[I. Call to Order]
[00:00:05]
I THINK WE'LL PULL IT TOGETHER.
UH, GOOD AFTERNOON, AND THANK YOU FOR JOINING, JOINING US FOR THE FEBRUARY MEETING OF THE CAP METRO BOARD OF DIRECTORS.
TODAY IS MONDAY, FEBRUARY 25TH, AND THE TIME IS 1212.
[II. Oath of Office for New Board Members]
OUR FIRST ORDER OF BUSINESS TODAY WILL BE TO FORMALLY, UH, CONFIRM OUR THREE NEWEST BOARD MEMBERS BY ASKING THEM TO TAKE THE OATH OF OFFICE.IF I COULD ASK OUR NEW THREE BOARD MEMBERS TO STEP AROUND THE DIAS AND JOIN ME AT THE PODIUM, UH, WE HAVE A FEW WORDS THAT YOU NEED TO REPEAT AFTER ME AND, AND, UH, AND THEN WE'LL GET THIS PARTY STARTED.
EVERYTHING WILL BE OFFICIAL, RIGHT? HEY, JEFF.
UM, MR. CHAIR? YES, MR. CHAIR.
I JUST WANTED, I JUST WANTED TO NOTE, I'M, I'M HERE.
I, I AM REALLY EXCITED TO SEE OUR THREE NEW MEMBERS AND, UM, UH, WISH I COULD BE SITTING THERE ON THE DIOCESE WITH YOU ALL TODAY, BUT I'M GONNA WATCH HERE FROM THE PEANUT GALLERY.
WELL, WE WILL CALL A MEETING IMMEDIATELY TO GET YOU DOWN HERE,
SO WE'LL HAVE IT, WE'LL HAVE IT GOING PRETTY SOON.
UM, I CAN BE HERE ONLY BRIEFLY.
I'M HERE TO SAY CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR NEW MEMBERS AND ALSO IF THERE'S TIME BEFORE I HAVE TO LEAVE TO SAY A FEW WORDS TO THANK WADE, UH, FOR HIS WORK.
WE'VE GOTTEN EVERYBODY THAT WANTS TO SAY ANYTHING AT THIS POINT.
LET'S, UH, LET'S SEE IF I CAN JUST GET YOU GUYS WHERE I CAN SEE YOU.
IF YOU'LL RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND.
DO SOLEMNLY SWEAR THAT I WILL FAITHFULLY, THAT I WILL FAITHFULLY EXECUTE THE DUTIES, EXECUTE THE DUTIES OF THE OFFICE OF, OF THE OFFICE OF BOARD MEMBER FOUR, BOARD MEMBER FOUR, CAPITAL METRO TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY, CAPITAL, METRO TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY OF THE STATE OF TEXAS.
OF THE STATE OF TEXAS, AND WILL TO THE BEST OF MY ABILITY AND WILL TO THE BEST OF MY ABILITY, PRESERVE, PROTECT, AND DEFEND, PRESERVE, PROTECT, AND DEFEND THE CONSTITUTION, CONSTITUTION, AND THE LAWS OF THE UNITED STATES, AND THE LAWS OF THE UNITED STATES.
SO HELP ME, GOD, LET'S WELCOME OUR NEWEST MEMBERS.
AND YOUR FIRST HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT IS
WELL, I I JUST WANT TO WELCOME ALL OF OUR NEW BOARD MEMBERS, AND, UH, THANK YOU FOR THE SACRIFICE AND THE COMMITMENT, UH, FOR WORKING ON PUBLIC TRANSIT.
THERE CERTAINLY ARE A NUMBER OF ISSUES THAT ARE REALLY IMPORTANT TO THE, THE ENTIRE CITY AND REGION.
SO WE LOOK FORWARD TO PROBLEM SOLVING AND WORKING WITH YOU AND, AND, UM, AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMITMENT.
[III. Public Comment (please see instructions at the bottom to participate)]
WE ARE, LET'S SEE.WE ARE NOW MOVING INTO OUR PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD, PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD.
UM, THE FIRST WOULD BE MAYOR CHRISTINE, UH, DELICI DEL DELAL.
I, I WAS GIVING YOU, UH, TRILLIAN.
I GIVE FOLKS THEIR NAMES ALL THE TIME.
THE, THANK YOU SO MUCH, AND CONGRATULATIONS TO THE NEW BOARD MEMBERS AND TO MS. WATKINS ON BEING OFFICIAL.
UM, SO I JUST WANTED TO COME IN TODAY AND PUT A FACE TO LEANDER BESIDES OUR FABULOUS BECKY ROSS.
I KNOW BECKY, ADVOCATES FOR ALL SMALL CITIES, AND TODAY I'M GONNA BE SELFISH AND I'M JUST GOING TO ADVOCATE FOR LEANDER.
SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE JOB THAT YOU DO, FOR ALL THE EFFORT YOU PUT IN.
AND WE ARE VERY APPRECIATIVE OF THE SERVICE WE GET IN LEANDER.
WE HAVE THE TRAIN, OF COURSE, WE HAVE THE COMMUTER ROUTES ON THE BUS.
UM, AND THEN WE HAVE THE PICKUP SERVICE, WHICH IS FANTASTIC.
BUT PICKUP WAS STARTED IN 2019, AND IT SERVES ABOUT A QUARTER OF OUR POPULATION.
IT DOES NOT SERVE THE ENTIRE CITY.
AND, UH, WE HAVEN'T HAD ANY SUBSTANTIVE CHANGES TO THAT ZONE SINCE THE SERVICE BEGAN.
[00:05:01]
YOUR STANDARDS FOR HOW THOSE, THOSE SERVICE IMPROVEMENTS HAPPEN.UM, BUT I JUST WANTED TO COME HERE AND ASK THAT YOU KEEP LEAN UNDER TOP OF MIND WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT EXPANDING SERVICES.
I KNOW WE'RE ALL COMPETING FOR RESOURCES, AND THERE'S SHORTAGES AND ALL THE THINGS, BUT I ALSO WANTED TO POINT OUT THAT BECAUSE THERE IS NO FIXED WRAP SERVICE IN LEANDER, THERE IS NO FEDERAL MANDATE FOR ANY SORT OF DISABILITY, UM, HELP FOR OUR RESIDENTS.
SO HAVING THAT SMALL DEFINED ZONE REALLY KEEPS A LOT OF PEOPLE FROM ACCESSING ANY SORT OF SERVICES THAT CAN GET THEM TO THINGS.
SO WHEN YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT SERVICE, PLEASE THINK OF LEANDER.
OKAY, MAYOR DELAU, UH, THANK, THANK YOU FOR COMING OUT AND, AND ADDRESSING US TODAY.
WE LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU AND, AND, UH, BUILDING SOLUTIONS FOR, UH, FOR ALL SMALL CITIES INCLUDING YOURS.
UH, ROBERT ALLEN, BEFORE I START, I WANTED TO MAKE A COMMENT TO, UH, BOARD MEMBER KITCHENS.
I'VE KNOWN YOU AND FOR ABOUT 30 YEARS, AND I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THE SERVICE YOU DID ON THE COUNCIL IN HERE.
I KNOW YOU'LL BE LEAVING THE BOARD SOON, BUT I REALLY LIKE THE, UH, WORK THAT YOU DID.
UM, I'VE ALREADY HANDLED SOME OF MY COMPLAINTS WITH THE STAFF TODAY, BUT I HAVE A POSITIVE COMMENT I WANTED TO MAKE.
THE STAFF HERE KNOWS, BUT I DON'T THINK ANYBODY ON THE BOARD KNOWS.
ON DECEMBER 7TH, WHEN I WAS BEING PICKED UP AT THE LITTLE WALNUT STREET LIBRARY, THE DRIVER OF THE VAN DID NOT CHECK HIS FIRE EXTINGUISHER TO MAKE SURE THE PEN WAS IN THAT MORNING LIKE HE'S SUPPOSED TO.
AND WHEN HE PUT MY WALKER IN THE BACK OF THE VAN, IT HIT THE HANDLE AND IT SHOT OFF FIRE EXTINGUISHER, WHICH I SWALLOWED, AND IT CAUSED ME TO HAVE HORRIBLE BRONCHITIS AND OTHER PROBLEMS FROM THAT.
I'VE SETTLED WITH INSURANCE PLANES FOR MY FATHER OR GRANDMOTHER MYSELF OVER THE YEARS, MANY TIMES.
MH UH, IS IT MH TRANSPORT? UH, THE PARENT COMPANY, MTM.
UM, THEIR CLAIMS ADJUSTER WAS THE EASIEST AND MOST, UH, WONDERFUL PERSON TO DEAL WITH.
I SETTLED THE CLAIM, MEDICARE'S TAKEN PART OF IT, BUT I'M ACTUALLY NOT GONNA BE, UH, ON, UM, ACCESS ANYMORE BECAUSE FROM WHAT I SAVED UP PLUS THAT SETTLEMENT, I'M BUYING A CAR THIS WEEK.
SO I'VE ENJOYED THE, UH, YEARS THAT IT'S BEEN OUT THERE.
AND I KNOW YOU DON'T, YOU DON'T HEAR POSITIVE STUFF SOMETIMES, BUT YOU'VE GOT SOME GOOD PEOPLE WITH YOUR PARENT COMPANY THAT DEAL WITH THINGS LIKE THAT.
THE ONLY THING THAT I FORGOT TO MENTION THAT I'VE NEVER GOT, I ASKED FOR THE INGREDIENTS OF THAT FIRE EXTINGUISHER BECAUSE THERE MAY BE SOME ONGOING THINGS THAT HAPPENED, AND I NEVER GOT THAT.
SO IF YOU WOULD, WOULD TRY TO GET THAT TO ME, I'D APPRECIATE IT.
UH, THANK YOU FOR TAKING TIME TO COME AND ADDRESS THE BOARD.
UH, THE NEXT, UH, CITIZEN IS SHERRY TAYLOR.
AND YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES.
THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME TODAY.
I GO BY SOPHIE, WHICH STANDS FOR SURPASSING OBSTACLE TO PROPOSE HOPES INTO ENDORPHINS AND A RIGHT FOR A NEWSPAPER CALLED THE CHALLENGER.
AND I USE THAT TO RAISE MONEY TO BRING AWARENESS OF, UH, THE LIFESTYLES THAT PEOPLE WHO ARE WITHOUT HOUSING, UH, SURPASS.
BECAUSE THEY DON'T JUST ENDURE IT.
SO, UH, I JUST WANT TO BE AMONGST THOSE WHO HELPS TO GET THE TERM HOMELESS, TAKEN OFF THE BOOK AS A REFERRAL IS A NEGATIVE, AND CHANGE THAT TO UNSHELTERED.
UM, THIS IS BLACK HISTORY MONTH DESIGNATED BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, AND I JUST WANTED TO READ A LITTLE THING ABOUT THAT.
AND, UH, I LIVE IN WILDFLOWER TERRACE, SO I BROUGHT MY WILDFLOWERS TO REPRESENT
CARTER G WOODSON IS MOST FAMOUSLY KNOWN AS STARTING BLACK HISTORY MONTH.
HE ENTERED HIGH SCHOOL WHERE HE EXCELLED IN HIS STUDIES.
HE FINISHED IN FOUR YEARS, SCHOOLING AN AMAZINGLY SHORT TIME OF FOUR YEARS.
HE OBTAINED A MASTER'S DEGREE IN HISTORY FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO, BUT HE WASN'T DONE YET.
HE WENT ON TO GET HIS DOCTORATE IN HARVARD, DISAPPOINTED BY THE WAY THAT BLACKS WERE NOT REPRESENTED IN SCHOOL BOOKS.
HE TOOK ON THE CHALLENGE OF MAKING SURE THAT THERE WOULD BE SOMEWHERE FOR THEM TO BELONG IN AMERICA'S HISTORY.
HE HELPED CREATE THE ASSOCIATION OF THE STUDY OF NEGRO LIFE AND HISTORY.
AND IN THE LATE 1920S, NEGRO HISTORY WEEK WAS SET UP BY HIM.
HE STATED THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE NEGRO PROPERLY SET FORTH WILL CROWN HIM AS THEM.
[00:10:01]
I'M NOT A HYMN WILL CROWN THEM AS A FACTOR IN EARLY HUMAN PROGRESS AND A MAKER OF MODERN CIVILIZATION.BLACK HISTORY MONTH WAS STARTED IN 1976 FOR NEGRO HISTORY WEEK, AND HE KNEW THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO HAPPEN TO BE HE DEDICATED THE SECOND WEEK OF FEBRUARY AS NEGRO HISTORY WEEK, BECAUSE THE 16TH PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, ABRAHAM LINCOLN, WAS BORN ON THE 12TH OF THE MONTH, AND PRESIDENT LINCOLN SIGNED THE EMANCIPATION ACT, ALSO CIVIL RIGHTS LEADER AND FORMER SLAVE FREDERICK DOUGLASS CELEBRATED HIS BIRTHDAY ON THE 14TH OF THE MONTH.
SO BECAUSE OF WHAT THESE HAVE, THEY HAVE DONE, CARTER G WOODSON WAS GIVEN THE NAME OF FATHER OF BLACK HISTORY.
UH, JUST WANTED TO READ THAT BECAUSE I, AS SOPHIE, I HAVE A PROGRAM CALLED SOPHIE SINGALONG, AND WE GET TOGETHER AT WILDFLOWER TERRACE.
THEY'RE MY WILDFLOWER TERRACE 38 0 1 BERKMAN DRIVE.
ON THE SECOND AND FOURTH THURSDAY AND SUNDAYS OF THE MONTH, WE TRY TO PROMOTE, UM, ELIMINATING ISOLATION TO ENHANCE INDIVIDUALIZED OPPORTUNITIES.
SO I DID MAKE COPIES FOR YOU, AND MR. EASTON HAS THEM, AND I HOPE THAT YOU ENJOY THE SEEK AND FIND FOR NEXT MONTH, WHICH IS WOMEN'S HISTORY.
THANK YOU FOR COMING AND PRESENTING TO THE BOARD, AND, AND, UH, AND WE'LL BE READY NEXT MONTH AS WELL.
UH, THE NEXT, I GOT ONE MORE THING.
I BROUGHT THESE SHIRTS CUZ I WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU TO CAP METRO.
UH, AND, AND BEING SO, SO PLEASANT AND PATIENT WITH THOSE WHO ARE UNSHELTERED TO GET THE, EVERYBODY TO THEIR DESIGNATED, UM, WARMING CENTERS.
THANK YOU SO MUCH AGAIN FOR COMING TO, UH, SPEAK TO THE BOARD.
THE NEXT PERSON, UH, ED, I THINK IS REMOTE.
AND IS SHE HERE WITH US? SHE IS.
THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME TODAY.
MY NAME IS DEBORAH HARMON MILLER.
I'VE BEEN WORKING WITH CAPITAL METRO BOARD FOR THE LAST EIGHT MONTHS NOW TO STUDY, UM, THE TRANSIT SYSTEM HERE IN AUSTIN AND TO MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR HOW TO SUCCESSFULLY AND SAFELY TRANSITION RIDERS FROM THAT ARE PROVISIONAL LIKE MYSELF OVER TO, UM, OTHER TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS THAT ARE LESS EXPENSIVE.
UM, WE HAVE COME UP WITH AN ISSUE THAT, UM, WHICH IS THAT THERE IS NO WHEELCHAIR RECORD SERVICE IN THIS, UH, CITY.
AND I HAVE A SOLUTION FOR THAT.
I SPOKE WITH BEFORE THE BOARD MEETING LAST MONTH.
I MET WITH MR. SKALSKI, I DON'T KNOW IF HE'S IN THE ROOM TODAY.
AND WE WENT OVER, UH, THE LIST OF FINDINGS THAT I HAD PRESENTED TO MS. OLIVIA JONES.
UM, PRIOR TO THAT, UM, DURING MY RESEARCH, I HAVE HAD TO SPEND THE NIGHT AT CROSSROADS STATION WHEN THERE WAS NO RIDE HOME FOR ME AVAILABLE WHEN THE BUS SERVICE ENDED, UM, UH, AGAINST THE REGULAR SCHEDULE, WHICH IS COMMON UP, UP IN THE LOCAL ROUTES BECAUSE WHEN THE ADA AREA IS FULL, THE BUS DOES NOT EVEN HAVE TO STOP AND SEE IF I NEED A RIDE.
SO WHEN EVERYONE WENT TO THE WARMING CENTER, I WAS SLEEPING AT THE BUS STOP.
UM, MY SOLUTION IS THAT WE HAVE AN ADA RECORD SERVICE THAT IS, UH, FUNDED THROUGH THIS CAPITAL METRO PROGRAM WHERE WE WOULD, UH, HAVE ADA RIDERS GO MEET WITH WHEELCHAIRS WHEN THEY BREAK DOWN BECAUSE WE WANT TO SUPPORT PEOPLE TO CONTINUE TO RIDE THE BUS AND TO DO IT COST EFFECTIVELY.
IF A WHEELCHAIR CAN GET THERE AND BREAK DOWN, I CAN GET THERE IN MAR WILSHIRE TO HELP THEM.
AND WE WOULD LIKE TO, UH, LAUNCH OUR PEER SUPPORT PROGRAM IN THIS WAY.
UM, PART OF THE, UH, PROGRAM WILL BE AVAILABLE TO DISABLED RETIRED METRO ACCESS DRIVERS, THAT THEY ALSO COULD PARTICIPATE IN SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS TO HELP TRAIN OUR PEOPLE.
I HAVE, UH, OVER 30 P TENS FOR DRIVERS FOR METRO ACCESS FOR THIS, FOR THE, UM, FOR BASICALLY AN, UH, UBER SERVICE, THE ONES THAT OUR VETERANS WOULD HAVE USE THEIR VETERANS BENEFITS TO GET THEIR OWN VEHICLES THAT THEY WOULD USE AND KEEP IN THIS PROGRAM.
I WAS UNABLE TO LOAD THIS THROUGH YOUR WET THROUGH YOUR PORTAL BECAUSE I AM IN THE HOSPITAL, BUT I HAVE MORE DETAILS LATER.
I WAS HOPING YOU COULD SEND THIS TO COMMITTEE TO HELP ME, UM, FUND THE TWO OF OFFICE WHEELCHAIR PROGRAM.
THEY'RE SCHEDULED FOR THE, UH, FIRST WEEK OR SECOND WEEK OF MARCH, MARCH 8TH AND MARCH 11TH FOR LESLIE DAY.
UM, LESLIE, THE QUEEN OF AUSTIN IN HIS CAMPAIGN AGAINST, UH, MAYOR KIRK WATSON IN THE NINETIES HAD ONE OF HIS POINTS WAS THAT WE NEEDED A TRAIN.
[00:15:01]
CREATED A PULL A TRAIN FOR LESLIE DAY THAT WILL BE MARCH 8TH, WHICH HAPPENED TO COINCIDE WITH THE TRANS ADVOCACY, UH, AGAINST AT THE CITY CAPITAL THAT DAY.AND THEN ALSO ON MARCH 11TH, I HAVE VANS THAT HAVE SCHEDULED A PLAY IN A SOBER ENVIRONMENT THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO PASS OUT RESOURCE GUIDES TO THE, TO ANYONE WHO COMES TO HELP THEM FIND WAYS TO, UM, GET TREATMENT AND WHATEVER SINGING WITH SOPHIE, UH, MS. SHERRY TAYLOR HAS AGREED THAT HER GROUP WILL ALSO HELP PERFORM AND TO DO A, A THEME SONG AND PRESENTATION FOR THIS THAT DAY.
AND I WOULD LIKE FOR YOU TO APPROVE, TO SEND US TO COMMITTEE TO FUND THIS FOR US.
I KNOW IT'S VERY QUICK, BUT I HAVE CHALLENGED PERK WATSON TO RIDE THE DAY ON MARCH 8TH IN A WHEELCHAIR WITH ME.
AND HE HAS TENTATIVELY ACCEPTED AND I WOULD PREFER THAT I NOT TAKE HIM TO THE TRANSIT CENTER WHERE I CAN'T REACH THE SCHEDULES ON THE WALL FROM MY WHEELCHAIR AND SHOW HIM THE PROBLEMS. I'D RATHER SHOW HIM HOW YOU HAVE MET THE PROBLEMS WHILE WE HAVE WORKED TOGETHER THE LAST SIX MONTHS.
AND SO I WOULD LIKE FOR YOU TO HELP ME SEND THIS TO COMMITTEE THAT WOULD FUND THIS FOR ME AND APPROVE IT IN, UH, EARLIER WHEN I CAME TO YOU, YOU TOTALLY APPROVED THE, THE IDEA THAT I WOULD TRAIN PEOPLE AND BRING THEM OVER.
NOW I'M ASKING FOR SOME FUNDING TO SUPPORT THAT.
ALRIGHT, SO THERE'S A LOT TO UNPACK THERE AND, AND WE'LL MAKE SURE THAT WE GET THE FULL BREATH OF THE REQUESTS AND, UH, REACH OUT TO YOU AND, AND, UH, DISCUSS HOW WE GET TO WHERE WE'RE TRYING TO GO.
UH, THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME TO ADDRESS US AND WE HOPE THAT YOU'RE FEELING BETTER SOON.
UM, WHEN I WAS ON THE BUS LAST WEEK, THERE WAS A ROBBERY AND THE, THE ROBBERY WAS APPREHENDED ON THE BUS.
UH, IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL, UM, UH, ORCHESTRATED BETWEEN THE BUS DRIVER AND THE POLICE SO THAT EVERYONE ON THE BUS WAS NOT THREATENED BY THIS PERSON WHO WAS SUPPOSED TO HAVE WALKED OUT OF THE BANK WITH A GUN AT NOON AND GOT ON THE BUS AS HIS GETAWAY.
UM, I RECORDED THE WHOLE THING, BUT I DID NOT RELEASE IT TO THE PRESS BECAUSE IT NEEDED TO BE TALKED WITH, WITH YOUR MEDIA PEOPLE BEFORE IT WAS DISPERSED.
I SENT MR. SKALSKI A COPY OF THE VIDEO, AND I WOULD LIKE TO HELP SUPPORT YOU TO PRESENT THIS TO THE PUBLIC BECAUSE IT WAS A GREAT EXAMPLE OF HOW CAPITOL METRO AND THE BUS DRIVER HIMSELF WAS FABULOUS IN THAT THE PEOPLE WERE CALM, THE PERSON WAS TAKEN OFF THE BUS, THERE WAS THE POLICE SHIELDED THE, THE RIDERS ON THE BUS FROM ANY POSSIBLE PROBLEM THAT, AND IT WAS JUST A BEAUTIFUL EXAMPLE OF HOW THE CAPITOL METRO HELPS KEEP OUR CITY SECURE.
WE WILL MAKE SURE THAT WE REVIEW IT AND, AND EVALUATE IT AS WELL.
UH, SPENCER SCHUMACHER IS ALSO REMOTE, I THINK.
WELL, UH, THANKS FOR LETTING ME SPEAKING.
UH, CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL THE NEW BOARD MEMBERS.
SO, UH, MY NAME IS SPENCER SCHUMACHER.
I'VE LIVED CAR-FREE HERE IN AUSTIN MY ENTIRE ADULT LIFE, SO OBVIOUSLY I LOVE CAT METRO.
UM, THE REASON WHY I'M TALKING TO YOU GUYS TODAY IS TO TALK ABOUT THE POSTPONEMENT OF THE EXPO LINE IN PLEASANT VALLEY LINE AND SEE IF, UH, I CAN ENCOURAGE YOU GUYS TO WORK IN KIND OF A, A, A DUAL PATH HERE.
UM, SO I ACTUALLY MOVED TO THE MUELLER AREA ABOUT A YEAR AGO, UH, SPECIFICALLY SO I COULD BE CLOSER TO THE EXPO LINE, UH, PLEASANT VALLEY LAND AS WELL.
BUT RIGHT NOW, USING THE NUMBER 10 BUS, IT TAKES ME ABOUT 45 MINUTES ON A GOOD DAY, SOMETIMES A LOT LONGER TO GET TO WORK.
UM, SO USUALLY I END UP JUST OPTING TO BIKE.
UH, BUT WE'RE REALLY EXCITED CUZ THE EXPO LINE THEORETICALLY WAS GONNA TRIM THAT DOWN TO ABOUT 25 MINUTES.
UM, SO WHAT I WAS THINKING IF I COULD ENCOURAGE YOU GUYS TO DO IS TO RUN A NON-METRO RAPID ROUTE UNTIL THE EXPO LINE IN PLEASANT VALLEY LINE ARE READY.
UM, BECAUSE I, I TOTALLY UNDERSTAND THE DELAYS, RIGHT? TAKES TIME TO GET THAT ELECTRIC BUS INFRASTRUCTURE READY.
I'M ALSO ON THE BICYCLE ADVISORY COUNCIL, SO I APPRECIATE YOU GUYS WORKING TO CREATE THE BICYCLE INFRASTRUCTURE AHEAD OF TIME.
UH, BUT THE REASON I WAS EXCITED ABOUT THE EXPO LINE WASN'T REALLY BECAUSE OF EITHER OF THOSE THINGS.
IT WAS BECAUSE OF THE MORE DIRECT ROUTE, THE FEWER STOPS IN THE INCREASED FREQUENCY, UM, ALL THINGS THAT COULD BE DONE NOW, UM, I WENT AHEAD AND LOOKED AND EVERY SINGLE PLACE THE, UH, EXPO LINE IS SUPPOSED TO GO, EXCEPT FOR THE TRAVIS COUNTY EXPO CENTER ALREADY HAS A BUS STATION IN PLACE, UM, ON THE PLEASANT VALLEY LINE.
THERE'S ALREADY BUS STATIONS IN PLACE ON EVERYWHERE EXCEPT FOR, UH, MCKINLEY FALLS PARKWAY.
UM, SO PRETTY MUCH THE SERVICE COULD BE IN OPERATION PRETTY QUICKLY.
UM, AND I THINK THERE ARE A LOT OF BENEFITS TO DOING IT THIS WAY.
FIRST IS I'M SURE WE'RE ALL AWARE, RIGHT? IF WE LOOK AT THE NEWS ON PROJECT CONNECT RIGHT NOW, IT'S NOT GREAT.
UH, THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF NEGATIVE PRESS GOING ON.
AND WHEN WE CAN POINT TO THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING IN THE COMMUNITY AND MAKING LIFE BETTER FOR EVERYDAY PEOPLE IN AUSTIN, THAT'S JUST GOING TO ENCOURAGE MORE PEOPLE TO GET INVOLVED WITH PROJECT CONNECT.
[00:20:01]
I THINK THIS COULD BE A REALLY GREAT WAY FOR CAP METRO TO WORK ON, UH, THE EXPO LINE AND THE PLEASANT VALLEY LINE, RIGHT? IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT WITH THE 8 0 1 AND 8 0 3 CAP METRO ALREADY HAD A COUPLE YEARS EXPERIENCE RUNNING, UH, BUSES ON WHAT IS BASICALLY THAT ROUTE.UH, THESE ARE GONNA BE NEW ROUTES.
SO THIS WOULD GIVE CATME THE OPPORTUNITY TO FIGURE OUT WHAT FREQUENCIES ARE RIGHT, WHERE IS MORE TRANSIT INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDED, UM, WHERE MAYBE OUR BUS LANES NEEDED AND GET THE TO THE POINT WHERE WHEN THE EXPO LINE IN PLEASANT VALLEY LINE CAN COME ONLINE WITH ELECTRIC BUSES, UH, THERE ARE NO PICKUPS.
AND THEN THE FINAL THING IS, UH, THERE'S A BIG EQUITY POINT TO BE MADE HERE, RIGHT? THE WHOLE IDEA BEHIND THE EXPO LINE IN THE PLEASANT VALLEY LINE WAS THAT THESE ARE AREAS THAT HAVE LOTS OF TRANSIT DEPENDENT INDIVIDUALS AND NOT GREAT CONNECTIONS TO THE REST OF THE CITY.
I'M SURE, UH, COMMISSIONER TRAIAN AND COUNCIL MEMBER VELA COULD SPEAK GREATLY TO THAT.
I MEAN, THIS GOES RIGHT THROUGH THEIR DISTRICT.
UH, SO THIS PROVIDES AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THOSE PEOPLE TO GET THE TRENDS THAT THEY NEED AND AT THE SAME TIME MAKE SURE WE'RE PREPARING OURSELVES FOR WHEN THESE COME ONLINE.
SO I WOULD LOVE FOR YOU GUYS TO CONSIDER THAT, MAYBE HAVE SOME PUBLIC HEARINGS AND AT LEAST WORK THROUGH THE FEASIBILITY OF WHETHER THAT COULD WORK AND WE COULD GET SOMETHING UP AND RUNNING, YOU KNOW, POSSIBLY THIS SUMMER WHEN IT WAS SUPPOSED TO START.
THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME TO ADDRESS THE BOARD.
NOW, UH, I HAVE THREE SIGN-IN SHEETS THAT HAVE BEEN COMPLETED AND IF THERE'S ANYONE ELSE THAT WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK, IF WE COULD FILL OUT SIGN-IN SHEETS, THEN WE CAN INCLUDE YOU AS WELL.
UH, THE FIRST PERSON IS STEVEN KNAPP, I THINK.
I JUST WANNA COME TODAY TO SPEAK ABOUT OPERATIONAL ISSUES THAT HAPPENED ON SATURDAY NIGHT.
AND I FEEL LIKE THIS IS IMPORTANT ENOUGH TO COME BARELY 48 HOURS.
SO MAYBE THE BOARD CAN TAKE ACTION ON THIS.
UM, SAYS YOU GUYS KNOW Q2 STADIUMS ARE BRAND NEW SOCCER STADIUM HERE IN THE CITY.
UM, CAP METRO AND TRANSIT CONNECTIONS STADIUM WERE INTEGRAL TO THE SITE PLANNING.
NO ONE KNOWS THAT MORE DEARLY THAN BOARD MEMBER POOL.
I MEAN, JUST THE WAY THAT THAT SITE WAS DEVELOPED WERE TRANSIT AND MINE.
SO THE PAST TWO SEASONS, UM, CAP METRO STAFF, YOUR OPERATION STAFF HAS BEEN KICKING BUTT, IF I CAN SAY THAT IN CLOSE CAPTIONING.
AND CREATING AN OPERATIONAL PLANET SERVES AT STADIUM.
SPEAKING SPECIFICALLY TO THE METRO RAIL SERVICE ON SPECIAL GAME DAY OPERATIONS OR EVENT DAY OPERATIONS, WE'RE TALKING, YOU KNOW, NORTHBOUND AND SOUTHBOUND TO THE STADIUM.
YOU'RE RUNNING THE METRO RAIL AT 19 MINUTE FREQUENCIES FOR HOURS BEFORE THE GAME.
YOU SELL FAMILIES, MULTI-GENERATIONAL FAMILIES USE THAT BECOMES THE NORM.
POSTMA OR POST EVENT I SHOULD SAY, WHEN YOU HAVE THOUSANDS APPROACHING THE STADIUM IN THE METRO RAPID LINES, YOU GUYS WERE QUEUED UP AND SPECIFICALLY ON METRO RAIL POST EVENT, THEY WOULD HAVE TRANS QUEUED UP READY TO LOAD UP.
AND THEY'RE RUNNING THOSE THINGS AT SEVEN TO NINE MINUTE FREQUENCIES.
THAT'S WORLD CLASS TRANSIT SYSTEM IN THIS CITY.
SO FOR WHATEVER REASON, ON SATURDAY EVENING, OUR FIRST HOME MATCH.
SO THIS NEW SEASON COMMUNITY COMES OUT TO SUPPORT.
WE WERE NOT RUNNING GAME DAY OR SPECIAL DAY OPERATIONS AND SAID THEY WERE RUNNING NORMAL OPERATIONS, WHICH IS 37 MINUTE FREQUENCIES.
SO TWO HOURS BEFORE THE MATCH, I SAW IT ON MY OWN TRAIN PLATFORM.
YOU SAW NOT JUST CROWDING CUZ THAT'S EXCITING.
YOU SAW OVERCROWDING WHERE PEOPLE WERE NOT HAVING ACCESS.
THIS IS TWO HOURS BEFORE MATCH TO GET TO THE STADIUM.
I SAW A FAMILY, THEIR FRIENDS, FRIENDS OF MINE, MAYBE THEY DON'T NEED TO BE FRIENDS ANYMORE, BUT THEY IMMEDIATELY SWITCHED TO UBER INSTEAD OF WAITING ON THE NEXT TRAIN JUST BECAUSE THERE WAS NO ROOM POST-MATCH THE MOB MENTALITY AGAINST THE AGENCY.
UM, THE CLOSE CAPTIONING DOES NOT NEED TO HEAR THE WORDS THAT WERE SPOKEN ABOUT CAT METRO BECAUSE THE TRAINS WERE NOT THERE.
AND I SAY THAT BECAUSE THIS, IT WAS SO NORMAL AS PART OF OUR COMMUNITY EMBRACING THAT WE HAVE A MAJOR SPORTS TEAM.
WE HAVE A LARGE COMMUNITY EVENT THAT PEOPLE ARE GETTING BEHIND FOR WITH THEIR ENTIRE FAMILIES.
THEY'RE SHOWING UP TO THIS VENUE AND CAP METRO IS A CORE OF THAT, AND IT'S A BEAUTIFUL PART OF THAT EXPERIENCE.
AND Y'ALL WE'RE NOT THERE ON SATURDAY EVENING.
THE TRAINS WERE RUNNING 37 MINUTE FREQUENCIES TAKING PEOPLE BACK HOME AFTER THE GAME.
AND IT WAS UGLY TO SAY THE LEAST.
SO I JUST ASK THAT, YOU KNOW, BEFORE THE NEXT MAJOR EVENT AT THAT VENUE THIS SATURDAY, YOU'LL SPEND SOME TIME, YOU KNOW, IF IT'S A FUNDING ISSUE, IF IT'S AN OPERATIONAL ISSUE, WHATEVER IT MIGHT BE, TAKE ACTION.
BECAUSE OUR COMMUNITY, WE NEED THE COMMUNITY TO LOVE CAP METRO, WHICH THEY DO.
BUT YOU KNOW, WE ALL KNOW WHERE THE ISSUES OF PROJECT CONNECT AND THINGS ARE HAPPENING RIGHT NOW.
WE NEED THE COMMUNITY TO STAY BEHIND YOU GUYS AND LOVE YOU GUYS SO THAT WE CAN CONTINUE FORWARD WITH MORE TRANSIT FOR THE CITY.
UH, WE'VE GOT A BOARD MEMBER THAT WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS YOU, UH, BOARD MEMBER POOL.
I, I WANTED TO TOSS THE MIC OVER TO OUR, UM, CEO TO EXPLAIN WHAT HAPPENED WITH THE TRAIN SATURDAY NIGHT.
IT WAS IT, THERE, THERE WERE SOME ISSUES.
SO THANK YOU FOR COMING DOWN TO TALK TO US TODAY.
YOU ARE DEFINITELY NOT THE FIRST CUSTOMER WE'VE HEARD FROM.
UM, WE KNOW WHAT IT TAKES TO SERVE, UH, THE Q2 STADIUM AND WE HAD SOME OPERATIONAL ERRORS, UM, ON SATURDAY NIGHT THAT I CAN ASSURE YOU ARE BEING ADDRESSED.
I JUST WANTED TO ASK, UH, UH, PRESENT WATKINS, DID THIS IN
[00:25:01]
ANY WAY HAVE SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE, UH, ACCIDENT THAT HAD OCCURRED ON FRIDAY NIGHT THAT, UH, OUT IN THE LAKELINE AREA THAT HAD, UH, TEMPORARILY SHUT DOWN SERVICES? YEAH, SO WHILE THERE WAS NOT A DIRECT CORRELATION, I CAN GUARANTEE YOU OUR RAIL TEAMS WERE EXHAUSTED BY SATURDAY NIGHT CUZ WE HAD BEEN UP ALL NIGHT FRIDAY NIGHT GETTING THE RAIL SPACE JUST TO MAKE SURE WE COULD GET IT BACK UP AND ON.YEAH, BECAUSE, AND THAT WAS IF FOR, FOR THOSE WHO WERE WATCHING THIS AND, AND, AND, AND WERE WONDERING, CAN YOU MAYBE ELABORATE A LITTLE BIT FURTHER ON WHAT THE SITUATION WAS THAT KIND OF CAUSED THAT BACKLOG AND GOT IT TO THIS POINT? YEAH, I'LL LET, UM, ANDY SCHABOWSKI, OUR COO, WALK US THROUGH WHAT HAPPENED FRIDAY NIGHT.
ON FRIDAY NIGHT, A UM, A DUMP TRUCK ACTUALLY PULLING INTO A PRIVATE DRIVEWAY, MADE TO TURN A LITTLE TOO LATE RIGHT IN FRONT OF ONE OF OUR TRAINS.
IT WAS CAT MESH WAS FIRST AND ONLY DERAILMENT.
WE ACTUALLY TRAIN CAME O OFF THE TRACKS.
UM, BETWEEN FRIDAY NIGHT AND THROUGH SATURDAY, WE WERE ABLE TO GET THE TRAIN UP AND OVER AND MAKE THE REPAIRS TO THE TRACK WHAT WE WENT INTO SATURDAY NIGHT WITH ONE SWITCH OUT OF SERVICE, THAT CAUSED US TO DO A LOT MORE JUGGLING AS FAR AS ON THE, ON THE NORTH END OF, OF THE SYSTEM, WE'RE ABLE TO PROVIDE SERVICE, BUT OBVIOUSLY PROBABLY NOT AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL THAT WE NORMALLY HAVE BEEN PROVIDING.
SO, UM, AND WE'LL MAKE SURE WE GO BACK AND LEARN FROM ANYTHING THAT WE COULD HAVE DONE DIFFERENT, BUT IT WAS, UM, IT WAS A LONG NIGHT TO SAY THE LEAST.
I, I JUST WANNA PERSONALLY THANK ANDY, YOU AND THE STAFF.
I KNOW IT, IT, IT, FROM, FROM WHAT WE'VE HEARD IT, IT WAS NOT, IT WAS NOT EASY.
I, I DON'T THINK THE, THE, THE WORD GOT BACK OUT.
WE ARE TRYING OUR BEST AS, AS AN AGENCY TO, TO, TO PICK UP THE SLACK AND GET EVERYTHING DONE SO THAT THERE WOULD BE MINIMAL, UH, IMPACT TO OUR, UH, FANS OVER AT, UH, Q2 STADIUM, UH, SHOWING UP FOR THE TEAM.
UNFORTUNATELY, WE, WE WEREN'T ABLE TO GET THERE TO A HUNDRED PERCENT, BUT GOSH, MAN, I, I SAW THE EMAIL TRAFFIC, SAW WHAT Y'ALL WERE DOING, MAN.
Y'ALL WERE DOING YEOMAN'S WORK.
YOU WERE, YOU WERE PULLING AN ALL-NIGHTER WITH YOUR STAFF YEP.
BETWEEN YOU AND HERZOG, TRYING TO GET THAT THING TAKEN CARE OF AND, AND GET US BACK ON TRACK.
SO I JUST WANNA PERSONALLY THANK YOU GUYS FOR ALL THE WORK THAT YOU ALL PUT IN AND THAT YOU WERE TRYING TO BE AS RESPONSIVE AS POSSIBLE, KNOWING ESPECIALLY WHAT WAS COMING UP AND THE, THE, THE SPECIAL NEEDS OF A, OF A SPECIFIC SPECIAL EVENT LIKE, UH, THE SOCCER GAME THAT WAS COMING UP JUST LE LESS THAN 24 HOURS LATER.
AND WE, AS WITH ANYTHING, HIS LESSONS LEARNED, WE'LL TAKE PHOTOS, THOSE LESSONS AND DO A BETTER JOB NEXT TIME.
OUR NEXT PUBLIC COMMENTER WILL BE BRENT PAYNE.
UH, GOOD MORNING, GOOD EVENING CHAIRMAN.
UH, AND THE BOARD MEMBERS THAT I SEEM LIKE I ONLY RECOGNIZE ONLY THREE OF Y'ALL NOW.
I'M THE PRESIDENT AND BUSINESS AGENT FOR LOCAL 10 91, WHICH I HANDLED PROBABLY 97% OF, OR 95% OF EVERYBODY THAT WORKS UNDER CAPITOL METRO, UH, FOR THE PRIVATE CONTRACTORS.
AND I WAS OUT SICK LAST MONTH WITH COVID, UNFORTUNATELY, AND I COULDN'T FORMALLY CONGRATULATE MS. WATKINS.
I'VE BEEN KNOWING DOTTY 30 PLUS YEARS ALMOST.
AND I LOOK FORWARD TO US WORKING WITH CHAIRMAN TRUVIO AND DOTTY ON FUTURE THINGS.
I KNOW WE'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF NEGOTIATIONS WITH MV.
WE JUST COMPLETED NEGOTIATIONS WITH MTM.
THAT CONTRACT HAS BEEN RATIFIED AND, UH, I DON'T FORESEE ANY ISSUES WITH MV.
UH, AND I JUST WANT TO SAY, LOOKING FORWARD TO CONTINUING TO WORK WITH THE CAPITAL METRO BOARD.
I KNOW AS WE LOOK AT EXPANDING AND INCREASING SERVICE AND THE PEOPLE THAT WE WANT TO HELP, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE IN IT TOGETHER.
UH, MY GOAL IS JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT MY PEOPLE ARE TREATED FAIRLY.
BENEFITS ARE FAIRLY SO THAT WE CAN PROVIDE SAFE WORK PRODUCT FOR ALL THE MEMBERS OF AUSTIN AND SURROUNDING CITIES.
I THINK Y'ALL MADE A GREAT DECISION.
I KNOW SHE KNOWS TRANSIT, SO HEY, LOOKING FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU.
WELL, THANK YOU FOR COMING OUT.
I WAS JUST GONNA SAY THANK YOU, BUT I CAN'T, I I'M EVIDENTLY LOSING MY VOICE.
OUR NEXT PERSON SIGNED UP IS JP CON.
HI BOARD MEMBERS, THANK YOU FOR, UM, MAKING TIME TO LISTEN TO ME AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY.
WANNA SAY CONGRATULATIONS TO THE NEW, UH, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD AND ALSO NOTE THAT I STILL LOOK FORWARD TO THE DAY WHEN WE CAN SEE, UM, A SINGLE CORE TRANSIT WRITER REPRESENTED ON THIS BOARD.
UM, I'M GONNA ATTEMPT IN THE TIME THAT I HAVE TO, TO READ A LETTER THAT WILL ALSO BE SENT TO THE BOARD OF AUSTIN.
DRIVES A PARTNERSHIP, AND IT'S FROM THE ATX MOBILITY COALITION.
AND IT'S ABOUT OUR CONCERNS WITH REALLY, UM, PROCESS, COMMUNICATION WITH THE COMMUNITY AND TRANSPARENCY AS THIS PROJECT MOVES FORWARD.
NOW, MORE THAN EVER, UM, WITH SOME OF THE NEWS STORIES THAT HAVE COME OUT TO THE
[00:30:01]
COMMUNITY, THE WAY WE TALK ABOUT THINGS, THE WAY WE DO THINGS, AND THE WAY WE BUILD TRUST WITH THE COMMUNITY WILL MATTER.SO THE LETTER SAYS, THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY.
THE ATX MOBILITY COALITION WOULD LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT CONCERNS THAT HAVE BEEN RAISED BY THE COMMUNITY WITH REGARDS TO TRANSPARENCY AND PROCESS SURROUNDING THE APPOINTMENT OF THE CAT METRO CEO AND OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP.
ON JANUARY 30TH, KAT METRO BOARD CHAIR ANNOUNCED AFTER A CLOSED DOOR SESSION THAT THE DECISION WAS MADE TO MOVE, UM, FORWARD WITH HIM AS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR ON QUOTE, IN REFERENCE TO THE APPOINTMENT OF GREG CANALI.
IF SUCH WERE INDEED THE CASE, THIS WOULD ENTAIL A VIOLATION OR A BAD FAITH INTERPRETATION OF ARTICLE 4.22 OF THE JOINT POWERS AGREEMENT AND OF THE TEXAS OPEN MEETINGS ACT, WHICH WAS APPROVED BY THE CITY OF AUSTIN CAP METRO ATP IN THE FALL OF 2021.
UM, THAT WOULD BE THE, THE JPA, NOT THE OPEN MEETINGS ACT.
THE ATTP BOARD, UM, SHALL ESTABLISH THIS IS, UH, QUOTATION A COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROCESS FOR SUCH APPOINTMENTS, WHICH IS APPROPRIATE FOR THE APPOINTMENT OF SENIOR LEADERSHIP.
AND SIMILAR PROCESS DESCRIBED ABOVE THAT WAS REFERRING TO THE PROCESS FOR THE INDEPENDENT MODEL BETWEEN ATP AND CAT METRO.
FURTHERMORE, UM, ARTICLE 3.2 0.3 OF THE JPA ESTABLISHED THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR PROJECT CONNECT.
AND I WON'T LE READ THROUGH ALL OF THEM HERE.
YOU HAVE THEM PRINTED OUT IN FRONT OF YOU, AND WE WILL EMAIL YOU THIS, UM, THIS AFTERNOON AS WELL.
BUT I JUST WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT A FEW OF THEM.
AND ONE IS, OPPORTUNITIES SHALL ALLOW TIME FOR COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO REVIEW MATERIALS, PROVIDE INFORMED AND MEANINGFUL FEEDBACK, AND UNDERSTAND HOW FEEDBACK IS INCORPORATED BEFORE A DECISION IS MADE.
UM, AND THE PROJECT CONNECT COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE SHALL BE COMPREHENSIVELY CONSULTED AND INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS, INCLUDING BEING REGULARLY INFORMED IN THE ADVANCE OF PROJECT CONNECT RELATED EQUITY AND ANTI DISPLACEMENT ACTIONS BEING BROUGHT BY THE PARTIES, UM, IN A CONSISTENT MANNER SO THEY CAN EFFECTIVELY ASSIST STAFF WITH COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROCESSES AND A SPACE FOR COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO PROVIDE FEEDBACK ON THE PROGRAM.
ALL ENGAGEMENT OPPORTUNITIES SHALL BE HIGHLIGHTED ON A PUBLICLY AVAILABLE AND ACCESSIBLE CALENDAR.
SO I WASN'T ABLE TO READ, UM, THE WHOLE THING, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, THE COMMUNICATION, THE WAY IT HAPPENED, UM, UH, WAS UNFORTUNATE.
FURTHERMORE, WE'D LIKE TO CALL YOUR ATTENTION TO THE FACT THAT ALTHOUGH THE CEO OF CAPITAL METROPOLITAN AUTHORITY IS NOT GOVERNED BY THE JOINT POWERS AGREEMENT, THE CEO APPOINTMENT, IT IS THE BELIEF OF THE ATX MOBILITY COALITION THAT THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT GUIDING PRINCIPLES SHOULD BE APPLIED THROUGHOUT PROJECT CONNECT, INCLUDING ON MAJOR DECISIONS ABOUT GOVERNANCE AND CHANGES IN EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP OF THE AGENCIES DEVELOPING THE PROGRAM.
WE WOULD LIKE TO CALL YOUR ATTENTION TO THE FACT THAT NEITHER THE ATX MOBILITY COALITION, NOR THE COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE FOR PROJECT CONNECT, NOR THE LARGER COMMUNITY OF TRANSIT USERS WAS NOTIFIED OR ENGAGED IN THE SELECTION PROCESS FOR THE NEW PRESIDENT CEO OF CAP METRO.
UM, UH, SO WE LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH DODY WATKINS.
WE APPRECIATE THE EXPERIENCE SHE BRINGS TO THE LEADERSHIP OF THIS VITAL PROJECT, BUT THE PROCESS FOR THE SELECTION DID NOT LIVE UP TO THE PUBLIC COMMITMENTS MADE BY THE DIRECTORS, NOR DID IT LIVE UP TO OUR COMMUNITY STANDARDS FOR FUTURE AND SUCCESS.
FOR THE FUTURE SUCCESS OF THIS PROJECT, WE MUST DO BETTER.
IT IS CRUCIAL THAT BOTH CAT, METRO AND ATP MAINTAIN A CLEAR COMMITMENT AND WORK TO UPHOLD AND BUILD COMMUNITY TRUST.
THIS CAN ONLY BE ACCOMPLISHED BY COMMITMENT TO TRANSPARENT PUBLIC PROCESS, MEANINGFUL COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, AND PERSISTENT OVERSIGHT.
WE URGE THE BOARD TO TAKE SERIOUS STOCK OF THE DAMAGE TO COMMUNITY TRUST THAT SUCH COMMUNICATION HAS CAUSED AND TO TAKE MEANINGFUL STEPS TO REPAIR THAT DAMAGE.
AND WE HAVE A SET OF RECOMMENDATIONS, WHICH I'M NOT SURE IF I'LL BE ABLE TO READ, UM, BUT I'LL TRY VERY QUICKLY HERE.
ALL BOARD MEMBERS MUST BE INTIMATELY FAMILIAR WITH THE COMMITMENTS OF THE JOINT POWERS AGREEMENT AND PUBLICLY DEMONSTRATE A COMMITMENT TO UPHOLDING THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT GUIDING PRINCIPLES IN THE JPA.
NEW BOARD MEMBERS SHOULD BE ASKED TO READ AND REVIEW THE ENO CENTER ANALYSIS AND BECOME FAMILIAR WITH THE LANGUAGE OF ITS RECOMMENDATIONS, WHICH ARE KEY TO DEVELOPING AND IMPLEMENTING A HEALTHY PROGRAM.
THE BOARD MUST WORK TO IMPROVE ITS COMMUNICATION PROTOCOLS WITH THE GENERAL PUBLIC, AND MUST IMPROVE ITS COMMUNICATION WITH THE CAC AND WITH OTHER ADVISORY BODIES OF THE PROJECT.
AND THE BOARD MUST STRIVE TO REPAIR TRUST WITH THE COMMUNITY, INCLU, INCLUDING PUBLIC, LEGAL, KNOW, AND THE HARM CAUSE BY THIS APPARENT VIOLATION OF THE JPA.
NOW, I WANNA ALSO, I I SKIPPED OVER THIS PART, BUT, UH, BOARD CHAIR CASTRO DE HAS SINCE CLARIFIED THE POSITION MAKING A PUBLIC STATEMENT AND HAS ASSURED THE COMMUNITY THAT THAT WAS NOT HOW THINGS WENT OUT AND HOW THINGS ROLLED OUT.
AND THERE HAVE BEEN COMMUNITY MEETINGS TO ADDRESS THESE CONCERNS, BUT I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT RIGHT NOW, ESPECIALLY WITH NEW MEMBERS ON THE BOARD AND WITH EVERYBODY, THAT WE WORK REALLY HARD TO DO BETTER ON THIS AND TO GET THIS STUFF RIGHT, BECAUSE THERE'S NO REASON WHY WE CAN'T.
THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME, UH, TO, UH, PRESENT THE ISSUES.
WE KNOW THAT YOU WORK FOR A COMMUNITY AND, AND THAT, UH, WE CAN, UH, WE CAN HEAL AND BUILD THINGS TOGETHER.
SO, UH, THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME.
WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, THAT WE ARE MOVING FORWARD IN A WAY THAT, UH, THAT WE ARE ALL COMFORTABLE WITH.
[IV. Recognition]
ALL RIGHT.SO WE ARE GOING TO TAKE A BRIEF MOMENT AND RECOGNIZE, UH, A PERSON WHO HAS, UM, PROVIDED INVALUABLE LEADERSHIP TO THIS BOARD FOR MANY YEARS.
UM, MANY OF US CALL HIM, CALL HIM A FRIEND.
SOME OF US CALL HIM MENTOR, UH, BUT
[00:35:01]
WADE COOPER HAS BEEN A MEMBER OF THIS BODY AND HAS SERVED THIS COMMUNITY SINCE 2014.UH, AND HE WAS A CHAIR, UH, HERE AT CAP METRO FROM 2015 TO 2022.
ALTHOUGH WHEN HE STOPPED BEING CHAIR, HE HAD THIS BIG SMILE.
WE HAD NEVER SEEN
UH, BUT, BUT HE IS, UH, LED LED OUR, UH, OUR TEAM THROUGH MAJOR INITIATIVES LIKE, UH, CAPARI MAP, UH, THE LAUNCH OF OUR PICKUP SERVICE, UH, THE PROP, A PRO, UH, PROCESS, STANDING UP, UH, ATP, A NUMBER OF THINGS, UH, INCLUDING THE HIRING OF BOTH, UH, RANDY CLARK AND NOW, UH, DOTTY WATKINS.
AND, UH, AND HE HAS BEEN A, A, A CONSTANT VOICE OF REASON, A CONSTANT VOICE, UH, MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE ALL PAYING ATTENTION TO WHAT'S GOING ON AROUND US AND HOW WE, UH, HOW WE MUST WORK TOGETHER AS TEAMMATES AND HOW WE, AND HOW WE MUST ALIGN OURSELVES WITH, UH, WITH ENTITIES LIKE THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
YOU KNOW, HOW DO WE REALLY BUILD TR BUILD PUBLIC TRANSIT, NOT ONLY FOR THE CITY, BUT HOW DO WE ADDRESS THE NEEDS OF THE REGION? UH, HE'S, HE'S BEEN A VOICE OF, OF OUR REASON.
AND, UH, AND, UH, SOMEONE WHO CLEARLY CARES DEEPLY ABOUT PUBLIC TRANSIT.
SO I COULD, I COULD TALK ABOUT HIM FOR A COUPLE OF HOURS AND, AND, AND, YOU KNOW, I'M BAPTIST, SO I HAVE TO BE CAREFUL.
UH, BUT, BUT I HAVE COLLEAGUES THAT WOULD LIKE TO, UH, THAT CERTAINLY WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO, UH, TO SPEAK OF HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH THEM AS WELL.
UM, I, I WILL RECOGNIZE, UH, FIRSTHAND I SAW WAS BOARD MEMBER POOL.
UM, I CAN'T TELL IF, IF WADE IS IN THE ROOM.
WELL, UM, CONGRATULATIONS, WADE ON YOUR RETIREMENT, UM, UH, FROM THE KEN METRO BOARD AND, AND, UH, THANK YOU FOR YOUR MANY YEARS OF REALLY, UH, EXCELLENT SERVICE.
UM, MY FRIEND AND, AND OUR FORMER, UH, BOARD COLLEAGUE ANN KITCHEN WASN'T ABLE TO STAY.
UH, BUT SHE ASKED ME TO READ A COUPLE OF COMMENTS FROM HER INTO THE RECORD ON, UH, AND HER THANK YOUS TO WADE.
SHE SAYS, UM, THAT SHE WANTS TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK, WADE IN GETTING PROJECT CONNECT PASSED AND LAUNCHED.
YOU'VE BEEN A LONG TIME ADVOCATE FOR TRANSIT HERE IN AUSTIN, AND ALSO FOR THE ADEPT WAY.
YOU LED OUR MEETINGS ON CAT METRO FOR MANY YEARS WITH MUCH GRACE AND HUMOR.
AND, AND I, I, UH, I, UH, UH, ECHO, UH, ANN'S COMMENTS AS WELL.
OTHER BOARD MEMBERS, UH, BOARD MEMBER STRATTON, I JUST WANT TO SAY, UH, WADE, UM, CONGRATULATIONS AND, UM, THANK YOU.
I, UH, APPRECIATE IT WHEN I, I CAME IN AS A, UH, UH, WIDE-EYED BRAND NEW, NEWLY MINTED BOARD MEMBER IN DECEMBER OF 2018.
AND I, I JUST APPRECIATED THE WAY THAT YOU, UM, THAT, THAT YOU WELCOMED ME AND IN MANY WAYS TOOK ME UNDER YOUR WING.
AND I, I JUST, IN SO MANY WAYS, THE CHAIR CAN SET THE TONE FOR HOW THE ENTIRE BOARD WILL INTERACT AND, AND THE, THE ORGANIZATION ITSELF, UH, WORKS TOGETHER.
AND I REALLY JUST APPRECIATED THE TONE THAT YOU SET, THE COLLEGIALITY THAT YOU ENCOURAGED AMONG US ALL, HOW YOU, YOU ALWAYS HAD TIME FOR EVERY ONE OF US.
YOU'D ALWAYS TAKE MY CALLS NO MATTER WHAT TIME, CRAZY TIME OF THE EVENING, IT WAS BASED ON THE, THE, THE HOURS THAT I WAS WORKING.
AND YOU, YOU WERE NEVER, YOU WERE NEVER A AFRAID TO, YOU NEVER THOUGHT ANY OF MY QUESTIONS WERE TOO DUMB.
AS I WAS COMING IN NEW AND TRANSIT AFTER ALL YOUR YEARS WORKING ON THIS.
AND YOU, YOU ALWAYS, I ALWAYS KNEW YOU HAD THE RIGHT IDEAS IN MIND, AND YOU HAD THE RIGHT HEART.
YOUR HEART WAS IN THE RIGHT PLACE FOR THIS, FOR, FOR CAP METRO, FOR ITS FOR ITS OPERATORS, FOR THE STAFF, AND FOR OUR COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE THAT WE SERVE.
AND I, I ONLY HOPE THAT I CAN CONTINUE TO MODEL THAT AS I CONTINUE TO SERVE ON THIS BOARD.
AND I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU FOR, FOR, FOR MODELING THAT FOR ME AND, AND BEING A MENTOR FOR ME AS I, AS I GOT STARTED HERE WITH THIS.
SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR, FOR YOUR SERVICE.
ARE THE BOARD MEMBERS, BOARD MEMBER HARRIS? UH, JUST TO ECHO BOARD MEMBER STRATTON'S COMMENTS, UM, I'VE ONLY BEEN ON THE BOARD NOW, WE'RE HAVING IT BEEN A YEAR.
UM, BUT PROBABLY THE FIRST CALL I MADE AFTER I GOT ON THERE WAS TO TALK TO WADE AND IN A SENSE OF TRY AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE
[00:40:01]
TO, TO ABSORB, UM, HIS VAST EXPERIENCE, BOTH SERVING AS THE CHAIR AND THEN ALSO SERVING AS THE HEAD OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE, UH, SINCE I'VE BEEN ON.UH, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, JUST TO GAUGE, YOU KNOW, TO, TO TRY AND FOR THE LACK OF A BETTER TERM, I REALLY WANTED TO DO A VULCAN MIND MILL JUST TO BE ABLE TO, TO ABSORB ALL HIS, ALL HIS EXPERIENCE IN TERMS OF BOTH THE REMAP AND HOW HE GOT TO PROJECT CONNECT AND EVERYTHING ELSE.
UH, BECAUSE I THINK IT'S THAT HOW WE GOT HERE AND WHERE WE'RE AT NOW, I THINK WILL HELP, WOULD HELP GUIDE ME IN TERMS OF MAKING FUTURE DECISIONS ABOUT TRANSIT IN THE REGION.
SO ANYWAY, I JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR TAKING THE TIME TO EDUCATE SOMEBODY WHO, WHILE I KNOW TRANSIT A LITTLE BIT, IS TO UNDERSTAND HOW WE GOT HERE.
I THINK YOU'VE TRAINED US ALL UP.
AND, UM, IN MY COUPLE OF YEARS HERE, I JUST WANNA THANK YOU FOR, UM, ANSWERING ALL THE QUESTIONS BECAUSE YOU DO, AND I THINK THAT WE'VE ALL SAID THE SAME THING HERE, BUT YOU'VE, YOU'VE DEFINITELY LEFT YOUR PRESENCE HERE.
AND, UM, WE WISH YOU, WELL SEE IF I CAN SPEAK ON BEHALF OF ALL THIS STAFF.
I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU FOR MANY, MANY, MANY YEARS OF SUPPORT.
UM, YOU ALWAYS HAD OUR BACK AND ALWAYS HELPED US GUIDE US GENTLY WHEN WE MAYBE NEEDED A LITTLE MORE GUIDANCE THAN THAN OTHERS.
AND, UM, IT'S JUST BEEN A PLEASURE TO GET TO KNOW YOU AND TO WORK WITH YOU, AND WE WISH YOU NOTHING BUT THE BEST.
SO I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT ALL NEW BOARD MEMBERS GET HIS CELL NUMBER BEFORE HE LEAVES
UH, HE, HE CAN, YOU KNOW, NOT, NOT ONLY IS HE A A VERY VALUABLE ADVISOR, HE USUALLY PICKS UP LUNCH TOO,
UM, WADE, WE WANT TO GIVE YOU AN OPPORTUNITY TO, UH, SAY ANYTHING, UH, THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO SAY, BECAUSE WE'VE GOT A LITTLE PRESENT THAT WE WANT TO SHARE WITH YOU, AND WE EXPECT TO COME AROUND AND TAKE A PICTURE WITH YOU AS WELL.
SO, UH, IF YOU, YOU GET A REBUTTAL? YES,
UH, WELL, I APPRECIATE THIS OPPORTUNITY AND, UH, I KNOW IN THE FUTURE I'LL BE LIMITED TO THREE MINUTES, SO I WILL, UH, ASK FOR A WAIVER OF THAT, UH, UH, TODAY.
BUT THIS IS A, UH, BITTERSWEET, UH, OCCASION, UH, FOR ME TO MY COLLEAGUES ON THE BOARD, UH, CURRENT AND, UH, PAST.
THERE ARE VERY FEW THINGS IN LIFE THAT MEET THE STANDARD OF WORKING TOGETHER IN COMMON CAUSE TO DO GOOD.
AND, UH, THAT'S BEEN A PRIVILEGE TO HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY TO WRESTLE WITH HARD ISSUES, BUT KNOWING AT THE END OF THE DAY, WHILE WE MIGHT NOT ALL HAVE THE SAME VISION OF WHAT THE COMMON GOOD IS, OR THE PATHWAY TO THE COMMON GOOD THAT WE WERE STRUGGLING WITH THE ISSUES TO DO GOOD.
SO THANK YOU FOR THAT OPPORTUNITY FOR THE COLLEGIAL NATURE IN WHICH WE HAVE DONE THAT OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS.
I THINK, UH, WE'VE DONE SOME GOOD THINGS AND WE LEFT A LOT OF GOOD WORK UNDONE FOR THIS BOARD.
AND, UH, TO MY NEW COLLEAGUES OR OR TO THE NEW, YOUR NEW COLLEAGUES ON THE BOARD, I SAY WELCOME.
UM, THIS IS A GREAT EXPERIENCE.
YOU HAVE THIS MORNING, UH, SCENE, THE WHOLE PANOPLY OF THINGS THAT HAPPENS HERE AT CAT METRO FROM DERAILMENTS TO UNHAPPY CUSTOMERS TO MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WHO DO NOT GET A LOT OF FANFARE, BUT ARE QUIETLY DOING REALLY COOL THINGS IN, UH, DARK CORNERS OF OUR COMMUNITY.
AND YOU WILL GET TO SEE ALL THAT AS WELL.
UH, UH, SO THANK YOU TO MY FORMER COLLEAGUES ON THE BOARD AND CONGRATULATIONS AND THANK YOU TO THE NEW COLLEAGUES FOR STEPPING INTO THE BREACH, UH, ESPECIALLY, UH, DIANE, FOR TAKING THAT CHAIR.
AND I WILL JUST SAY THAT YOU'RE THE THIRD PERSON TO SIT IN THAT CHAIR SINCE THIS BOARD WAS REORGANIZED BY CINDER WATSON BACK WHEN WE CAME CLOSE TO BANKRUPTCY.
SO WE'RE, UH, IN HIGH COTTON THESE DAYS, BUT IT WASN'T ALWAYS SO, AND IT MAY NOT BE.
SO IF YOU DON'T DO YOUR JOBS WELL,
AND I WAS SHOCKED, FRANKLY, AT THE QUALITY, UH, OF THE FOLKS THAT WERE HERE.
AND IT TOOK ME A WHILE TO SLOWLY APPRECIATE THAT.
BUT, UH, THE ENSUING EIGHT PLUS YEARS HAS GIVEN ME, UH, GREAT APPRECIATION, ESPECIALLY FOR THE PEOPLE,
[00:45:01]
UH, THAT I GOT TO KNOW, UH, STARTING, UH, WITH, UH, THE PRESIDENTS, UH, THAT WE'VE HAD.AND I'VE, UH, BEEN PRIVILEGED TO WORK WITH THREE GREAT ONES WHO EACH HAD THEIR ROLE IN TRANSITIONING DOTS IS, UH, UNDEFINED AS YET, BUT EACH ONE MOVED THE AGENCY ALONG TO ALL THE STAFF PEOPLE WHO'VE MADE, UH, PRESENTATIONS AND TOOK PRIDE IN THEIR JOBS.
UM, AND, UH, PRE COVID, I WAS IN THE HABIT OF TRYING TO TAKE THE NUMBER SEVEN OVER HERE FROM MY OFFICE DOWNTOWN, AND THAT IS AN INTERESTING ROUTE.
YOU SEE A LOT OF AMERICA, A LOT OF AUSTIN ON THE, ON THE NUMBER SEVEN.
AND I ENCOURAGE OUR NEW COLLEAGUES ON THE BOARD TO SPEND TIME RIDING THE BUS.
UH, BUT THE PROFICIENCY AND THE CARE OF THE HUMBLE BUS DRIVER, UH, ALWAYS REMINDED ME OF WHAT IT WAS THAT WE WERE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH HERE.
AND, UH, MY ONE REGRET IS I DIDN'T GET TO KNOW MORE OF OUR BUS DRIVERS AND FRONTLINE PEOPLE BECAUSE THE THING I'M PROUDEST OF IS WE HAD BIG POLICY AMBITIONS WITH CAP REMAP AND PROJECT CONNECT, AND YOU HAVE A LOT OF REALLY IMPORTANT WORK LEFT TO DO ON THE BOARD, BUT EVERY DAY THERE'S SOMEBODY THAT NEEDS A RIDE, UH, OR NEEDS A LITTLE HELP.
AND I WAS ALWAYS IMPRESSED WITH THE CARE OF OUR STAFF ON A DAY-TO-DAY BASIS, TAKING CARE OF THE UNHOUSED, UH, THOSE WHO NEED A MEAL, GETTING THEM FROM POINT A TO A LUNCH COUNTER SOMEWHERE, UH, DURING THE WINTER STORM WHEN STRUCK.
UH, YOU, UH, WILL GET A VISION OF THE IMPORTANCE OF WHAT YOU DO AND WHAT THEY DO.
AND IT'S EASY TO HAVE THE BACK OF THE STAFF WHEN YOU COMPREHEND THE IMPORTANCE THAT THEY HAVE AND THE LIVES OF INDIVIDUALS.
AND SO HOPE YOU'LL CONTINUE TO DO WHAT YOU CAN TO KEEP THEM ON THE STREETS, TO KEEP THEM PROUD OF THEIR JOB, TO GIVE THEM AMBITION AND HOPE FOR THE FUTURE.
HOPE THAT YOU WILL TACKLE THE BIG, UH, QUESTIONS THAT YOU'LL HAVE IN THE NEXT SIX MONTHS.
THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE NEW TO THE BOARD ARE GONNA HAVE TO COME UP TO SPEED VERY QUICKLY.
AND REMEMBER, PRE COVID, UH, I TRAVELED TO NEW YORK AND SPECIFICALLY BROOKLYN, UH, FOR THE BIRTH OF OUR GRANDDAUGHTER.
IT WAS JUST A MONTH BEFORE COVID HIT, BUT I GOT TO RIDE A HUNDRED YEAR OLD SUBWAY TRAIN, A HUNDRED YEAR OLD SUBWAY TRAIN.
THE DECISIONS YOU ALL WILL MAKE IN THE THE NEXT SIX MONTHS WILL IMPACT THIS COMMUNITY FOR MULTIPLE GENERATIONS.
UH, I THINK THAT THIS BOARD IS AS CAPABLE AND MORE ENERGETIC AND SMARTER THAN ANY BOARD THAT HAS COME BEFORE.
SO I HAVE GREAT CONFIDENCE IN YOU, BUT, UH, I WISH YOU WELL IN THAT JOURNEY.
STAND UP FOR WHAT YOU THINK IS RIGHT IN THIS.
THERE WILL BE HARD QUESTIONS TO BE ASKED AND HARD DECISIONS TO BE MADE AND COMPROMISES, UH, THAT NEED TO BE PUT TOGETHER.
UH, BUT, UH, YOU ALL ARE UP TO IT.
AND, UH, WITH THAT, I WISH YOU THE BEST SAY THANK YOU.
AND, UH, I'LL, UH, UH, FADE GRADUALLY INTO THE NIGHT HERE.
BUT THANK YOU ALL FOR THE COMMENTS.
WELL, LET'S STAY RIGHT THERE BECAUSE WE WANT TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE TOKEN OF OUR APPRECIATION AND TAKE A PICTURE WITH YOU AND STAFF.
THIS IS THE SALARY I'VE BEEN PROMISED FOR SO LONG,
[00:50:07]
ALL RIGHT, TEAM.LET'S SEE IF WE CAN PULL IT BACK TOGETHER.
LET'S SEE IF WE CAN PULL IT TOGETHER.
ERIC STRATTON IS TOOTH IN THE
DO WE STILL HAVE OUR QUORUM? GOT COUPLE THAT ARE, OH, THERE WE GO.
UH, THANK YOU FOR THE COOKIE MAKER.
LET'S SAY, LET'S START THAT FIRST.
[V. Advisory Committee Updates]
UH, I THINK NEXT UP ON OUR AGENDA WILL BE OUR BOARD, UH, BOARD ADVISORY COMMITTEE UPDATES.MS. POWER IS HERE TO PRESENT, UH, THOSE FOR US.
HELLO, UH, GOOD AFTERNOON, CHAIR TRILLIAN, UM, PRESIDENT, CEO WATKINS, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.
I'M THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT MANAGER AND ALSO THE STAFF LIAISON FOR THE ADVISORY COMMITTEES HERE AT, UH, CAB METRO.
UM, I AM GOING TO PROVIDE THIS MONTH'S COMMITTEE UPDATES ALSO WITH ME.
UM, THERE IS ADAM POWELL, CHAIR POWELL FROM PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE, AND ALSO CHAIR HUNT FROM THE ACCESS COMMITTEE.
AND I'LL DO MY HIGH LEVEL OVERVIEW AND I'LL PASS IT ON TO THEM WHEN I'M DONE.
SO ACCESS AND CSAC COMMITTEES MET ON FEBRUARY 1ST AND THE EIGHTH.
UH, THEY RECEIVED AN UPDATE ON THE ANTI-DISPLACEMENT FUNDS BY NEFERTITI JACKMAN FROM THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
UH, SERVICE, UH, STANDARDS AND GUIDELINES FROM ROSE LISKA AND EMMA MARTINEZ.
UM, ACCESS COMMITTEE SPECIFIC ITEMS WERE METRO ACCESS OPERATIONS TECHNOLOGY BY JULIE LAMPKIN AND THE METRO ACCESS ELIGIBILITY, UH, APPEALS CALENDAR BY MARTIN CARTI, UH, PUBLIC SAFETY ADVISORY COMMITTEE MET ON FEBRUARY 24TH.
UM, THEY RECEIVED A GENERAL UPDATE AND A THANK YOU FROM PRESIDENT AND CEO DOTTY WATKINS.
UM, THEY ALSO RECEIVED A COMMITTEE, NORMS AND REMINDERS UPDATE FROM CHAIR POWELL AND VICE CHAIR STEVEN FOSTER.
UM, ERIC ROBBINS, CHIEF ADMINISTRATOR GAVE HIM AN UPDATE ON THE HIRING FOR THE CO FOR THE DEPARTMENT, AND ALSO AN INTRODUCTION TO PUBLIC SAFETY CAPTAIN, UM, JEREMY BENO.
UH, WE ALSO RECEIVED A REPORT FROM HOLLY WINGE FROM THE COMMUNITY INTERVENTION PROGRAM REPORT, AND THEY SPOKE ABOUT, UH, POTENTIAL MEETINGS IN MARCH ABOUT THE POLICY ADVISORY PROCESS.
I WILL GO AHEAD AND PASS IT ON TO FIRST CHAIR HUNT, AND THEN CHAIR POWELL.
UM, AND I'M HERE IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.
CHAIR HUNT, ARE YOU, UH, AVAILABLE? YES.
UM, ACTUALLY THE, IN FEBRUARY, UH, THE, THE ACCESS COMMITTEE AND, UM, THE, UH, CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE MET TOGETHER.
UM, I SURE YOU'LL REMEMBER THE, UH, MAJOR EVENT IN FEBRUARY.
UM, VERY, WE WERE POWERLESS TO CONDUCT A
SO THEY MET, THEY MET, UM, UH, TOGETHER, AND I DID NOT MAKE THAT MEETING.
SO, UM, BUT I DO APPRECIATE THE UPDATES THAT WERE GIVEN.
I ESPECIALLY APPRECIATE, UM, UH, JULIE LAMPKIN ALWAYS KEEPING US UP TO DATE ON THE TECHNOLOGY.
AND BOY, WE'VE GOT A LOT TO LOOK FORWARD TO.
UM, YOU KNOW, AS TIME GOES ON.
UM, AND I KNOW I, I DIDN'T SEE, I DIDN'T HEAR MUCH, MANY OF IT, MUCH OF IT YET, BUT I KNOW AS METRO ALWAYS DOES, WHEN THERE'S A DISASTER IN THIS CITY OR SOMETHING LIKE AN ICE STORM OR, OR, UM, POWER FAILURES AND LIKE THE 2021 STORM, THAT KIND OF THING, THEY ALWAYS STEP UP AND DO HUMANS' WORK.
THE ONLY OTHER THING I'M INTERESTED IN THE COMMITTEE'S GONNA BE VERY INTERESTED IN IS HEARING ABOUT THE WHEELCHAIR RECORD THING.
UM, THIS IS SOMETHING THIS COMMITTEE SHOULD KNOW ABOUT.
UH, WE HAVEN'T HEARD ABOUT IT YET, UH, BUT WE SHOULD KNOW ABOUT IT AND SHOULD BE INVOLVED AS THIS PROJECT GOES FORWARD.
AND I THINK I UNDERSTAND THAT BASICALLY THE PERSON WITH A WHEELCHAIR GETS STRANDED.
IT'S GOTTA BE A WAY TO GET THEM HOME.
UM, YOU KNOW, WHEN BUSES DON'T, WHEN, UH, THEY GET STRANDED AND THAT SORT OF THING.
UM, METRO, UM, SOMETIMES THEY, THEY ALWAYS DO A GOOD JOB, BUT BASICALLY, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES THINGS DO HAPPEN AND, UH, TO GET SOMEBODY HOME QUICKLY AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO ACCESS COMMITTEE IS MOST DEFINITELY INTERESTED IN, IN THAT PROJECT.
UH, CHAIRMAN HUNT, UH, I GUESS IS, UH, MIS, IS CHAIRMAN POWELL GONNA, UH, YES.
FOR PUBLIC SAFETY? EXCELLENT, EXCELLENT.
CHAIRMAN POWELL, CHAIRMAN, PLEASE, PLEASE PROCEED.
I'M THE CHAIR OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
UM, EDNA COVERED REALLY WHAT WE DUG INTO
[00:55:01]
IN THE MEETING, AND I'D SAY, UH, A COUPLE OF THINGS.THERE ARE JUST HELPFUL CONTEXT FOR THE BOARD, ONE OF WHICH IS AS WE'VE BEEN GETTING FURTHER INTO THE CONTEXT OF THE THREE-PRONGED APPROACH