH YOUR INCOME-BASED MEDICAID OR FOOD STAMPS OR ANYTHING ELSE.
AND I JUST THINK IT'S FANTASTIC TO ALLOW SENIORS LIKE MYSELF TO GIVE BACK TO THE COMMUNITY ESCORTING FOLKS THAT MIGHT BE MY AGE.
I'VE BEEN 21 FOR ABOUT 45 YEARS AND I'M GONNA GET IT RIGHT.
BUT THE, THE IDEA IS THAT SENIORS SHOULD NOT THINK THAT THEY DON'T HAVE ANYTHING TO CONTRIBUTE.
AND THIS WAY I CAN BE A COACH AND IF SHE HAS ACCIDENT, I DON'T HAVE TO PICK HER UP, I JUST CALL 9 1 1.
SO BLUE APPLE EXPRESS GMAIL.COM IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN THAT KIND OF EMPLOYMENT.
AND IF YOU'RE UNSHELTERED, YOU DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT WHERE YOU LIVE CUZ THAT'S NOT ANYBODY'S BUSINESS, AND YOU CAN STILL GET $69.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR PRESENTING TODAY, MR. HAY.
UM, OUR NEXT PERSON, UH, I THINK THIS IS DARYL SORES.
MR. SORES, YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES.
I GOT YOU ON THAT ONE, BROTHER
THAT'S EVERYONE THAT'S PRESENT HERE, THE LEGACY GENTLEMEN OF THE BOARD.
I'M HERE, UH, TO SPEAK ON YOUR BEHALF.
UM, I'M A 20 YEAR BUS OPERATOR.
NOT ONLY THAT, I'M THE VICE PRESIDENT FOR THE AMALGAMATED TRANSIT UNION, LOCAL 10 91 HERE.
UM, DOTTY HAS A LONG LIST OF THINGS THAT SHE HAS, HAS DONE FOR ONE, AS A BUS OPERATOR, STARTING THIS COMPANY OUT AS A BUS OPERATOR.
SHE HAS WORKED HER WAY UP THE RANKS AND EVERY DEPARTMENT AROUND HERE, SHE SERVED AS, UH, INTERIM GENER, GEN GENERAL MANAGER, I BELIEVE, OR INTERIM DIRECTOR FOR STAR TRAIN, UH, DOING SOME TURBULENT TIMES WITH A T U LOCAL 10 91.
WE CREATED THE EXTRA BOARD PROCEDURES, UH, DOTTY BEING THE AUTHOR AND FORMER, UH, A T U VICE PRESIDENT, BOB JOHNSON WAS A HARD TIME TO, UH, PERSON TO WORK WITH, BUT WE GOT IT DONE.
WE'VE, UM, DOTTIE ALSO THROUGHOUT THE YEARS BAR, I BEAR NO FALSE WITNESS.
SHE ALWAYS, EVERY DAY WOULD GO DOWN TO THE DELI AND EAT LUNCH.
AND AFTER SHE WOULD GET HER ORDER, SHE WOULD EAT LUNCH WITH THE BUS OPERATORS AND GET INPUT.
WE COULD TALK TO HER WITH CONFIDENCE AND CONFIDENCE, UM, AND SHARE OUR MINDSET.
AND DOTTY WOULD SHARE HER MINDSET WITH US TOO.
DOTTY WOULD COMPLIMENT US ALL THE TIME, SEND LETTERS.
SO I JUST WANNA, YOU KNOW, JUST GIVE MY MY WORD OF RECOMMENDATION THAT, AND EVEN SHE KNOW IN 2018 WHEN Y'ALL BROUGHT RANDY HERE, I LIKE RANDY.
DON'T GET ME WRONG, I THINK Y'ALL SHOULD HAVE PICKED THIS WOMAN SHE HAD.
SHE HAD, SHE WAS THE ONE FOR THIS POSITION.
I'VE TOLD HER SEVERAL TIMES FOR THAT.
I CAN CARE LESS WHAT ANYBODY ELSE.
BUT I VALUE THAT DURING THE COVID 19, UH, PANDEMIC, WHEN EVERYONE WAS SAYING THEY DIDN'T HAVE A PLAYBOOK, I WAS ABLE TO CALL OR TEXT DOTTY.
AND SOME TIMES THAT YOU, YOU KNOW, YOU WOULD THINK, HEY, IS THIS A RESPECTFUL TIME TO CALL? BUT DOTTY WOULD RESPOND AND SHE WOULD GIVE ANSWERS.
WE WORKED TOGETHER ON THAT, GETTING THE P P E SET, WHATEVER WE NEED DURING THE ICE COLD WEATHER DAYS.
DOTTY, YOU KNOW, REC YOU KNOW, WE WASN'T SUPPOSED TO GET PAID FOUR DAYS.
SHE RECOMMENDED ALL THE EMPLOYEES GET FOUR DAYS.
YOU KNOW, I MEAN, JUST SO MANY THINGS THAT SHE HAS DONE.
UH, YOU HAVE BUILT A GREAT RAPPORT WITH THE BUS OPERATORS.
AND, UH, I JUST WANT TO SHARE WITH YOU, SORRY FOR GOING OVER, UH, YESTERDAY WE GOT SOME COMPLIMENTS.
I, I RUN A, A SOCIAL MEDIA PAGE FOR THE BUS OPERATORS, MECHANICS, DISPATCHERS, MOSTLY THE, THE BUS, UH, THE BARGAINING EMPLOYEES.
IT SAYS HERE, HOPEFULLY SHE WILL GET, GET THIS BACK TO GOOD.
GET THIS BACK TO A GOOD PLACE TO WORK AGAIN.
ANOTHER EMPLOYEE SAID, OUTSTANDING.
ANOTHER EMPLOYEE SAID, THAT'S AWESOME.
SHE WAS THE ONE WHO INTERVIEWED ME FOR THE JOB 21 YEARS AGO.
THANKS, DOTTY, LANCASTER, WATKINS, CONGRATULATIONS.
YOU KNOW, JUST ON AND ON AND ON, ON THERE WAS JUST NOTHING BUT POSITIVE, POSITIVE, POSITIVE COMMENTS FROM THE BARGAINING UNIT, THE BUS OPERATORS WHO WE REPRESENT.
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IN YOU, A WOMAN, YOU'RE QUALIFIED, YOU EXCEEDED AND EXCEL BEYOND YOUR FIDUCIARY DUTY.AND FROM THE ATT U LOCAL 10 91.
ALRIGHT, I THINK WE CAN CLAP FOR THAT
I THINK THAT IS OUR LAST PRESENTER, UNLESS THERE IS SOMEONE IN THE ROOM, UH, THAT WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS THE BOARD.
SEEING, UH, NO ONE, I'M GOING TO, UH, LET'S SEE.
[III. Recognition]
COMING UP BOARD MEMBERS, UH, TO, UH, A CHANCE FOR US TO RECOGNIZE, UH, A COUPLE OF PEOPLE THAT HAVE MADE, UH, SIGNIFICANT SACRIFICE, UH, FOR THIS BODY OVER YEARS.UH, BOARD MEMBERS, UH, RENTERIA AND, AND KITCHEN.
UM, WE, UH, WE CERTAINLY WANT TO RECOGNIZE YOU.
WE CERTAINLY WANT TO THANK YOU, UH, FOR YOUR EXCEPTIONAL SERVICE.
UM, YOU KNOW, NOT ONLY UNDERSTANDING THE POLICIES OF, OF THE OPERATION, UH, BUT ALSO ADDING A HUMAN TOUCH.
ALSO, UH, CARING ABOUT THE PEOPLE WHO WORK HERE AND THE COMMUNITY THAT WE SERVE.
UH, WHICH IS, WHICH IS SO CRITICAL AND IMPORTANT.
OFTENTIMES, UH, WE, WE, WE LOOK AT THE RULES AND REGULATIONS, BUT WE ALWAYS HAVE TO REMEMBER THE, THE INTERNAL CUSTOMERS, OUR EMPLOYEES, AND OUR EXTERNAL CUSTERS CUSTOMERS, THE COMMUNITY, AND, AND, UH, AND BOTH OF YOU ALL ARE LONG ON MAKING SURE THAT, UH, THAT WE ARE SERVING.
UH, AND, AND WHEN I SAY LONG, I MEAN THIS, UH, YOU ARE A COUPLE OF THE LONGEST TENURED BOARD MEMBERS THAT WE'VE GOT.
UM, BOARD MEMBER RENT SEVEN YEARS JOINING IN JUNE OF 2016.
UH, KITCHEN, EIGHT YEARS JOINING, JOINING IN APRIL OF 15.
UM, IT IS CLEAR THAT YOU'VE HELPED US FORM CLOSER AND STRONGER RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
THAT IS REALLY IMPORTANT AS WE CONTINUE TO GROW, BUT ALSO HELP STAND UP THE AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP AS WELL.
UH, IN ADDITION, UH, YOU HAVE WORKED ON SO MANY THINGS AND, AND JUST TO NAME A FEW, UH, REVAMPING, UH, THE BUS NETWORK, UH, WHICH BROUGHT RIDERSHIP TO RECORD LEVELS.
UH, LAUNCHING OUR INNOVATIVE PICKUP SERVICE, WHICH NOW HAS 10 ZONES, UM, CUSTOMER ENHANCEMENTS AT ALL OF OUR BUS STOPS.
AND, AND, AND, AND WHEN WE TALK ABOUT NEW SHELTERS AND SIGNAGE, AND WHEN WE TALK ABOUT, UM, A LOT OF THE THINGS THAT WERE DONE IN THE EASTERN CRESCENT SINCE 2018, WE'VE HAD, UM, WE'VE HAD PROJECTS ABOUT 18 PROJECTS THAT HAVE INVESTED MORE THAN 25 MILLION IN THE COMMUNITY THAT HISTORICALLY HAD BEEN UNDER OVERLOOKED.
AND, UH, SO, AND YOU'VE EVEN HIRED A COUPLE OF, UH, A COUPLE OF CEOS OVER THAT TIME.
UH, UM, FIRST, MR. UH, MR. CLARK, AND NOW, UH, AND, AND NOW DOROTHY WATKINS AS WELL.
SO, JUST WANT TO, UM, I COULD, I'M BAPTIST, I COULD TALK ABOUT YOU FOR A LONG TIME.
UH, BUT, BUT WHAT I'LL DO IS OPEN THIS UP TO COLLEAGUES WHO WOULD LIKE TO SAY ANYTHING.
UH, IS THERE ANY COLLEAGUE? I'M, I'M SURE, UH, THE BOARD MEMBER COOPER WOULD LIKE TO SAY A WORD OR TWO A WORD, OR 50
I I THINK WE'RE MAKING HIM BAPTIST TOO.
I, UH, I'M NOT BAPTIST, BUT I SHARE THE QUALITY OF
NOW, I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU TO EACH OF YOU, UH, FOR BEING A GREAT COLLEAGUE, UH, FOR THE MANY YEARS THAT WE'VE SERVED TOGETHER.
AND, UH, FOR EACH OF YOU, UH, WHAT OUR CHAIR SAID IS CORRECT.
UH, NEVER HAD A DOUBT THAT YOU HAD THE PUBLIC'S INTEREST FIRMLY IN MIND AND HAVE ALWAYS, UH, BEEN A GOOD REMINDER THAT WE NEED TO, TO KEEP AN EYE FOCUSED ON THE NOTICE THAT WE'RE GIVING AND THE OPPORTUNITY TO, TO BRING MORE PEOPLE INTO THE PROCESS AND TO BE THOUGHTFUL ABOUT THE PEOPLE THAT WE DO SERVE.
SO, FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART, AS A COLLEAGUE FOR SEVEN OR EIGHT YEARS, THANK YOU FOR THAT.
AND BEST, UH, WISHES FOR FUTURE, YOUR FUTURE OPPORTUNITIES AND, UH, FOLLOWING WINS AND FAIR SEAS
YES, FOR, WELL, I WANNA THANK BOTH ANNE AND P FOR THEIR STELLAR SERVICE ON THIS BOARD.
AND, UM, I KNOW THAT THE FOLKS THEY JOINED THE BOARD WITH AND WHO MAY HAVE MOVED ON, AND THOSE WHO ARE STILL HERE HELPED WITH THEIR, UM, ACCLIMATION AND LEARNING AND, AND GETTING TO UNDERSTAND THE INS AND OUTS OF PARTICULAR ON OPERATIONS AS WELL AS THE FINANCIAL ADMINISTRATIVE SIDE.
I KNOW I HAVE LEARNED A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT FROM BOTH OF MY FRIENDS, UM, BOTH HERE AND ON THE CITY COUNCIL.
AND, UM, UH, WITH THEM MOVING ON TO GREATER AND, AND MORE ADVENTURISM, UH, FUTURES.
I, I'M A LITTLE BIT, UM, JEALOUS AND ENVIOUS.
[00:30:01]
THE OTHER HAND, UM, UH, WE STILL ARE WORKING ON PROJECT CONNECT, WHICH BOTH ANNE AND PO WERE SIGNIFICANT IN, IN ENSURING THAT THAT BOND PASSED, OR THE TRE PASSED, UH, AT THE, UH, AT THE BALLOT BOX A FEW YEARS AGO.AND THE WORK OF PROJECT CONNECT IS VERY LARGELY AHEAD OF US, AND WE WILL CONTINUE.
AND I KNOW THAT BOTH OF YOU WILL CONTINUE TO GIVE US YOUR INPUT AND CAREFUL, THOUGHTFUL ADVICE AND COUNSEL GOING FORWARD.
I KNOW I WILL BE LOOKING FOR THAT.
AND, UH, WATCHING FROM THE SIDELINES WITH OR WITHOUT POPCORN, WHO KNOWS
UM, BUT, BUT I, AS A, AS A, UH, I GUESS NOW ONE OF THE, WITH YOU GUYS LEAVING ONE OF THE LONGER TENURED, UH, PEOPLE HERE ON, ON CAP METRO, UM, I, I THANK YOU FOR HELPING ME GET MY FEET UNDER ME AND UNDERSTAND, UH, THE IMPORTANCE, UH, THE IMPORTANT WORK THAT WE DO EVERY DAY FOR, UH, FOR THE COMMUNITY.
SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE.
IS THERE ANYONE ELSE THAT WOULD LIKE TO SAY ANYTHING BEFORE WE, UH, GIVE A LITTLE RECOGNITION AND TAKE A FEW PICTURES, MR. CHAIR? OKAY.
AND THEN YOU ALL RIGHT? UH, YES.
UH, I'LL, I'LL TRY NOT TO BE TOO BAPTIST
SO I CAME ON THE BOARD IN DECEMBER OF 18.
SO I'M LOOKING AT WHAT IS THAT, UH, FOR A LITTLE OVER FOUR YEARS OF SERVICE.
BUT, UM, I, I JUST WANT TO THANK BOTH MY COLLEAGUES BECAUSE I, I HAVE LEARNED MUCH FROM THEM, GOT BROUGHT UP TO SPEED BY BOTH OF THEM ON, UH, UH, SPECIFICS OF, OF THE, UH, INS AND OUTS OF HOW THE BOARD OPERATES AND SPECIFICS OF TRANSIT POLICY AND, UH, SPECIFICALLY WHAT IT MEANS TO THEM AND THEIR PASSION FOR IT, AND TO THEIR CONSTITUENCIES THAT THEY HAVE SERVED.
UM, PO I WILL SAY, I'M, I'M GONNA MISS YOUR STORIES, MAN.
I, I'M GONNA MISS YOUR STORIES.
WHAT, WHAT I LOVE SO MUCH ABOUT YOU IS THAT, THAT YOU HAVE, YOU, YOU HAD A STORY AND WERE ABLE TO CONNECT SO PERSONALLY WITH THE INDIVIDUALS, WITH THE ISSUES THAT WE WOULD HAVE UP HERE ON THE BOARD.
YOU WERE A, I WAS ABLE TO, TO USUALLY REMEMBER AND THINK ABOUT SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE WERE FACING BASED ON A STORY THAT YOU WOULD US, THAT YOU WOULD TELL ME ABOUT.
THAT SOMETHING THAT WAS HAPPENING EITHER TO YOU OR TO SOME CONSTITUENT THAT, THAT YOU KNEW ABOUT THAT WAS GOING ON AND HOW IT IMPACTED THEM.
SO I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT, AND I'M GONNA MISS THAT.
AND THEN, ANNE, MAN, I, I JUST GOTTA TELL YOU WHAT I, WHAT I'VE LOVED SO MUCH ABOUT YOU IS THERE'D BE TIMES THAT WE'D BE SITTING UP THERE ON THAT DIAS TOGETHER, AND I'D BE SITTING THERE LISTENING TO SOMETHING GOING, UHHUH, UHHUH,
AND I'D HAVE MY HAND RAISED, YOU'D HAVE YOUR HAND RAISED AND CHAIRMAN AND, AND CHAIRMAN COOPER BACK WOULD, WOULD CALL.
AND THEN YOU WOULD END UP SAYING EXACTLY WHAT I WAS THINKING BEFORE I'D EVEN SAY IT.
SO I, I REALLY APPRECIATED THAT.
AND, AND, AND I'M GONNA MISS THE FACT THAT, THAT THERE WAS A LITTLE BIT OF A, UH, A KINDRED SPIRIT IN THAT REGARD IN TERMS OF, UH, JUST, JUST OUR, OUR, OUR COMBINED THOUGHT PROCESS ON HOW TO APPROACH THINGS.
AND, AND I, I, I, I APPRECIATE BOTH Y'ALL'S PASSION AND, AND, AND, UH, UM, DETERMINATION AND SUPPORT FOR THIS.
IT, IT'S NOT LIKE YOU GET PAID AN AWFUL LOT TO SERVE, UH, CAP METRO BOARD OF DIRECTORS, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT BUS PASS GOES A LONG WAY.
BUT, UM, I, I DO APPRECIATE YOU.
I'VE LEARNED A LOT FROM BOTH OF YOU GUYS, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO, UH, CONTINUING THE JOURNEY, UH, WHEREVER IT MAY TAKE YOU AND, AND US AS A WHOLE IN THIS COMMUNITY.
UM, HOPEFULLY I'LL CATCH YOU SOMETIME, UH, ON THE RED LINE COMING UP TO MY NECK OF THE WOODS.
OR MAYBE I'LL CATCH YOU SOME TIME ON A LOCAL BUS ROUTE.
UM, WE CAN GO OUT FOR A COFFEE OR SOMETHING ELSE AT SOME OTHER TIME, SOME, SOMEWHERE DOWN THE LINE.
WAS HE SAYING YOU WERE SEPARATED AT BIRTH?
UH, YEAH, I JUST WANNA JUST QUICKLY SAY, UM, IT'S, IT'S BEEN, UM, INCREDIBLY, UH, REWARDING AND AN HONOR TO SERVE ON THIS BOARD AND TO SERVE WITH ALL MY, UH, COLLEAGUES.
UH, IT'S BEEN A VERY INTERESTING AND EXCITING, UM, EIGHT YEARS, I GUESS.
UH, THERE'S A LOT BEEN HAPPENING AND A LOT MORE TO HAPPEN.
AND I TRUST YOU GUYS TO CONTINUE TO, TO WORK WITH OUR NEW CEO AND, AND MOVE THIS, UH, MOVE THIS ENTITY FORWARD.
I MEAN, PROJECT CONNECT IS AMAZING FOR THIS COMMUNITY.
UM, THE, THE BUS SYSTEM IS AMAZING FOR THIS COMMUNITY.
I WANNA MENTION TWO OR THI THREE QUICK THINGS THAT WE ALL DID, UH, TOGETHER WITH YOU AND YOUR STAFF THAT ARE REALLY A PRECEDENT SETTING THE APPROACH TO PUBLIC SAFETY.
UM, I'VE BEEN VERY PROUD OF THE COMMUNITY AMBASSADORS I'M VERY PROUD OF.
I'M PROUD OF WHAT WE DID WITH THE CITY, UH, WITH PROJECT CONNECT AND THE 300 MILLION IN, IN ANTI DISPLACEMENT FUNDS.
AND MOST RECENTLY, THE WAY THIS BOARD AND, AND YOU AND YOUR STAFF RESPONDED IMMEDIATELY TO THE CONCERNS
[00:35:01]
FROM THE COMMUNITY AROUND BUS PASSES FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE LIVING UNSHELTERED ON THE STREETS.THAT'S THE KIND OF IMMEDIATE RESPONSE THAT, THAT THE PUBLIC DESERVES FROM US.
AND I'VE BEEN BROW, I'M VERY PROUD TO BE PART OF THAT.
UM, I PROBABLY WON'T HAVE ANY POPCORN, HOWEVER,
THANK YOU FOR YOUR, THANK YOU FOR YOUR THOUGHTFUL SERVICE.
UM, BOARD MEMBER ANDREA, I THANK, THANK YOU CHAIR.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, ALL SINCE IN THE DAYS WHEN, UH, IN THE SEVENTIES WHEN, UH, EARLY SEVENTIES WHEN I JOINED IBM AND WAS ABLE TO TRAVEL TO DIFFERENT TOWNS AND, AND I GOT MY FIRST BASIC TRAINING IN CHICAGO FOR TWO AND A HALF MONTHS, AND THAT'S WHERE I GOT INTRODUCED TO REL MM-HMM.
AND, AND I KNOW WHY THEY HAVE RAIL OVER THERE CUZ IT'S COLD
BUT I HAVE ALWAYS, UH, ADMIRED THE CITIES THAT WAS ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH THAT.
AND WHEN I CAME BACK AND WE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY ON THE RED LINE, UH, WE GOT TOGETHER WITH, UH, SOME OF OUR REPRESENTATIVES SAID, WE NEED THIS RED LINE.
AND, UH, THE FIRST ONE, FIRST ELECTION ON ANDREA FELL.
SO THE SECOND ONE, UH, WE DECIDED TO RED LINE CUZ THAT'S ALREADY BUILT AND IT'S, WE OWNED IT.
AND, AND, UH, IT WAS CHEAPER TO DO.
AND, UH, THE VOTERS GAVE US THE OKAY, BUT IT WAS BECAUSE OF, OF, UH, A, A YOUNG MAN AT THAT TIME NAMED JOHN LEMO.
WE GOT TOGETHER AND THEY CONVINCED PEOPLE ON THE EAST SIDE BECAUSE WE'RE THE ONES THAT RELIED A LOT ON PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION.
AND WE WAS ABLE TO CONVINCE OUR POPULATION HERE ON THE EAST SIDE THAT IT WAS VERY IMPORTANT FOR AUSTIN AND ESPECIALLY FOR OUR PEOPLE.
AND THEN WE ALSO WAS WORKING FOR YEARS ON SOUTH THEO AND, UH, PLAZA SOUTH THEO.
AND IT WASN'T GETTING ANYWHERE.
IT WAS FOR 24 YEARS WE WERE FIGHTING THIS ISSUE.
AND MY COLLEAGUES CONVINCED ME TO COME ON METRO BOARD
AND WE PASSED IT AND WE GOT THIS BEAUTIFUL SOUTH PLAZA SOUTHFIELD THERE.
AND AT FIRST A LOT OF, A LOT OF PEOPLE POSTED IT, BUT ONCE THEY SAW IT BUILT OUT, THEY SAW HOW POPULAR IT IS AND, AND, AND, AND HOW HAVING A GROCERY STORE AND A TARGET STORE THAT YOU CAN WALK TO IT IS SO IMPORTANT.
AND THEN EMPLOYEES COULD COME INTO THAT AREA USING THE RAIL AND, AND NOT HAVE TO DRIVE IN THIS CRAZY TRAFFIC.
SO, YOU KNOW, IT'S RAIL IS, HAS ALWAYS BEEN VERY IMPORTANT FOR ME.
UH, I, I SEE THE, UH, WHAT HAVE BEEN ACCOMPLISHED IN OTHER CITIES BY BUILDING THESE KIND OF LINES.
UH, I TRAVELED FROM MIAMI, CLEVELAND ALL AT THE SUPPORT OF METRO BACK BEFORE WE EVEN HAD THE RED LINE.
AND I SAW, AND I HAVE GONE BACK AND SEEN THE DEVELOPMENT AND THE PEOPLE OF THE APARTMENTS, ESPECIALLY ON THE COMEDIA RAIL IN MIAMI THAT GOES ALL THE WAY TO FORT LAUDERDALE, EVEN FURTHER, THE ONE IN NEW MEXICO AND HOW PEOPLE REALLY ENJOY AND, AND WANT TO LIVE AROUND THERE, AROUND THE RAIL LINES IN THE STATIONS.
AND THAT'S WHAT'S, UH, SO IMPORTANT ABOUT RAIL.
IT ALLOWS PEOPLE TO LIVE TOGETHER CLOSER AND MORE DENSITY, AND IT TAKES OFF, TAKE CARS OFF THE ROADS.
AND, UH, I HOPE THAT WE CONTINUE THIS, AND I'M SURE WE ARE WITH YOUR LEADERSHIP AND, UH, I'M REALLY GONNA MISS, YOU KNOW, THESE MEETINGS.
BUT, UH, AS YOU GET OLDER, YOU WANT TO GO AND VISIT OTHER PLACES,
SO I REALLY WANT TO, YOU KNOW, HUMBLY SAY THANK Y'ALL AND THANK ALL OF Y'ALL, ESPECIALLY THE SUPPORT TEAM.
YOU HAVE ONE OF THE BEST SUPPORT TEAM I EVER HAVE WORKED WITH.
I MEAN, IT'S JUST AMAZING Y'ALL GUYS JUST, YOU KNOW, GO ALL OUTTA YOUR WAY JUST TO PROVIDE THE SERVICE THAT YOU KNOW, THAT, YOU KNOW, THE CITIZENS HERE ARE EXPECTING.
SO I WANT TO THANK ALL EVERYBODY HERE AND ALL YOUR, YOUR WORKERS FOR IN CAPITAL METRO.
I HAD A WONDERFUL PERIOD HERE WITH Y'ALL GUYS, AND I THANK Y'ALL.
UH, JUST WANT TO THANK YOU AGAIN FOR THE UNIQUE PERSPECTIVE THAT YOU HAVE ABOUT, ABOUT THE COMMUNITIES THAT WE LIVE IN AND, AND HOW YOU BRING THE PERSPECTIVE OF COMMUNITY INTO THE ROOM AND HOW YOU'VE TAKEN THE TIME TO LEARN AND STUDY THINGS THAT WORK IN OTHER PLACES THAT HAVE SIMILARITIES TO US.
AND, AND, AND THEN THE THINGS THAT WE MIGHT HAVE DIFFICULTY WITH
[00:40:01]
BECAUSE THEY'RE DIFFERENCES.UH, THAT, THAT YOU, THAT YOU THOUGHTFULLY CAREFULLY, UM, BROUGHT YOUR PERSPECTIVE AND MADE SURE THAT WE UNDERSTOOD, UH, WHAT, WHAT OUR COMMUNITIES NEED.
AND I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THAT.
AND I GUESS WE'LL TAKE A MOMENT AND, UH, IF WE'LL GO AROUND TO THE FRONT, WE'LL TAKE PICTURES AND CELEBRATE YOU A LITTLE BIT.
[00:47:26]
ALL RIGHT.WE WILL PULL THE, UH, THE MEETING BACK ORDER.
I HOPE THAT EVERYBODY HAD THE CHANCE TO GET A, EITHER A BROWNIE OR A COOKIE CUZ THEY ARE EXCEPTIONALLY GOOD.
SO, UM, AND, AND I'M AFRAID THAT IF YOU LEAVE 12, I MIGHT EAT 12.
WISH YOU JUST PASS 'EM AROUND THAT THAT COULD WORK.
[IV. Advisory Committee Updates:]
UP WE'LL HAVE OUR BOARD ADVISORY COMMITTEE UPDATES.UH, MS. PERRA IS HERE TO PRESENT.
AFTERNOON CHAIR, TRILLIAN, VICE CHAIR, KITCHEN, UM, PRESIDENT AND CEO, DOTTY WATKINS.
I AM THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT MANAGER AND ALSO THE STAFF LIAISON FOR OUR ADVISORY COMMITTEES.
I'M HERE TO, UH, PROVIDE THE JANUARY UPDATE FOR THE ADVISORY COMMITTEES.
UM, ALSO WITH ME IS CHAIR HUNT FROM ACCESS AND CHAIR.
TAYLOR SENT AN EMAIL WITH, UM, HIS UPDATES THAT I'VE INCORPORATED INTO MINE.
UM, AFTER MY UPDATE, I'LL PASS IT ON TO CHAIR HUNT FROM ACCESS.
UM, ACCESS AND CSAC MET ON JANUARY 4TH AND 11TH.
AND THEY WERE BRIEFED ON, UM, PROJECT CONNECT BY COURTNEY CHAVEZ AT ATP.
UM, CHAIR TAYLOR RECEIVED A FOLLOW-UP FROM THE DECEMBER SERVICE, CHANGED TOPICS AND ALSO TITLE SIX CRITERIA FROM ROBERTO GONZALEZ AND ROSE LISKA.
UM, AND ACCESS ALONE RECEIVED AN UPDATE FROM THE METRO ACCESS METRIC UPDATES FROM JULIE LAKIN AND CHAD VALENTINE.
UM, ALSO THIS PAST MONTH, THE, UM, CAT METRO AND ATP COMMITTEE CHAIRS RECEIVED AN UPDATE AND AN OVERVIEW OF ALL OF THE MAJOR INITIATIVES AND PROJECTS OF 2023.
UM, THIS WAS ESPECIALLY HELPFUL TO IDENTIFY ENGAGEMENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR THEIR COMMITTEES AND ALSO THE GENERAL PUBLIC.
UM, PSAC DID NOT MEET THIS MONTH, BUT THEY DID, UH, RECEIVE A BUS TOUR AND PRESENTATION FOR, FROM PUBLIC SAFETY DEPARTMENT.
UM, AND, UH, ALL THE COMMITTEES WERE INVITED TO THAT.
SO THAT WAS ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY TO DO AN IN-PERSON, UH, MEETUP.
UM, AND WE WILL BE DOING THOSE ON THE OFF MONTHS WHEN PSAC DOESN'T MEET.
UM, THAT'S ALL OF THE UPDATES THAT I HAVE.
I'LL PASS IT ON TO CHAIR HUNT, AND IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR ME, LET ME KNOW.
ANY QUESTIONS? GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE.
UM, UM, MR. CHAIR AND MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, UM,
[00:50:01]
I DID NOT MAKE THE JANUARY MEETING BECAUSE I WAS TRAVELING BACK FROM CHICAGO.MY WIFE AND I TOOK A TRAIN RIDE TO CHICAGO.
THE WHOLE MET THE SLEEPER CAR AND EVERYTHING AND, AND SPENT 10 DAYS THERE AND WE WERE ON OUR WAY BACK, SO I DIDN'T GET A CHANCE TO MAKE THE MEETING.
I DID SEE THE NOTES THOUGH, AND I, I SEE ABOUT THE, UM, THE METRICS UPDATE AND THAT, UM, THE COMMITTEE WANTS BASICALLY AN UPDATE QUARTERLY.
UM, AND ALSO, UM, THE PROJECT CONNECT UPDATES.
WE ALWAYS APPRECIATE THEM AND, AND ALL OF THAT.
UM, SO, UM, YOU'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO THOSE UPDATES IN THE FUTURE AS WE GO ALONG.
AND, AND I'M ACTUALLY PLEASED WITH THE COMMITTEE THE WAY IT'S WORKING THESE DAYS.
IT'S, UH, IT, WE'RE DOING A LOT, GOT A OF GOOD WORK DONE AND THERE'S A LOT OF DIALOGUE THAT GOES ON IN THE COMMITTEES AND, AND THAT SORT OF THING.
FIRST OF ALL, I DON'T ALWAYS MAKE THESE MEETINGS CUZ I'M ASSIST ASSIST.
I'M AN ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY TRAINER.
I, I DO A LOT OF TRAINING DURING THE DAY, AND MANY TIMES I'LL HAVE STUDENTS WHEN THE BOARD MEETS.
SO WHEN THAT, I CAN'T MAKE IT, I APOLOGIZE.
A COUPLE THINGS FROM CITIZEN COMMUNICATION.
I WAS LISTENING FROM PUBLIC, UH, COMMUNICATION FIRST.
UM, UH, I THINK MS. BELDING, I THINK HER NAME IS, WE HEARD THIS COM.
WE HEARD HER ISSUES AT THE METRO ACCESS MEETING, UH, EARLIER THIS YEAR.
WE THOUGHT THAT THEY HAD BEEN RESOLVED.
UM, BUT I CAN UNDERSTAND, UM, YOU KNOW, MAYBE THAT'S NOT WORKING PERFECTLY.
WHEN A PERSON CALLS, WHEN A PERSON WANTS TO CHECK ON THEIR ARRIVAL, THEY CAN CALL IN, UH, TO THE AUTOMATED SYSTEM AND THEY GET AN ESTIMATE OF WHEN THEIR ARRIVAL TIME COMES.
APPARENTLY THAT'S NOT WORKING WELL ENOUGH FOR HER.
UM, NOT SURE WHAT'S GOING ON THERE, UH, BUT I JUST WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW THAT WE HAVE HEARD FROM HER IN THE PAST.
UH, ALSO, UM, ONE OF THE GENTLEMEN WAS TALKING ABOUT A, A NEW SYSTEM TO REPL TO FIX THE GPS ISSUES AND THE, UH, METRO ACCESS SYSTEM COMING IN MAY OF 2023.
WE HAVE NOT, WE KNOW THAT IT'S COMING.
WE HAVE NOT HEARD A DATE AND NOT HEARD A PROJECTED DATE IN THE ACCESS COMMITTEE.
SO, UM, HE MAY BE HEARING A RUMOR.
UM, BUT WE HAVE NOT HEARD OF, UH, UM, EVEN A TARGET RELEASE DATE FOR THAT YET.
SO I DON'T KNOW HOW THAT'S GETTING OUT TO THE PUBLIC.
WE, BUT WE HAVE NOT HEARD OF THAT IN THE COMMITTEE.
UM, AND THAT'S, THAT'S ALL I'VE, THAT'S ALL I'VE GOT.
IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE TO LOOK AT? UM, NO.
THANK, UH, THANK YOU CHAIR, UH, CHAIR HUNT, AND, UH, WE DON'T HAVE ANYTHING ELSE THAT WE NEED WORKING.
[V. Board Committee Updates:]
WE'LL GO TO THE REGULAR BOARD COMMITTEE UPDATES.UH, THERE WAS NO OPERATIONS COMMITTEE MEETING THIS MONTH, SO CHAIR COOPER, UH, CAN I ASK YOU TO KICK OFF THE, UH, FINANCE COMMITTEE REPORT? THANK YOU CHAIR.
ALL FOUR MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE, UH, WERE PRESENT.
THERE WOULD BE ME, UM, MEMBER POOL, MEMBER ROSS, AND MEMBER HARRIS.
WE HAD, UH, FOUR PRESENTATIONS, NO ACTION ITEMS. THE FIRST, UH, RELATED TO THE AUDITS ON OUR 401K AND PENSION PLAN.
AND EACH OF THOSE CAME BACK VERY CLEAN.
UH, SECOND WE HAD A REPORT ON FOLLOW UP ON THE INTERNAL AUDIT, UH, RECOMMENDATIONS.
AND, UH, GOT A GOOD REPORT FROM, UH, INTERNAL AUDIT ON MANAGEMENT FOLLOW UP ON THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS.
THAT SEEMS TO BE GOING VERY WELL.
WE ALSO GOT A REPORT ON THE GRC AUDIT PROJECT DELIVERABLES.
AND, UH, ONE OF THE THINGS I CONTINUE TO COMMEND TERRY AND OUR INTERNAL AUDIT TEAM IS THE VERY CAPABLE EMPLOYMENT OF UT INTERNS.
THE COLLABORATION, I THINK WE HAVE 12 INTERNS WORKING, UH, THIS YEAR.
UM, GOOD FOR THEM, GOOD FOR US.
WE GET A LOT OF VERY INEXPENSIVE HORSEPOWER AND, UH, THEY IN TURN GET VERY GOOD REAL LIFE EXPERIENCE.
AND SO THAT WAS VERY IMPRESSIVE.
AND THEN, UH, AS WELL, UH, GOT A REPORT ON THE INTERNAL AUDIT PLAN STATUS AND ALL THAT SEEMS TO BE GOING WELL.
SO THANK, THANK, UH, WE'RE IN GOOD HANDS WITH OUR INTERNAL AUDIT TEAM AND OUR PENSIONS REMAIN IN GOOD SHAPE.
UH, ANY QUESTIONS? BOARD MEMBERS? UH, OKAY.
UH, THE SECOND BOARD COMMITTEE UPDATE WOULD BE CAMPO, UH, BOARD MEMBER HARRIS.
UH, JUST BRIEFLY CHAIR, UH, WE MET EARLIER THIS MONTH AND, UH, UH, TOOK UP A COUPLE OF ACTION ITEMS. THE, THE SUBSTANTIVE DISCUSSION REALLY REVOLVED AROUND THE APPOINTMENT, THE FUTURE APPOINTMENTS TO, UH, TO THIS BOARD AND SOME OF THE OTHER BOARDS, UH, RELATED TO, UH, UH, CAT METRO AND CAMPO.
UM, BUT, UH, BEYOND THAT IT WAS REALLY MORE JUST DISCUSSIONS ABOUT FUTURE PROJECTS.
THERE WAS SOME CONCERN AND I, AND WE, THERE'S BEEN SOME FOLLOW UP MEETINGS ABOUT THE, UH, DEFERRED PROJECTS AS A RESULT OF I 35.
[00:55:01]
MEETING, THEY'RE GONNA BE COMING BACK AROUND TO US TO, UH, GIVE US AN UPDATE IN THE POSSIBILITY OF BRINGING SOME OF THOSE DEFERRED PROJECTS BACK ONLINE.ANY QUESTIONS? BOARD MEMBERS? ALRIGHT, HEARING NONE, UH, WE WILL BRING UP THE AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP, UH, UPDATE, UH, WHICH, UM, I UNDERSTAND WILL BE GIVEN BY ME.
THAT MEETING WAS HELD ON JANUARY 26TH.
UH, UH, FIRST WE WELCOMED MAYOR KIRK WATSON, UH, TO THE BOARD AS A CITY OF AUSTIN APPOINTEE.
HE WAS EVENTUALLY, UM, ALSO SELECTED BY THE BOARD AS THE VICE CHAIR OF, OF, UM, OF ATP.
UH, THEN WE TOOK ACTION TO APPOINT THE CHAIR OR REAPPOINT THE CHAIR, UH, WHO WILL BE, UM, VANESSA CASTRO DETA.
AND, UH, THEN WE WENT INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION TO, OH, OH, VERONICA.
I SAID VANESSA, DIDN'T YOU? OKAY.
UH, I WANT TO MAKE SURE THE CHAIR KNOWS THAT I DO KNOW HER FIRST NAME.
UM, THEN WE WENT INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION, UH, TO DISCUSS THE INTERIM DIRECTOR, UH, INTERIM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR'S PERFORMANCE REVIEW AND THE EXECUTIVE SEARCH PROCESS.
UM, AND, UH, THE BOARD AS WE CAME OUT OF THAT MEETING, UH, THE BOARD, UH, HAS, HAS SELECTED GREG CANALI.
IT WAS A QUICK MEETING, AND, UM, WE EXPECT A BUSY SPRING FOR PROJECT CONNECT PARTNERS.
SO SHALL WE, SHALL WE, UH, SHALL WE CONTINUE TO OUR ACTION ITEM AGENDA? WE'RE POSTED FOR ACTION ON 10 ITEMS TODAY.
WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO IS TAKE THE FIRST NINE NOW AND THEN TAKE UP THE FINAL ACTION ITEM AFTER EXECUTIVE SESSION.
SORRY, I, I MAY HAVE, THAT, MAY HAVE, MY INTERNET MAY HAVE CUT OUT THERE FOR A SECOND.
WHEN Y'ALL CAME OUT OF EXECUTIVE SESSION AT ATP, YOU APPOINTED, I HEARD SOMETHING ABOUT GREG CANALI.
WHAT DID YOU DO? JUST IF YOU COULD JUST RE REITERATE IT ONE MORE TIME.
I THINK THE, THE, UH, THE DECISION WAS MADE, UH, TO, UH, SELECT HIM AS A LOAN FINALIST AND THEN GO AND GO THROUGH THE REST OF THE PROCESS TO, UH, TO, UM, MOVE, MOVE FORWARD ON, ON, UH, ON SELECTING, SELECTING HIM AS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR.
I, I WASN'T EVEN AWARE THAT THEY HAD SELECTED A FIRM TO GO THROUGH THE PROCESS.
MR. CHAIRMAN, DID THEY NOT HAVE A, DID THEY NOT HAVE A, I MEAN, I KNOW WE ENGAGED WITH A NATIONWIDE SEARCH.
WE HAD A CONTRACTOR TO HELP US DO THAT.
I BELIEVE THAT, THAT, UH, UH, GREG MOSER THAT WAS, UH, HELPING US OUT WITH THAT.
DID, DID ATP NOT ENGAGE WITH A, UM, NATIONAL, UM, UH, SEARCH FIRM TO DO THIS? SO WHAT, WE'LL, WHAT I'LL, WHAT I'LL DO IS, UH, WE, WE CAN, UH, PUT TOGETHER A GROUP AND WE CAN GET A BRIEFING FOR YOU, UH, FROM THE, UH, FROM THE, UH, LEGAL TEAM AND, AND, UH, FROM THE COMMITTEE AS WELL, SO THAT WE CAN WALK THROUGH THE PROCESS THAT, THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL.
CAUSE AT THE TIME THAT I LEFT THE BOARD JUST BEFORE YOU GOT ON BACK LAST JULY, THE CONVERSATION HAD BEEN THAT THEY WERE GOING TO ENGAGE IN A PROFESSIONAL SERVICES SUM CONTRACT OF SOME TYPE IN ORDER TO PROCEED WITH A, UM, CONTRACT OF A SEARCH FIRM TO PROCEED FURTHER.
SO, I, I, I, I'M JUST, MAYBE THAT'S THE RIGHT DECISION.
I'M JUST A LITTLE SURPRISED CUZ I HADN'T BEEN, I'M KIND OF SURPRISED.
SO, UH, SO WHAT WE CAN DO IS MAKE SURE THAT THE, UH, THAT THE LEGAL TEAM AND THE, AND THE BOARD, UH, BASICALLY COME AND PRESENT AND MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE ALL ON THE SAME PAGE.
THAT ANY, IF, IF ANYBODY ELSE FEELS THE SAME WAY, I, LIKE I SAID, I'M JUST, THAT KIND OF SURPRISES ME.
I DON'T KNOW IF ANYBODY ELSE FEELS THE SAME WAY, BUT THAT, I THINK THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL, HONESTLY.
UM, YOU'VE GOT ANOTHER QUESTION.
BOARD MEMBER POOL? I DID NOT, NO QUESTION.
JUST TO SAY I'M PLEASED, I'M SURPRISED AS WELL, BUT VERY PLEASED, UH, WITH GREG CANALI BEING CHOSEN AS THE FINAL FINALIST OR THE LOAN FINALIST.
I THINK THAT IS REALLY HELPFUL.
UH, IT IS A DECISION THAT THE TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP IS MAKING IN ITS, UM, IN ITS, UH, INDEPENDENT CAPACITY.
BUT IT WOULD BE GREAT FOR US TO BE BRIEFED ON HOW, HOW THEY GOT THERE.
SO PERHAPS A, A BRIEFING MEMO WOULD BE USEFUL AT THIS POINT.
[01:00:01]
UH, THE CHAIR OVER AT ATP COULD PROVIDE, CERTAINLY PUT THAT TOGETHER.UM, BUT CONGRATULATIONS ARE REALLY IN ORDER THAT IS A HEAVY LIFT AND CORRECT.
AND I'M VERY, VERY PLEASED TO HEAR ABOUT THAT.
JU JUST LIKE WE HAVE, IF YOU LOOK AT OUR ITEM POSTED TODAY, WE'RE VERY EXPLICIT AS TO HOW WE GOT TO WHERE WE ARE TODAY WITH NAMING, UM, DOTTY AS OUR LOAN FINALIST, AND THEN, UM, CANDIDATE, AND THAT WE ARE AWARDING HER THE POSITION TODAY.
ALL RIGHT, WELL, I'LL MAKE SURE THAT WE GET THAT DONE.
AND, AND I KNOW GREG PINELLI, HE'S A, A VERY FINE PERSON.
IF I HAD ANY KIND OF ISSUES OR QUESTIONS ON ANYTHING FINANCIAL, HE WOULD, UH, COME AND EXPLAIN IT TO ME IN GREAT DETAIL.
AND I THINK HE IS ONE OF A REALLY EXCELLENT PICK.
UH, I DON'T KNOW WHAT KIND OF PROCEDURE Y'ALL HAD TO DISCUSSED, CUZ I'M NOT ON, UH, ON THAT BOARD.
BUT, UH, KNOWING GREG, HE'S GONNA DO A WONDERFUL JOB AND HE'S THE KIND OF GUY THAT REALLY KNOWS HOW TO WHERE THE MONEY GOES AND, AND IF IT'S GOING AT THE RIGHT PLACE, THE BOARD MEMBER KITCHEN.
I, I I DON'T THINK ANYBODY'S QUESTIONING, UH, THE SELECTION OF, OF, UM, MR. CANAL.
AND I, I DON'T THINK THAT, I DIDN'T HEAR ERIC DOING THAT, BUT, UM, BUT I DO THINK IT IS IMPORTANT, YOU KNOW, JUST SO THE PUBLIC AND I, I'M SURE THAT ATP IS DOING THAT, IS PUTTING THAT OUT.
SO PROBABLY BE HELPFUL FOR US TOO, AS WELL AS THE CITY, I THINK.
I THINK A SIGNIFICANT PART OF IT IS THAT, UH, HE'S BEEN DOING A GREAT JOB WORKING DURING, DURING THE PERIOD OF TIME THAT HE IS, UH, SERVED AS THE INTERIM.
AND THERE ARE A NUMBER OF DECISIONS, PARTICULARLY FINANCIAL DECISIONS, THAT ARE STRONGLY PART OF HIS BACKGROUND.
UH, BUT I'LL MAKE SURE THAT EVERYTHING IS, EVERYTHING IS, IS, UH, LAID OUT AND PRESENTED, UH, TO THE BOARD AS REQUESTED.
MR. CHAIR, IF, IF I JUST MAY, I, I, I DO NOT BY ANY MEANS WANT ANYBODY TO THINK THAT I AM IMPUGNING THE SELECTION OF GREG CANAL AS A SOLE SORT.
THIS IS THE FIRST I'VE HEARD OF IT.
THAT'S WHY I WAS, I WANTED TO MAKE SURE I HEARD CORRECTLY THAT, THAT MY, UH, REMOTE THAT, THAT MY INTERNET DIDN'T CUT OUT FIRST.
I, I'VE GOT NOTHING AGAINST GREG.
BUT AGAIN, FIRST I'VE HEARD OF IT, AND I THINK THAT'S MORE MY CONCERN IS AS A COURTESY, THE FACT THAT WE AS A PARTNER IN THE PARTNERSHIP CITY OF AUSTIN AND CAP METRO ARE, ARE HEARING THIS NOW, LIVE AT THE PUBLIC MEETING AND KNEW NOTHING ELSE ABOUT THE PROCESS.
THAT'S THE THING THAT I'M MORE CONCERNED ABOUT.
NOT WHO THEY SELECTED, BUT HOW THEY SELECTED HIM, AND THE FACT THAT YOU WERE BRINGING THIS INFORMATION TO US NOW FOR THE FIRST TIME.
BUT YOU KNOW, VIA CODIS TO, TO, TO GREG CANALI, I'VE, I'VE, I'VE WORKED WITH HIM.
I, I APPRECIATE WHAT HE'S DONE.
AND, AND I THINK THAT IF THAT'S WHAT THEY FEEL IS THE, THE BEST PICK, GREAT, GREAT ON HIM.
I'VE HAD SOME GREAT IN INTERACTIONS WITH HIM AND, AND I THINK HE, HE, HE'D BE A GREAT, YOU KNOW, A GREAT FIT.
THIS IS MORE ABOUT PROCESS THAN THE PERSON.
AND I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THAT IS CLEAR.
I HAVE NOTHING AGAINST GREG, PLEASE WANT, JUST WANNA MAKE THAT CLEAR AS WELL.
WELL, I CAN GUARANTEE THAT WE DID NOT CUT OUT YOUR INTERNET AS WE, AS WE ARE
BUT, BUT, UH, UH, WE'LL, WE'LL MAKE SURE THAT, THAT EVERYTHING IS, UH, IS, UH, PRESENTED AS IT WAS DISCUSSED, UH, IN, IN THE MEETING.
SO, UH, I CAN APPRECIATE THAT.
ANY, ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION ON THE TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP UPDATE? IF NOT, WE'LL CONTINUE TO OUR ACTION ITEMS AND WE'RE POSTED FOR 10 ITEMS TODAY.
UH, FIRST TIME WE'LL TAKE UP AND THEN THE FINAL ACTION, WE'LL WAIT UNTIL AFTER OUR EXECUTIVE SESSION.
[VI.1. Approval of minutes from the December 16, 2022 board meeting.]
FIRST ACTION ON THE ITEM, UH, FOR APPROVAL IS, UH, TO, UH, IS OUR DECEMBER BOARD ME MINUTES.MAY WE ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO, UH, TO APPROVE ITEM ONE? OKAY.
UH, BOARD MEMBER KITCHEN IS THE MOTION.
UH, AND BOARD MEMBER ROSS IS A SECOND.
UH, IS THERE ANY, ANY DISCUSSION? ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE.
ALL IN FAVOR? LET IT BE KNOWN BY SAYING AYE.
HEARING NONE, UH, THE CHAIR MAKES IT UNANIMOUS.
[VI.2. Approval of a resolution authorizing the Interim President & CEO, or their designee, to finalize and execute contract modifications with Dell Marketing, LP for a Planview Project Portfolio Management (PPM) system for the delivery of additional integrations with the Oracle financial system and for a managed services increase of $200,000 and a contingency of $300,000 for a new not to exceed total of $1,341,196.]
TWO IS APPROVAL OF A RESOLUTION BY, UH, BY THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OFFERING DOROTHY WATKINS,[01:05:01]
THE POSITION OF GENERAL MANAGER AND PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER OF THE CAPITAL METRO TRANSIT, UH, TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY AND AUTHORIZING THE CHAIRPERSON TO EXECUTE THE EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT PRESENTATION WILL BE MADE BY DONNA SIMMONS AND GREG MUNZER.GOOD, GOOD AFTERNOON, CHAIR TRAVE, BOARD MEMBERS PRESIDENT, CEO WATKINS.
I'M DONNA SIMMONS, EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT OF ADMINISTRATION AND DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION OFFICER.
UM, I'VE MADE A NUMBER OF PRESENTATIONS TO THIS BOARD OVER THE YEARS, AND I HAVE TO SAY THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST EXCITING ONE I'M GETTING
UM, I'M JUST GONNA SPEND A LITTLE BIT OF TIME GOING THROUGH THE PROCESS, UH, THAT THE BOARD FOLLOWED, UM, IN CONJUNCTION WITH OUR EXECUTIVE SEARCH FIRM, UH, KRA HEIMER AND ASSOCIATES.
AND THEN I'LL TURN IT OVER TO, TO THE BOARD FOR, FOR YOUR, UM, DISCUSSION AND COMMENTS AND APPROVAL.
SO, UM, LAST YEAR, LAST SPRING, OUR, UH, PRIOR CEO RANDY CLARK, ANNOUNCED THAT HE WAS LEAVING CAPITAL METRO TO TAKE A POSITION, UH, IN WASHINGTON, DC VERY, VERY SOON AFTER THAT, THE BOARD, UM, AWARDED A CONTRACT TO KRA HARMER AND ASSOCIATES, WHO IS AN EXECUTIVE SEARCH FIRM WITH SIGNIFICANT EXPERTISE IN, IN, IN CEO SEARCHES, UM, WITHIN THE TRANSIT INDUSTRY.
UH, GREG MOZER, WHO WAS THE CHIEF RECRUITER, UH, FOR US ON THAT WORK, UM, IS JOINING US BY TEAMS TODAY.
IN CASE YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR HIM OR IF HE WANTS TO ADD ANY COMMENTS.
UM, PRIOR TO POSTING THE POSITION AND, AND CARL HEIMER BEGINNING THE SEARCH, THE BOARD SOUGHT PUBLIC INPUT INTO THE JOB PROFILE TO DETERMINE THE KINDS OF EXPERIENCE, UM, AND ATTRIBUTES, UM, AND BACKGROUND THAT THE BOARD, UH, WANTED TO ENSURE THAT YOU TOOK INTO CONSIDERATION AS YOU CONDUCTED THE SEARCH.
THAT INCLUDED FEEDBACK FROM ALL OF OUR ADVISORY COMMITTEES, UM, FROM THE ATU, FROM OUR EMPLOYEES.
THE BOARD TOOK ALL OF THAT, UM, THOSE COMMENTS INTO CONSIDERATION AND, AND GREG MOZER ASSISTED WITH PUTTING THAT INTO THE JOB PROFILE BEFORE IT WAS POSTED.
UM, ONCE THE JOB WAS POSTED, WE RECEIVED INTEREST FROM WELL OVER 50 APPLICANTS.
UM, GREG ASSISTED THE BOARD IN NARROWING THAT DOWN TO 11 CANDIDATES THAT WERE PRESENTED TO THE BOARD.
UM, AND THEN FROM THAT POOL, THE BOARD SELECTED FIVE CANDIDATES TO INTERVIEW.
UM, FOLLOWING THE INTERVIEWS, UM, IT WAS WHEN THE BOARD DECIDED THAT THEY WERE PREPARED TO MAKE THE JOB OFFERED TO DOROTHY LANCASTER WATKINS
UM, SO WITH THAT, I WILL TURN IT BACK OVER TO THE BOARD, ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS OR TURN IT OVER TO YOU FOR ANY DISCUSSION YOU WANT TO HAVE BOARD MEMBERS.
ANY QUESTIONS, MR. CHAIR? UH, YES.
SO, SO, UH, DONNA, THANK YOU SO MUCH, YOU AND GREG FOR, FOR ALL YOU'VE DONE TO HELP US THROUGH THIS PROCESS.
I, UH, THIS HAS BEEN DONE, UM, WITH, UH, MOST HASTE, BUT I THINK VERY THOROUGHLY, UH, JUST TO CLARIFY THEN, BASED ON THE WAY THAT WE CONDUCTED THIS PROCESS, IS IT SAFE TO SAY THAT, UM, THAT WHEN WE CAME TO THE END OF THIS, THAT WE AS A BOARD WOULD'VE CONSIDERED, UM, UH, DOTTIE OUR, UH, SOLE SOURCE FINAL, UH, CANDIDATE THAT, THAT AFTER THE INTERVIEW PROCESS, THAT THIS WAS THE CANDIDATE THAT WE WANTED TO, TO BASICALLY BRING FORWARD, INTRODUCE TO THE PUBLIC THERE, THERE WAS NO, LIKE TWO OR THREE, OR FOUR OR FIVE, YOU KNOW, THAT OKAY, WE WANNA BRING FORTH TO THE PUBLIC, YOU KNOW, TWO CANDIDATES, THREE CANDIDATES.
IT WAS BASICALLY SHE WAS HEAD AND SHOULDERS ABOVE ANYBODY ELSE THAT WE INTERVIEWED FOR THIS POSITION.
THAT I, I THINK THAT WAS, THAT WAS THE BOARD'S CONCLUSION AND WHAT THEY DIRECTED TO DIRECTED THE STAFF.
THAT WAS A CHRISTIAN TO ME BOARD MEMBER STRATTON
I, I I CAN CONFIRM THAT THAT WAS ABSOLUTELY THE BOARD'S CONCLUSION THAT, THAT WE, UH, WE LOOKED AT ALL THAT WERE PRESENTED TO US AND, AND, UM, THERE WAS A PERSON THAT WE HAD ABSOLUTE CONFIDENCE IN FROM AN OPERATIONAL STANDPOINT, UH, WHO KNEW THIS CITY AND, AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, HAS GROWN UP IN AND WITH THIS ORGANIZATION.
I THOUGHT THAT WAS CRITICALLY IMPORTANT.
MY MY POINT TO THE QUESTION IS THAT THERE WERE NO OTHER INDIVIDUALS WHO ROSE TO THE LEVEL OF BEING ABLE, WE, WE, AS PART OF OUR DELIBERATIONS, WE DIDN'T FIND A ANYBODY ELSE WHO WOULD BE A SECOND TO BE ABLE TO PRESENT TO THE PUBLIC AND SAY, OKAY, WELL WE'RE, WE'RE BRINGING TWO PEOPLE OUT HERE ON A TOUR FOR YOU GUYS TO TAKE A LOOK AT.
IT WAS A PRETTY MUCH A CLEAR CASE OF SHE'S IT, UM, BOARD MEMBER KITCHEN.
AND, AND I ALSO JUST WANNA SAY THEN, MAYBE THIS IS COMING LATER, BUT, UH, WE'RE VERY, UM, I'M VERY EXCITED ABOUT MOVING FORWARD WITH, UH, MS. WATKINS AND ALSO ABOUT, UM, A PROCESS THAT WE'VE DISCUSSED ABOUT
[01:10:01]
GIVING HER THE OPPORTUNITY TO REALLY, UM, INTRODUCE HERSELF, UH, TO THE COMMUNITY.AND I THINK IT, I, I'LL LEAVE IT AT THAT.
I THINK AT SOME POINT ARE WE GOING TO, WE'RE GOING TO SPEAK TO THAT.
RIGHT? OKAY, THEN I, I'LL WAIT FOR THAT.
UM, BOARD MEMBER COOPER, UM, I'M NOT SURE THIS IS, UH, WHERE YOU WANTED TO HAVE THIS COMMENT, BUT I JUST WANNA SAY I'VE NOW BEEN IN TWO, UM, INVOLVED IN TWO SEARCHES.
AND, UH, SOME YEARS AGO WHEN, UM, WE HIRED RANDY, IT WAS A PRETTY LIMITED POOL.
UH, AND WE WERE FORTUNATE TO GET RANDY, AND, AND HE, UH, DID A GREAT JOB FOR US DURING THOSE YEARS.
IT IS SOME INDICATION OF, OF THE WORK THAT THIS GROUP HAS DONE THAT, UH, WE HAD 50 APPLICANTS FOR THIS JOB.
AND I THINK THAT SPEAKS WELL FOR ALL THAT STAFF HAS DONE OVER THE TIME PERIOD.
AND, UH, CAP METRO'S ON THE MAP NATIONALLY IN A WAY THAT IT WASN'T BEFORE.
AND SO, IN THE SELECTION OF DOTTY, UH, IS IT OKAY IF I, I CALL YOU DOTTIE AND NOT DOROTHY? YEAH, MY GRANDMOTHER, MY GRANDMOTHER'S NAME WAS DOROTHY, AND SHE, TOO WAS CALLED DOTTY.
UH, SO IT'S GOT A GREAT RING TO IT, BUT I JUST THINK IT, UH, SPEAKS WELL TO WHAT OUR STAFF HAS ACCOMPLISHED.
UM, AND IT SPEAKS WELL, UH, TO DOTTI THAT IT WAS A CLEAR CHOICE AMONG 50 SOME ODD PEOPLE, UH, TO SELECT HER.
AND I'M VERY PROUD OF THAT SELECTION.
I THINK IT WAS CLEAR FROM SOME COMMENTS EARLIER THAT SHE IS HELD IN HIGH REGARD BY THE PEOPLE WHO WORK HERE, AND THAT MEANS AN AWFUL LOT TO US.
AND I THINK LIKEWISE, SHE'S HELD IN VERY HIGH REGARD FOR THOSE OF US ON THE BOARD AND THOSE IN THE COMMUNITY.
THIS IS REALLY A COOL MOMENT, UH, FOR THE ORGANIZATION.
I THINK WE'VE ALL SEEN HOW CHALLENGING, UH, THIS JOB CAN BE.
AND NOW WITH PROJECT CONNECT AND ATP AND THAT RELATIONSHIP TO MANAGE, UH, FROM OUR PERSPECTIVE, UM, WE'RE ENTRUSTING HER AND THIS WHOLE, UH, ORGANIZATION WITH AN AWFUL LOT OF RESPONSIBILITY.
SO THANK YOU FOR STEPPING UP AND CONGRATULATIONS, BECAUSE I THINK REALLY IS A, UH, A WONDERFUL THING FOR US TO BE ABLE TO, TO DO TODAY.
THAT WAS A PERFECTLY APPROPRIATE PLACE WITH THAT COMMENT,
SO, UH, IS, IS, UM, IS THERE ANYONE ELSE THAT, THAT WOULD, THAT HAS A QUESTION OR WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A COMMENT? ANY, ANY OTHER PERSON? OKAY, I'LL LET SEE.
UH, BOARD MEMBER ANDREA, UH, YES.
AND, UH, I, I WANT TO STATE THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, I WOULDN'T BE LEAVING THIS ORGANIZATION WITHOUT HAVING A PER THE BEST PERSON THAT LEAD IT, AND I BELIEVE, TRULY BELIEVE THAT WE SELECTED THE RIGHT PERSON.
UH, DODY HAS, UH, GONE THROUGH, I MEAN, IT'S AMAZING THAT, UH, WORKING THROUGH AN ORGANIZATION LIKE METRO FROM THE VERY BEGINNING, UH, I JUST, UH, REALLY HAVE TO GIVE IT TO HER.
THEN, UH, SHE'S GONNA BE A GREAT LEADER FOR, FOR METRO.
AND, UH, I FEEL LIKE I'M LEAVING IT IN GOOD HANDS.
JUST SAY THAT THE, THE PROCESS, AND GREG, THANK YOU FOR, UH, WALKING US THROUGH THE PROCESS.
IT WAS A VERY IMPRESSIVE POOL OF CANDIDATES, INCLUDING, UH, THE, THE SMALLER GROUP THAT WE WHITTLED THINGS DOWN TO.
THE FACT THAT DOTTY ROSE TO THE TOP, UM, IS OF COURSE AN INDICATION OF, OF THE GOOD FIT SHE BRINGS HERE AND HER VISION FOR, UH, THIS AGENCY AND ALL WHO WORK HERE AND THE COMMUNITY.
UM, BUT I WAS UNIFORMLY IMPRESSED WITH THE FOLKS THAT CAME AND TALKED TO US.
SO WE'VE GOT A MEMBER FROM THE, SOMEONE WHO WANTS TO MAKE A COMMENT FROM THE GROUP OR FROM THE, OKAY.
FROM THE COME, COME FORWARD THREE MINUTES.
SORRY FOR GOING OVERBOARD WITH THIS AGAIN, BUT THERE WAS SOME THINGS I LEFT OFF EARLIER WHEN I, WHEN I WAS SPEAKING ON DOTTY'S BEHALF.
DOTTY KNOWS THIS BUSINESS IN AND OUT FROM, FROM, FROM THE CR CRACKS AND CRANNIES OF THIS BUILDING, FROM THE BUS OPERATIONS, FROM THE UT SERVICE.
I'VE CALLED HER TIME AND TIME AGAIN, YOU KNOW, AND ANSWERED, SHE ROSE TO THE OCCASION.
UM, I ALSO WANT, MAY ADD, SHE MAY NOT REMEMBER, BUT I WAS OPERATING A 3 37 ROUTE JANUARY,
[01:15:01]
EARLY JANUARY OF 2021 AT THE INTERSECTION OF LOYOLA AND, UH, DECKER LANE FOR THE COMMUNITY FIRST CUSTOMERS THAT RIDE THE 2 37 ROUTE, DID NOT HAVE A BENCH, DID NOT HAVE A TRASH RECEPTACLE.I TOOK A PICTURE AND SENT IT TO HER THAT DAY, THAT AFTERNOON ON MY ROUTE, SENT IT TO DOTTY.
BY THE NEXT WEEKEND, THE NEXT SATURDAY, I WENT BACK TO MY ROUTE UNTIL 3 37 ROUTE.
THEY HAD A SHELTER, THEY HAD A RECEPTACLE.
AND THAT HAS NOT BEEN THE ONLY TIME THAT I HAVE MADE RECOMMENDATIONS TO TAKE CARE OF OUR, OUR OVERFLOWING TRASH CANS HAS BEEN NEGLECTED.
I'VE, SHE KNOWS SHE CAN TELL YOU I'VE CONTACTED HER ON ALL ISSUES, AND SHE HAS ROSE TO THE OCCASION.
SHE IS HIGHLY QUALIFIED FOR THIS POSITION.
SHE, SHE, SHE WAS OVERLOOKED FOR RANDY AND, UH, ME NO HARM.
RANDY BROUGHT A LOT OF GOOD THINGS HERE, BUT SHE, YO YO LEADER WAS ALREADY HERE WALKING AT 29 10 EAST FIFTH, THIS MOTHERSHIP OF WHAT WE DO HERE IN TRANSIT IN AUSTIN, TEXAS.
UM, AND I KNOW WE'RE NOT PERFECT WITH, SOMETIMES WE, THE BUSINESS DECISION BETWEEN AT U LOCAL 10 91 AND, UH, CAPITAL METRO.
BUT ON THE BUSINESS SIDE OF THINGS, WE, WE CAN'T HOLD OUR PERSONAL SIDE OF THINGS.
AND I KNOW THERE'S OPPOSITION FOR, YOU KNOW, MAY BE AGAINST DOTTY, BUT YOU GOT, YOU GOT, UH, A GREAT PERSON, A GREAT INDIVIDUAL, A GREAT HUMAN BEING FOR THIS POSITION THAT KNOWS WHAT SHE'S DOING.
AND I'VE BEEN IN A LOT ENOUGH MEETINGS WITH DOTTY OVER THE YEARS AND, AND EVERYTHING.
AND EVEN WITH OUR JOINT LABOR RELATIONS COORDINATING COUNCIL MEETINGS, SHE HAS LED WITH HER AND RANDY, SHE'S DONE AN OUTSTANDING JOB THAT, THIS IS MY PERSONAL OPINION, SPEAKING FROM, AS AN EMPLOYEE AND ON THE BUSINESS SIDE, WORKING WITH OUR AT U LOCAL 10 91, HER AND RANDY HAS TRANSFORMED THIS THING, YOU KNOW, WHERE WE HAD A BAD RECORD RELATIONSHIP WITH CAPITAL METRO YEARS AGO.
WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE NOT PERFECT RIGHT NOW.
WE STILL HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO, BUT I TRUST, PUT MY TRUST IN DOTTY BEFORE ANY OUTSIDER COMING IN TO OUR HOME, PERIOD.
ALL RIGHT, MR. CHAIR? UH, YES.
I JUST WANT TO NOTE FOR THE RECORD, DARRELL HAS ADDRESSED THIS BOARD MANY TIMES OVER THE LAST EIGHT YEARS, AND I THINK THAT'S THE FIRST TIME IN EIGHT YEARS.
HE SAID WE DID THE RIGHT THING.
NOT SURE, BUT I THINK THAT MIGHT BE TRUE.
LET'S, LET'S MAKE SURE THAT WE DOCUMENT THAT FOR THE RECORD, AND, AND THE CHAIR WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO, UH, TO APPROVE ITEM NUMBER TWO.
UH, BOARD MEMBER KITCHEN MAKES THE MOTION TO APPROVE ITEM NUMBER TWO, BOARD MEMBER POOL MAKES THE SECOND.
IS THERE ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? IS THERE ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? IS THERE ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? THIRD TIME, UH, HEARING NONE.
LET IT BE KNOWN BY SAYING AYE.
OPPOSE, SAME SIGN, HEARING NO OPPOSITION.
THE CHAIR WILL MAKE IT UNANIMOUS AND APPROVE.
OH, Y'ALL ARE GONNA MAKE ME CRY.
IF, IF I MAY JUST SAY A COUPLE OF WORDS, I, I WOULD LOVE TO DO THAT.
THE CHAIR WILL RECOGNIZE THE
UM, IT IS A COMPLETE HONOR TO ACCEPT THIS POSITION.
I, UM, AS WAS MENTIONED, I, I GREW UP IN THIS ORGANIZATION.
I GREW UP IN THIS CITY, UM, AND I FEEL LIKE THIS CITY HAS GROWN UP WITH ME.
AND SO TO BE ABLE TO TAKE SUCH A GREAT LEADERSHIP ROLE FOR OUR COMMUNITY IS VERY MEANINGFUL TO ME PERSONALLY.
UM, MANY OF YOU KNOW THAT I AM A SECOND GENERATION CAMP METRO EMPLOYEE.
UM, I, THERE HAVE BEEN A LOT OF PEOPLE ALONG THE WAY WHO HAVE SUPPORTED ME, BUT I DO WANNA CALL OUT JUST A COUPLE WHO HAVE COME HERE TODAY.
UM, MY FATHER, JOHN LANCASTER, UM, WHO RETIRED FROM CAT METRO, AND MY MOTHER, SHARON LANCASTER ARE HERE.
UM, MY MOTHER-IN-LAW AND FATHER-IN-LAW, UM, BEVERLY AND HERB WATKINS ARE HERE, AS WELL AS MY BELOVED HUSBAND, HERB JR.
YOU KNOW, HE'S THE ONE THAT HE'S, HE GETS BEST FOR LAST.
UM, WE ALL HAVE PEOPLE IN THIS WORLD WHO BELIEVE IN US, AND I HAVE BEEN FORTUNATE, UM, ALONG THE WAY TO HAVE THESE FINE PEOPLE AND MANY OTHERS IN THIS ROOM BELIEVE IN ME.
UM, I AM VERY EXCITED AT, TO THE OPPORTUNITY TO, TO LEAD THIS ORGANIZATION TO GREAT THINGS, AND I KNOW THAT TOGETHER WE'LL MAKE IT HAPPEN.
[01:20:04]
YES.AS BOARD MEMBER KITCHEN MENTIONED, WE WILL BE EMBARKING IN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS TO INTRODUCE DOTTY TO THE PUBLIC AND OUR ADVISORY COMMITTEES, AND A WHOLE BUNCH OF PEOPLE THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY.
SO EVERYONE SHOULD BE WATCHING, UH, FOR ANNOUNCEMENTS.
WE'VE GOT SOME EVENTS COMING UP, SOME THAT WILL BE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC AND SOME OTHER, UM, OPPORTUNITIES TO MEET DOTTY, BECAUSE IF YOU HAVE NOT HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO MEET DOTTIE, THIS IS, THIS IS, UM, SHE'S GOT A LOT TO OFFER TO EACH OF YOU FOR THE DIFFERENT THINGS THAT YOU ARE, ARE INTERESTED IN.
SO BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THAT.
WE ARE MAKING THOSE PLANS NOW.
AND, AND THANK YOU FOR, FOR MENTIONING THAT.
I WANTED TO JUST ADD, WE HAD, UH, SOMEONE SPEAK TO US EARLIER WHO HAD, YOU KNOW, EXPRESSED AN INTEREST IN HAVING THE COMMUNITY INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS.
WE FELT LIKE THAT WAS VERY IMPORTANT, AND THIS IS THE WAY TO DO THAT BECAUSE, UM, UH, DOTTIE, MS. WATKINS IS OUR, IS OUR CHOICE FAR AND AWAY, AS WE'VE ALREADY DISCUSSED.
AND SO NOW IT'S TIME FOR THAT, UH, COMMUNITY, UH, INVOLVEMENT.
AND THERE'LL BE A PROCESS FOR DOING THAT FOR, FOR HER TO, UH, TO MEET WITH AND, AND TALK WITH THE COMMUNITY AS SHE WILL BE DOING THROUGHOUT HER TENURE.
I THINK ONE THING, ONE THING THAT WE HAVE TO RECOGNIZE IS THAT WHEN SHE, UH, WHEN SHE RAN OPERATIONS, AND AS SHE HAS SERVED, UH, AS THE INTERIM, UH, ONE OF THE IMPORTANT THINGS THAT SHE HAS DONE IS REALLY REACHED OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY AND GONE AND GONE TO MEET THE COMMUNITY IN COMMUNITY, RATHER THAN JUST INVITING COMMUNITY MEMBERS HERE.
AND I THINK THAT'S CRITICAL, AND IT HAS BEEN CONSISTENT.
UH, THE, UH, ONE THING THAT I WANT TO DO IS, UH, AS HER, AS HER PARENTS AND HER IN-LAWS AND HER HUSBANDS HERE, I THINK THAT WE SHOULD MEMORIALIZE THIS MOMENT.
SO WE'LL TAKE, UH, WE'LL, WE'LL TAKE A FEW MOMENTS AND, AND, UH, AND WELCOME HER TO THE FAMILY FORMALLY.
[01:25:26]
SO, UM, LET'S SEE.I GUESS WE'VE GOT EVERYBODY BACK EXCEPT FOR BOARD MEMBER.
SO, UH, DOES, DOES THE CHAIR FEEL ANY DIFFERENT NOW?
WELL, UH, LET'S MOVE TO ACTION.
[VI.3. Approval of a resolution authorizing the Interim President & CEO, or their designee, to finalize and execute an Interlocal Agreement (ILA) amendment between Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Capital Metro) and the City of Austin for the construction of bus stops and its related infrastructure for six (6) years for a total amount not to exceed $3,000,000 per year.]
NUMBER THREE, APPROVAL OF A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE PRESIDENT AND CEO OR THEIR DESIGNEE TO FINALIZE AND EXECUTE, UH, CONTRACT MODIFICATIONS WITH DELL MARKETING LP FOR A PLAN VIEW, UH, PROJECT, UH, PORTFOLIO MANAGEMENT SYSTEM FOR THE DELIVERY OF ADDITIONAL INTEGRATIONS, UH, WITH THE ORACLE FINANCIAL SYSTEM, AND FOR A MANAGED SERVICES INCREASE OF $200,000 AND A CONTINGENCY OF $300,000 FOR A NEW NOT TO EXCEED TOTAL OF $1,341,196.AND JONATHAN TANZER IS HERE TO MAKE THE PRESENTATION.
UH, GOOD AFTERNOON, CHAIR TRAIAN.
AFTERNOON, VICE CHAIR, UH, KITCHEN GENERAL MANAGER, PRESIDENT AND CEO WATKINS.
I'M THE DIRECTOR OF PRODUCT MANAGEMENT WITH, UH, THE INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT AT CAPITAL METRO.
AND I'M HERE TO PRESENT AN ITEM TO MODIFY A CONTRACT THAT, UM, I PRESENTED LAST MARCH, UH, TO IMPLEMENT THIS SYSTEM.
UH, WE HAVE SINCE THEN IMPLEMENTED PLAN VIEW, AND, UM, JUST NEED, UM, THIS ADDITIONAL AMOUNT TO COMPLETE INTEGRATIONS BETWEEN, UH, PLAN VIEW, WHICH IS OUR, UM, PROJECT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM FOR OUR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN.
AND, UM, YEAH, TO, UM, AND THEN OUR ORACLE FINANCIAL SYSTEM, UH, WHICH HANDLES THE PROJECT FINANCIALS.
UH, SO 200,000 HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED FOR THE ADDITIONAL INTEGRATIONS AND, UH, PROFESSIONAL SERVICES PROVIDED BY PLANVIEW.
AND THEN WE'RE ALSO ASKING A $300,000 CONTINGENCY FOR THE REMAINING, UM, CONTRACT IN THE NEXT TWO AND A QUARTER YEARS OF THE CONTRACT.
ANY QUESTIONS? ANY QUESTIONS? UM, LET'S SEE.
CHAIR WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO, UM, APPROVE ITEM THREE.
BOARD MEMBER ROSS MAKES A SECOND, GETS BEEN MOVED AND PROPERLY SECONDED THAT WE APPROVE ITEM NUMBER THREE.
ANY DISCUSSION? ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE.
ALL IN FAVOR? LET IT BE KNOWN BY SAYING AYE.
THE CHAIR WILL MAKE IT UNANIMOUS.
[VI.4. Approval of a resolution authorizing the Interim President & CEO, or their designee, to finalize and execute a contract with Tolar Manufacturing Inc. for the fabrication and delivery of trash receptacles for a one (1) year base order for a total not to exceed amount of $319,900.]
NUMBER FOUR, UH, APPROVAL OF A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE PRESIDENT AND CEO OR THEIR DESIGNEE TO FINALIZE AND EXECUTE AND INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT, UH, AMENDMENT BETWEEN CAP METRO AND THE CITY OF AUSTIN FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF BUS STOPS AND ITS RELATED INFRASTRUCTURE FOR SIX YEARS, FOR A TOTAL AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED 3 MILLION PER YEAR.KEN CARTWRIGHT WILL MAKE THE PRESENTATION.
GOOD AFTERNOON, CHAIR, TRILLIAN, VICE CHAIR, KITCHEN BOARD MEMBERS, CONGRATULATIONS, PRESIDENT AND CEO WATKINS.
UM, AS YOU MENTIONED, THIS IS AN INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT BETWEEN CAP METRO AND THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
WE'VE, UH, HAD THIS INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT IN EFFECT SINCE THE YEAR 2011.
AND SO AT THIS TIME, WE'RE REQUESTING TO EXTEND THIS AGREEMENT UNDER THIS AGREEMENT.
UH, THE AGENCY COOPERATES, UH, WITH CITY OF AUSTIN PUBLIC WORKS IN ORDER TO, UH, SUPPORT THE CONSTRUCTION OF BUS STOPS AND RELATED, UH, ACCESSIBILITY INFRASTRUCTURE SUCH AS SIDEWALKS AND, UH, SHARED USE PATHS, ET CETERA.
WE'VE HAD A LONG, UH, VERY MUTUALLY, UH, BENEFICIAL RELATIONSHIP WITH, UH, AUSTIN PUBLIC WORKS TO DO THIS.
SO, UH, UNDER THIS CONTRACT, SO WE LEVERAGE THE CITY'S CONTRACTOR.
UH, FOR EXAMPLE, IF WE BUILD A BUS STOP AND WE DON'T HAVE DIRECT CONNECTIVITY TO THE ADJACENT, UH, SIDEWALKS AND INTERSECTIONS, WE UTILIZE THE CITY'S CONTRACTOR TO EXTEND THOSE SIDEWALKS.
SO WE HAVE AN ACCESSIBLE ROUTE, FULLY ACCESSIBLE ROUTE TO OUR TRANSIT INFRASTRUCTURE.
SO WE ARE REQUESTING, UH, TO EXTEND THIS FOR ANOTHER SIX YEARS.
AND IF THE BOARD, UH, CHOOSES TO APPROVE THIS TODAY, IT WILL THEN BE PRESENTED TO THE CITY COUNCIL, UH, FOR APPROVAL AS WELL.
BUT I'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE REGARDING THIS.
ANY QUESTIONS? BOARD MEMBERS, ANY STUDENTS?
[01:30:01]
UH, HEARING NONE, THE CHAIR WILL ENTERTAIN THE MOTION TO APPROVE ITEM NUMBER FOUR, UH, BOARD MEMBER COOPER, AND THEN BOARD MEMBER HARRIS WITH THE SECOND.AS ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION, ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE.
ALL IN FAVOR OF APPROVAL OF ITEM NUMBER FOUR, PLEASE THEN LET IT BE KNOWN BY SAYING AYE.
UH, THE BOARD CHAIR MAKES IT UNANIMOUS.
[VI.5. Approval of a resolution authorizing the Interim President & CEO, or their designee, to finalize and execute a contract with Southside Wrecker Inc. for towing services for one (1) base year with one (1) option year, in an amount not to exceed $1,440,020.]
YOU.LOOKS LIKE YOU'RE UP FOR NUMBER FIVE, TOO.
UH, I'VE BEEN PAUSING RIGHT BEFORE PRESIDENT BECAUSE, UH, THE OFFICIAL DOCUMENTATION SAYS INTERIM PRESENT PRESIDENT, AND SO IT ALWAYS MAKES ME SMILE WHEN I DON'T GET TO SAY INTERIM ANYMORE, SO.
NUMBER FIVE, APPROVAL OF A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE PRESIDENT AND CEO OR THEIR DESIGNEE TO FINALIZE AND EXECUTE A CONTRACT WITH TOLAR MANUFACTURING INC.
FOR THE FABRICATION AND DELIVERY OF TRASH RECEPTACLES, UH, FOR A ONE YEAR BASE ORDER, UH, FOR A TOTAL NOT TO EXCEED, UH, AMOUNT OF $319,900.
MR. CARTRIGHT, THANK YOU AGAIN, CHAIR.
AS YOU MENTIONED, THIS IS A, UH, CONTRACT FOR THE FABRICATION DELIVERY OF TRASH RECEPTACLES IN THE PAST.
THE BOARD HAS AWARDED, UH, SIMILAR CONTRACTS.
THE, THE, WHAT IS UNIQUE ABOUT THIS CONTRACT IS WE'VE ADDED THE FEDERAL CLAUSES TO THIS CONTRACT SO THAT THESE UNITS CAN BE UTILIZED ON FEDERALLY FUNDED PROJECTS.
SO IT'S REQUIRED THAT WE ADD SUCH CLAUSES AS BY AMERICA PROVISIONS AND, AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO WE'RE IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE FEDERAL REQUIREMENTS.
SO THAT IS WHAT THIS AGENDA ITEM, THIS ACTION ITEM IS REQUESTING APPROVAL FOR.
THERE WAS NO D B OR SBE GOAL ESTABLISHED FOR THIS, BECAUSE THERE ARE NO SUBCONTRACTING OPPORTUNITIES, UH, BUT I JUST WANTED TO MAKE YOU AWARE OF THAT, SO, OKAY.
BOARD MEMBERS, ANY QUESTIONS? HEARING NONE, THE CHAIR WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO APPROVE ITEM NUMBER FIVE.
UM, BOARD MEMBER POOL WITH THE, WITH THE, UH, MOTION BOARD MEMBER ROSS, WITH THE SECOND.
IS THERE ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE.
ALL IN FAVOR? LET IT BE KNOWN BY SAYING AYE.
THE BOARD CHAIR WILL MAKE IT UNANIMOUS.
AND CHAIR, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WOULD MIND TAKING SOMETHING SLIGHTLY OUT OF ORDER.
I ALSO HAVE AGENDA ITEM NUMBER SEVEN FOR ELECTRIC SERVICES CONTRACT, IF YOU WOULD CONSIDER TAKING THAT NEXT.
[VI.7. Approval of a resolution authorizing the Interim President & CEO, or their designee, to finalize and execute a contract with W.W. Grainger for bus and building parts and small tools and equipment for a base term of one (1) year with two (2) option years, in a total amount not to exceed $2,330,100.]
IF THERE'S NO OPPOSITION, THEN WE WILL, WE WILL MOVE UP.ITEM SEVEN TO THE NUMBER SIX SPOT.
THANK, YOU'LL, I'LL READ THAT.
UM, ITEM SEVEN IS APPROVAL OF A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE PRESIDENT AND CEO OR THEIR DESIGNEE TO FINALIZE AND EXECUTE A CONTRACT WITH ELK ELECTRIC INK TO PROVIDE ELECTRICAL SERVICES FOR REPAIR, MAINTENANCE, AND UPGRADE OF ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS FOR ALL KEPT METRO PUBLIC ADMINISTRATIVE AND OPERATIONAL PROPERTIES AND BUILDINGS, UH, FOR BASE PERIOD OF TWO YEARS, AND FOR OPTION YEAR PERIODS, UH, IN A NOT TO EXCEED AMOUNT OF $1,955,675.
AS YOU MENTIONED, THIS IS A, UH, CONTRACT FOR ELECTRICAL SERVICES FOR THE REPAIR, MAINTENANCE AND UPGRADE OF OUR ELECTRICAL INFRASTRUCTURE.
UH, CABINET METRO MAINTAINS THESE TYPES OF, UM, INDEFINITE, UH, QUANTITY INDEFINITE DELIVERY CONTRACT, UH, CONTRACTS FOR VARIOUS SERVICES.
AND SO OUR CURRENT CONTRACT IS EXPIRING.
SO WE WOULD LIKE TO, UH, AWARD THIS NEW CONTRACT.
UH, UH, SIMILAR TO THE LAST ITEM, THERE WAS A NO DBE, UH, OR SBE GOAL ESTABLISHED FOR THIS PARTICULAR ITEM BECAUSE THIS, UH, INDIVIDUAL IS THE SUBCONTRACTOR.
HOWEVER, OUR DBE STAFF HAS SAID THAT THEY WILL WORK WITH THIS, UH, SUBCONTRACTOR DO IDENTIFY OPPORTUNITIES FOR SBE PARTICIPATION, UH, THROUGHOUT THE LIFE OF THE CONTRACT.
BUT I'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS ANYONE HAS ON THIS BOARD MEMBERS.
ANY QUESTIONS? HEARING NONE, UH, CHAIR WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO APPROVE ITEM NUMBER SEVEN.
UM, BOARD MEMBER KITCHEN, AND THEN BOARD MEMBER COOPER WITH THE SECOND.
IS THERE ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE.
UH, ALL IN FAVOR OF APPROVING ITEM NUMBER SEVEN.
PLEASE LET IT BE KNOWN BY SAYING AYE.
THE CHAIR WILL MAKE IT UNANIMOUS.
[VI.6. Approval of a resolution authorizing the Interim President & CEO, or their designee, to finalize and execute a contract with Elk Electric, Inc. to provide electrical services for repair, maintenance, and upgrade of electrical systems for all Capital Metro public, administrative, and operational properties and buildings for a base period of two (2) years and four (4) option year periods with a not-to-exceed amount of $1,955,675.]
WE WILL GO BACK TO LISTED ITEM NUMBER SIX.UM, AND I, AND IT READS, APPROVAL OF A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE PRESIDENT AND CEO OR THE DESIGNEE TO FINALIZE AND EXECUTE A CONTRACT WITH SOUTHSIDE WRECKER FOR
[01:35:01]
TOWING SERVICES FOR ONE BASE YEAR, WITH ONE OPTION YEAR IN THE, IN A TOTAL AMOUNT, NOT TO EXCEED 1,444,020, UH, DOLLARS.AND I THINK ANDREW MURPHY WILL MAKE THE PRESENTATION.
UM, UH, GOOD AFTERNOON, CHAIR, TRAIAN, VICE CHAIR, KITCHEN BOARD MEMBERS, AND PRESIDENT AND CEO OF DOTTY WATKINS.
UH, THIS IS A, A CONTRACT WE'RE LOOKING FOR IN THE COURSE OF OPERATING A FLEET OF 425 PLUS VEHICLES AND 150 SUPPORT VEHICLES.
AT TIMES IT BECOMES NECESSARY TO TOW THEM TO A REP, UH, TO A FACILITY FOR PROPER REPAIR.
UH, MOST IMPORTANTLY, THIS CONTRACT WILL ALLOW FOR THE QUICK REMOVAL OF VEHICLES FROM THE STREET WHERE IT CAN CAUSE AN IMPEDIMENT TO TRAFFIC FLOW, AS WELL AS A POTENTIAL RISK TO BOTH THE MECHANICS AND TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC.
UM, SO THAT WOULD, UH, WE PUT AN IB OUT ON THE STREET.
UH, SOUTH SIDE IS THE COMPANY THAT WE INTEND TO AWARD TO.
UM, WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THEM FOR MANY YEARS.
IN A QUICK, QUICK RESPONSE TIME, I'LL BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS, BOARD MEMBERS.
ANY QUESTIONS? ANY QUESTIONS? UH, BOARD MEMBER COOPER, I ASSUME THIS IS, UH, WE BILL, WE GET BILLED WHEN WE USE THEM.
NOT A FLAT FEE, CORRECT? YEAH.
THIS IS A NOT TO EXCEED AMOUNT.
UM, AND YOU BETTER BELIEVE IT'S MY GOAL TO MINIMIZE THE NUMBER OF TIMES IT GETS TOWED.
I WAS HOPING THAT WE WEREN'T, CERTAINLY WEREN'T ANTICIPATING A COUPLE MILLION DOLLARS WORTH OF TOWING CHARGES, SIR.
UH, THAT'S, THAT'S NOT WHAT WE WANT.
LET'S, UH, OUR FINANCIAL GUY ALWAYS ASKS THAT QUESTION, SO.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? UH, HEARING NONE CHAIR WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO APPROVE ITEM NUMBER SIX.
UH, BOARD MEMBER ROSS AND BOARD MEMBER COOPER.
DID I, DID I SEE YOU WITH YOUR HAND RAISED? OKAY.
UH, ALL IN FAVOR OF, OF APPROVING ITEM SIX.
PLEASE LET IT BE KNOWN BY SAYING AYE.
UH, HEARING NONE, UH, THE, UH, THE CHAIR WILL MAKE IT UNANIMOUS.
[VI.8. Approval of a resolution authorizing the Interim President & CEO, or their designee, to finalize and execute a Purchase and Sale Contract for the purchase of 7,749 square feet of office space, being the 1st floor unit (Master Unit 1) of 1705 Guadalupe Street, Austin, TX 78701, together with any appurtenant rights and the Unit’s share of the building’s general and limited common elements, from Seamless Guadalupe, LLC, for the CapMetro Transit Store and Community Engagement, in an amount not to exceed $4,649,400 plus closing costs.]
MOVING TO ITEM EIGHT.AND THAT WILL BE, UH, MR. MURPHY AS WELL APPROVE A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE PRESIDENT AND CEO OR THEIR DESIGNEE TO FINALIZE AND EXECUTE A CONTRACT WITH WW GRANGER FOR BUS AND BUILDING PARTS AND SMALL TOOLS, TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT FOR A BASE TERM OF ONE YEAR WITH TWO OPTION YEARS IN A TOTAL AMOUNT, NOT TO EXCEED $2,330,100.
MR. BURKE, UM, THANK YOU CHAIR AGAIN.
I, I BELIEVE I, I FORGOT TO INTRODUCE MYSELF.
I'M THE DIRECTOR OF VEHICLE MAINTENANCE FOR BUS AND PARATRANSIT SERVICES HERE AT CAPITAL METRO.
SO, THIS, UH, AGENDA ITEM IS TO, UH, UM, AWARD A CONTRACT TO GRAINGER SUPPLY COMPANY FOR THE SUPPLY OF BUS AND BUILDING PARTS, SMALL TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT IN THE SUPPORT OF, UH, OF OUR BUS AND VEHICLE MAINTENANCE, AS WELL AS THE BUILDING MAINTENANCE.
UH, CAP METRO OPERATES A VERY LARGE FLEET OF BUSES AND MULTIPLE FACILITIES, AND THEY REQUIRE CONSTANT, UH, ONGOING MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR.
UH, THE USE OF A COMPANY LIKE GRANGER TO SUPPLY PARTS ALLOWS US TO GET THE PARTS QUICKLY WITHOUT HAVING TO LA UH, MAINTAIN AN EXCESSIVELY LARGE INVENTORY OF SELDOM USED PARTS, UH, LIKE LADDERS AND, AND OTHER SMALL TOOLS, AS WELL AS, UH, REGULAR BUS PARTS.
I'LL BE HAPPY TO ANSWER QUESTIONS ON THAT.
BOARD MEMBERS, ANY QUESTIONS? ANY QUESTIONS? HEARING NONE CHAIR WILL ENTERTAIN A, UH, MOTION TO APPROVE ITEM EIGHT, UH, BOARD MEMBER HARRIS AND THE SECOND BY, UH, BOARD MEMBER KITCHEN.
UH, IT'S BEEN MOVED AND PROPERLY SECONDED THAT WE APPROVE ITEM NUMBER EIGHT.
IS THERE ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE.
ALL IN FAVOR OF ITEM NUMBER EIGHT.
WILL YOU LET IT BE KNOWN BY SAYING AYE? AYE.
THE CHAIR WILL MAKE IT UNANIMOUS.
[VI.9. Approval of a resolution recommending adoption of amendments to the Articles of Incorporation of the Austin Transit Partnership to add two additional Directors to the board and to make changes to the selection process to increase nominating process transparency for board members.]
WE'VE GOT, UH, ITEM NUMBER NINE.I WILL, I WILL READ ITEM NUMBER NINE, AND, AND BOARD MEMBER KITCHEN WILL MAKE THE PRESENTATION.
ITEM NINE IS THE APPROVAL OF A RESOLUTION RECOMMENDING ADOPTION OF AMENDMENTS TO THE ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION OF THE AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP TO ADD TWO ADDITIONAL DIRECTORS TO THE BOARD AND MAKE CHANGES TO THE SELECTION PROCESS TO INCREASE NOMINATING PROCESS TRANSPARENCY FOR BOARD MEMBERS.
BOARD MEMBER KITCHEN, MR. CHAIR? YES.
JUST TO BE CLEAR, ARE WE SKIPPING, UM, THE PURCHASE OF THE CONDO? OH, DID WE SKIP SOMETHING? IS THAT ITEM NUMBER THAT'S 10.
THAT'S THE ITEM WE'LL TAKE AFTER EXECUTIVE SESSION.
DO THAT IN THE EXECUTIVE SESSION.
IT'S, IT'S DIFFERENT ON THE, WE GOT THE OLD AGENDA.
YOU MIGHT HAVE THAT OLD AGENDA.
[01:40:02]
UH, UH, COLLEAGUES, YOU MAY REMEMBER THAT THIS WAS AN ITEM WE HAD ON A PREVIOUS, UM, AGENDA.
AND IN THE, THE, UH, CONSENSUS OF THE GROUP IN THE FEELING WAS THAT WE NEEDED TO, TO, UM, TAKE SOME MORE TIME.
SO WE POSTPONED IT AT THAT TIME.
AND SO IT'S UP IN FRONT OF US AGAIN.
AND JUST AS A REMINDER, THIS IS, UM, THIS IS A RESOLUTION THAT THE CITY OF AUSTIN PASSED.
UM, AND SO IT'S NOW IN, IN FRONT OF US, UH, AT CAT METRO.
BASICALLY, IT SETS, UH, SETS UP A PROCESS FOR CONSIDERING THE ADDITION OF TWO, UM, BOARD MEMBERS TO, UM, THE ATP.
IT IS, UM, IT'S NOT DEFINITIVE IN TERMS OF, UM, YOU KNOW, THE QUALIFICATIONS OR CRITERIA FOR THOSE TWO NEW DIRECTORS.
IT SETS UP A PROCESS FOR MAKING THAT DECISIONS.
SO, UM, OUR, YOU KNOW, IF CAP METRO APPROVES THIS TODAY, IT'S JUST SIGNALING OUR, UM, OUR SUPPORT FOR GOING THROUGH THAT PROCESS.
AND THEN THE SECOND PART OF IT, UM, SPEAKS TO, UM, I THINK WE STILL HAVE THE TRANSPARENCY.
THIS, THIS IS, OKAY, THIS IS WHAT THE CITY PASSED, RIGHT? MM-HMM.
AND THE SECOND PART OF IT JUST, UH, PROVIDES SOME GUIDANCE TO OUR NOMINATING COMMITTEE FOR THE, UH, ATP BOARD.
WE, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GONE THROUGH THAT PROCESS TWICE NOW, UH, WITHOUT, UM, WITHOUT, UM, WITHOUT SOME CLARITY FOR OUR NOMINATING COMMITTEE ON THE DEGREE TO WHICH TRANSPARENCY IS IMPORTANT FOR THAT PROCESS.
AND SO WHAT THIS DOES IS IT PROVIDES GUIDANCE THE NEXT TIME OUR NOMINATING COMMITTEES FROM THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND FROM, UM, CAP METRO, UM, HAVE THAT PROCESS IN FRONT OF THEM.
AND SO THERE'S INFOR, THERE'S LANGUAGE IN HERE ABOUT, UM, ABOUT ALLOWING FOR SOME TRANSPARENCY WITH THE PUBLIC.
SO THAT'S, THOSE ARE THE TWO BIG PARTS OF THIS, UM, AND WHAT THEIR PURPOSE WAS.
AND I THINK THE COUNCIL, CITY COUNCIL PASSED IT IN DECEMBER.
SO, UM, DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT IT? OR, OR DO YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT ANY PARTICULAR ASPECT OF IT FURTHER? SO, DO, DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? OKAY.
IS, IS, DOES THIS STILL HAVE THE PROVISION THAT, UM, THAT THE ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION FOR ATP, UM, DOES IT, DOES IT SAY THAT, UM, THAT YOU WILL, UH, THAT YOU HAVE TO WAIT 12 MONTHS IN ORDER TO MAKE CHANGES TO THEM? THAT WAS NOT THE INTENT.
I THINK THE INTENT WAS, AND, AND I'LL HAVE TO LOOK, I'M SORRY.
I, UM, IT DOES TALK ABOUT, UM, DURING THE NEXT 12 MONTHS, THE INTENT WAS THAT ANY CHANGES WOULD BE GROUPED TOGETHER.
SO IN OTHER WORDS, IF, UM, IF THERE WAS MORE THAN ONE CHANGE THAT WAS TO BE MADE, UH, THAT IT'D BE GROUPED TOGETHER IN TERM, NOT IN TERMS OF EFFECTIVENESS, BUT IN TERMS OF ACTUALLY GOING DOWN TO THE, UM, SECRETARY OF STATE, I GUESS, IN FILING THE, UM, FILING THE DOCUMENTS.
THE INTENT WAS NOT TO HAVE TO WAIT 12 MONTHS.
THAT WAS LEFT IN THE DISCRETION OF THE COUNCIL AND CAP METRO ABOUT EXACT TIMING.
IT'S JUST THAT THE THINKING WAS, WELL, WE DON'T WANNA DO IT ONCE, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, THREE WEEKS LATER, DO IT AGAIN.
AND THE, THE THINKING WAS THAT FROM A PUBLIC PERSPECTIVE, THAT IT WOULD BE IMPORTANT TO DO IT ONCE.
SO, SO IF, IF WE, IF WE WERE TO MAKE A CHANGE MM-HMM.
SO I DON'T THINK THIS PREVENTS, UM, I, YOU KNOW, I DON'T THINK THIS WOULD PREVENT EITHER BODY FROM, FROM DOING WHAT YOU JUST SAID.
NOW, YOU KNOW, I'LL DEFER TO THE LAWYERS ON THAT, BUT THAT IS, THAT'S MY, MY READ OF IT.
ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS? I DON'T HAVE A QUESTION.
ONE, WE HAVE A, THIS BOARD'S GONNA HAVE AT LEAST 1, 2, 3 NEW MEMBERS PROBABLY THE ATP BOARD WILL HAVE, UM, ONE, UH, ONE NEW MEMBER, UH, CITY COUNCIL WILL HAVE, I DON'T KNOW, THREE OR FOUR NEW MEMBERS.
UM, MY INITIAL INCLINATION IS NOT TO CHANGE THE ATT ATP BOARD
[01:45:02]
I HAD IN THE PAST SAID I WOULD BE IN FAVOR OF CHANGING IT WHERE CAP METRO AND THE CITY COULD PUT EACH AN ADDITIONAL MEMBER OF THEIR OWN ON THE BOARD.AND I, I'M PROBABLY OKAY WITH THAT IDEA, BUT I THINK GIVEN THAT BOTH ATTP, WELL, CITY COUNCIL AND CAMP METRO WILL HAVE SUBSTANTIALLY NEW BOARDS.
AND AS I UNDERSTAND THE TIMEFRAME FOR MAKING DECISIONS ABOUT, UH, PROJECT CONNECT, AT LEAST TO TRY TO HIT CERTAIN FUTURE BENCHMARKS IS VERY TIGHT.
MY SUGGESTION WOULD BE IS THAT WE NOT TAKE ACTION ON THIS.
AND FURTHER, I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT THIS BOARD AND CITY COUNCIL IN PARTICULAR, AND MAYBE WITH ATP AS WELL, AS I SAID AT THE LAST COMBINED MEETING, SPEND A LOT OF TIME TOGETHER OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF MONTHS SORTING OUT ALL THESE ISSUES.
CUZ I THINK WE DID GREAT THINGS ALL WORKING TOGETHER.
UM, BUT I THINK THIS IS AN ISSUE THAT DESERVES THE ATTENTION OF EVERYBODY TALKING TOGETHER.
SO MY FIRST RECOMMENDATION IS THAT COUNCIL AND THIS BOARD IN PARTICULAR SPEND SOME TIME TALKING ABOUT PROJECT CONNECTED GOVERNANCE.
BACK WHEN WE WERE ALL ACTIVELY INVOLVED IN PUTTING TOGETHER THE IDEAS AROUND THE ATP BOARD.
MY VIEW, AND I'LL JUST SAY IT WAS MY VIEW ALONE, WAS THAT COUNCIL AND CAP METRO BOARD WERE THE POLICY MAKING ENTITIES.
AND WE WANTED THE ATP BOARD TO BE ONE, WHICH WOULD TAKE THE COLLECTIVE FUNDS AND THE DIRECTION OF THOSE TWO POLICY BOARDS AND EXECUTE.
WE WERE NOT TRYING TO CREATE ANOTHER INDEPENDENT POLICY BOARD.
WE WERE TRYING TO CREATE AN INDEPENDENT EXECUTION BOARD.
AND SO WE HAD A REPRESENTATIVE FROM COUNCIL, REPRESENTATIVE FROM CAP METRO, AND THEN THREE FOLKS WHO HAD CERTAIN SPECIFIED AREAS OF EXPERTISE.
I'M NOT IN FAVOR OF TRYING TO TURN THIS INTO A POLICY BOARD.
AND SO, UH, AS WRITTEN, I'M NOT IN FAVOR OF THIS JUST BECAUSE I DON'T THINK, I DON'T THINK IT'S GONNA HELP US GET TO THE DEADLINES THAT WE NEED TO GET NOR GET THE EXPERTISE.
AND THE, AND THE THIRD THING I'LL SAY IS IN THE NOMINATION PROCESS, THE LAST GO ROUND, THE BIGGEST PROBLEM WE HAD WAS WE HAD TWO APPLICANTS BY THE DEADLINE.
AND, AND THE TRANSPARENCY IS NOT GONNA MAKE IT EASIER TO GET APPLICANTS TRANSPARENCY'S GOOD.
IF YOU GOT GOOD APPLICANTS, IF YOU DON'T HAVE GOOD APPLICANTS, TRANSPARENCY DOESN'T MEAN MUCH.
AND I WAS CONCERNED ENOUGH ABOUT IT.
I WAS SOLICITING PEOPLE TO APPLY.
SO IT'S WELL INTENDED, I'M CONFIDENT, BUT I FEEL LIKE MAKING IT MORE BURDENSOME FOR SOMEBODY TO APPLY ON A PERSONNEL ISSUE WHERE WE'RE TRYING TO FIND EXPERTISE RATHER THAN JUST GENERAL POLICY, UH, IS NOT SOMETHING THAT I THINK IS, I DON'T THINK THAT'D BE HELPFUL RIGHT NOW.
SO I THINK THIS IS WELL INTENDED AND, AND MAYBE WHEN THE COMBINED BODIES HAVE TIME TO SIT DOWN TOGETHER AND WORK THEIR WAY THROUGH IT, THEY MAY END UP THERE, BUT IT'S NOT SOMETHING RIGHT NOW.
UH,
UM, AND SO I I, I UNDERSTAND THE CONCERNS, YOU KNOW, THAT YOU'RE RAISING.
UM, LET ME SPEAK TO THE TWO DIFFERENT PARTS TO THEM.
UH, THE FIRST PART ABOUT THE TWO ADDITIONAL BOARD MEMBERS, I THINK, UM, I THINK THE CITY COUNCIL RECOGNIZED THE CONCERNS THAT YOU MENTIONED, BUT THE CITY COUNCIL HAS PASSED THIS.
OKAY, I WANT, I WANNA BE CLEAR ABOUT THIS.
CITY COUNCIL HAD A CONVERSATION AND PASSED IT, BUT THE OTHER THING TO REMEMBER ABOUT IT IS IT SETS UP A PROCESS FOR THE CONVERSATION THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, WHICH IS IMPORTANT.
AND SO IT, IT DOES THIS, THIS BODY DOESN'T APPOINT TWO NEW BOARD MEMBERS.
WHAT, AS IT SAYS IS THAT THERE SHOULD BE A PROCESS FOR CONSIDERING IT.
IT NAMES THE, UM, YOU KNOW, IT, IT NAMES ALL THE STAKEHOLDERS THAT SHOULD BE INCLUDED, INCLUDING THE CHAMBER TRANSIT FORWARD CAC, UM, AND OTHER COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS.
SO IT'S NOT LIMITING IN THAT IMPACT.
SO WHAT IT, WHAT IT NOW, IT DOES DO, WHAT IT DOES DO IS IT MAKES A STATEMENT, UH, AND THE COUNCIL MADE THIS STATEMENT, AND IF WE ADOPT IT, WE'D BE MAKING THAT STATEMENT THAT WE THINK THAT TWO NEW BOARD MEMBERS COULD POTENTIALLY BE A GOOD THING AND WE SHOULD HAVE THE CONVERSATION.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S THE STATEMENT IT'S MAKING.
[01:50:01]
IF YOU'RE, IF YOU'RE NOT COMFORTABLE WITH MAKING THAT STATEMENT, THEN I CAN SEE THAT YOU MIGHT NOT WANT TO PROCEED WITH IT.UM, BUT IT, BUT PLEASE UNDERSTAND, IT SETS UP A PROCESS AND IT DOESN'T SET UP THE CRITERIA FOR WHO THEY ARE.
SO, AND IT, AT THE END OF THE DAY, THIS BODY WOULD HAVE TO VOTE AGAIN TO, TO ESTABLISH THE, THE CRITERIA, UM, AND, AND PERHAPS GET TO THE POINT THAT YOU HAD FIRST MENTIONED.
UM, AND THEN THE SECOND POINT ABOUT THE TRANSPARENCY, UH, THIS ONE, I I JUST WANNA SAY THAT I, THAT I, I DON'T THINK IT'S TRANSPARENCY'S ABOUT, AND I'M NOT SURE THIS IS WHAT YOU MEANT.
SO I DON'T MEAN TO PUT WORDS IN YOUR MOUTH, BUT I'M NOT CERTAIN THAT TRANSPARENCY IS ALL ONLY ABOUT A POLICY BOARD.
YOU KNOW, THIS IS, THIS BOARD IS CHARGED WITH, WITH, WITH, UM, STEERING THE USE OF A HUGE AMOUNT OF TAXPAYER DOLLARS.
SO HAVING, I DON'T THINK IT'S, I DON'T THINK IT'S, UM, INAPPROPRIATE TO SAY THAT THERE SHOULD BE SOME LEVEL OF TRANSPARENCY IN THE PROCESS OF CHOOSING THOSE FOLKS.
AND IT'S, IT'S PRETTY LIMITED.
IT, WHAT IT SAYS IS THAT, UM, THE PROCESS AND CRITERIA FOR SELECTION IS PUBLICLY AVAILABLE.
SO THAT'S NOT ABOUT THE PEOPLE, THAT'S ABOUT THE PROCESS AND CRITERIA FOR SELECTION.
SO IT JUST SAYS THAT HAS TO BE MADE PUBLICLY AVAILABLE.
UH, YOU KNOW, AT THE TIME THAT THE NOMINATING COMMITTEE PUBLISHES A SOLICITATION, UM, IT ALSO TALKS ABOUT GETTING FEEDBACK FROM STAKEHOLDERS ON THAT CRITERIA.
UM, AND THEN IT SAYS THAT NOW IT DOES SAY THAT THE APPLICATIONS ARE PUBLICLY AVAILABLE ONCE THEY'RE SUBMITTED.
SO THAT'S THE PART THAT SOME PEOPLE MAY FEEL LIKE IS NOT, YOU KNOW, IS, IS FURTHER THAN THEY MIGHT WANT TO, TO GO.
AND THEN IT ALSO, AND THEN THE FINAL THING IT JUST SAYS IS THAT THE, UH, THE NOMINATION, THE NOMINATING COMMITTEE'S SELECTION HAS TO HAVE AT LEAST TWO WEEKS NOTICE BEFORE THE VOTE.
I MEAN, IT'S BASICALLY JUST SAYING THAT YOU'RE NOT GOING TO SAY THAT YOU SELECT A PERSON AND THEN TWO DAYS LATER YOU VOTE ON IT.
HE SAYS THERE SHOULD BE TWO WEEKS FOR THAT.
SO I, I THINK THAT THE, THE TRANS, FROM MY PERSPECTIVE ANYWAY, AND I UNDERSTAND THAT PEOPLE MAY DISAGREE, BUT FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, THE TRANSPARENCY PART IS, IS UM, IS PRETTY BASIC.
ALRIGHT, ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? UH, BOARD MEMBER HARRIS, WHEN THIS ITEM CAME UP, UM, I GUESS AT THE LAST MEETING, AND I CAN'T REMEMBER WHO, WHICH OF US MADE THE MOTION TO TABLE AND MY VOTE IN FAVOR OF MOTION TO TABLE WAS REALLY MORE TO GIVE, UM, SOME OF THE APPOINTED BODIES THAT SELECT MEMBERS TO THIS BOARD, UH, A CHANCE TO, TO NOMINATE, UH, AND BRING IN, UH, NEW PEOPLE AND THEN LET THEM CONSIDER THIS AS PART OF THEIR, YOU KNOW, PART OF THEIR ONGOING OPERATIONS.
UM, I DON'T DISAGREE IN PARTICULAR WITH WHETHER OR NOT WE NEED TWO ADDITIONAL PEOPLE ON ATP OR HOW THEY'RE SELECTED, I THINK.
BUT I DO THINK IT'S IMPORTANT, UM, BOTH FOR OFFERING, YOU KNOW, CAMPO CAP METRO, OR EXCUSE ME, CAMPO AND THE CITY COUNCIL IN PARTICULAR, THE NEW MEMBERS TO THAT, TO PARTICIPATE IN THAT DISCUSSION.
WHILE I, I PERFECTLY UNDERSTAND THAT THIS ACTION WAS TAKEN AT THE, AT THE LAST COUNCIL MEETING IN DECEMBER UNDER THE OLD COUNCIL.
WE HAVE A FAIRLY NEW COUNCIL HERE AND WE ALSO HAVE A, NOW APPARENTLY WE HAVE, WE NOW HAVE A NEW PERMANENT, UH, CEO FOR CAP METRO AND APPARENTLY HAVE A PERMANENT CEO FOR ATP.
UM, AND I THINK TO ECHO, UH, BOARD MEMBER COOPER'S COMMENTS, I REALLY DO THINK THAT THERE NEEDS TO BE JUST ANOTHER JOINT GET TOGETHER AND TO ECHO HIS COMMENTS FROM THE LAST JOINT MEETING, SORT OF A RESET ON THE WHOLE, ON THE WHOLE PROCESS.
IT MAY RESULT FROM THE STANDPOINT THAT WE ADD TWO MEMBERS.
I KNOW THERE'S BEEN SOME CONCERNS ABOUT ATTENDANCE AND GETTING, YOU KNOW, GETTING QUORUMS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
BUT I JUST FEEL LIKE THERE'S BEEN SUCH A WHOLE, THERE'S GONNA BE SUCH A WHOLESALE CHANGE ON BOTH ON THIS BOARD AND ALSO THE ONE THAT'S OCCURRED SINCE THE LAST ELECTION THAT I THINK THAT WE OUGHT TO AFFORD THOSE BODIES AN OPPORTUNITY TO APPOINT POINT THEIR MEMBERS, LET THEM COME IN, UNDERSTAND WHAT THE ISSUES ARE, AND THEN MAKE RECOMMEND OR THEN TAKE THIS RECOMMENDATION ON, ALL RIGHT, UM, BOARD MEMBER PAUL, AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT THIS DOES IS SETS UP THE PROCESS SO THAT WHOMEVER IS, IS NEW, COMES IN AND THE PROCESS IS OUT THERE AND, AND THEN IT, IT FLOWS.
WE DON'T KNOW WHO THE PEOPLE WOULD BE, WHO WOULD BE APPOINTED,
[01:55:01]
UM, BUT WE HAVE TO HAVE A PROCESS IN ORDER TO HAVE THAT WORK.SO I THINK THIS IS A FAIRLY, UM, HIGH LEVEL KIND OF A OPPORTUNITY, OPENS A DOOR FOR THE PROCESS TO BE CREATED AND THEN TO BE KICKED OFF.
AND THEN WE WOULDN'T BE DELAYING HAVING THAT CONVERSATION ANY LONGER.
I THINK WE, WE'VE DELAYED IT FOR A FEW MONTHS NOW, UM, WHILE, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE THE BREAK OVER THE HOLIDAYS AND EVERYTHING, BUT TRYING TO GET ALL OF THIS LINED UP, IT MAKES SENSE TO ME TO, TO KIND OF LAY OUT THE CARPET, IF YOU WILL, SO THAT THEN EVERYBODY CAN WALK ON IT AND, AND THEY KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT.
AND THEN THE LAST THING I WOULD SAY, THE, THE BIT ABOUT TRANSPARENCY, I WOULD ALSO NOTE IS THESE ARE NON-PAYING JOBS.
AND SO, SO IT ISN'T EXACTLY LIKE COMING IN AND INTERVIEWING TO BE THE CEO AND PRESIDENT OF, OF CAT METRO OR A CITY MANAGER OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
IT'S, IT'S A VOLUNTEER BOARD AND THERE'S, THERE'S NO, UM, SALARY OR COMPENSATION INVOLVED.
SO I THINK THAT PEOPLE'S CONCERNS ABOUT WHETHER THEY HAVE PUT THEIR HAT IN THE RING ARE LESSENED BECAUSE IT'S NOT LIKE THEY'RE LEAVING A PAYING JOB IN ORDER TO GO INTO THIS NEW ROLE.
THEY'RE, THEY'RE SIMPLY EXPANDING THEIR OWN, UH, UH, VOLUNTEER PUBLIC PORTFOLIO, BOARD MEMBER KITCHEN.
THE OTHER THING I WOULD JUST SAY IS, UM, WELL, YOU KNOW, I, AND IT'S SOMETHING JUST DIFFERENT CUZ I, OTHERWISE I JUST, I DON'T WANNA REPEAT WHAT I'VE, I'VE BEEN SAYING, BUT, UM, UM, LET ME JUST SAY FROM THE CITY COUNCIL'S PERSPECTIVE, UH, WHEN WE SIT HERE, WE SIT WITH OUR CAT METRO HAT ON.
AND SO WE'RE MAKING A DECISION HERE FROM WHAT WE THINK IS GOOD.
THE CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO WILL BE SITTING ON THIS BOARD VOTED FOR IT, VOTED ON IT, YOU KNOW, AND THEY WERE ON THE CITY COUNCIL.
SO, UH, I DON'T THINK THAT WE NEED TO PROJECT OUR THINKING ONTO WHAT CITY COUNCIL MIGHT WANT TO DO.
I THINK OUR RESPONSIBILITY HERE IS WHAT WE AS CA METRO THINK IS IMPORTANT.
AND FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, UM, IT SETS UP THE CONVERSATION.
UM, AND THEN FROM A TRANSPARENCY PERSPECTIVE, I, I, I, I FEEL THE THE DUTY TO THE PUBLIC TO ESTABLISH THE TRANSPARENCY.
SO I SEE THIS AS TWO DIFFERENT PARTS TO THIS RESOLUTION.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? MR. CHAIR? UH, BOARD MEMBER STRATTON.
UM, I WILL SAY THAT, UH, AND I, I MENTIONED THIS WHEN WE BROUGHT THIS UP LAST TIME.
I'VE BEEN, UM, I'VE BEEN NOODLING THIS AROUND FOR, YOU KNOW, ALMOST A YEAR NOW.
UM, FROM THE TIME THAT I WAS ON THE ATP BOARD, UM, AT LEAST THE PART ABOUT, UH, UH, EXPANDING THE BOARD, I'VE BELIEVED THAT IT WAS IN THE BEST INTEREST OF BOTH, UH, INVESTING PARTIES, THE CITY COUNCIL, AND THE, UM, AND CAP METRO THAT FORMED ATTP.
UM, AND THEN ALSO FOR ATP ITSELF IN TERMS OF ITS OPERATIONS TO EXPAND THE BOARD.
UM, HOWEVER, WITH THAT SAID, UM, WHAT I HAVE INDICATED IN CONVERSATIONS THAT I FELT WOULD BE IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THAT EXPANSION WAS TO SPECIFICALLY ADD A MEMBER TO, UH, TO E TO THE BOARD, TO ATP, ADD AN EXTRA MEMBER OF CAP METRO AND AN EXTRA MEMBER OF THE CITY COUNCIL SO THAT YOU HAD TWO AND TWO INSTEAD OF JUST ONE AND ONE.
AND MY LOGIC AND REASONING FOR THAT IS THAT, THAT BY BUMPING IT UP TO A SEVEN MEMBER BOARD, UM, YOU'VE GOT TWO THINGS THAT GO ON THERE AT THAT POINT, YES, YOU HAVE THE UNDERLYING ISSUE ASSOCIATED WITH, UH, ADDRESSING UNDERLYING ISSUE OF, UM, QUORUM PROBLEMS. IT, IT, IT CAN BE VERY DIFFICULT FOR A FIVE MEMBER BOARD SOMETIMES TO GET TOGETHER.
AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, THE ISSUE THAT I HAD AND THAT I NOTED IS THAT BECAUSE THERE WERE ONLY FIVE MEMBERS AND IT WAS ONE MEMBER FROM CITY COUNCIL AND ONE MEMBER FROM CAP METRO, IF EITHER ONE OF THOSE MEMBERS HAD TO STEP AWAY, STEP BACK, MISSED A VOTE, MISSED THE MEETING DAY, THEN ONE OF THE FULL FUNDING PARTNERS OF AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP WAS OFF THE DAIS AWAY FROM THE TABLE, HAD NO SAY IN NO VOTE.
AND TO ME, THAT WAS A GRAVE CONCERN BECAUSE THAT MEANS THAT WHETHER IT'S THE CITY WHO IS BRINGING IN THE TAX DOLLARS OR IT'S CAP METRO, THAT'S BRINGING ALL OF THE, UH, LEVERAGING TO THE TABLE, THE, THE PARTNERSHIP AND, AND OUR ROLE AS THE DESIGN, AS THE DESIGNEE FOR THE FEDERAL TRANSIT ADMINISTRATION AND ALL OF OUR EXPERTISE, UH, WITH TRANSIT ITSELF IN CREATING THIS PARTNERSHIP.
UM, THAT TO MEAN NEITHER ONE WAS A VERY GOOD, UH, SUGGESTION, VERY GOOD PLACE TO BE IN.
AND SO TO, TO KIND OF ALLEVIATE THAT PRESSURE AND STRESS
[02:00:01]
AND SORT OF FIX THAT AND KIND OF HELP, IT'S, IT'S BETTER TO WORK WITH, I FELT LIKE THIS BOARD IS AN EIGHT MEMBER BOARD WORKING WITH A SEVEN MEMBER BOARD VERSUS WITH A FIVE MEMBER BOARD AND BUMPING THAT UP TO HAVE TO A PIECE THAT, THAT HAD ALWAYS BEEN BEEN MY INITIAL FEELING.UM, YOU KNOW, I STILL, AFTER THINKING ABOUT THIS, LOOKING AT IT, IF, IF I'M TO SUPPORT GOING FORWARD WITH A PROCESS TO ADD ANOTHER MEMBER OR TWO TO THIS BOARD, I STILL VERY STRONGLY BELIEVE THAT IT NEEDS TO BE FROM EACH OF OUR BODIES, FROM THE, THE BODIES THAT ACTUALLY FUNDAMENTALLY CREATED THE AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP.
WE'VE GOT COMMUNITY MEMBERS, WE'VE CREATED COMMUNITY MEMBERS WITHIN THIS BODY WHO HAVE VERY EXPLICIT AND SPECIFIC SKILL SETS THAT ARE EXTREMELY AND CRITICALLY IMPORTANT TO THE BODY AND TO CONSTRUCTION OF PROJECT CONNECT MOVING FORWARD.
I THINK THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT.
UM, MY, MY CONCERN IS, IS THAT ONE OF MY CONCERNS IS THAT IF WE DON'T BRING THAT EXTRA CITY COUNCIL MEMBER AND CAP METRO PERSON TO THE TABLE, THEN WE'RE JUST CREATING ANOTHER, WE'RE JUST BASICALLY CREATING OTHER SEATS.
WE'RE LOOKING TO CREATE OTHER SEATS WITH COMMUNITY FEEDBACK FOR THE SAKE OF CREATING OTHER SEATS.
AND I, AND I GET IT, THERE, THERE, THERE IS, THERE, THERE'S SOMETHING TO BE SAID FOR, WELL MAYBE AGAIN, BUILDING IT UP TO SEVEN FOR THE SAKE OF, YOU KNOW, HAVING A LARGER BOARD.
BUT MY SPECIFIC THOUGHT PROCESS BEHIND IT WAS BUILDING UP TO THE SEVEN TO GIVE THAT DOUBLE BACKUP FOR THE CITY COUNCIL AND FOR CAT METS AND FOR CAT METRO.
SO THAT IF THERE WAS SOME, SOME REASON IF SOMEBODY GOT COVID, IF, IF SOMEBODY HAD A DEATH IN THE FAMILY, IF SOMETHING MUNDANE HAPPENED AND ONE OF THOSE MEMBERS COULD NOT BE AT THE DIAS, THERE IS ALWAYS STILL AT LEAST ONE VOTE, ONE PERSON WHO CAN VOTE.
I, I DON'T WANT TO, TO TO, TO MINIMIZE THE IMPACT AND INFLUENCE THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT THE PRESIDENT AND CEO OF CAP METRO OR THE, UH, CITY MANAGER'S REPRESENTATIVE, THE ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER HAS, BUT THEY DON'T VOTE.
THEY, THEY CAN ADVISE, BUT THEY ARE EX OFFICIO, THEY CANNOT VOTE.
AND THAT'S WHY IT WAS IMPORTANT AS I WAS LOOKING AT IT, TO BU BUMP THIS UP AND HAVE TWO VOTING MEMBERS FROM EACH BODY.
UM, NOW THAT SAID AS TO, TO, UM, UH, BOARD MEMBER KITCHEN'S POINT, THIS IS TWO SEPARATE ISSUES AND I DO APPRECIATE THAT SHE, SHE ALSO WAS TRYING TO ADDRESS THE OTHER SIDE OF THE EQUATION.
UM, AND I SAID THIS BEFORE TOO, THERE ARE, UH, THERE WERE A LOT OF ISSUES THAT CAME UP.
I THINK, UM, FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, I, I DON'T WANNA SPEAK FOR ANYBODY ELSE ON THE NOMINATIONS COMMITTEE, BUT FROM MY PERSPECTIVE ON THE NOMINATIONS COMMITTEE, HAVING SAT ON THE OUTSIDE LOOKING IN WHEN THE PROCESS WENT THROUGH THE FIRST TIME, AND THEN NOW HAVING SAT ON IT BEING ONE OF THE MEMBERS OF THE NOMINATIONS COMMITTEE, UH, I FELT LIKE THAT WE, WE COULD HAVE DONE MORE TO HAVE SOME BETTER, UM, SOME MORE CLARITY TO THE PROCESS.
UM, I'M, I'M RIGHT THERE WITH, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER KITCHEN AND, AND WITH ADVOCATES TOO, WHO WERE COMING BACK GOING, OH, WAIT A MINUTE.
WE, WE FELT LIKE THAT, THAT THIS PROCESS WAS KIND OF, UH, NOT, NOT AS OPEN AS IT COULD HAVE BEEN.
THERE WERE TIMES THAT I, AS A MEMBER OF THE NOMINATIONS COMMITTEE WAS A LITTLE CONFUSED AND PERPLEXED AND WONDERING, IS IT OKAY FOR ME TO GO TALK TO SOMEBODY TO GET SOME OUTSIDE FEEDBACK ABOUT SOME OF THESE PEOPLE WHO'S, WHO HAVE BEEN NAMED OR ARE RECOMMENDED OR HAVE, HAVE THROWN THEIR HAT IN THE RING? AND I THINK THAT KIND OF CLARITY WOULD BE HELPFUL.
UM, BUT, UH, I I, I DO WANNA POINT OUT, AS, AS BOARD MEMBER COOPER NOTED, UM, HAD WE NOT EXTENDED THE DEADLINE AT THE TIME, WE ONLY HAD TWO CANDIDATES TO APPLY FOR THIS ONE PARTICULAR POSITION THAT WAS OPEN.
UM, BUT THAT SAID, THE COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE, UM, THE CAC HAD SENT A LETTER TO US SAYING, HEY, EXTEND THE DEADLINE SO WE CAN WORK WITH YOU TO GET THE APPLICATIONS OUT THERE AND, AND GET THIS OUT TO THE COMMUNITY.
SO MORE PE MORE PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT THIS.
THEY WANTED AN EXTENSION OF, I THINK, OH, I DON'T QUOTE ME ON THIS.
THEY WANTED TO GO AN EXTRA MONTH AND I THINK, OR MAYBE TWO MONTHS, THEY WANTED TWO MONTHS AND WE PICKED A MONTH.
BUT THE POINT OF IT IS, IS THAT WHEN WE PICKED A PARTICULAR DATE, WE LET THEM KNOW THEY GOT OUT THERE AND THEY HELPED GET THE WORD OUT.
WE GOT THE WORD OUT TO SOME OF, TO, TO SOME PEOPLE THAT WE KNEW AND STARTED FLOATING AROUND IDEAS AND APPLICATIONS SAYING, HEY, YOU SHOULD GO AND APPLY.
AND WE WENT FROM TWO CANDIDATES TO THE HOWEVER MANY WE ULTIMATELY ENDED UP WITH.
UM, THE POINT IS THAT WAS HELPFUL TO THE PROCESS, BUT I AGREE, WE NEED TO HAVE, HAVE SOME BETTER FORMALITY AND MAYBE DEFINE THINGS BETTER FOR BOTH C A C'S SAKE, FOR OTHER ADVOCACY AND STAKEHOLDERS SAKE.
UH, YOU KNOW, I LIKE IT TRANSIT FORWARD, UH, UH, THE, UM, UH, CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, OTHER ADVOCATES AND STAKEHOLDERS THAT COME FORWARD.
UM, THAT SAID, THE, THE CONCERN I'VE GOT ALSO WITH THE LANGUAGE IN HERE IS THAT IT LIMITS IT TO, AS IT'S
[02:05:01]
WRITTEN, JUST THE, THE, THE PROPOSED TWO NEW BOARD MEMBERS.UM, I, I WOULD LIKE, WHAT, SO HERE'S WHAT I'M GETTING AT.
I'D LIKE TO SEE, I I THINK THAT THAT, UM, THAT BOARD MEMBER KITCHEN AND THE CITY HAS PUT FORWARD A GOOD STARTING POINT.
WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE, THOUGH, AND, AND ROLLING BACK TO, UH, TO WHAT BOARD MEMBER HARRIS HAS SAID, UM, I'D LIKE TO GET THE, THE FEEDBACK AND INVOLVEMENT OF OUR NEW COLLEAGUES COMING IN.
AND I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO SEE US, YOU KNOW, MAYBE IF IT'S PUT TOGETHER SOME KIND OF A WORK GROUP WITH, UM, THE, YOU KNOW, SOME MEMBERS OF THIS, OF THIS BODY COUNCIL ATP AND TAKE THIS, UM, TH THIS, YOU KNOW, USE THIS PROPOSAL AS KIND OF A, A STARTING POINT OF, OKAY, WHERE CAN WE TAKE THIS, YOU KNOW, BIFURCATED INTO TWO DIFFERENT THINGS, STUDYING THE ISSUE OF EXTENDING THE, THE BOARD AND THEN ALSO LOOKING AT HOW CAN WE FIX THE NOMINATIONS PROCESS AND LOOK AT IT THAT WAY AS PART OF TO WHAT CHAIR COOPER TO WHAT, UM, BOARD MEMBER COOPER SAID.
YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT THE, THE BIGGER PICTURE AND THE LARGER PIECES AT PLAY, WHICH IS THE, UM, ALL OF THESE THINGS.
WE'VE GOT SOME GOVERNANCE ISSUES.
WE'VE GOT, UH, TIMEFRAME ISSUES, PROJECT ISSUES, ALL OF THIS.
I, I THINK THIS ALL NEEDS TO GO IN THE BUCKET AND NEEDS TO BE, YOU KNOW, TEASED OUT AGAIN.
SO I'M MORE INCLINED TO LOOK AT IT THAT WAY.
AND I'M NOT REALLY, UM, AT THIS POINT IN TIME, UH, INCLINED TO SUPPORT IT AS IT IS, BUT I I DO VERY MUCH APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT'S GONE INTO IT, HOW IT'S GOTTEN HERE AND, AND THE FOUNDATION THAT'S BEEN LAID IN INTO, AS TO WHERE WE CAN TAKE IT FURTHER.
I JUST THINK IT NEEDS TO, I WOULD PERSONALLY FEEL LIKE WE COULD GO AND, AND TAKE IT, UM, UH, MOVE THE BALL FURTHER DOWN THE FIELD IN A DIFFERENT FORMAT, UH, IN DIFFERENT WAY.
BUT, BUT THAT'S JUST ME SPEAKING, BOY MEMBER KITCHEN.
UH, WELL I THINK WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO HEAR AFTER HEARING FROM FOLKS, I DON'T KNOW IF OTHERS WANNA SAY ANYTHING, BUT, UM, I'D LIKE TO TAKE THE ISSUES UP SEPARATELY, UM, AND, UM, AND, UM, PERHAPS MOVE FORWARD WITH, WITH ONE ASPECT OF IT AND PROVIDE MORE TIME IF PEOPLE WANNA THINK ABOUT IT ON OTHER ASPECTS.
I'M NOT CERTAIN CHAIR IF HOW YOU MIGHT FEEL ABOUT IT, BUT, UM, I, WHICH ASPECTS ARE WE TALKING ABOUT? WELL, THE NOMINEE, THE, THE TRANSPARENCY PART, I REALLY WOULD THINK IT'S APPROPRIATE TO GO AHEAD AND MOVE FORWARD.
THE, UH, THE, THE TWO ADDITIONAL MEMBERS, YOU KNOW, IF YOU KNOW PEOPLE WANT MORE TIME, THEN I CAN CERTAINLY UNDERSTAND THAT.
SO, UM, SO HOW WOULD YOU FASHION THE TRANSPARENCY MOTION? WELL, I WOULD TAKE THERE AND, AND, UM, AND, UH, BOARD MEMBER STRATTON, THE, THE TRANSPARENCY LANGUAGE THAT'S IN HERE APPLIES TO ALL, IT'S, IT'S TO ALL APPOINTMENTS TO THE ATP BOARD IS NOT LIMITED TO TWO NEW ONES, BUT IT'S A PARAGRAPH ON PAGE TWO.
IT'S THE, THE PARAGRAPH ON THE BOTTOM.
AND, AND, YOU KNOW, Y'ALL CAN MAKE SURE I'M DOING THIS RIGHT, BUT I WOULD, I WOULD MOVE THAT PARAGRAPH FORWARD.
IT, IT STARTS ON THE BOTTOM OF PAGE TWO AND, AND BLEEDS OVER THREE LINES TO THE NEXT PAGE.
AND IT SAYS THAT THE NOMINATING COMMITTEE PROCESSING CRITERIA FOR SELECTION SHALL BE MADE PUBLICLY AVAILABLE AT THE TIME THAT THE NOMINATING COMMITTEE PUBLISHES A SOLICITATION FOR APPLICATIONS.
SO THAT APPLIES AT ANY POINT IN THE FUTURE WHERE THAT OCCURS.
AND THEN THE SECOND SENTENCE IS, THE NOMINATING COMMITTEE MUST SEEK, SEEK FEEDBACK FROM THE COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE AND OTHER APPROPRIATE STAKEHOLDERS ON THE CRITERIA FOR SELECTION BEFORE THE CRITERIA ARE FINALIZED.
THEN IT SAYS, ALL APPLICATIONS SHALL BE MADE PUBLICLY AVAILABLE ONCE THEY ARE SUBMITTED.
AND ANY PRELIMINARY SELECTION, INCLUDING FOR INTERVIEWS OR ELIMINATION OF APPLICATIONS BY THE NOMINATING COMMITTEE SHALL ALSO BE MADE PUBLIC AS SOON AS THE NOMINATING COMMITTEE MAKES A DECISION.
AND THEN THE FINAL PART IS NOMINATIONS BY THE NOMINATING COMMITTEE MUST BE MADE PUBLIC FOR AT LEAST TWO WEEKS IN ADVANCE OF THE JOINT APPROVAL OF NOMINEES BY THE CITY COUNCIL AND KEPT METRO BOARD.
THE NOMINATING COMMITTEE MAY, DOESN'T SAY SHELL, IT SAYS, MAY RECOMMEND MORE THAN ONE NOMINEE TO THE CITY COUNCIL AND CAPITOL METRO BOARD FOR FURTHER DELIBERATION AND APPOINTMENT.
SO BASICALLY THIS SETS UP A PROCESS WHERE THERE'S ABOUT THREE OR FOUR STEPS TO IT.
ONE STEP IS THAT THE NOMINATING COMMITTEE'S PROCESS AND CRITERIA FOR SELECTION HAS TO BE PUBLICLY AVAILABLE.
THE PROCESS IS PUBLICLY AVAILABLE.
UM, THE CRITERIA IS TO THE EXTENT THAT IT'S ALREADY WRITTEN IN TO THE, UH, TO THE JPA.
I THINK THIS SPEAKS TO IF THE NOMINATING COMMITTEE IS GOING TO ADD ANY
[02:10:01]
ADDITIONAL CRITERIA WITHIN THEIR DISCRETION THAT THAT WOULD BE PUBLIC.STEP TWO IS THAT IN DOING SO, THE NOMINATING COMMITTEE HAS TO SEEK FEEDBACK FROM STAKEHOLDERS.
SO IF THE NOMINATING COMMITTEE IS GOING TO PUT SOME ADDITIONAL CRITERIA, AND THERE IS SOME DISCRETION TO DO THAT, PARTICULARLY WITH REGARD TO THE COMMUNITY ADVISOR ADVISORY POSITION, CUZ THAT'S, THAT'S NOT REALLY NAILED DOWN IN THE JPA THAT THEY'D HAVE TO DO STAKEHOLDER, UH, FEEDBACK.
THIRD PART IS ALL THE APPLICATIONS ARE PUBLIC, AND THEN THE NOMINATING COM COMMITTEE'S DECISIONS TO THE EXTENT THE NOMINATING COMMITTEE WEEDS OUT ANY OF THOSE OR, OR SHORTENS IT, THAT THAT'S PUBLIC.
AND THEN FINALLY, THE VOTE BEFORE THE VOTE, THERE'S TWO WEEKS NOTICE.
SO THOSE ARE THE ASPECTS OF TRANSPARENCY.
I, I WOULD LIKE A VOTE ON THAT.
I, I, I THINK THEY'RE BASIC AND, UM, IT, THE, IT, YOU KNOW, WE HAD SOME CONVERSATION.
THIS DOES NOT MAKE THE INTERVIEW PROCESS PUBLIC.
THERE ARE SOME BODIES THAT INTERVIEW PUBLICLY FOR THESE KINDS OF POSITIONS.
IT JUST SAYS PUBLIC HAS THE RIGHT TO KNOW WHO'S BEING INTERVIEWED AND WHO'S APPLIED, AND THEN THE PUBLIC HAS THE RIGHT TO SEE POSTED THE SELECTION TWO WEEKS BEFORE THE VOTE.
THAT'S REALLY ALL THERE IS HERE.
SO I'D LIKE TO VOTE ON THAT PART.
SO I WOULD MOVE THAT PARAGRAPH, I GUESS IS WHAT I THINK THAT'S SO WHO'S STILL GOT, STILL GOT COMMENT, PETER? OKAY.
SO MY THOUGHTS ON ALL THIS, AND NOT TO RESAY WHAT'S ALREADY BEEN SAID, BUT I, I DO THINK, UM, I AM SUP IN SUPPORT OF ADDING TO, UM, BOARD MEMBERS TO ATP, BUT I DO FEEL STRONGLY THAT IT NEEDS TO BE ONE FROM CAP METRO AND ONE FROM THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
AND NOT A, A PUBLIC PROCESS PER SE.
AND THE NOMINATING COMMITTEE PIECE IN THE SEPARATE NOTE WOULD MAKE SOME SENSE TO ME FOR THOSE THAT ARE ON THE BOARD FROM THE COMMUNITY ASPECT ON IT, BUT NOT FROM THE, YOU KNOW, ONE OR TWO PEOPLE FROM THIS CITY AND CAP METRO.
I JUST, I, I THINK TO, UM, BOARD MEMBERS COOPER'S POINT EARLIER IS THAT ATP IS, IS BUILT TO EXECUTE.
AND SO WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE THE STAKEHOLDER, THE MAJOR STAKEHOLDERS IN THERE, WHICH IS THE CITY OF AUSTIN IN CAPE METRO, UM, AT THE TABLE AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.
OF COURSE, COMMUNITY IMPACT IS ALWAYS IMPORTANT, BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, IT'S, IT'S ABOUT GETTING THE TRAIN BUILT.
OR THE PROJECT CONNECT BILL, GO AHEAD.
I, I, UM, IF IT'S APPROPRIATE TO MAKE THE MOTION, I COULD, UH, ADD TO THE LANGUAGE RELATED TO THE TRANSPARENCY, IT WOULD SAY THE NOMINATING COMMITTEE PROCESS AND CRITERIA FOR SELECTION OF THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
UH, MS. UH, MR. CHAIRMAN, GO AHEAD.
PARDON? MAY, UH, THE NOMINATION COMMITTEE ONLY APPLIES AS IT STANDS RIGHT NOW TO, OH, YOU'RE TRIBAL MEMBERS.
CAUSE IT, CAUSE IT, YOU'RE, BECAUSE CITY COUNCIL IS IN, IS WITH ENTIRELY WITHIN THEIR PURVIEW KA METRO'S.
ENTIRELY WITHIN THEIR PURVIEW.
TO A POINT HOW WE, WE WANT TO OUR OWN MEMBERS, UH, THANK YOU BOARD MEMBERS STRATTON.
THIS LANGUAGE WOULD NOT APPLY TO THE APPOINTMENTS MADE BY, UM, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THEIR MEMBER AND THE, UH, CAP METRO TO THEIR MEMBER.
AND THERE'S JUST A COUP COUPLE OF THINGS.
I I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, THE, UH, CAUSE OF CONCERN FOR ME MM-HMM.
IT SEEMS TO ME THAT YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO, UH, MAKE APPROPRIATE CHANGES WHENEVER THEY BECOME APPROPRIATE OR NECESSARY.
UH, THERE SHOULD NOT BE A TIME LIMIT OKAY.
TO DOING WHAT WE KNOW IS OPERATIONALLY AND FUNCTIONALLY CORRECT.
SO, UH, YEAH, THAT WAS, THAT WAS THE, UH, THE FIRST THING FOR ME.
THE SECOND THING FOR ME, AND I'M ON THE RECORD WITH THIS, IS I, I THOUGHT IT WAS IMPORTANT THAT IF WE, IF WE HAVE AN EXPANSION, UH, THAT IT BE FROM THE ENTITIES THAT HAVE A FIDUCIARY DUTY MM-HMM.
I, I, IT WAS, UH, VERY CLEAR TO ME FROM THE BEGINNING THAT IF, IF YOU ARE GOING TO, UH, SELECT SOMEONE, IF KAMETRA IS GONNA SELECT SOMEONE WITHIN ITS BODY, UH, THERE'S SOME EXPECTATIONS.
[02:15:01]
GOOD RECOMMENDATIONS, UM, REALLY GOOD IDEAS, BUT THEY DON'T HAVE OPERATIONAL, UH, GIVEN THE, GIVEN THE COST AND GIVEN THE OPERATIONAL STRUCTURE BECOMES DIFFICULT FOR THE ORGANIZATION MEMBERS TO IMPLEMENT THEM.AND, AND I THINK IT IS REALLY SIGNIFICANTLY IMPORTANT, UH, TO, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE HANDLING THE FIDUCIARY SIDE OF THE HOUSE AND THAT WE UNDERSTAND THE OPERATIONS THAT ARE ASSOCIATED WITH IT.
AND, AND I THINK YOU BEST DO THAT BY IDENTIFYING PEOPLE FROM THE COUNCILMAN MM-HMM.
UM, I MEAN, THOSE, THOSE ARE THE TWO PRIMARY CONCERNS FOR ME.
I, I HAVE, I DON'T, I'M NOT A I DON'T HAVE ANY OPPOSITION TO THOSE CONCERNS.
IF YOU, IF YOU WANTED TO, IF YOU WANTED TO CHANGE THIS TO ADDRESS THIS CONCERN, I WOULDN'T HAVE ANY OPPOSITION TO IT.
SO, UH, SINCE WE'RE, SINCE WE'RE COMING BACK AFTER EXECUTIVE SESSION, DO WE WANT, DO, DO WE WANT TO WAIT AND, AND, UM, PUT PROPER LANGUAGE TOGETHER BECAUSE AT, AT THE, AT THE END OF THE DAY MM-HMM.
THAT'S WHERE I DEFENSE MR. CHAIRMAN, CAN I ASK A COUPLE QUICK QUESTIONS? GO AHEAD.
THEY, THEY'RE REALLY QUICK ONE, UM, TO THE COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT, THAT, THAT SERVE.
I, I GUESS, UM, MAYBE ANN YOU COULD, YOU COULD ADDRESS THIS RIGHT NOW WHEN, UM, SOMEBODY APPLIES FOR A BOARDING COMMISSION AND, AND YOU'LL HAVE TO REMIND ME, I I, I SERVED ON A BOARDING COMMISSION SEVERAL YEARS AGO.
DO THOSE APPLICATIONS ON THE CITY SIDE FOR A CITY BOARDING COMMISSION, DO THOSE BECOME PUBLIC NOW TODAY ALREADY? UM, I DON'T KNOW THAT I CAN ANSWER THAT.
I THINK IT, I DON'T KNOW ANYBODY.
I WANNA SAY, I CAN THINK OF INSTANCES WHERE IT'S YES, BUT, BUT I, BUT I SEE SOMEONE WHO PROBABLY KNOWS BETTER.
IT DEPENDS ON THE BOARD, I THINK.
CUZ I KNOW FOR THE, I KNOW THE CITIZENS COMMISSIONS ARE PUBLIC.
AND THE APPOINTMENTS ARE PUBLIC, BUT I DON'T KNOW ABOUT ALL THE BOARDS CUZ WE APPOINT TO SEVERAL BOARDS.
BUT FOR THE, THE, THE BIG, WE'LL JU I'LL JUST CALL 'EM THE BIG BOARD.
SOME OF THOSE BIGGER CITIZENS COMMISSIONS AND YES.
THAT, WELL CITIZEN, THAT INFORMATION IS CITIZENS COMMISSIONS.
BUT THAT'S NOT ALL WE APPOINT TO THE CENTRAL HEALTH BOARD, FOR EXAMPLE, WHICH I'M FAMILIAR WITH.
UM, I DON'T KNOW IF THOSE ARE, I DON'T THINK THOSE ARE PUBLIC.
BUT THE CITIZENS COMMISSIONS THEY ARE, PUBLIC COMMISSIONS ARE.
AS A, A FOLLOW UP QUESTION, AND THIS, THIS MAY BE A CARE OR NOT A CARRY QUESTION.
OUR, OUR, OUR LEGAL COUNSEL QUESTION, SORRY CARRIE, I'M SO USED TO LOOKING AT YOU FOR THAT ONE
UM, BUT IN, IN THE EVENT THAT WE DO MAKE CHANGES TO THIS, WE, WE SEPARATE IT OUT, UM, MAKE CHANGES, WHAT IS THE UPSHOT TO THIS? UM, AND LET, LET ME JUST, LET ME JUST THROW OUT AN EXAMPLE HERE.
LET, LET'S SAY THAT, THAT, THAT WE TAKE OUT JUST THE, AND I'M NOT SAYING WE DO THIS ONE WAY OR ANOTHER, I'M JUST LOOKING FOR FEEDBACK CUZ WE'VE NEVER BEEN IN THIS POSITION BEFORE.
BUT LET'S SAY WE SEPARATE OUT THE NOMINATIONS LANGUAGE AND THE SEPARATE FROM THE, THE LANGUAGE THAT'S ALREADY IN THERE ABOUT THE, UM, UH, ABOUT THE, UM, THE, THE APPOINTEES AND ONE OF THAT PIECE DOES GET PASSED AND THE OTHER PIECE DOES NOT THEN, UM, DOES AS WRITTEN, BUT IT'S JUST BEEN SEPARATED OUT.
WOULD THAT NEED TO GO BACK TO COUNCIL AGAIN OR IS IT CONSIDERED THAT SINCE COUNSEL ALREADY PASSED THE, THAT IT'S THE SAME STUFF, I BELIEVE, AND LET ME, I'LL LOOK TO CARRIE, BUT IF THE LANGUAGE IS THE SAME FOR A DISCREET PIECE, LIKE THE TRANSPARENCY PIECE, THEN THAT COULD BE EFFECTIVE.
I THINK PROBABLY IF YOU CHANGE SOMETHING, UM, THAT IS THE SAME SUBJECT MATTER, THEN YOU'D HAVE TO GO BACK, RIGHT? CORRECT.
THE PORTION OF THE RESOLUTION THAT THE BOARD AND COUNCIL HAVE BOTH ADOPTED CAN MOVE FORWARD INDEPENDENTLY.
I I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT, THAT I UNDERSTOOD IT AND THAT WE WERE ALL ON THE SAME PAGE IF WE'RE GONNA START SPLITTING SOME THINGS UP AND MAKING SOME LANGUAGE CHANGES.
BUT THE IMPACT WOULD BE, THANK YOU.
SO, SO, UM, I I GUESS MY QUESTION IS ARE, ARE WE SAYING THAT, UM, WE, WE WOULD SEPARATE THE, UH, THE PUBLIC, UH, OR THE PUB, THE COMMUNITY BOARD
[02:20:01]
MEMBERS, SEPARATE THEM FROM THE, UH, CAP METRO AND CITY OF AUSTIN APPOINTED BY BOARD MEMBERS? NO, WHAT I'M SAYING IS, UH, I THINK WE HAVE, I THINK WE HAVE, I MEAN IF WE, PROBABLY THREE OPTIONS MOVING FORWARD.UM, FIRST OPTION IS WE CAN SEPARATE THE TWO SUBJECT MATTERS AND HANDLE THEM DIFFERENTLY.
THE TRANSPARENCY PIECE, WHICH WOULD BE THE SAME LANGUAGE THAT'S IN HERE RIGHT NOW.
THAT'S ONE OPTION WITH REGARD TO THE, UM, THE SECOND SUBJECT, WHICH IS THE ADDITIONAL BOARD MEMBERS.
WE COULD, WE COULD ADOPT WHAT'S HERE.
I'M, I'M HEARING THAT THAT'S NOT THE, THERE'S NO CONSENSUS ON THAT.
WE COULD CHANGE THAT LANGUAGE TO THE EXTENT WE'RE CHANGING SOMETHING ABOUT, UM, THE SELECTION OF TWO NEW BOARD MEMBERS.
IT WOULD NOT BE EFFECTIVE IF IT CONTRADICTED IF IT WAS, I'M LOOKING AT CARRIE NOW.
IF IT WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS FREESTANDING, THEN IT COULD GO FORWARD.
SO I THINK WHAT WOULD HAVE TO DO IS IF, IF I, I THINK THE SIMPLEST THING WOULD BE TO, TO TAKE THE TRANSPARENCY QUESTION AND, YOU KNOW, VOTE THAT.
UM, AND THEN ON THE TWO, TWO, UM, WHAT I'M HEARING ON THE, THE TWO NEW ADDITIONAL BOARD MEMBERS, THERE'S TWO THINGS THAT I'M HEARING THAT AT LEAST CHAIR THAT YOU WOULD BE INTERESTED IN CHANGING.
ONE OF 'EM WOULD BE, UM, DELETING THAT LAST SECTION ABOUT THE 12 MONTHS.
SO I'D LOOK TO CARRIE IF WE JUST TOOK THAT OUT, YOU KNOW, COULD WE DO THAT AND, BUT THE, THE OTHER THING I'M HEARING YOU MIGHT PERHAPS WANNA ADD, AND OTHERS MIGHT ALSO IS LANGUAGE THAT CLARIFIES THAT THE TWO NEW DIRECTORS ARE, ARE, I CAN'T REMEMBER HOW Y'ALL PUT IT, BUT YOU KNOW, ONE OF IS APPOINTED BY THE CITY COUNCIL AS THEIR SECOND APPOINTMENT AND THE OTHER IS APPOINTED BY, UH, CAP METRO AS THEIR SECOND APPOINTMENT.
IN OTHER WORDS, CUZ THIS IS SILENT TO THAT PIECE.
SO THAT WOULD BE ADDING A SENTENCE TO THAT EFFECT.
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT PART WOULD BE EFFECTIVE, CARRIE, IF, UNLESS THE CITY COUNCIL SAID OKAY ON, DO YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT I'M SAYING HERE? SO IT'S, YOU'RE SAYING IF WE MADE A CHANGE YEAH.
IT WOULD NOT BE EFFECTIVE UNLESS THE CITY ALSO TOOK A SECOND VOTE.
WE'RE CHANGING TWO PARTS OF IT.
IF WE'RE ADDING A SENTENCE WHICH THE CITY COUNCIL DID NOT VOTE ON.
BUT WHAT ABOUT IF, IF YOU'RE STRIKING LIKE THE LAST PART ABOUT THE 12 MONTHS, SO THAT MIGHT YOU ST THE REST OF IT STILL MIGHT BE EFFECTIVE CUZ YOU'RE JUST STRIKING ONE PART, ANY PORTION THAT IS NOT AGREED TO BY BOTH PARTIES IS NOT EFFECTIVE.
I'D HAVE TO GO BACK AND REREAD IT AGAIN TO UNDERSTAND MAYBE AFTER EXECUTIVE SESSION, KERRY COULD LOOK AT IT.
UH, MR. CHAIR, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT ANSWERS YOUR QUESTION.
UH, BOARD MEMBER J JUST JUST TO CLARIFY ON THAT THOUGH, IT IT FROM WHAT I'M UNDER, I MEAN, KIND OF WHAT I'M HEARING AND UNDERSTANDING, IF THE, IF THERE'S MORE, IF THERE'S MORE SUPPORT FROM THE BODY TO, TO SAY THAT THE LANGUAGE IS CAT METRO APPOINTED SECOND DIRECTOR YEAH.
FROM CAT METRO AND THEN CITY COUNCIL POINT A SECOND DIRECTOR FROM CITY COUNCIL, THEN THAT WOULD MEAN BASICALLY, UM, NEGATING OR REMOVING A BUNCH OF THE OTHER LANGUAGE UP THERE ABOUT THE, UM, UH, LET'S SEE.
I GUESS THAT WOULD BE THE, UH, TWO NEW DIRECTOR SHALL BE SELECTED THROUGH AN APPLICATION, AN APPOINTMENT PROCESS AND, BUT BASICALLY THAT, THAT, THAT WHOLE, UM, TOP PARAGRAPH AND THEN THE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED PARAGRAPH AS WELL.
ALL OF THAT WOULD BE, WOULD BE GOING AWAY TOO.
BECAUSE WE NOW KNOW IT'S JUST GONNA, YOU WOULD JUST GO BACK UP INTO THE ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION AND SAY SEVEN DIRECTORS, TWO OF 'EM FROM CITY COUNCIL.
TWO OF 'EM FROM, YOU'D HAVE TO TAKE THAT CAP METRO IF YOU DID THAT, CORRECT? MM-HMM.
IF, IF YOU DID IT THAT WAY, YES, YOU WOULD.
IF YOU TOOK OUT THE LANGUAGE ABOUT THE STAKEHOLDER INPUT, IF YOU LEFT IN THE STAKEHOLDER INPUT, I DON'T KNOW, YOU STILL MIGHT HAVE TO TAKE IT BACK BECAUSE THAT IS A NEW, THAT IS A CONCEPT THAT, UM, THE CITY COUNCIL DID NOT ADDRESS.
THEY WERE SILENT ON IT, YOU KNOW, IN TERMS OF MM-HMM.
SO IF YOU WANTED TO MANDATE IT, THEN YOU WOULD HAVE TO GO BACK TO CITY COUNCIL, IF THAT MAKES SENSE.
YOU SEE WHAT I'M SAYING? MM-HMM.
WITH RESPECT TO THE TRANSPARENCY ISSUES, I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THE PROVISION THAT SAYS WE HAVE TO WAIT TWO WEEKS.
I DON'T FIND MYSELF GETTING TO THE POINT OF SAYING
[02:25:01]
THAT WE SHOULD PUBLISH ALL THE APPLICATIONS, NOR DO I FIND MYSELF AGREEING THAT, UH, WE SHOULD DISCLOSE ALL PRELIMINARY DECISIONS.I I JUST DON'T THINK THAT'S RIGHT FOR THE PROCESS, BUT I'M OKAY IF WE WANT TO EXTEND IT SO THAT THE GENERAL PUBLIC HAS TWO WEEKS AFTER THE NOMINATING COMMITTEE MAKES A RECOMMENDATION.
ANYONE ELSE? UH, CHAIR, UH, BOARD MEMBER.
ANDREA? UH, YEAH, I, I WOULD, I WOULD, UH, REALLY SUPPORT HAVING THE COUNCIL AND, UH, METRO HAVE TO, UH, APPOINTEES TO THE, TO THE BOARD.
UH, YOU KNOW, WE WERE READY OF, UH, ALARM WHEN THERE WAS A POSSIBILITY AT ONE TIME THAT THE, THE MAYOR MIGHT BE LEAVING US.
AND, UH, IF, IF HE WOULD'VE TO HAVE GONE AND LEFT US, UH, WE WOULDN'T HAD A VOTE ON THE CITY, WOULDN'T HAVE HAD A, A VOICE AND, UH, ON THE, ON THAT BOARD.
SO IT, IT WAS REALLY ALARMING TO ME THAT WE'RE THE MAIN, UH, REASON WHY, YOU KNOW, WE'VE APPOINTED THIS THE WAY IT WAS SET UP, YOU KNOW, AND WE ARE SUPPLYING, UH, THE, THE CITIZENS TAXPAYERS AND WE ARE COLLECTING THE TAXES AND THEN GIVING IT BACK TO, UH, THE, OUR PARTNERS TO CREATE THE, AND DO THE CONSTRUCTIONS AND THE WORK.
SO, UM, I WOULD, I WOULD, I WOULD REALLY WOULD HOPE THAT WE COULD AT LEAST SETTLE FOR ADDITIONAL BOARD MEMBERS FROM EACH COUNCIL.
YOU KNOW, THAT'S, UM, I DON'T HAVE THAT SKILL, SO I'LL LEAVE THAT UP TO Y'ALL GUYS.
UM, SO IT, SO IT SEEMS THAT, THAT THERE, THERE ARE A FEW OPTIONS.
ONE, YOU KNOW, ONE WOULD BE ELIMINATING THE, YOU KNOW, THE ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION LANGUAGE.
UM, YOU KNOW, I I, I LIKE THAT THE, THAT THE PROCESS WOULD APPLY TO THE COMMUNITY BOARD MEMBERS, WHOEVER THEY ARE.
BUT, BUT ONCE AGAIN, I AM, I AM, UH, PRETTY SOLID ON THE, UH, THE FIDUCIARY DUTY MEANS SOMETHING.
AND MEANS, AND MEANS SOMETHING SIGNIFICANT.
UM, SO I GUESS, UM, I MEAN, IF, IF I'M, IF I'M LISTENING, YOU KNOW, HOW DO, WELL, HOW DO WE WANT TO PROCEED? UH, WELL, MY SUGGESTION WOULD BE THAT WE TAKE THE TWO ISSUES UP SEPARATELY.
THE TRANSPARENCY ISSUE AND THE, THE TWO MEMBER BOARD.
I THINK WHAT I WOULD DO, UH, WHAT I CAN DO IS MOTION THE TRANSPARENCY PART.
WE CAN VOTE ON THAT AND GET THAT TAKEN CARE OF.
THEN IF SOMEBODY WANTS TO MOTION WHAT I'M HEARING A BUNCH OF YOU SAY, UH, IN TERMS OF THE, LIKE, LIKE I THINK, UH, BOARD MEMBER REN JUST ARTICULATED IF SOMEONE WANTS TO MOTION THAT, WE CAN VOTE ON THAT AND, UH, THE LANGUAGE CAN BE WORKED OUT, I GUESS.
SO MY PREFERENCE IS TO SEE IT ALL IN WRITING RATHER.
WELL, OR YOU CAN POSTPONE IT IF YOU WANNA DO THAT.
I WOULD, I WOULD BE, UH, WILL, I'D BE WILLING TO POSTPONE IT AND MAKE SURE THAT WE, UH, YEAH.
BECAUSE I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S DONE RIGHT.
AND SOMETIMES WITH EMOTION, WE HAVE DIFFERENT UNDERSTANDINGS KNOW YES.
AND I THINK ON AN ISSUE, UH, THAT IS AS, THAT IS THIS CRITICAL OR ON ISSUES THAT ARE THIS CRITICAL, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE WE ARE EXACTLY ON THE SAME PAGE WITH EXACTLY THE RIGHT WAY.
I MEAN THAT IF, IF, IF YOU WOULD PREFER TO DO THAT, THAT'S FINE.
I, I, I WANT TO, UM, I, I WOULD, I WANNA MAKE A MOTION ON THE TRANSPARENCY AND I'D LIKE A VOTE ON THAT, BUT IF YOU WANNA POSTPONE THE REST OF IT, I DON'T HAVE ANY CONCERNS ABOUT THAT.
SO IF, IF, UM, WELL, LET'S SEE.
WELL, LET'S GET A COUPLE MORE QUESTIONS.
UM, JUST ONE FOR CLARIFICATION.
UH, CAUSE I, LISTENING TO THE DISCUSSION, I THOUGHT THERE WERE, I HEARD THREE ISSUES.
I HEARD TRANSPARENCY, THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE ON THE BOARD, AND THEN THE, THE IDEA THAT THEY WOULD BOTH COME FROM ONE, FROM CAT ME ONE FROM THE COUNCIL.
AND THEN I HEARD, BUT I HEARD THAT THE 12 MONTH ARTICLE CHANGE ALSO, SIR, ARE WE SAYING ARE WE, ARE, ARE THERE THREE ISSUES BASICALLY? ARE WE WELDING IN OR, OR JUST, OR JUST TWO? YES.
ONE, ONE WOULD BE, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, TO REMOVE THE ARTICLE OF, UH, THAT REQUIRES IT TAKING 12 MONTHS TO, UH, AMEND THE ARTICLES OF INCOR OF INCORPORATION.
THINK THAT WHENEVER WE FIND SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO BE CHANGED AND IT'S APPROPRIATE TO CHANGE, WE SHOULD CHANGE IT, THEN WE SHOULD NOT HAVE AN ARTIFICIAL, AN ARTIFICIAL, UM, BARRIER TO DOING SO.
IT JUST DEPENDS ON HOW YOU LUMP IT TOGETHER.
[02:30:01]
WHAT I'M JUST TRYING TO GET A CLARIFICATION.ARE THERE THREE? I MEAN, I AGREE.
I GUESS I WOULD AGREE IS I'D RATHER GET THE LANGUAGE RIGHT, EXACTLY WHAT WE'RE GONNA VOTE ON AND THEN THEN PROCEED AND THEN, AND THEN KIND OF GO FROM THERE.
WELL, WHAT I'M HAPPY TO DO IS, IS, IS NOT MAKE A MOTION ON ANY OF IT EXCEPT FOR THE ONE PARAGRAPH ON THE, UM, TRANSPARENCY.
AND I, I'M HAPPY TO LEAVE IT AT THAT, AND THEN YOU ALL CAN DEAL WITH IT AS YOU GO FORWARD.
WELL, I MEAN, AT THE END OF THE DAY, I, I THINK THAT IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO, TO DRAFT THE TRANSPARENCY TOO, BECAUSE IT'S WRITTEN.
UH, IT'S WRITTEN IN THE CONTEXT OF, UH, THE MAKE THE, UH, THE WAY THAT WE WOULD APPOINT, UH, DIFFERENT PEOPLE TO THE BOARD, WHICH MEANS IT IS CONTRARY, UH, TO WHAT I THINK IS, IS THE WILL OF THE MAJORITY, WHICH IS TO, UH, IS TO HAVE, IF WE'RE GOING TO EXTEND IT, TO EXTEND IT WITH BOARD MEMBERS FROM CAP METRO AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS.
IT IS A FREESTANDING PARAGRAPH.
THE WAY IT IS WRITTEN, IT IS NOT TIED TO THE ADDITIONAL TWO MEMBERS.
IT'S A FREESTANDING PARAGRAPH THAT RELATES TO HOW THE NOMINATING COMMITTEE PROCEEDS.
SO THE LANGUAGE AS WRITTEN RIGHT HERE CAN BE TAKEN AND, UM, AND IT CAN BE PASSED.
IF THIS BODY, UH, PASSES IT, THEN IT, UM, IS EFFECTIVE.
IF THIS BODY DOESN'T, IT'S NOT, SO IT'S FREE STANDING FROM THE CONCEPT OF THE TWO ADDITIONAL BOARD MEMBERS.
IT'S, IT'S REALLY THE ONLY, I MEAN, IT'S THE SECOND ISSUE AND I, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO, I I I I, I WOULD LIKE TO VOTE ON IT.
THIS IS MY LAST BOARD MEETING.
I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR THE PUBLIC TO SEE THAT WE SUPPORT THAT TRANSPARENCY THAT THE CITY COUNCIL SUPPORTED.
WELL, IF, IF, IF THAT'S, UH, YOU KNOW, I'LL CERTAINLY SIT WITH THE, UH, IF YOU WANNA MAKE A MOTION, I, OKAY.
YOU CAN CERTAINLY MAKE A MOTION.
BUT, BUT I, BUT I, I MUST SAY I DO THINK IT, THE, IT, IF IT APPLIES ON, IF IT APPLIES TO, UH, THE MEMBERS THAT ARE SELECTED, UM, UM, AS COMMUNITY REPRESENTATIVES, I THINK IT'S ONE THING IF, IF YOU, UH, IF YOU SEEK TO APPLY IT TO, UH, TO, UH, THE, TO THE CABINET METRO BOARD TO THE CITY COUNCIL, IT'S ANOTHER THING.
IT SAYS THE NOMINATING COMMITTEE PROCESSING CRITERION.
SO THAT'S WHAT IT'S APPLYING TO.
AND AS BOARD MEMBERS STRATTON POINTED OUT, THE NOMINATING COMMITTEE PROCESSING CRITERIA ONLY APPLIES TO THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
THAT PROCESS DOES NOT APPLY TO THE CITY COUNCIL'S APPOINTMENT OR THE CAT METRO'S APPOINTMENT.
THAT, THAT IS IT, THAT IS ON THE CLARIFICATION I WAS LOOKING FOR.
SO DO YOU WANT ME TO MOVE IT NOW, OR YOU, YOU CAN MAKE THE MOTION.
UM, I MOVE THAT, UM, THAT WE PASS THE PARAGRAPH ON THE BOTTOM OF PAGE TWO, AND IT GOES OVER THREE LINES ON THE TOP OF PAGE THREE.
IT STARTS WITH THE NOMINATING COMMITTEE PROCESSING CRITERIA.
WOULD YOU READ THOSE INTO, UH, ANNE? YES.
ANNE, DO YOU WANT TO INCLUDE ANY OF YOUR WHEREAS CLAUSES TO GO ALONG WITH THAT? UH, WELL, LET'S SEE.
UM, I DON'T KNOW THAT THIS, THAT DOESN'T T THAT DOESN'T REALLY HAVE ANY EFFECT.
I THINK THE, WHEREAS CLAUSES STILL, THE, THE, WHEREAS CLAUSES ARE STILL, THEY'RE GENERIC ENOUGH THAT THEY ALL STILL TALK ABOUT THAT.
THIS IS JUST PART OF THE PROCESS.
SO YOU COULD PROBABLY, IF YOU WANTED TO, YOU COULD PROBABLY ALLOW THOSE IN THERE TOO.
DOES SHE NEED, DOES SHE NEED TO DO ANYTHING ELSE? CARRIE, COULD ONE SECOND.
WOULD YOU MIND READING THE PARAGRAPH SO THAT WE ALL MAKE SURE WE ARE, ARE OKAY ON THE SAME PAGE? OKAY.
SO I'M READING FROM THE BOTTOM OF PAGE TWO.
IT SAYS, THE NOMINATING COMMITTEE PROCESS AND CRITERIA FOR SELECTION SHALL BE MADE PUBLICLY AVAILABLE AT THE TIME THAT THE NOMINATING COMMITTEE PUBLISHES A SOLICITATION FOR APPLICATIONS.
THE NOMINATING COMMITTEE MUST SEEK FEEDBACK FROM THE COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE AND OTHER APPROPRIATE STAKEHOLDERS ON THE CRITERIA FOR SELECTION BEFORE THE CRITERIA ARE FINALIZED.
ALL APPLICATIONS SHALL BE MADE PUBLICLY AVAILABLE ONCE THEY ARE SUBMITTED.
AND ANY PRELIMINARY SELECTION, INCLUDING FOR INTERVIEWS OR ELIMINATION OF APPLICATIONS BY THE NOMINATING COMMITTEE, SHALL ALSO BE MADE PUBLIC AS SOON AS THE NOMINATING COMMITTEE MAKES A DECISION.
NOMINATIONS BY THE NOMINATING COMMITTEE MUST BE MADE PUBLIC FOR AT LEAST TWO WEEKS IN ADVANCE OF THE JOINT APPROVAL OF NOMINEES BY THE CITY COUNCIL AND CAPITOL METRO BOARD.
THE NOMINATING COMMITTEE MAY RECOMMEND MORE THAN ONE NOMINEE TO THE CITY COUNCIL AND
[02:35:01]
CAPITOL METRO BOARD FOR FURTHER DELIBERATE DELIBERATION AND APPOINTMENT.SO, UH, THAT'S THE PARAGRAPH THAT I'M MOVING BOARD MEMBER KITCHEN.
WOULD YOU ALSO INCLUDE IN YOUR MOTION THE ACTION THAT IS TO BE TAKEN, WHICH IS OH, YES.
SORRY, WHICH IS THAT, THAT, YEAH.
WRITE UP ABOVE THAT SAYS, PURSUANT TO ARTICLE? YEAH.
SO THAT PARAGRAPH WOULD GO IN ARTICLE SIX OF THE ATP, UM, UH, ARTICLES.
RIGHT? IT'S THE ARTICLES, YEAH.
SO, SO, UH, AND I'M GONNA HAVE A QUESTION FOR OUR ATTORNEY.
UH, WHEN YOU READ THE FIRST SENTENCE AND IT SAYS, ALL POWERS OF THE CORPORATION SHALL BE VESTED.
JUST, JUST MAKING SURE ONE YEAH, NO, THAT'S FINE.
MAKE SURE THERE'S CLARITY THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
SO IT'S, IT'S BEEN MOVED AND PROPERLY SECONDED, MOVED BY, UM, BY BOARD MEMBER KITCHEN, UH, SECONDED BY, BY, UH, BOARD MEMBER, UH, STRAUS, THAT, THAT, UH, OR STRATTON THAT, UH, THAT WE APPROVE THE LANGUAGE THAT WAS JUST, UH, READ INTO THE RECORD, UM, BY, UH, BOARD MEMBER KITCHEN.
IS THERE ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? IS THERE ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? IS THERE ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE.
ALL IN FAVOR? LET IT BE KNOWN BY SAYING AYE.
UH, HOW, UH, LET'S SEE, LET'S, YOU WANTS TO RAISE OUR HANDS? YES.
LET'S, UH, RAISE OUR HANDS BECAUSE ROLL CALL FOR, FOR SURE.
KITCHEN IS AN AYE, UM, BOARD MEMBER POOL? YES.
AS AN AYE, UM, BOARD MEMBER ROSS.
WITH THE VOTE OF, WAIT, YOU FORGOT.
UH, WITH, UH, LET'S SEE, FIVE TO TWO, UH, FIVE AYES TO, UH, NAYS.
THE, UH, THE ITEM CARE, THE ITEM IS APPROVED.
UM, AND THEN I WOULD JUST SAY WITH THE REST OF IT, IT SOUNDS TO ME LIKE YOU ALL WOULD LIKE SOME MORE CONVERSATIONS, SO I SAID GOOD LUCK.
WELL, I, I'M JUST HAPPY THAT WE WERE ABLE TO SIT, SIT DOWN AND, AND SEPARATE THE TWO SURE.
THAT WE'RE ABOUT TO, BECAUSE I THINK IT'S CRITICAL TO, TO COMPARE WHAT THE FIDUCIARIES ARE EXPECTED TO DO VERSUS THOSE THAT ARE NOT.
IT LOOKS LIKE, UM, SO WE'RE GONNA TAKE UP SOME ITEMS AND, UM, LET MR, LET'S DO TWO DISCUSSION ITEMS. MR. CHAIR.
WE WOULD LIKE TO SKIP THE DISCUSSION ITEMS FOR NOW.
DO A QUICK EXECUTIVE SESSION ON THAT FINAL ACTION ITEM SO THAT WE CAN TAKE ACTION ON THAT ITEM.
[IX. Executive Session of Chapter 551 of the Texas Government Code: Section 551.072 for Deliberation regarding Real Estate matters related to the purchase of additional office space.]
NOW 2 56.UH, WE ARE GONNA GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION UNDER CHAPTER 5 51 OF THE TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE, UH, 5 5 1 0.072 FOR DELIBERATION REGARDING REAL ESTATE MATTERS RELATING TO THE PURCHASE OF ADDITIONAL OFFICE SPACE AND CHAIR.
I JUST WANTED TO NOTE IF WE COULD BE EFFICIENT WITH OUR USE OF TIME, CUZ IT'S GETTING WORSE OUTSIDE AND I THINK I WOULD LIKE TO GET ON THE ROAD TO DRIVE HOME AS SOON AS I CAN.
SO WE, UH, PROBABLY OTHERS FEEL THE WAY AS EFFICIENT AS WE CAN.
WE, WE HAVE, UH, WE'VE PUT OUT THE DISCUSSION ITEMS. ALL RIGHT.
OR HEY, IS SOMEBODY GONNA TAKE, DO I HAVE ANOTHER LINK TO GET INTO THE EXECUTIVE SESSION? ANYBODY? WE'LL GET ED TO REACH OUT TO YOU.
[02:40:03]
OKAY.THE BOARD IS NOW CONCLUDED THE EXECUTIVE SESSION.
UH, WE WERE CALLING THE MEETING BACK IN AT 3 22.
[VI.10. Approval of a resolution by the Board of Directors offering ___________________ the position of General Manager and President & Chief Executive Officer of the Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority under the terms and conditions reflected in the attached Employment Agreement. Upon acceptance of this offer by __________________, the Board Chairperson is hereby authorized to execute the Agreement.]
ACTION ITEM.AFTER I READ IT OUT, MR. CARTWRIGHT, WILL YOU WALK US THROUGH IT? UH, ITEM NUMBER 10 READS APPROVAL OF A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE PRESIDENT AND CEO OR THEIR DESIGNEE TO FINALIZE AND EXECUTE A PURCHASE AND SALE CONTRACT FOR THE PURCHASE OF 7,749 SQUARE FEET OF OFFICE SPACE BEING THE FIRST FLOOR, UH, UNIT OF 1705 GUADALUPE STREET, A, AUSTIN, TEXAS 78, UM, 7 0 1 TOGETHER WITH ANY, UH, UH, P UH, PERMANENT, UH, PERTINENT.
PERTINENT RIGHTS A LEGAL TERM, NO DOUBT.
UH, AND, AND THE UNITS, UH, SHARE OF THE BUILDING'S GENERAL AND LIMITED COMMON ELEMENTS FROM SEAMLESS GUADALUPE LLC IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $4,000,649, UH, FOR, UH, $649,400 PLUS.
CHAIR TRA VILLIAN, BOARD MEMBERS PRESIDENT, CEO, UH, WATKINS.
I'M KEN KARI, VICE PRESIDENT OF, UH, FACILITIES AND CONSTRUCTION.
THANK YOU FOR INTRODUCING THAT ITEM.
I DO HAVE A FEW SLIDES TO SHARE WITH YOU.
THE, UH, AGENCY CURRENTLY, UH, LEASES OFFICE SPACE AT 2 0 9 WEST NINTH STREET, UH, FOR THE PURPOSE OF, OF LOCATION LOCATING OUR TRANSIT STORE.
AND THAT LEASE WILL BE EXPIRING IN SEPTEMBER OF THIS YEAR.
SO WE'VE BEEN, UH, BEEN SEARCHING FOR AN ALTERNATIVE LOCATION AND WE'VE IDENTIFIED THIS PARTICULAR BUILDING AT 1705 GUADALUPE AS THE, UH, FUTURE HOME OF OUR TRANSIT STORE.
BUT IT ALL WILL ALSO SERVE AS OUR, UH, LOCATION FOR OUR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TEAM AND WILL ALSO, UH, PROVIDE FOR DOWNTOWN MEETING SPACE FOR OUR ADVISORY COMMITTEES AS WELL.
SO THIS PARTICULAR SPACE IS ON THE NORTH END OF THE CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT.
IT'S CONVENIENT TO THE CAPITOL AND TO THE UNIVERSITY.
IT HAS SERVED, IS SERVED BY, UH, MORE THAN HALF A DOZEN ROUTES THAT CONVERGE ON THIS AREA, OR NEARLY A DOZEN ROUTES THAT, UH, CONVERGE ON THIS AREA.
SO IT'S VERY TRANSIT FRIENDLY.
THIS PARTICULAR BUILDING, IT'S A FIVE-STORY BUILDING, UH, BUILT IN 1960.
IT'S CONSIDERED CLASS B OFFICE SPACE AND THE OWNER IS CONVERTING THIS INTO A CONDO TYPE ARRANGEMENT.
SO WE WOULD BE, UH, WORKING THROUGH A, UH, CONDO ASSOCIATION AGREEMENT AS WELL AS A PURCHASE AND SALE AGREEMENT WITH THE BUILDING OWNER IN ORDER TO SECURE THIS SPACE.
THERE IS, UH, NO ONSITE PARKING, BUT THERE IS, UH, CONTRACT PARKING AVAILABLE IN THE VICINITY.
UH, WE CURRENTLY DO NOT PROVIDE PARKING, UH, FOR OUR DOWNTOWN TRANSIT STORE, SO THIS WOULD BE CONSISTENT WITH THIS.
UH, SO THIS DOES INCLUDE, UH, PURCHASING THE FIRST FLOOR AND, UH, WITH AN AREA IN THE COMMON SPACES AS WELL FOR THE, UH, NOT TO EXCEED AMOUNT THAT YOU REFERENCED.
REFERENCE, WHICH IS APPROXIMATELY $600 PER SQUARE FOOT.
THIS IS JUST A, UH, LITTLE, UM, SITE PLAN, UH, FLOOR PLAN IF YOU WILL, EXCUSE ME, SHOWING HOW WE WOULD, UH, OCCUPY THE SPACE HERE.
UH, GUADALUPE WOULD BE ON THE LEFT OF THAT, UH, FLOOR PLAN THERE.
UM, THAT WOULD BE TO THE WEST AND YOU CAN SEE THE LOCATION MAP THERE AS WELL.
UM, BUT, UH, WE ARE, UH, SEEKING YOUR AUTHORITY, UH, IN THIS NOT TO EXCEED AMOUNT SO THAT WE CAN THEN WORK THROUGH THE AG AGREEMENTS WITH THIS BUILDING OWNER, UH, TO, UH, SECURE THIS OFFICE SPACE.
BUT WITH THAT, I'D BE HAPPY TO A ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS BOARD MEMBERS MAY HAVE REGARDING THIS ACTION ITEM BOARD MEMBERS.
ANY QUESTIONS WE'LL MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE.
CHAIR WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION.
UH, ALRIGHT, WE'VE GOT, UH, THE, THE, UH, MOTION WAS MADE BY BOARD MEMBER PAUL THE SECOND WAS MADE BY BOARD MEMBER ROSS.
IS THERE ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE, UM, LET IT BE KNOWN BY SAYING AYE.
IF YOU WANT TO APPROVE ITEM 10, AYE, OPPOSE SAME SIGN, THE CHAIR WILL MAKE IT UNANIMOUS.
I THINK THAT THAT TAKES CARE OF ALL OF OUR ISSUES FOR TODAY.
NO FURTHER, UH, NO FURTHER BUSINESS.
WE WILL STAND ADJOURNED AT 3 28 AND BE CAREFUL.