[00:00:01]
I WANT TO THANK YOU ALL FOR JOINING US AT THE MARCH MEETING OF THE CAP METRO BOARD OF DIRECTORS.
TODAY IS MONDAY, MARCH 27TH, AND THE TIME IS 1215.
[II. Public Comment]
FIRST, UH, AGENDA ITEM TODAY IS GOING TO BE PUBLIC COMMENT.I SEE THAT WE'VE GOT A COUPLE PEOPLE HERE THAT ARE SIGNED UP.
I GUESS WE WILL START WITH MY NOTES AND, AND AM MAYOR, GOOD TO SEE YOU.
WE'LL LET, WE'LL, UM, WE'LL LET YOU BACK CLEAN UP.
YOU, WE'LL, WE'LL SAVE THE, WE'LL SAVE YOU FOR LAST, YEAH.
UM, ED, IS MS. JOSEPH READY? MS. JOSEPH HAS ALSO ASKED TO GO LAST.
UH, LET SEE IF I CAN GET, OKAY.
SO LET'S, LET'S FLIP THE SCRIPT, IF YOU WILL.
UM, MAYOR, UH, DELAL, WOULD YOU LIKE TO GO FIRST? ALL RIGHT.
WHAT ABOUT THAT? THANK YOU SO MUCH.
UH, HAPPY MONDAY TO EVERYBODY.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR LISTENING TO MY COMMENTS TODAY.
UH, TODAY I AM HERE TO REPRESENT THE CITY OF LEANDER.
UM, AND ONCE AGAIN, I AM BEING SELFISH.
BECKY ROSS REPRESENTS ALL THE SMALL CITIES, BUT I AM GOING TO TALK ABOUT LEANDER, AND I WANNA TELL YOU ALL THAT I APPRECIATE THE PARTNERSHIP THAT WE'VE HAD.
I FEEL LIKE THE LAST TWO YEARS HAVE BEEN INCREDIBLY STRONG, ESPECIALLY THE LAST EIGHT MONTHS OR SO.
UM, WE APPRECIATE ALL THAT Y'ALL HAVE DONE FOR US.
UM, BUT I WANTED TO TALK ABOUT PICKUP TODAY.
UM, PICKUP HAS BEEN WILDLY SUCCESSFUL IN LEANDER, AS YOU ALL KNOW.
UM, IT'S BEEN GREAT FOR THE COMMUNITY.
UM, BUT SINCE THE INCEPTION OF PICKUP IN 2019, WE HAVEN'T HAD ANY REAL EXPANSION.
AND I KNOW THAT THERE ARE RESOURCES THAT ARE, UM, DIFFICULT TO GET, AND THERE'S LOTS OF PLANNING IN ADVANCE.
SO I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT PICKUP EXPANSIONS, THAT LEANDER IS TOP OF YOUR LIST.
UM, ON OUR REAGAN CORRIDOR, UM, WHICH IS PARMER IN AUSTIN, IT TURNS INTO REAGAN AND LEANDER, AND IT IS AN ECONOMIC HUB.
AND CURRENTLY PICKUP DOESN'T GO ANYWHERE NEAR IT, UM, EVEN THOUGH IT'S PRODUCING THE SALES TAXES THAT ARE PAYING FOR THE SERVICE.
SO WE HAVE TWO BIG HUBS ON REAGAN AND SEVERAL THAT ARE IN PROCESS OF DEVELOPMENT.
ONE OF THEM IS THE COLD SPRINGS MARKETPLACE, WHICH WAS IN PLACE WHEN THE PICKUP ZONE WAS CREATED.
THE CLOSEST PLACE YOU CAN GET PICKUP IS FOUR AND A HALF MILES AWAY.
WE ALSO HAVE A NEW HEB SHOPPING CENTER THAT HAS A TORCHY'S AND MUCH NEEDED DOCTOR'S OFFICES.
WE TALKED LAST TIME ABOUT HOW THERE IS NO DISABILITY SERVICE IN LEANDER WHATSOEVER.
THAT WENT AWAY WITH FIXED ROUTE.
FIXED ROUTE WENT AWAY OVER A DECADE AGO.
UM, WE HAVE DOCTOR'S OFFICES IN THE NEW HEB CENTER AND A TORCHY'S, AND THAT IS SIX MILES AWAY FROM THE EDGE OF THE PICKUP ZONE.
SO MY HOPE IS THAT AS YOU ARE LOOKING TOWARDS EXPANSION IN THE FUTURE, YOU REMEMBER THE RESIDENTS OF LEANDER THAT WOULD LOVE TO GET TO THEIR DOCTOR'S APPOINTMENTS, THEIR GROCERY SHOPPING, AND PAY MORE SALES TAX INTO THE SYSTEM AND GET TO THEIR JOBS.
WE APPRECIATE Y'ALL VERY MUCH.
UH, LET'S SEE, IS DEBRA MILLER HERE? DEBRA MILLER.
UM, IF YOU DON'T KNOW ME, I'M A DRIVER ADVOCATE AND A METRO ACCESS RIDER, AND NOW A TRAIN RIDER AND A, A REGULAR BUS SERVICE RIDER.
I REALLY ENJOYED THE PARTY LAST TUESDAY.
UM, FIRST OF ALL, I WANNA RECOGNIZE A DRIVER THAT JUST RETIRED.
HE HAD YEARS OF SERVICE WITH CAPITAL METRO METRO ACCESS.
UM, HE'S EXEMPLARY IN THE WAY THAT HE ALWAYS HAD SUCH A GREAT SENSE OF HUMOR, AND HE ALWAYS CARRIES US, UM, THROUGH SOME REALLY HORRIBLE THINGS.
UM, FOR ME PERSONALLY, UM, YOU KNOW, HE, HE JUST, AND HE IS NOT OUTSIDE, IS WHAT HE DOES WHILE HE'S DRIVING YOU.
UM, THE, THE PEOPLE THAT DRIVE THESE BUSES ARE SO KIND AND SO HELPFUL.
WHEN WE'RE DISABLED, WE HAVE NO ONE ELSE.
AND I JUST WANNA APPRECIATE HOW MUCH THE, THE VALUE OF THE DRIVERS ARE AND HOW MUCH WE APPRECIATE TRICK AND THE OTHER DRIVERS AS THEY RETIRE RIGHT NOW.
I ALSO WAS ON A, ON A BUS, AND I REPORTED THIS, THAT, UM, SOMEONE ROBBED A BANK AND THEN USED A CAPITAL METRO BUS I WAS ON AS AN ESCAPE.
AND THEY COORDINATED IT WITH THE POLICE.
THEY PULLED THE BUS OVER, AND I FILMED THEM CAPTURING THE BANK ROBBER ON THE BUS.
[00:05:01]
MR. SCHABOWSKI, AND HE GOT IT APPROVED TO PRESENT TO THE PUBLIC.AND I'M GONNA BE MAKING A PRESENTATION ABOUT THE SAFETY OF RIDING THE BUS FOR A PERSON WITH A DISABILITY.
I GO TO THE TRANSIT CENTER UP IN CEDAR PARK IN MY WHEELCHAIR FROM AUSTIN.
IT'S A MILE AND A HALF FROM MY HOUSE.
I DON'T HAVE TO GET ON A BUS, I JUST RIDE AND GET ON THE TRAIN AND CAN COME DOWNTOWN.
THERE ARE SENIOR CENTER CENTERS ALL THROUGH CEDAR PARK THAT ALSO CAN MEET THE TRAIN JUST LIKE I DO BY RIDING THEIR CHAIR.
CEDAR PARK IS PART OF THE METRO ACCESS SYSTEM.
IT IS PART OF THE CAPITAL METRO SYSTEM.
IF WE TEACH PEOPLE HOW TO RIDE THE BUS, UM, I'VE BEEN TOLD THAT I NEEDED TO HURRY UP AND GET FUNDING RIGHT AWAY FOR THIS.
SO, I HAVE FOUND A LIST OF, I HAVE RESUMES OF ABOUT 30 CANDIDATES FOR DRIVERS FOR METRO ACCESS THAT I'D LIKE TO PRESENT AS PART OF OUR BLUE APPLE EXPRESS PROGRAM.
I HAVE WORKED WITH IMAGINE ART AND, AND AUSTIN MENTAL HEALTH COMMUNITY.
THIS IS MR. DUNCAN CORNEY, WHO'S THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS FROM AUSTIN MENTAL HEALTH COMMUNITY.
AND THEY HAVE AGREED TO HELP ME CREATE A PEER PROGRAM FOR DRIVERS FOR METRO ACCESS, WHERE WE WOULD SUPPORT THEM IN PEER SUPPORT.
MANY OF THE DRIVERS THAT YOU HAVE TODAY ARE COMING FROM THE RECOVERY COMMUNITY.
THEY'RE RESTARTING THEIR LIFE.
THE ONE OF THE, UH, BLUE APPLES THAT ARE SIGNED UP, THE DAY THAT I CAME AND WAS, UH, FILMED THAT A MAN HAD APPLIED TO WORK FOR CAPITAL METRO THAT DAY, WAS STANDING AT THE CORNER AT REPUBLIC SQUARE AND RODE WITH ME, AND WE TALKED RIGHT AFTERWARDS AND HELPED CALM ME DOWN AFTER I HAD FILMED THIS.
I JUST WANNA SAY HOW IMPORTANT THE DRIVERS ARE AND HOW THAT WE NEED TO SUPPORT THEM MORE IN THIS PROGRAM, AND THAT I HAVE TALKED WITH PEOPLE AND WILL BE SETTING UP A WAY TO THIS FUNDING.
I'M GOING, WILL THERE BE A PEER SUPPORT PROGRAM FOR DRIVERS? AND THAT THEY WOULD DRIVE THIS WHEELCHAIR RECORD SERVICE FOR AFI.
SO, SO NOBODY HAS TO SLEEP AT THE BUS STOP LIKE I DID TUESDAY NIGHT.
UH, NEXT ON MY LIST IS SHERRY TAYLOR THERE.
UH, I, I, I THINK CAP METRO IS FAVORABLE TO SUPPORT ANIMALS.
UH, THIS IS MY FRIEND, HI, HIPPITY HOP.
HE'S READY FOR EASTER, BUT HE BROUGHT HIS HAT WITH HIM.
UM, I, I AM HERE BECAUSE I WANT TO THANK CAP METRO FOR THEIR WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE VEHICLES.
AND I'M STILL TRYING TO GET APPROVED FOR METRO ACCESS, BUT THEY KEEP TELLING ME I'M TOO AGILE AND I CAN'T RIDE THEIR VANS, BUT I'M STILL WORKING ON IT.
UM, ANYWAY, I, I WROTE A THEME SONG FOR, UH, DEB MILLER'S, UH, WHEELCHAIR AWARENESS IN, UM, CALLED BLUE APPLE EXPRESS.
AND, AND I HOPE FOLKS WILL LOOK INTO IT.
IT SEEMS TO ME A VALUABLE OPPORTUNITY FOR COMMUNITY SERVICE WITH, UH, $1,600 A MONTH, UH, PAYROLL FOR THE PERSON WHO HELP THOSE PERSONS WHO ARE WHEELCHAIR TRAVELERS.
SO, ON THE BACK, UH, IF ANYBODY WOULD LIKE TO FOLLOW ALONG, UH, I WROTE THIS TO THE TUNA JINGLE BELL, SO EVERYBODY KNOWS JINGLE BELLS DASHING THROUGH THE SLOW TRAVERSING CAPITAL 10,000 ROUTE RUN OVER THE FIELDS.
FOUR SPEED BREAKS NOT ON OUR MIND IMPROVING.
AS WE RALLY PASSING EACH SCOOTER WE CAN FIND YAY.
GOING TO OUTLIVE ALL OF THOSE NAYSAYERS BECAUSE WE ROLL.
AND AFTER EACH ACCOMPLISHMENT, WE THANK OUR GOD ABOVE.
LIKE ROLLER SKATES, METRO TRANSITS GIVE US REDUCED RATES, BUT WHEN WHEELCHAIR TRAVELERS LOAD THE BUS, SOMETIMES OTHER PASSENGERS FUSS.
SO THANKS TO DRIVERS WITH DIGNITY AND PRIDE WHO BUCKLE OUR QUANTUM SAFELY ON THE RIDE, WE ALSO APPRECIATE THE FUNDING FOR RECONSTRUCTED SIDEWALKS AND RAMPS, ENHANCING SAFE NAVIGATION CITY WIDE.
HEY,
REFLECTORS, FLAGS AND HORNS ARE REALLY COLOR COLORFULLY.
THEY WILL HELP THE TRAFFIC AND PEDESTRIAN SEE YOU BETTER EXCHANGING APOLOGIES.
FOR NOW, WE'LL HAVE TO SUFFICE.
[00:10:01]
NEXT PERSON UP TO FOR DISCUSSION IS ZNO JOSEPH.AND I UNDERSTAND YOU'RE GONNA BE SPEAKING ON TWO AGENDA ITEMS, SO YOU'LL HAVE FIVE MINUTES.
I'M ZNO JOSEPH, LET ME JUST CONTEXTUALIZE MY COMMENTS AS IT RELATES TO TITLE SIX OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1964, WHICH PROHIBITS DISCRIMINATION BASED ON RACE, COLOR, OR NATIONAL ORIGIN.
RESPECTFULLY, MR. CHAIR, I WOULD ASK ONCE AGAIN THAT YOU RESIGN BECAUSE THE SERVICE IN NORTHEAST AUSTIN IS SUBSTANDARD.
I WANT YOU TO RECOGNIZE MR. EASTON HAS SOME IMAGES FROM TODAY'S 3 92 BUS RIDERS, AND WE CONTINUE TO WAIT.
SO I KNOW ON PAGE 26 OF YOUR BOARD PACKET, YOU ACTUALLY HAVE THE PROCESS AS IT RELATES TO THE SERVICE CHANGES.
AND I JUST WANT YOU TO RECOGNIZE THAT THAT'S SIMPLY THAT YOU SAY YOU DO ANOTHER THING, AND THEN YOU DOCUMENT WHAT IS SAID TO FOOL THE FEDS TO GET THE FEDERAL FUNDING.
ON THE IMAGE THAT YOU SEE HERE, THE LADY THAT'S, UH, ON THE CORNER, THAT'S AANA.
SHE'S THE ONE WHO HELPED ME COLLECT THOSE 574 PETITION SIGNATURES IN 10 DAYS IN, UH, 2016.
THE GENTLEMAN ON THE RIGHT ASKED ME TO LET YOU KNOW THAT THE WHEELCHAIR WRITERS, ONCE THEY DEBOARD, UH, 3 92 AT BREAKER AND NORTH LAMAR, THEY ACTUALLY HAVE TO GO, UH, TO THE RIGHT.
AND SO THIS GENTLEMAN ASKS THAT THERE BE SOME TYPE OF SIGNAGE OR LIGHTS SO THAT THE DRIVERS KNOW THAT THERE'S A WHEELCHAIR BOUND PERSON, SOMEONE WITH A DISABILITY THAT IS APPROACHING THE BUS.
I WOULD ASK DOTTIE WATKINS ONCE AGAIN TO MOVE THIS STOP.
IT DOES NOT COST CAPITAL METRO ANY MONEY TO MOVE IT TO C V S PHARMACY.
YOU CAN SEE IT IN THE IMAGE ON THE BOTTOM LEFT HAND CORNER.
UH, ONCE AGAIN, YOU START YOUR MEETINGS WITH SAFETY, BUT IT IS PARAMOUNT FOR YOU TO UNDERSTAND THAT IT DOESN'T COST ANY MONEY TO MOVE THIS STOP AS IT RELATES TO NUMBER TWO ON YOUR AGENDA, THE ACTION ITEM THAT IS THE DIGITAL, UH, ITEM.
AND I JUST WANT TO CALL YOUR ATTENTION, ONCE AGAIN, THE NEED FOR WIFI TO BE RESTORED AT THE 8 0 3 STOPS, AND ALSO AT NORWOOD, WHERE WE WAIT 60 MINUTES FOR THE BUS.
AS YOU ARE AWARE, BLACK PEOPLE WAIT 60 MINUTES FOR THE BUS OVER AT CRAIG WOOD AND COLONY PARK.
AND TO JUAN'S POINT, THE LADY IN THE, UH, PICTURE, SHE WANTED YOU TO UNDERSTAND THE NEED TO ACTUALLY HAVE THE PICKUP SERVICE CONTIGUOUS WITH THE ONE THAT'S AT CVS PHARMACY.
BECAUSE IF YOU MISS THE BUS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OR IF IT'S LATE, THERE IS NO WAY TO GET TO BREAKER AND NORTH LAMAR.
SO SHE IS ASKING, AND I HAVE ASKED AS WELL, THAT YOU MAKE THOSE ZONES CONTIGUOUS.
OTHERWISE, THE PERSON WHO IS TRYING TO GET TO WORK, WHICH THE PEOPLE ON 3 92 ARE TRYING TO DO, HAVE NO WAY TO GET FROM THE NEIGHBORHOOD TO BREAKER.
AND NORTH LAMAR, I WOULD ASK YOU TO RECOGNIZE AS IT RELATES TO ITEM THREE ON THE AGENDA, WHICH IS THE JUNE, 2023 SERVICE CHANGES, YOU ARE STILL CATERING TO WHITE CHOICE WRITERS.
AND EVEN THOUGH YOU SAY THAT YOU REVIEW THE CHANGES AND THE COMMENTS FROM THE INDIVIDUALS IN THE COMMUNITY, THAT IS A FALSEHOOD.
AS YOU ARE WELL AWARE, I HAVE ASKED AD NAUSEUM FOR YOU TO MOVE THESE SERVICES BACK TO THE GREAT HILLS, A SUPER TARGET, AND I WOULD ASK YOU TO DO SO.
ONCE AGAIN, THE 3 92 TERMINATES AT KRAMER STATION TO WAIT FOR THE WHITE CHOICE RIDERS WHO ARE NOT GETTING ON THE BUS.
AND SO I WOULD ASK YOU TO TAKE THESE THINGS INTO CONSIDERATION.
AND AS IT RELATES TO DISTRICT FOUR SPECIFICALLY, I WANT YOU TO RECOGNIZE THE AMOUNT OF TRASH THAT IS NEXT TO THE H E B.
AND I WOULD ASK CHEETO VELA TO GO OVER THERE AND PICK UP THE TRASH AS I HAVE DONE BEFORE.
AND LASTLY, I WOULD JUST CALL TO YOUR ATTENTION, THE LEGISLATIVE UPDATE, SB 1 7 91 AND 38 99 ARE THE TWO BILLS THAT WILL DERAIL LIGHT BRAILLE.
IT WOULD PUT BEFORE THE VOTERS, BEFORE AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP COULD ACTUALLY ACCESS THE AD VALOREM TAXES, THE VOTERS WOULD HAVE TO APPROVE THOSE BILLS.
AND I WILL JUST TELL YOU, I WANT TO THANK THE REPUBLICAN SENATORS FOR RECOGNIZING THAT THIS IS AN INEQUITABLE SYSTEM, AND FOR YOU TO RECOGNIZE THAT CHAIRMAN BETTEN COURT IS THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT CHAIR, AND HE IS THE SPONSOR OF THIS BILL.
THE OTHER PERSON THAT IS SPONSORING THE LEGISLATION IS TRX PLAYER WHO USED TO BE SOUTHWEST AUSTIN, UH, REPRESENTATIVE ON THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL.
I WILL CONTINUE TO FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT, AND I WANT YOU TO RECOGNIZE THAT YOU ARE DOING A DISSERVICE TO THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN NORTHEAST AUSTIN, WHERE MAYOR KURT WATSON USED TO REPRESENT.
I THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIMES, AND IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, I'LL GLADLY ANSWER THEM AT THIS TIME.
ANY QUESTIONS? ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU.
UH, DO WE HAVE ANYONE ELSE IN THE ROOM THAT WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS THE BOARD? ANYONE ELSE IN THE ROOM WHO'D LIKE TO ADDRESS THE BOARD? UH, IF NOT, THEN
[III. Advisory Committee Updates]
WE WILL HAVE OUR BOARD ADVISORY COMMITTEE, UM, UPDATES.[00:15:01]
UH, MS. PAR, THANK YOU'RE HERE TO PRESENT THOSE.GOOD AFTERNOON, CHAIR TRAIAN, UH, DOTTY WATKINS, PRESIDENT AND CEO DOTTY WATKINS, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.
I AM THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT MANAGER FOR CAP METRO.
I'M ALSO THE STAFF LIAISON FOR THE ADVISORY COMMITTEES.
I'M HERE TODAY TO GIVE YOU, UM, MARCH COMMITTEE UPDATES.
UM, AND I'LL FIRST START WITH ACCESS AND CSAC AND THEN MOVE ON TO PSAC.
UH, BOTH ACCESS AND CSAC MET ON MARCH 1ST IN A COMBINED MEETING WITH THE FOLLOWING, UM, AGENDA.
UH, WE RECEIVED AN UPDATE AND A Q AND A BY DOTTY WATKINS, PRESIDENT, CEO, UH, METRO RAPID UPDATE BY MOLLY KING, UM, AFFAIRS PILOT RECRUITMENT FOR, UH, RECRUITING OUR COMMITTEE MEMBERS TO OUR PILOT, UH, THE 2023 METRO ACCESS ELIGIBILITY APPEALS CALENDAR BY MARTIN CARI.
UM, AND HE ALSO PRESENTED ON THE SELF-EVALUATION AND ADA COMPLIANCE UPDATE.
UM, AND LASTLY, JULIE LAMPKIN DID A METRO ACCESS OPERATIONS TECHNOLOGY UPDATE, UM, FOR THE PUBLIC SAFETY ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
UM, THEY MET ON FEBRUARY 24TH, AND I DID THE UPDATE LAST, UM, MONTH IN FEBRUARY.
UM, BUT WE ALSO HAD A MEETING WITH CHAIR POWELL AND VICE-CHAIR FOSTER TO TALK ABOUT THE POLICY PROCESS FOR, UH, THE PUBLIC SAFETY DEPARTMENT.
AND WE WILL BE ADDING A SUPPLEMENTARY MEETING, UM, EVERY OTHER MONTH FROM THE COMMITTEE MEETINGS.
UM, AND THAT'LL BE SUPPORTED BY NINA LAUER.
UM, ALSO IN ADDITION, WE HAD OUR, UH, MEET AND GREET FOR THE CEO, WHICH IS WHY WE COMBINE THE MEETINGS ON MARCH 8TH.
UM, WE'RE ALL COMMITTEE MEMBERS, UM, WE'RE INVITED TO ATTEND.
THAT'S, UH, THE ONLY UPDATES I HAVE, IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.
[IV. Board Committee Updates]
WE'LL HAVE OUR, OUR, UM, BOARD COMMITTEE UPDATES.FIRST UP IS, UH, FINANCE, AUDIT AND ADMINISTRATION COMMITTEE.
UH, WE MET ON, UH, UH, MARCH 8TH, AND, UH, HAD TWO PRESENTATIONS, UH, NO ACTION ITEMS. UH, WERE, WERE BROUGHT BEFORE THE COMMITTEE.
WE DID GET AN UPDATE FROM TERRY FULLER WITH INTERNAL AUDIT IN TERMS OF TRYING TO, UH, THE VARIOUS PROJECTS THAT HE WAS WORKING ON WITH HIS STAFF.
AND THEN, UM, ALSO, UH, DISCUSSED PRIORITIZING SOME OF THE REMAINING PROJECTS THAT HE HAS POTENTIALLY OUT THERE.
UH, WE ALSO HAD A PRESENTATION FROM MS. WALKER, UH, REGARDING, UH, THE FINANCIAL RESULTS FOR THE FIRST QUARTER OF LAST, UH, OF OUR FISCAL YEAR, WHICH ENDED IN DECEMBER.
UM, I GUESS THE TWO THINGS THAT I WOULD LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT, ONE IS THAT OUR SALES TAX REMITTANCES, UH, FOR THAT PERIOD OF TIME ARE UP ALMOST 10% OVER THIS TIME LAST YEAR, AND, UH, ARE ABOUT 6% HIGHER THAN WHAT THEY ACTUALLY PROJECTED.
SO I THINK WE'RE STARTING TO SEE SOME OF THE EFFECTS OF THIS INFLATION FLOW, YOU KNOW, SOME BENEFIT OF THIS INFLATION THAT WE'RE ALL EXPERIENCING.
UM, THE OTHER ASPECT OF THIS IS THAT, UH, WE ARE HAVE EXPENDED ABOUT 84 MILLION, UM, TO, UH, THROUGH THE FIRST QUARTER, ABOUT 21% OF THE FULL BUDGET.
AND FROM MS. WALKER'S, UH, PERSPECTIVE, THAT'S PRETTY MUCH ON PAR WITH WHERE WE'RE AT.
UH, THE COMMITTEE ASKED, UM, AND, AND SOME OF THE DISCUSSION, UM, AFTER THE PRESENTATION, WE'RE GONNA SEE IF WE CAN GET IT TO WHERE WE CAN GET MORE OF A MONTHLY, YOU KNOW, WHERE IT'LL TRACK ON A QUARTERLY BASIS AS OPPOSED TO LOOKING AT ON OUR FULL YEAR BASIS.
BUT, UH, UH, AND THEY'RE GONNA WORK, THEY'RE GONNA WORK ON THAT FOR THE NEXT PRESENTATION.
UM, THE OTHER BIG, BIG TICKET ITEM THERE WAS, UH, JUST IN TERMS OF THE CAPITAL PROJECTS BUDGET, WE'VE SPENT, UH, 27 MILLION, WHICH REPRESENTS JUST 5.8% OF THE FULL, FULL YEAR'S CAP CAPITAL BUDGET.
UH, BUT WE'VE ALSO GOT 74 MILLION IN OUTSTANDING COMMITMENTS, UH, COMING FORWARD TOO.
SO IF THERE'S ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, ANY QUESTIONS, BOARD MEMBERS? ALL RIGHT.
UH, AND I WILL GIVE THE OPERATIONS PLANNING AND SAFETY COMMITTEE REPORT, UH, WHICH MEANT ON WEDNESDAY, MARCH 8TH AT, UH, 12:00 PM UH, VERY SHORT AGENDA.
UH, WE HAD, UH, THREE ACTION ITEMS. ONE OF THOSE, UH, WAS ELIGIBLE FOR, UM, FOR CONSENT.
AND IT WAS, AND IT WAS, UH, AND WE HAVE, UH, THE ITEM PLACED ON, UH, ACTION ITEMS, UH, THIS WEEK.
WE ALSO GOT PRESENTATIONS ON THE BUS OPERATIONS REPORT, A PICKUP REVIEW, UM, PERFORMANCE REVIEW.
AND, UM, AND THERE WERE, THERE WERE NO
[00:20:01]
OTHER ITEMS THAT, THAT, UH, WE VOTED ON THAT DAY.SO, UH, YOU'LL, YOU'LL SEE ITEM NUMBER THREE IN OUR LIST OF ACTION ITEMS TODAY AS NUMBER TWO.
WE'VE GOT A CAMPO UPDATE AS WELL.
SO, UH, CAMPO, THE CAMPO TRANSPORTATION POLICY BOARD DID NOT MEET THIS MONTH, SO WE DON'T HAVE AN UPDATE FROM THE LAST TIME.
AND THE, UH, THE FINAL REPORT WILL BE THE AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP REPORT, AND I'LL GIVE THAT ONE.
UH, THERE HAVE BEEN, UH, TWO MEETINGS IN THE MONTH, MONTH OF MARCH.
UH, WE RECEIVED AN UPDATE ON ATP'S PROCUREMENT ASSESSMENT, UH, THAT RESULTED IN SEVERAL RECOMMENDED CHANGES, UH, FROM THE PROCUREMENT POLICY.
UM, WE ALSO HAD AN UPDATE ON PROJECT CONNECT RELATED ORDINANCES AND PERMITS.
UH, WE WILL, AND I THINK WE RECEIVED ALSO A LIGHT RAIL DELIVERY AND CONTRACTING FRAMEWORK, UH, MODEL.
SO THAT WILL CONTINUE, UH, TO EVOLVE, UH, AS WE GO FORWARD WITH COMMUNITY FORUMS. STAKEHOLDER DISCUSSIONS AND ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETINGS.
UH, WE ALSO, UH, HAD A, UM, A SUMMARY OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT FROM THE ATP EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, UH, WHICH INCLUDED TWO COMMUNITY FORUMS, ALSO STAKEHOLDER DISCUSSIONS.
AND THEN THERE WAS A SECOND MEETING ON MARCH 22ND.
UH, THEY HAD TWO ACTION ITEMS. ONE WAS TO APPROVE MINOR CHANGES IN ATP'S BOARD OPERATING PROCEDURES.
AND THE SECOND DIRECTOR, THE AP, UH, A P EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR TO DEVELOP A PROCESS TO CONDUCT A REVIEW OF ATP'S GOVERNANCE, UH, PROCEDURES.
SO, UM, AND THEN I THINK THAT'S ALL THAT WE COVERED IN THAT LAST MEETING, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, UH, THAT'LL BE THE PARTNERSHIP MEETING.
UH, WE WE'RE POSTED FOR ACTION ON THREE ITEMS TODAY, AND OUR
[V.1. Approval of minutes from the February 27th, 2023 board meeting.]
FIRST ITEM WILL BE AN APPROVAL OF THE FEBRUARY BOARD MINUTES CHAIR WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO APPROVE, UH, THE BOARD MEETING MINUTES.UM, IS, UH, IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION, ANY, ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION, ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION ON THE BOARD MINUTES? HEARING NONE.
ALL IN FAVOR, LET IT BE KNOWN BY SAYING, AYE.
THE CHAIR WILL MAKE IT UNANIMOUS.
[V.2. Approval of a resolution authorizing the President & CEO, or her designee, to modify contract #200829 with World Wide Technology to replace network infrastructure technology for a total new contract amount not to exceed $1,197,149.]
UH, ITEM NUMBER TWO, APPROVAL OF A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE PRESIDENT AND CEO, UH, OR HER DESIGNEE TO MODIFY CONTRACT NUMBER 28 29 WITH WORLDWIDE TECHNOLOGY FOR THE REPLACEMENT OF ADDITIONAL NETWORK INFRASTRUCTURE TECHNOLOGY FOR A TOTAL NEW CONTRACT AMOUNT, NOT TO EXCEED $1,197,149.I THINK JONATHAN TANZA IS GONNA MAKE THE PRESENTATION.
UM, CHAIR TRILLIAN, UH, PRESIDENT, CEO WAINS, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.
I'M THE DIRECTOR OF PRODUCT MANAGEMENT FOR THE CAT METRO INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT.
AND I'M HERE TO, UH, PRESENT AN ITEM THAT, UM, WAS AT THE OPERATIONS COMMITTEE EARLIER THIS MONTH.
UM, AND, UH, FROM THAT MEETING, THERE WAS SOME, UH, DETAILS THAT WE WANTED MAKE SURE THAT WERE, UM, ADDED AS CLARIFICATION TO THIS AGENDA ITEM AND RESOLUTION.
SO, UH, WHAT THIS ITEM IS, IS A MODIFICATION OF A CONTRACT WITH WORLDWIDE TECHNOLOGY WHO'S PROVIDING, UH, NETWORK EQUIPMENT TO REPLACE, UM, EXISTING EQUIPMENT THROUGHOUT CAP METRO'S, UM, OR YEAH, THROUGHOUT, UM, AGENCY-WIDE.
AND SO, UM, THIS ITEM IS, UM, A MODIFICATION TO ADD ADDITIONAL EQUIPMENT THAT WE'VE IDENTIFIED FOR THIS FISCAL YEAR, UH, TO THIS CONTRACT.
SO WORLDWIDE TECHNOLOGIES COULD, UH, ACQUIRE AND IMPLEMENT THAT, THE ADDITIONAL TECHNOLOGY.
UH, AND, UM, SO AS I MENTIONED, IT'S A CLARIFY, IT'S JUST TO CLARIFY SOME DETAILS IN THE RESOLUTION, UM, IN THE SUBJECT, UH, SPECIFIC HAUL OUT THAT'S FOR ADDITIONAL NETWORK INFRASTRUCTURE TECHNOLOGY.
AND THEN THE BUSINESS CASE AND EXECUTIVE SUMMARY JUST, UM, EXPLAINED, YOU KNOW, WHY WE'RE KEEPING, UH, WORLDWIDE TECHNOLOGIES AND YOU DOING A MODIFICATION TO HAVE THEM IMPLEMENT THIS TECHNOLOGY BECAUSE THEY'RE ALREADY ONBOARDED AND, AND HAVE, UH, THE PROPER AGREEMENTS TO WORK ON OUR NETWORK.
ANY QUESTIONS? BOARD MEMBERS? ANY QUESTIONS? BOARD MEMBERS? ANY QUESTIONS? UH, IF NOT, CHAIR WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO APPROVE ITEM NUMBER TWO.
IT'S BEEN MOVED AND PROPERLY SECONDED
[00:25:01]
THAT WE APPROVE ACTION ITEM NUMBER TWO.ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? FURTHER DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE.
ALL IN FAVOR? LET IT BE KNOWN BY SAYING AYE.
THE CHAIR WILL MAKE IT UNANIMOUS.
[V.3. Approval of a resolution authorizing the President & CEO, or her designee, to implement the June 2023 Service Changes.]
AND, UH, NOW WE'RE MOVING TO ACTION.ITEM NUMBER THREE, APPROVAL OF A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE PRESIDENT AND CEO OR HER DESIGNEE TO IMPLEMENT THE JUNE, 2023 SERVICE CHANGES.
UH, CHAIR TRAIAN, UH, PRESIDENT WATKINS, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.
I'M WITH CAPTAIN MUS PLANNING DEPARTMENT.
UH, I'D LIKE TO RUN THROUGH A FEW SLIDES AROUND HERE BECAUSE IT TOUCHES ON SOME OF THE COMMENTS THAT WE'VE HEARD TODAY FROM, UH, SOME RESIDENTS HERE.
PLUS, IT CONTINUES SOME OF THE CONVERSATION THAT WE HAD AT OUR PLANNING, UH, SUBCOMMITTEE WHERE WE WENT INTO MORE IN DEPTH ABOUT SOME FUTURE IDEAS FOR, UM, IMPROVING OUR DIALOGUE WITH OUR MEMBER CITIES, AS WELL AS LOOKING WHAT PICKUP OPTIONS SHOULD BE LOOKING LIKE, UH, FOR THE FUTURE.
SO WHEN IT COMES TO A SERVICE CHANGES, UM, FOR THOSE THAT ARE NEW TO OUR BOARD, WE EVALUATE OUR SERVICES, UH, CONTINUOUSLY, AND WE LOOK AT OPPORTUNITIES TO IMPROVE THOSE, THOSE SERVICES.
WE TYPICALLY MAKE CHANGES TO THE SERVICES ON, IN TERMS OF OUR BUS ROUTES, THREE TIMES A YEAR, EVERY JANUARY, EVERY JUNE AND EVERY AUGUST.
SO TODAY WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A JUNE SERVICE CHANGE.
AND THEN IN ABOUT TWO MORE MONTHS, I'LL BE BACK TO TALK ABOUT AN AUGUST SERVICE CHANGE.
NOW, TYPICALLY WE FOLLOW A CERTAIN PROCESS THROUGH HERE.
WE, WE IDENTIFY WHAT ISSUES ARE, MUCH LIKE WHAT MS. JOSEPH MENTIONED, LOOK AT FEEDBACK THAT WE'VE HEARD THROUGH THE COMMUNITY.
THERE ARE VARIOUS FORMS OF FEEDBACK THAT WE HEAR.
WE HAVE, UH, THE CUSTOMER CALL CENTER THAT, THAT CONS MONITORS AND RECEIVES INFORMATION VIA OUR PHONE SYSTEMS, UH, EMAILS.
WE HAVE OUR CUSTOMER SATISFACTION ADVISORY COMMITTEE AND OTHER, UM, CITIZEN ADVISOR ADVISORY COMMITTEES TO WHICH EDNA PARRA JUST SPOKE ABOUT, UM, IN THAT AREA.
AND THEN THERE ARE SOME OTHER THINGS THAT, THAT WE CONTINUE TO LOOK AT, INCLUDING OUR, OUR KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS.
WE'LL DEVELOP SOME PROCESSES AND, UH, FROM FROM THAT PROCESS, WE'LL DEVELOP SOME PROPOSALS TO EVALUATE, AND THEN WE'LL EVALUATE THOSE PROPOSALS BASED ON SOME, SOME THINGS SUCH AS, UH, RIDERSHIP AND, AND DEMAND COST FEASIBILITY, MUCH LIKE WHAT MS. JOSEPH MENTIONED ABOUT AN EXTENSION OF A SERVICE.
DOES IT COST MORE IN A LOT OF CASES? YEAH, AN EXTENSION DOES COST A VEHICLE AND OPERATIONS TO DO SOME THINGS LIKE THAT.
A TITLE SIX ANALYSIS IS SOMETIMES REQUIRED.
THAT'S PART OF THE GUIDANCE THAT WE RECEIVE FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT UNDER THE 19, UH, 64, UM, CIVIL RIGHTS ACT.
AND THAT ENSURES THAT, UM, TRANSIT AUTHORITIES TAKE A LOOK AT, AT SERVICES IN AN EQUITABLE FASHION AND MAKE SURE THAT PROTECTED CLASSES ARE NOT OVERWHELMINGLY, UH, IMPACTED.
AND IF THERE IS AN IMPACT, WHAT DOES THAT IMPACT AND OTHER WAYS TO MITIGATE THOSE IMPACTS.
WE'LL TAKE BACK ALL THAT PUBLIC FEEDBACK, UM, THAT WE HEAR THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS, INCLUDING ANYTHING THAT WE MIGHT HEAR FROM THE BOARD, UH, AND THEN INCORPORATE THAT TO A FINAL, UM, PROPOSAL IN HERE.
AND THEN ONCE THE BOARD MAKES A DECISION, UH, FOR THAT, FOR THAT CHANGE, IT THEN HANDS GETS HANDED OVER TO THE REST OF THE DEPARTMENTS TO WHICH THEN WE SPEND THE NEXT TWO OR THREE MONTHS WORKING TO IMPLEMENT THE CHANGE.
SO WHAT WE WOULD BE APPROVING TODAY, THE JUNE SERVICE CHANGE DOESN'T HAPPEN UNTIL THE FIRST WEEK OF JUNE, BUT WE NEED, UH, THE TIME AND CONSIDERATION AT THIS POINT SO THAT WE CAN THEN HAND OVER TO THE NEXT STEPS THAT, THAT FOLLOW ALONG INTERNALLY FOR THAT, WE TALKED A LITTLE BIT DURING OUR BOARD MEETING ABOUT THE, THE NEED TO, TO LOOK AT MORE, UM, IMPROVEMENTS IN OUR COORDINATION WITH OUR REGIONAL PARTNERS.
AND THESE ARE OUR MEMBER CITIES.
SO CAPITAL METRO IS COMPRISED OF SEVERAL, UH, COMMUNITIES.
LAGO VISTA JONESTOWN IS ANOTHER.
UH, AUSTIN, UH, PORTIONS OF TRAVIS COUNTY ARE AS WELL TO, UH, I'LL GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE.
IN, IN DECEMBER, UH, BOARD MEMBER ROSS KIND OF FACILITATED A, A MEETING WITH US AND SOME OF THE STAFF IN THERE TAKING A LOOK, WANTING TO LOOK AT WHAT WERE THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR EXPANSION TO PICK UP, MUCH LIKE THE MAYOR MENTIONED, THERE ARE SOME AREAS THAT THAT NEED TO BE LOOKED AT.
UH, THE AREAS THAT WE WERE LOOKING AT THE TIME WHERE THE HIGH SCHOOL AREA, UH, A RANDALL SHOPPING CENTER, A, UH, A MEDICAL FACILITY IN THOSE ZONES.
THESE ARE NEW AREAS THAT ARE A LITTLE BIT FURTHER OUT THAN WHAT WE WERE LOOKING AT.
WE WERE LOOKING AT AREAS THAT WERE KIND OF CONNECTED TO THE EXISTING ZONE, AND THEN WE POINTED OUT SOME STEPS THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN TAKEN BY THIS BOARD TO LOOK AT THE PURCHASE OF ADDITIONAL VEHICLES THAT WILL BE COMING IN LATER THIS SUMMER.
AND IN THE HIGHER END OF MORE STAFF, THAT'S, THAT'S LOOKING, UH, TO BE BROUGHT ON BOARD.
ALL THAT WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF WHAT ARE OUR NEEDS FOR ALL OF OUR PICKUP ZONES.
SO WE HAVE 10 PICKUP ZONES IN AND AROUND OUR COMMUNITY.
EACH ONE HAS ITS DIFFERENT, UH, NEEDS AND FUNCTIONS.
SOME OF THEM ARE, ARE DOING VERY WELL, AND WE SPENT SOME TIME GOING OVER THOSE DISCUSSIONS THERE.
SOME OF THEM ARE NOT DOING AS WELL AS, AS THEY COULD BE.
SO WE TALKED ABOUT SOME OPPORTUNITIES FOR PROMOTION AND, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THOSE THAT MAY NOT BE DOING AS WELL.
THERE MAY NOT BE MUCH THAT WE CAN DO, AND THERE MAY BE A TIME WHERE WE MAY NEED TO LOOK AT ADJUSTMENTS OR REDUCTIONS TO THOSE PARTICULAR ZONES, BUT THERE ARE DEFINITELY SOME ZONES THAT NEED TO BE LOOKED AT FOR SOME EXPANSIONS.
AND THOSE ARE THINGS THAT WE WANNA BRING BACK LATER ON, UH, IN THE FALL PERIOD TO LOOK AT POSSIBILITIES FOR THE, FOR JANUARY.
ONE ITEM THAT'S INTERESTING THAT
[00:30:01]
MS. JOSEPH BROUGHT UP WAS, UH, SHE TALKED ABOUT A CONTIGUOUS ZONES.COULD TWO ZONES BE CONTIGUOUS? THERE'S A ZONE IN NORTHEAST DAWSON CALLED DESAL AND, AND A ZONE IN NORTH CENTRAL AUSTIN CALLED WALNUT CREEK.
BOTH VERY, VERY, UH, GOOD PERFORMING ZONES, BUT THERE IS A DIVIDE IN BETWEEN THOSE TWO ZONES, AND THAT'S I 35 DIVIDES, DIVIDES THOSE ZONES.
SO THERE ARE ONLY LIMITED OPPORTUNITIES TO CROSS BETWEEN THOSE ZONES, BUT MAYBE THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN LOOK AT WHERE THERE'S AN, WHERE THERE'S A JOINT, UM, LOCATION.
PERHAPS IT'S D H E B AT PARMER AND I 35, OR PERHAPS IT'S IT'S TECH RIDGE, BUT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT THE STAFF CAN LOOK AT TO SEE WHAT, WHAT ARE THOSE OPTIONS FOR THE FUTURE.
AND AS WE CONTINUE FORWARD, WE WANT TO GET INTO A REGULAR CADENCE WITH STAFF, UM, WHILE WE DID HAVE THAT FACILITATED MEETING, YOU KNOW, WITH MS. ROSS AND SOME OF THE STAFF, BUT WE NEED TO BE DOING MORE OF THAT WITH THE DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES ON A REGULAR BASIS SO WE CAN HEAR WHAT THEIR NEEDS ARE.
SO FOR THOSE THAT WEREN'T HERE AT THE TIME, THIS IS A REMINDER OF WHERE WE ARE TODAY.
WE ARE RIGHT NOW INTO JANUARY, SERVICE CHANGES, AND WE HAVE NOT MADE ANY MAJOR CHANGES, UH, SINCE THE START OF THE PANDEMIC.
WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO MAINTAIN OUR SERVICE LEVELS AND THEN DELIVER UPON WHAT WE PROMISED TO THE COMMUNITY.
SO RIGHT NOW, IN JANUARY, WE JUST MADE MINOR ADJUSTMENTS TO OUR SERVICES, UH, TO, TO RUNNING TIMES AND TO MAKE SURE THAT WE, WE COULD HANDLE, UH, ANY INCREASES IN RIDERSHIP.
WE STREAMLINED, UH, A FEW ROUTES IN DOWNTOWN WHERE WE COMBINED SOME ROUTES THEY WERE ENDING IN DOWNTOWN.
AND WHAT WE DID IS WE COMBINED 'EM TOGETHER, SO IT'S A ONE SEAT RIDE, AND SO THAT OUR ROUTES DID NOT HAVE TO SIT IN DOWNTOWN.
THAT HELPED US FROM AN EFFICIENCY STANDPOINT.
AND ALSO, AS DO DOWNTOWN CONTINUES TO BE REDEVELOPED, THERE ARE ONLY SO MANY AREAS IN WHICH WE CAN SIT OUR VEHICLES IN.
SO WE DIDN'T WANNA SIT VEHICLES IN DOWNTOWN.
WE WANTED TO KEEP THEM MOVING.
AND THEN WE'RE MAINTAINING OUR SERVICE LEVELS FROM PRE COVID PERIODS.
METRO RAIL IS, IS, IS ON REGULAR SERVICE LEVELS.
UH, WE'VE NOT CHANGED THOSE METRO EXPRESS AND FLIERS ON A REDUCED SERVICE LEVELS.
AND AS THINGS CHANGE IN OUR COMMUNITY, WE MAY SEE SOME CHANGES THERE, BUT WE ARE NOT AT FULL SERVICE THAT WE WERE, UH, JUST A FEW YEARS BACK.
AND WE CONTINUE TO HAVE UNDER SUSPENSION OUR EBUS SERVICE.
THAT'S A LATE NIGHT SERVICE THAT CONNECTS, UM, STUDENT HOUSING AREAS TO THE DOWNTOWN AREA.
SO FOR JANUARY, WE ARE TYPICALLY IN, IN JUNE, UH, WE MAKE A, A SUMMER TRANSITION.
SO SCHOOL IS OUT, UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS DOWNSIZES FROM A FALL AND SPRING LEVEL DOWN TO A SUMMER LEVEL.
UH, A I S D GOES INTO SUMMER MODE, PEOPLE ARE ON VACATION.
SO WE TRANSITION A LITTLE BIT OF OUR SERVICES OVER, UH, TO ADJUST FOR THAT.
WE WILL BE MAKING SOME MINOR ADJUSTMENTS TO RUNNING TIME TO IMPROVE ONTIME PERFORMANCE TO SOME OF OUR ROUTES.
BUT THOSE ARE VERY, VERY MINOR NATURE.
THE SUMMER TRANSITION THAT I MENTIONED, UT ROUTES OPERATE AT FULL SERVICE LEVELS IN THE SPRING AND SUMMER.
THAT'S A HIGH FREQUENCY TYPE SERVICES.
WE'LL TRANSITION TO A SUMMER LEVEL, AND THAT'LL BE LESS, LESS FREQUENT SERVICE ON THOSE SERVICES.
UH, WE'LL CONTINUE TO HAVE UNDER SUSPENSION TWO EXPRESS ROUTES, ROUTES 9 81, WHICH IS OUT OF THE PAVILION, GREAT HILLS TRAIL AREA, AND 9 87, WHICH IS OUT OF LAKELINE LEANDER.
THERE ARE OTHER SERVICES IN AND AROUND THOSE AREAS THAT ARE, THAT ARE ABLE TO, TO SATISFY THE NEEDS IN THOSE, THOSE AREAS.
SO THOSE ROUTES REMAIN SUSPENDED.
AND THEN EBUS, WHICH IS WHAT I MENTIONED EARLIER, AND THEN WHEN IT COMES TO METRO RAIL, WE MAY MAKE SOME MINOR ADJUSTMENTS.
THERE HAVE BEEN SOME IMPROVEMENTS ON THE TRACKS, UH, IN RECENT MONTHS.
UM, SOME OF YOU MAY HAVE BEEN AT, AT SOME OF THOSE, UH, GROUNDBREAKING CEREMONIES AND SOME OF THOSE, UH, COMPLETION CEREMONIES, BUT WE'RE NOT AT THAT POINT YET.
WE STILL NEED TO TEST THE RAIL SCHEDULE OUT TO SEE WHAT THOSE IMPROVEMENTS CAN, CAN ACHIEVE.
AND THEN THERE ARE, THERE IS SOME CONTINUING WORK THAT WILL HAPPEN ON THE RAILS.
SO MUCH LIKE WHAT WE DID JUST A FEW, UH, WEEKS AGO AND A AND A MONTH AGO WHERE WE HAD TO, UH, CLOSE OUR RAIL SYSTEM SO THAT WE CAN MAKE SOME OF THESE IMPROVE IMPROVEMENTS.
WE'LL DO THE SAME IN THE SUMMER FOR ABOUT A WEEK'S TIME, BUT WE'LL MAKE THAT KNOWN TO THE PUBLIC IN, IN ADVANCE.
AND THAT THOSE PERIODS ALLOW US TO JUST MAKE IMPROVEMENTS THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE LINE, NOT JUST AT ONE, ONE PARTICULAR LOCATION.
UM, UNDER THIS PARTICULAR CHANGE, BECAUSE IT'S SO MINOR, NA IN NATURE, THERE IS NOT A TITLE SIX, UM, ANALYSIS THAT'S REQUIRED.
ALL THESE CHANGES FIT IN THE MINOR SERVICE CHANGE CATEGORY.
UH, MEANWHILE WHAT WE CONTINUE TO DO IS WE CONTINUE TO ACTIVELY RECRUIT AND HIRE AND TRAIN BOTH OP UH, STAFFING ON THE OPERATIONS SIDE AND ON THE VEHICLE MAINTENANCE SIDE.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE DEFINITELY NOT AT THE LEVELS THAT WE WANT TO BE AT.
UH, WE STILL NEED, UH, MORE STAFFING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DELIVER OUR SERVICE, UH, QUALITY SERVICE ON A, ON A REGULAR BASIS.
UH, THERE ARE TIMES WHEN WE ARE STILL SHORT ON EITHER STAFFING OR VEHICLES TO BE ABLE TO ACHIEVE SERVICE, BUT WE CONTINUE TO WORK TOWARDS THAT AND WE NEED TO KEEP FOCUSED ON THAT BECAUSE IN THE FUTURE, WE ARE WORKING TOWARDS, UH, THE INTRODUCTION OF TWO MORE NEW METRO RAPID LINES, THE EXPO LINE AND THE PLEASANT VALLEY LINE.
SO THOSE ARE COMING AT US IN ANOTHER YEAR OR TWO.
SO AS WE LOOK AT HIRING, WE'RE NOT ONLY JUST HIRING FOR OUR CURRENT NEEDS, BUT LOOKING TOWARDS THE FUTURE.
SO AS WE'RE LOOKING TOWARDS THE FUTURE, RIGHT NOW, WE ARE COMPLETING AN ONBOARD SURVEY.
AND THIS IS SOMETHING WE DO EVERY FIVE YEARS.
IT JUST SO HAPPENED THAT WE WERE RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THAT LAST UPDATE TO THE SURVEY IN 2020 WHEN, UH, THE PANDEMIC HIT.
SO WE HAD TO PAUSE AT THAT TIME.
BUT WE'VE REINSTATED THAT SURVEY.
SO WHAT WE ARE DOING RIGHT NOW IS WE ARE ONBOARD OUR SERVICES INTERVIEWING, UH, CUSTOMERS ONE-ON-ONE, ASKING 'EM INFORMATION ABOUT THEIR DEMOGRAPHICS, UM, HOW OFTEN DO THEY RIDE TO SERVICE, WHERE DO THEY ORIGINATE, WHERE THEY DESTINED TO, AND JUST THINGS LIKE THAT THAT'LL HELP US AS WE LOOK FORWARD TOWARDS IMPROVING
[00:35:01]
OUR SERVICE.WE'RE ALSO WORKING ON OUR SERVICE STANDARDS AND GUIDELINES.
THOSE ARE THE ITEMS THAT HELP US DECIDE, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS A, A, UH, A POSITIVE PRODUCING ROUTE, AND WHAT IS A ROUTE THAT'S MAYBE NOT DOING AS, AS WELL.
AND THEN WHAT ARE THE THINGS THAT WE CAN DO TO IMPROVE THOSE THINGS.
UH, WE'RE ALSO CONTINUING TO COORDINATE WITH OUR PARTNERS SUCH AS, UH, CAPITAL AREA METROPOLITAN PLANNING ORGANIZATION, WHICH IS CAMPO HELPING TO MAKE SURE THAT THE INFORMATION THAT WE COLLECT, MUCH LIKE WHAT WE DO WITH THE ONBOARD SURVEY FEEDS INTO THAT MODEL, SO THEY CAN LOOK TO HOW THE FUTURE GROWTH PATTERNS LOOK LIKE.
AND THEN WE CAN THEN COORDINATE OUR SERVICES TO, TO DELIVER UPON THAT.
OUR RIDERSHIP CONTINUES TO BE MONITORED ON EVERY DAY.
WE COLLECT RIDERSHIP ON OUR SERVICES.
AND FOR THOSE WHO MAY NOT KNOW, WE HAVE AUTOMATIC PASSENGER COUNTERS ON THOSE, ON THOSE SERVICES THAT USE INFRARED BEAMS TO, TO CATEGORIZE AND C AND COLLECT DATA WHEN PEOPLE BOARD AND DEBOARD OUR SERVICES.
SO WE KNOW WHERE PEOPLE ARE GETTING ON, WHERE PEOPLE ARE GETTING OFF.
WE DON'T KNOW WHO THEY ARE, BUT WE JUST KNOW THAT WE HAVE THE ACTIVITY AND WE KNOW WHICH ROUTE, WHICH DIRECTION.
SO THAT HELPS US AS WE LOOK FORWARD AND AS WE LIKE, START TO SEE ANY, ANY CHANGES IN OUR SYSTEM.
SO AS WE LOOK TO THE FUTURE, YOU KNOW, WE TALK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE NEED TO REEVALUATE OUR SERVICES.
EVERYONE OF US THAT ARE SITTING HERE UNDERSTANDS THAT, YOU KNOW, OUR CONDITIONS HAVE CHANGED IN OUR COMMUNITY AND WE NEED TO BE COGNIZANT OF THAT.
SO AS WE LOOK TO THAT, WE'LL NEED TO BE, BE SURE THAT WE, WE TAKE THAT INTO CONSIDERATION.
ANY CHANGES THAT WE LOOK AT IN THE FUTURE WHILE WE DO TALK ABOUT WHAT OUR SERVICES WERE PRE PANDEMIC, THIS IS JUST A NEW WAY OF LOOKING AT THINGS.
SO WE, WE'LL, WE'LL, AT SOME POINT I'LL STOP SAYING THAT, YOU KNOW, PRE PANDEMIC, WE WERE DOING THIS.
THIS IS JUST THE WAY WE WERE PROCEEDING FORWARD IN THE FUTURE, AND THIS IS WHAT THE COMMUNITY WOULD EXPECT FROM US IN THE FUTURE.
AND THEN WE MUST ALWAYS CENTER EQUITY IN OUR SERVICE PLANNING AND BE SURE THAT WE'RE, YOU KNOW, TAKING INTO CONSIDERATION ALL THE NEEDS OF THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY, NOT JUST IN ONE AREA IN HERE.
AND AS WE LOOK FORWARD, WE'LL CONTINUE TO LOOK, UH, AT OUR SERVICES FOR THE FALL.
I'LL BE BACK IN ANOTHER MONTH OR TWO TO TALK ABOUT OUR AUGUST SERVICE CHANGES.
WE'RE NOT LOOKING TO MAKE ANY MAJOR CHANGES THAT I FORESEE RIGHT NOW, BUT JUST TO BE IN STRATEGIC AS STAFFING LEVELS COME ABOUT.
UH, IF THERE'S THINGS THAT START TO BUBBLE UP HERE, WE'LL WANT TO BE VERY, VERY, VERY JUDICIOUS WITH OUR, WITH OUR RESOURCES AND MAKE SURE WE'RE JUST TARGETING WHAT THAT IS AND NOT MAKE ANYTHING TOO MAJOR.
OUR NEXT, UH, MAJOR SERVICE CHANGES MAY COME INTO WINTER, WHICH WILL BE JANUARY, 2024.
AND I'LL BE BACK TO SPEAK TO ON THAT TOWARDS THE END OF THE SUMMER.
AND IT'S AT THAT TIME THAT WE MAY BRING SOME RECOMMENDATIONS FOR PICKUP SERVICES AND WE SPENT SOME TIME, UH, KNOW MR. VELA AND SOME OTHERS WERE IN THAT MEETING WHERE WE WENT ONE BY ONE IN EACH ZONE AND SAY, WHAT ARE THE POSITIVES OF THE ZONE? WHAT ARE THE NEGATIVES? WHAT ARE THE, WHAT'S THE HISTORY OF THE ZONE? WHAT ARE THE THINGS THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT? AND WE'LL BE BACK FOR THAT FUTURE DISCUSSION, UH, AT THAT POINT.
AND OUR NEXT MAJOR SERVICE CHANGE, WE DON'T FORESEE UNTIL ABOUT, UH, GETTING CLOSER TO 20 24, 20 25, UM, 2024 IS WHEN I WOULD BE BACK TO YOU TO SAY, HEY, WE'RE LOOKING TO MAKE SOME CHANGES, INCLUDING THE INTRODUCTION OF EXPO AND PLEASANT VALLEY, AND THEN WE'LL LOOK TO MAKE SOME ASSOCIATED CHANGES TO SERVICES IN AND AROUND SO WE CAN FEED THOSE SERVICE, UH, THOSE TWO NEW ROUTES IN THAT AREA.
SO FOR THOSE THAT DON'T KNOW, UM, EXPO AND PLEASANT VALLEY ARE TWO NEW METRO RAPID ROUTES.
THEY'RE LIMITED STOP SERVICES.
THEY OPERATE, UH, WITH SOME, UM, WELL, THE NEW FLEET THAT WILL BE COMING IN ARE ELECTRIC VEHICLES.
THEY'LL HAVE, UH, SIGNATURE TYPE STATIONS IN HERE THAT YOU'LL SEE RIGHT THERE.
UH, EXPO RUNS FROM NORTHEAST AUSTIN, WHICH IS THE, UH, EXPO CENTER, PLUS IT'S, UH, LOYOLA AND DECKER LANE TRAVELS DOWN MAINER ROAD THROUGH MUELLER, OUT TOWARDS THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AND DOWNTOWN.
AND THEN THE PLEASANT VALLEY ROUTE STARTS AT MUELLER TRAVELS THROUGH THE EASTERN PART OF OUR COMMUNITY, DOWN PLEASANT VALLEY ROAD HERE, ALL THE WAY DOWN TOWARDS, UH, SLAUGHTER LANE.
AND EACH ONE IS ANCHORED BY TWO NEW PARK AND RIDES.
EXPO CENTER WILL BE ONE PARKING RIDE, AND THEN, UH, GOODNIGHT RANCH DOWN BY SLAUGHTER LANE WILL BE ANOTHER PARKING RIDE.
AND THOSE, THOSE WILL HELP US WITH SOME OF THE SERVICES THAT WE NEED, UH, TO PROVIDE IN THOSE PARTS OF THE COMMUNITY.
BUT WITH THAT, I WILL HAND IT BACK OVER TO YOU.
UM, BUT THAT'S MY PRESENTATION.
WHAT I'M HERE TO DO IS, IS SEEK, UM, APPROVAL FOR THE PRESENT CEO OR HER DESIGNEE TO, TO APPROVE JUNE SERVICE CHANGES AND TO PROCEED FORWARD WITH THAT.
BOARD MEMBERS, DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? I DIDN'T, WELL, I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE, BUT I ALSO HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS.
SO LET'S, LET'S FORMALLY, UM, THAT'S A MOTION TO APPROVE.
UH, WE'LL GO WITH BOARD MEMBER HARRIS.
HAS TIME BEEN MOVED AND PROPERLY SECONDED THAT WE APPROVE ITEM ACTION ITEM NUMBER THREE, UH, BOARD, UH, QUESTIONS FROM BOARD MEMBER ROSS? COOL.
FIRST I WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU.
I THINK THE COMMUNICATIONS WHEN THE, WHEN THE RAILING HAS TO BE SHUT DOWN FOR THE MAINTENANCE AND THE WORK THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE, I THINK THE COMMUNICATION FROM CAPE METRO TO THE AREA HAS GOTTEN MUCH, MUCH BETTER.
I DO STILL WANT TO, WOULD LIKE TO SEE, ESPECIALLY REGARDING THE SMALL CITIES, BECAUSE I KNOW, UM, YOU KNOW, WE REACHED OUT OR LEANDER REACHED OUT TO CAT METRO ABOUT SCHEDULING THAT MEETING AND IT WAS A REALLY NOT THE OUTCOME WE WANTED AS A CITY, BUT IT WAS A REALLY GOOD DISCUSSION.
UM, BUT I THINK THERE NEEDS TO BE A MORE FORMAL PROCESS WITH THE SMALL CITIES MM-HMM.
[00:40:01]
TO REACH OUT TO KE METRO, THE KE METRO WITH THESE SERVICE CHANGES, I FEEL LIKE NEEDS TO HAVE A FORMAL PROCESS OF REACHING OUT TO THE SMALL CITIES.UM, IT DOESN'T MEAN EVERYTHING'S A YES, BUT IT MEANS THAT A CONVERSATION IS HAD.
AND I, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT.
UM, AND ALSO WITH REGARDS TO WHEN THERE IS, UM, YOU KNOW, AND A GOOD EXAMPLE WAS THE LEANDER DISCUSSION THAT THE ANSWER WAS NOT NOW THAT IT'S GONNA BE LOOKED AT LATER, BUT WHAT METRICS SPECIFICALLY NEED TO CHANGE, UM, TO BE ABLE FOR THOSE SMALL CITIES TO HAVE A REASONABLE EXPECTA EXPECTATION OF WHEN, UM, THE SERVICE COULD BE ADDED.
UM, THAT WAY IT GIVES THE SMALL CITIES SOMETHING TO BE ABLE TO EVALUATE AND KNOW WHEN THEY NEED TO REACH BACK OUT OR CHECK ON THINGS, OR IF SOMETHING CHANGES MIDTERM TO BE ABLE TO KNOW WHAT THEY'RE LOOKING FOR.
I THINK THAT WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL.
I THINK WE NEED TO BE, YOU KNOW, MAYBE NOT A MONTHLY BASIS OR WEEKLY BASIS, BUT DEFINITELY A QUARTERLY BASIS.
THERE NEEDS TO BE A FORMALIZED, UH, MEETING BETWEEN RESPECTIVE STAFF FROM, FROM ALL AREAS, AND NOT JUST FROM PLANNING DEPARTMENT, BUT YOU KNOW, SOMEONE FROM KAPPA PROJECTS GROUPS, SOMEONE FROM THE FINANCE GROUP, SOMEONE THAT CAN SPEAK TO THE DIFFERENT SUBJECTS.
CUZ THERE ARE DIFFERENT QUESTIONS THAT COME ABOUT AND THEY HAVE A DIFFERENT BEARING ON, ON DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS.
WHICH COMMUNITIES CAN BE A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT, BUT, AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, CAP METRO HAS TO MAKE THE BEST DECISIONS ON WHAT CAP METRO NEEDS TO DO TO MEET THOSE GOALS.
BUT AS THE MEMBER CITIES, IT'S IMPORTANT FOR THE MEMBER CITIES TO BE ABLE TO HAVE A PLACE TO THE TABLE BECAUSE THERE'S PROBABLY THINGS THAT MAY NOT BE ON CAP METRO'S RADAR, BUT MAY WORTH CONSIDERING, UM, AND PUTTING IN THE EQUATION WITH EVERYTHING ELSE.
SO I'D, I'D LIKE TO REALLY SEE THAT FORMALIZED PROCESS HAPPEN.
MAY MAYBE WE NEED TO CALL MAYOR DELILAH'S OFFICE WHAT YOU THINK
BOARD MEMBERS, ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS? ANY NO.
ANY ADDITIONAL DISCUSSION? ANY ADDITIONAL DISCUSSION? UH, IT, IT'S BEEN MOVED AND PROPERLY SECONDED THAT WE APPROVE ACTION ITEM NUMBER THREE.
UH, ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE LET IT BE KNOWN BY SAYING AYE.
HEARING NONE CHAIR WILL MAKE IT UNANIMOUS.
[VI.1. Briefing on FY23 and FY24 Strategic Plan]
MEMBERS, WE HAVE TWO DISCUSSION ITEMS FOR US THIS AFTERNOON AND, UH, WE'LL START WITH THE BRIEFING ON FISCAL YEAR 2023 AND THEN OUR CAP METRO STRATEGIC PLAN.SO I THINK, UH, MS. MS LAW IS GONNA YES.
GOOD AFTERNOON, CHAIR TRAIAN, CEO WATKINS AND BOARD MEMBERS.
I'M A PROGRAM MANAGER IN THE EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT AT CAP METRO.
THIS IS MY FIRST TIME PRESENTING TO THE BOARD, SO I'M EXCITED TO BE HERE AND TO GIVE YOU A STRATEGIC PLAN UPDATE ON FY 23.
AND, UH, WELL, I'LL BE GIVING HIGHLIGHTS OF PRO OF OUR PROGRESS FOR FY 23, WHICH WE ARE CURRENTLY IN, AND THEN ALSO SOME PROPOSED CHANGES THAT WE HAVE FOR FY 24 AND ASKING FOR YOUR FEEDBACK AS WELL.
AND WE ARE DOING THIS TODAY BECAUSE THE BOARD IS REQUIRED TO ADOPT OUR STRATEGIC PLAN AND REEVALUATE AN ANNUALLY.
AND SO THEREFORE, I'LL BE ASKING FOR, UM, THE, UH, THE BOARD'S ADOPTION AT THE APRIL BOARD MEETING.
I'LL START WITH OUR STRATEGIC PLAN, FY 23.
WE DID A, A REALIGNMENT OF OUR MISSION AND VISION LAST YEAR FOR FY 23.
AND THEN WE HAVE OUR, OUR CORE VALUES, WHICH ARE EMBEDDED IN THE CULTURE AT CAP METRO.
AND THEY ARE SAFETY, INNOVATION, EQUITY, TRANSPARENCY, AND SUSTAINABILITY.
WE HAVE FOUR GOALS IN THE AREAS OF CUSTOMER, COMMUNITY, WORKFORCE AND ORGANIZATIONAL EFFECTIVENESS.
AND THEN WE HAVE 13 OBJECTIVES, AND THOSE ARE ALL CONNECTED TO THE GOALS.
ALONG WITH OUR GOALS OBJECTIVES, WE HAVE 13 INITIATIVES, AND THESE INITIATIVES ARE THE FO THE AREAS OF FOCUS FOR FY 23.
AND WITHIN THESE INITIATIVES, WE HAVE ACTIONS, ACTION STEPS GROUPED WITHIN, UNDER EACH INITIATIVE.
AND SO AS THE, THE ACTION ITEMS ARE, ARE LAID OUT IN OUR STRATEGIC PLAN, THEY'RE CONNECTED TO OBJECTIVES, TO SEVERAL OBJECTIVES.
AND THEN, SO THEREFORE, THE INITIATIVES ARE NOT DIRECTLY CORRESPONDING TO ANY ONE GOAL OR OBJECTIVE.
FOR EXAMPLE, HERE WE HAVE OUR FIFTH INITIATIVE TRANSITION TO BATTERY ELECTRIC BUS FLEET.
UNDER THAT INITIATIVE, WE HAVE SEVERAL ACTIONS.
THIS IS, IS AN EXAMPLE OF ONE ACTION ITEM.
WE HAVE A LEAD DEPARTMENT, AND THEN WE HAVE THE OBJECTIVES THAT ARE CONNECTED TO THESE INITIATIVES.
AND SO AS WE HIGHLIGHT THESE INITIATIVES, I WANT TO ALSO SPEAK TO A FEW OF THEM.
WE'VE MADE PROGRESS ON ALL 13, BUT I DO WANT TO HIGHLIGHT A FEW AS WE'RE, WE
[00:45:01]
CONTINUE TO GO THROUGH F Y 23 FOR INITIATIVE THREE.WE ARE CURRENTLY WORKING ON AND IMPROVING AND UPDATING OUR POLICIES AND PRE PROCEDURES FOR BUS OPERATIONS.
WE PLAN TO HAVE THAT COMPLETED BY THE END OF THIS FISCAL YEAR.
WE'VE ALSO MADE SOME STRUCTURAL CHANGES TO OUR BUS OPERATIONS TEAM, AND THAT INCLUDES, UH, NEW VICE PRESIDENT OF BUS OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE.
I BELIEVE Y'ALL MET MILES LAST MONTH.
AND THEN WE'VE HAD SOME SENIOR MEMBERS OF OUR TEAM GET PROMOTED TO SENIOR DIRECTOR OF BUS TRANSPORTATION AND SENIOR DIRECTOR OF MAINTENANCE.
WE'RE ALSO WORKING ON A CONTINUITY OF OPERATIONS PLAN, AND THAT WILL DETERMINE HOW WE WILL CONTINUE TO SERVE OUR COMMUNITY IN A WORST CASE SCENARIO EVENT.
THIS COULD BE THINGS SUCH AS COVID, UH, SUPPLY CHAIN ISSUES.
WE'RE ALSO WORKING ON A PUBLIC SAFETY ELEMENT TO THIS PLAN AS WELL.
AND THAT SHOULD BE COMPLETED SOON AS PART OF OUR TRANSITION TO BATTERY ELECTRIC BUS FLEET.
FOR INITIATIVE FIVE, WE'VE DEVELOPED A ZERO EMISSION BUS TRANSPORTATION PLAN, AND THIS PLAN IDENTIFIES KEY STEPS AS WE CONTINUE TO REFINE OUR TRANSITION PLANNING.
WE'RE ALSO CURRENTLY DESIGNING AND INSTALLING BATTERY ELECTRIC BUS INFRASTRUCTURE AT OUR NORTH OPERATIONS BUS FACILITY AND DEVELOPING A PLAN FOR CAP METRO RAPID CHARGING STATIONS.
AS WE LOOK TOWARD OUR WOR OUR WORKFORCE, WHICH IS THE BACKBONE OF OUR AGENCY, WE HAVE DEVELOPED AN INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT WITH WORKFORCE SOLUTIONS CAPITAL AREA, AND THEY ARE, WILL SUPPORT OUR WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT EFFORTS.
WE'RE ALSO WORKING ON A BUS OPERATION RETENTION STUDY AND WITH TEXAS TRANSPORTATION INSTITUTE, AND THEY WILL HELP US IDENTIFY WHAT WE ARE DOING WELL AND WHAT ARE THE THINGS THAT WE NEED TO WORK ON TO RETAIN OUR BUS OPERATORS.
AND WE REVISE THE CONTRACT, DEMAND CONTRACT FOR DEMAND RESPONSE TO SUPPORT IMPROVED WAGES AND BENEFITS.
AND LIKE I SAID, THESE ARE JUST A FEW OF THE PROGRESS THAT WE ARE MAKING AND CONTINUE TO MAKE IN FY 23.
AND SO AS A, AS WE LOOK FORWARD TO FY 24 IN OUR PROGRESS, PROGRESS AND HOW WE CAME UP WITH OUR GOALS AND OBJECTIVES, OUR SENIOR EXECUTIVE AND MANAGEMENT TEAM CAME TOGETHER, UH, TO REVIEW OUR OBJECTIVES AND OUR GOALS AND, AND SEE WHERE WE ARE IF WE'RE ON A CLEAR DIRECTION FOR OUR AGENCY AND THE ACTIONS THAT WE'RE TAKING.
AND WE BELIEVE THAT THE NEW, UH, PROPOSED OBJECTIVES AND GOALS THAT I WILL SHARE WITH YOU, WITH YOU TODAY ARE IN ALIGNMENT WITH OUR MISSION.
I'M EXCITED TO SHARE THOSE WITH YOU HERE IN A LITTLE BIT.
WE'VE HAD SEVERAL STRATEGY MEETINGS AT THE DEPARTMENT LEVEL TO DISCUSS HOW WE WILL ACHIEVE OUR GOALS AND HOW EACH DEPARTMENT WILL, WILL CONTRIBUTE.
WE WENT THROUGH EACH GOAL SEPARATELY AND MET, UH, WITH ABOUT EACH OF OUR FOUR GOALS.
AND WE INVITED ANYONE THAT WANTED TO CONTRIBUTE TO THOSE CONVERSATIONS TO BE INVOLVED IN THOSE CONVERSATIONS.
AND THEN WE GOT TOGETHER WITH OUR SENIOR MANAGEMENT TEAM, AND, UH, WE ALL CAME TOGETHER AND LOOKED AT ALL OF OUR STRATEGIES.
WE SAT IN A BIG CIRCLE IN THIS ROOM AND DISCUSSED ALL OF OUR, UH, OUR OBJECTIVES, EACH 13 OF THEM, ALL OF OUR STRATEGIES TO ENSURE THAT WE WERE IN ALIGNMENT, THAT WE HAD THE SAME GOALS AND THE SAME FOCUS FOR FY 24.
AND THEN I'M DOING A BOARD BRIEFING TODAY AND ASKING FOR YOUR FEEDBACK.
AND THEN I WILL GO TO THE ADVISORY COMMITTEES IN APRIL TO GET THEIR FEEDBACK AND GIVE THEM A BRIEFING.
AND THEN I'LL BE BACK IN APRIL TO ASK FOR YOUR ADOPTION OF THE PLAN.
AND BEFORE I GO OVER THE PROPOSED CHANGES, I WANTED TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT OF THE FRAMEWORK AND THE DIFFERENCES IN FY 23 AND FY 24.
AS YOU CAN SEE, THE BOARD ADOPTS CORE VALUES, MISSION, VISION, GOALS AND OBJECTIVES.
AND THEN I MENTIONED THE 13 INITIATIVES FOR FY 23.
AND THEN WITHIN THOSE INITIATIVES ARE THE ACTION ITEMS. THE ACTION ITEMS ARE CONNECTED TO THE OBJECTIVES AND THE METRICS.
AND SO WE FOUND THIS A A LITTLE BIT DIFFICULT TO, AS, AS WE WORK THROUGH, UH, OUR, OUR, OUR GOALS AND WHERE WE ARE, THE ACTION ITEMS, THERE WERE SO MANY OBJECTIVES CON TO CONNECT DIRECTLY TO A SPECIFIC GOAL OR OBJECTIVES.
AND SO IN LOOKING AT FY 24, WE WANTED TO STREAMLINE THAT A LITTLE BIT.
AND SO YOU'LL SEE THE OBJECTIVES.
WE HAVE STRATEGIES THAT HELP UNDER EACH OBJECTIVES.
WE HAVE STRATEGIES THAT HELP US ACHIEVE THOSE OBJECTIVES.
AND THEN WE HAVE ACTION ITEMS THAT WILL CLEARLY CONNECT ANYONE'S WORK, UH, UP THROUGH THE, UM, STRATEGIES AND OBJECTIVES SO THAT ANYONE IN OUR AGENCY CAN IDENTIFY SOMETHING THAT THEY'RE WORKING ON, THE STRATEGY THAT THEY'RE WORKING ON, THE OBJECTIVE AND THE GOAL.
AND SO WE THINK THAT THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL AS A MANAGEMENT TOOL AND ALSO AS PART OF, UH, EMPLOYEE, UH, PERFORMANCE REVIEWS AS WELL.
[00:50:01]
AND AGAIN, THE BOARD WILL ONLY ADOPT THE CORE VALUES THROUGH THE OBJECTIVES, BUT I WANTED TO SHOW YOU A LITTLE BIT OF OUR FRAMEWORK.SO THEN, UH, I WILL GO THROUGH THE PROPOSED CHANGES OF OUR GOALS AND OBJECTIVES.
THIS, THIS IS OUR PROPOSED DRAFT.
UH, AGAIN, THE CORE VALUES, MISSION AND VISION DID STAY THE SAME.
WE DIDN'T MAKE ANY PROPOSED CHANGES TO THOSE, BUT WE DID MAKE PROPOSED CHANGES TO OUR GOALS AND OBJECTIVES.
THEY ARE MINOR, MINOR CHANGES.
I WOULD SAY THAT SOME, UH, CHANGE IN THE LANGUAGE AND ALSO, UM, JUST SOME CLEANUP THAT I WANT TO GO OVER WITH YOU TODAY.
SO AS WE LOOK AT OUR, AT OUR CUSTOMER GOAL, WE ACTUALLY HAD NO CHANGE FOR CUSTOMER.
OUR CUSTOMER GOAL IS TO PROVIDE A CONVENIENT, DESIRABLE, AND ACCESSIBLE OPTION FOR MOBILITY IN THE REGION AND ITS COMMUNITIES.
OUR COMMUNITY GOAL, WE WANTED OUR GOALS TO BE A RESULT IN ACTION ORIENTED AS WELL AS MEASURABLE.
AND SO IN LOOKING AT FY 23, METRO IS THE LEADER IN SUPPORTING A GROWING REGION.
WE WANTED TO SHOW THAT WE'RE LEADERS, AND BY DOING THAT, WE WANT TO DEMONSTRATE OUR VALUE TO A GROWING REGION BY COLLABORATING WITH PARTNERS AND COMMUNITIES FOR THE WORKFORCE GOAL.
UH, RATHER THAN SAYING KME HAS A PRODUCTIVE INVESTED WORKPLACE, OUR GOAL HERE IS TO INVEST IN A PRODUCTIVE AND VALUED WORKFORCE.
YOU'LL SEE WE'VE CHANGED WORKPLACE TO WORKFORCE ON THIS GOAL.
AND THEN OUR ORGANIZATIONAL EFFECTIVENESS GOAL IS TO SIMPLY DELIVER RESPONSIBLY AND SUSTAINABLY ON THE MISSION.
AND SO I'LL PAUSE RIGHT HERE TO INVITE ANY FEEDBACK OR COMMENTS FROM THE BOARD, ANY FEEDBACK OR QUESTIONS BOARD MEMBERS.
WE ALSO HAVE 13 OBJECTIVES THAT I'VE MENTIONED.
WE'VE MADE CHANGES TO 10 OF THEM.
FOR OUR CUSTOMER OBJECTIVES, WE HAVE OUR CUSTOMER GOAL.
WE HAVE NO CHANGES TO OUR OBJECTIVE, A, WHICH IS TO PROVIDE A RELIABLE AND SAFE TRANSIT SERVICE.
AS WE LOOK AT OBJECTIVE B, MAINTAIN A HIGH QUALITY CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE, WE WANTED TO CONTINUE TO IMPROVE CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE AND MAKE THAT A MORE MEASURABLE OBJECTIVE SO THAT WE'RE ALWAYS LOOKING TO CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVE.
AND THEN FOR OBJECTIVE C, I BELIEVE WE, WE SIMPLY REMOVED CAP.
METRO HAS A SYSTEM TO STATE ENSURE THE SYSTEM IS ACCESSIBLE.
AND LOOKING AT OUR PROPOSED COMMUNITY GOAL FOR FY 23, OBJECTIVE D, YOU'LL SEE THAT WE REMOVED BE A REGIONAL LEADER.
WE LOOKED AT THIS OBJECTIVE AND ASKED OURSELVES, WHAT ARE WE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH? AND THAT IS TO SUPPORT SUSTAINABLE GROWTH THROUGH IMPROVED ACCESS TO JOB SERVICES AND OPPORTUNITIES.
SO THEREFORE, WE DID REMOVE B A REGIONAL LEADER, WE DID CHANGE EXPANSION TO IMPROVED OBJECTIVE E.
WE SIMPLY ADDED BY 2040, AND THAT'S TO BE IN ALIGNMENT WITH OUR SUSTAINABILITY VISION PLAN.
OBJECTIVE F WE DID CHANGE THE LANGUAGE A LITTLE BIT.
WE WANTED TO SHOW OUR CONSTANT ENGAGEMENT WITH THE COMMUNITY.
AND SO WE'VE CHANGED COLLABORATE TO ENGAGE.
WE'VE CHANGED WRITERS TO CUSTOMERS, AND WE'VE CHANGED THE LANGUAGE TO STATE IN A CONSTANT PROCESS TO REFLECT THEIR INPUT IN THE TRANSIT SYSTEM AND RESPONSE TO IMMEDIATE NEEDS RATHER THAN RESPONSIVE TO THEIR NEEDS.
WE ALSO REMOVED SERVE AS THE REGIONAL LEADER BECAUSE OUR OBJECTIVE HERE IS TO FOSTER COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS TO IMPROVE REGIONAL MOBILITY.
AND BY DOING THIS, WE BELIEVE THAT WE WILL BE AND SERVE AS REGIONAL LEADERS.
OUR WORKFORCE GOAL, WE DID REWORD THIS ONE SLIGHTLY.
WE ADDED HIGHER, RECRUIT HIGHER AND DEVELOP AN ENGAGED WORKFORCE FOR MY DIVERSE TALENT COMMUNITY.
AN OBJECTIVE EYE WE REMOVED TO BE AN EMPLOYER OF CHOICE TO STATE THAT WE'RE, WE WANT TO FOSTER AN INCLUSIVE COLLABORATIVE CULTURE.
AND BY DOING THAT, WE BELIEVE THAT WE WILL BE AN EMPLOYER OF CHOICE.
WE ALSO REMOVED, ALIGNED WITH THE AGENCY MISSION AND GUIDING PRINCIPLES BECAUSE ALL OF OUR OBJECTIVES ARE IN ENLIGHTENMENT WITH OUR MISSION AND GUIDING PRINCIPLES.
AND THEN OBJECTIVE J, WE SIMPLY ADDED, DEVELOP, EXPAND, AND DEVELOP A HIGHLY SKILLED WORKFORCE.
OKAY, ORGANIZATIONAL EFFECTIVENESS.
WE HAD NO CHANGE TO OBJECTIVE K BE A PHYSICALLY RESPONSIBLE AND TRANSPARENT STEWARD OF PUBLIC FUNDS.
[00:55:01]
FOR OBJECTIVE L, WE SIMPLY ADDED, UH, ADVANCE INSTEAD OF INSTILL.SO WE WANT TO ADVANCE THE CULTURE OF SAFETY THROUGHOUT THE ORGANIZATION.
AND OBJECTIVE M HAD NO CHANGE.
THIS IS OUR PROPOSED, UH, FY 24 STRATEGIC PLAN.
UH, SO I'LL WELCOME ANY COMMENTS FROM OUR FEEDBACK FROM THE BOARD, BOARD MEMBERS, ANY FEEDBACK.
SO, UM, I'LL ONLY SAY, UH, NOTHING SPECIFIC, BUT, UH, WE'VE GOT A NUMBER OF BILLS THAT ARE BEING, UM, PRESENTED IN THE LEGISLATURE.
I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE, UH, THAT WE'RE TRACKING THEM AND THAT WE KNOW WHETHER THERE IS ANY IMPACT ON, UH, PLANS AND PROCEDURES THAT WE HAVE IN PLACE.
UH, ARE, UH, ARE THEY GONNA, ARE THEY PRESENTING CHALLENGES? IF THERE ARE OPERATIONAL CHALLENGES, SHOULD THERE BE A FISCAL NOTE APPLIED TO THEM? UH, HOW WILL IT IMPACT US ULTIMATELY? SO, YES.
UH, WE ARE JUST RECEIVING THAT, SO WE'RE NOT VOTING ON THAT TODAY, RIGHT? UM, I'M NOT QUITE DONE HERE,
YEAH, I, I THOUGHT, I THOUGHT YOU NAILED.
I JUST WANTED TO GIVE YOU SOME NEXT STEPS.
UM, I WILL GO TO THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE BRIEFING AND GET THEIR FEEDBACK, UH, NEXT MONTH.
AND THEN I'LL BE BACK FOR AN ADOPTION OF OUR PLAN NEXT MONTH AS WELL.
AND THEN WE WILL BE CREATING A SYSTEM TO TRACK PROGRESS AND PROVIDE REGULAR UPDATES TO THE BOARD.
AND THEN WE WILL INTEGRATE THIS STRATEGIC PLAN INTO OUR BUDGET PROCESS AND EMPLOY PERFORMANCE REVIEWS.
UM, ON THE STRATEGIC PLAN, YOU'LL NOTICE WE JUST TWEAKED, WE DIDN'T MAKE ANY WHOLESALE CHANGES.
WHAT WE'RE DOING AND WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH IS LARGELY THE SAME, BUT WE DO RECOGNIZE THAT FULLY HALF OF OUR BOARD WASN'T ON THE BOARD LAST YEAR WHEN WE ADOPTED THE STRATEGIC PLAN.
SO AS YOU DIGEST IT, IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS AND WOULD LIKE TO DIVE DEEPER ON ANY OF THE ITEMS, WHETHER YOU'RE A NEW BOARD MEMBER OR NOT, WE WOULD WELCOME YOUR QUESTIONS, UM, AND FEEDBACK SO THAT WE CAN MAKE SURE YOU'RE COMFORTABLE, UM, APPROVING OUR UPDATES NEXT MONTH.
SO NOW, DOES THAT SOUND LIKE YOU'RE ASKING FOR A WORK SESSION SO THAT WE CAN BRIEF INDIVIDUALLY OR NO, JUST IF FOLKS HAVE QUESTIONS, WE THINK THAT IS NOT VERY SUBSTANTIAL WHAT WE'RE CHANGING, AND SO WE DIDN'T THINK A WORK SESSION WAS NECESSARY, BUT I DID WANNA MAKE SURE THAT AS ALWAYS, I SHARED THAT WE ARE OPEN AND AVAILABLE IF THERE ARE QUESTIONS, PARTICULARLY BECAUSE WE HAVE A NUMBER OF NEWBORN MEMBERS WHO MAYBE DON'T KNOW THE STRATEGIC PLAN AS WELL AS THE REST OF US.
THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
UH, SO NOW WE'VE GOT A FINAL AGENDA ITEM, AND THAT'S GONNA BE THE MONTHLY REPORT FROM OUR PRESIDENT AND CEO.
O DOESN'T THAT SOUND GOOD? PRESIDENT AND CEO O WE, WE ACTUALLY HAVE THE PUBLIC SAFETY PROGRAM FIRST, SO, OKAY.
SO I'M TRYING, I'M TRYING TO PUSH THIS ON AND EVERYBODY ELSE IS GOOD.
[VI.2. Update on CapMetro Public Safety Program]
BUT THEY'VE WORKED SO HARD.OH, ERIC GOT, YEAH,
PLEASE PRESENT OUR UPDATE ON PUBLIC SAFETY, UH, PROGRAM.
GOOD AFTERNOON, CHAIR TRILLIAN, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD PRESIDENT AND CEO OF WATKINS.
I SERVE AS THE SENIOR DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC SAFETY AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT FOR CAPITAL METRO.
AND WHAT I'M HERE THIS AFTERNOON TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT IS OUR PUBLIC SAFETY UPDATE.
I WILL GIVE YOU AN INTRODUCTION, AND THEN CHIEF ROBBINS WILL GIVE YOU THE OVERVIEW OF AN UPDATE OF THE, UH, CURRENT STATUS OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
AND THEN I'LL FOLLOW UP WITH, UH, PRESENTATION ON OUR, UH, FIRST YEAR OF OPERATIONS OF OUR PUBLIC SAFETY AMBASSADORS AND COMMUNITY INTERVENTION SPECIALISTS.
OUR MODEL FOR OUR PUBLIC SAFETY PROGRAM HERE AT CAPITAL METRO IS OUR PUBLIC SAFETY AMBASSADORS ARE OUR PRIMARY INTERFACE WITH OUR CUSTOMERS AND EMPLOYEES AND THE PUBLIC.
OUR INTERVENTION SPECIALISTS FOCUS ON ISSUES IMPACTING OUR SYSTEM RELATED TO MENTAL HEALTH, HOMELESSNESS AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE.
AND THEN OUR TRANSIT POLICE FOCUS ON ISSUES RELATED TO LAW ENFORCEMENT IMPACTING OUR SYSTEM.
THOSE ARE THREE ELEMENTS OF OUR PUBLIC SAFETY PROGRAM.
AND KEY TO THE SUCCESS OF THE PROGRAM ARE THE PARTICIPANTS AND BENEFICIARIES, WHICH ARE OUR CUSTOMERS AND OUR EMPLOYEES, AND OUR COMMUNITY.
THE BACKGROUND, UH, ESPECIALLY FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT DID NOT GO THROUGH THIS ENTIRE PROCESS WITH US, STARTED IN 2020 WHERE WE BEGAN LOOKING AT ASSESSING OUR APPROACH TO PUBLIC SAFETY, WHICH WAS A MODEL THAT HADN'T CHANGED, AND PROBABLY SINCE THE LATE EIGHTIES, WHICH WAS JUST USING PART-TIME LAW ENFORCEMENT TO RESPOND TO INCIDENTS ON OUR SYSTEM.
SO, UH, INITIALLY THE FIRST THING WE DID WAS CONSULTED WITH APTA AND REQUESTED A PEER ASSESSMENT.
AND THEY CAME IN AND DID A REVIEW OF OUR PUBLIC SAFETY PROGRAM AND MADE SOME RECOMMENDATIONS.
THEY DID RECOMMEND THAT WE, UH,
[01:00:01]
IMPLEMENT OUR OWN POLICE DEPARTMENT AND ALSO VALIDATED OUR APPROACH OF USING PUBLIC SAFETY AMBASSADORS AND COMMUNITY INTERVENTION RES, UH, SPECIALISTS TO RESPOND TO OTHER INCIDENTS THAT WERE NOT LAW ENFORCEMENT.SO WE PROCEEDED WITH THAT MODEL, AND IN AUGUST OF 21, THE BOARD AUTHORIZED US TO CREATE OUR OWN POLICE DEPARTMENT AT CAPITAL METRO, ALONG WITH THE PUBLIC SAFETY ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
AND THEN IN 2021, OUR NEW PUBLIC SAFETY OPERATIONS, OUR AMBASSADORS AND OUR COMMITTEE INTERVENTION SPECIALISTS BEGAN OPERATIONS.
AND THAT WAS IN OCTOBER OF 21.
WE ACTUALLY DIDN'T HIRE THOSE INDIVIDUALS TO START THOSE PROGRAMS. WE JUST HIRED THEM IN JANUARY OF THAT SAME YEAR.
SO THAT'S INCREDIBLY FAST TO GO FROM ZERO TO OPERATIONAL IN 10 MONTHS, AND I'LL INTRODUCE YOU TO SOME OF THOSE FOLKS THAT WERE KEY IN THAT SUCCESS HERE LATER.
AND THEN IN AUGUST OF 2022, UH, WE HIRED, UH, CHIEF ERIC ROBBINS, UH, WHO RETIRED FROM THE SUGARLAND POLICE DEPARTMENT TO COME IN AS OUR CHIEF ADMINISTRATOR AND BEGIN STANDING UP THE CAPITOL METRO POLICE DEPARTMENT.
AND ONCE, UH, THEY MEET THE STATE REQUIREMENTS FROM THE TEXAS COMMISSION ON LAW ENFORCEMENT, THEY WILL BEGIN, UH, OPERATIONS FOR THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
AND THAT BRINGS US CURRENT TO WHERE WE ARE TODAY.
SO, UH, I WILL TURN IT OVER TO CHIEF ROBBINS AT THIS POINT.
LET HIM BEGIN WITH AN UPDATE ON THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
YOU SEE, I DIDN'T TRY TO MOVE TO THE NEXT ITEM.
TRAIAN BOARD MEMBERS, OF COURSE, CEO, CEO O MS. WATKINS.
I'M THE CHIEF ADMINISTRATOR TRANSIT POLICE, AND I'M EXCITED TO BE HERE.
I'VE BEEN WITH THE CAP METRO FOR NOW, JUST A ALMOST EIGHT MONTHS.
SO I'M, I'M STILL LEARNING A LOT ABOUT THE CITY OF AUSTIN, BUT I'M SUPER EXCITED.
AUSTIN HAS BEEN VERY KIND TO ME, AND UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF CEO WATKINS, AND OF COURSE, EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, UH, GARDNER TABBAN, THE SUPPORT AND THE COLLABORATION THAT I'VE RECEIVED FROM THE ENTIRE CAP METRO STAFF HAS BEEN VERY, VERY WONDERFUL.
IT'S BEEN, UH, A, A GREAT START.
AND WHAT I CAN TELL YOU IS STARTING A POLICE DEPARTMENT IS NO SMALL TASK.
UH, BUT IT IS DESPERATELY AND, AND SO VERY, VERY, UH, NEEDED FOR CAP METRO AND, AND NOT ONLY FOR CAP METRO, BUT THE SAFETY OF OUR CITIZENS, OUR RIDERS, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, OUR STAFF AND OUR BUS OPERATORS.
SO, I KNOW IT IS VERY, VERY IMPORTANT.
AND THE MOST IMPORTANT THING ABOUT THIS IS GETTING IT RIGHT.
AND SO, DEFINITELY I DO NOT WANT TO RUSH THIS PROCESS.
SO WHAT I WANNA DO IS JUST, UH, GIVE YOU A QUICK UPDATE ON WHERE I AM IN, IN GETTING THIS, UH, POLICE DEPARTMENT UP AND RUNNING.
I HAVE ABOUT EIGHT SLIDES, SO I'LL BE VERY, VERY BRIEF AND I'LL TALK, UH, UH, BRIEFLY ABOUT, OF COURSE, OUR FACILITY, WHERE WE ARE WITH OUR FACILITY, OUR STAFFING, OUR STAFFING LEVELS, OUR STAFFING, OUR PLAN, OUR SOME OF OUR POLICIES, OUR POLICY PROCESS, AND WHERE WE'RE GOING WITH THAT, AS WELL AS OUR DISPATCH AND WHAT WE NEED TO DO IN ORDER TO ACCOMPLISH SOME, UH, SOME OF OUR, UH, MANDATES WITH TCO, AS WELL AS, UH, TALKING ABOUT SOME OF OUR PROCESSES WITHIN A LOCAL AGREEMENT.
SO WITH THAT, OUR FACILITY, I'LL JUST GIVE YOU A QUICK BRIEF UPDATE ON OUR FACILITY.
UH, OBVIOUSLY, UH, WE, WE ARE MOVING TO 8,200 CAMERON ROAD AS OUR LEASE FACILITY, WHERE OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT WILL BE HOUSED.
I'M WORKING WITH OUR FACILITIES TEAM.
IT IS EXPECTED TO BE COMPLETED IN THE FIRST QUARTER OF FY 24, OUR STAFFING AND A HIRING.
I'LL TALK TO YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT IN A COUPLE MORE SLIDES, AS WELL AS OUR POLICIES AND PROCEDURES AND, AND MOVING FORWARD POLICIES.
SPEAKING OF POLICIES, UH, WE HAVE ABOUT EIGHT MANDATED POLICIES THAT THE TEXAS COMMISSION ON LAW ENFORCEMENT HAS MANDATED FOR US TO HAVE IN PLACE PRIOR TO BECOMING AN OPERATIONAL, UH, UH, DEPARTMENT.
SPECIFICALLY POLICIES THAT DEAL WITH BIAS BASED POLICING, USE OF FORCE, CODE OF CONDUCT, AND SO FORTH, VEHICLE PURSUITS, FITNESS FOR DUTY, MISSING PERSONS, SUPERVISION OF PART-TIME EMPLOYEES IN DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, ALSO HAVE TO CREATE AN ENTIRE POLICY MANUAL TO HAVE THOSE POLICIES THAT THEY HAVE MANDATED ARE GREAT POLICIES THAT WE HAVE TO HAVE.
BUT WE ALSO NEED AN ENTIRE MANUAL.
AND THAT MANUAL, THOSE ARE THE CATEGORIES FOR THAT MANUAL AS LISTED UNDER THE POLICY MANUAL.
SO ALL THE POLICIES YOU SEE ON THE LEFT WILL FIT INTO THOSE CATEGORIES AS SOME, UH, IN SOME FOURTH AND SOME FASHION, AS WELL AS, UH, ADDITIONAL POLICIES, UH, WE'RE WORKING THROUGH THOSE POLICIES AS WE SPEAK.
NOW, UH, MORE IMPORTANTLY, MOVING FORWARD WITH OUR PUBLIC SAFETY ADVISORY COMMITTEE, WE WANNA MAKE SURE WE GET OUR INPUT FROM OUR PUBLIC SAFETY ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
WE WILL BE HAVING WHAT WE CONSIDER AS MONTHLY, UH, POLICY DISCUSSIONS TO TALK ABOUT NOT ONLY WHAT'S IMPORTANT TO THEM, BUT ALSO, UH, SPECIFIC POLICIES THAT THEY DEEM THEY WANT TO MAKE
[01:05:01]
SURE THEY HAVE SOME INPUT ON.SO WE WILL HAVE THOSE KEY DISCUSSIONS AND THOSE POLICY DISCUSSIONS AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
AND THEN ALSO GETTING OUR LEGAL OPINIONS AND GETTING LEGAL REVIEWS DEFINITELY ON, UH, SPECIFIC POLICIES THAT, THAT ARE CRITICAL, UH, POLICIES THAT HAVE ANY KIND OF LIABILITY IMPLICATIONS AND NO THAT FOR.
AND ALSO MOVING FORWARD, I WILL, I'M GONNA LOOK AT ACCREDITATION STATUS.
I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO HAVE AN ACCREDITATION, UH, TO SHOW US EXACTLY HOW AND WHAT WE'RE DOING, GIVE US THOSE STANDARDS ON BEST PRACTICES FROM A NATIONAL AND, AND INDUSTRY STANDARD.
SO THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT WE WILL BE LOOKING AT AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
AND I THINK THAT GIVE US ALL THE ASSURANCE ON WHAT WE'RE DOING AND HOW WE CAN VALIDATE WHAT WE'RE DOING.
AND THEN LASTLY, HOW DO WE PRESENT THIS, THIS PROCESS TO THE BOARD THAT WILL BE, UH, FORTHCOMING AT SOME POINT DOWN THE ROAD? WE'LL DEFINITELY SET THOSE DATES OUT THERE.
THE PROCESS FOR THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE, I JUST KIND OF WANTED TO POINT THAT OUT A LITTLE BIT.
WE WILL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT IT, BUT WE WILL SPECIFICALLY LOOK AT WHAT IS IMPORTANT TO OUR POLICY, UH, I'M SORRY, ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
UH, SPECIFICALLY, WE WILL ALLOW THEM TO LOOK AT THE POLICIES SPECIFICALLY WITH, AS IT PERTAINS TO THOSE TCO POLICIES, LET THEM PROVIDE THEIR INPUT, TAKE THEIR INPUT UNDER ADVISEMENT, AND THEN DEFINITELY LOOK AT HOW WE CAN, UH, INCLUDE AND, AND AT, AND AT LEAST, UH, CONSIDER THEIR INPUT INTO OUR POLICIES.
AND OF COURSE, WE WILL DEFINITELY GET THAT PROCESS BACK TO THEM, THOSE POLICIES, THOSE DRAFTS BACK TO THEM, SO THAT THEY CAN SEE THOSE POLICIES AND WE CAN MOVE FORWARD WITH, WITH, UH, SETTING THOSE POLICIES AND PUTTING THOSE IN PLACE.
JUST A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE GROWTH PLAN.
OBVIOUSLY THE ULTIMATE GOAL IS TO GET APPROXIMATELY 46 OFFICERS, SWORN OFFICERS, AND ABOUT 11 CIVILIANS.
THAT'S WHAT IT, IT'LL ACTUALLY TAKE TO HELP GET THIS DEPARTMENT AS WE SEE IT.
I THINK, OBVIOUSLY, DARYL MENTIONED IT EARLIER WITH THE THREE-PRONGED APPROACH WITH, UH, UH, PUBLIC SAFETY AMBASSADORS, COMMUNITY INTERVENTION SPECIALISTS AND POLICING.
I THINK THAT'LL BE A STRONG COMBINATION TO WHERE WE MAY NOT NEED LAW ENFORCEMENT AS A HIGH PRESENCE, BUT WE DEFINITELY NEED IT TO, IN ORDER TO ENSURE THE SAFETY.
SO WORKING WITH THAT APPROACH, THESE ARE MY PLANS, MY GROWTH PLANS, AND OBVIOUSLY THERE'S SUBJECT TO CHANGE, BUT THESE ARE OUR GROWTH PLANS FOR OUR DEPARTMENT.
AND THAT'S, AS YOU CAN SEE WHEN WE SAY SWORN, ONCE WE GET THE DEPARTMENT LEGITIMATE, WE, WE OBVIOUSLY WILL HAVE SWORN POLICE OFFICERS.
THIS IS JUST GIVING YOU A LITTLE BIT OF A ORG, UH, IDEA ABOUT THE ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE, WHAT IT WILL LOOK LIKE.
IT'S OBVIOUSLY BROKEN INTO WHAT I CONSIDER IS TWO HALVES.
SUPPORT BUREAU SIDE, AS WELL AS THE OPERATIONS SIDE.
OPERATIONS IS TYPICALLY, YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHERE YOUR RUBBER MEETS THE ROAD.
THAT'S THE MAJORITY OF THE, THE STAFFING IN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, PATROLS, INVESTIGATIONS AND WHATNOT.
BUT OBVIOUSLY, WE CAN'T GET THAT FAR AHEAD UNTIL WE PUT ALL THE THINGS IN PLACE LIKE OUR POLICIES, OUR LEGITIMACY, AND SO FORTH.
SO SPECIFICALLY, I'M WORKING ON THE SUPPORT BUREAU SIDE.
UM, JUST KIND OF, UH, GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW.
UH, WE'VE ACTUALLY MADE SOME HIRES.
I'VE HIRED, UH, ON OUR SUPPORT SIDE, AN ADMINISTRATIVE CAPTAIN WHO IS WITH ME TODAY, AS WELL AS A RECORDS MANAGER, CRIME ANALYST, AND I'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE MY ADMINISTRATIVE CAPTAIN.
HE IS A 25 YEAR, UH, LONGTIME RESIDENT OF AUSTIN.
HIS WIFE IS IN AUSTIN KNIGHT, SO I THINK SHE WENT TO REAGAN HIGH SCHOOL, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN.
UH, BUT HE COMES TO US FROM THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT.
HE'S RETIRED FROM THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
HE'S GOT A WEALTH OF KNOWLEDGE.
HE'S WORKED IN MULTIPLE ASSIGNMENTS IN AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT.
HE RETIRED AS A LIEUTENANT, UH, BASICALLY WORKING IN INVESTIGATIONS PATROL, AS WELL AS, UM, UH, INTERNAL AFFAIRS.
AND ALSO I HAVE WITH US TODAY OUR RECORDS MANAGER, CRIME ANALYST, MS. KIMBERLY SIMPSON, WHO'S ALSO HERE.
AND SHE COMES TO US AS A RETIREE FROM OVER 25 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE WITH THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY AS AN AUDITOR FOR OUR T C I C, WHICH IS TEXAS, UH, CRIMINAL INFORMATION SYSTEM.
SHE HAS A LOT OF INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT IT TAKES TO GET OUR, UM, DISPATCH AND OUR COMMUNICATION CENTER UPSTANDING UP, AS WELL AS OUR RECORDS MANAGEMENT SYSTEM, AND GETTING ALL THE DATA AND ALL THE INFORMATION THAT WE WILL NEED.
SO I'M SUPER EXCITED TO HAVE THEM WITH ME, HAVE THEM ON BOARD.
I CAN TELL YOU RIGHT NOW ON THE ADMINISTRATIVE SIDE, WE DID HAVE AN ASSISTANT CHIEFS PROCESS, AND WE STILL CURRENTLY IN ASSISTANT CHIEFS PROCESS.
AND WHAT I MEAN BY HAD, WE HAD ONE INDIVIDUAL WHO WAS LITERALLY, UH, GIVEN A, PROVIDED A JOB OFFER, BUT HE LATER DECLINED IT.
SO WE HAD TO GO BACK OUT AND OPEN THAT BACK UP.
BUT THOSE ARE SOME OF THE KEY POSITIONS THAT'S GOING TO HELP ME GET THIS DEPARTMENT UP AND RUNNING OFF THE GROUND.
AND I, I LITERALLY JUST TALKED ABOUT THOSE POSITIONS.
JEREMY BERNARD AND MS. KIMBERLY SIMPSON TALKED ABOUT OUR PROCESS ONGOING.
WE HAVE A, A ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT WHO IS CURRENTLY IN A TEMPORARY ROLE.
[01:10:01]
POSITIONS, BUT THERE WILL BE OTHER POSITIONS AS WE MOVE FORWARD.UM, THIS YEAR, I JUST WANT TO GIVE EVERYONE AN UPDATE ON OUR PROCESS AS WE MOVE FORWARD WHEN IT COMES TO HIRING OFFICERS, HIRING SWORN OFFICERS IS WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT HERE.
AND IF YOU LOOK AT IT, THE TOP IS IN BLUE.
IT'S JUST BASICALLY TALKING ABOUT IF AN OFFICER, UH, HAS ALREADY HAS A CERTIFICATION AS A SWORN OFFICER MAY BE COMING FROM ANOTHER DEPARTMENT.
AND IF THEY'RE NOT SWORN AND THEY HAVE NO CERTIFICATION, THEN WHAT IT'LL, WHAT WE WILL HAVE TO DO IS SEND THEM THROUGH A POLICE DEPARTMENT CERTIFICATION, LAW ENFORCEMENT CERTIFICATION PROCESS HERE AT STATE IN THE TEXAS.
SO IF YOU LOOK AT IT, JUST KIND OF GIVING YOU, SUMMING IT ALL UP, ABOUT THREE MONTHS TO HIRE FROM THE TIME THE PERSON IS HIRED TO THE TIME THEY START AND HIT THE STREETS, TAKE ABOUT THREE MONTHS FOR A SWORN OFFICER.
IF THEY'RE NON-SWORN, IT'S ABOUT SIX TO NINE MONTHS.
AND THAT CAN VARY AS WE HAVE TO PROBABLY LOCATE A POLICE ACADEMY WITHIN THAT TIMEFRAME.
AND THEN MOVING FORWARD, UH, BASICALLY LOOKING AHEAD, SOME OF THE KEY THINGS THAT I WILL BE WORKING ON AS WE MOVE FORWARD IS OUR BUDGET PROCESS, OBVIOUSLY FOR THE FY 24 BUDGET PROCESS, OUTLINING THAT, PUTTING THE, ALL OF THE FINANCES IN PLACE, OBVIOUSLY LOOKING AT EQUIPMENT, RADIOS, BODY CAMERAS, THINGS THAT POLICE OFFICERS NEED TO DO THEIR JOB EFFICIENTLY AND EFFECTIVELY, UH, MARKETING, RECRUITING THAT IS GONNA BE CRITICAL FOR US MOVING FORWARD.
HOW WE GONNA IDENTIFY OURSELVES, WHAT WE'RE GONNA LOOK LIKE AS A POLICE AGENCY.
I WANT TO BRING EVERYONE A VERY, VERY RESPECTABLE, AND OF COURSE, A WORLD-CLASS TRANSIT POLICE DEPARTMENT.
SO OBVIOUSLY I WANT TO TAKE MY TIME AND GET THIS DONE RIGHT.
MOVE INTO OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT FACILITY, IS IS, UH, GOING TO BE CRITICAL IN GETTING THAT DONE.
AND THEN, OF COURSE, GETTING OUR TCO LEGITIMACY.
I'LL TURN IT BACK OVER TO, UH, MR. DARRYL JAMEL AND LET HIM MOVE FORWARD.
I GUESS I'LL TAKE QUESTIONS AFTER IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS.
GOING BACK TO THE OTHER TWO COMPONENTS OF OUR PUBLIC SAFETY APPROACH.
THE FIRST IS OUR PUBLIC SAFETY AMBASSADORS.
THIS IS THE FIRST GROUP THAT STARTED OCTOBER 18TH OF 21.
WE'VE HIRED A SECOND SHIFT AND WE HAVE AN, UH, SUPERVISOR FOR EACH SHIFT THAT'S OUT IN THE FIELD.
AND OUR FINAL STAFFING PLAN IS TO HAVE THREE SHIFTS OF EIGHT AMBASSADORS EACH SHIFT FOR A TOTAL OF 24 WITH ONE FIELD SUPERVISOR PER SHIFT, AND ONE MANAGER WHO WILL, WHO IS BRIAN ROBINSON.
AND THAT PLAN SHOULD BE COMPLETE BY THIS SUMMER.
WHAT OUR AMBASSADORS DO IS RESPOND TO CALLS FOR SERVICE AND DO, UH, AREA CHECKS AT OUR LOCATIONS AND WRITE OUR SYSTEM.
THEY'RE OUT ON OUR VEHICLES AS WELL.
TYPICALLY, THE TYPES OF CALLS THEY TAKE ARE ON THE LEFT, UH, CHECK, WELFARE, LOST, CHILDREN, CRIMINAL TRESPASS, LOITERING.
THEY CALL FOR COMMUNITY INTERVENTION SPECIALISTS AS NEEDED WHEN THEY COME ACROSS INDIVIDUALS THAT CAN USE THOSE RESOURCES.
AND THEN SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITIES.
SOME OF THOSE CALLS DO ESCALATE TO NEEDING, UH, PUBLIC SAFETY RESPONSE FROM FIRE, POLICE, OR EMS. AND THEY'RE ABLE TO DO THAT, MAKE THAT NOTIFICATION THROUGH OUR DISPATCH AND COORDINATE THOSE SERVICES WHEN THEY ARRIVE.
THEY PRIMARILY ARE FOCUSED ON BEING OUT IN THE SYSTEM, BEING A VISIBLE UNIFORMED CAPITAL METRO PRESENCE, EMPLOYEE IN UNIFORM TO ASSIST CUSTOMERS WITH SYSTEM NAVIGATION AND INTERFACE WITH OUR EMPLOYEES ON THE SYSTEM, AND LOOK FOR PUBLIC SAFETY ISSUES AND SAFETY ISSUES THAT NEED TO BE ADDRESSED.
UH, ON THE RIGHT THERE, YOU SEE THEIR ACTIVITY FOR THE FIRST FULL YEAR OF OPERATION FROM OCTOBER OF 21, OCTOBER OF 22.
UH, TYPICALLY IN ANY GIVEN MONTH, THEY'RE DOING AT LEAST A COUPLE OF HUNDRED CHECKS AT OUR, UH, TRANSIT CENTERS, AND THEN A FEW LESS AT OUR PARKING RIDES AND RAIL STATIONS.
AND THIS IS JUST THE FIRST SHIFT AND ABOUT HALF OF THE YEAR FOR THE SECOND SHIFT.
SO THESE, THESE NUMBERS WILL INCREASE, BUT OVER 39,000 CUSTOMER CONTACTS.
THAT'S OVER 3000 CUSTOMER CONTACTS A MONTH.
UH, THAT'S, UH, OVER 19,000 FOR THE YEAR.
AND THEN THEY TOOK OVER 470 CALLS FOR SERVICE DURING THE YEAR AS WELL.
MADE NINE, UH, REFERRALS TO THE COMMUNITY INTERVENTION SPECIALISTS, OUR COMMUNITY INTERVENTION PROGRAMS. WE STARTED WITH, UH, TWO COMMUNITY INTERVENTION SPECIALISTS AND ADDED A THIRD FOR FISCAL YEAR 23.
AND ON THE LEFT IS HOLLY WING, ON THE RIGHT IS CARLOS SILVA.
AND THAT PROGRAM LAUNCHED IN OCTOBER OF 2021 ALSO.
AND JUST FROM OUR PEERS THAT WE WORKED WITH AND ACROSS THE COUNTRY, THERE'S JUST A FEW TRANSIT AGENCIES THAT ARE STARTING PROGRAMS LIKE THIS.
AND WE'VE KIND OF DONE THAT TOGETHER IN THE
[01:15:01]
INDUSTRY.AND, UH, WE ALL HAVE LEARNED THAT IT'S QUALITY OVER QUANTITY A LOT OF TIMES, TO GET PEOPLE TO ACCEPT SERVICES YOU HAVE TO OFFER SEVERAL TIMES, AND YOU HAVE TO BUILD TRUST IN RELATIONSHIPS ALONG THE WAY TO DO THAT.
AND SO WE'VE BUILT THAT INTO OUR PROGRAM.
AND THEN JUST REALLY WORKING ON INTERN INTERNAL COORDINATION, BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF EDUCATION INTERNAL TO CAPITAL METRO AND OUR OPERATIONS.
SO PEOPLE OUT THERE IN THE SYSTEM, UH, UNDERSTAND THIS PROGRAM AND WHAT IT DOES, SO THEY CAN GET THOSE RESOURCES TO FOLKS AS WELL.
IN THE FIRST FULL, FULL YEAR OF OPERATION, UH, ENGAGED MEANS ACTUALLY INTERFACING WITH, UH, AN INDIVIDUAL AND OFFERING SERVICES, OFFERING ASSISTANCE, 712 ENGAGEMENTS.
UH, WE HAD 40 PEOPLE REFUSED, UH, 196 TIMES.
THEY WENT OUT LOOKING FOR PEOPLE THAT HAD BEEN RE, YOU KNOW, REFERRED OR WE'D BEEN NOTIFIED ABOUT THAT THEY WERE NOT ABLE TO LOCATE.
AND THEN THEY MADE 246 REFERRALS.
AND WE FOCUS ON REALLY MAKING SURE THAT WE DO A, WHAT'S CALLED A WARM HANDOFF, WHERE WE'RE ACTUALLY HELPING THAT PERSON GET TO THE SERVICE THEY NEED, NOT JUST HANDING THEM A PHONE NUMBER OR AN ADDRESS, AND THEN, UH, COORDINATED ASSESSMENTS THAT THOSE ARE HOUSING ASSESSMENTS.
AND WE'RE ABLE TO DO THAT IN THE FIELD WITH A, A LAPTOP.
SO THAT LOWERS THAT ACCESSIBILITY BARRIER FOR THOSE FOLKS THAT MAY BE NEEDING THOSE RESOURCES TO DO IT RIGHT THERE ON THE SPOT INSTEAD OF HAVING TO TRANSPORT THEM SOMEWHERE, GET THEM TO GO SOMEWHERE.
AND THEN JUST OUR PARTNERSHIPS IN INITIATIVES, OUR PARTNERSHIPS IN THE COMMUNITY ARE KEY.
UH, THE TOP PICTURES, THE, UH, AUSTIN, TRAVIS COUNTY EMS, COMMUNITY HEALTH PARAMEDICS THAT WE WORK WITH QUITE A BIT.
THE HOMELESS OUTREACH TEAM, DOWNTOWN AUSTIN COMMUNITY COURT, ECHO, AND THEN OTHER STREET OUTREACH GROUPS.
AND AS A, THIS REALLY LETS US AVOID DUPLICATION OF RESOURCES FOR FOLKS AND THEN, UH, JUST BE THAT CONNECTION TO PEOPLE THAT MAY BE OUT ON OUR SYSTEM OR ON OUR PROPERTY THAT THESE GROUPS ARE UNABLE TO REACH.
AND THEN AGAIN, I MENTIONED THE NATIONAL TRANSIT WORKING GROUP.
WE'VE, WE'VE, UH, BEEN CONTINUING WORK WITH OUR SISTER SYSTEMS ACROSS THE COUNTRY THAT HAVE SIMILAR PROGRAMS TO, UH, LEARN FROM EACH OTHER AS WE'RE IMPLEMENTING THESE, THESE PROGRAMS. AND THEN PROVIDING MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID TRAINING FOR CAPITAL METRO STAFF, THAT'S A CERTIFICATION THAT OUR COMMUNITY INTERVENTION SPECIALISTS HAVE TO BE ABLE TO TRAIN OUR FRONTLINE STAFF THAT CAN BENEFIT FROM THAT TRAINING AS WELL.
THAT'S A RECAP OF THE FIRST YEAR OF OPERATION OF THOSE TWO PROGRAMS. AND I'D LIKE TO JUST BRING OUR STAFF UP HERE REAL QUICK AND LET YOU MEET SOME KEY MEMBERS OF THOSE PROGRAMS THAT HAVE BEEN INSTRUMENTAL IN THE SUCCESS.
HE'S OUR MANAGER OVER THE PUBLIC SAFETY AMBASSADORS.
AND HOLLY WING IS OUR LEAD COMMUNITY INTERVENTION SPECIALIST.
AND THESE TWO FOLKS STARTED IN JANUARY OF 22, RIGHT? 21.
AND IT TOOK 10 MONTHS TO, FROM THE TIME THEY WALKED IN THE DOOR AT CAPITAL METRO TO GET THESE PROGRAMS UP AND RUNNING.
SO THAT'S QUITE A BIT OF WORK, QUITE A BIT OF RESEARCH AND INTERFACE WITH OUR, OUR PEER SYSTEMS THAT HAVE DONE SIMILAR PROGRAMS. BUT, UH, WE'VE BEEN REALLY CAREFUL TO BE MEASURED AND, AND DO THIS THE RIGHT WAY.
AS CHIEF SAID, WE WANT TO, YOU KNOW, WE ONLY HAD ONE BITE AT THIS APPLE, BUT THEY WERE INSTRUMENTAL IN HELPING US SUCCEED AND GET THESE PROGRAMS UP AND RUNNING.
AND ALSO, UH, CARLOS, IF YOU AND STEPHANIE COULD STAND UP, CARLOS CAME ON BOARD IN APRIL OF 21.
THIS IS CARLOS SILVA AND STEPHANIE GARCIA, OUR OTHER TWO COMMUNITY INTERVENTION SPECIALISTS WHO ARE OUT IN THE FIELD WITH HOLLY, UH, MAKING THAT PROGRAM WORK.
SO JUST WANTED TO LET Y'ALL PUT FACES WITH NAMES TO THESE PROGRAMS. ALL RIGHT.
ANY QUESTIONS? BOARD MEMBERS? UM, BOARD MEMBER? I HAVE ONE.
AND IT'S PROBABLY BECAUSE I'M NEWER TO THE CONVERSATION AROUND TRANSIT POLICING.
UM, BUT COULD YOU PROVIDE A LITTLE MORE DETAIL ABOUT THE COMMUNICATION CENTER AS THAT EXPANDS? WILL IT COLLABORATE WITH OUR 9 1 1 CENTER IN CASE THERE'S A NEED FOR FIRE DEPARTMENT OR TRANSPORTATION INDIVIDUALS TO BE INVOLVED? OR WILL IT BE COMPLETELY SEPARATED FROM THE CITY'S? THAT'S ANOTHER PROGRAM WE STARTED.
WE NEVER HAD A DEDICATED PUBLIC SAFETY DISPATCH, SO THANK YOU TO PRESIDENT WATKINS FOR HELPING US GET THAT OFF THE GROUND.
WE STARTED THAT ACTUALLY, UH, IN JULY OF, UH, 20.
AND WE HAVE DEDICATED DISPATCHERS THAT, UH, INTERFACED DIRECTLY WITH THE COMBINED TRANSPORTATION EMERGENCY COMMUNICATION CENTER, OR CTECH, WHICH IS THE 9 1 1 AND DISPATCH CENTER HERE IN AUSTIN.
SO THEY'RE IN REAL TIME COMMUNICATION WITH THEM, AND THEY DISPATCH OUR, UH, PART-TIME OFFICERS THAT WORK FOR US AS WELL AS THEIR AMBASSADORS AND OUR INTERVENTION SPECIALISTS.
SO FOR INSTANCE, IF SOMEBODY NEEDS EMS, THEY JUST CALL ON THE RADIO AND OUR DISPATCH NOTIFIES EMS, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT THEY CAN HAVE THAT INTERFACE AS WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
UH, WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH, UH, CTECH
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ON HOW THAT'S GONNA LOOK.AND AS CHIEF MENTIONED, THAT'S, THOSE TELECOMMUNICATORS WILL HAVE TO BE LICENSED BY T COLE, JUST LIKE, LIKE OFFICERS.
THEY'RE LICENSED TELECOMMUNICATORS BY THE STATE.
SO WE'RE WORKING THROUGH THAT PROCESS TO TRANSITION TO A SECURE FACILITY THAT MEETS THOSE STANDARDS AND CONTINUE TO SUPPORT OUR PUBLIC SAFETY OPERATIONS HERE AT METRO.
I KNOW I GOT TO TOUR THAT CENTER A COUPLE YEARS BACK AND WE'RE CURRENTLY SETTING UP ANOTHER, UH, TOUR FOR MY TEAM TO GO.
SO I'M EXCITED TO HEAR THOSE CONVERSATIONS ARE HAPPENING.
IN TERMS OF, UM, THE FINANCIAL IMPACT, UH, ESSENTIALLY WE'RE TRANSITIONING FROM HIRING, UH, OUTSIDE POLICE OFFICERS TO, FOR SECURITY NEEDS TO DOING IT IN-HOUSE.
IN TERMS OF THE FINANCIAL IMPACT, IS IT A, IS IT NEUTRAL IN THE SENSE THAT WE'RE ALREADY SPENDING THE MONEY AND WE'RE JUST BRINGING IT IN-HOUSE? OR WILL THERE BE ADDITIONAL COSTS TO BE BORN WITH DOING IT IN-HOUSE? ACTUALLY MOVING IT ALL IN-HOUSE WILL PROBABLY INCREASE THOSE COSTS.
WE'VE DONE A LONG RANGE FINANCIAL PLAN MM-HMM.
UH, OBVIOUSLY SOME OF THAT OUTSIDE EXPENSE WILL DROP OFF AS OUR OPERATIONS TAKE OVER FOR THAT, AND WE CAN, WE CAN PROVIDE YOU THAT INFORMATION.
I, I WOULD JUST ADD TO THAT ANSWER THAT, UM, IT'S BEEN A VERY LONG TIME SINCE WE WERE ABLE TO GET THE AMOUNT OF RESOURCES WE NEED USING THE OLD MODEL, RIGHT? SO USING AN OFF-DUTY AUSTIN POLICE OFFICER MODEL, WE HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO STAFF TO THE LEVEL THAT WE'VE NEEDED.
UM, SO WE'VE BUDGETED FOR WHAT WE COULD GET AND IN MANY CASES, WE BUDGET FOR MORE THAN WE CAN GET IN THE HOPES THAT MAYBE ONE DAY WE'LL BE ABLE TO GET THE RESOURCES THAT WE NEED.
UM, AND SO I OFFER THAT TO SAY THAT WHAT WE HAVE BEEN BUDGETING FOR PUBLIC SAFETY SUPPORT HAS BEEN ARTIFICIALLY CONSTRAINED BY THE AVAILABILITY OF OFFICERS TO SUPPORT US.
SO THERE, THERE'S SIMPLY NOT ENOUGH, YOU KNOW, UH, OFFICERS, YOU KNOW, PART-TIME DOING KIND OF OVERTIME ESSENTIALLY.
OR DOUBLE TIME, WHATEVER THE, THE CASE MAY BE.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? ANYBODY HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR THE CHIEF OR, I WAS JUST CURIOUS.
NO, I JUST WANTED TO BE SURE HE DIDN'T GET LEFT OUT.
UH, DART IS BUILDING ONE LIKE OURS.
UH, TRIM MET BART, UH, DENVER, R T D, UH, SAN DIEGO.
AND JUST TO TRANSLATE, DART IS DALLAS TRIM.
WE ALL KNOW, KNOW THE ACRONYMS BY HEART, BUT I THOUGHT I'D JUST OFFER THIS.
THE ONLY ONE I DIDN'T KNOW WAS TRIM,
ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS? QUESTIONS OF OUR CHIEF AS WELL, JUST IN CASE HE WANTED TO COME UP IN A ALL RIGHT.
ANYONE ELSE? ALRIGHT, SO IF, IF WE'VE GOTTEN EVERYTHING YES, SIR.
WE'LL MAKE SURE I DON'T SHUT YOU DOWN.
[VII.1. President & CEO Monthly Update]
WE'VE GOT ONE MORE REPORT.WELL, I APPRECIATE THE EAGERNESS WITH WHICH YOU WANTED TO HEAR THE PRESIDENCY O REPORT THIS MONTH.
UM, IT IS, IT HAS BEEN AN AMAZINGLY BUSY MARCH.
I ACTUALLY COMMENTED THIS MORNING HOW SHOCKED I WAS THAT IT'S SOMEHOW THE END OF MARCH ALREADY.
BUT WE'VE HAD A LOT OF GREAT THINGS HAPPENING THIS MONTH.
WE ACTUALLY KICKED OFF THE MONTH.
UM, I HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF SPEAKING ON THE 1ST OF MARCH ON AN INFRA DAY PANEL ALONGSIDE MY COLLEAGUES, UM, AT DART FROM DALLAS, UM, THE TEXAS WATER DEVELOPMENT BOARD AS WELL AS TEXDOT.
AND WE DISCUSSED TEXAS INFRASTRUCTURE CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES, UM, FOR CONTINUED COLLABORATION, UM, WITH LARGELY A GROUP OF ENGINEERS AND ENGINEERING FIRMS AND FOLKS THAT ARE IN THE BUSINESS OF BUILDING INFRASTRUCTURE.
IT WAS A LOVELY WAY TO KICK OFF, UM, WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH BECAUSE ON THE 1ST OF MARCH WE KICKED OFF AN INFRASTRUCTURE PANEL, AN INFRASTRUCTURE DAY WITH A PANEL FULL OF WOMEN.
UM, AND WE THOUGHT THAT WAS QUITE LOVELY.
I THINK A DECADE AGO YOU MIGHT NOT, YOU MIGHT HAVE HAD A HARD TIME FINDING A WOMAN ON THEIR STAGE.
UM, AND WE GOT TO START THE EVENT THIS YEAR WITH FOUR WOMEN.
UM, WE ALSO, UM, THAT SAME DAY DID A STATE DELEGATION BRIEFING, UM, OF STAFF OF OUR VARIOUS, UM, UH, DELEGATIONS HERE AT THE TEXAS STATE CAPITOL.
REALLY JUST EDUCATING THEM ABOUT CAP METRO, ALL THE MANY THINGS WE HAVE GOING ON.
UM, WE, UH, RAPID FIRES, SHOT THEM A BUNCH OF INFORMATION, BUT WANTED TO
[01:25:01]
MAKE SURE THAT THEY WERE, UM, ABLE TO ANSWER GOOD QUESTIONS ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON AND THAT THEY, UM, KIND OF KNEW WHO WE WERE AND, AND COULD HELP THEIR MEMBERS, UM, PROVIDE APPROPRIATE POLICY SUPPORT.UM, ON MARCH 8TH, I WAS MY PRIVILEGE TO APPEAR, UM, ON AN EPISODE OF AUSTIN PBS'S ATX TOGETHER ENGAGE SERIES, WHICH IS, UM, JOINTLY SPONSORED BY, UM, LEADERSHIP AUSTIN.
UM, I WAS JOINED BY, UM, LORREEN PHILLIPS, WHO'S THE CHAIR OF CHARIOT, A LOCAL, UM, ENTITY THAT WORKS IN THE DRIVE A SENIOR PROGRAM, AS WELL AS THE VICE-CHAIR OF CAMPO AND PFLUGERVILLE CITY COUNCIL MEMBER RUDY METIER.
UM, WE DISCUSSED ALL THE GREAT THINGS ABOUT MOBILITY AND THE CHALLENGES OF TRANSPORTATION IN THIS COMMUNITY.
UM, AND HAD JUST A LOT OF FUN TALKING ABOUT MOBILITY FOR AN HOUR, UM, AFTERWARDS, LATER THAT DAY, UM, OUR STAFF WAS GRACIOUS ENOUGH TO HOST A MEET AND GREET, UM, FOR THE PUBLIC TO COME OUT AND GET A CHANCE TO MEET YOUR NEW CEO.
UM, IT WAS ABSOLUTELY A GREAT OPPORTUNITY.
I MET A TON OF FOLKS AND, UM, LOOK FORWARD TO, UM, CONTINUING TO MEET EVEN MORE OF THE COMMUNITY.
UM, AS MY MY TENURE CONTINUES, UM, A FEW OF YOU WERE ABLE TO JOIN US.
WE HAD A FANTASTIC, UM, CELEBRATION WITH THE FTA ADMINISTRATOR, NUIA FERNANDEZ, UM, AND CONGRESSMAN LLOYD DOGGETT TO CELEBRATE THE NEARLY 66 MILLION IN FEDERAL FUNDING, UM, THAT CAPITAL METRO HAS SECURED TO SUPPORT THE TWO METRO RAPID LINES, UM, THE EXO CENTER LINE AND THE PLEASANT VALLEY LINE.
UM, THIS FEDERAL FUNDING IS AN IMPORTANT STEP IN DEMONSTRATING OUR ABILITY TO DELIVER ON THE PROJECT CONNECT PROGRAM OF PROJECTS.
UM, AND IT WAS QUITE AN HONOR TO HAVE, UM, THE HEAD OF OUR FEDERAL AGENCY COME DOWN TO AUSTIN TO CELEBRATE WITH US.
I MENTIONED EARLIER, UM, WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH, BUT, UM, COULDN'T GET BY WITHOUT SHOWING YOU THIS BEAUTIFUL BUS WRAP.
UM, WE'VE BEEN CELEBRATING ALL MONTH, UM, AND WRAP THIS BUSS IN, UM, SUPPORT, UH, WITH THE SUPPORT OF AUSTIN GRAPHIC ARTIST ANGEL ORTEGA.
UM, SHE CALLS THIS BUS WRAP STRONG WOMEN.
UM, I TOTALLY WANT THIS BUS WRAP ON MY WALL IN MY OFFICE.
I ACTUALLY TALKED TO SAMANTHA ABOUT LIKE, I WANT A, A HALL OF HONOR OF BUS WRAPS CUZ IT'S JUST SO COOL.
UM, AND SHE DESIGNED HER ART WITH AN EYE-CATCHING AND BOLD CO COLORS MEANT TO ILLUSTRATE STRENGTH.
UM, THE BUS FEATURES TEJANO SINGER SELENA, AS WELL AS TENNIS STAR SERENA WILLIAMS, ALONG WITH ORTEGA'S OWN MOTHER.
AND THERE'S A FANTASTIC TRIBUTE, UM, THAT WAS POSTED ON SOCIAL MEDIA WHEN SHE INTRODUCED HER MOTHER TO THIS BUS, BUS WRAP IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN LOOKING FOR THAT.
UM, WE ALSO IN THE MIDDLE OF MARCH, CELEBRATED TRANSIT EMPLOYEE APPRECIATION DAY.
UM, AND THIS WAS JUST AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO SAY THANK YOU TO ALL OF OUR STAFF.
UM, AND WE DID THIS BY SERVING MEALS, UM, ALL HOURS OF THE DAY AND NIGHT TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL OF OUR STAFF THAT WORK ROUND THE CLOCK, UM, WERE ABLE TO HAVE A MEAL ON US JUST AS A THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT THEY DO, UM, TO SUPPORT OUR COMMUNITY AND CONNECT AND PROVIDE ALL OF OUR SERVICES EVERY SINGLE DAY.
UM, NEXT UP A SMALL GROUP OF US MADE A TRIP TO WASHINGTON DC ALONG WITH SOME OF OUR, UM, PARTNERS WITH THE AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP TO ATTEND, UM, THE AMERICAN PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION ASSOCIATION'S LEGISLATIVE CONFERENCE.
UM, WHILE WE WERE THERE, WE ALSO, UM, HAD A NUMBER OF MEETINGS.
WE MET WITH THE FTA DEPUTY ADMINISTRATOR, UM, AND OTHER, UM, VERONICA VANDERPOL AND, AND MANY OF HER STAFF.
UM, WE ALSO MET WITH STAFF FROM THE, UM, SENATE COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, SCIENCE AND TRANSPORTATION, UM, STAFF FROM CONGRESSMAN PETE SESSION'S OFFICE FROM CONGRESSMAN LLOYD DOGGETT'S OFFICE, AS WELL AS I MET WITH SENATOR CORN'S OFFICE.
UM, WE WERE, UM, HONORED TO MEET WITH SOME WHITE HOUSE INFRASTRUCTURE TEAM STAFF AS WELL.
UM, ALL OF THESE MEETINGS WE WERE DISCUSSING THE MANY PROJECTS WE HAVE GOING ON IN THIS REGION.
UM, OUR PR PRIORITIES FOR IMPROVING TRANSIT INFRASTRUCTURE HERE IN CENTRAL TEXAS, THANKING THEM FOR THE GRANTS WE HAVE RECEIVED AND REMINDING THEM OF THE MINI GRANTS WE WOULD STILL LIKE TO RECEIVE.
SO, UM, ALL IN ALL, IT WAS AN EXCELLENT TRIP TO DC UM, AND WE WERE ABLE TO MEET WITH ALL THE FOLKS WE, WE NEEDED TO SEE.
ONE OF MY FAVORITE THINGS TO SHOW YOU IS SOME FUN TECHNOLOGY.
WE HAVE TWO NEW BUS CHAR, UM, UM, CHARGERS THAT ARRIVED AT OUR 2019 EAST FIFTH STREET FACILITY LAST WEEK.
UM, THEY ARE INTENDED, UM, THEY'RE GONNA BE UNDER THE CANOPY, UM, FOR CHARGING ELECTRIC VEHICLES AT, UM, THIS YARD.
BUT UNLIKE THE CHARGERS WE'VE INSTALLED TO DATE, WHICH TYPICALLY HA CAN CHARGE, UM, A COUPLE OF BUSES AT ONE TIME, THESE CHARGERS EACH HAVE 24 PORTS.
AND SO, UM, WITH TWO INS ON EACH PORT.
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WE ARE ABLE TO, WITH THESE TWO CHARGERS, CHARGE A TOTAL OF 48 BUSES, WHICH IS ACTUALLY MORE THAN WE CURRENTLY HAVE IN OUR IMMEDIATE PLANS FOR THIS FACILITY.UM, BUT THESE ARE OUR FIRST, UM, KIND OF LARGE SCALE CHARGERS AND WE'RE VERY EXCITED, UM, TO GET THEM ON BOARD AND GET THEM INSTALLED.
AND THEN DEFINITELY LAST BUT NOT LEAST, UM, THIS PAST WEEKEND, CAPITAL METRO HELD OUR ANNUAL LOCAL BUS RODEO.
UM, THE RODEO IS A COMPETITION FOR OUR FRONTLINE EMPLOYEES.
WE, UM, OUR BUS OPERATORS IN BOTH FIX ROUTE AND DEMAND RESPONSE, AS WELL AS OUR VEHICLE TECHNICIANS ALL COMPETE, UM, AGAINST ONE ANOTHER TO SEE WHO'S THE BEST OF THE BEST.
WE HELD IT OUT AT OUR NORTH OPERATIONS FACILITY.
WE COULD NOT HAVE ORDERED BETTER, BETTER WEATHER FOR THE EVENT.
IT WAS SUNNY AND GORGEOUS, BUT NOT TOO HOT.
UM, AND YOU SEE THERE ON THE BOTTOM LEFT A PICTURE OF OUR BUS WINNERS.
UM, THE WINNERS OF OUR, UH, LOCAL RODEO WILL BE HEADED TO STATE RODEO IN CORPUS CHRISTI IN A COUPLE OF WEEKS.
UM, AND THEN THE PARATRANSIT FOLKS WILL ACTUALLY HEAD TO THE COMMUNITY TRANSIT ASSOCIATION RODEO, UM, LATER THIS YEAR.
ONCE ALL OF THE COMPETITIONS ARE COMPLETE, WE'LL BRING THEM HERE TO THE BOARD TO CELEBRATE THEM IN PERSON.
BUT I JUST WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW THAT WE HAD A FANTASTIC LOCAL RODEO, UM, AND LOOK FORWARD TO INVITING Y'ALL TO COME JOIN US NEXT YEAR.
UM, AND THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESIDENT'S REPORT.
DIDN'T WANNA JUMP, JUMP AHEAD OF ANOTHER REPORT.
UH, WELL THAT CONCLUDES OUR AGENDA TODAY.
ALSO, BOARD MEMBERS, I WANT TO THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING OUT TODAY AND AT ONE FORTY SIX, WE'LL CALL THE MEETING.