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[Capital Metro Board of Directors Public Hearing on December 18, 2023.]
WE ARE IN THE ROSA PARKS BOARDROOM, CAPITAL METRO TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY BOARD OF DIRECTORS.WE HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING SCHEDULED TODAY ON CAP METRO'S, HMIS, PASS FARE, STRUCTURE CHANGE, PUBLIC HEARING.
I'LL GO AHEAD AND CALL US TO ORDER.
UM, OUR CHAIR, UH, JEFF TIAN IS ON HIS WAY, AND WHEN HE GETS HERE, I'LL, UH, HE WILL PICK UP THE GAVEL.
IN THE MEANTIME, WE HAVE A QUORUM HERE WITH, UH, FIVE OR SIX MEMBERS OF US PRESENT, AND I WILL TURN, LET'S SEE.
UH, WE WILL HEAR FROM CFO CATHERINE WALKER, A BRIEF PRESENTATION, AND THEN WE'LL TAKE ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS FOLLOWING THAT PRESENTATION.
CATHERINE, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
IT IS NOON, CORRECT? IT'S TWO MINUTES AFTER.
UM, VICE CHAIR POOLE, MEMBERS OF OUR BOARD PRESIDENT AND CEO WATKINS.
MY NAME IS CATHERINE WALKER AND I SERVE AS CAP METRO'S, EVP, CHIEF FINANCIAL AND RISK OFFICER.
TODAY I'M HERE TO TALK ABOUT OUR TRANSIT PASS FOR THE UNHOUSED COMMUNITY.
SO, UM, A LITTLE A BIT ABOUT THIS NEW TRANSIT PASS THAT WE ARE PROPOSING TODAY.
UM, CAP METRO HAS BEEN COLLABORATING WITH LOCAL SERVICE PROVIDERS TO OFFER A PASS THAT BENEFITS, UM, CERTAIN ELIGIBLE COMMUNITY FOR LEAST THE PAST 15 MONTHS OR SO.
UM, THE ELIGIBILITY FOR THIS NEW TRANSIT PASS, UM, WOULD BE FOR THE FOLLOWING SERVICES FOR OUR BUS SERVICE FOR CAT METRO RAPID FOR PICKUP BY CAT METRO, AND FOR CAT METRO ACCESS.
UM, THIS PASS IS AT NO COST TO THE RIDERS OR TO SERVICE PROVIDERS.
UM, THE PAST, THERE IS SOME ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS BOTH FOR OUR CUSTOMERS AND OUR PROVIDERS.
UM, THIS IS INTENDED FOR OUR COMMUNITY OF, UM, CUSTOMERS WHO ARE CURRENTLY EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS OR HOUSING INSECURITY IN OUR CURRENT SERVICE AREA.
AND THOSE CUSTOMERS WOULD ALSO BE REGISTERED IN THE HOMELESS MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEM, WHICH IS PROVIDED THROUGH TRAVIS COUNTY.
AND FOR OUR SERVICE PROVIDERS, UM, THEY MUST BE REGISTERED IN THE HMIS, UH, PLATFORM.
THEY WOULD'VE SIGNED OR MUST SIGN A MOU, WHICH IS A MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING WITH CAP METRO.
AND THEN THEY WOULD ALSO BE, UH, REQUIRED TO DISTRIBUTE THE SMART CARDS THAT SUPPORT THE PROGRAM.
I'LL JUST BRING UP THAT THIS IS JUST ONE ASPECT OF OUR OVERALL COMPREHENSIVE FAIR PROGRAM.
UM, THE GOALS OF OUR FAIR PROGRAM ARE TO MEET CUSTOMERS WHERE THEY ARE ECONOMICALLY AND SOME OF THE CONSIDERATIONS WHEN WE BRING SOMETHING FORWARD TO OUR BOARD.
WE'RE ALWAYS TRYING TO UNDERSTAND EQUITY AMONG OUR COMMUNITY.
WE'RE TRYING TO UNDERSTAND THE IMPACTS ON RIDERSHIP FROM ANY LARGE DECISION LIKE THIS.
UM, WHAT OTHER PROGRAMS WE OFFER TO SEE IF THERE'S ANY OVERLAP IN PROGRAMS, IF WE'RE JUST MAKING THINGS MORE COMPLICATED OR IF WE'RE MAKING THEM EASIER FOR OUR COMMUNITY TO UNDERSTAND.
WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND THE TECHNOLOGY IMPACTS BECAUSE TECHNOLOGY IS HOW WE, UM, ARE ABLE TO DELIVER THE PROGRAM AT A, AT NO COST TO OUR CUSTOMERS.
UM, OF COURSE, WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND THE REVENUE IMPACT OF SOMETHING LIKE THIS AS WELL AS HOW IT'S IMPACTING OUR OVERALL FAIR STRUCTURE.
SO HERE'S A TIMELINE BRIEFLY FOR YOU.
UM, BACK IN JUNE OF 2022, I CAME TO OUR BOARD WITH THE LAST UPDATE AND CHANGES TO OUR FAIR STRUCTURE.
AND THAT WAS WHEN WE IMPLEMENTED OUR AMP NOT IMPLEMENT, BUT WHEN WE, UM, MADE OUR AMP PROGRAM OFFICIAL, WHICH INCLUDED FAIR CAPPING AND EQU FAIR.
THEN A FEW MONTHS LATER, IN AUGUST OF 2022, DUE TO THE EXTREME HEAT, WE HEARD FROM A NUMBER OF SERVICE PROVIDERS, UM, THAT THEY WERE ADVOCATING FOR ACCESS IMPROVEMENTS FOR THE UNHOUSED POPULATION.
UM, IN SEPTEMBER, WE STARTED WORKING WITH THOSE DIFFERENT GROUPS, UM, TO JUST UNDERSTAND WHAT SOME OF THEIR CONCERNS WERE.
AND THEN STARTING IN NOVEMBER, UM, WE DID AN EMERGENCY ALLOTMENT WITH THE TRANSIT EMPOWERMENT FUND.
YOU MAY KNOW THEM AS TF, UM, AND THEY ARE A 5 0 3 C AGENCY.
THEY HELPED US DISTRIBUTE OVER A MILLION DOLLARS IN PASSES TO THE SERVICE PROVIDERS IS A SHORT-TERM SOLUTION UNTIL WE FIGURED OUT THE LONG-TERM SOLUTION, WHICH IS WHY WE'RE HERE TODAY.
UM, WE DID DO A PILOT THAT LASTED FOR SEVERAL MONTHS WHERE WE WORKED WITH SEVEN DIFFERENT SERVICE PROVIDERS OF DIFFERENT SIZES ACROSS THE AREA.
AND, UM, WHEN WE WERE WORKING THEM, IT WAS ALSO A VERY MUCH A TWO-WAY STREET.
WE TOOK A LOT OF THEIR FEEDBACK BEFORE MAKING THE FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE HAVE TODAY.
UM, IN OCTOBER, WE STARTED OUR, UM,
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PILOT WITH ACTUAL COMMUNITY OC IN OCTOBER, UM, THAT'S WHEN WE LAUNCHED.UM, WE STARTED GATHERING THE MOUS AND WE CURRENTLY HAVE OUR LATEST COUNT IS 25 SERVICE PROVIDERS ARE ENROLLED IN THE PROGRAM.
WE DID A TITLE SIX STUDY BECAUSE ANYTIME THERE'S A CHANGE TO OUR POLICY OF ANY KIND, WE HAVE TO DO THE TITLE VI STUDY.
I'LL TALK ABOUT THAT IN A BIT.
UM, AND THEN THE LAST STEP, OF COURSE, IS MAKING IT PART OF OUR FAIR POLICY FORMALLY TODAY.
ALL RIGHT, SO A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE TITLE VI REPORT.
IT IS REQUIRED PER THE FTA, OUR FEDERAL TRANSIT ADMINISTRATION AND PART OF OUR FAIR POLICY, UM, WE'LL JUST SAY THAT IT, PART OF THAT IS DETERMINING THE NUMBER IN THE PERCENT OF USERS FOR EACH FAIR, UM, CATEGORY THAT'S BEING CHANGED.
AND WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND THE IMPACT BOTH BEFORE AND AFTER A CHANGE IS MADE TO MINORITY POPULATIONS.
AND THEN WHAT WE DO IS WE COMPARE THE BEFORE AND AFTER TO UNDERSTAND IF THERE WAS A DISPARATE IMPACT.
AND WE HAVE A THRESHOLD, UM, FOR THAT, THAT WE WORK TOWARDS, WHICH IS A 2% IS OUR POLICY THRESHOLD.
SO WHAT WE FOUND FROM THE TITLE SIX STUDY THAT WE CONDUCTED, THAT THERE WAS NO DISPARATE IMPACT, UM, TO MINORITY POPULATIONS.
UM, AND THERE WAS NO DIS DISPROPORTIONATE, DISPROPORTIONATE BURDEN TO LOW INCOME, UM, INDIVIDUALS.
UH, WHAT WE SAW FROM THIS CHANGE IS THAT THERE WAS LESS THAN 0.2%, UM, FOR, UH, MINORITY AND NON BETWEEN MINORITY AND NON-MINORITY CUSTOMERS, AND LESS THAN 0.8% BETWEEN LOW-INCOME AND NON LOW-INCOME CUSTOMERS.
AND SO BOTH OF THOSE DIFFERENCES FELL WELL BELOW THE 2% THRESHOLD.
I'M GONNA BRING UP MS. EDNA PARRA, WHO'S OUR MANAGER OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT.
UM, SO I'LL JUST GO OVER COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
UM, FOR THE LAST YEAR, AS YOU SAW EARLIER, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT STARTED WHERE WITH OUR UNHOUSED WORK GROUP THAT INCLUDED SUNRISE NAVIGATION, ECHO STAFF, UM, ALSO MEMBERS OF THEIR LEADERSHIP COUNCIL AT ECHO, UM, TRINITY CENTER, TEXAS HARM, RED REDUCTION ALLIANCE.
UM, AND OF COURSE, AS CATHERINE MENTIONED, THE TRANSIT EMPOWERMENT FUND.
UM, THAT WORK GROUP ALSO HAD MEMBERS OF OUR INTERNAL STAFF, LIKE COMMUNITY INTERVENTION SPECIALISTS WHO HELPED US LEVERAGE PARTNERSHIPS AND ALSO THEIR EXPERTISE WITH OUR UNHOUSED COMMUNITY.
UM, WITH THAT GROUP OVER THE LAST YEAR GUIDING OUR WORK, WE HAD THE INITIAL PILOT IN THE SUMMER, UM, AND THAT'S, UH, SHAPED AND ALSO FORMED WHAT WE HAVE NOW AND WHAT WE, UM, EXPANDED IN OCTOBER.
UM, AND HERE WHAT YOU HAVE, UH, ON THE SCREEN IS SINCE OCTOBER, WE'VE HAD, UM, STAFF OUT AT NINE ENROLLMENT FAIRS WITH, UH, DIFFERENT COMMUNITY PROVIDERS.
UH, WE HAD 12 TRAININGS FOR, UM, VIRTUAL OR IN PERSON TO SUPPORT ANY SERVICE PROVIDERS THAT NEEDED SUPPORT.
UM, THROUGH THAT WE'VE HAD 23 ENROLLED SERVICE PROVIDERS, AND I THINK MAYBE IT'S GROWN SINCE THEN.
BUT, UM, AND THEN ALSO RIGHT NOW WE HAVE 26 INTERESTED SERVICE PROVIDERS THAT WE'RE, UM, LOOKING INTO GET ENROLLED, SEEING IF THEY HAVE HMIS ACCESS AND GETTING THEM TRAINED.
UM, PLUS ALSO, UH, 45, PROBABLY OVER 5 45, UM, ONE-ON-ONES WITH SERVICE PROVIDERS TO MAKE SURE THEY'RE ALL SET UP, UM, WITH THE PROGRAM.
SO, UM, WITH THAT, RIGHT NOW WE, UH, THIS IS THE SUMMARY OF THE PAST DISTRIBUTION.
SO WE HAVE 18,000 CARDS, OVER 18,000 CARDS DISTRIBUTED TO SERVICE PROVIDERS OF THOSE CARDS.
UM, 5,252 OR ISSUED TO CUSTOMERS FOR ABOUT 4,000 ARE IN USE.
AND, UM, SINCE OCT, SINCE OCTOBER THROUGH DECEMBER 7TH, IT'S UH, OVER A HUNDRED THOUSAND RIDES.
UM, SO THAT MEANS, UH, WE HAVE ABOUT 25 PROVIDERS IN THE PROGRAM.
UM, THEY ALL HAVE CARDS, THEY'RE READY TO DISTRIBUTE, AND THEY'RE HELPING, UH, THE TRANSIT STORE, UM, AND ALL OF THE OTHER PROVIDERS THAT ARE NOT IN HMIS GET A CARD TO THEIR CLIENTS.
AND THAT'S ALL I HAVE AND I'LL PASS IT BACK TO KATHY.
BEFORE I CONCLUDE, I JUST WANNA TAKE A MINUTE TO THANK OUR PARTNERS AT THE TRANSIT EMPOWERMENT FUND.
THEY'VE BEEN WITH US ARM IN ARM SINCE BACK AUGUST OF LAST YEAR WORKING THROUGH THIS.
AND THEY'VE BEEN VERY PATIENT WITH US AS WE'VE DONE THE ANALYTICS TO TRY AND UNDERSTAND THEY'VE BEEN VERY PATIENT WITH US AND WE WORK TOGETHER, UM, TO UNDERSTAND THE TITLE VI SUMMARY AND THE, WHAT THOSE CHANGES HAVE BEEN.
I JUST WANTED TO THANK THEM AGAIN.
UM, AND THEN TODAY WHAT WE'LL DO, WE'LL TAKE THIS FOR BOARD APPROVAL AT OUR FORMAL BOARD MEETING JUST IN A LITTLE BIT, AND THEN WE WILL DO A PROGRESS REPORT BACK TO YOU ALL, UM, IN THE SUMMER AROUND JUNE.
AND I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
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OF ALL, LET ME THANK, UH, MY COLLEAGUE, VICE CHAIR, UH, FOR BEGINNING THE MEETING AND, AND BEGINNING AND ON TIME.I WAS, UH, CAPTURED IN ANOTHER BOARD MEETING
SO, UM, SO THANK YOU, UH, AND TO THE REST OF MY COLLEAGUES FOR BEING HERE AND CERTAINLY OUR CEO, UH, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
I APPRECIATE, UH, HEARING WHAT YOU HAVE TO SAY.
I WANNA SEE WHETHER THERE ARE ANY BOARD QUESTIONS BEFORE WE ACTUALLY GO TO, UM, TO PEOPLE WHO HAVE CALLED IN TO RESPOND.
UH, THE PASSES THAT ARE BEING DISTRIBUTED, ARE THOSE MONTHLY PASSES OR, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT IS THE THE ACTUAL KIND OF, SO THE PASSES TAKE ON MANY FORMS BECAUSE WE WANT TO MEET OUR SERVICE PROVIDERS AND CUSTOMERS ARE WHERE THEY ARE.
SO SOMETIMES THEIR DAILY PASSES, SOMETIMES THEIR WEEKLY PASSES.
IT JUST SIMPLY DEPENDS ON WHAT THEY'RE LOOKING FOR.
SO WE ARE WORKING WITH TRANSIT EMPOWERMENT FUND, SO THEY HAVE THOSE PASSES WHO ARE SUPPORTING MAYBE FOLKS WHO AREN'T IN HMIS AND HOPEFULLY THEY WILL BE, SO THEY GET TEMPORARILY, UM, A PASS THROUGH THAT.
BUT OUR, UM, CAP METRO UNHOUSED TRANSIT PASS, UM, FOR THE UNHOUSED COMMUNITY, SORRY.
MM-HMM,
UH, AND, AND, UH, SO THEY, THE SERVICE PROVIDERS DIDN'T HAVE A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT, UH, UH, PASSES I GUESS AMONG THOSE THAT WERE DISTRIBUTED THAT CAN BE GIVEN TO DIFFERENT PEOPLE IN DIFFERENT SITUATIONS.
THAT'S, BUT THE, SOMEONE THAT I GUESS IS IN THE HMIS AND FOR EXAMPLE, IS ON THE WAITING LIST FOR HOUSING AND, YOU KNOW, WE KNOW THAT THAT PERSON HAS, YOU KNOW, TRANSPORTATION NEEDS, THEY WOULD GET KIND OF A, A MULTI-YEAR PATH.
UM, AND SO THE PASS IS CALLED UNHOUSED, BUT IT ALSO, THERE'S, UM, HOUSING INSECURE AND UNHOUSED, UH, COMMUNITY WHO, IF THEY ARE AN HMIS CAN GET A PASS.
UH, AND WE'RE, UH, BECAUSE I SAW THAT YOU'VE GOT THE NUMBER OF RIDES ON THERE, SO WE'RE ACTUALLY TRACKING HOW HOW MANY TIMES THOSE, UH, INDIVIDUAL, UH, PASSES ARE USED IN, IN, UH, OUR DATA COLLECTION SYSTEM.
UM, SO, AND WE'RE TRYING TO SEE ALSO WHAT OTHER DATA, UM, MAYBE BY LOCATION OR ANYTHING THAT CAN BE HELPFUL FOR, UM, PROVIDERS AND, UM, UNHOUSED INITIATIVES.
ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTION? ALRIGHT, SO JUST TO VERIFY THEN, I, I NOTICED THAT THE NUMBERS THERE, WE'VE GIVEN OUT, UM, 18,000.
IT, IT SOUNDED LIKE, BUT AT THIS POINT IN TIME, UM, 5,000 HAVE ACTUALLY BEEN, WE HAVE PHYSICALLY GIVEN TO THE PROVIDERS 18,000, CORRECT? YES.
IS WHAT I SAW THERE, 5,000 ARE BEING UTILIZED OF THOSE 18,000, IS THAT CORRECT? I DO.
CAN WE, CAN WE PUT THAT SLIDE BACK UP THERE BY CHANCE? YEAH.
IT'S ABOUT 5,000 THAT HAVE BEEN PASSED OUT TO CLIENTS AND ABOUT 4,200 WHO THAT CLIENTS ARE USING.
SO THEY'RE EITHER NOT, THEY HAVEN'T USED IT YET AND OF COURSE SOME FOLKS MAY HAVE LOST IT AND SO I THINK, WE'LL, WE'RE GONNA SEE SOME NUMBERS, UM, MAYBE, YOU KNOW, WE PASS OUT TOO MANY CARDS UNTIL IT BALANCES OUT OR WE DON'T KNOW HOW MANY CARDS FOLKS, UM, NEED OR THEY DON'T KNOW.
IT'S A TWO YEAR PASS AND YOU, I THINK FOR ABOUT SIX MONTHS, WE'LL KNOW BETTER NUMBERS OF LIKE WHAT WE'RE ACTUALLY GOING THROUGH.
BUT, BUT THE, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG WITH THE WAY THAT THESE PASSES WORK, BECAUSE THIS IS, THIS IS TIED BACK INTO THE, TO THE AMP SYSTEM.
RIGHT? THE, WHICH IS ALLOWS, ALLOWS US TO, TO TRACK THIS INFORMATION.
SO LIKE WE, WE, WE CAN TURN THE PASSES, WE CAN TURN THEM OFF.
IF THEY'RE, IF IF THEY WERE TO BE LOST, IF WE DETERMINE THAT THEY'RE NOT BEING USED, WE CAN TURN THEM OFF AND THEN THE INDIVIDUALS THROUGH THE SERVICE PROVIDERS COULD GET ACCESS TO A REPLACEMENT PASS JUST LIKE A REGULAR CUSTOMER COULD.
SO AN HMIS, UM, ONCE THEY COME BACK FOR ANOTHER CARD, YOU SEE THAT THEY HAVE ONE OPEN, THEY PUT SERVICE END DATE.
SO THAT ONE'S TURNED OFF, IT GOES TO THE TRANSIT STORE TO BE DEACTIVATED AND THEN THEY JUST HAVE THE ONE PASS THAT SHOULD BE ACTIVE.
AND I'M SORRY, I THINK CATHERINE WAS GONNA SAY, SO IT'S NOT AMP OFFICIALLY, UM, OH, OKAY.
UH, IT'S JUST THROUGH OUR, UM, SMART CARD BUT NOT AMP.
BUT WE HAVE THAT, THIS GIVES US THE ABILITY TO TRACK THE DATA REPORT BACK ON THE DATA AND, AND I'VE NOTICED THAT THE REPORTING PERIOD SO FAR, WE'RE NOT EVEN, ARE WE DEALING WITH WHAT, JUST NOT EVEN REALLY TWO MONTHS WORTH OF DATA OCTOBER AND NOVEMBER REALLY AT THIS POINT IN TIME? YES.
THESE NUMBERS, IT'S ONLY TWO MONTHS.
UM, I'LL JUST, I JUST WANNA GIVE A SHOUT OUT AND THANK YOU GUYS FOR ALL THE WORK YOU PUT INTO THIS BECAUSE I'M GONNA BE VERY CURIOUS TO SEE HOW THINGS LOOK NEXT SUMMER.
BUT, BUT THIS LOOKS LIKE IT IS, UM, THAT, THAT, THAT WE'RE ON THE RIGHT TRACK HERE AND I KNOW A LOT OF WORK WENT INTO THIS COORDINATING WITH ALL OF THE, WITH, WITH THE TRANSIT EMPOWERMENT FUND, WITH ALL OF THE COMMUNITY GROUPS, BECAUSE AT BOTTOM WE DON'T WANT THIS TO BE A BURDEN OR A BLOCKADE FOR THE SERVICE PROVIDERS TRYING TO PROVIDE
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THE NECESSITIES TO THE HOMELESS COMMUNITY TO GIVE THEM AN OPPORTUNITY TO, TO GET TO WHERE THEY, YOU KNOW, HAVE OPPORTUNITIES FOR JOBS AND OTHER SERVICES.AND IF THIS IS GONNA BE AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO THAT AND TO BETTER MEET THE NEEDS OF THE SERVICE PROVIDERS AND PROVIDE AN OPPORTUNITY TO TRACK THE DATA AND MAKE US EVEN MORE ABLE TO EMPOWER THEM, UM, I, I THINK THIS IS A, A WIN-WIN OVERALL.
'CAUSE I KNOW THIS HAS BEEN A HEAVY LIFT AND A VERY, VERY SHORT PERIOD OF TIME, SO THANK YOU GUYS FOR EVERYTHING YOU'VE DONE TO MAKE THIS POSSIBLE TO GET US HERE.
ANY ADDITIONAL, ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS BEFORE WE GO TO THE PHONES? ALRIGHT, NOT SEEING ANY, UM, WE WILL, WE WILL, UH, CALL, LET'S SEE, WE HAVE ONE PERSON SIGNED UP AND UH, THAT WOULD BE XENOBI JOSEPH WHO IS SPEAKING REMOTELY.
MS. JOSEPH, ARE YOU WITH US? YES, MR. CHAIR.
UH, YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES, PLEASE PROCEED
I'M ENOVIA JOSEPH, MY COMMENTS AS IT RELATES SPECIFICALLY TO THE FAIR POLICY IS THAT YOU CONSIDER MAKING THE FAIR FREE FOR EVERYONE.
I'M LOOKING AT FEDERAL TRANSIT ADMINISTRATION, CIRCULAR 4 7 0 2 0.1 B CHAPTER FOUR DASH 11.
IT SAYS THE TYPICAL MEASURE OF DISPARATE IMPACT INVOLVES A COMPARISON BETWEEN THE PROPORTION OF PERSONS IN THE PROTECTED CLASS WHO ARE ADVERSELY AFFECTED BY THE SERVICE OR FAIR CHANGE IN THE PROPORTION OF PERSONS NOT IN THE PROTECTED CLASS WHO ARE ADVERSELY AFFECTED UNQUOTE.
MY CONCERN IS SPECIFICALLY THAT YOU HAVE NOT CLOSED A FEW LOOPHOLES.
YOU STILL HAVE 20 SOMETHING YEAR OLDS THAT GET ON THE BUS AND SAY THAT THEY'RE STUDENTS.
YOU COULD CLOSE THIS LOOPHOLE BY HAVING K 12 STUDENTS ACTUALLY SHOW THEIR ID.
IN OTHER WORDS, WE HAVE SENIOR CITIZENS ON FIXED INCOME WHO ACTUALLY ARE PAYING THEIR FAIR AND YOU HAVE THE WORKING POOR PEOPLE WHO ARE ESSENTIAL WORKERS PAYING THEIR FAIR AND YOUNG HEALTHY PEOPLE WHO CAN PAY FAIR GAMING THE SYSTEM.
YOU ALSO HAVE UNHOUSED INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE IN REPUBLIC SQUARE SELLING THE 31 DAY BUS PASS FOR $10 AT ROMBERG STATION AS WELL.
I'VE BEEN APPROACHED, MY POINT IN TELLING YOU THIS IS THAT IF YOU'RE ONLY GOING TO USE THE CARD ONE THAT IS TRACKABLE AND THAT IS WHAT THE SERVICE PROVIDERS ARE GIVING, THAT'S ONE THING.
BUT WHEN YOU'RE GIVING THEM THIS MENU OF OPTIONS, THEN WHAT YOU ARE DOING IS CREATING A BLACK MARKET.
AND IT IS AN UNFAIR SYSTEM TO SEE THESE PEOPLE GETTING ON THE BUS WHO MAY BE ABLE TO PAY, BUT BECAUSE THE DRIVER CAN'T SAY ANYTHING TO THEM, THEN THEY RIDE FOR FREE.
SO WHO IS REALLY PAYING? IT'S THE PEOPLE WHO ARE STRUGGLING AND YOU DO NOT HAVE A DEFINITION OF HOUSING INSECURITY JUST BECAUSE SOMEONE IS IN THE HOMELESS MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEM THAT IS NOT THE ONLY PEOPLE WHO ARE HOUSING INSECURE.
IF A PERSON IS FACING EVICTION, IF THEY HAVE ACTUALLY QUALIFIED FOR RENTAL ASSISTANCE, THEN THEY PROBABLY ARE HOUSING INSECURE TOO AND YOU DON'T HAVE DISCOUNTS FOR THEM.
SO I WOULD SAY THE ALTERNATIVE WOULD BE TO HAVE A DISCOUNTS PASS FOR PEOPLE WHO DO QUALIFY FOR RENTAL ASSISTANCE AND FOR YOU TO CLOSE THESE LOOPHOLES AND REQUIRE K 12 TO ACTUALLY SHOW THEIR ID.
I APPRECIATE THE EFFORT THAT HAS GONE INTO THIS, BUT YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT THE FACT THAT MORE CAN BE DONE, ESPECIALLY FOR OUR SENIOR CITIZENS AND TO CURTAIL THIS ORAL SAYING YOU'RE A STUDENT WHEN YOU KNOW THAT YOU'RE NOT, THERE NEEDS TO BE SOMETHING MORE THAT CAN BE DONE ABOUT THAT.
AND THE SERVICE PROVIDERS THAT ARE GOING TO GIVE THE CARD SHOULD ONLY BE ALLOWED TO GIVE THE CARD FOR TWO YEARS, NOT GIVE THE PER PAPER PASS AS WELL.
SO THAT WAY IT'S TRACKABLE AND IT WILL ACTUALLY CLAMP DOWN ON INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE ACTUALLY ABUSING THE SYSTEM.
I HAVE LOOKED AT THE BACKUP MATERIAL.
PAGE 66 ACTUALLY TALKS ABOUT THE TITLE SIX FAIR, UH, POLICY AND DISPARATE IMPACT AND 64 TALKS ABOUT THE ELIGIBILITY.
BUT I'M IN OPPOSITION TO YOU GIVEN THESE TWO YEAR PASSES WITHOUT YOU CLOSING THE LOOPHOLE.
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, I'LL GO GLADLY ANSWER THEM AT THIS TIME.
UH, THANK YOU MS. JOSEPH FOR YOUR COMMENTS.
THE NEXT PERSON WHO HAS SIGNED UP IS DEBORAH MILLER.
UH, THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME HERE TODAY.
UM, I'M AN AUTHOR AND I'M A PROVISIONAL WRITER, WHICH MEANS I USE ALL THE SERVICES THAT WE HAVE HERE FOR PUBLIC TRANSPORT.
UM, FIRST OF ALL, I WANT TO THANK YOU.
I AM SO AMAZED THAT YOU SEE WHAT I SEE AND THAT THERE ARE SO MANY PEOPLE THAT ARE UNSHELTERED THAT HAVE, UM, ACCESSIBILITY AND MOBILITY CHALLENGES.
I SEE A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT ARE STRUGGLING PUSHING A SHOPPING CART WHEN IT'S 'CAUSE THEY CAN'T STAND
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UP AND THEY HAVE NO PLACE TO GO.AND I REALLY WANT TO COMMEND YOU FOR INCLUDING METRO ACCESS CUSTOMERS WITH, UM, THE WAY YOU SEE PEOPLE WHO ARE AT RISK OF HOUSING.
UM, MY CONCERN IS THAT TO GET ON METRO ACCESS YOU HAVE TO HAVE A RESIDENCE.
I WAS WONDERING HOW YOU WERE GONNA ADDRESS THAT IF YOU'RE GONNA ALLOW PEOPLE TO SIGN UP, WHICH I HAD SUGGESTED SAY FROM THE PUBLIC LIBRARY.
ALTHOUGH NOT EVERYONE'S ALLOWED TO COME IN THE PUBLIC LIBRARY, BUT I WOULD ASK THAT YOU HAVE CENTERS FOR PEOPLE TO SIGN UP FOR METRO ACCESS SERVICES THROUGH THIS PROGRAM ALSO.
UM, I WENT TO DALLAS LAST MONTH AND WORKING ON MY NEW BOOK, DEBBIE DOES AWESOME BY WHEELCHAIR AND I WAS ABLE TO GO TO THE ABILITIES EXPO.
WHILE I WAS THERE, I LEARNED ABOUT THE MS. WHEELCHAIR TEXAS COMPETITION AND I'M APPLYING TO BE MS. WHEELCHAIR TEXAS NEXT YEAR, BUT I NEED A SPONSOR AND I'M HOPING THAT YOU ALL WOULD SPONSOR ME.
I NEED TO TURN IN BY THE 20TH AND, AND, UH, I BROUGHT THE PAPERS WITH ME FOR, UH, SPONSORSHIP.
I'M HOPING YOU CONSIDER SPONSORING ME DOING MISS TEXAS WIL WHEELCHAIR TEXAS NEXT YEAR.
OKAY, THANK YOU, UH, FOR YOUR COMMENT, TAKING THE TIME TO COME AND COMMENT.
LET'S SEE, DO WE HAVE, UH, ANYONE ELSE WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK AND HAS NOT HAD A CHANCE TO SIGN UP? ANYONE ELSE WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK AND HAS NOT HAD THE CHANCE TO SIGN UP? THIRD TIME FOR POSTERITY? UH, ANYONE WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK? OKAY.
UH, SEEING NONE, UH, I WANT TO THANK EVERYONE FOR THEIR COMMENTS, WHO, WHO MADE THEM AND, UH, AND PARTICIPATING IN THE PUBLIC HEARING.
THAT WILL CONCLUDE OUR PUBLIC HEARING.
UH, FOR TODAY, UH, THE TIME IS 1223 AND WE WILL BEGIN OUR BOARD MEETING SHORTLY.