Jan 29, 2024 Cap Metro

MOMENTS TO RECOGNIZE A REALLY SPECIAL LONGTIME EMPLOYEE WHO IS, UH, CELEBRATING WHAT I WOULD CALL A REMARKABLE ANNIVERSARY WITH US TODAY.

UH, MR. TABBAN IS, AND, UH, WANNA THANK YOU FOR, UM, FOR PROVIDING US THE GUIDANCE AND DIRECTION THAT WE NEED JUST IN CASE WE HAVE TO WALK OUT.

UM, NEXT, WE ARE GOING TO TAKE A FEW

[III. Recognition]

IT IS, IT IS IMPORTANT TO RECOGNIZE THE SACRIFICE, UH, THAT COMES WITH WORKING FOR ANY PUBLIC ORGANIZATION AND THE EXPECTATIONS, UH, THAT THE, THAT THE PUBLIC LEGITIMATELY HAS.

WHY DON'T WE START THE RECOGNITION WITH A VIDEO THAT WILL EXPLAIN WHAT WE'RE DOING, AND THEN WE'LL TURN OVER THE MIC TO OUR CEO, UH, TO, UH, SAY A LITTLE MORE FOR US.

ALRIGHT, WE READY TO QUEUE UP THE, OKAY.

I'M ED SWAN.

I'M, I'M A BUS OPERATOR FOR CAPITAL METRO.

48 YEARS.

THAT WAS BACK IN 1974.

I WAS HEADED FOR THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, AND I HAD, WAS TAKING FRIENDS WITH ME.

THEY WANTED RIDE DOWN TO AUSTIN TRANSIT, AND SO THEY TALKED ME IN TO COMPANY AND FILLING APPLICATION.

THEY HIRED ME ON THE SPOT.

THEY SAID I HAD QUICK RE REFLECTION AND THEY HIRED ME ON THE, ON THE SPOT.

WHEN I'M NOT AT WORK, I'M, UH, USUALLY TAKING CARE OF THINGS AROUND THE FARM, YOU KNOW, LIKE COWS AND ANIMALS.

AT MY AGE, I SLOW DOWN A LOT.

I REMEMBER WHEN I FIRST STARTED DRIVING BUS, I HAD TO DRIVE UP, YOU KNOW, LIKE THIS , MAKE SURE I DIDN'T HIT NOTHING.

I HAD MY SEAT JACKED ALL THE WAY UP AND TILTED FAR AND I KNEW IT WAS SOME DRIVE, STILL DRIVE LIKE THAT, BUT THEY, I HAD TO HELP.

I HAD TO, MY FEET WERE BADLY , YOU KNOW, BUT I, I WANTED TO MAKE SURE I DIDN'T HIT NOTHING .

BUT THEN I CAME OUTTA THAT.

I HAD, UH, START GOING ALL THE WAY DOWN AND ALL THE WAY BACK I GOT RELAXED AND GOT COMFORTABLE.

, WHEN I DON'T HAVE TO FIGHT THE TRAFFIC , ACTUALLY, THIS IS, TO ME, IT'S EASIER TO DRIVE THAN A CAR BECAUSE YOU GOT YOUR MIRRORS ON BOTH SIDES AND YOU GOT YOU, YOU, YOU CAN SEE BETTER FOR ME BEFORE I TURN IT OVER, I, I JUST WANNA SAY THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, WORKING IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR ISN'T ALWAYS EASY.

YOU, YOU'RE NEVER OFF.

AND, UH, IT,

[00:05:01]

AND TO STAY THE COURSE FOR 50 YEARS AND TO, AND TO, UM, TO BE A CENTERPIECE, NOT ONLY, UH, FOR THE ORGANIZATION, BUT A MAINSTAY IN THE COMMUNITY.

IT'S QUITE COMMENDABLE.

I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE RECOGNIZE THAT AND, AND, UH, LET YOU KNOW, UH, WE, WE DON'T WANT YOU TO WONDER WHETHER WE APPRECIATE YOU.

WE WANNA LET YOU KNOW, UH, DOTY.

SO IT IS, UM, A GREAT HONOR TODAY TO RECOGNIZE OUR BUS OPERATOR, EDWARD SWAN JR.

UM, WHO ON FEBRUARY 12TH, 1974, FIRST STARTED DRIVING BUSES IN AUSTIN, TEXAS AND HAS HAD A REMARKABLE CAREER, UM, THAT IN JUST UNDER A COUPLE OF WEEKS, WE'LL HIT 50 YEARS.

UM, I'M SURE THERE ARE DAYS THAT IT FEELS LIKE IT'S BEEN LONGER THAN 50 YEARS, BUT I HOPE THOSE DAYS ARE FEW AND FAR BETWEEN.

UM, SO WE JUST WANT TO, UM, PUBLICLY RECOGNIZE YOU FOR ALL OF YOUR GREAT WORK.

UM, AND WOULD LIKE TO ASK MIKE AKE FROM OLIS, AND MY DEAR YOU, HE'S MY GUY, UM, TO STAND UP AND SAY A FEW WORDS AS WELL.

ABSOLUTELY.

30 YEARS OF DOING THIS MYSELF.

THIS IS THE THIRD INDIVIDUAL THAT I'VE EVER SEEN REACH THIS MILESTONE.

SO A COUPLE OF THINGS, UH, TOKENS OF OUR APPRECIATION FOR A, UH, A VERY LONG AND SUCCESSFUL CAREER.

OF COURSE, A PIECE OF PAPER, YOU GOTTA HAVE A PIECE OF PAPER TO HANG ON YOUR WALL.

BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, A GIFT CARD AND A CRYSTAL BUS.

EVERYBODY NEEDS A BUS FOR THEIR BUS COLLECTION.

SO, MR. SWAN, WE APPRECIATE YOU.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

AND HOPEFULLY THERE YOU GO.

AND HOPEFULLY THE BOARD CAN TAKE JUST A MINUTE TO GET A PICTURE.

YES, ABSOLUTELY.

WE ALSO HAVE A CERTIFICATE FOR YOU, MR. SWAN, SIGNED BY OUR BOARD, UM, AND MYSELF.

SO IF YOU, IF YOU DON'T MIND COMING UP HERE, WE'D LOVE TO COME AROUND AND TAKE A PICTURE WITH YOU.

THANK MR. SWAN HAS VERY IMPORTANT THINGS TO GO DO.

ARE, UH, SIGNED UP FOR, UM, FOR PUBLIC COMMENT.

UM, THANK YOU EVERYBODY FOR BEING HERE TO, UH, CELEBRATE, UH, MR. SWINE.

AND, AND I DON'T KNOW THAT HE KNOWS.

I WANTED TO TELL HIM BEFORE HE LEFT.

HE STARTED ON FEBRUARY THE 12TH IN 74, BUT FEBRUARY THE 12TH IS ABRAHAM LINCOLN'S BIRTHDAY AND, AND RECOGNIZED AS THE OFFICIAL FOUNDING OF THE NAACP AS WELL.

SO IT'S IRONIC THAT HE CAME IN ON THE SAME DATE AS THE NAACP WAS FOUNDED, SO, VERY INTERESTING.

ALL RIGHT, UM, LET'S SEE.

NEXT.

[IV. Public Comment]

SO WE'VE GOT SEVERAL FOLKS THAT HAVE SIGNED UP IN ADVANCE.

UH, WE'VE GOT THEM LISTED.

I HAVE FIVE NAMES IN FRONT OF ME.

I HAVE THREE ADDITIONAL NAMES THAT, THAT, UH, I WILL CALL AFTER THESE, UM, FIVE, UH, PEOPLE HAVE SPOKEN, BUT IF THERE IS ANYONE HERE THAT WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK, NOW'S THE TIME TO GO OVER TO THE DESK AND, AND SEE MR. UH, EASTON AND, UH, AND SIGN IN AND REQUEST TO BE ABLE, UH, TO, UH, TO SPEAK.

SO, UH, EACH SPEAKER WILL HAVE THREE MINUTES, UNLESS

[00:10:01]

THEY'RE SPEAKING ON TWO AGENDA ITEMS OR REPRESENTING A GROUP WITH MORE THAN ONE PERSON IN THE ROOM.

IN THAT CASE, THEY'LL HAVE FIVE MINUTES.

UM, I BELIEVE OUR FIRST SPEAKER IS GOING TO BE MS. LATONYA BURRIS.

ARE YOU WITH US? MS. UM, MS. LATONYA BURRIS.

EVIDENTLY IT, UM, MR. EASTON IS, WOULD SHE BE MS. BURRIS? ARE YOU WITH US, MR. CHAIR? I HAD CONFIRMATION FROM MS. BURRIS, BUT SHE MAY BE HAVING TECHNICAL CHALLENGES.

OKAY, SO LET'S GO TO THE SECOND, UM, PRESENTER.

AND, UH, AND IF MS. BURRIS DOES MAKE HERSELF AVAILABLE, THEN WE WILL ADD HER AT THAT TIME.

UH, THE SECOND SPEAKER WHO IS ALSO REMOTE AND, UH, HAS, HAS ASKED FOR FIVE MINUTES TO SPEAK ON TWO AGENDA ITEMS IS MS. GENO, UH, ZIA, JOSEPH, MS. ZIA, JOSEPH, UH, MS. JOSEPH, ARE YOU AVAILABLE? THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR MEMBERS, I'M ZIA JOSEPH, LET ME JUST PREFACE BY SAYING THAT I DO SPEAK IN OPPOSITION TO RENAMING AUSTIN STROM INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT AFTER LBJ FOR THE 60TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS ACT.

ON PAGE 1 0 1 OF YOUR BOARD PACKET IS TITLE SIX, WHICH, AS YOU KNOW, PROHIBITS DISCRIMINATION BASED ON RACE, COLOR, AND NATIONAL ORIGIN.

SO LOOKING FOR MORE IN 2024 IS THE SUBTITLE, AND I JUST WANNA CALL UP TO YOUR ATTENTION YOUR CODE OF CONDUCT, WHICH SPECIFICALLY MENTIONS CAPITAL METRO'S, REPUTATION, HONESTY, AND INTEGRITY.

MORE THAN ONCE IN THE DOCUMENT VIOLATION OF THE CODE OF ETHICS MAY RESULT IN DISCIPLINE UP TO AND INCLUDING TERMINATION OR REMOVAL FROM THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS.

SO THIS MORNING I WROTE TO YOUR GENERAL COUNSEL, VICKI, THAT LEADY@CATMETRO.ORG TO ASK HER TO INVESTIGATE AND PREFERABLY REMOVE YOU, MR. CHAIR AND THE MEMBERS OF THE BOARD AS IT RELATES TO THE LACK OF INTEGRITY THAT YOU CONTINUE TO SHOW.

I WANT YOU TO RECOGNIZE THAT ITEM THREE ON YOUR AGENDA IS SPECIFICALLY RELATED TO THE PUBLIC SAFETY ADVISORY COMMITTEE, AS IS THE CONSENT AGENDA ITEM NUMBER THREE.

AND SPECIFICALLY, IT IS DISINGENUOUS FOR YOU TO CONTINUE TO TALK ABOUT SAFETY, YOUR STRATEGIC PLAN OBJECTIVES.

1.1 TALKS ABOUT SAFE AND RELIABLE SERVICE AND 1.2 SPEAKS OF HIGH QUALITY CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE.

NONE OF THAT IS TRUE FOR THE INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE MINORITIES NORTH OF US.

180 3 ARE BLACK WAITING 60 MINUTES FOR THE BUS, 10 TIMES LONGER THAN SOUTHWEST CENTRAL WHITES AND THUS SPRINGS HISPANICS.

I WANT YOU TO RECOGNIZE THAT THE JULY 8TH, 2020 CSAC MINUTES SPECIFY THAT DOTIE WATKINS HAS HEARD ME MENTION MANY TIMES A REQUEST TO CLOSE THE MIDBLOCK STOPS ON NORTH LAMAR AND TO MOVE THE CHINATOWN STOP TO CVS PHARMACY AT BREAKER AND LAMAR.

AND IT HAS NOT BEEN DONE.

SHE HAS SIMPLY TURNED A BLIND EYE, THEREFORE, IT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE FOR HER TO BE TERMINATED.

I WANT YOU TO RECOGNIZE THAT COUNCIL MEMBER POOLE, I HAVE MENTIONED THIS BEFORE TOO, AT THE METRO PARK, WHICH IS A NORTH OF THIS STOP.

IT ALSO IS A MIDBLOCK STOP ACROSS FROM THE HOUSING AUTHORITY TO THE CITY OF AUSTIN PROPERTY.

AND THERE'S NO CONTINUOUS SIDEWALK AND A GENTLEMAN WAS KILLED IN HIS WHEELCHAIR IN 2016.

YOU ARE NOT COMMITTED TO SAFETY.

YOUR ACTIONS DO NOT SHOW THAT.

AND SO I'M GOING TO ASK YOU TO STOP WITH THE FALSEHOOD.

I WOULD ASK ANDY ALKI TO RECOGNIZE THAT ROUTE 3 25 AND ALSO ROBERTA GONZALEZ AT 7:15 AM IN THE MORNING WHEN PEOPLE ARE TRYING TO GET TO WORK NO LONGER OPERATE REPORT NUMBER FOR THE CCR, IF YOU WANNA LOOK IT UP, 1 0 9 1 3 4 WAS THE AFTERNOON WHERE THE HOWARD LANE GOES DOWN TO ONE LANE BECAUSE OF SOME WATERLINE BREAK.

THE BUS WAS RUNNING 35 MINUTES LATE BEFORE ME.

THE ONE THAT I WAS ON BLOCK 0 0 8 WAS 27 MINUTES LATE, WHICH MEANS THAT ANY INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE WAITING THERE IN THE AFTERNOON UNTIL THIS GETS FIXED, THEY ARE ACTUALLY WAITING ABOUT AN HOUR FOR THE BUS.

SO TO ROBERTO GONZALEZ, I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT YOU RETIRE.

HE WAS HIRED NOVEMBER 28TH, 1995, AND HE WAS THERE IN 1997.

WHEN THE FBI SUBPOENAED CAPITOL METRO FOR CORRUPTION, I WOULD ASK YOU TO RECOGNIZE THAT WE, THE PEOPLE WHO ARE MINORITIES, ARE BEING DOUBLE AND TRIPLE COUNTED WITH THE AUTOMATIC COUNTERS ON BUSES.

AND I WOULD ASK YOU TO RECOGNIZE THAT WHEN YOU DO

[00:15:01]

GIVE RIDERSHIP REPORTS, THAT YOU ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THERE IS NO EAST WEST CONNECTIVITY NORTH OF US, 180 3.

IT IS DISHEARTENING AND THERE ARE GOOD PEOPLE IN BAD SYSTEMS. AND SO TO THE OPERATORS WHO ARE THERE FOR ME WHEN I NEED THEM TO STOP OR WAIT FOR ME WHILE I'M RUNNING, I APPRECIATE THEM.

BUT FOR THE MAJORITY OF THE PEOPLE ON THE BOARD, YOU HAVE TURNED A BLIND EYE AND IT COSTS NOTHING FOR CAPITAL METRO TO MOVE THOSE BUS STOPS THAT ARE MIDBLOCK.

YOU'VE HEARD ME SAY IT BEFORE.

IN 2009, THERE WAS A TEXAS TRANSPORTATION INSTITUTE STUDY WITH CAPITAL METRO, THE CITY OF AUSTIN, AND THEY FOUND THAT MIDBLOCK STOPS ARE WHERE 70% OF RIDERS ARE KILLED.

AND SO I WOULD ASK YOU TO ACTUALLY PUT INTO PRACTICE THE THINGS THAT YOU HAVE ON PAPER, BECAUSE OTHERWISE YOU CONTINUE TO CIRCUMVENT TITLE VI, SAY ONE THING, DO ANOTHER, AND DOCUMENT WHAT IS SAID TO FOOL THE FEDS.

AND I WILL CLOSE LASTLY, MR. CHAIR, BY SAYING IT IS STILL VIEWPOINT DISCRIMINATION WHEN YOU ONLY PUT MY NAME AND OTHER PEOPLE WHO SPEAK BEFORE THE BOARD IN THE PACKET AND PUT THE SCRIPT FOR CSAC AND THE ACCESS ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING.

AND WHEN I PUT IN AN OPEN RECORDS REQUEST, DECEMBER 7TH, 2022, JACOB LEOR REPLIED SAYING, CAP METRO HAS NO RESPONSIVE INFORMATION.

I FIND THAT DISHEARTENING, DISINGENUOUS, AND I DOUBT SERIOUSLY THAT MR. EASTON MADE THE DECISION TO STOP PUTTING A SUMMARY OF OUR COMMENTS IN THE BOARD PACKET.

AND I WOULD ASK YOU TO TREAT OUR COMMENTS THE SAME AS YOU DO EVERYONE ELSE.

IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, I'LL GO AND ANSWER THEM AT THIS TIME.

AND THANK YOU BOARD MEMBERS.

ANY QUESTIONS? OKAY.

UH, THE NEXT PERSON SIGNED UP IS DEBORAH MILLER.

THERE'S MS. MILLER HERE.

DEBORAH MILLER.

OKAY, MS. MILLER, WE CAN'T HEAR YOU RIGHT NOW.

I CAN'T TURN MY MIC ON.

WE CAN, WE CAN HEAR YOU NOW.

OH, GREAT.

CAN YOU STILL HEAR ME? YES.

UM, I'M DEB MILLER.

I'M A PROVISIONAL RIDER OF THE SERVICES.

I I HAVE SOME VERY BIG COMPLAINTS OF WHAT'S GOING ON NOW.

UM, WE'RE SENDING, UH, NEW DRIVERS OUT WITHOUT ENOUGH TRAINING.

UM, WHEN THEY'RE TOLD TO FOLLOW ERRORS, ARROWS AND THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND THE WORDS TO GO UP ON THE RAMP TO ENTER THE FREEWAY, AND THEY TRY AND GO IN A CIRCLE UNDER AN UNDERPASS, THAT IS NOT GOOD USE OF YOUR SERVICE.

UM, THE 3 83 NORTH, THE FIXED ROUTE HAS GOT TO BE CHANGED WHEN I GO UP TO THE CORNER IN MY WHEELCHAIR AND THE BUS DRIVER RUNS THE LIGHT SO HE CAN AVOID PICKING UP A WHEELCHAIR BECAUSE HE DOESN'T HAVE ENOUGH TIME.

THIS IS SERIOUS.

THIS IS NOT SAFE FOR ANYONE IF A BOSS RUNS A RED LIGHT ON PURPOSE.

UM, ALSO THE ALLEGED, UM, FREE PASSES FOR A DA PARATRANSIT FOR THE HOMELESS, OR NOT ACCESSIBLE ANYWHERE IN TOWN.

I'VE CHECKED WITH ECHO.

NO ONE HAS THEM.

I WOULD LIKE FOR YOU TO CONSIDER PLEASE MAKING THESE AVAILABLE AT THE SHACK.

WE'VE BEEN A SERVICE PROVIDER FOR ALMOST TWO DECADES WITH A HALF PRICE BUS PROGRAM.

MANY OF OUR CLIENTS COME IN HOMELESS OR MANY STILL ARE AT RISK.

AND I WOULD LIKE THESE, UH, AVAILABLE TO OUR CLIENTS, PLEASE, TO THE MEMBERS OF THE SHACK.

UM, I CAN GIVE YOU MORE INFORMATION IF YOU LIKE THAT.

UH, LAST MONTH I CAME IN, UH, VERY UPSET BECAUSE, UM, A DISPATCH OPERATOR DECIDED TO CANCEL MY RIDE HOME WITH A VOICEMAIL AND NOT TELL ME I HAD NO RIDE HOME.

LEFT ME ON SIXTH STREET FROM 12:00 AM UNTIL 6:00 AM WHEN AT FOUR O'CLOCK I WAS FINALLY ABLE TO GET THROUGH TO DISPATCH TO GET A RIDE HOME WHEN IT HAPPENED AGAIN, WHICH HAS ME VERY UPSET THAT IT HAPPENED TWICE.

WHEN I CAME TO YOU, I WAS TOLD THAT YOU COULDN'T TELL THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AM AND PM, WHICH IS RIDICULOUS BECAUSE SPARE PRINTS AM AND PM ON MY RESERVATIONS WHEN I HAVE A RESERVATION COMING TO GO SOMEWHERE, AND YOU DON'T GIVE ME CONFIRMATION OF A RIDE HOME AND I DON'T HAVE ONE, AND YOU LEAVE ME.

THAT IS NOT MY GUARANTEED SAFE RIDE HOME THAT I USED TO HAVE.

AND WHEN I CALLED DISPATCH TO DEMAND MY RIDE HOME WHEN I WAS LEFT SOMEWHERE RECENTLY, I WAS TOLD THEY NEVER HEARD OF A GUARANTEED SAFE RIDE HOME.

IF YOU TAKE US SOMEWHERE, WHICH IS, I CAN'T BELIEVE IT.

IF YOU CARRY ME SOMEWHERE, YOU HAVE TO COME BACK AND GET ME.

THAT'S MY, THAT'S YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO DISABLED COMMUNITY.

I NEED TO BE THERE 15 MINUTES BEFORE I DO, SO THAT I'M NOT ANGRY WITH A BUS DRIVER BECAUSE OF TRAFFIC.

UM, I'M VERY CONCERNED.

UM, THE RESERVATIONS ARE NOT IN REALITY.

WHEN YOU EXPECT A BUS DRIVER TO TAKE ME SOMEWHERE IN FIVE MINUTES WHEN A WINDOW ENDS AND I HAVE TO BE SOMEWHERE, I USUALLY TELL THE RESERVATIONIST THAT

[00:20:01]

BUT YOUR SYSTEM DOES NOT ACCOUNT FOR TRAFFIC, DOES NOT ACCOUNT FOR HOLIDAYS.

AND TO PUT THIS ON THE BOARD, THE BUS DRIVERS AND MAKE THE CLIENTS UPSET WITH THEM IS INCONSIDERATE OF EVERYONE.

THESE TIMETABLES NEED TO BE ADJUSTED.

UM, I WAS TAKEN TO EMANCIPATE, UM, IN MAY AND LEFT THERE WITH NO RIDE HOME.

THIS HAPPENED AGAIN, UH, ON THE 9TH OF JANUARY.

UM, AND WHAT HAPPENED THIS TIME WAS THE DRIVER SENT ME OFF SOMEPLACE AND TOLD ME THAT WOULD BE WHERE MY PICKUP WAS.

WHEN THE DRIVER, DIFFERENT DRIVER CAME TO PICK ME UP, THEY WENT TO ANOTHER SIDE OF THE CAMPUS.

IT'S A LARGE CAMPUS.

THEY NEVER CALLED, NEVER TRIED TO COME FIND ME.

THE SECOND DRIVER THAT CAME TO GET ME TWO HOURS LATER DID MAKE A CALL TO FIND ME.

AND I WANT YOU TO UNDERSTAND THAT IT COSTS LESS, MUCH LESS FOR YOU TO MAKE A PHONE CALL THAN GASOLINE TO COME BACK.

AND I WAS OVER AND OVER.

I AM AT MY CURB, BUT YOU GUYS AREN'T THERE FOR US LIKE YOU USED TO BE.

AND I'M VERY CONCERNED BECAUSE IT, IT'S NOT THE DRIVERS, IT'S THE SYSTEM WITH THE RESERVATION.

SO, SO, MS. MILLER, MS. MILLER.

UM, I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU'VE GOT ISSUES THAT WE NEED TO LOOK INTO.

SO, UM, MAYBE WE CAN SCHEDULE SOME SPECIFIC TIME WITH STAFF.

I, I WILL, UH, ASK, UH, OUR CEO, UH, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE, THAT WE HAVE OUR TEAM REACH OUT TO YOU AND GO THROUGH ISSUE BY ISSUE.

UH, SO WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY.

THAT WOULD BE GREAT.

BECAUSE I NEVER GOT ANY INFORMATION BACK AFTER MY LAST COMPLAINT LAST MONTH.

NO ONE CONTACTED ME AFTERWARD TO TELL ME IT HAD BEEN RESOLVED IN ANY WAY.

THANK YOU, MS. MILLER.

WE'LL REACH OUT.

UH, THE NEXT PERSON LISTED IS TRACY EVANS.

HER DISABILITIES ARE WELL-DOCUMENTED BY MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS.

AFTERNOON, UH, UH, BOARD.

MY NAME IS TRACY EVANS.

I'M A TEXAS ATTORNEY.

I'M A FORMER TEXAS BROADCAST JOURNALIST AND A CONGRESSIONAL COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR.

THAT'S MY JOB WHEN THE A DAA WAS PASSED TODAY, I'M HERE AS A MOM BECAUSE CAB METRO ACCESS HAS MADE IT POSSIBLE FOR MY CHILD, CATHERINE RAVEN EVANS TO BE ONE OF THE NEARLY 8 MILLION DISABLED AMERICANS WHO WORK.

THAT'S HUGE.

CAP METRO ACCESS DRIVERS HAVE BEEN AMAZINGLY HELPFUL TO HER.

I'M HERE TODAY BECAUSE CATHERINE HAS BEEN ABUSED IN IN-PERSON ELIGIBILITY REVIEWS THAT LEFT HER IN TEARS, LEFT HER BEDRIDDEN FOR DAYS, AND THIS NEEDS TO STOP.

APPEALS HEARINGS HAVE NOT BEEN HELPFUL.

THEY'VE BEEN LITTLE MORE THAN RUBBER STAMPING.

CAP METRO CALLS THEIR DISABILITY DEPARTMENT, THE ELIGIBILITY DEPARTMENT, BECAUSE NON-DOCTORS CHOOSE WHO IS DISABLED ENOUGH TO NEED THE SERVICES.

YOUR STAFF AND APPEAL HEARING QUESTIONS EXHIBITED A LACK OF UNDERSTANDING OF THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT.

AND ITS 2008 AMENDMENTS, WHICH WILL ALWAYS SUPERSEDE REGULATIONS AND RULES.

CATHERINE MEETS BOTH PRONGS OF THE A DA FOR DISABILITY.

ALL WE HAVE AN ENTIRE BIG THICK BINDER THAT WE'VE BROUGHT WITH US TO THESE APPEALS HEARINGS.

AND SHE HAS A HISTORY OF RECEIVING ACCOMMODATIONS DURING HER UNIVERSITY STUDIES.

AND AT HER CURRENT PLACE OF EMPLOYMENT, WHICH IS AN AUSTIN NONPROFIT THAT WORKS WITH CAP METRO.

CATHERINE'S NEEDS HAVE BEEN BELITTLED AS IF SHE WAS SOMEONE WHO SHOULD BE PUT ON A DISABILITY PAYMENT AND FORGOTTEN ABOUT.

NEITHER CATHERINE, HER DOCTOR NOR HER FAMILY'S ADVOCATES WERE, WERE LISTENED TO IN THIS PROCESS.

CATHERINE'S MULTIPLE DISABILITIES WERE IGNORED, DOWNPLAYED, OR COMPLETELY MISUNDERSTOOD.

MS. JOANNE ORTIZ IN THE ELIGIBILITY DEPARTMENT TOLD US THE FIRST DENIAL WAS DUE TO HER IN COMPLETELY FILLED OUT PAPERWORK.

WELL, DESPITE ASSURANCES THAT CORRECT PAPERWORK AND AN ADDITIONAL REVIEW WERE ALL THAT WAS NEEDED, THE SECOND ROUND OFFERED ONLY CONDITIONAL ACCESS WHEN THE TEMPERATURES WERE OVER 90 DEGREES OUTSIDE.

THAT'S A COMPLETE MISUNDERSTANDING OF CATHERINE'S MEDICAL ISSUES.

AUTISM DOESN'T HAVE A TEMPERATURE SETTING.

FIBROMYALGIA IS AFFECTED BY ALL WEATHER CHANGES.

ANSIS MEANS SHE DOESN'T SWEAT AT ALL.

SHE CAN'T.

SO CATHERINE WAS TOLD HER AUTISM WAS SELF-REPORTED BY YOUR STAFF WHEN THEY HAD THE MEDICAL DOCUMENTATION GOING BACK MANY YEARS.

HER DOCTOR WHO FILLED OUT THE SECOND APPLICATION WROTE AN APPEAL LETTER OFFERING TO SPEAK TO ANYONE AT CAP METRO, YET NO ONE AT CAP METRO BOTHERED TO REACH OUT TO HIM AND FIND OUT ANY INFORMATION.

THE ELIGIBILITY TEAM AGAIN SUBMITTED A NON-MEDICAL OPINION.

YOUR DISABILITY PROCESSES NEED WORK, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, THE DISABLED WHO CAN'T USE FIXED ROUTE SERVICES SAFELY LIKE CATHERINE WHO TRIED USING IT ONLY TO HAVE IT CAUSE HER INTENSE PHYSICAL AND NEUROLOGICAL PAIN DESERVE BETTER.

I'M ASKING THIS BOARD AND MS. WATKINS AS THE PRESIDENT TO IMMEDIATELY OPEN AN INVESTIGATION AND TAKE A LOOK INTO THIS.

PLEASE DON'T LET ANOTHER VULNERABLE, DISABLED PERSON LEAVE THESE REVIEWS AND HEARINGS IN TEARS AS YOUR DRIVERS TELL US.

[00:25:01]

THAT HAPPENS ALL THE TIME.

THAT SHOULDN'T BE HAPPENING.

US CONGRESSMAN LLOYD DOGGETT'S OFFICE HAS OPENED UP A, UM, A CASE INTO THIS.

THEY ARE INVOLVED AND THEY ARE VERY ACTIVE IN IT.

I DON'T WANT TO PUT MY ADULT DISABLED CHILD THROUGH ANOTHER ROUND OF THIS IF I DON'T HAVE TO.

I ALSO DON'T WANNA PUT HER THROUGH NEWS CONFERENCES AND A FEDERAL DISCRIMINATION LAWSUIT.

BUT CAP METRO APPEARS TO BE PUSHING ME IN THAT DIRECTION.

THAT'S WHY I'M HERE.

THAT'S WHY I DROVE DOWN FROM HOUSTON TODAY TO BE HERE WITH MY DAUGHTERS IN THIS ROW, HERE TO APPEAL TO THIS BOARD AND TO THIS PRESIDENT TO PLEASE PUT THIS SERVICE FIRST FOR THESE DISABLED PEOPLE.

THEIR DISABILITIES ARE NOT ALWAYS THINGS YOU CAN SEE.

THEY'RE NOT ALWAYS OBVIOUS.

THAT'S WHY THE A DAA WAS WRITTEN.

I'VE TALKED TO THE AUTHOR OF THE BILL RECENTLY AND HE TOLD ME WHAT TO DO.

AND WHAT I NEEDED TO DO IS TALK TO THE US ATTORNEY'S OFFICE.

I DON'T WANNA GO THERE.

I WANT CAP METRO TO HELP ME HERE.

I WANNA MEET WITH ANYONE AT CAP METRO THAT WILL HELP ME IMPROVE THIS SITUATION AND MAKE LIFE BETTER SO MY DAUGHTER CAN CONTINUE TO WORK AND BE AN ABSOLUTELY IMPORTANT PART OF THE SOCIETY AS SHE WANTS TO BE.

THANK YOU FOR, FOR COMING IN AND MAKING YOUR COMMENTS.

WE'LL, I'LL SIT DOWN WITH THE CEO AND WE'LL, WE'LL GO FROM HERE.

CATHERINE EVANS IS NEXT.

CHAIRMAN.

IF, IF I COULD BE LOOPED IN ON THOSE CONVERSATIONS TOO, I'D APPRECIATE IT.

ABSOLUTELY.

MY NAME IS CATHERINE EVANS.

I AM HERE TODAY TO MAKE A PUBLIC COMMENT AND AN ATTEMPT TO BRING TO THE ATTENTION OF THE BOARD OF THE CAPITAL METRO TRANSIT AUTHORITY AND SURROUNDING COMMUNITY THE INJUSTICE AND INEQUITY OF THE CAPITAL METRO ACCESS ELIGIBILITY PROCESS.

TO INTRODUCE MYSELF FURTHER, I'M A MULTIPLY DISABLED INDIVIDUAL WHOSE MEDICALLY DIAGNOSED DISABILITIES INCLUDE AUTISM AND FIBROMYALGIA AMONG OTHERS.

I FACE CONSTANT CHRONIC PAIN, SENSORY AND INFORMATIONAL OVERWHELM AND SEVERE EMOTIONAL DISTRESS IN ALL ASPECTS OF MY ABILITY TO NAVIGATE MY DAILY LIFE.

DESPITE THIS, I AM A TEACHER IN THE AUSTIN COMMUNITY WORKING WITH CREATIVE ACTION TO TEACH YOUNG MINDS ABOUT SOCIAL JUSTICE AND SOCIAL EMOTIONAL LEARNING THROUGH THE ARTS.

THIS IS A JOB THAT I PUSH MYSELF VERY HARD TO DO, AND I DO IT WELL BECAUSE OF MY DISABILITIES.

I AM UNABLE TO DRIVE AND MUST RELY ON PUBLIC TRANSIT.

THE FIXED ROUTE SERVICE IS NOT ACCESSIBLE TO ME FOR MANY REASONS, INCLUDING DISTANCE, TEMPERATURE, EXTREME EMOTIONAL, AND SENSORY OVERWHELM AND MEDICAL DANGERS.

I HAVE BEEN USING THE METRO ACCESS SERVICE UNDER PROVISIONAL ACCESS, PENDING ELIGIBILITY APPROVAL SINCE OCTOBER OF 2022, WHILE UNDERGOING A BRUTAL, HARMFUL AND TRAUMATIZING ELIGIBILITY PROCESS AND HAVE BEEN IGNORED AND HAD MY NEEDS AND ARGUMENTS IN MY FAVOR DISREGARDED AT EVERY TURN.

INITIALLY, I WAS OUTRIGHT REJECTED FOR AN INCOMPLETE APPLICATION THAT NO ASSISTANCE WAS PROVIDED OR AVAILABLE IN FILLING OUT.

AND THEN ANOTHER.

AND THEN AFTER AN APPEAL THAT WAS ALSO REJECTED, A NEW CLEAR APPLICATION AND ANOTHER APPEAL AGAINST CONDITIONAL ACCESS THAT IGNORED MY DAILY NEEDS FOR THIS ACCOMMODATION.

I HAVE BEEN IGNORED YET AGAIN WITH NO ATTEMPTS MADE AT EVEN CONTACTING THE PHYSICIAN THEY REQUIRED ME TO HAVE FILL OUT MY APPLICATION.

I HAVE BEEN STRUGGLING THROUGH THIS HORRID APPEAL PROCESS AT THE DETRIMENT OF MY PHYSICAL AND MENTAL WELLBEING FOR 19 MONTHS WITH NO END IN SIGHT.

I CANNOT GO INTO THE MINUTIA OF THE TOLL THAT THIS HAS TAKEN ON ME BECAUSE I'M ONLY BEING GIVEN THREE MINUTES TO SPEAK ON MY BEHALF AND THE BEHALF OF OTHERS THAT I AM SURE ARE STRUGGLING THROUGH THIS POORLY DESIGNED AND TRAUMATIZING PROCESS.

BUT TO GIVE ONE OF MY MANY EXAMPLES, I ATTENDED MY FIRST APPEAL HEARING ON ZOOM WITH A STRESS RASH TRIGGERED BY THE PROCESS ACROSS MY FACE AND CHEST AND MY HANDS IN A BUCKET OF ICE WATER.

BECAUSE IT WAS THE ONLY WAY TO KEEP MYSELF FROM HARMING MYSELF.

THEY WILL NOT PROVIDE ME WITH MY RECORDS OR WITH THE ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA THAT IS BEING CONSIDERED AGAINST ME.

AND THEY CONTINUE TO PLACE PEOPLE WHO HAVE ALREADY DEMONSTRATED BIAS AGAINST ME IN CHARGE OF THE DECISIONS PERTAINING TO MY ELIGIBILITY.

I HAVE BEEN ROUTINELY HARMED, HUMILIATED, TREATED WITH DISREGARD AND PROFOUND LACK OF UNDERSTANDING AND EMPATHY.

AND I AM AT A LOSS AS TO WHAT I CAN DO TO BE HEARD.

I AM HERE THE DAY AFTER WAITING A FULL MONTH FOR A DECISION GIVEN TO ME BY EMAIL ON A SUNDAY AFTERNOON.

AT THE LAST MOMENT THEY HAD TO DECIDE ON MY APPEAL.

I SHOULD NOT HAVE TO BE HERE, I SHOULD NOT HAVE TO COME HERE TO THE BOARD AND CONTINUOUSLY FIGHT FOR MY LEGALLY MANDATED RIGHTS.

AND THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS THAT MANY DISABLED PEOPLE WHO NEED YOUR SERVICE, CAN'T I IMPLORE YOU TO THINK, TO THINK AND THEN ACT TO FIX THIS MURKY, CRUEL AND DAMAGING SYSTEM.

CATHERINE AND I HAVE BEEN LIVING TOGETHER SINCE AUGUST OF 2021 WHEN SHE MOVED HERE FROM HOUSTON TO LIVE WITH ME IN AUSTIN.

THANK YOU FOR COMING TO SPEAK TO THE BOARD TODAY.

UM, OUR NEXT PERSON SIGNED UP FOR COMMENTS IS ELIZABETH EVANS.

WELL, YES, OBVIOUSLY, AS YOU CAN TELL BY MY LAST NAME, I AM TRACY'S DAUGHTER AND CATHERINE'S OLDER SISTER.

AND I'M SPEAKING HERE ON BEHALF OF CATHERINE.

[00:30:01]

I'M A PROUD AUSTINITE OF NEARLY FIVE YEARS AFTER GRADUATING FROM ONE OF THE MOST PRESTIGIOUS MASTERS PROGRAMS IN THE ARTS IN THEATER ARTS IN THE WORLD.

THEN SHE PURSUED EMPLOYMENT WITH CREATIVE ACTION, ONE OF AUSTIN'S MOST PROMINENT ARTS AND SOCIAL JUSTICE ORGANIZATIONS.

AND ONE THAT YOUR AGENCY FREQUENTLY PARTNERS WITH TWO ORDER IN ORDER TO FOSTER A LOVE OF ART AND CREATIVITY IN THE NEXT GENERATION.

I PERSONALLY HAVE SEEN HOW WORKING FOR CREATIVE ACTION HAS TRULY CHANGED CATHERINE'S LIFE.

OUR FRIDGE IS COVERED IN ART PROJECTS AND CARDS FROM THE KIDS SHE TEACHES EVERY DAY.

THERE'S A STACK OF DRAWINGS AND PAPER CRAFTS IN OUR LIVING ROOM MADE BY THEIR HANDS.

THOSE KIDS ADORE HER AND CAT METRO'S PARATRANSIT SERVICE MAKES IT POSSIBLE FOR THOSE KIDS TO HAVE SUCH A KIND, CARING, CREATIVE, AND WONDERFUL PERSON AS THEIR TEACHER.

I HAVE SEEN FIRSTHAND BOTH THE JOY OF FREEDOM AND THE UTTER DEVASTATION THIS AGENCY HAS GIVEN HER THE PURE RELIEF ON HER FACE WHEN SHE RECEIVED TEMPORARY ACCESS TO YOUR PARATRANSIT SERVICE IN OCTOBER OF 2022.

THE PAIN, PANIC AND TEARS THROUGHOUT THE PER FIRST APPLICATION AND APPEALS PROCESS THIS PREVIOUS JULY.

AND THE TENTATIVE HOPE OF THE SECOND APPLICATION SUPPORTED BY HER CURRENT POSITION, THE CRUSHING BLOW OF CONDITIONAL ACCESS GIVEN TO HER IN LATE OCTOBER.

AND THEN THE ABSOLUTE AUDACITY OF A REJECTION LETTER SENT ON A SUNDAY AFTERNOON AS AN AUSTINITE AS HER SISTER AND AS A HUMAN BEING.

I HAVE BEEN DISGUSTED AND ANGERED AT HOW DEHUMANIZING, DEMORALIZING, AND UNCONSCIONABLE THIS PROCESS HAS BEEN.

IT FEELS THAT AT EVERY TURN WE ARE FED PLATITUDES AND HALF TRUTHS IN ORDER TO SILENCE US FOR THE MOMENT.

ONLY FOR YOU TO HIT BACK WITH EVEN MORE OBFUSCATION AND DENIALS OF MEDICALLY PROVEN AND LEGALLY PROTECTED FACT.

I WAS THERE WHEN CATHERINE WAS DIAGNOSED WITH FIBRO.

I WAS THERE WHEN IT WAS CON CONFIRMED BY HER CURRENT PHYSICIAN.

MY MOTHER WAS THERE WHEN SHE WAS DIAGNOSED WITH POTS DYSAUTONOMIA, AN HYDROSIS, AND ALL THE RELATED DISORDERS THAT COME WITH THEM.

WE WERE ALL THERE WHEN CATHERINE WAS DIAGNOSED WITH AUTISM.

I WAS ALSO THERE WHEN CATHERINE HAD TO HAVE A STEROID SHOT TO DEAL WITH A PAINFUL AND IRRITATING STRESS RASH CAUSED BY THIS INFURIATING PROCESS.

I HAVE SEEN CATHERINE PASS OUT WHEN STANDING UP.

DO YOU KNOW HOW TERRIFYING THAT IS TO SEE YOUR BABY SISTER JUST CRUMPLE LIKE THAT? NOW IMAGINE THAT HAPPENING ON A FIXED ROUTE BUS WITH COMPLETE STRANGERS BUSES THAT I MIGHT ADD HAVE SEEN STABBINGS SHOOTINGS, MACS VIOLENT ASSAULTS.

HOW WOULD YOU FEEL IF THAT WAS SOMEONE YOU LOVED OR IF IT WAS HUGH? THROUGHOUT THIS PROCESS, CATHERINE AND BY EXTENSION MY FAMILY, HAVE BEEN BEGGING YOUR ELIGIBILITY DEPARTMENT TO SHOW A SHRED OF HUMANITY IN GRANTING HER THE ABILITY TO LIVE IN AN HONEST AND FULFILLING LIFE.

IT IS MY HOPE THAT SEEING US, HEARING OUR WORDS AND SEEING THAT MASSIVE PILE OF MEDICAL DOCUMENTATION, THAT YOU WILL SEE THE ERROR OF THE ELIGIBILITY DEPARTMENT'S DECISION.

IT IS ALSO MY HOPE THAT SEEING HOW HARD WE ARE FIGHTING WILL IN TURN MAKE YOU SEE HOW BROKEN THIS WHOLE ELIGIBILITY PROCESS IS.

IF YOUR ELIGIBILITY DEPARTMENT IS NOT WILLING TO LISTEN TO THE DISABLED PERSON, THEIR PHYSICIAN, THEIR MEDICAL DOCUMENTATION, OR THEIR ADVOCATES, WHY EVEN HAVE A PARATRANSIT SERVICE AT ALL? WHY PRETEND TO SUPPORT THE FEDERAL LAW THAT GRANTS THE DISABLED MS. MS. EVANS ACCOMMODATIONS AND RIGHTS WITH SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS AND BUS STICKERS WHEN YOU DENY THEM THOSE VERY ACCOMMODATIONS AND RIGHTS? THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.

ALRIGHT, THE NEXT PERSON THAT IS SIGNED UP IS, UH, MARY STEWART MILLER.

WELL SPOKEN EVAN FAMILY, HUH? WELL SPOKEN EVANS FAMILY.

COMPUTERS, OUR HIGH SPEED ACCESS, UM, INTERNET, OUR BOOKS.

GOOD AFTERNOON BOARD.

MY NAME IS MARY STEWART MILLER.

I AM THE COMMUNITY OUTREACH LIBRARIAN FOR THE DELL VALLEY LIBRARIES.

THE DELL VALLEY LIBRARIES IS A PUBLIC LIBRARY SYSTEM SERVING DELL VALLEY.

I'M HERE TO ADVOCATE FOR WHAT WE WOULD CONSIDER A MINOR EXPANSION OF THE A DA CORRIDOR FOR METRO ACCESS.

THE DELL VALLEY LIBRARIES CURRENTLY HAVE TWO BRANCHES, NEITHER OF WHICH ARE SERVED IN ANY WAY BY CAP METRO.

UM, AS AN ASIDE, WE ARE BUILDING A NEW LIBRARY AND OUR DIRECTOR IS IN CONVERSATION WITH YOU ALL ABOUT PUTTING A LIBRARY, UM, A BUS STOP AT THAT LIBRARY.

AND FOR THAT, WE'RE VERY THANKFUL.

HOWEVER, WE WON'T BE IN THAT BUILDING FOR AT LEAST TWO YEARS.

I DON'T THINK THAT I HAVE TO CONVINCE YOU THAT THE PUBLIC LIBRARY CAN BE A LIFELINE FOR PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY IN AN AREA LIKE DELL VALLEY WHERE THERE ARE NOT A LOT OF COMMUNITY SERVICES.

I'M CURRENTLY HELPING A DELL VALLEY RESIDENT SET UP A NONPROFIT THAT IS MS. LATONYA BURRIS, WHO'S TRYING TO CALL IN.

SHE USES THE LIBRARY'S

[00:35:01]

UM, SHE'S A METRO ACCESS USER, BUT SHE CANNOT USE IT TO MEET WITH ME AT THE LIBRARY.

SHE HAS TO UBER TO THE LIBRARY AND SHE'S ON A FIXED INCOME.

WHAT WE'RE ASKING IS THAT THE PEOPLE IN DELL VALLEY WHO QUALIFY FOR A METRO ACCESS RIDE BE ABLE TO ACCESS THEIR PUBLIC LIBRARY.

THE GARFIELD BRANCH IS THREE MILES DOWN, 71 STRAIGHT SHOT FROM THE EDGE OF THE CORRIDOR AT ROSS ROAD IN 71.

SO WHAT I'M ASKING IS, WHAT WOULD IT TAKE TO ADD THAT LIBRARY AS A STOP FOR DELL VALLEY METRO ACCESS RIDERS? THANK YOU.

THANK YOU FOR PRESENTING TO THE BOARD TODAY.

UH, THE NEXT PERSON IS GALINO FERNANDEZ.

UH, GOOD AFTERNOON.

MY NAME IS CENO FERNANDEZ AND I'M HERE SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF EL CONCILIO MEXICAN AMERICAN LANDOWNERS FROM EAST AUSTIN.

AND I JUST WANT TO, UH, THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE THIS SPACE, TO EDUCATE YOUR VIEWERS AND OUR COMMUNITY, UH, UPCOMING EVENTS WHERE, UH, CAP METRO AND OTHER, UH, NOT, YOU KNOW, OTHER BUSINESSES SHARE SPONSORSHIP WITH OUR ACTIVITIES.

UH, AS YOU HAVE HEARD ME BEFORE, COME AND COMING TO SPEAK TO YOU OF THE MANY PROGRAMS THAT WE HAVE IN REGARDS TO ASSISTING OUR HIGH SCHOOL INCOMING COLLEGE STUDENTS WITH SCHOLARSHIPS AND RESOURCES.

AS PART OF THAT EFFORT, UH, WE HOLD FUNDRAISERS.

AND ON FEBRUARY THE 13TH, WE'LL BE HOSTING A, UH, VALENTINE'S GALA, UH, AT THE H AND H BALLROOM WITH A NICE BEAUTIFUL MUSIC OF THE NASH HERNANDEZ ORCHESTRA.

AND ANOTHER, UH, RESOURCE FOR, FOR THIS FUNDRAISER IS TO ALSO PROVIDE FUNDING FOR MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES.

UH, MANY OF OUR YOUTH COLLEGE GOING INTO COLLEGE FACED MANY CHALLENGES ASIDE FROM, UH, THE DAY-TO-DAY LIVING AND NOW COLLEGE.

SO WE ALSO WANNA BRING THOSE, UH, RESOURCES TO, TO OUR, OUR CONSTITUENTS.

UH, MOVING FORWARD ON APRIL THE FOURTH, ON APRIL THE SIXTH, I'M SORRY, UH, IS OUR LULAC DISTRICT 12 CONVENTION.

UH, WE'LL HAVE OVER 50 DELEGATES COME IN TO, UH, ELECT THEIR EXECUTIVE BOARD, UH, FOR THE 20, THE YEAR 24.

AND THIS IS ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY THROUGH WHERE YOUR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT STAFF COMES OUT AND SPEAKS TO OUR MEMBERSHIP ABOUT UPCOMING, UH, EVENTS AT CAP METRO NEWS ABOUT CAP METRO AND SERVICES THAT THE, THAT Y'ALL PROVIDE.

AND, AND THEN ON MAY THE FOURTH, WE WILL HAVE WHAT WE CALL COMMITMENT DAY, WHERE WE'LL HAVE OVER, UH, 60 STUDENTS THAT WILL SIGN THEIR LETTERS, UH, UH, OF WHERE THEY'LL BE ATTENDING COLLEGE.

AND, UH, THIS, ALL OF THIS WILL BE HELD AT SOUTHWEST KEYS.

AND AGAIN, THIS IS ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY THROUGH YOUR SPONSORSHIP OF ADDRESSING OUR MEMBERSHIP ON CAP METRO ACTIVITIES.

WE DO, UH, ALWAYS, AS YOU WELL KNOW, HAVE AN ONGOING, UM, RELATIONSHIP WITH OUR COMMUNITY IN REGARDS TO VOTER REGISTRATION.

AND THE LAST ONE THAT I WANNA MENTION IS YOUR CONTINUED BUS AT, UH, SPONSORSHIP LIST FOR NATIONAL VOTER REGISTRATION DATE, WHICH IS HELD IN SEPTEMBER.

AND ALL OUR EFFORTS ARE NONPARTISAN, BUT WE'LL BE THIS BEING AN ELECTION YEAR AND A VERY IMPORTANT ONE.

UH, MANY WE HAVE SEEN AN INCREASE OF VOTER PARTICIPATION FOR OUR COMMUNITY IN PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS.

SO, UM, STARTING IN JUNE, WE WILL COMMENCE OUR, OUR EFFORTS AND OUR CAMPAIGN TO REGISTER AS MANY PEOPLE THAT WE CAN THAT ARE ELIGIBLE IN OUR COMMUNITY.

SO AT ALL THESE EVENTS, ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS WE ASK ARE YOU REGISTERED TO VOTE AT YOUR ADDRESS? UH, BECAUSE WE BELIEVE THAT IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT OUR PEOPLE ENGAGE IN THE ELECTORAL PROCESS, WHICH, UH, AT SOMETIMES ENDS UP THEM GOVERNING THEMSELVES.

SO AGAIN, THANK YOU AND APPRECIATE YOUR ONGOING RELATIONSHIP WITH COMMUNITY STAFF, UH, MS. DOTY, AND LOOK FORWARD IN CONTINUING TO WORKING WITH Y'ALL.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION TODAY.

UH, THE NEXT PERSON WHO HAS SIGNED UP IS SOPHIE TAYLOR.

SEE WHY.

[00:40:04]

ALL RIGHT, I BACK HERE.

HI, GOOD AFTERNOON.

UH, GOOD AFTERNOON.

UH, MY NAME IS REALLY SHERRY TAYLOR WITH AN I I AM ACTUALLY RUNNING FOR CONGRESS, BUT I GO BY SOPHIE 'CAUSE IT'S SHORT FOR SOPHISTICATED.

AND I HAPPEN TO BE A DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SURVIVOR.

SO I JUST GO BY SOPHIE.

UM, I, I HEARD THE COMMENTS EARLIER.

I CAME HERE TO SPEAK ABOUT A DIFFERENT THING, BUT I AM ALSO DISABLED AND I HAVE BEEN PASSED UP BY THE BUS TWICE AND DRESSED LIKE THIS.

NOT LIKE THEY DIDN'T SEE ME.

IT JUST DIDN'T DECIDE TO STOP.

I'VE ALSO BEEN, UH, DENIED FOUR TIMES BY THE DISABILITY PEOPLE BECAUSE THEY SAY WITH GLASSES I CAN SEE, BUT AS YOU SEE, I'M TALKING TO YOU WITH MY GLASS, MY EYES CLOSED BECAUSE THE LIGHTS HURT MY EYES.

I HAVE GLAUCOMA AND CATARACTS, SO IT DOESN'T ALLOW MY EYES TO BE MEASURED BY Y'ALL'S STANDARD TO BE ABLE TO RIDE Y'ALL'S BUS.

BUT ANYWAY, UH, ON A LIGHTER NOTE, UH, FEBRUARY 5TH IS THE DEADLINE.

IF YOU WANT TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS, UH, PRIMARY, UH, THAT'S NEXT MONDAY.

SO IF YOU HAPPEN TO KNOW ANYBODY WHO NEEDS TO VOTE OR MAYBE HAS CHANGED, UM, MAYBE THEY'RE IN A HOSPITAL OR MAYBE THEY'RE IN A REST HOME OR SOMEHOW, UH, THEY'RE DISABLED DIFFERENT THAN THEY WERE THE LAST TIME.

I HOPE YOU MAKE THE EFFORT TO GO GET THEM, UH, THE RIGHT FORM AT.

UM, AND I BROUGHT SOME BLANK COPIES.

UM, SO MY CAMPAIGN IS ABOUT EDUCATION AND I PROVIDED COPIES FOR THOSE IN THE AUDIENCE AND THOSE ON THE BOARD.

UH, I FORGOT TO SAY GOOD AFTERNOON COMMISSIONER.

MS. PARRA, WHO IS GOING TO TAKE US THROUGH OUR, UM, BOARD ADVISORY COMMITTEE UPDATES.

SO WE'RE TRYING TO PROMOTE UNITY AND UM, SO WE FIGURE IF EVERYBODY BECOMES UNIFIED IN EDUCATION, THEN UH, WE CAN ALL GET A JOB AND WE CAN ALL BE ABLE TO BE WHERE WE WANNA BE.

SO I'M GONNA ASK YOU TO FOLLOW ALONG.

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SING WITH ME, THIS IS MICHAEL JACKSON'S, WHO'S BAD, BUT I'M NOT MICHAEL JACKSON.

SO I CHANGED IT TO BECOME A GRAD, UPGRADE YOUR WEALTH.

GOTTA DO IT NOW.

IMPROVE YOUR HEALTH.

GOING TO TELL YOU HOW.

TRY ACCS CAPITAL.

IDEA FREE TUTORS HELP YOU HATCH YOUR NEW CAREERS, TEXTBOOKS AND TUITION AND FEES ARE WAIVED.

STAY POSITIVE ABOUT EXPENSES SAVED YOUR COMMUNITY.

INFLUENCE GROWS FAST WHEN YOU TAKE THE STEPS TO BECOME A GRAD.

IF THE CLASS DOES NOTHING FOR YOU OR THE TEACHER IS A BOY, GET ADVISED ON ANY WEEKDAY ABOUT PASS YOU CAN EXPLORE, BECOME A GRAD, BE GLAD, JUMP ON IT, DA DA DUH.

HELP TEACHERS BRAG, IT'S FREE, JUMP ON IT, DA DA DA.

CHILDCARE AND PHO FEES ALL WEIGHED FOR YOU.

BE ENLIGHTENED.

WATCH INFLUENCE GROW FAST WHEN YOU TAKE THE STEPS TO BECOME A GRAD.

AND I ALSO WANT TO SAY .

WELL HERE'S GO VERSE THREE.

IT'S NOT A BAD IDEA TO BE EN ENROLL FOR SCHOOL AND IT IS NOT A BAD IDEA TO ENROLL FOR CLASS.

AND YOU CAN BET TIME WILL TRAVEL FAST.

IN TWO SHORT YEARS, YOU'LL BE CERTIFIED.

AND WHETHER YOU SINK OR SWIM WELL, AT LEAST YOU TRIED.

DIDN'T SAY THERE'S NOTHING TO IT.

DIDN'T PROMISE YOU THE MOON, BUT IF YOU'LL AT LEAST GET STARTED, YOU COULD BECOME A GRAD SOON.

BECOME A GRAD.

SO WE'RE TRYING TO SAY THANK YOU CAP METRO FOR WHAT YOU DO TO MAKE IT POSITIVE FOR PEOPLE TO GET TO SCHOOL AND TO GET TO WHERE THEY NEED TO GO IF THEY ARE LIVING IN THE PASTURE.

BECAUSE WE COULDN'T HAVE MADE IT WITHOUT YOU WHEN THE COLD WEATHER HIT.

IF, UH, YOU GUYS AND STACY IN PARTICULAR WAS A SUPERVISOR AND HE WAS COMPASSIONATE AND I APPRECIATE THAT.

ALRIGHT, WELL THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS TODAY AND, AND ALSO FOR THE LYRICS.

OH, YOU APPRECIATE THAT.

ANYBODY CAN DO IT NOW.

YOU JUST WRITE THIS SONG NEXT WEEK AND WE'LL PUT YOU UP.

SO, UH, SO, UH, I DON'T THINK THAT ANYONE WOULD APPRECIATE MY SINGING AS AS MUCH AS WE APPRECIATED YOURS, BUT, UH, I WILL KEEP THAT IN MIND FOR SURE.

UM, NOW I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE, IS THERE ANYONE ELSE WHO IS, WHO IS IN THE AUDIENCE THAT WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK TO THE BOARD TODAY? ANYONE ELSE? SO MAKE SURE THE THIRD TIME, ANYONE ELSE LIKE TO SPEAK TO THE BOARD TODAY? ALRIGHT, HEARING NONE, UH, THEN WE WILL, WE WILL GO TO

[V. Advisory Committee Updates]

MS. PARRA, ARE YOU, THIS IS, HI.

OH, OH, I WAS LOOKING FOR YOU.

[00:45:01]

ALL.

OKAY, GOOD, GOOD TO SEE YOU REMOTELY.

UH, GOOD AFTERNOON, CHAIR TRAIAN, VICE CHAIR POOL, UH, PRESIDENT AND CEO WATKINS, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.

MY NAME IS EDNA PARRA, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT MANAGER AND STAFF LIAISON FOR THE ADVISORY COMMITTEES FOR CAB METRO.

AND I'M HERE TO PROVIDE JANUARY'S COMMITTEE UPDATES, UM, FOR JANUARY.

ACCESS AND CSAC CAME TOGETHER, UM, ON THE SAME DAY FOR A JOINT COMMITTEE MEETING SINCE MOST FOLKS WERE STILL OUT FOR THE HOLIDAYS IN EARLY JA JANUARY.

UM, AND THEY BOTH MET ON WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 10TH ON THE FOLLOWING ITEMS. UM, THE 2023 DEMAND RESPONSE METRICS BY CHRIS MOJICA 2023 CUSTOMER COMPLAINTS STATISTICS REPORT BY BRIAN ALEJANDRO.

UH, THEY RECEIVED AN UPDATE FROM ABOUT THE PUBLIC SAFETY ENGAGEMENT AND COMMITTEES FOR 2024, UM, FROM MYSELF AND ALSO PETER BREDEN.

AND FINALLY, CSAC HELD OFFICER ELECTIONS, UM, FACILITATED BY PETER BREDEN AND THEY FINALIZED THE ELECTIONS WITH E FROM TAYLOR RETURNING AS CHAIR AND DAVID FOSTER ALSO RETURNING AS VICE-CHAIR.

UM, SO BIG THANK YOU TO BOTH OF THEM FOR CONTINUING TO SERVE ON THE COMMITTEE.

UM, RIGHT NOW I'LL PAUSE AND, UM, WAIT FOR THE PSAC COMMITTEE UPDATE.

I'LL, I'LL PASS IT TO CHAIR HUNT FROM ACCESS COMMITTEE TO PROVIDE HIS UPDATE AND I'LL COME BACK FOR THAT.

LAST, UM, COMMITTEE UPDATE.

GOOD AFTERNOON, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD AND CHAIR AND STAFF.

I APPRECIATE BEING ABLE TO BE HERE TODAY AND, AND GIVE A, UM, UPDATE ON HOW THINGS ARE ACTUALLY WORKING.

UM, AND MS. PARA GAVE GAVE US THE, GAVE YOU THE UPDATE ON, UM, WHAT WE DID IN OUR MEETINGS.

AND I'D LIKE TO TELL YOU SOME THINGS THAT I'M EXPERIENCING AND HOW THINGS ARE GOING OUT ON THE STREET WHEN IN, IN THE REAL WORLD, SO TO SPEAK.

I WANT TO COMMEND METRO ACCESS AND SPARE.

UH, I AM AN EARLY ADOPTER OF THE APP.

IT'S GOING GREAT, SCHEDULING IT, GOING ALMOST PERFECTLY.

UH, HAVEN'T HAD ANY, WE HAD A FEW ISSUES AT THE BEGINNING, BUT IT WORKS VERY WELL.

SO I'M VERY PLEASED WITH THAT AND, AND ALL OF THAT.

I'M ALSO VERY PLEASED WITH THE, THE FAIR CAPPING THAT'S BEEN GOING ON IN METRO.

UM, BUT THERE IS AN ISSUE.

AND THE ISSUE IS, AND I'M, I'M WORKING WITH STAFF ON THIS, BUT I WANT THE BOARD TO KNOW THIS.

UM, NONE OF THE METRO ACCESS VEHICLES HAVE SCANNERS.

THIS IS IMPORTANT FOR A COUPLE OF REASONS.

NUMBER ONE, A PERSON COULD BUY A ONE-WAY METRO ACCESS TICKET AND USE IT INDEFINITELY WITHOUT HAVING TO PAY A FARE BECAUSE THE DRIVERS HAVE NO WAY TO AUTHENTICATE THEM.

SECOND OF ALL, UM, YOU DON'T GET ANY METRICS, YOU DON'T GET ANY METRICS WHEN PEOPLE USING PASSES BECAUSE YOU CAN'T, YOU CAN'T KEEP TRACK 'EM 'CAUSE THE DRIVERS CAN'T VALIDATE.

UM, THIRD, IF WE EVER WANT TO IMPLEMENT FAIR CAPPING ON METRO ACCESS, YOU'RE NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO DO IT UNLESS, UNLESS YOU ACTUALLY GET SCANNERS IN THE VEHICLES AND OF THE LIGHT RAILS.

UH, THE METRO RAIL HAS THE SCANNERS, UM, BUT UM, METRO ACCESS IS NOT, I'VE BEEN ASKING, UM, FOR THEM TO GET THIS TO HAPPEN.

AND, UM, THE PERSON THAT GIVES THE REPORT SAYS HE'LL TAKE IT BACK TO SOMEBODY.

SO I REALLY ENCOURAGE THE BOARD TO, TO ENCOURAGE THE STAFF TO GET THIS DONE SO THAT, UM, EVERYTHING CAN BE VALIDATED PROPERLY.

UM, I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO REALLY SEE, UM, METRO ACCESS BROUGHT INTO THE FAIR CAPPING SYSTEM.

UH, THAT WOULD MEAN, UH, BE SAVING A LOT OF MONEY FOR PEOPLE.

IT MIGHT SIMPLIFY THE WHOLE PROCESS FOR EVERYONE.

UM, ALSO LOOKING FORWARD, I'M GOING TO, MY WIFE AND I ARE GONNA PARTICIPATE IN THE, UM, ACALA STATION OPENING, UH, EMERGENCY, UH, SCENARIO THAT'S HAPPENING ON SUNDAY.

I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT A LOT.

AND UH, ALSO, UM, I WANT ALSO WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT PICKUP IS WORKING VERY WELL.

AT LEAST NARZ ZONE.

I'VE USED IT IN TWO ZONES.

IT'S GREAT.

IT'S GIVES US FLEXIBILITY AND I APPRECIATE THAT.

SO THANK YOU FOR GIVING A CHANCE TO GIVE YOU AN UPDATE ON SOME OF THE STUFF THAT'S GOING ON ON THE STREET.

ALRIGHT, UH, MS. BARR, ANYTHING YOU'D LIKE TO ADD? UM, NO, THANK YOU SO MUCH.

CHAIR HUNT FOR BEING HERE.

UM, AND I'LL JUMP TO PSAC.

UM, SO FOR PSAC THIS MONTH, WE'RE HAVING A COMMITTEE MEETING THIS FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 2ND, UM, AT 11:30 AM AND WE'LL BE MEETING TO DISCUSS THE SUBCOMMITTEES AND THEIR TOPIC AREAS, UM, ROLES AND ALSO THE STRUCTURE OF THOSE SUBCOMMITTEES.

UM, ALSO FOR PSAP WILL BE APPOINTING BOARD MEMBER, STRATTON'S COMMITTEE MEMBER CHRISTIAN,

[00:50:01]

SHE TODAY.

UM, AND WE'LL CONTINUE WORKING WITH BOARD MEMBER ELLIS IN FEBRUARY FOR THE FINAL PSAC APPOINTMENT.

UM, THAT'S ALL THE UPDATES I HAVE FOR THE COMMITTEES TODAY.

UH, PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.

NOW, UH, TO OUR REGULAR BOARD MEETING UPDATES AND WE'LL START WITH OPERATIONS PLANNING AND SAFETY.

UH, BOARD MEMBERS, DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? ANY QUESTIONS? ANY QUESTIONS? THIRD TIME FOR POSTERITY.

UH, HEARING NONE, UH, THANK YOU.

UM, MS. POWER.

AND WE WILL MOVE

[VI. Board Committee Updates]

UH, CHAIR STRATTON, COULD YOU, UM, ENLIGHTEN US ON THAT BOARD COMMITTEE? YES, SIR.

THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN.

THE OPERATIONS PLANNING AND SAFETY COMMITTEE MET ON WEDNESDAY, JANUARY THE 17TH AT 12:30 PM HERE IN THE ROSA PARKS BALLROOM.

THE MEETING WAS ACTUALLY CALLED TO ORDER AT 12:45 PM UH, WITH MYSELF, UH, MEMBER VELA AND VICE, UH, VICE CHAIR OF THE COMMITTEE, UH, MEMBER PAIGE ELLIS.

UH, THERE WAS NO PUBLIC COMMENT.

WE HAD, UH, THREE ACTION ITEMS, APPROVAL OF OUR MINUTES, AND THEN TWO ADDITIONAL ACTION ITEMS. ONE WAS, UH, IS GONNA BE ON OUR ACTION AGENDA FOR TODAY, WHICH IS APPROVAL OF A RESOLUTION APPROVING THE FORM TO MAKE THE FORMATION OF SUBCOMMITTEES FOR THE PUBLIC SAFETY ADVISORY COMMITTEE.

AND THE OTHER IS ON OUR CONSENT AGENDA AND ITEM INVOLVING A CONTRACT WITH WORLDWIDE TECHNOLOGY TO REPLACE NETWORK INFRASTRUCTURE TECHNOLOGY IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $483,500.

WE ALSO RECEIVED REPORTS, UH, FROM THE PUBLIC SAFETY ON THE PUBLIC SAFETY PROGRAM, AND FROM OUR MONTHLY OPERATION AND OUR MONTHLY OPERATIONS UPDATE.

ANY QUESTIONS? ALRIGHT.

BOARD MEMBERS.

ANY QUESTIONS? ANY QUESTIONS? THANK YOU MR. CHAIRMAN.

HEARING NONE.

UH, LET'S SEE.

THE NEXT COMMITTEE IS FINANCE, AUDIT AND ADMINISTRATION.

AND CHAIR HARRIS ISN'T HERE.

SO VICE CHAIR BENGAL, WOULD YOU, UM, YES.

UH, THE FINANCE AUDIT ADMINISTRATION COMMITTEE MET ON WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 17TH.

MYSELF, BOARD MEMBER ROSS AND CHAIR HARRIS WERE IN ATTENDANCE.

WE TOOK ACTION BY APPROVING THE MINUTES FROM THE DECEMBER MEETING.

WE ALSO APPROVED REVISIONS TO CAP METRO'S, RESERVES AND BUDGETARY CONTINGENCIES POLICY.

WE RECEIVED TWO PRESENTATIONS, ONE IN INTERNAL AUDIT, UT INTERN FALL PROJECT UPDATE ON GREENHOUSE GASES AND ENVIRONMENTAL REPORTING.

WE ALSO HEARD A PRESENTATION ON THE UPDATE TO THE INTERNAL AUDIT FISCAL YEAR 2024 AUDIT PLAN STATUS.

THE MEETING WAS ADJOURNED AT 10:30 AM ALRIGHT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

UH, AND LET'S SEE, BOARD MEMBER HARRIS IS OUT TODAY.

IS THERE ANYONE ELSE THAT WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A CAMPO UPDATE OR SHALL WE, UM, TABLE IT UNTIL THE NEXT MEETING? ANY, ANY, ANY CAMPO MEMBER WANNA MAKE A PRESENTATION ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED AT THE CAMPO MEETING? I WOULD SAY LET'S POSTPONE AND DO A DOUBLE UPDATE NEXT TIME.

I COULD OPEN IT BACK UP AND, AND REVISIT OUR PREVIOUS CONVERSATIONS, BUT IT MIGHT BE BETTER FOR US TO, TO WAIT.

UM, THE MOST APPROPRIATE AND BE MORE THOROUGH AND DIRECT.

I AGREE.

UM, IS THAT THE WILL OF THE BODY? SURE.

UH, SO WE WILL GO INTO THE AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP UPDATE, WHICH I WILL GIVE.

UH, THAT MEETING WAS HELD ON JANUARY THE 24TH.

UH, FIRST WE HAD PUBLIC COMMENT.

UH, TWO PEOPLE, UM, APPROACHED THE BOARD ABOUT THE LOCATION OF A PLANNED PARK, UH, A PARKING RIDE ON THE RIVERSIDE DRIVE AREA.

UH, THE, UH, A TP STAFF ALSO PROVIDED TWO UPDATES.

UH, UH, THE FIRST WAS ON THE, UH, NEPA ENVIRONMENTAL AND DESIGN PROCESS.

UH, AND, AND THAT INCLUDED PROVIDING A PREVIEW OF, UH, DESIGN OPTIONS THAT WILL BE REVIEWED AND DEFINED IN UPCOMING WEEKS AND MONTHS.

UH, THE FOCUS IS THE, UH, TERMINUS OF LOCATIONS TO THE NORTH AND SOUTH END OF THE LINE.

UH, STATIONS WILL OCCUR OR BE BUILT ALONG THE ALIGNMENT.

AND, UH, WHAT THEY DID WAS THEY LAID OUT NOT ONLY CONFIGURATIONS, BUT POTENTIAL LOCATIONS, UH, THAT, UH, THAT ARE ADJACENT TO, UH, LIGHT RAIL ON RIVERSIDE.

UH, THE ITEMS ALSO, UM, ARE BEING, ARE GOING TO BE INFORMED AND DEFINED AND GUIDED BY PUBLIC PROCESS OVER THE NEXT 45 DAYS.

AND, AND, UH, WE EXPECT TO THAT WHATEVER WE HEAR OVER THE NEXT 45 DAYS WILL CONTRIBUTE TO THE CREATION OF A DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT.

SECOND BRIEFING ITEM WAS AN UPDATE ON ATP'S GOVERNANCE REVIEW THAT WAS CONDUCTED BY, UH, AN OUTSIDE ENTITY, I THINK ERNST AND YOUNG.

UH, THE OPPORTUNITIES FOCUSED ON ENSURING THE SUCCESS OF A TP AS A BOARD AND AS A STAFF AND HOW WE ORGANIZE AS WE MOVE FORWARD.

TWO YEAR PERIOD, WHICH WAS APPROVED BY THE BOARD.

UH, THE ONLY ACTION ITEM WAS THE AUTHORIZATION OF A CONTRACT FOR NE NEPA WORK OVER THE NEXT

[00:55:01]

UH, THE BOARD WENT INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION TO DISCUSS PERFORMANCE REVIEW, UH, ISSUES OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AND, AND INTERNAL AUDIT AUDITOR.

AND I SHOULDN'T SAY ISSUES, THERE WERE NOT ISSUES .

IT IS A NORMAL PROCESS THAT WE GO THROUGH ON A YEARLY BASIS.

AND, UM, SO WE TALKED ABOUT, UH, THE, THE, UH, NOT ONLY THE EXECUTIVES, THOSE TWO EXECUTIVES, BUT ALSO, UH, WHAT IS GOING ON WITH AN ONGOING LAWSUIT.

RIGHT.

UH, AS, AS, UM, LET'S SEE.

AND WE WRAP THAT UP.

AND, UH, THE NEXT THING I WANT TO DO IS, UH, EXTEND MY CONGRATULATIONS FOR, UH, THE, THAT TEAM AT A A TP, UH, ACHIEVING A CRITICAL MILESTONE.

UH, THE NOTICE OF INTENT WITH FTA, UM, LET'S SEE, WENT THROUGH THE PROCESS AND IT SIGNALS POSITIVE AND, AND, UH, AN EXCITING FORWARD PROGRESS ON THE PROJECT.

AND, UH, A TP HAS BEEN WORKING IN THE COMMUNITY AND WITH THE COMMUNITY TO DEFINE OUR WAY FORWARD.

SO, UH, IT IS, IT WAS A, UH, AN, AN EXCEPTIONAL PROCESS AND, AND, UH, AND WE ARE MOVING FORWARD IN TERMS OF THE MEETING.

UM, CEO, UH, DO WE WANT TO, IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE THAT WE NEED TO MENTION FROM THAT? I THINK THAT COVERED MUCH.

I THINK YOU GOT IT.

CONTINUE TO THE CONSENT AGENDA.

SO, UM, LET'S SEE.

DO YOU ALL HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? ANY, ANY MORE QUESTIONS? ANY QUESTIONS? HEARING NONE, UH, THEN, UH, WE WILL

[VII. Consent Items]

WE'RE POSTED FOR ACTION ON THE CONSENT AGENDA, UH, FOR THREE ITEMS TODAY.

SO YOU'VE, YOU'VE ALL HAD A CHANCE TO REVIEW THESE ITEMS. IS THERE ANY ITEM ON THE CONSENT AGENDA THAT ANY BOARD MEMBER WOULD LIKE TO PULL FOR, UH, TO MOVE TO OUR ACTION AGENDA? UM, CHAIR, I'LL MOVE APPROVAL OF THE CONSENT AGENDA.

BOARD MEMBER POOL HAS, UH, MADE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA.

UH, IT IS SECONDED.

UH, ALRIGHT.

IT IS, UH, AND IT HAS BEEN SECONDED AND, UM, IS THERE ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? BOARD MEMBER ELLIS SECONDED THAT.

UH, LET'S SEE.

IS THERE ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE.

ALL IN FAVOR? LET IT BE KNOWN BY SAYING AYE.

AYE.

OPPOSED? SAME SIGN.

UH, MOTION CARRIES AND, UH, THE, THE CHAIR WILL MAKE IT UNANIMOUS.

APPROVAL OF A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE PRESIDENT AND CEO OR HER DESIGNEE TO FINALIZE AND EXECUTE A CONTRACT WITH PBSC.

UH, WE'LL CONTINUE TO MOVE DOWN OUR AGENDA AND TAKE UP OUR REGULAR ACTION ITEMS. WE'RE POSTED FOR FIVE ITEMS TODAY.

UH, BUT I UNDERSTAND, UH, THAT STAFF HAS PULLED ONE OF THOSE ITEMS. ITEM NUMBER TWO, WHICH IS THE APPROVAL OF A CONTRACT WITH TRA UH, TRAPEZE SOFTWARE.

IT'S BEING PULLED AND THEY'LL COME BACK TO US IN FEBRUARY.

SO NOW WE HAVE FOUR ITEMS, STARTING WITH THE APPROVAL OF THE CONTRACT FOR BIKE SHARE INFRASTRUCTURE.

MS. STANFORD, AND AS YOU'RE COMING TO THE PODIUM, I'LL READ IT INTO THE RECORD.

ACTION ITEM ONE IS

[VIII. 1. Approval of a resolution authorizing the President & CEO, or her designee, to finalize and execute a contract with PBSC Urban Solutions, Inc. for the procurement of bicycles, docks, stations, software, and related technology and infrastructure for a public bikesharing system for a term of five (5) base years following a three (3) month mobilization period and five (5), one-year options for an amount not to exceed $20,645,858. The City of Austin will own all physical hardware, while CapMetro is responsible for operating and maintaining the technology and hardware.]

URBAN SOLUTIONS INC.

FOR PROCUREMENT OF BICYCLES, DOCKS, STATIONS, SOFTWARE AND RELATED TECHNOLOGY AND INFRASTRUCTURE FOR A PUBLIC BIKE SHARING SYSTEM FOR A TERM OF FIVE BASE YEARS FOLLOWING A THREE MONTH MOBILIZATION PERIOD.

AND FIVE, UH, ONE YEAR OPTIONS, UH, FOR AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $20,645,858.

MS. SANFORD, GOOD AFTERNOON, CHAIR TIAN, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD PRESIDENT AND CEO WATKINS.

MY NAME IS SARAH SANFORD.

I'M CURRENTLY SERVING AS OUR INTERIM VICE PRESIDENT FOR DEMAND RESPONSE AND INNOVATIVE MOBILITY.

AND I APPRECIATE YOU INTRODUCING OUR ACTION ITEM TODAY.

UM, WHICH IS AN APPROVAL FOR THE REQUEST FOR A CONTRACT WITH OUR SELECTED VENDOR, PBSC, URBAN SOLUTIONS FOR OUR METRO BIKE SOLUTION MOVING FORWARD.

UM, WE'RE HONORED TO BE HERE TODAY TO PROVIDE THIS PRESENTATION ON THIS ACTION ITEM, AND WE BELIEVE IT HEAVILY ALIGNS WITH OUR STRATEGIC GOAL OF PROVIDING A CONVENIENT, DESIRABLE, AND ACCESSIBLE OPTION FOR MOBILITY IN OUR REGION AND COMMUNITY.

AND SO, IN KEEPING WITH A COLLABORATIVE SPIRIT THAT DEFINES, UM, THE PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN OUR OPERATIONS AND OUR PLANNING TEAM, WE'RE DOING A DUAL, UH, PRESENTATION WITH PLANNING AND OPERATIONS TODAY.

UM, SO I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO MY COLLEAGUE NADIA, WHO'S JOINING US REMOTELY, UM, TO GET US STARTED ON THE PRESENTATION.

SURE.

HI EVERYONE.

CAN YOU HEAR ME OKAY? YES.

OKAY, GREAT.

UM, AS SARAH MENTIONED, I'M NADIA BARRERA RAMIREZ.

I AM A MANAGER IN THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT AT CAPITAL METRO, AND I AM HONORED AND EXCITED TO BE HERE TODAY TO GIVE YOU A, A QUICK BACKGROUND ON OUR BIKE SHARE SYSTEM.

SO WE'LL REVIEW, UH, THE BIKE SHARE SYSTEM, TALK

[01:00:01]

ABOUT EXISTING LOCATIONS, OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN, OUR STRATEGIC PLAN, AND THEN SARAH'S GONNA GO INTO, UH, MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE RECOMMENDED VENDOR, WHAT'S IN THE CONTRACT, UH, ASSOCIATED FUNDING, AND NEXT STEPS, PLEASE.

THERE, .

I MOVED THE SLIDE.

NOT YET.

IT SHOULD BE ON THE EXISTING SYSTEM.

OH, I CAN'T SEE IT.

UM, BETTER OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCIES.

WELL, I'LL I'LL JUST GO AHEAD TO IT.

I THINK I'M PEEING UP.

SO THE EXISTING, OKAY.

THE EXISTING SYSTEM, UH, WAS INSTALLED BY THE CITY OF AUSTIN IN DECEMBER OF 2012, AND IT HAD 10 STATIONS AND A HUNDRED BIKES.

AND SINCE THAT TIME, IT HAS EXPANDED TO 80 STATIONS AND 800 BIKES.

AND AS YOU CAN SEE FROM THE MAP HERE, THE SYSTEM EXTENDS ALL THE WAY NORTH OF, UH, U UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS CAMPUS DOWN SOUTH CONGRESS TO THE EAST TO RICHARD MOYA BUS PLAZA, AND THE WEST TO THE LCRA BUILDING ON LAKE AUSTIN BOULEVARD.

NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.

SO THIS SLIDE SHOWS, UM, IN 2020, UH, CAP METRO SIGNED AN INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN.

ON THE LEFT SIDE WE HAVE CAP METRO'S ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES PER THAT AGREEMENT.

AND ON THE RIGHT SIDE WE HAVE THE CITY OF AUSTIN'S ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES.

SO CAP METRO'S RESPONSIBLE FOR DAILY OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE OF THE SYSTEM.

THIS MEANS KEEPING THE BIKES AND STATIONS UP TO OUR STATE OF GOOD REPAIR STANDARDS.

IT MEANS PROVIDING TRANSPARENT AND FREQUENT REPORTING ABOUT THE FUNCTIONALITY OF THE SYSTEM.

IT ALSO MEANS PLANNING OUR SYSTEM EXPANSION.

WE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR PUBLIC MEDIA AND PUBLIC OUTREACH, AS WELL AS IF THIS NEW CONTRACT IS APPROVED TODAY, WE WILL MANAGE THE NEW BIKE SHARE CONTRACT.

THE CITY OF AUSTIN FOR ITS PART OWNS ALL OF THE BICYCLES AND THE ASSOCIATED HARDWARE.

THEY'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL OF THE STATION PERMITTING, FOR STATION INSTALLS, AND THEY PROTECT OUR STATION ACCESS, OR FOR ALL THE PEOPLE THAT USE THE SYSTEM, THEY PROTECT ACCESS DURING SPECIAL EVENTS AND DURING RIGHT OF WAY CLOSURES.

SO WE HAVE LAUNCHED A STRATEGIC EXPANSION PLAN IN THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT FOR THE BIKESHARE NETWORK.

UH, IT STARTED IN THE WINTER OF THIS YEAR, AND WE'RE CURRENTLY IN THE EXISTING CONDITIONS PHASE.

WE HOPE TO GO OUT TO THE PUBLIC THIS SPRING WITH A ROBUST, UH, COMMUNITY OUTREACH CAMPAIGN WHERE PEOPLE CAN GIVE FEEDBACK ON WHERE THEY SEE BIKE SHARE EXPANDING.

UM, WE HAVE DEVELOPED A INITIAL PROGRAM VISION AND THAT'S SHOWN BELOW AND INCLUDES A HUNDRED PERCENT ELECTRIFICATION OF THE SYSTEM.

THAT MEANS THAT ALL THE BICYCLES WILL BE E-BIKES.

IT ALSO MEANS LOOKING AT OPPORTUNITIES FOR ELECTRIFYING STATIONS, WHICH MEANS THE BIKES COULD BE CHARGED AT THE STATION LOCATION THEMSELVES.

THIS REQUIRES COORDINATION WITH AUSTIN ENERGY, TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC WORKS, AND EVEN PRIVATE DEVELOPERS TO UNDERSTAND HOW WE CAN COORDINATE CHARGING AT THE STATIONS.

WE ARE ALSO LOOKING AT A SEAMLESS INTEGRATION WITH OUR TRANSIT NETWORK, WHICH MEANS FIXING THOSE FIRST AND LAST MILE CONNECTIONS SO THAT OUR CUSTOMERS CAN EASILY ACCESS BOTH THE TRANSIT NETWORK AND THE BIKE SHARE NETWORK.

WE WANNA EXPAND THE PROGRAM AND DIVERSIFY OUR USER BASE.

THIS MEANS PARTNERING WITH OUR NEIGHBORHOODS, WITH OUR COMMUNITY GROUPS, UNDERSTANDING WHERE, UM, WHERE WE CAN EASILY PLACE OUR STATIONS SO THAT PEOPLE CAN ACCESS, ACCESS THEM EASILY AND GET TO THE BUS AS EASILY AS POSSIBLE.

WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE SYSTEM IS FLEXIBLE AND SCALABLE AND CONTEXTUAL FOR IF WE ARE PLACING IT IN A NEIGHBORHOOD, IT'S THE RIGHT SIZE.

UM, ALSO SYNCHRONIZING CLOSELY WITH THE CITY'S BICYCLE NETWORK, MEANING THAT IF, IF THE CITY INSTALLS A NEW SEPARATED BICYCLE FACILITY, WE WANNA BE THERE WITH A GREAT, UH, BIKE SHARE STATION THAT'S LOCATED RIGHT NEXT TO IT SO PEOPLE CAN EASILY USE THAT NEW BICYCLE FACILITY.

FINALLY, THE PLANNING GIVES US AN OPPORTUNITY TO LOOK AT OUR OPERATIONS AND REALLY STREAMLINE AND MAKE OUR OPERATIONAL, UM, OP EXCELLENT AND MORE EFFICIENT.

AND I THINK THAT'S ALL FOR ME.

I'M GONNA MOVE IT ON TO SARAH TO TALK ABOUT THE VENDOR CONTRACT.

THANK YOU NADIA.

UM, WE'RE GONNA TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE VENDOR SELECTION AND OUR PROCUREMENT PROCESS OF WHAT GOT US HERE.

UM, IN AUGUST OF 2023, WE ISSUED THE RFP, UM, FOR THIS SERVICE IN OCTOBER OF 2023, WHERE THE FINAL PROPOSALS WERE DUE.

UM, AND JUST RECENTLY IN JANUARY, 2024, THE, THE PANEL DECIDED ON A FINAL AWARD DECISION, UM, WITH A RECOMMENDED VENDOR BEING PBSC URBAN SOLUTIONS.

UM, I KNOW A LOT OF YOU MIGHT NOT BE FAMILIAR WITH THAT, BUT THEY'VE BEEN AROUND FOR OVER 15 YEARS IN MULTIPLE CITIES.

UM, THEY'RE IN ABOUT 50 CITIES AROUND THE WORLD.

A HUNDRED THOUSAND BIKES, 20,000 E-BIKES, 9,000 STATIONS, 160,000 DOCKS.

UM, THEY'RE HEADQUARTERED IN QUEBEC, CANADA, AND THEY HAVE EXPERIENCED TRANSITIONING SYSTEMS FROM THEIR OLD BIKE SHARE SYSTEMS INTO THIS NEW SYSTEM.

UM, AND THEIR NEWLY ACQUIRED DIVISION OF LYFT, UM, AS

[01:05:01]

OF APRIL OF 2022.

WHAT'S INCLUDED IN THE CONTRACT? UM, AS CHAIR TAVIAN MENTIONED, IT'S UM, THE CONTRACT BASED TERM IS FIVE YEARS WITH FIVE ONE YEAR OPTIONS NOT TO EXCEED AMOUNT OF $20,645,858.

UM, WITH THAT COMES COMPLETELY NEW STATIONS AND DOCKS MORE SECURE, MORE ANTI THEFT COMPONENTS.

GIVES US BETTER DATA OF THE CHECK-INS AND CHECKOUTS.

UM, THE NEW BIKES AS MENTIONED WILL BE ALL ELECTRIC FLEETS WITH BETTER BATTERY MANAGEMENT, MORE REAL TIME GPS TRACKING OF OUR BIKES.

UM, THE TECHNOLOGY WILL BE A NEW BACKEND AND FRONT END APP FOR OUR RIDERS, UM, WITH MORE FEATURES, MORE ENHANCED CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE, MORE ENGAGEMENT, UM, WITH HOOKS BUILT IN FOR FUTURE INTEGRATIONS WITH, UM, OUR CAP METRO APP AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE SO THAT THERE'S A SEAMLESS, UM, MODES OF TRANSIT FOR OUR RIDERS.

THE FUNDING FOR THIS, UM, THE MAJORITY OF IT, UM, WE ARE GONNA INVEST SOME CAPITAL TO REPLACE OUR EXISTING SYSTEM.

THAT WILL BE A CAP METRO INVESTMENT, UM, TO REPLACE OUR EXISTING SYSTEM THAT'S RUNS AROUND 80 STATIONS.

AS, UH, NADIA MENTIONED EARLIER, UM, BETWEEN THE YEARS OF 2024 AND 2029, WE'LL BE USING THE, UH, GRANT FUNDS FROM THE TECH STOCK GRANT WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN FOR EXPANDING THE SYSTEM.

UM, SO THAT'S WHERE THAT COMES INTO PLAY FOR THE FUNDING FOR THE EXPANSION.

UM, AND OUR ANNUAL OPERATING FUNDING, UM, IS PROVIDED BY AN INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND CAP METRO, UM, FOR FURTHER OPERATING EXPENSES.

SO WHAT ARE OUR NEXT STEPS, UM, FOR PLANNING PURPOSES? WE'RE CURRENTLY UNDERGOING THE SYSTEM ANALYSIS TO LOOK AT ALL THE ADDITIONAL, UM, CONSIDERATIONS FOR SYSTEM EXPANSION SPRING OF 2024.

WE'RE GONNA DO MORE EXTENSIVE PUBLIC OUTREACH CUSTOMER FEEDBACK ON THE EXPANSION.

UM, SUMMER 2024, WE'RE GONNA FINALIZE THAT EXTENSION PLAN, UM, THE EXPANSION PLAN FOR METRO BIKE AND UPDATE THE ILA WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN TO REFLECT THAT.

UM, AND FOR OPERATIONS, WE'RE GONNA REPLACE THE CURRENT 80 STATIONS WITH NEW VENDOR EQUIPMENT, NEW BIKES, NEW HARDWARE, UM, THE NEW SOFTWARE.

AND THEN 2024 THROUGH 2029, WE'LL CONTINUE TO INSTALL AND MAINTAIN, UM, FOR THE EXPANDED METRO BIKE SYSTEM.

SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME TODAY AND WE'LL BE HAPPY BOTH NADIA AND I TO ANSWER ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE.

BOARD MEMBERS, DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? UH, YES.

UH, BOARD MEMBER ELLIS? I DO.

IS THAT, I THINK THE SLIDE YOU HAD SAID 80% WAS TDOT, IS THAT THE TRANSPORTATION ALTERNATIVE SET ASIDE GRANT THAT WAS RECENTLY DISCUSSED? IT IS.

AND THE REST OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN FUNDING, IS THAT SOMETHING THAT'S COMING THROUGH GENERAL FUND OR BOND IMPROVEMENTS OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT? IT'S PROBABLY NOT BONDS IF IT'S THAT TYPE OF INFRASTRUCTURE.

I, I THINK WITH IT'S MORE OF A GENERAL FUND THAT THEY WERE MATCHING WHAT THEY'VE ALREADY PROMISED THAN THE ILA, UM, ORIGINALLY IS WHERE THAT MATCH COMES FROM INITIALLY.

FANTASTIC.

THIS IS HUGELY EXCITING.

WE ALWAYS LOVE A GOOD BICYCLE PROGRAM UPDATE, AND I KNOW THERE'S, THERE'S A FEW PIECES OF EQUIPMENT Y'ALL HAVE INHERITED THROUGH THIS PROCESS THAT, UM, IT WOULD BE REALLY NICE TO SEE THOSE REPLACED WITH NEWER EQUIPMENT.

OUR BIKE SHARE TEAM IS HERE AND I'M SURE THEY CAN ATTEST TO THAT.

I SEE A NOD.

UM, BOARD MEMBER.

EXCELLENT.

UH, NEWS AND, UH, APPRECIATE THE, UH, PRESENTATION.

SO THE, THE 3.5 MILLION FROM CAPITAL METRO TO REPLACE THE EXISTING SYSTEM.

UH, SO ESSENTIALLY WE'RE GONNA SWAP OUT ALL OF THE, THE BIKES THAT FOLKS ARE CURRENTLY RIDING, UH, AND REPLACE THEM WITH THE, THE E-BIKES.

AND THEN DOWN THE ROAD IS WHERE THE GRANT MONEY FROM TXDOT AND CITY OF AUSTIN WILL EXPAND THE SYSTEM.

CORRECT.

IDEALLY THE GOAL IS TO EXPAND IT TO ALMOST THREE TIMES THE SIZE OF WHAT IT IS, BUT THAT'S WHERE WE'RE GOING THROUGH THE ANALYSIS RIGHT NOW OF WHERE TO PUT THOSE STATIONS OKAY.

TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY, UM, FIT INTO THE TRANSPORTATION NETWORK.

AND HOW FAR ALONG, UH, ARE WE IN TERMS OF, UH, WHERE THE, THE SYSTEM WILL BE EXPANDING TO LOCATIONS, THOSE KINDS OF THINGS LIKE THAT? NADIA, DO YOU HAVE ANY? YEAH, SURE.

I CAN TAKE THAT.

SO WE, AS I MENTIONED, WE HAVE JUST STARTED OUR EXISTING CONDITIONS ANALYSIS, AND SO WE INTEND TO FIRST DO THE PUBLIC OUTREACH THIS SPRING, AND THEN THIS SUMMER WE'LL HAVE, UH, REPORT FOR YOU ABOUT WHERE WE INTEND TO EXPAND.

UH, ALRIGHT.

THANK YOU, UH, VERY MUCH.

THAT'S, UH, ALL OF MY QUESTIONS BOARD MEMBERS.

UH, YES.

SO JUST TO CONFIRM, ALL THE GRANT FUNDING HAS ALREADY BEEN SECURED? YES.

THIS HUGE AMOUNT OF MONEY INTO THIS PROGRAM.

UM, AND THEN, SORRY, I, UM, AND THEN WHAT ARE THE STATS AND I DON'T KNOW, I DIDN'T SEE IN THE PACKET ON USAGE OF THE BIKE PROGRAM, HOW MANY PEOPLE USE IT, WHAT PROBLEMS DO WE HAVE WITH STOLEN BIKES, VANDALIZED BIKES, ALL OF THE THINGS BEFORE, YOU KNOW, JUST CONSIDERING DROPPING

[01:10:01]

I'M JUST WONDERING ABOUT ALL OF THAT.

SO, I, I DON'T KNOW IF NADIA HAS EXACT NUMBERS ON HER HAND.

I WAS READING THIS MORNING, WE HAVE INCREASED RIDERSHIP FROM, ORIGINALLY WHEN BIKE SHARE STARTED, IT WAS AROUND 10, 12,000 RIDES A MONTH, AND WE'RE UP TO 23, 20 4,000.

UM, SOME WERE SOME UPWARDS OF 30,000 RIDES A MONTH ON OUR SERVICES.

AND THEN ONE EVENT LIKE SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST OR ACL COMES INTO TOWN.

THAT NUMBER REALLY SPIKES.

UM, AND I DO BELIEVE THERE ARE, UM, SOME SECURITY ISSUES AND, AND BIKE RETRIEVALS AND STOLEN BIKES THAT ARE, THAT DIEGO AND HIS OPERATIONS TEAM ADDRESSES.

UM, AND WE'RE ASSUMING AND HOPING THAT THE NEW TECHNOLOGY HERE WILL MAKE THAT EASIER TO TRACK THOSE BIKES IN A REALTIME BASIS.

SO WE DON'T REALLY KNOW AT THIS POINT WHAT THOSE NUMBERS ARE AS FAR AS THE BIKES THAT WE'RE LOSING.

AND SO RIGHT NOW, THE NUMBER OF BIKE WE CAN, WE CAN PROVIDE YOU THAT INFORMA OR YEAH, I'M SORRY, I'M NOT THERE, I'M PERSON.

BUT WE CAN PROVIDE YOU THAT INFORMATION DIRECTLY AND YOU KNOW, AS I MENTIONED, WE'RE DOING SOME REPORTING, SO THAT'S DEFINITELY SOMETHING WE CAN REPORT BACK TO YOU.

AND THEN DID I HEAR YOU CORRECTLY, SO THAT THE NEW CHART, THE NEW I GUESS, STATIONS OR LANDING SPOTS FOR THESE BIKES AREN'T ELECTRIFIED, SO THEY HAVE TO BE CHARGED SOMEPLACE ELSE? I'M NOT SURE I FOLLOWED THAT STATEMENT EARLIER.

UM, DO YOU WANNA TALK ABOUT THAT OR YOU WANT ME TO TAKE THAT? GO AHEAD, SARAH.

UM, THE CURRENT PLAN IS REPLACING THEM AS IS THERE'S GONNA BE SOLAR CHARGING TO CHARGE LIKE THE, THE EQUIPMENT AND THE ELECTRONICS.

AND EVENTUALLY WITH THIS EXPANSION PLAN, WE'RE GONNA LOOK MORE INTO ELECTRIFYING SOME OF THE STATIONS SO THAT THEY CHARGE WHEN THEY DOCK, BUT THAT'S NOT THE INITIAL, UM, REPLACEMENT PIECE.

AND JUST TO CLARIFY, OUR CURRENT SYSTEM, THE BIKES DO NOT CHARGE AT THE STATIONS.

THE BIKES BATTERIES ARE CHANGED OUT BY OUR FIELD STAFF WHO HELP KEEP THE BIKES BALANCE THROUGHOUT THE SYSTEM.

AND SO AS WE UPGRADE THE DOCKS, WE HOPE TO UPGRADE MANY OF THEM TO ALLOW THEM TO CHARGE THE BATTERIES AT THE STATION AS OPPOSED TO HAVING TO DO THE SWAPA ROUTE.

GENERALLY WHAT I WOULD, IT SOUNDS LIKE RESEARCH, WHAT OTHER CITIES HAVE REACHED IS LIKE A, AROUND A 30% ELECTRIFICATION OF THOSE STATIONS TO SORT OF MAN THAT IN THE REST IS DONE BY THE OPERATIONS TEAM MANAGING THOSE BATTERIES.

I WILL ALSO ADD THAT OUR METRO RAPID STATIONS THAT FOR THE EXPO AND PV LINE, THERE WILL BE 10 METRO BIKE STATIONS INTEGRATED INTO THAT PROGRAM.

AND THREE OF THEM WILL BE CO CHARGED WITH THE METRO RAPID.

SO THERE'LL BE METRO RAPID STATION WITH METRO BIKE ASSOCIATED, AND IT'LL BE ABLE TO BE CHARGED FROM, UM, THE, THE CHARGING THAT'S HAPPENING AT THAT, AT THAT LOCATION.

UH, BOARD MEMBERS STRATTON, LET, LET ME JUST SAY BEFORE WE LEAVE, UH, I'M HAPPY THAT WE ARE CONSIDERING AND THINKING ABOUT THE CHARGING.

UH, MANY OF US COULD NOT RIDE THESE BIKES WITHOUT, UH, E-BIKES IN CHARGE .

SO JUST VOTING THAT OUT.

ALRIGHT, GO AHEAD.

BOARD MEMBER STRAND.

THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR.

UM, JUST WANTED TO REAL QUICK, IF YOU COULD JUST, UH, EXPOUND A LITTLE BIT ON THIS, THE CONCEPT THAT BACK WITH THE PARTNERSHIP, THE, UM, THE CITY, THE CITY'S GONNA ACTUALLY OWN THE BICYCLES AND THE ASSOCIATED HARDWARE, SO WE'RE PURCHASING IT OUTTA CAP METRO FUNDS FOR THE CITY.

IS THAT THAT CORRECT? YES.

THAT WAS THE ORIGINAL AGREEMENT.

AND IT'S JUST GONNA CONTINUE WITH THAT, WHERE THEY OWN THE ASSETS.

SO RIGHT NOW, THE BIKES THAT WE'RE GETTING RID OF, UM, THEY'RE THE CITY'S PROPERTY.

UM, SO THEY'VE ALWAYS OWNED THE HARDWARE AND THE ASSETS AND WE MAINTAIN THE OPERATIONS AND THE, THE SOFTWARE.

SO THAT, THAT DATES BACK TO THE ORIGINAL AGREEMENT WHEN WE PARTNERED WITH THEM BACK IN.

WHAT WAS IT, 20 20 20 ORIGINALLY 2013.

2013.

BACK IN 2013 WHEN WE ORIGINALLY DID.

SO WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE PURCHASING THEM, BUT THEN WE, AS PART OF THE AGREEMENT, THE ILA, WE WE'RE, WE'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR PURCHASING THEM.

AND THEN, BUT IT'S, IT'S THEIR ASSETS, BUT WE MAINTAIN THEM.

WE, WE MAINTAIN THEM AND OPERATE THEM AND MANAGE THEM.

AND IN THE, IN THE INSTANCE OF THE TASA GRANT THAT WE RECEIVED, THE CITY WILL BE REIMBURSING US FOR THAT FOR UP TO $14 MILLION FOR THAT PROGRAM.

YEAH, IT WAS A LOT OF THAT BECAUSE IT, THE, THE, FOR PURPOSES OF THE SIMPLICITY OF THE, THE, THE GRANT FUNDING AND THE, THE, THE TOSS AND THE PASS THROUGH MONEY, IT WAS EASIER TO GO DO IT.

IT WAS EASIER FOR THE CITY TO DO IT AS THERE'S MORE MONEY AVAILABLE FOR CITIES TO OWN THE BIKE SYSTEMS THAN IT IS FOR THE TRANSIT AGENCIES TO OWN THE BIKE SYSTEMS. YES.

THAT SEEMS PRETTY EXCITING, ESPECIALLY FOR WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE.

THAT MAKES AN AWFUL LOT OF SENSE NOW.

UM, AND, UH, APPRECIATE THIS, APPRECIATE Y'ALL TAKING THE TIME AND CLARIFICATION ON THIS ONE.

I REALIZED WHEN I SAW THIS ITEM, WE HAD NOT HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO, TO THE, TO BE BRIEFED ON THIS ONE AT THE, UH, COMMITTEE LEVEL BEFORE IT WAS BROUGHT DIRECTLY TO THE, UH, THE, THE FULL BOARD.

REALIZE TIMING IS ALWAYS THE SECRET OF THE UNIVERSE, BUT, UM, THAT THIS, THIS IS GOOD AND, AND THE WAY THAT THIS IS BEING DESCRIBED, ESPECIALLY, IT'S ALWAYS NICE WHEN WE'RE GETTING MORE MONEY FOR THE INITIAL INVESTMENT, YOU GET MORE BANG FOR THE BUCK AND THAT,

[01:15:01]

UH, IF I WOULD JUST HAVE ONE FINAL QUESTION, REFRESH ME, UH, MY MEMORY AS TO WHAT THE, UM, THE COST IS FOR A AND HOW LONG A USER CAN, CAN, UH, ACCESS A BIKE.

SO TYPICALLY IT'S A, I BELIEVE IT'S A 30 MINUTE, ONE HOUR, OKAY.

CORRECT.

I'M REMEMBER I INTERIM, SO THIS IS OH NO PROBLEM.

IS I'M INFORMATION TO ME, UM, ONE HOUR AND WE'RE LOOKING AT THE FEES RIGHT NOW TO SEE IF THERE'S, IF WE WANNA CONTINUE WITH THOSE.

'CAUSE THERE'S CURRENTLY A MONTHLY MEMBERSHIP AND A YEARLY MEMBERSHIP AS WELL.

UM, AND THEN THERE'S DIFFERENT RATES FOR UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE THAT WE'RE GONNA LOOK AT, UM, AS WE ROLL OUT THIS NEW SYSTEM.

AND RIGHT NOW, THE MAJORITY IS, IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY FROM OUR OLDER BRIEFINGS, THE MAJORITY OF THE SYSTEM RIGHT NOW IS NOT E-BIKE.

SO THIS IS BRINGING THE ENTIRE FLEET, ENTIRE SYSTEM A HUNDRED PERCENT.

MAKING IT A HUNDRED PERCENT CORRECT.

E OPERATIONS, CORRECT.

E-BIKES, YES.

GREAT.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE CLARIFICATION AND FOR ALL THE WORK Y'ALL ARE DOING ON THIS.

ALRIGHT, ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS? ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS? ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS? HEARING NONE, UH, THE, UH, THE CHAIR WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO APPROVE ITEM ONE.

UM, BOARD MEMBER ELLIS, IS THERE A SECOND? BOARD MEMBER? BANKS.

ALL IT'S BEEN MOVED AND PROPERLY SECONDED, UH, THAT WE, UM, APPROVE ACTION ITEM NUMBER ONE.

UH, IS THERE ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? IS THERE ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE ALL, UH, IN FAVOR, LET IT BE KNOWN BY SAYING AYE.

AYE.

UH, OPPOSED? SAME SIGN.

UH, HEARING NO OPPOSITION.

THE CHAIR WILL MAKE IT A UNANIMOUS VOTE.

UH, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

HAS BEEN PULLED FROM THE AGENDA, SO WE'LL MOVE TO ACTION ITEM THREE, WHICH

UH, ACTION ITEM NUMBER TWO

[VIII. 2. Approval of a resolution authorizing the President & CEO, or her designee, to finalize and execute a contract with Trapeze Software Group, Inc. for migration to a cloud hosted system and upgrade to the latest version of Trapeze software consisting of one (1) base year and two (2) option years in an amount not to exceed $2,038,311 and a 20% contingency for a total not to exceed $2,445,973.]

[VIII. 3. Approval of a resolution approving the formation of subcommittees of the Public Safety Advisory Committee (PSAC).]

IS THE APPROVAL OF A RESOLUTION APPROVING THE FORMATION OF SUBCOMMITTEES OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY ADVISORY COMMITTEE.

AND THAT WILL BE, UH, THAT PRESENTATION WILL BE MADE BY MR. TAPON.

GOOD AFTERNOON, CHAIR ILIAN.

GOOD TO SEE MEMBERS AND, UH, OUR PRESIDENT, CEO WATKINS.

MY NAME IS GARDNER TABBAN.

I SERVE AS, UH, CAPITAL METRO'S EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT AND CHIEF SAFETY OFFICER.

UH, THE CAP METRO, A ADVISORY COMMITTEE BOARD POLICY PROVIDES THAT THE BOARD MAY APPROVE THE FORMATION OF SUBCOMMITTEES TO WORK ON SPECIFIC ISSUES WHERE COMMUNITY INPUT CAN SIGNIFICANTLY, UH, CONTRIBUTE TO THE DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION OF PROJECTS.

WE'RE SEEKING THE APPROVAL FOR A RESOLUTION THAT AUTHORIZES THE FORMATION OF SUBCOMMITTEES WITHIN THE PUBLIC SAFETY ADVISORY COMMITTEE, OR PSAC.

THE FOCUS OF THE SUBCOMMITTEES WILL PRIMARILY CONCENTRATE ON MATTERS RELATED TO THE STANDING UP OF THE TRANSIT POLICE DEPARTMENT AND OTHER ASPECTS OF CAP METRO'S BROADER PUBLIC SAFETY PROGRAM.

WE REQUEST THE BOARD'S APPROVAL OF THIS RESOLUTION, ACKNOWLEDGING THE IMPORTANCE OF SUBCOMMITTEES WITH WITHIN PSAC TO ENRICH OUR PUBLIC SAFETY INITIATIVES THROUGH COMMUNITY COLLABORATION.

AND I HAVE, AND I'M OPEN TO TAKE QUESTIONS AT THIS POINT, IF YOU HAVE ANY BOARD MEMBERS.

UM, I'LL GO AHEAD.

UM, VICE CHAIR POOL, UM, I'LL MOVE APPROVAL.

UM, IT'S BEEN MOVED AND, UH, PROPERLY SECONDED.

BOARD MEMBER ELLIS WITH I SECOND THAT WE APPROVE.

ACTION ITEM NUMBER THREE.

UH, THERE ANY DISCUSSION? ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE.

ALL IN FAVOR? LET IT BE KNOWN BY SAYING AYE.

A OPPOSED SAME SIGN.

HEARING NONE, THE CHAIR WILL MAKE IT UNANIMOUS.

THANK YOU MR. TABONE.

TABONE.

I ALMOST SAID TABONE, BUT MR. TABONE.

ITEM NUMBER FOUR IS THE APPROVAL OF A RESOLUTION ELECTING OFFICERS OF THE CAP METRO BOARD OF DIRECTORS FOR 2024.

UH, ACTION

[VIII. 4. Approval of a resolution electing officers of the CapMetro Board of Directors for 2024.]

TO HAVE A BOARD MEMBER ADD, UM, YOU AS THE VICE CHAIR TO OH, OH, I WAS THE COMMITTEES LATER.

UH, WE HAVE, UH, UH, LET'S SEE.

UH, I THINK THAT WE WOULD MOVE FORWARD BY ACCLAMATION.

YEAH.

WOULD, WOULD YOU MAKE THE MOTION LAST YEAR? SURE.

UH, I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO CONTINUE.

JEFF TRILLIAN IS THE CHAIR AND I'M THE VICE CHAIR, SO MAYBE SOMEBODY ELSE WOULD LIKE TO TAKE CARE OF THAT ONE.

SO, UH, SHALL WE DO 'EM ONE BY ONE OR SHOULD WE DO ALL THREE AT ONE TIME? AND JUST, I THINK THOSE TWO ARE ON ITEM FOUR.

AND THEN THE, OR THE SECRETARY? SECRETARY.

SECRETARY TO CONTINUE BECKY ROSS AS THE SECRETARY.

AND, AND, UH, WOULD IT BE FRIENDLY

[01:20:01]

I SEE WHAT YOU'RE, I SEE WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.

OR DO YOU WANT TO, OR, OR, UM, LESLIE, DO YOU WANT TO, DO YOU WANT ME TO DO IT? I'M, AND YOU SECOND IT AND THEN THAT WAY I'LL GO AHEAD AND, AND, UH, JUST OKAY.

UH, OKAY.

SO WE ARE TRYING TO, TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY UNDERSTANDS THE SLATE.

THE SLATE WOULD BE THE CHAIR, UH, WHICH WOULD BE ME, THE VICE CHAIR, WHICH WOULD BE, UH, WHICH WOULD BE VICE CHAIR POOL.

SHE HAD A LITTLE HEARTBURN NAMING HERSELF, .

SO, SO WE GOT A LITTLE HELP.

AND THEN THE SECRETARY WOULD, WOULD BE BECKY ROSS.

UH, THAT BEING THE, THAT BEING THE MOTION.

UH, IS THERE A SECOND? OKAY.

THERE WE GO.

THAT WOULD BE SECONDED BY, UH, BOARD MEMBER BENGAL.

SEE, I'M JUST TRYING TO WRITE EVERYTHING DOWN BECAUSE I'M AT THE AGE WHERE IF I DIDN'T WRITE IT DOWN, IT DIDN'T HAPPEN.

IT'S BEEN MOVED AND PROPERLY SECONDED THAT THOSE THREE OFFICERS WOULD GO FORWARD IN THE SAME CAPACITY.

IS THERE ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE, UH, PLEASE LET IT BE KNOWN BY SAYING I, AND IF YOU SUPPORT, I OPPOSED, SAME SIGN.

UH, THE CHAIR WILL MAKE IT UNANIMOUS.

THIS ONE SHOULD BE A LITTLE EASIER.

[VIII. 5. Approval of a resolution confirming the appointments to the Finance, Audit and Administration Committee and Operations, Planning and Safety Committee for 2024.]

IS ITEM FIVE.

AND ITEM FIVE IS THE APPROVAL OF RESOLUTION CONFIRMING THE APPOINTMENTS TO FINANCE, AUDIT AND ADMINISTRATION, COMMITTEE AND OPERATIONS PLANNING AND, UH, SAFETY COMMITTEE, UH, FOR 2024.

AND, UH, WHAT, WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO DO IS ENTERTAIN A MOTION THAT IDENTIFIES THE CURRENT, UH, FFA COMMITTEE MEMBERS AND OPS COMMITTEE MEMBERS, UH, AND TO MAINTAIN THEM IN THEIR SAME CAPACITY.

UH, THAT, THAT IS, UH, MADE BY BOARD MEMBER POOLS.

SECOND BY BOARD MEMBER ROSS.

ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE.

ALL IN FAVOR? LET IT BE KNOWN BY SAYING AYE.

AYE.

OPPOSED? SAME SIDE.

HEARING NONE.

THE CHAIR WILL MAKE IT UNANIMOUS.

WASN'T SO BAD AFTER ALL.

SO, MR. CHAIR, DO YOU WANT THE CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR TO BE NAMED? UM, LET'S SEE.

UH, YES.

YEAH, THAT, THAT WAS WHAT I WAS ABOUT TO ASK.

DOES THAT, DOES THAT IN IN FACT, ALSO.

SO THE WAY, NAME, THE CHAIR AND THE CHAIRS OF THE, I THINK THE WAY THAT I READ IT WAS THAT WE WOULD KEEP THEM IN THE CURRENT POSITIONS THAT THEY'RE IN.

IF THAT, IF, IF THAT IS NOT ADEQUATE, THEN WE CAN ASK FOR CHAIRS.

BUT I THINK I ASKED FOR TO, TO, UH, BE IN THE CAPACITY THAT THEY'RE SERVING TODAY.

UH, MR. CHAIR, THAT, THAT'S HOW I UNDERSTOOD THE MOTION.

IF THAT'S THE INTENT OF THE, OF THE BOARD.

LET'S GO AHEAD AND NAME WHO THEY ARE THOUGH, SO THAT THE PUBLIC KNOWS.

SO MATT HARRIS IS THE CHAIR OF FAA AND DIANE BENGAL IS THE VICE CHAIR.

UH, YES.

UH, THAT'S, AND, AND THEN FOR, UH, THE OPERATIONS COMMITTEE, ERIC STRATTON IS THE CHAIR AND, UH, WHO'S THE VICE? AND, AND A JONES.

THAT'S RIGHT.

BOARD MEMBER ELLIS IS THE VICE CHAIR.

I DIDN'T HAVE THAT WRITTEN IN FRONT OF ME AND I'M AT THAT AGE NOW, SO.

SO, UH, IS THAT ADEQUATE OR DO WE NEED TO, UH, GO ANY FURTHER? RIGHT.

UH, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

I APPRECIATE THE, UH, THE CONFIDENCE THAT, THAT, UH, EVERYBODY HAS SHOWN IN THE BOARD.

APPRECIATE THE COLLEGIALITY AND, UH, THE WILLINGNESS TO GET HARD WORK DONE.

AND WE'LL START WITH OUR 2023 YEAR END PRELIMINARY FINANCIALS.

ALRIGHT, OUR NEXT ITEM IS, UH, THAT IS ALL OF THE ACTION ITEMS FOR TODAY, BUT WE DO HAVE THREE DISCUSSION ITEMS

[IX. 1. FY2023 Year End Preliminary Financials]

AND I THINK, UM, MS. WALKER WILL BE PRESENTING THAT FOR US.

THERE WAS A TALLER INDIVIDUAL STANDING HERE PRIOR TO MYSELF.

GOOD AFTERNOON, CHAIR ILIAN, 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.

UM, BEFORE COMING UP HERE TODAY, I RAN TO THE OFFICE THIS WEEKEND TO PRINT OFF THESE TWO PRESENTATIONS THAT I'M ABOUT TO GIVE.

AND I BROUGHT MY CHILDREN WITH ME BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES YOU GOTTA BRING YOUR CHILDREN TO WORK.

AND THEY SAID, WELL, MOMMY, WHAT'S YOUR PRESENTATION? AND I SAID, I'VE GOT TWO.

ONE IS LOOKING IN THE REAR VIEW MIRROR AT HOW WE DID LAST YEAR.

AND THE NEXT ONE, WE'RE GONNA LOOK FORWARD OVER THE NEXT FIVE TO 10 YEARS TO SEE HOW CAP METROS HEALTH, UM, FINANCIAL HEALTH IS.

SO THAT SEEMED TO RESONATE WITH

[01:25:01]

THEM.

AND SO HOPEFULLY IT RESONATES WITH YOU AS WELL.

VERY INQUISITIVE.

ALL RIGHT, SO, UM, ALMOST A LITTLE UNDER THE WEATHER.

SO JUST HIGHLIGHTS OF OUR FY 23, WHICH, IF WE TAKE A STEP BACK, THAT TAKES US ALL THE WAY BACK TO OCTOBER 1ST, 2022.

THAT SEEMS LIKE A LONG TIME AGO.

AND OUR FISCAL YEAR ENDED ON SEPTEMBER 30TH, 2023.

SO OUR REVENUE OVER THAT PERIOD WAS 4.2% HIGHER THAN IT WAS THE PREVIOUS YEAR, AND 3% HIGHER THAN IT WAS, UM, IN THE BUDGET.

SO OUR REVENUE WAS SOLID.

AND YOU'LL SEE, UM, WHAT THE DIFFERENT PIECES OF OUR REVENUE ARE.

AND SOME OF THE TRENDS WE'RE SEEING ON THE OPERATING EXPENSE SIDE, WE EXPENDED $357 MILLION IN OPERATING EXPENSES, WHICH WAS ABOUT 92%.

SO SOLID SPENDING, NOT OVERSPENDING, WE DEFINITELY DON'T WANNA SEE THAT, BUT WE DID A GOOD JOB OF BUDGETING AND SPENDING OUR OPERATING DOLLARS.

UM, WE ALSO HAD SOME COST AVOIDANCE FROM OUR DIESEL HEDGING PROGRAM.

I THINK YOU ALL KNOW, WE, WE HEDGE ABOUT 80 TO 85% OF OUR DIESEL USAGE THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.

AND THAT WAS, UM, SOME REALLY FA FAVORABLE PRICING.

UM, ON THE CAPITAL SIDE, WE BUDGETED 475 MILLION.

ALRIGHT, UM, JUST GOING DOWN THE PAGE, WE HAD SOME COST AVOIDANCE AGAIN IN OUR DEAL DIESEL HEDGING PROGRAM, WHICH WAS REALLY NICE TO SEE.

THERE'S NO PLACE TO SET IT.

, I DID THINK ABOUT BRINGING WATER, BUT THEN SAW THAT THIS DESK IS SLANTED, UM, $475 MILLION AND WE EXPENDED A LITTLE OVER HALF OF THAT.

AND A BIG PORTION OF THAT WAS THE 300, UH, 3,100 EAST FIFTH STREET, ALSO KNOWN AS TILLERY, OUR NEW HEADQUARTERS.

ALL RIGHT, WE'LL DO THIS WITH MINIMUM WORKS.

UM, OUR SALES TAX, AGAIN, WAS $382.6 MILLION, UM, FOR THE FISCAL YEAR.

THAT WAS 3% HIGHER THAN WE BUDGETED.

THAT IS THE MAJORITY OF OUR REVENUE AT CAP METRO.

UM, PASSENGER AFFAIRS, I'M PLEASED TO SAY, CAME IN HIGHER THAN WE BUDGETED AT $18.2 MILLION.

AND THAT'S REALLY NICE TO SEE BECAUSE IT MEANS CUSTOMERS ARE USING OUR SERVICES AGAIN AND WE'RE PLEASED TO HAVE THEM.

FREIGHT REVENUE WAS MORE OR LESS IN LINE WITH OUR BUDGET.

AND THEN JUST, I JUST WANNA TAKE YOU DOWN TO THE VERY BOTTOM LINE HERE.

UM, OUR, EXCUSE ME, OUR 23 YEAR TO DATE ACTUAL REVENUE WAS $537 MILLION.

UM, 68% OF OUR BUDGET.

YOU SAY, WELL, WHY WAS THAT? HOW COME CAT METRO DIDN'T MAKE ALL OF THEIR REVENUE? SOME OF IT WAS TIMING, UM, OF OUR OPERATING GRANTS BECAUSE WE, WE, UM, DIDN'T SUBMIT FOR ALL THE GRANT PAPERWORK BECAUSE OF THE WORK, SOME OF THE SLOWNESS IN OUR PROJECTS AND GETTING THEM, UM, GOING.

SO WE DIDN'T SUBMIT FOR THE GRANTS, BUT WE EXPECT THAT FUNDS TO COME IN 2024.

ALRIGHT, THIS GRAPH, YOU SHOULD, UM, HOPEFULLY YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH IT.

WE SHOW IT AT OUR QUARTERLY FINANCIAL UPDATES AS WELL AS YEAR END.

SO YOU'LL SEE THIS IS GOING BACK THREE FULL YEARS.

YOU'LL REALLY SEE THE IMPACT OF THE COVID PANDEMIC, UM, IN THE RED GRAPH FROM 2021 AND ROLLING FORWARD OVER THE NEXT THREE, THREE YEARS.

UM, THERE WERE TWO MONTHS IN OUR LAST FISCAL YEAR WHERE WE WERE SLIGHTLY BELOW THE PREVIOUS YEAR OF 2022.

THAT WAS IN JULY AND SEPTEMBER, UM, WHERE WE JUST DIDN'T HAVE THE SAME AMOUNT OF SALES TAX GROWTH AS WE HAD THE PREVIOUS YEARS.

NOTHING WE'RE CONCERNED ABOUT, BUT WE DEFINITELY TRACK THAT MONTH TO MONTH.

AND THEN THIS SLIDE SHOWS OUR, UH, ROLLING SALES TAX, THE TWO MAJOR DIPS.

I'LL JUST REMIND YOU ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE, YOU'LL SEE THAT'S, I HAVE AN ECHO FROM THE MORTGAGE BANKING CRISIS, UM, BACK IN 20 2008, 2009.

AND THEN THE DIP ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE IS FROM THE COVID PANDEMIC.

ALRIGHT, ON OPERATING EXPENSES, JUST LOOKING AT THAT FOR FY 23, I JUST WANNA NOTATE HERE THAT WE CALL THIS PRELIMINARY BECAUSE WE'RE STILL GOING THROUGH OUR YEAREND AUDIT AND SO THEY'LL BE FINALIZED WHEN WE PRODUCE THOSE YEAR-END AUDITED FINANCIALS.

THAT'S WHY WE'VE GOT THE, UH, VERBIAGE OF PRELIMINARY AT THE TOP SLIDE.

SO, UM, IN OUR SALARIES AND BENEFITS LINE, YOU'LL SEE WE SPENT 90% OF OUR BUDGET.

IT WAS A LITTLE BIT UNDER BUDGET DUE TO SOME VACANCY SAVINGS IN OUR STAFFING AND THEN SOME BARGAINING, UNIT PENSION PLAN SAVINGS.

I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS WE'VE LEARNED OVER THE PAST YEAR IN THIS INFLATIONARY ENVIRONMENT THAT IT HAD HAD TO, IT CHANGED SOME OF OUR ASSUMPTIONS WITH ACTUARIALS.

WHEN WE LOOK AT THE INTEREST RATE CHANGING AND THAT TYPE OF THING, UM, IT'S A DIFFERENT ENVIRONMENT FOR US.

WE HAVEN'T SEEN THESE INTEREST RATES IN SOMETHING LIKE 20, 25 YEARS.

[01:30:01]

AND THEN ON OUR PURCHASE TRANSPORTATION, WHICH IS OUR LARGEST OPERATING COST BY FAR, UM, PRETTY MUCH IN LINE WITH BUDGET, BUT WE DID HAVE SOME OVERTIME DUE TO BUS OPERATOR VACANCIES.

SO WE HAD OUR, OUR TEAMS WORKING, UH, OVERTIME.

ALL RIGHT, THIS WILL BE A LITTLE BIT TEDIOUS WITH MY VOICE.

WE'LL TRY TO GET THROUGH IT.

UM, EVERY QUARTER WE GO THROUGH BUDGET TRANSFERS WHERE WE PULL MONEY OUT OF OUR CONTINGENCY, WHETHER IT'S CAPITAL OR OPERATING, UM, TO FUND DIFFERENT PROJECTS.

ANYTHING OVER 150, UM, THOUSAND DOLLARS IS DOCUMENTED HERE.

SO WE HAD A TRANSFER FROM CAPITAL CONTINGENCY FOR DATA CENTER, MODERN MODERNIZATION OF $900,000.

WE HAD ANOTHER CONTINGENCY FOR, UH, TRANSFER FROM CAPITAL CONTINGENCY TO OUR PARATRANSIT FLEET FOR 200,000.

WE HAD A ENTERPRISE RESOURCE PLANNING SYSTEM.

WE CONTINUED TO WORK ON THAT FROM OUR CAPITAL CONTINGENCY OF $2,087,000.

WE HAD A CAPITAL CONTINGENCY TRANSFER FOR SPACE UTILIZATION AND CHANGE MANAGEMENT.

THAT'S FOR THE SECOND AND THIRD FLOOR OF THIS BUILDING AND SOME OF THE SIGNAGE OUTSIDE FOR $485,000.

WE PULLED FORWARD SOME WORK ON OUR MCCULLOUGH DOUBLE TRACKING AND DRAINAGE FOR 1.1 MILLION.

WE HAD PROJECT CONNECT ONBOARD VALIDATORS, THAT WAS ANOTHER CAPITAL CONTINGENCY POLL FOR $346,000 OPERATING IN MAINTENANCE OVERSIGHT, UM, FOR 2.5 MILLION.

AND THEN LAST AT THE BOTTOM, OUR PEOPLE AND CULTURE TEAM, UM, HAD SOME ADDITIONAL WORKFORCE ENGAGEMENT WORK AND SOME, UH, STAFFING THAT THEY SUPPORTED FOR $566,000.

ALL RIGHT, SO THIS GRAPH, UM, YOU SEE IT QUARTERLY, BUT I'LL JUST WALK YOU THROUGH AGAIN ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE.

THIS IS OUR RESERVE FUND.

SO THIS IS THE MONEY THAT CAP METRO REALLY DOESN'T TOUCH.

WE HAVE TO SIT WITH IT IN OUR BANK.

UM, SO APPROXIMATELY $90 MILLION FOR THE DIFFERENT RESERVE FUNDS.

THE BIG ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE, THAT DONUT, THE GREEN REPRESENTS OUR STATUTORY OPERATING RESERVE THAT IS MANDATED BY, UM, TEXAS, UH, THE, THE TEXAS TRANSPORTATION CODE.

AND THAT FOR US IS TWO MONTHS OF OUR OPERATING ON THE SAME CIRCLE CHART.

THE BUDGET STABILIZATION RESERVE, THAT WAS 24 MILLION, THAT'S APPROXIMATELY ONE MONTH OF OPERATING COSTS.

WE HAD OUR SMALL CITIES TRANSIT SUPPORTIVE INFRASTRUCTURE FUND THAT WAS STARTED BACK IN 2022 AT $10 MILLION.

AND WE'VE BEEN DRAWING THAT DOWN.

IT'S CURRENTLY NOW AT $6.1 MILLION.

THAT FUNDS TRANSIT SUPPORTIVE INVESTMENTS AT OUR SMALL CITIES PARTNERS.

UM, WE HAD OUR SUSTAINABILITY CAPITAL FUND.

WE HAVEN'T REALLY DRAWN FROM THAT, BUT WE'RE SITTING ON THAT AND WAITING FOR ALL THE GREAT THINGS THAT OUR, UM, SUSTAINABILITY TEAM IS WORKING ON.

THAT'S $10 MILLION.

AND THEN BECAUSE WE ARE SELF-INSURED, WE KEEP A RESERVE FOR THAT COST OF 1.6 MILLION.

AND THEN ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE, THESE ARE ALLOCATED AND RESTRICTED FUNDS.

SO THESE ARE EXTRA FUNDS THAT WE USE TO COVER OUR CAPITAL COSTS.

THE CITY, UM, OF AUSTIN MOBILITY PROGRAM.

AND THEN LASTLY, WE HAVE A SEMI-ANNUAL CONTRIBUTION TO PROJECT CONNECT.

AND SO THAT CONTRIBUTION IS REFLECTED HERE OF $30 MILLION AND THAT'S ALSO SITTING IN OUR RESTRICTED FUNDS.

ALRIGHT, SO, UM, JUST FROM TOP TO BOTTOM, SEEING HOW WE ENDED THE YEAR.

AT THE VERY TOP WE HAVE OUR OPERATING REVENUE, WHICH INCLUDES OUR PASSENGER REVENUE, OUR FREIGHT RAILROAD REVENUE, AND OTHER REVENUE THAT WOULD BE SAVED FOR LEASES FROM THINGS LIKE PLAZA SANT.

THEN WE EXTRACT OR SUBTRACT OUR OPERATING EXPENSES, EXPENSES, SO SALARIES, BENEFITS, PROFESSIONAL WAGES, THOSE TYPES OF THINGS.

AND YOU'LL SEE WE ACTUALLY HAVE A OPERATING LOSS OF $383.9 MILLION.

NEVER FEAR.

WE HAVE OUR SALES TAX DOLLARS AND OUR NON-OPERATING REVENUE.

AND SO WE ARE TO THE GOOD OF $90.2 MILLION FOR THE FISCAL YEAR.

AND THEN JUST SOME VARIANCES BY DEPARTMENT.

THIS IS VERY TINY FONT, SO I'LL JUST CALL IT THE BIG ONES FROM THE BOTTOM UP.

THE BIGGEST ONE BY FAR IS OUR, UM, SIX DEPARTMENT, 600 THAT'S OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE.

AND SO AGAIN, THAT WAS, UM, WE, LET ME FIND IT WITH MY, MY OWN EYES.

THAT WAS, AGAIN, SLIGHTLY OVER BUDGET BECAUSE OF OVERTIME AND DOUBLE TIME.

BUT THAT IT WAS ALSO HELPING US PUT SERVICE OUT ON THE STREET.

OUR DEMAND RESPONSE WAS SLIGHTLY SHORT ON HOURS.

UM, WE HAD

[01:35:01]

A FEW SAVINGS ON THERE.

OUR COMMUTER OPERATIONS ALSO WAS, WE HAD SOME SAVINGS FROM COMMUTER OPERATIONS.

SO THOSE ARE OUR BIG THREE COSTS FOR THE AGENCY.

MOVING UP OUR TECH, OUR INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT, 230, WE HAD SOME SERVICE, UM, SAVINGS FROM SERVICES AND EXPENSES.

AND THEN ALL THE WAY AT THE TOP, JUST GOING THROUGH THE TOP FIVE AT THE VERY TOP DEPARTMENT, 100 NON ALLOCATED BENEFITS.

UM, 91% OF THAT BUDGET WAS EXPENDED.

AND THEN WE'LL TAKE A LOOK AT CAPITAL.

SO THAT WAS OUR OPERATING SIDE.

NOW WE'LL TAKE A LOOK AT CAPITAL.

OUR CAPITAL BUDGET FOR FY 23 WAS $475 MILLION.

WE SPENT $243 MILLION OF THAT.

SO ABOUT HALF, UM, ABOUT A QUARTER OF THAT.

A THIRD OF THAT WAS ACTUALLY ON TILLERY.

SO, UM, THAT PURCHASE WAS SIGNIFICANT FOR US.

AND YOU'LL HEAR US TALK ABOUT THAT AS WE UPDATE YOU ALL ON HOW WE'RE DOING WITH OUR NEW HEADQUARTERS BUILDING.

UM, OTHER AREAS OF EXPENSES, STARTING FROM THE, FROM THE TOP DOWN OUR COMMUTER RAIL, WE WORKED ON LAKELAND LAKE LINE, LEANDER SIDING ON OUR VEHICLES.

WE CONTINUE TO REPLACE, UM, OUR ELECTRIC BUSES.

AND SO WE SPENT 50% OF OUR BUDGET THIS YEAR.

I THINK WE ALL TALKED TO YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW WE'RE DOING WITH OUR ELECTRIC BUS VENDORS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.

UM, ON OUR INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SIDE, WE CONTINUE TO WORK THROUGH OUR ENTERPRISE RESOURCE PLANNING AND OUR DATA WAREHOUSE.

JUST THIS PAST WEEKEND WE DID LAUNCH OUR FINANCE DASHBOARDS.

SO IF YOU HAVEN'T CHECKED THOSE OUT, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT.

THEY'RE LOVELY DASHBOARDS AND THEY GET TO GEEK OUT ON ALL THE FINANCES THAT I'M SHOWING YOU RIGHT NOW.

UM, ON THE FACILITIES SIDE, WE DID CONTINUE OUR BUS ELECTRI ELECTRIFICATION WORK AND WE WORKED ON AIRPORT LAMARR SIDING.

UH, WE ALREADY MENTIONED OUR NEW HEADQUARTERS.

AND THEN LASTLY ON PROJECT CONNECT, UH, WE CONTINUE TO WORK ON THE METRO RAPID PLEASANT VALLEY AND EXPO LINES.

AND THAT WAS THE MAJORITY OF THE EXPENSES ON THE PROJECT CONNECT SIDE.

ALL RIGHT, THAT CONCLUDES OUR FY 23 FINANCIAL REPORT BOARD MEMBERS.

ANY QUESTIONS NOW THAT YOU'LL PROBABLY WANT TO GO THROUGH IT THOROUGHLY, BUT, UH, BOARD MEMBER POOL, I'LL JUST SO YOU LIGHT ON IT.

UH, ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS? ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS? I THINK WE RECEIVED IT.

UM, BOARD MEMBER VILLA MR. A QUICK QUESTION ON THE CAPITAL, UH, FUNDS, 'CAUSE YOU KNOW, FOR VARIOUS REASONS, MOSTLY, UH, UH, DELAYS, WE WERE NOT ABLE TO EXPEND THOSE, BUT WE HAVE THOSE, THOSE FUNDS ARE ALLOCATED AND SITTING IN A BANK ACCOUNT PENDING EXPENDITURE FOR THE THE CAPITAL PROJECTS.

SO RIGHT NOW, CAPITAL METRO IS SITTING ON, UM, I'LL SAY APPROXIMATELY $400 MILLION IN OUR, BETWEEN OUR RESERVES AND OUR CASH FUNDS THAT ARE GOING TOWARDS CURRENT FISCAL YEAR PROJECTS.

FISCAL YEAR PROJECTS THAT WE DIDN'T ACCOMPLISH LAST YEAR AND THEN LOOKING FORWARD FOR OUR CIP BUDGET AND ABOUT ABOUT 90 MILLION OF THOSE 400 MILLION ARE RESERVE FUNDS.

THAT'S CORRECT.

WHICH ARE SUPPOSED TO BE SITTING THERE AND THE REMAINDER IS UNENDED.

THAT'S RIGHT.

OF CAPITAL PROJECT.

BUT WE STILL GET INTEREST ON OUR, UH, CAPITAL.

OH YES WE DO.

YOU BET WE DID.

I MEAN THE TIMING WAS FORTUITOUS , UH, YEAH.

IN IN THE SENSE THAT THIS WAS A, A GOOD YEAR TO HAVE, UH, CASH SITTING IN, UH, YOUR BANK ACCOUNT, UH, BETTER THAN OTHER YEARS WHERE WE WOULD'VE PROBABLY GOTTEN VERY LITTLE.

LESS THAN TWO YEARS AGO.

WE GOT ALMOST 0%, CERTAINLY BETTER THAN HAVING IT BET ON THE RAVENS .

UH, AND UM, JUST IN TERMS OF, AND GOOD LORD, I'M, I'M, AM I MISSING THAT? BUT THERE WAS A SLIDE LOOKING AT THE LONG TERM FINANCIAL PROJECTIONS.

I'M, THAT'S COMING.

OH, IS THAT COMING UP? OKAY, TAKE IT BACK THEN.

THAT'S, THAT'S ALL MY QUESTIONS, .

ALRIGHT, NOW WE'RE JUST RECEIVING IT SO THERE'S NO NEED TO HAVE A MOTION FOR THIS.

JUST MAKE, JUST MAKING SURE.

SO THANK YOU FOR THE UPDATE, BUT I UNDERSTAND WE'RE

[IX. 2. FY2024 Long Range Financial Plan Update]

GONNA KEEP YOU BUSY.

I KEEP GOING WITH THE LONG RANGE FINANCIAL PLAN.

THAT'S RIGHT.

PLEASE, PLEASE PROCEED.

I'LL INTRODUCE MYSELF AGAIN.

ALSO IDENTIFY AND ANALYZE FINANCIAL CHALLENGES TO FISCAL STABILITY.

CHAIRMAN TAVIAN, BOARD OF BOARD OF MEMBERS OF THE BOARD PRESIDENT AND CEO WATKINS.

MY NAME IS CATHERINE WALKER AND AGAIN, I SERVE AS CAP METRO'S EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, CHIEF FINANCIAL AND RISK OFFICER.

AND NOW WE GET TO LOOK FORWARD, AS I WAS TELLING MY CHILDREN INTO THE HORIZON OVER THE NEXT 10 YEARS TO UNDERSTAND WHAT CAP METRO'S FINANCES LOOK LIKE.

SO THERE ARE A COUPLE OF A COUPLE OF REASONS WHY CAP METRO DOES A LONG RANGE FINANCIAL PLAN.

UM, THEY MAY SEEM OBVIOUS, BUT WE'LL TALK ABOUT THOSE BRIEFLY.

ONE OF THEM IS THAT YOU ALL APPROVE OUR ANNUAL BUDGETS AND OUR FIVE-YEAR CAPITAL PLAN.

AND YOU WANNA KNOW, DOES CAP METRO HAVE THE MONEY TO COVER THESE THINGS? ALSO INTERNALLY AS A MANAGEMENT TEAM, IT HELPS US ALIGN OUR FINANCIAL CAPACITY WITH OUR LONG-TERM SERVICE OBJECTIVES.

UM, WE

[01:40:01]

UM, OF COURSE WE HAVE LOTS OF GREAT IDEAS AND LOTS OF GREAT CAPITAL PLANS WE WANNA DO, BUT SOMETIMES THOSE REQUIRE THE STAFFING, THE TIMING, THE CONSULTANTS TO HELP US GET THOSE DONE.

AND WE HAVE TO MAKE THOSE DECISIONS ON, ON THE ORDER OF THINGS, THE IMPORTANCE OF THINGS.

AND SO WE HAVE BIG GLOBAL CONVERSATIONS OVER THE COURSE OF DOING OUR CAPITAL BUDGET THAT HELP US MAKE DECISIONS.

UM, WE DEVELOP A COMPREHENSIVE LONG RANGE FORECAST THAT HELPS US SHOW MONEY AT THE BEGINNING OF THE PERIOD AND MONEY THAT WE WOULD POTENTIALLY DRAW DOWN AND DO WE LIKE THIS DECISIONS AND WHAT THEY'VE DONE TO OUR BOTTOM LINE, JUST LIKE YOU WOULD AT A HOME WHEN YOU LOOK AT YOUR BANK ACCOUNT AND YOU BALANCE YOUR CHECKBOOK.

AND THEN LASTLY, IT, UM, IT HELPS US UNDERSTAND OUR RESERVE REQUIREMENTS BECAUSE THE RESERVE REQUIREMENTS ARE BASED ON OUR OPERATING AND CAPITAL EXPENSES.

IT HELPS US UNDERSTAND OUR Q OUR CURRENT AND EXPAND NEEDS.

AND THEN OF COURSE, DEBT FINANCING IS AN OPTION FOR CAP METRO IF WE CHOSE TO DO THAT AT SOME POINT, RIGHT? SO THE BENEFITS OF LONG RANGE FINANCIAL PLAN, AGAIN, BUILDING SOUND, A FISCALLY SOUND AGENCY CAP METRO DOES NOT CURRENTLY HAVE DEBT.

IT IS ALLOWED BY OUR POLICY, BUT WE ARE CURRENTLY DEBT FREE AND THAT'S PRETTY, PRETTY RARE FOR A PUBLIC TRANSIT AGENCY.

UM, WE HAVE AWARENESS OF OUR OPTIONS, OUR BARRIERS ARE OP OUR OPPORTUNITIES WHEN WE SPEND THE FINANCING, UH, THE, THE FINANCES OF THE AGENCY.

IT HELPS US IMPROVE OUR SUSTAINABILITY.

IT HELPS US BALANCE, UM, COMPETING DEMANDS.

AND THEN LASTLY, THERE ARE CERTAIN IMPLICATIONS AND PRIORITIZATION OF WORK.

AND SO AGAIN, I'LL JUST ADD THAT THE EXECUTIVE TEAM WORKS REALLY HARD WHERE THIS, UM, CONSERVATIVE TAKE.

WE, WE LOOK AT OUR FINANCES IS NOT SOMETHING THAT JUST HAPPENS OUT OF THE CFO'S OFFICE.

IT HAPPENS GLOBALLY ACROSS OUR SET.

ALL RIGHT, SO THE LONG RANGE FINANCIAL PLAN, UH, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF ASSUMPTIONS THAT GO INTO THIS.

SO ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE, YOU'LL UNDERSTAND WE HAVE OUR SALES TAX GROWTH.

SO WE HAVE TO MAKE SOME ASSUMPTIONS ABOUT WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE, WHETHER IT'S 3%, THREE AND A HALF PERCENT YEAR OVER YEAR, WHAT OUR SERVICE LEVELS LOOK LIKE FOR SERVING OUR COMMUNITY, THE PRODUCER PRICING INDEX.

SO THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT, WHAT DO THINGS COST WHEN YOU GO TO THE GROCERY STORE? WHAT DOES IT COST WHEN YOU HAVE TO BUY A DURABLE GOOD, UM, SALARY INCREASES FOR OUR STAFF AND FOR OUR FRONTLINE EMPLOYEES.

BENEFIT COST INCREASES, WHICH IS SOMETHING WE TAKE, HAVE TO TAKE A LOOK AT WITH OUR ACTUARIES, YEAR OVER YEAR.

FUEL PRICING, FUEL HEDGING, AND ALL OF THOSE FUN THINGS.

AND SO THOSE GO INTO THE OPERATING BUDGET AND THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN BUDGET.

WE TAKE THE RESERVES AND WE ADD THAT INTO THE ENDING CASH BALANCE.

UM, AND ALL OF THESE THINGS ARE BUILT INTO THE LONG RANGE FINANCIAL PLAN.

SO BEFORE WE START LOOKING AHEAD OVER THE NEXT FIVE AND 10 YEARS, FIRST WE'LL JUST TAKE A REMINDER AT WHAT'S SITTING IN 2024.

SO IN 2024, WE HAVE EXPECTED, UH, EXPECTED REVENUE OF $520 MILLION COMING IN FROM THE AGENCY.

WE EXPECT 396.7 MILLION WILL COME FROM SALES TAX.

WE EXPECT 91 MILLION FROM GRANTS, 18.6 FROM FARES, UM, 6.7 MILLION FROM FREIGHT AND A LITTLE BIT OF OTHER REVENUE IN THERE.

UM, OUR SALES TAX GROWTH RATE, IF WE HAD A 1% GROWTH, THAT EQUALS ABOUT $4 MILLION.

SO IT IS SIGNIFICANT.

AND FOR OUR LONG RANGE, LONG-TERM PROJECTIONS, OUR SALES TAX GROWTH RATE IS ESTIMATED 3.5%.

HERE'S SOME HISTORICAL TRENDS SINCE 20 2005.

AND SO YOU'LL SEE THE BAR, UM, THE BLUE BARS REPRESENT OUR SALES TAX HISTORY SINCE 2005, GROWING TO WHERE WE ARE TODAY IN 2023, WHERE WE ENDED AT $382 MILLION.

AND FOR A 24 BUDGET, WE ESTIMATE 397 MILLION FROM SALES TAX RECEIPTS.

AND THEN THE RED GRAPH JUST SHOWS YOU PERCENT INCREASE OR DECREASE.

SO FOR 2023 TO 2024, BOTH OF THOSE YEARS WE ESTIMATED 3.5%.

NOT A LOT OF CHANGE, BUT THERE WAS SOME FLUCTUATION OF COURSE WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT IN 2009 THERE WAS THE, UM, MORTGAGE BANKING CRISIS THAT HAPPENED.

AND THEN LATER WITH OUR CO HERE'S SOME OTHER THINGS THAT IMPACT OUR LONG RANGE FINANCIAL PLAN IS OUR FAIR REVENUE.

SO CAP METRO PARTICIPATES IN THE AMERICAN BUS BENCHMARKING GROUP.

THERE ARE 23 MID-SIZE AGENCIES AND TRANSIT AGENCIES ACROSS THE UNITED STATES.

THEY ALL PROVIDE THEIR INFORMATION.

IT'S ALL, UM, ALL OF THE INFORMATION ON WHAT AGENCY IT IS IS TAKEN OUT.

SO IT'S JUST LOOKING AT VERY BASICALLY WHAT THE FAIRES ARE.

UM, CAP METRO IS THE THIRD LOWEST LOCAL FAIR OF THE 23 PEERS LISTED ON THIS AGENCY

[01:45:01]

AT A DOLLAR 25 FOR A BASE FAIR, WE ARE THE LOWEST FOR WEEKLY AND MONTHLY PASSES.

UM, OUR FAIR RECOVERY RATE FOR 2022 WAS 5.3%.

AND WE DID HAVE, UM, AS AS I SAID IN THE LAST PRESENTATION, WE DID HAVE STRONG RIDERSHIP.

SO WE DID DO MORE IN OUR CUSTOMER AFFAIRS THAN WE HAD DONE, UM, THAN WE'D BUDGETED.

SO THAT WAS A GOOD SIGN.

SO JUST WANTED TO KIND OF PUT INTO PERSPECTIVE CAP METRO AFFAIRS VERSUS OTHER AGENCIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY.

UM, FOR OUR OPERATING EXPENSES, WE HAVE PLANNED IN TWENTY FOUR FOUR HUNDRED AND TWENTY FOUR HUNDRED AND TWENTY SEVEN $0.5 MILLION.

AND WE'LL KEEP MOVING ON.

UM, FOR OUR BUDGETED OPERATING EXPENSES.

SO THESE ARE BIG NUMBERS.

ABOUT HALF OF THAT IS OUR PURCHASE TRANSPORTATION FROM PARATRANSIT, FROM OUR LOCAL BUS, FROM OUR DEMAND RESPONSE.

SO THAT'S 209 MILLION, ABOUT 49%.

UH, 21% OF OUR BUDGET IS ROUND PERSONNEL.

$92.2 MILLION.

OUR SERVICES TAKES UP, UM, SERVICE EXPENSES, I'LL SAY TAKES UP ABOUT 16% AND THEN WE HAVE FUEL ON ITS OWN IS 15.3 MILLION OR 4000004% OF OUR BUDGET.

OKAY, SO NOW WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SERVICE LEVELS BECAUSE SERVICE LEVELS IMPACT HOW MUCH WE SPEND IN 2024.

AND AS WE THINK ABOUT SERVICE LEVELS AND OUR LONG RANGE TRANSIT PLAN FOR THE AGENCY, THESE ARE ALSO THINGS THAT FUND OUR LONG RANGE FINANCIAL PLAN.

SO IN, IN 23 CAP METRO PROVIDED 2.01 MILLION VEHICLE HOURS ACROSS THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND, UM, PARTICIPATING AREAS.

AND IN 2024 WE EXPECT 2.23 MILLION VEHICLE HOURS.

AND THAT'S TREMENDOUS.

THAT IS A LOT OF RUBBER TIRES ON ROADS ACROSS THE CITY.

UM, WE HAVE THIS DIVIDED FOR YOU ALL BY THE MODES OF TRANSIT.

SO WITH CAP METRO BUS TAKING UP THE MAJORITY SHARE, UH, FOR 2024 OF 1.15 MILLION HOURS, THAT'S A LOT OF HOURS.

UM, AND THEN CAP METRO, RAPID EXPRESS METRO ACCESS IN OUR DIFFERENT SERVICES.

I WANTED TO NOTE THAT METRO PICKUP IS EXPECTED TO BE 50% MORE IN 2024 THAN IT WAS IN 2023.

AND WE JUST HAD OUR DOVE SPRINGS OPENING, UH, LAST WEEK.

THANK YOU ALL FOR PARTICIPATING.

I WAS UNDER THE WEATHER AND COULDN'T AND I REALLY FELT BAD THAT I COULDN'T BE THERE.

BUT THAT'S JUST ANOTHER EXAMPLE WHERE THIS IS SOMETHING WE'VE HEARD GREAT RESPONSES FROM OUR COMMUNITY ABOUT.

AND CATHERINE, YES.

COULD I JUST ASK A QUICK QUESTION? 'CAUSE I, MM-HMM.

I UNDERSTAND MOST OF THAT, THOSE NUMBERS MAKE SENSE TO ME.

BUT I'M CURIOUS ABOUT THE SPECIAL EVENTS BECAUSE WE'RE LOOKING AT WHAT SEEMS LIKE A OVER A FIVEFOLD INCREASE IN PROJECTION PROJECTED HOURS FROM 931 ACTUAL FOR FISCAL YEAR 23 TO A PROJECTION OF 5,134 FOR FY 24.

UM, UT FOOTBALL IS BACK , , IS THAT ALL PUT? IS THAT ALL UT WE WOULD HAVE TO TALK WITH OUR FRIENDS AND OPERATIONS.

THERE'S A LOT THAT GOES INTO THESE MODELS AND ALL THE SERVICE.

UM, SO WE COULD GET THAT FOR YOU.

I DON'T HAVE IT ON HAND ALL THE THINGS THAT ARE BUILT IN TO WHY, BUT WE'VE COME OUT OF THE PANDEMIC WITH FLYING COLORS AND YEAH.

AND THERE AND THERE'S NOT JUST ONE THING.

THERE ARE A LOT OF THINGS THAT ARE COMING BACK ONLINE AND I, I'D BE INTERESTED IN SEEING AND SEEING WHAT'S DRIVING SPECIAL ISATION OF THAT.

WELL E EVEN EXPRESS BUSES, YOU KNOW, I KNOW WE'VE TALKED ABOUT HOW COMMUTER PATTERNS HAVE CHANGED AND, AND I THINK WE'VE SEEN IT THAT MONDAYS AND FRIDAYS, AT LEAST IN OUR NECK OF THE WOODS, PEOPLE ARE, ARE, ARE NOT COMMUTING AS MUCH.

THEY TEND TO BE WORKING FROM HOME.

AND OUR NUMBERS FOR LIKE THE 9 85, FOR EXAMPLE, HAVE BEEN DOWN.

BUT, BUT FROM WHAT I'M SEEING HERE, IT LOOKS LIKE OUR PROJECTIONS ARE THAT EVEN WITH OUR, UM, UH, WITH, WITH, WITH EXPRESS PROJECTIONS ARE THAT, THAT THEY'RE GONNA BE UP AND MORE THAN DOUBLE COMPARED TO WHAT THEY WERE THIS PAST FISCAL YEAR.

YEAH.

SO WE SAW A PRETTY HEALTHY INCREASE IN OUR EXPRESS RIDERSHIP LAST FISCAL YEAR.

THESE NUMBERS FOR FISCAL YEAR 24 REFLECT WHAT WAS BUDGETED.

AND WE DO TYPICALLY BUDGET OPTIMISTICALLY SO THAT WE HAVE THE FLEXIBILITY TO ADD THE SERVICE IF, IF THE NEED ARISES, WE HAVE NOT ADDED SERVICE, UM, FOR THE CURRENT SERVICE CHANGE LIKE WE MAYBE HAD HOPED WE MIGHT NEED TO, UM, BECAUSE WE HAVEN'T QUITE SEEN THE GANGBUSTERS.

WE WERE, YOU KNOW, KNOW OPTIMISTICALLY HOPING FOR, UM, BUT WE CAN GET YOU SOME DATA ON HOW THOSE RIDERSHIP TRENDS ARE DEVELOPING AS WELL.

SO, SO THESE ARE, AGAIN, THIS IS, THIS IS BUDGETED HOURS THAT HELP, THAT HELP US FIGURE OUT KIND OF WHAT, WHERE WE NEED TO BE SPENDING OUR

[01:50:01]

DOLLARS.

BUT IT, IT MAY NOT NECESSARILY PAN OUT THAT WAY.

IT MAY NOT LINE UP WITH WHAT WE ACTUALLY PROVIDE.

CORRECT.

ACTUAL, ACTUAL IN TERMS. CORRECT.

THAT, THAT MAKES, THAT MAKES SENSE.

THAT'S VERY GOOD QUESTIONS.

ALL RIGHT, SO NOW WE'LL TALK ABOUT THE LONG RANGE FINANCIAL MODEL.

SO NOT JUST FY 24, BUT LOOKING FORWARD FOR THE NEXT FIVE YEARS.

AND THEN FROM SIX TO 10 YEARS FORWARD, WHICH TAKES US TO 2033, AND I HAD AN AHA MOMENT A FEW MINUTES AGO AS I WAS PREPARING THAT I WILL STILL HAVE CHILDREN IN HIGH SCHOOL IN 2033.

ALL RIGHT, SO, UM, WHEN WE DO OUR LONG, I KNOW CRINGE WHEN WE DO OUR LONG RANGE FINANCIAL PLAN, WE ALSO DID A SECOND SCENARIO FOR YOU TO SHOW YOU WHAT IT WOULD MEAN FOR CAP METRO.

IF, FOR EXAMPLE, WE HAD NO SALES TAX GROWTH RATE AND WHAT THAT MEANS FOR THE AGENCY.

AND WHEN WE WERE PLANNING THIS, IT WAS BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THE FEDERAL RESERVES TALKING ABOUT IN INTEREST RATES AND TRYING TO REALLY SLOW DOWN THE ENVIRONMENT, EVEN IF THAT MEANS IMPACTING, UM, THE UNEMPLOYMENT RATE AND ALL THOSE THINGS.

SO WE HAVE TWO SCENARIOS AND WE DON'T WANNA SCARE YOU, BUT IT'S SIMPLY BECAUSE THESE ARE THE THINGS WE WANNA UNDERSTAND.

WHEN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT MAKES THOSE BIG, UM, CHANGES AND THEY PULL THEIR BIG LEVERS, WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR US? ALL RIGHT, SO THESE ARE THOSE ASSUMPTIONS THAT REMEMBER THE GRAPH THAT I SHOWED YOU WITH ALL THE LITTLE PUZZLE PIECES.

THIS IS WHAT WE'VE ESTIMATED FOR THE NEAR TERM AND LONG-TERM PLAN.

SO FOR OUR FAIR GROWTH, UM, FOR THIS YEAR, WE ESTIMATED A 14% INCREASE AND THEN A 2% INCREASE THEREAFTER FROM YEAR 2025 TO YEAR 2033.

FOR OUR SALES TAX GROWTH RATE, WE ESTIMATED FOUR POINT A HALF PERCENT INCREASE IN 24, A 4% INCREASE IN 25, AND THEN WE FLATTENED IT OUT TO THREE POINT A HALF PERCENT FROM 2026 FORWARD ALL THE WAY TO 2033 FOR OUR OPERATING GRANTS.

WE HAVE THOSE HELD STEADY FOR THE FIRST FIVE YEARS AT 2.8% AND THEN DROPPING DOWN TO 2%.

AND THEN ON THE EXPENSES SIDE, WE'VE KEPT OUR SERVICE COSTS FLAT AT THREE AND A HALF PERCENT.

OUR FUEL RATE WE'VE GOT AT A 20% FOR 24, AND THEN IT DECREASES A LITTLE BIT IN 25.

AND THAT'S PART OF OUR ELECTRIFICATION OF OUR FLEET.

AND THEN FLAT TO 2% OUR FTE GROWTH.

WE'VE BEEN VERY, VERY CONSERVATIVE AT A GROWTH RATE OF LESS THAN 1% GROWTH RATE FOR STAFFING WAGE GROWTH PLANNED AT 3% AND OTHER EXPENSES SUCH AS, UM, CONSULTING AND SERVICES AND, AND UTILITIES AND THOSE TYPES OF THINGS AT 3%.

ALL RIGHT, SO THIS STACKED BAR CHART, AND THEN I'LL FOLLOW IT UP WITH A TABLE VERSION FOR THOSE WHO LIKE TO SEE, UM, NUMBERS ON A PAGE.

THIS, THE BLUE LINE REPRESENTS OUR EXPENSES PROJECTED BETWEEN NOW AND 2033.

THE, THE ORANGE COLOR, UM, REPRESENTS OUR CAPITAL PROJECTS NET OF GRANT REVENUE.

SO IF THERE WAS A A GRANT, WE'RE EXPECTING WE'VE NETTED THAT OUT SO IT DOESN'T SKEW THE NUMBERS.

WE HAVE CAP METRO SEMI-ANNUAL CONTRIBUTION TO PROJECT CONNECT.

IT'S KIND OF A GOLD COLOR, IT'S THE VERY TOP AND THEN THE GREEN LINE IS OUR PROJECTED REVENUES.

SO WHAT YOU'LL SEE IS WHEN YOU SEE, WHEN YOU SEE THAT GREEN LINE DIPPING BELOW THE STACKED BAR CHART, THOSE ARE YEARS WHEN CAP METRO WILL HAVE TO DIP INTO OUR SAVINGS ACCOUNT TO HELP COVER THE COST YEAR OVER YEAR.

SO IN GENERAL, AS YOU'RE LOOKING AT THIS, YOU SAY, HEY, NOT TOO BAD, NOT TILL WE GET TO ABOUT 2033, DO COSTS START, UM, EXCEEDING REVENUE, RIGHT? AND SO ONE OF THE, AGAIN, ONE OF THE REASONS WE DO THIS IS SO WE CAN LOOK FORWARD AT OUR CAPITAL SPENDING, LOOK FORWARD AT OUR ASSUMPTIONS AND BE AWARE OF SOME OF THE THINGS WE HAVE TO MANAGE AS AN AGENCY.

SO HERE'S WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE IN THE NUMBERS.

SO AT THE TOP YOU'LL SEE WE HAVE OUR CASH IN CASH INVESTMENTS AT THE BEGINNING OF THE PERIOD.

AND, UM, BOARD MEMBER VELA ASKED ABOUT, HEY, HOW MUCH DO WE HAVE SITTING IN YOUR BANK RIGHT NOW? SO AT THE BEGINNING OF FISCAL YEAR 24, WE HAD $411 MILLION.

UM, WE HAVE, WE ADD IN OUR REVENUES EXPECTED FOR THE YEAR, WE SUBTRACT OUT OUR OPERATING EXPENSES, WE HAVE OUR CAPITAL PROJECTS, WE HAVE OUR ANNUAL CASH FLOW, AND YOU'LL SEE AT THE END WE HAVE A BALANCE, WHICH IS THE, THERE'S TWO BLUE LINES.

SO AT THE BOTTOM, LOOK AT THE NEXT TO THE BOTTOM ONE.

SO THAT'S KIND OF WHERE WE THINK WE'LL END FISCAL YEAR 2024 WITH $172 MILLION LEFT OVER.

NOW HERE'S A SCENARIO WHERE YEAR OVER YEAR OF CAP METRO DIDN'T HAVE THE SALES GROWTH RATE.

YOU'LL SEE TAKING YOUR EYES TO THE BOTTOM,

[01:55:01]

IT'S 155 MILLION.

SO NOT TERRIBLE, BUT IT IS IMPACTFUL.

UM, GOING ACROSS THE SHEET AGAIN.

SO THEN WE GO BACK TO 2025, AND THIS IS THE WAY THE TABLE IS BUILT.

MONEY AT THE BEGINNING OF THE PERIOD, MONEY AT THE END OF THE PERIOD.

WHAT'S IMPORTANT HERE IS THAT REALLY FOR CAP METRO, WE THINK WE'RE PRETTY FINANCIALLY STABLE UNTIL ABOUT 2030.

THAT'S WHEN YOU SEE THOSE BIG RED, THOSE RED NUMBERS GET A LITTLE BIT LARGER.

THE NUMBER ON THE BOTTOM IS WITHOUT THAT NICE COMPOUNDING THAT WOULD HAPPEN IN 2024.

AND BOY, UM, THE THINGS LOOK A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT WHEN YOU DON'T HAVE COMPOUNDING AND SALES TAX GROWTH RATE.

SO WE DON'T THINK THAT'S THE SCENARIO, BUT WE DID RUN THE MODEL AND WE WANTED TO SHARE IT WITH YOU ALL.

SO IN CONCLUSION, WHAT ARE THE BIG THINGS THAT DRIVE, UM, THAT SWING OUR LONG RANGE FINANCIAL PLAN? SO SALES TAX GROWTH RATE, UM, CRO AND MS EMISSION FLEET TRANSITION AND ASSOCIATE INFRASTRUCTURE COSTS, THE TIMING OF THAT.

UM, SIGNIFICANT FUTURE FACILITY NEEDS SUCH AS OUR THIRD BUS GARAGE, WHEN AND WHERE WE NEED THAT AND THE TIMING OF THAT.

OUR SOUTH BASE DEMAND RESPONSE FACILITY AND THE ADMINISTRATIVE HEADQUARTERS BUILD OUT DOWN THE STREET HERE.

ALSO OUR METRO BIKE STATION OF LEAD EXPANSION, WHICH WE JUST HEARD FROM SARAH STANFORD, RIGHT? VERY EXCITING THINGS, BUT UM, TAKES A LOT OF WORK TO MAKE THOSE THINGS.

INTUITION.

WHAT ARE THE RISKS FOR A LONG RANGE FINANCIAL PLAN? WHAT ARE THE THINGS THAT COULD FLIP THAT BOTTOM LINE THAT I SHOWED YOU FROM BLACK IN TO RED INK? SO SLOWER SALES TAX GROWTH CHANGES TO OUR FEDERAL GRANT FUNDING PROGRAM.

UNFORESEEN REGULATORY OR CAPITAL NEEDS.

UM, CONTRACTED RATES WITH OUR SERVICE PROVIDERS, RIGHT? SOME OF THESE THINGS ARE BIG AND MEANINGFUL, UM, SLOWER RIDERSHIP THAN EXPECTED.

THAT WOULD DEFINITELY FLIP OUR BOTTOM LINE.

AND IN CONCLUSION, WE JUST CONTINUE TO MONITOR, UM, AND REVIEW, UM, THESE THINGS WITH OUR SET ON AN ONGOING BASIS, NOT JUST THROUGH OUR BUDGETING PROCESS, BUT THROUGH, UM, MEETINGS WITH OUR SET AND OUR EXECUTIVE TEAM MONTHLY.

WE, UM, OF COURSE LOOK AT POTENTIAL REVENUE UNCERTAINTY.

AND THE BIG THING FOR US AS ALWAYS, CAP METRO, UM, IS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE MAINTAIN A STATE OF GOOD REPAIR ON OUR FLEET.

AND SO FOR THAT YEAR, THAT'S $70 MILLION IN ANNUAL CASH THAT GOES STRICTLY TO STATE OF GOOD REPAIR.

SO SOMETHING THAT WE ALWAYS HAVE TO KEEP OUR EYE ON.

ALL RIGHT, THAT CONCLUDES THE LONG RANGE FINANCIAL PLAN PRESENTATION.

ALRIGHT, ANY QUESTIONS? BOARD MEMBERS? UH, GO AHEAD.

UM, BOARD MEMBER STRATTON.

THANK YOU MR. CHAIR.

SO CATHERINE, ONE THING I WAS, UH, JUST KIND OF NOODLING ON HERE IS THAT, UM, THE, UH, UM, AS WE ROLL OUT BUS RAPID TRANSIT THAT'S SUPPOSED TO BE CONSIDERED, I THOUGHT AND DOTTIE JUMP IN HERE, IS THAT SUPPOSED TO BE CONSIDERED PART OF, UM, PART OF PROJECT CONNECT AND THEREFORE SUBJECT TO OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE THROUGH THE FUNDING STREAM OF PROJECT CONNECT? AND SO WOULDN'T THERE THEREFORE BE SOME TRANSFERS AND REVENUE BROUGHT IN FROM A TP? YES, THROUGH PROJECT CONNECT BACK OVER TO US AND DID THE MODEL ACCOUNT FOR THAT, THE WAY THAT IT'S TAKEN ACCOUNT INTO HERE? IT'S A PASS THROUGH BECAUSE THE EXPENSES ARE MET BY THE PROGRAM FUNDING AND SO IT'S A NON-IMPACT ON CAP METRO'S BOTTOM LINE.

BECAUSE THE AGENCY DID WITH COVID WHEN COVID HAPPENED IN MARCH, I THINK OF 22, LIKE THE WORLD SHUT DOWN.

SO I, WE GO THROUGH THIS.

WE, AND I APPRECIATE THIS EVERY YEAR, I, I SEEM TO REMEMBER WE DO, WE, FOR THE LAST FIVE YEARS WE'VE DONE THIS EXERCISE, EVEN YOUR PREDECESSOR BEFORE YOU LOOKING AT THAT KIND OF, UH, CONSERVATIVE THERE, THE, THE MORE, UM, UH, CONSERVATIVE APPROACH OR OR CONSISTENT APPROACH WHERE WE'VE SEEN ABOUT CO CONSISTENTLY ABOUT A 3.5% YEAR OVER YEAR GROWTH IN OUR SALES TAX.

AND THEN THE, UM, THE MORE, UH, UM, I I SUPPOSE, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, RED, RED VERSION WHERE WE GET NOTHING WHERE NOTHING CHANGES AND IT'S JUST STRAIGHT ZEROS ACROSS THE BOARD, THE SALES TAX REVENUE FLATTENS OUT AND STAYS THE SAME FOR THE NEXT, UH, FIVE, FIVE YEARS OR SO.

SO WHAT THEN WOULD YOU SAY, IF WE'RE LOOKING AT THAT, YOU KNOW, MORE RED MODEL, ZERO GROWTH MODEL, WHAT WOULD BE THEN KIND OF THE, UH, THE, THE, THE UPSTREAM, THE UPSTREAM OR RATHER DOWNSTREAM IMPACT TO THAT? WHAT WOULD, WHAT WOULD WE AS A BOARD NEED TO BE KIND OF LOOKING AT OR THINKING ABOUT AT THAT POINT? IS THAT GONNA BE MORE SOMETHING THAT WOULD IMPACT SOME OF OUR, OUR, OUR CAPITAL PLANS OR MORE OF OUR OPERATIONAL PLANS? AND WHAT CAN WE, OR SHOULD WE BE AT THIS POINT THINKING ABOUT FOR MITIGATING OR GETTING ON TOP OF ANY OF THOSE POTENTIAL ISSUES AT THIS TIME? ALL RIGHT, SO WE DON'T HAVE TO LOOK TOO FAR BACK IN THE PAST TO ANSWER THAT

[02:00:01]

AND SO CAP METRO SPUN INTO ACTION BECAUSE WE JUST DIDN'T KNOW WHAT WOULD HAPPEN.

UM, WITH FUNDING FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.

WE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IN OUR SALES TAX REVENUE, RIGHT? IF, IF CONSUMERS STOPPED SPENDING, THEN WHAT DOES THAT MEAN FOR CAP METRO? AND SO WE GOT TOGETHER AND WE STARTED LOOKING AT ESPECIALLY THE CAPITAL EXPENSES AND WHAT ABSOLUTELY HAD TO HAPPEN, WHAT SHOULDN'T BE HAPPENING.

WE TOOK A LOOK AT OUR, UM, EMPLOYEE COSTS AND ANY OPEN POSITIONS THAT THE AGENCY HAD, I THINK WE SAID, NOPE, WE'RE NOT GONNA HIRE ANY NEW POSITIONS RIGHT NOW.

WE'RE GONNA HOLD STEADY WITH OUR STAFF AND FIGURE OUT WHAT'S GOING ON.

AND SO WE WERE ABLE TO REALLY PIVOT ON A DIME JUST A FEW YEARS AGO.

AND SO I THINK IF THAT WERE TO HAPPEN AGAIN, SAY BIG ECONOMIC COLLAPSE OR SOMETHING HAPPENS, GOD FORBID, BUT WE WOULD TAKE VERY SIMILAR ACTIONS.

YEAH, I WOULD, I WOULD.

DOTTIE, YOU'VE BEEN INCREDIBLE.

ADD TO THAT, I THINK THE SHORT TERM ANSWER IS IF IT'S GONNA BE A SHORT TERM ISSUE, WE CAN TYPICALLY BOUNCE THAT THROUGH DELAYS IN THE CAPITAL PROGRAM, WHICH IS LARGELY WHAT WE DID TO GET THROUGH THE PANDEMIC.

UM, YOU KNOW, WE ARE, WE ENTERED THE PANDEMIC IN VERY SOUND FINANCIAL POSITION, UM, LARGELY BECAUSE WE HAD, UM, IN THE NOT TOO DISTANT PAST, NOT BEEN IN SOUND FINANCIAL POSITION AND HAD HAD REALLY WORKED HARD.

UM, THE BOARD ESTABLISHED RESERVE POLICIES ON TOP OF WHAT THE STATE STATUTE REQUIRED AND HAD WORKED HARD TO GET US IN GOOD SHAPE.

SO I THINK WE WERE FORTUNATE IN JUST SORT OF THE TIMING OF WHEN THE PANDEMIC HIT.

UM, AND THEN WE WERE ALSO FORTUNATE THAT WE WERE ABLE TO BOTH SLOW DOWN SPENDING AND RELY ON FEDERAL SUPPORT TO HELP US MAKE UP FOR THE SALES TAX WE DID NOT RECEIVE DURING THE PANDEMIC.

UM, AND SO THAT ALLOWED US TO KIND OF STAY IN A POSITIVE POSITION.

SO WE ARE VERY FORTUNATE AS AN AGENCY TO NOT BE FACING A FISCAL CLIFF.

IF YOU READ THE, THE, THE NEWS ABOUT TRANSIT MORE BROADLY, UM, MANY OF, ESPECIALLY OUR LARGER PEERS, UM, THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY ARE STRUGGLING WITH THAT.

AND WE'RE FORTUNATE NOT TO BE IN THAT POSITION.

UM, BUT I SAY THAT WITH A, A REAL CAUTION BECAUSE EXACTLY THE QUESTION YOU JUST ASKED.

WELL, WHAT IF WE DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH MONEY? WHAT WOULD WE DO? WELL, THE EASIEST BREAK TO HIT IS YOUR CAPITAL INVESTMENT.

THAT IS ALSO, YOU'RE JUST STARTING TO DIG YOUR HOLE.

AND MANY OF OUR LARGER TRANSIT PEERS, THE HOLES THEY'RE TRYING TO DIG THEMSELVES OUT OF, UM, ARE LARGE CAPITAL EXPENSE HOLES.

SO I, AT SOME POINT, IF IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S GONNA BE MORE THAN A LITTLE PROBLEM, UM, OR A YEAR OR TWO'S PROBLEM, THEN YOU DO NEED TO LOOK AT THINGS LIKE SERVICE CUTS.

AND THAT'S SOMETHING WE'VE ALWAYS BEEN VERY CAUTIOUS ABOUT.

WE WOULD RATHER SLOW DOWN OUR CAPITAL AND THINK FOR IT A BIT.

UM, BUT THE MOST EXPENSIVE THING WE DO, RIGHT? THE THING THAT WE EXIST TO DO IS TO PROVIDE SERVICE.

AND SO, UM, WHEN PUSH COMES TO SHOVE, IF WE DON'T HAVE MORE FUNDING, UM, IF WE DON'T HAVE ADEQUATE FUNDING AVAILABLE, THAT WOULD BE KIND OF THE, THAT'S THE, THE WALL WE'RE UP AGAINST.

I THANK YOU.

AND I'LL JUST SAY THAT, THAT, THAT THIS AGENCY, Y'ALL HAVE BEEN AMAZING.

YOU GOT US THROUGH CO UM, LEADERSHIP HAS BEEN INCREDIBLE.

I APPRECIATE GETTING THIS, THIS UPDATE EVERY YEAR.

BUT WHAT, WHAT I'LL JUST SAY IS, AS I LOOK AT THIS, THE NUMBERS HISTORICALLY, AT LEAST AS FROM WHAT I CAN TELL, HAVE NOT CHANGED MUCH OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS.

BUT EITHER I'M, I'M KIND OF ASKING THE SAME QUESTION THAT SOME OF MY COLLEAGUES ON, ON PREVIOUS, PREVIOUS ITERATIONS OF THE BOARD WOULD ASK, JUST TO KEEP THAT ON THE FOREFRONT OF OUR MINDS AS A BOARD THAT, OKAY, WHAT, WHAT DO WE NEED TO BE AT LEAST FILING AWAY AND THINKING ABOUT THE WHAT IFS? BUT, BUT I WILL SAY, UH, TO, ESPECIALLY TO THE, THE NEWER BOARD MEMBERS HERE, WE, WE'VE GOT A REALLY STRONG STAFF.

THANK YOU, CATHERINE.

IT'S NOT JUST CATHERINE AND HER FIN AND, AND WHAT SHE DOES ON THE FINANCIAL SIDE.

WE'VE GOT AN AMAZING OPERATIONS TEAM.

EVERYBODY'S BEEN GREAT TO GET US TO THIS POINT SO THAT WE ARE STARING AT A LOT OF BLACK AND, AND THE, AND THE RED IS, IS BASICALLY A BUNCH OF, OF, OF REALLY DIRE WHAT IFS.

NOT, NOT THE, THIS IS WHAT'S DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF US.

INSTEAD, WE'RE SITTING IN A SITUATION WHERE WE'RE PUTTING OUR MONEY IN A BANK ACCOUNT AT 5% INTEREST, AND WE'RE TAKING IN EXTRA MONEY RIGHT NOW, WHICH IS GOOD FOR US, NOT THE FLIP.

SO, UH, ACKNOWLEDGING THAT, THANK YOU FOR HELPING US GET HERE, AND THEN BRINGING THE, THIS REPORT BACK TO US EVERY YEAR FOR THE SAKE OF ANY PUBLIC THAT MIGHT BE LISTENING.

I DO WANNA CALL OUT THOUGH THAT, THAT MONEY SITTING IN THE BANK ACCOUNT, IF YOU LOOK FORWARD, WE EXPEND THAT TO FUND OUR CAPITAL PROGRAM GOING FORWARD.

SO ABSOLUTELY.

IT'S NOT THAT WE'RE JUST SITTING ABSOLUTELY NOT CASH, NO PLAN FOR IT.

WE STILL END UP EVEN WITH THE MORE OPTIMISTIC SCENARIO IN THE RED BY 2030.

SO THAT MEANS THAT THERE'S STILL GONNA NEED TO BE SOME, SOME SCRUBBING OF WHAT WE DO.

BUT 2030, STILL A GOOD WAYS OUT AND WE STILL HAVE PLENTY OF TIME TO THINK ABOUT WHAT THOSE COSTS ARE.

MANY OF THOSE COSTS ARE, UM, JUST WILD GUESSES BECAUSE 2030

[02:05:01]

IS SO FAR OUT.

BUT I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, WE'RE CLEAR THAT WHILE WE DO HAVE MONEY SITTING IN THE BANK, IT IS ACCOUNTED FOR, RIGHT? UM, IN OUR FUTURE SPENDING, IT'S WHAT ALLOWS US TO CONTINUE, UM, MAKING THESE INVESTMENTS.

ALRIGHT, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? UH, BOARD MEMBER AVELA, UM, WHAT, LOOKING AT THAT, UH, UH, CHART WITH THE LONG-TERM CAPITAL EXPENDITURES MM-HMM.

, UH, WHAT ARE THOSE? 20 30, 20 31, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT ARE THOSE KIND OF PROGRAMMED, UH, CAPITAL EXPENDITURES THAT WE WOULD BE LOOKING AT? DO YOU HAVE A GENERAL SENSE OF THAT? UM, SOME OF THE BIGGER COSTS GOING OUT THOSE YEARS.

UM, WE GET INTO OUR FLEET REPLACEMENT.

UM, WE ALSO HAVE OUR FACILITIES.

WE HAVE SEVERAL FACILITIES.

WE'RE LOOKING AT BUYING.

WE HAVE TO MAKE A DECISION ON OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT COMING UP.

UM, WE ARE LEASING SPACE AND WE WANNA THINK ABOUT THAT.

WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT, WE'RE WORKING ON NORTH BASED DEMAND RESPONSE RIGHT NOW.

WE'RE LOOKING AT PROPERTY PURCHASE FOR OUR SOUTH BASED DEMAND RESPONSE.

SO FACILITIES DRIVES A LOT OF THE BIG THINGS THERE.

, UM, LET'S SEE.

YOU'RE TALKING LIKE FIVE AND TWO, TWO YEAR MODEL THAT, THAT 20 30, 20 31, UH, TIMEFRAME.

I GUESS WE'RE, RIGHT NOW WE'RE UNDERGOING SOME OF THE LAND ACQUISITION MM-HMM.

THAT WOULD, WE WOULD EVENTUALLY NEED TO BUILD OPERATION CENTERS THERE.

SO I GUESS THAT'S WHAT WE WOULD BE LOOKING AT FOR THAT KIND OF OUTSIDE THAT 20 30, 20 31 TIMEFRAME.

A LOT OF THE OTHER LONGER TERM THINGS ARE LIKE STATE OF GOOD REPAIR AND THEN FLEET REPLACEMENT BRIDGES, THAT TYPE OF THING.

GOT IT.

UM, AND THEN A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS RELATED TO THE SERVICE LEVELS AND, UH, UH, REALLY ENJOYED, UH, AND AM ENJOYING BEING ON THE CAPITOL METRO BOARD.

IT'S A BIG AGENCY AND STILL TRYING TO REALLY GET MY HEAD AROUND ALL OF THE DIFFERENT OPERATIONS.

UH, AND SO JUST MORE SPECIFIC QUESTIONS.

UH, THE CARTS, UH, I RECOGNIZE IT FROM THE FACILITIES THAT I'VE DRIVEN BY, I THINK ABOUT ONE ON 71 ON, ON BASTROP.

UH, BUT WHAT IS, UH, THE CAPITAL METRO'S ROLE EXACTLY IN, IN RELATIONSHIP WITH KAR? WHAT, WHAT E EXACTLY IS THAT, UH, PROGRAM? I CAN TAKE THAT ONE.

SO CARTS IS THE CAPITAL ERA RURAL TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM.

THEY ARE, UM, THE RULE PROVIDER FOR BASICALLY ALL THE COUNTIES SURROUNDING TRAVIS COUNTY PLUS ONE.

DON'T ASK ME WHICH ONE, I ALWAYS GET IT WRONG.

UM, THEY, THEY CONTRACT WITH US.

UM, WE HAVE AN, UH, INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT WITH THEM THAT ESTABLISHES A RE A REGIONAL MOBILITY AGREEMENT THAT ALLOWS THEM TO PROVIDE SERVICES, UM, WITHIN OUR SERVICE AREA, KIND OF ON THE EDGES OF THE SERVICE AREA.

SO THEY OPERATE THE, UM, PICKUP SERVICE IN MAINOR.

UM, THEY OPERATE THE, UH, COMMUTER BUS THAT COMES OUTTA MAINOR.

THEY OPERATE OUR, UM, OUR FEEDER BUS THAT OPERATES IN LAGO VISTA.

SOME OF THE STUFF THAT'S ON THE OUTER EDGES OF OUR SERVICE WHERE THEY'RE BETTER OPERATIONALLY SUITED.

BECAUSE THEY'RE PROVIDING THAT RURAL SERVICE TO PROVIDE THE SERVICE.

UM, THEY PROVIDE.

SO THIS JUST REPRESENTS THOSE SERVICES THAT WE ARE PAYING THEM TO RUN SERVICES IN OUR SERVICE AREA.

THEY HAVE AN ENTIRE PORTFOLIO OF SERVICES BEYOND THIS THAT THEY PROVIDE ALL OF THE, THE RURAL AREAS IN THE COUNTY SURROUNDING TRAVIS COUNTY.

THANK YOU, UH, SO MUCH.

THAT'S, THAT'S A, A, A VERY, UH, HELPFUL.

AND THEN WITH REGARD TO, UM, RIDE SHARE, UH, THAT'S ALSO ONE THAT I'M NOT, UH, FAMILIAR WITH.

UH, WHAT IS THAT SERVICE THAT WE, THAT IS OUR VAN POOL PROGRAM.

SO THAT IS GROUPS OF INDIVIDUALS WHO, UM, SHARE THE COST OF A VAN AND WE PROVIDE A SUBSIDY FOR THAT VAN.

UM, SO, YOU KNOW, GROUP OF FOLKS THAT LIVE OUT AND, UH, LANDER AND ALL WORK DOWNTOWN.

WE ALL MEET AT THE PARK AND RIDE, HOP IN THE VAN AND COME IN.

UM, WE PROVIDE A SUBSIDY FOR THE COST OF THAT VAN, UM, TO HAVE THEM UTILIZING THAT SERVICE.

SO, UM, THESE COSTS REPRESENT OUR SUBSIDY, OUR ESTIMATED SUBSIDY TO THOSE GROUPS.

IT'S BASED ON OUR ESTIMATE OF HOW MANY RIDE SHARE GROUPS WE WILL HAVE.

WE HAD SIGNIFICANTLY MORE VAN POOL GROUPS BEFORE THE PANDEMIC THAN WE DO NOW.

UM, MUCH LIKE OUR COMMUTER BUS SERVICE.

UM, VAN POOLING IS TYPICALLY A VERY COMMUTER HEAVY, UM, SERVICE.

AND SO, UM, WE'VE SEEN A REDUCTION, ALTHOUGH IT IS CONTINUING TO BUILD BACK, YOU'LL, UM, HEAR MORE IN DEPTH ABOUT OUR VAN PROGRAM, VAN POOL PROGRAM IN THE COMING MONTHS.

'CAUSE ACTUALLY OUR CONTRACT, UM, WE CURRENTLY OPERATE THAT SERVICE THROUGH ENTERPRISE.

THAT CONTRACT IS CURRENTLY UNDER PROCUREMENT.

AND IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF MONTHS, UM, WE'LL BE IN FRONT OF THE OPERATIONS COMMITTEE WITH A REFRESHER ABOUT THE PROGRAM AND A REQUEST, UM, TO ENTER INTO A NEW CONTRACT.

APPRECIATE THE CLARIFICATION.

ITEM IS GONNA BE DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION.

ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS? ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS? HEARING NONE, UH, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

UH, MS. WALKER.

UH, THE NEXT DISCUSSION

[IX. 3. Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Annual Update]

AND THE ANNUAL UPDATE WILL BE PRESENTED BY DONNA SIMMONS

[02:10:05]

ON, HERE YOU GO.

CAN YOU HEAR ME BETTER NOW? .

CAPTAIN MITCHELL'S MISSION.

AFTERNOON CHAIR PAVILION, BOARD MEMBERS PRESIDENT, CE WATKINS.

I'M DONNA SIMMONS.

I SERVE AS KEPT METRO'S EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT OF ADMINISTRATION.

AND MORE IMPORTANTLY FOR THIS PRESENTATION, I'M ALSO HONORED TO BE KEPT METRO'S DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION OFFICER.

UM, OUR INTENT WAS THAT JACQUELINE EVAN, WHO IS OUR DIRECTOR OF, OF DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION, SHE AND I WERE GONNA SHARE THIS PRESENTATION.

SHE UNFORTUNATELY COULDN'T BE HERE TODAY DUE TO A FAMILY EMERGENCY, SO HOPEFULLY I WILL BE ABLE TO BE ABLE TO ANSWER ALL OF THE SAME QUE QUESTIONS THAT YOU WOULD'VE BEEN ABLE TO, IF YOU HAVE ANY.

I WANTED TO START BY JUST TALKING A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHY DEI IS IMPORTANT AT CAPITAL METRO.

UM, AND WHEN I THOUGHT ABOUT THAT, I THINK THE FIRST REASON FOR ME IS THAT WE REALLY CARE ABOUT THE IMPACT THAT WE HAVE ON THE COMMUNITY, ON OUR CUSTOMERS, AND ON OUR EMPLOYEES.

AND FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO WERE AT THE EVENT LAST, LAST FRIDAY, I GUESS IT WAS, TO, UM, TO LAUNCH THE PICKUP SERVICE THAT DOVE SPRINGS THAT REALLY KIND OF HIT HOME TO ME IS ONE OF THE REASONS THAT, UH, THAT WE EXIST AND THAT WE PROVIDE SERVICE TO ALL PARTS OF THE COMMUNITY IN AN EQUITABLE WAY.

UM, ANOTHER REASON IS THAT WE, WE ARE A VERY DIVERSE ORGANIZATION IN TERMS OF OUR STAFF, UH, BOTH FOR CAP METRO AND FOR OUR SERVICE PROVIDERS.

AND I THINK THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT BECAUSE OUR CUSTOMERS ARE ALSO VERY DIVERSE.

AND IF YOU LOOK AT THE MAKEUP OF OUR EMPLOYEES COMPARED TO THE MAKEUP OF OUR CUSTOMERS, IT'S REALLY PRETTY SIMILAR.

UM, EQUITY IN OUR SERVICE AND IN OUR WORKPLACE, I BELIEVE GIVES US, GIVES EVERYBODY THE CHANCE TO SUCCEED AND THRIVE.

UM, AND INCLUSION LEADS US TO BETTER SOLUTIONS AND SUPPORTS RESPECT FOR DIFFERENCES BOTH WITHIN OUR WORKPLACE, WITHIN THE COMMUNITY, AND TO OUR CUSTOMERS.

UM, IT IS PART OF CAPITAL METRO'S VISION, UM, EQUITABLE ACCESS TO OPPORTUNITY, UM, OR SOME KEY WORDS THAT ARE IN THE VISION THAT'S ADOPTED BY THE BOARD AS PART OF OUR STRATEGIC PLAN.

UM, IT'S ALSO REFLECTED IN OUR CORE VALUES, WHICH ARE SAFETY, EQUITY, INNOVATION, TRANSPARENCY, AND SUSTAINABILITY.

SO A FEW OTHER THINGS I'M GONNA TALK ABOUT.

I'M GONNA GIVE YOU AN UPDATE, UM, ON WHERE WE ARE WITH OUR DEI PROGRAM, SOME OF THE, UM, MAJOR OBJECTIVES OF OUR PROGRAM AND HOW WE, THE PROGRESS WE'VE MADE ON THOSE IN 2023.

UM, AS PART OF THAT, I'LL TALK ABOUT OUR WORKFORCE DIVERSITY AND SUPPLIER DIVERSITY.

AND THEN JUST A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO IN, UH, 2024.

I WON'T READ THE WHOLE THING TO YOU.

I'M SURE YOU'VE SEEN IT MANY TIMES.

UM, I THINK WHAT'S IMPORTANT ABOUT IT IS THAT IT TALKS ABOUT DELIVERY OF HIGH QUALITY PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION.

UM, AND THE BOARD IN, UH, 2021 ADOPTED A DEI POLICY STATEMENT THAT, UM, COMMITS THE BOARD AND CAP METRO TO MAKING DECISIONS ABOUT HOW WE DELIVER TRANSPORTATION, UH, BASED ON DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION IN OUR PROGRAMS AND PROJECTS.

WE'VE SHARED THIS WITH YOU A FEW TIMES FOR THOSE WHO'VE WHO'VE SEEN THESE PRESENTATIONS BEFORE, UM, HOW CAP METRO DEFINES DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION.

UM, I THINK I'LL, I'LL JUST SUMMARIZE THOSE BY SAYING THAT DIVERSITY HAS TO DO WITH RECOGNIZING AND VALUING DIFFERENCES.

EQUITY HAS TO DO WITH FAIRNESS, UM, TO ENSURE THAT WE ACHIEVE EQUITABLE OUTCOMES SO THAT EVERYONE CAN THRIVE.

AND INCLUSION IS ALL ABOUT, UM, INVOLVEMENT AND BELONGING.

A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, ONE OF THE FIRST TIMES I, I CAME TO THE BOARD AND WE TALKED ABOUT OUR DEI PROGRAM, WE DEVELOPED WHAT, UM, OUR DEI STRATEGY OBJECTIVES ARE.

SO I'M, I'M GONNA SPEND SOME TIME GOING OVER SOME OF OUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN EACH OF THOSE AREAS FOR FY 23 UNDER LEADERSHIP COMMITMENT, UM, AS I ALREADY MENTIONED, EQUITY IS IDENTIFIED AS A CORE VALUE IN OUR STRATEGIC PLAN.

WE SPEND SIGNIFICANT TIME AND RESOURCES ON LEADERSHIP TRAINING, WHICH INCLUDES, UM, DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION TRAINING.

AND I, AND I THINK MORE IMPORTANTLY THAN THAT, WE HAVE VERY REGULAR DEI CONVERSATIONS AT THE LEADERSHIP LEVEL, UM, AND AREN'T REALLY AND AREN'T AFRAID TO CHALLENGE EACH OTHER IN THOSE AREAS WHEN WE THINK IT'S NECESSARY.

UH, WE ENGAGE OUR WORKFORCE PARTNERS AND STAKEHOLDERS IN, IN A NUMBER OF WAYS.

UM, FOR EXAMPLE, UM, IN 2023, WE ADOPTED AND THE CITY ADOPTED THE EQUITABLE TRANSIT ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT POLICY PLAN.

UH, WE ARE VERY INVOLVED WITH THE COMMUNITY THROUGH EXTERNAL SPONSORSHIPS AND COMMUNITY EVENTS AS IT RELATES TO EMPLOYEE UNDERSTANDING AND COMMITMENT.

I ALREADY MENTIONED THE TRAINING THAT WE DO FOR OUR LEADERSHIP TEAM.

UM, 100% OF OUR EXECUTIVE TEAM HAS

[02:15:01]

GONE THROUGH THAT DEI LEADERSHIP TRAINING AND ABOUT HALF OF OUR SENIOR MANAGEMENT TEAM.

SO WE'LL CONTINUE THAT TRAINING, UM, IN 2024.

UM, AND I, AND FROM A CULTURE STANDPOINT, UM, I THINK WE HAVE SEEN, I KNOW WE HAVE SEEN OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS THAT DEI IS RECOGNIZED AS A TOPIC OF INTEREST THROUGHOUT THE AGENCY AND SOMETHING THAT'S IMPORTANT TO OUR CULTURE AS IT RELATES TO SUPPLIER DIVERSITY AND BECOMING A LEADER IN THAT AREA.

WE HAVE BEGUN TO IMPLEMENT A NUMBER OF THE PROGRAMS THAT WERE RECOMMENDED, UH, WHEN WE HAD A DBE AVAILABILITY STUDY DONE, UM, IN 2022.

UH, ONE OF THE REALLY IMPORTANT AREAS, AND AS I MENTIONED EARLIER AS IT RELATES TO THE BOARD'S DEI POLICY STATEMENT, IS THAT WE CONSIDER EQUITY IN SERVICE, UH, DECISIONS AND DELIVERY.

A FEW EXAMPLES OF THAT ARE, UH, THIS YEAR WE, UM, ARE WORKING ON AN ACCESSIBILITY SELF-EVALUATION AND A DA TRANSITION PLAN.

AND WE'LL PROBABLY BE HEARING MORE ABOUT THAT LATER IN 2024, UM, IN OUR SERVICE STANDARDS AND GUIDELINES.

YOU MAY RECALL THAT WHEN THE BOARD ADOPTED THOSE, THAT THEY'RE, UM, AS PART OF THOSE SERVICE STANDARDS AND GUIDELINES, THERE'S SIGNIFICANT, UM, FOCUS ON EVALUATING, UM, DOING DEMOGRAPHIC ANALYSIS TO ENSURE THAT THE WAY THAT WE DELIVER SERVICE TAKES INTO ACCOUNT, UM, DEMOGRAPHICS SUCH AS BIPOC COMMUNITIES, LOW INCOME COMMUNITIES, UM, COMMUNITIES, UM, WHERE, UM, WHERE THERE ARE INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES, UM, AND EVEN HOUSEHOLDS WHERE THERE ARE ZERO CARS.

YOU'VE HEARD A LOT THIS YEAR ABOUT OUR PUBLIC SAFETY PROGRAM AND RECENTLY HEARD A PRESENTATION FROM OUR SAFETY AND OPERATIONS TEAMS, UM, ABOUT THAT PROGRAM AND HOW IT'S DEVELOPED IN A WAY THAT, UM, WE ARE ENSURING THAT UNDER THAT PROGRAM THAT WE ARE, WE ARE DOING THAT IN AN EQUITABLE WAY AND TAKING INTO CONSIDERATION THE IMPACT ON THE COMMUNITY AS IT RELATES TO WORKFORCE DIVERSITY.

I'LL GET A LITTLE BIT MORE INTO THIS WHEN I, I TALK ABOUT, UM, WHERE WE ARE WITH THAT.

BUT BOTH CAP METRO AND OUR SERVICE PROVIDERS WORKFORCES ARE MUCH MORE DIVERSE THAN THE WORKFORCE AVAILABILITY IN THE AUSTIN MARKET.

UM, THIS PAST YEAR, UH, WE WERE ENGAGED IN THE PARTNERSHIP WITH WORKFORCE SOLUTIONS CAPITAL AREA, WORKING ON INFRASTRUCTURE AND MOBILITY, UM, AS IT RELATES TO WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AND ENSURING THAT THE COMMUNITY BENEFITS FROM THOSE, UM, MAJOR CAPITAL PROJECTS THAT CAP METRO ENGAGES IN AS WELL AS, UM, AS PROJECT CONNECT, UM, AND SOME OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN'S, UM, CONSTRUCTION OPPORTUNITIES AS WELL AS IT RELATES TO ACCOUNTABILITY.

THIS IS NOT THE ONLY THING, BUT ONE OF THE MAIN, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DID IN 2023 WAS TO ENSURE THAT ALL EMPLOYEES ATTENDED EEO TRAINING.

UM, AND AS PART OF THAT, ALSO A DISCUSSION OF OUR CULTURE OF DIVERSITY A LITTLE BIT INTO THE NITTY DEGREE, ALTHOUGH I'LL TRY NOT TO SPEND TOO MUCH TIME ON THIS.

THERE ARE SOME REALLY DETAILED REPORTS WE CAN GIVE YOU IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN THEM, THAT SHOW, UM, HOW OUR DIVERSITY COMPARES TO THE AUSTIN WORKFORCE AVAILABILITY IN, IN ALL OF THE EEO JOB CATEGORIES.

BUT, UM, IN GENERAL, UM, WE ARE MORE RACIALLY DIVERSE THAN THE AUSTIN MARKET FOR BOTH CAP METRO AND OUR SERVICE PROVIDERS.

UM, WE HAVE VERY SIMILAR GENDER DIVERSITY TO THE AUSTIN, UM, MARKET ALSO FOR CAP METRO.

UM, WE HAVE, UH, WE ADMITTEDLY, UM, STRUGGLE A LITTLE MORE WITH THE SERVICE PROVIDERS IN TERMS OF GENDER DIVERSITY, UM, OF ONLY ABOUT, UM, 35% OR SO OF OUR OPERATION STAFF, WHETHER SERVICE PROVIDERS ARE FEMALES.

UM, SO THAT'S AN AREA THAT WE CONTINUE TO FOCUS ON BECAUSE, UM, IT'S, EVEN THOUGH, UM, EVEN THOUGH THERE'S SOME AVAILABILITY IN THE WORKFORCE FOR THOSE KINDS OF OCCUPATIONS, PUBLIC TRANSIT CAN BE, UM, UH, A CHALLENGE FOR, UM, FOR WOMEN TO HAVE THAT AS A CAREER BECAUSE OF THE KINDS OF HOURS THAT, THAT OUR EMPLOYEES HAVE TO WORK, ESPECIALLY EARLY IN THEIR CAREER.

UM, I WANNA TALK ABOUT DIVERSITY AND PROMOTIONS AND HIRINGS AS WELL.

UM, IN 2023, UM, CAP METRO'S, UM, HIRING WAS MUCH MORE DIVERSE THAN WHAT'S AVAILABLE IN THE MARKET.

ALSO, WITH, UM, 62% OF OUR NEW HIRES IDENTIFYING AS MINORITIES AND ALSO IN OUR PROMOTIONS, UM, WE PROMOTED ABOUT 57 PEOPLE IN 2023, UM, WITH CAP METRO.

UH, 58% OF THOSE WERE FEMALE AND 61% WERE MINORITY.

I'LL MOVE ON NOW TO TALK ABOUT OUR DBE AND SBE PROGRAMS, UM, WHICH IS WHERE OUR

[02:20:01]

VENDOR DIVERSITY PROGRAMS ARE.

UM, YOU MAY SEE, OR YOU MAY NOTICE WHEN WE BRING BOARD ITEMS TO YOU, THAT SOMETIMES WE SAY THERE'S A DBE GOAL.

SOMETIMES WE SAY THERE'S AN SBE GOAL, THERE'S A DBE GOAL OR DISADVANTAGED BUSINESS ENTERPRISE GOAL WHEN A PROJECT, UM, IS FEDERALLY FUNDED.

AND, UH, WE HAVE TO, WE FOLLOW THOSE GUIDELINES, UM, FOR SETTING DBE GOALS WHEN THERE'S FEDERAL FUNDING, WHEN A PROJECT IS FUNDED BY LOCAL FUNDING ONLY.

WE HAVE A SMALL BUSINESS ADMINIS SMALL BUSINESS ENTERPRISE PROGRAM THAT WE USE, UM, TO ENCOURAGE MINORITY BUSINESSES AND WOMEN OWNED BUSINESSES TO PARTICIPATE IN THOSE LOCALLY FUNDED PROJECTS.

THIS SLIDE GETS A LITTLE BIT, UM, IN THE DETAILS ABOUT HOW WE SET THAT DBE TRIENNIAL GOAL.

I'LL JUST SUMMARIZE IT BY SAYING THAT IT'S, IT'S, UM, IT'S GUIDED BY, UM, THE FTA FORMULA.

UM, WE DID AN AVAILABILITY STUDY IN 2022, UM, THAT WE PRESENTED TO THE BOARD.

UM, AND AS PART OF THAT ANALYSIS, OUR TRIENNIAL GOAL FOR THE PERIOD OF 2023 TO THROUGH 2025 IS 22.5%.

UM, IN GENERAL, THAT GOAL IS SET BY LOOKING AT PRIOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN, IN, IN THE PREVIOUS THREE YEAR PERIOD.

UH, WE LOOK AT CAP METRO BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES, UM, RELATED TO THE NORTH AMERICAN INDUSTRY CLASSIFICATION CODES.

UM, AND THEN WE TRY TO PROJECT WHAT OUR FUTURE CONTRACTING OPPORTUNITIES ARE GOING TO BE TO ESTABLISH THAT GOAL.

SO, LIKE I SAID, FOR THIS CURRENT TRIENNIAL PERIOD, THE GOAL IS 22.5%.

UM, FOR FY 23, OUR GOAL ATTAINMENT WAS JUST UNDER 15%.

AND I'M GONNA TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHY, UM, WE DIDN'T QUITE MEET THAT GOAL FOR 2023.

UM, IF YOU LOOK BACK AT PRIOR YEARS THOUGH IN 2021 AND 2022, WE WERE ABLE TO EXCEED OUR GOALS FOR BOTH OF THOSE FISCAL YEARS.

FOR 2023, WE AWARDED 11 CONTRACTS WHERE THERE WAS A, A WHERE THERE WAS DBE, WHERE THERE WAS A DBE GOAL OR THE OPPORTUNITY FOR DBE PARTICIPATION.

UM, HOWEVER, SOME OF THOSE CONTRACTS DID NOT REALLY, THAT DID NOT INCLUDE A LARGE OPPORTUNITY FOR DBE PARTICIPATION.

SO FOR EXAMPLE, ONE OF THE LARGE CONTRACTS WAS FOR, UM, THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE ELECTRIC BUS INFRASTRUCTURE AT NORTH OPS.

IT WAS ABOUT A $33 MILLION CONTRACT.

UM, AND EVEN THOUGH, UM, THERE IS A 13% GOAL ON THAT CONTRACT, UM, BECAUSE THAT WAS SUCH A LARGE CONTRACT WITH, WITH A GOAL THAT WASN'T AT THE 20% RANGE, UM, AS A RESULT OVERALL FOR 2023, WE DID NOT QUITE ACHIEVE THE GOAL.

UM, IT'S IMPORTANT TO KNOW THAT THAT GOAL IS A THREE YEAR GOAL, SO IT'S NOT LIKE WE WON'T HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE THAT UP.

AND WE'LL BE, WE'LL BE WORKING ON THAT IN 2024 AND 2025.

ONE OF THE THINGS WE ALSO LIKE TO SHARE WITH THE BOARD, SO YOU CAN SEE, UM, SOME OF THE HOW WE CONTRIBUTE TO, UM, ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES FOR BUSINESSES IN THE COMMUNITY.

UM, SO THIS, THIS TABLE SHOWS THE TOTAL EXPENDITURES OR THE TOTAL PAYMENTS TO DBE AND SBE CONTRACTORS FOR THE LAST FOUR YEARS.

AND IT'S JUST ABOUT ALWAYS IN THE 20 TO 22, 20 $3 MILLION RANGE.

UM, AND SO I, WE'D LIKE TO SHARE THAT WITH YOU JUST TO SHOW THAT EVEN THOUGH, UM, AND, AND YOU MAY LOOK AT THIS AND GO, WELL, THOSE NUMBERS MIGHT NOT, DON'T ACTUALLY LINE UP WITH WHAT YOU SAID WHEN YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT THE GOALS.

THESE ARE WHAT'S ACTUALLY PAID TO DBE AND SBE CONTRACTORS IN 23.

UM, AND IT COULD BE FOR CONTRACTS THAT WERE EVEN AWARDED TWO OR THREE YEARS AGO.

SO NOW LOOKING AHEAD, UM, LOOKING FOR MORE IN 24 , IF YOU REMEMBER, THESE ARE THE, UM, SOME OF THE GOAL AREAS OR THE OBJECTIVE AREAS THAT I SHARED EARLIER.

UM, LEADERSHIP COMMITMENT, UM, DEI WILL CONTINUE TO BE AN AGENCY PRIORITY FOR CAPITAL METRO.

UM, AS FAR AS BUILDING ACCOUNTABILITY, UH, WE HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH, UM, OUR PEOPLE AND CULTURE TEAM, UM, AND WITH THE SENIOR EXECUTIVE TEAM TO DEVELOP LEADERSHIP CAPABILITIES THAT

[02:25:01]

WE WILL ALL BE EVALUATED ON, UH, GOING FORWARD.

AND ONE OF THOSE IS SUPPORT FOR INCLUSIVITY AS FAR AS AN ENGAGED WORKFORCE, UM, AND PART AND PARTNERS AND STAKEHOLDERS.

UM, YOU ALL MAY REMEMBER THAT WE CREATED A DIVERSITY EQUITY AND INCLUSION ADVISORY GROUP A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, AND WE HAVE, UM, WE HAVE CONTINUALLY ENGAGED THEM AND HAVE QUARTERLY MEETINGS WITH THEM TO UPDATE THEM ON OUR DEI PROGRAMS, UM, AS IT RELATES TO BECOMING A LEADER IN SUPPLIER DIVERSITY.

UM, I MENTIONED EARLIER WE'RE BEGINNING TO DEVELOP, UM, SMALL BUSINESS READINESS PROGRAMS. ONE OF THOSE IS THE PARTNERSHIP THAT THE BOARD APPROVED A FEW MONTHS AGO WITH IC SQUARED INSTITUTE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS.

UM, AND THEN ONE THING FOR YOU TO LOOK FORWARD TO RELATED TO EQUITY IN SERVICE DECISIONS AND DELIVERY IN 2024 IS WE DO HAVE TO UPDATE OUR TITLE SIX POLICY AND WE'LL BE BRINGING THAT TO THE BOARD PROBABLY IN SPRING, EARLY SUMMER.

I WILL BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU ALL MAY HAVE.

BOARD MEMBERS, WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, HAVING ANY QUESTIONS.

OKAY, ONE MORE TIME.

HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? WELL, HEARING NONE, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE, UH, FOR THE, UH, REPORT.

LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING TO WORK WITH YOU AND UM, AND IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT WE CAN DO TO BE HELPFUL, PLEASE REACH OUT TO US INDIVIDUALLY.

REPORT AND THAT'S GONNA BE THE PRESIDENT AND CEO'S MONTHLY UPDATE.

ALRIGHT, THANK YOU.

UH, LOOKS LIKE WE'VE GOT ONE FINAL

[X. 1. President & CEO Monthly Update - January]

THANK YOU VERY MUCH, CHAIR.

JUST A FEW SLIDES TO TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE GREAT THINGS GOING ON AT CAP METRO.

FIRST AND FOREMOST, AND A COUPLE OF FOLKS HAVE MENTIONED IT ON FRIDAY, WE WERE THRILLED TO CELEBRATE PUBLICLY WITH THE COMMUNITY THE LAUNCH OF THE DOVE SPRINGS PICKUP ZONE.

UM, THIS IS THE FOURTH AND FINAL ZONE THAT IS BEING FUNDED BY THE PROJECT CONNECT PROGRAM OF PROJECTS AS PART OF OUR OVERALL EXPANSION OF THE SYSTEM.

AND REALLY AN AMAZING ZONE.

IT'S ACTUALLY A RATHER LARGE ZONE.

I SHARED WITH A FEW COMMUNITY MEMBERS THAT WE KINDA STRETCHED OURSELVES AND FROM OUR COMFORT ZONE IN TERMS OF HOW LARGE THE ZONE IS, BUT THERE ARE SO MANY GREAT, UM, NEEDS DOWN THERE THAT WE JUST FELT LIKE WE NEEDED TO MAKE SURE WE COULD INCLUDE ALL OF THOSE LOCATIONS.

UM, YOU KNOW, THE DOVE SPRINGS AREA, IF YOU'RE NOT FAMILIAR WITH AUSTIN, IS IN THE SOUTHEAST OF, UM, AREA OF AUSTIN AND IS A LOT OF POCKETS OF NEIGHBORHOODS THAT ALL KIND OF POPPED UP INDEPENDENTLY OF ONE ANOTHER AND NOT REALLY IN ONE BIG PLANNED WAY.

AND SO THE CONNECTIVITY BETWEEN, UM, AND THROUGH THOSE NEIGHBORHOODS CAN BE COMPLICATED.

AND SO THE PICKUP SERVICE IS A VALUABLE OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO, TO CONNECT THE, THAT AREA OF THE TOWN, BOTH TO OTHER PLACES WITHIN THE ZONE, BUT ALSO TO OUR LARGER TRANSIT NETWORK.

UM, THERE'S ALREADY, UM, FREQUENT BUS SERVICE DOWN THERE WITH THE ROUTE SEVEN.

UM, THE ROUTE THREE 11 IS, UM, ONE OF, IS OUR HI ONE OF OUR HIGHEST RIDERSHIP CROSSTOWN ROUTES.

IT'S ALSO WITHIN THE ZONE AS WELL AS SOME OTHER LOCAL BUS ROUTES.

AND A LITTLE OVER A YEAR FROM NOW, WE LOOK FORWARD TO LAUNCHING, UM, THE METRO RAPID, UM, PLEASANT VALLEY ROUTE THAT WE'LL ALSO, UM, GO THROUGH THE ZONE.

UM, A PICTURE HERE OF THE, THE LOVELY, UM, GROUP OF, OF COMMUNITY LEADERS, INCLUDING A NUMBER OF YOU THANK YOU TO ALL OF YOU WHO ARE ABLE TO JOIN US ON A SLIGHTLY CHILLIER THAN WE HAD HOPED FRIDAY MORNING.

UM, BUT ALSO WANTED TO, TO VERY MUCH THANK OUR TEAMS FOR PUTTING TOGETHER SUCH A WONDERFUL EVENT, UM, THAT NOT ONLY ALLOWED US TO CELEBRATE THIS NEW SERVICE LAUNCH, BUT ALLOWED US TO HEAR DIRECTLY FROM CUSTOMERS, UM, WHO ARE USING THE SERVICE AND HOW THIS WILL IMPACT THEM AND THEIR FAMILIES AND THEIR COMMUNITY.

UM, AND I DON'T KNOW ABOUT YOU, BUT IT'S THOSE STORIES THAT, THAT REFRESHED ME AND MAKE ME EXCITED AND MAKE ME WANNA GO BACK OUT AND DO THIS AGAIN THE NEXT DAY.

SO IT WAS, IT WAS REALLY A, A FANTASTIC EVENT.

UM, NEXT UP.

SO, UM, DURING OUR COMMITTEE MEETINGS ACTUALLY OF WE TALKED, WE CHATTED WITH A FEW OF YOU ABOUT HOW HARD IT WAS TO FIND PARKING THIS MONTH WE ORGANIZED A NEW YEAR, NEW CAREER HIRING EVENT.

IT TOOK PLACE OVER THREE DAYS, UM, AND WAS A GREAT, UM, COLLABORATION BETWEEN CAT METRO AND KEOLIS.

OUR, UM, NEW BUS PROVIDER, UM, KE KEOLIS FACILITATED THE PRESIDENTS OF THEIR VENDORS ON SITE, WHICH ALLOWED US TO DO, UM, DRUG TESTING FOR THOSE POSITIONS THAT REQUIRE IT, AS WELL AS, UM, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION PHYSICAL EXAM FOR THOSE POSITIONS THAT REQUIRE THAT.

UM, SIMULTANEOUSLY, UM, WITH CAP METRO SUPPORT, WE HELPED SPREAD THE WORD ABOUT THE EVENT, UM, AND GOT INTERVIEWING MANPOWER ON BOARD.

UM, WE HAD 146 PEOPLE ATTEND THE EVENT OVER THE THREE DAYS AND HAD 94 TOTAL ACCEPTED OFFERS IN THREE DAYS.

UM, 85 OF THOSE BUS OPERATORS, EIGHT OF THEM MECHANICS, WHICH IS FANTASTIC.

I COULD USE ANOTHER EIGHT IF YOU KNOW ANYBODY THROWING THAT OUT THERE.

WE CAN ALWAYS USE BUS OPERATORS, WE CAN ALWAYS USE MECHANICS, UM, AS WELL AS ONE OF OUR, UM, BUS CLEANERS, OUR SERVICE ISLAND PERSONNEL.

[02:30:01]

UM, SO IT WAS A FANTASTIC EVENT AND WE ARE, UM, REALLY THRILLED TO, UM, REPORT THAT THINGS WENT WELL, BUT NEVER FEAR WE AREN'T OUT OF JOBS.

ANYBODY THAT IS INTERESTED IN WORKING FOR CAP METRO, JUST GO TO CAP METRO.ORG/JOBS.

WE'VE GOT LOTS OF GREAT OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE.

UM, WE WILL BE CONTINUING TO HIRE.

AND THEN JUST A FEW THINGS LOOKING AHEAD.

UM, FEBRUARY IS GONNA BE A FANTASTIC MONTH.

UM, WE ARE, UM, CELEBRATING ROSA PARKS BIRTHDAY THIS FRIDAY, UM, WITH A GUIDED BUS TOUR FROM BLACK AUSTIN TOURS, UM, TO HELP, UM, US SOME OF OUR STAFF AND KEY STAKEHOLDERS, UM, DELVE INTO THE RICH HISTORY OF AFRICAN AMERICANS IN AUSTIN, UM, HONORING THE COURAGE AND RESILIENCE, UM, THAT HAS PROFOUNDLY SHAPED OUR COMMUNITY.

WE STILL HAVE SOME LIMITED SEATS AVAILABLE, SO BOARD MEMBERS, IF YOU OR ANY OF YOUR KEY STAKEHOLDERS WOULD LIKE TO ATTEND, IT IS A FANTASTIC TOUR AS A NATIVE AUSTINITE.

WHEN I FIRST TOOK THE TOUR, I THOUGHT, YOU KNOW, I KNOW AUSTIN HISTORY, I DON'T KNOW AUSTIN HISTORY.

THIS IS, UM, REALLY A LOOK INTO A PIECE OF OUR HISTORY THAT IS, IS ALL TOO OFTEN NOT SPOKEN ABOUT.

UM, WE ARE ALSO EXCITED NEXT WEEK TO JOIN OUR PARTNERS AT MOVABILITY FOR THEIR 2024 MOVABILITY BREAKFAST, UM, WHERE WE'LL HEAR FROM MAYOR KIRK WATSON.

ENJOY NETWORKING AND LOOK FORWARD TO CELEBRATING EMPLOYERS LARGE AND SMALL THAT ARE LEADING THE WAY TO IMPROVING MOBILITY IN CENTRAL TEXAS.

AND LAST BUT CERTAINLY NOT LEAST, ON FEBRUARY THE 24TH, WE WILL BEGIN OPERATING OUR METRO RAIL SERVICE AT THE NEW MACAL STATION AT Q2 STADIUM.

UM, WE WILL HAVE A GRAND OPENING CELEBRATION THAT MORNING, UM, AND UM, LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING AS MANY OF YOU OUT THERE AS POSSIBLE.

UM, TO CELEBRATE OUR FIRST NEW RAIL STATION, UM, NEW RAIL STATION LOCATION SINCE THE LAUNCH OF METRO RAIL IN 2010.

THIS IS THE FIRST STATION WE'RE ADDING TO THE NETWORK AND WE'RE VERY EXCITED.

IT STILL LOOKS VERY MUCH UNDER CONSTRUCTION IN THIS PICTURE, BUT IT IS DARN TOOT AND CLOSE TO DONE.

UM, IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS, WE'LL PUT THE FINISHING TOUCHES ON IT, UM, SO THAT WE ARE READY TO OPERATE SERVICE ON THE 24TH.

SO WE REALLY LOOK FORWARD TO, UM, THE GREAT OPPORTUNITY THE STATION IS GONNA PROVIDE US TO SERVE THE COMMUNITY, NOT JUST FOR EVENTS, BUT ALSO, UM, DURING THE WEEK.

UM, A A AS A, A GREAT AND INTEGRAL CONNECTION FOR A VERY RAPIDLY GROWING PART OF TOWN.

UM, AND THEN LASTLY, I JUST WANT TO, UM, TAKE A QUICK MINUTE AND RECOGNIZE THAT IT GOT REALLY COLD THIS MONTH.

LIKE NOT TEXAS COLD, LIKE REALLY, REALLY COLD.

AND I KNOW Y'ALL KNOW THAT.

BUT WHILE WE WERE ABLE AS A COMMUNITY TO AVOID THE WORST CASE SCENARIO, WHICH WOULD'VE BEEN SIGNIFICANT ICE ON THE ROADWAYS THAT MADE US ALL SLIP AND SLIDE AROUND, IT WAS REALLY, REALLY COLD FOR SEVERAL DAYS.

AND THE VAST MAJORITY OF OUR OPERATIONS PERSONNEL WORK OUT IN THAT COLD.

UM, WHETHER BEHIND THE WHEEL OF A BUS WHERE THEY HAVE TO OPEN THE DOOR EVERY TIME THEY STOP THE BUS AND FEEL THAT FRIGID COLD, UM, OR IN OUR MAINTENANCE SHOPS OR ON OUR MAINTENANCE YARDS.

AND I JUST WANTED TO, UM, SAY A, A PUBLIC THANK YOU TO ALL OF OUR OPERATIONS STAFF, UM, ALL OF OUR FRONT LINES EMPLOYEES FOR SEVERAL CONSECUTIVE DAYS AND NIGHTS OF DEALING WITH THE FRIGID TEMPERATURES.

UM, AND ALSO JUST HIGHLIGHT HOW PROUD I AM OF THEIR CONTINUED WORK TO SUPPORT OUR COMMUNITY DURING EVENTS LIKE THIS.

WE PLAY A KEY ROLE IN HELPING TRANSPORT, UM, PRIMARILY PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS, BUT OTHERS WHO NEED EVACUATION AND SUPPORT, UM, TO GET OUT OF THE COLD.

UM, WE WERE, UM, ALSO, UM, KIND OF IN A BIT OF A LAST MINUTE REQUEST ABLE TO SERVE, UM, A, THE DISPATCH ROLE FOR 3 1 1 FOR DRIVERS AND WORK WITH CITY ASSETS AND VOLUNTEER DRIVERS TO USE OUR SPARE, WHICH YOU MAY HAVE HEARD ABOUT OUR NEW SOFTWARE FOR OUR PARATRANSIT METRO ACCESS SERVICE TO BE ABLE TO USE THE CAPABILITIES OF THAT DEMAND RESPONSE SERVICE TO HELP ASSIGN TRIPS TO VOLUNTEER DRIVERS, TO HELP SUPPORT FOLKS.

SO, UM, IN ADDITION TO, UM, TRANSPORTING PEOPLE OURSELVES, WE ALSO WERE ABLE TO HELP COORDINATE THE TRANSPORTATION, UM, THROUGH OUR DISPATCHING SYSTEM.

AND THAT WAS REALLY, UM, IN A, IN A SLIGHTLY PAINFUL WAY, A LOT OF FUN TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO HELP OUR COMMUNITY DO SO.

I AM EVERY SINGLE DAY PROUD TO LEAD THIS ORGANIZATION, BUT UM, IN MOMENTS LIKE THE SEVERE COLD WEATHER, I AM MORE PROUD THAN EVER OF THE HARD WORK OF OUR TEAM AND I JUST WANTED TO PUBLICLY SAY THANK YOU TO THEM.

AND THAT CONCLUDES MY REPORT.

ALRIGHT, ANY QUESTIONS? ANY QUESTIONS? WELL, UM, DOESN'T LOOK LIKE WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, BUT I WANT TO THANK YOU NOT ONLY FOR THE WORK THAT IS DONE, BUT THE LEADERSHIP THAT IS PROVIDED.

UH, IT IS, IT IS IMPORTANT AND THAT'S WHY WE CONTINUE TO KNOW, UH, THAT, UH, SELECTING YOU AS OUR CEO WAS THE RIGHT DECISION FOR THIS ORGANIZATION.

SO, ALRIGHT, SO, UH, WE'RE ABOUT TO GO INTO

[XI. Executive Session]

EXECUTIVE SESSION

[02:35:01]

UNDER TRANSPORTATION CODE SECTION 5 5 1 0.071 FOR CONSULTATION WITH OUR ATTORNEY REGARDING LEGAL ISSUES RELATED TO DIRTY MARTINS ETAL VERSUS WATSON ETAL, WHICH IS CAUSE NUMBER D DASH ONE DASH GN TWO THREE DASH EIGHT FIVE IN THE 55TH DISTRICT COURT OF TRAVIS COUNTY.

SO, UH, NOW WHEN WE EMERGE FROM THE EXECUTIVE SESSION, IT WILL ONLY BE TO, TO ADJOURN.

THERE WILL BE NO FURTHER ACTION UH, TAKING THAT TODAY'S MEETING.

SO, ALRIGHT.

I DID THAT REAL LOW FOR YOU.

UH, AND THE TIME IS TWO, UH, 2 37.

LET'S SEE.

ALL RIGHT, NOW, UH, WE'RE OUT OF EXECUTIVE SESSION.

THE TIME IS THREE 12.

NO FURTHER BUSINESS BEFORE US.

WE WILL STAND ADJOURNED.

THANK YOU TO EVERYONE AND IT IS THREE 12.

THERE WE GO.