[00:00:02]
[I. Call to Order]
NEVER EPISODE.ALRIGHT, I'M ABOUT TO POUND THIS, SO, OKAY.
HI, UH, MY NAME IS JEFF ILIAN.
I'M THE, UH, CHAIR OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE CAP, UH, CAP METRO, UH, BOARD.
AND I WANT TO THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING HERE ON MONDAY, MARCH 25TH.
UH, WE'RE CALLING THE MEETING TO ORDER AT 12 O'CLOCK.
IT LOOKS LIKE WE'VE GOT A FULL HOUSE AND WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY HAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT TO THE BOARD.
UH, SO WE ARE GONNA TRY TO CALL YOU IN A, IN AN ORDERLY AND TIMELY WAY.
SO WE'LL PROBABLY CALL, UH, THREE PEOPLE AT A TIME JUST SO THAT YOU KNOW WHEN YOU'RE UP TO DECK.
ALRIGHT? DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? UH, LET'S SEE AS WE, OKAY, WE WANTED TO CALL US IN HERE AT THE CAP METRO ROSA PARKS, UH, BOARDROOM.
[II. Safety Briefing]
GONNA START WITH A SAFETY BRIEFING, OUR MONTHLY SAFETY BRIEFING.UH, GARDNER, IS THAT GONNA BE YOU? YES, SIR.
UH, GARDNER, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS BARRY WHITE.
WELL, A GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYONE.
I SERVE AS CAPITAL METRO'S EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, CHIEF SAFETY OFFICER.
UH, YOU ARE LOCATED IN THE ROSA PARKS, UH, BOARDROOM, AND WE ARE AT 29 10 EAST FIFTH STREET.
IN THE UNLIKELY EVENT OF AN EMERGENCY, CAT, METRO STAFF OR SECURITY WILL CALL 9 1 1 A ED.
AND A ED IS ACTUALLY LOCATED RIGHT BY THE ELEVATOR.
IF YOU GO OUT AND MAKE A RIGHT TURN, ELEVATOR'S RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU AND AN A AND D AND AN A ED WILL BE LOCATED THERE.
IN THE UNLIKELY EVENT OF AN EMERGENCY REQUIRING ANY EVACUATION, PLEASE USE ONE OF THE, UH, EXITS THAT YOU CAN SEE IN FRONT OF YOU, OR THE MAIN EXIT RIGHT OUT AND TO THE LEFT WHERE YOU CAME IN TO THE DESIGNATED ASSEMBLY AREA ACROSS THE STREET BY THE SCHOOL ON THE CORNER OF FIFTH AND LINDEN.
IF AN EMERGENCY REQUIRING AN EVACUATION REQUIRES THOSE WITH MOBILITY CHALLENGES TO EXIT FROM THE BOARDROOM'S EAST EXIT, PLEASE ALLOW FOR ASSISTANCE FROM STAFF BEFORE MAKING YOUR WAY DOWN THE STAIRS.
AND THAT CONCLUDES MY SAFETY BRIEFING.
ALRIGHT, NOW, YOU KNOW WHY WE CALL BARRY WHITE, RIGHT? MM-HMM.
I APPRECIATE, UH, YOUR, UH, MAKING US AWARE OF WHAT WE OUGHT TO DO JUST IN CASE.
[III. Public Comment]
DIRECTLY INTO PUBLIC COMMENT.UH, THE FIRST TWO PEOPLE I'M GONNA CALL, ONE WILL BE REMOTE, ONE IS HERE, UH, OPIA JOSEPH WILL BE REMOTE.
UH, I UNDERSTAND SHE'LL HAVE FIVE MINUTES.
UH, BILL MCCALLEY, YOU'RE ON DECK.
AND THEN I'LL, AND I'LL START FROM THERE.
DO WE HAVE MS. JOSEPH AVAILABLE? ED, MR. CHAIR? MS. JOSEPH DOES NOT SEEM TO HAVE JOINED THE MEETING YET.
ALRIGHT, SO, UH, BILL MCKINLEY, WOULD YOU COME FORWARD, IF YOU'LL LET US KNOW WHEN SHE IS AVAILABLE, UH, THEN WE'LL ADD HER THEN.
AND THEN JENNIFER GOVEA WILL BE, WILL NOW BE OUR NUMBER THREE, UH, IN THREE MINUTES? YES.
MR. CHAIRMAN, MEMBERS THE BOARD BILL LEY WITH TRANSIT FORWARD, UM, THIS TIME? YES, WE ARE NOW.
THANK YOU BILL MCKINLEY WITH TRANSIT FORWARD.
UM, AS CHAIR, WHEN I HAD A POSITION THAT WAS BASICALLY YOURS AND DOTTIE, WHEN I HAD A POSITION, MUCH LIKE YOURS, RUNNING A PUBLIC AGENCY, THINGS DIDN'T ALWAYS GO THE WAY WE WANTED THEM TO GO, AND PEOPLE WOULD COME UP AND ASK US TO DO BETTER.
THAT'S WHAT MAKES DEMOCRACY WORK.
THE FRUSTRATING THING SOMETIMES IS WHEN WE CHOSE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE PROBLEM, FIX WHAT WAS GOING ON, AND MAKE THINGS BETTER, RATHER THAN BLAMING OTHER PEOPLE, MAKING EXCUSES, WHATEVER, AND THINGS DID GET BETTER, PEOPLE WOULDN'T COME AND TELL US.
SO IN ORDER TO NOT BE THAT PERSON, I AM HERE TODAY TO TELL YOU THAT THE IMPROVEMENT IN RAIL SERVICE, UH, ON SPECIAL EVENTS THAT HAPPENED BETWEEN THE FIRST OFFS AND FC GAME AND THE LATER TWO HAS BEEN NOTHING BUT EXCEPTIONAL.
THE DIFFERENCE IS NIGHT AND DAY.
AND THIS IS NOT JUST COMING FROM ME, I'M IN THE LOS VERDES FAN GROUP AND I ASKED OUR FOLKS TO ACTUALLY REPORT BACK ON A LOT OF THE OPERATIONS.
AND I'M JUST HERE TO TELL YOU THAT TRAINS HAVE BEEN ON TIME, COMMUNICATION HAS BEEN SO MUCH BETTER.
BUS OVERLOADS HAVE BEEN AVAILABLE FOR WHEN PEOPLE CAN'T GET ON THE TRAINS.
AND THE FLOW OUT OF THE GAMES HAS BEEN SUPER EFFICIENT AND EFFECTIVE, WHILE
[00:05:01]
NOT PERFECT, THE ENERGY AND OBVIOUS CARE YOU ALL HAVE PUT INTO IMPROVING THIS SERVICE IS REALLY WONDERFUL AND SHOULD BE ACKNOWLEDGED.IN FACT, UM, AT THE SECOND GAME, MY DATE AND I GOT ON AT THE MLK STATION, DOTTIE WAS ON THE PLATFORM.
PERSONALLY, MY DATE COULD NOT BELIEVE SHE WAS BLOWN AWAY THAT THE CEO OF THE AGENCY WAS ACTUALLY OUT THERE MAKING SURE THAT THINGS WERE GOING RIGHT.
AND SHE WAS EVEN MORE BLOWN AWAY WHEN WE CAME OUT AFTER THE GAME, AFTER WATCHING THE FIRST TWO OR THREE TRAINS LEAD JUST TO SEE HOW THE FLOW WENT, DOTTIE WAS STILL ON THE PLATFORM WITH EVERYBODY ELSE.
FURTHERMORE, ANDY HAS BEEN ON THE PLATFORM EACH AND EVERY TIME SINCE MAKING SURE THAT THINGS ARE BETTER.
SO ON BEHALF OF TRANSIT FORWARD AND ON BEHALF OF MYSELF PERSONALLY, I'M JUST HERE TO SAY THANK YOU FOR DOING THE ABSOLUTE RIGHT THING, FOR PUTTING THE ENERGY AND EFFORT INTO IMPROVING THE SITUATION AND FOR BUILDING TRUST WITH THE COMMUNITY THAT WILL HELP US ALL GET BETTER.
MR. CHAIR, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.
UM, IT, IT MEANS A LOT TO US BECAUSE WE'VE GOT A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO MAKE A LOT OF SACRIFICES AND, UH, TO HAVE THOSE ACKNOWLEDGED AND TO SEE GROWTH AND PROGRESS IS SO IMPORTANT TO US.
AND, AND I JUST WANT TO THANK STAFF AND THE LEADERSHIP HERE.
ALRIGHT, UH, ROBERTO, GOOD AFTERNOON.
MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, UH, NOT USED TO CALLING YOU UP LIKE THIS.
I, I'M HERE AS A PRIVATE CITIZEN TODAY, SO, UH, MY NAME IS ROBERTO GONZALEZ.
I'M A MEMBER OF THIS COMMUNITY.
I'VE BEEN A MEMBER OF THIS COMMUNITY FOR ALMOST 30 YEARS.
UH, MY WIFE AND I HAD A, UH, A CHALLENGING, UH, EXPERIMENT THAT WE WERE LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, AND THAT THAT'S OUR CHILDREN.
SO THOSE ARE OUR EXPERIMENTS, BUT, UH, WE HAD A CHALLENGING TIME AT THAT TIME.
YOU KNOW, WE WERE LOOKING FOR CHILDCARE AT THAT MOMENT, AND PREVIOUS TO THAT WITH OUR OLDEST DAUGHTER, THERE WERE TIMES WHEN I HAD TO TAKE HER WITH ME, UH, TO WORK, TO OUT IN THE FIELD TO DO SOME OTHER THINGS BECAUSE THERE JUST WEREN'T ENOUGH OPTIONS AT THAT TIME.
WE WERE FORTUNATE WHEN CAPITAL METRO ENTERED INTO THE AGREEMENT WITH, UH, BRIGHT HORIZONS FOR THE CHILDCARE AND LEARNING CENTER.
AT THAT TIME, IT WASN'T JUST A CHILDCARE, BUT AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO BRING OUR, OUR CHILD INTO AN AREA WHERE WE THOUGHT THAT SHE COULD THRIVE IN THAT, IN THAT, IN THAT ENVIRONMENT.
AND, YOU KNOW, WE PREACH OFTEN AND I PREACH OFTEN ABOUT FAMILY.
WHEN I WAS FIRST, UM, HERE AT CAPITAL METRO, THE IDEA OF A FATHER PERHAPS PARTICIPATING IN THEIR CHILD'S, UH, UPBRINGING, YOU KNOW, WHETHER IT BE AT, AT SCHOOL, TAKING THEM TO SCHOOL AND THINGS LIKE THAT MIGHT'VE BEEN A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT.
I KNOW FOR MY FATHER IT WAS VERY, VERY DIFFERENT THAN, AND SO I, WHEN I WAS PRESENTED WITH THAT OPPORTUNITY, I TOOK ADVANTAGE OF IT FOR THREE YEARS.
WE RODE THE BUS DAILY TO GET TO THE CENTER.
WE'RE FORTUNATE AT THE CENTER IS, IS, UH, CONNECTED TO FREQUENT SERVICE AT THE TIME.
UH, SO MY CHILD AND I SPENT 30 MINUTES EVERY SINGLE DAY JUST BEING, JUST GETTING A CHANCE TO KNOW ONE ANOTHER.
SO I'M FOREVER INDEBTED TO TO THAT, THAT I HAD THAT, THAT OPPORTUNITY DURING HER, HER FORMATIVE YEARS IN THAT, IN THAT PERIOD IN THE, IN THE COMING YEARS.
NOW AS, AS THAT CHILD GREW OUT, YOU KNOW, I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO HELP PROMOTE THAT CENTER WITH PROSPECTIVE EMPLOYEES.
AND THAT HAS ALWAYS BEEN SEEN AS A, AS A POTENTIAL BENEFIT FOR EMPLOYEES TO COME IN HERE.
IT'S ONE OF THOSE ITEMS THAT, THAT YOU CAN POINT TO AND SAY, I'VE, YOU KNOW, I'VE EXPERIENCED IT, THERE'S BENEFITS TO THAT AND THIS WOULD BE THE KIND OF ENVIRONMENT THAT, THAT THAT WOULD COME TO BE, UH, SHOULD YOU CHOOSE TO, TO BE PART OF OUR CAPITAL METRO FAMILY.
UH, WE, WE PREACH FAMILY OFTEN.
WE ARE NOT JUST COLLEAGUES AROUND HERE.
WE TRULY DO TREAT EACH OTHER LIKE FAMILY, AND WE DO TAKE CARE OF ONE ANOTHER.
MANY OF US COME TO THIS COMMUNITY, YOU KNOW, NOT HAVING DIRECT FAMILY MEMBERS IN THIS COMMUNITY.
SO WE MUST RELY ON EACH OTHER IN ORDER TO HELP CARE FOR OUR FAMILY.
SO WHAT BECAME MY DAUGHTER, UH, SHE'S NOW A SOPHOMORE IN COLLEGE IN CALIFORNIA.
UH, SHE'S ALWAYS WANTED TO BE AN EPIDEMIOLOGIST WAY BEFORE ANYONE KNEW WHAT AN EPIDEMIOLOGIST WAS AND WAY BEFORE THE PANDEMIC.
SHE'S GONNA BE DOING RESEARCH THIS SUMMER, UH, WITH ONE OF HER PROFESSORS IN THAT AREA.
SO I'D LIKE TO THINK THAT BRIGHT HORIZONS HELPED, YOU KNOW, PUT A A A GOOD STEP FORWARD IN HER CAREER.
AND SHE'S, I CAN ONLY SEE, YOU KNOW, GREAT THINGS FOR HER IN THE FUTURE.
SO I'M HERE TO PROVIDE SUPPORT, UH, TO THE BOARD.
I'M HERE TO HELP, I'M HERE TO TO, TO DO WHATEVER I CAN, UM, AS WE CONTINUE FORWARD IN FINDING OPPORTUNITIES TO HELP, UH, CONTINUE WITH THIS SERVICE IN THIS AREA.
IS JENNIFER HERE AS WELL? YES, SIR.
I CALL TO SAY JUST LIKE MY CHILDREN, I'M VERY PROUD THAT THEY TOOK AFTER THEIR MOTHER.
I WAS IN THE BUS ONE TIME AND THERE WAS THESE TWO, UH, THIS COUPLE, AND THEY SAID, YOUR DAUGHTER IS SO BEAUTIFUL.
AND I SAID, SHE TAKES AFTER HER MOTHER, AND THEY SAID, OH, NO, WE, WE, WE KNOW THAT
JENNIFER WILL BE NEXT, FOLLOWED BY, LET ME ADJUST THIS SO YOU CAN SEE ME BETTER.
GOOD AFTERNOON, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD CHAIR, TAVION, UH, PRESIDENT, CEO WATKINS.
MY NAME IS JENNIFER GOVEA AND I'M
[00:10:01]
SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF MYSELF IN SUPPORT OF KEEPING THE CHILDCARE CENTER OPEN AS A VALUABLE BENEFIT TO EMPLOYEES.I HAVE WORKED AT CAPITAL METRO FOR NEARLY 23 YEARS AND MY SON ETHAN, WAS ONE OF THE FIRST IN THE FIRST CLASS OF KIDS THAT OPENED BRIGHT HORIZONS IN JULY, 2006 WHEN HE WAS JUST SHY OF THREE YEARS OLD.
BRIGHT HORIZONS IS MORE THAN JUST CHILDCARE, AS ROBERTO ALLUDED TO.
THEY HAVE A RICH CURRICULUM AND FAMILY ACTIVITIES TO GET KIDS READY FOR KINDERGARTEN AND SUPPORT FAMILIES.
I'M GONNA COVER FOUR POINTS HERE THAT I THINK ARE IMPORTANT, IMPORTANT FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION.
THE FIRST ONE IS THAT I DON'T LIVE HERE IN EAST AUSTIN.
I LIVE NEAR CEDAR PARK, WHICH IS ABOUT 20 MILES AWAY, AND MY HUSBAND AND I, UH, CHOSE BRIGHT HORIZONS BECAUSE OF THE REASONS THAT I'VE ALREADY MENTIONED.
UM, WE HAD PEACE OF MIND THAT HE WAS JUST STEPS AWAY IF NEEDED AND WAS BEING PROVIDED.
MY SON IS NOW 20 YEARS OLD, UM, AND ATTENDING THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS.
AND I, I LIKE TO BELIEVE THAT BRIGHT HORIZONS GAVE HIM THAT, UH, HEAD START IN HIS EDUCATIONAL CAREER.
THE SECOND POINT IS THAT, YOU KNOW, I HAVE STAYED AT CAPITAL METRO FOR THESE MANY YEARS BECAUSE OF THE BENEFITS, THE FEELING OF FAMILY AND PROMOTION OF WORK-LIFE BALANCE.
AND I'VE DONE MY FAIR SHARE OF OVERTIME OVER THE YEARS.
DON'T GET ME WRONG, UM, THIS HAS BEEN MORE IMPORTANT.
THE BENEFITS HAVE BEEN MORE IMPORTANT TO ME THAN CHASING THE DOLLAR AT THE NEXT JOB.
I LOVE MY JOB AND THE COMPREHENSIVE BENEFITS OFFERED ARE A KEY COMPONENT TO MY OVERALL COMPENSATION, JOB SATISFACTION AND WELLBEING.
THIRD, I DON'T, I DON'T THINK THAT ALL THE EMPLOYEES USE ALL THE BENEFITS ALL THE TIME.
THERE ARE DIFFERENT TIMES IN LIFE WHEN, UM, WE MIGHT NEED BENEFITS AT DIFFERENT TIMES.
YOU KNOW, KNOW HOW MUCH IS ALLOCATED TO OUR WELLNESS PROGRAM, FOR EXAMPLE, COMPARED TO HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE USING IT.
THE WELLNESS PROGRAM HAS SHOWN A LOT OF BENEFIT THOUGH BY, UM, HELPING REDUCE, UM, OUR HEALTHCARE COSTS.
SAME WITH THE CHILDCARE CENTER.
IT HELPS REDUCE ABSENTEEISM AND LOWER STAFF TURNOVER AND TURN TURNOVER OF STAFF IS NOT IN A VACUUM.
UM, IT AFFECTS THE TEAMS THAT, UM, ARE WORKING WITH THOSE FOLKS THAT LEAVE THE AGENCY AND, UM, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE TO SPEND TIME HIRING THE NEXT PERSON TO COME IN.
SO IT, IT AFFECTS MORE THAN JUST THE PERSON LEAVING.
AND FOURTH AND FINALLY, UM, I KNOW THAT CAPITAL METRO HAS BEEN RECOGNIZED AS AN EMPLOYER OF CHOICE HERE IN CENTRAL TEXAS MANY TIMES.
AND I, YOU KNOW, UH, THE CHILDCARE CENTER IS ONE OF THE EXCEPTIONAL BENEFITS TOUTED WHEN RECRUITING THE BEST TALENT TO THE AGENCY TO HELP US SUPPORT PUBLIC TRANSIT.
AND I WANNA THANK YOU AND APPRECIATE THE BOARD FOR TAKING THE TIME TO LISTEN TO THE COMMENTS HERE TODAY.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR COMING DOWN AND SHARING WITH US TODAY.
NEXT WILL BE CATHERINE CROMWELL AND THEN MATTHEW MAHE.
HI, GOOD AFTERNOON, CHAIR PAVILION PRESIDENT AND CEO WATKINS AND BOARD MEMBERS.
MY NAME IS KATIE CROMWELL AND I WORK AS A PLANNER HERE AT CAP METRO.
HOWEVER, TODAY I'M HERE AS PIPER'S MOM, A 14 MONTH OLD ENROLLED ACROSS THE STREET AT BRIGHT HORIZONS TO RESPECTFULLY ASK THE BOARD TO APPROVE THE CONTRACT WITH BRIGHT HORIZONS.
BRIGHT HORIZON'S CHILDCARE CENTER IS A POWERFUL RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION TOOL FOR EMPLOYEES.
I WORKED AS A TRANSPORTATION PLANNER IN CENTRAL TEXAS FOR OVER A DECADE.
DURING THAT TIME, I KEPT AN EYE ON CAP METRO JOB LISTINGS BECAUSE I KNEW THAT ONE DAY I WANTED TO START A FAMILY.
WHEN I TOOK THIS JOB IN 2021, I TOOK A SALARY CUT BECAUSE I BELIEVE IN THE SERVICE THAT CAP METRO PROVIDES TO OUR COMMUNITY.
AND BECAUSE I WANT TO WORK FOR AN ORGANIZATION THAT ADVOCATES FOR WOMEN AND FAMILIES IN THE WORKFORCE.
SO MANY IN OUR ORGANIZATION HAVE BENEFITED FROM BRIGHT, HAVING BRIGHT HORIZONS AVAILABLE WHEN THEY HAD YOUNG CHILDREN.
MANY OF THESE TEACHERS HAVE BEEN CARING FOR OUR KIDS SINCE 2006.
UM, JUST LIKE THOSE TEACHERS HAVE WATCHED OUT FOR OUR CHILDREN, NOW IS OUR CHANCE TO WATCH OUT FOR THEM.
I UNDERSTAND THIS CONTRACT IS EXPENSIVE AND WE NEED TO LOOK FOR WAYS TO HOLISTICALLY SERVE OUR CAT METRO EMPLOYEES WITH YOUNG CHILDREN.
BUT BEING A PARENT IN 2024 IS HARDER THAN EVER.
THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT EXPIRATION HAS LED TO A CHILDCARE CLIFF WHERE MILLIONS OF FAMILIES AND CHILDREN ARE LOSING OR WILL LOSE ACCESS TO CHILDCARE.
CLOSING THIS BRIGHT HORIZONS WILL EXACERBATE AN ALREADY DIRE CHILDCARE SITUATION FOR EMPLOYEES AND FOR AUSTIN FAMILIES.
I'D ALSO LIKE TO NOTE THAT PAYING FOR CHILDCARE IS ONLY HALF THE BATTLE.
THE SHORTAGE OF CHILDCARE CENTERS IN CENTRAL AND EAST AUSTIN MEANS MANY PRESCHOOLS HAVE YEARS LONG WAITING LISTS.
THERE'S OFTEN A FEE OF BETWEEN ONE AND $300 TO EVEN GET ON A CENTER'S WAIT LIST WITH NO GUARANTEE OF ENROLLMENT.
IF THIS SCHOOL CLOSES, I TRULY DON'T KNOW WHERE WE WOULD PUT OUR DAUGHTER.
THAT IS HALF AS GOOD AS THIS BRIGHT HORIZONS.
THE TEACHERS ARE INCREDIBLE AND SHE IS
[00:15:01]
THRIVING.I RESPECTFULLY ASK THE BOARD TO FIND A WAY TO KEEP THE CENTER OPEN LONG TERM WHILE WORKING TO EXPAND CAP METRO EMPLOYEE ENROLLMENT RATES.
THERE ARE DOZENS OF PARENTS, TEACHERS, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY YOUNG CHILDREN WHO RELY ON THIS CENTER AND NEED IT TO CONTINUE OPERATING THIS YEAR AND BEYOND.
THANK YOU FOR TAKING TIME TO COME AND SPEAK TO THE BOARD.
UM, MATTHEW MAHA, FOLLOWED BY ARLEY ALEXANDER, PLEASE GO AHEAD.
MEMBERS OF THE BOARD CHAIR TAVION PRESIDENT AND CEO WATKINS.
I STARTED WORKING AT CAP METRO LAST AUGUST.
I'M A RECENT GRADUATE OF UT'S COMMUNITY AND REGIONAL PLANNING PROGRAM WHERE I FINISHED WITH A 4.0 AND WAS SOLE RECIPIENT OF THE A ICP OUTSTANDING STUDENT AWARD.
I'M CONFIDENT I COULD HAVE FOUND WORK ELSEWHERE, BUT I SAW EMPLOYMENT AT CAP METRO BECAUSE I BELIEVE IN THE MISSION AND I BELIEVE THAT WE SHARE THE SAME CORE VALUES.
PRIOR TO MY TRANSITION INTO PLANNING, I WORKED FOR NEARLY A DECADE IN EDUCATION POLICY, HOLDING A DEGREE FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN SPORTS SCHOOL OF PUBLIC POLICY.
I WORKED FOR A FEW YEARS AT THE HARLEM CHILDREN'S ZONE, A WORLD RENOWNED COMMUNITY AND EDUCATION NONPROFIT THAT SERVES CENTRAL HARLEM RESIDENTS WITH A PIPELINE OF SERVICES.
PEOPLE VISIT HCZ FROM AROUND THE WORLD HOPING TO LEARN THEIR MODEL SO THEY CAN REPLICATE IT.
I HELPED ORGANIZE THESE VISITS FOR GUESTS RANGING FROM CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATIONS TO SMALL NONPROFITS.
WE ALWAYS USE THE HEADSTART EARLY CHILDHOOD CENTERS AS OUR CLOSER BECAUSE EVERYONE WHO WALKED THROUGH THOSE HALLS AND WITNESSED THE VALUE OF THAT WORK UNDERSTOOD THAT THIS INVESTMENT WAS WORTH IT.
I SAY THAT TO SAY THIS, I BELIEVE YOU ARE UNDERVALUING THIS INVESTMENT WHILE YOU LOOK AT THESE NUMBERS AND SAY, I DON'T KNOW HOW WE CAN JUSTIFY THIS COST.
I SAY, YOU'RE NOT INVESTING IN THIS ENOUGH.
YOU'RE RIGHT THAT THIS SMALL CENTER DOESN'T SERVE ENOUGH OF OUR NEEDS.
WE NEED TO FIND A WAY TO EXPAND THAT OFFERING.
MAYBE A STIPEND WOULD WORK FOR SOME WHILE THIS CHILDCARE CENTER HELPS OTHERS.
MAYBE THE CURRENT CONTRACT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE, BUT ANOTHER WOULD.
THESE OPTIONS ARE CURRENTLY BEING PITTED AGAINST EACH OTHER, CREATING A FALSE CHOICE MODEL FOR ADDRESSING THIS PROBLEM.
IN REALITY, WE SHOULD BE LOOKING AT HOW WE CAN PROVIDE ALL OF THESE OPTIONS SO THEY SERVE DIFFERENT EMPLOYEES UNIQUE NEEDS.
WHAT CANNOT HAPPEN IS THAT A LACK OF WILL TO FIND A CREATIVE SOLUTION MEANS THE IMMEDIATE DEFUNDING OF THIS CENTER, LEAVING LONG TIME STAFF MEMBERS OUT OF A JOB AND FAMILY SCRAMBLING TO FIND CHILDCARE SOLUTIONS WHILE THEIR EMPLOYERS STILL EXPECT THEM TO SHOW UP AT WORK.
CAP METRO CANNOT LEAVE FAMILIES, CHILDREN, BABIES TO PAY THE PRICE.
WE ARE A PUBLIC SERVICE ORGANIZATION FUNDED BY TAXPAYERS AND THE GRANTS THAT THE PEOPLE BEFORE YOU WORK HARD TO WIN.
CAP METRO INVESTS IN ITS EMPLOYEES AND COMMUNITY IT SERVES BECAUSE THAT IS ITS ROLE BECAUSE THOSE INVESTMENTS PAY DIVIDENDS FOR OUR PUBLIC IMAGE AND EMPLOYEE RETENTION.
THIS BRINGS UP A RELATED ISSUE.
CAP METRO MUST ALSO INCREASE ITS PAID FAMILY LEAVE.
THREE WEEKS IS SIMPLY NOT ENOUGH TIME WHILE CAP METRO IS CONSIDERING ROLLING BACK ITS FAMILY BENEFITS.
THE CITY OF AUSTIN IS MOVING TO 12 WEEKS OF PAID FAMILY LEAVE.
WHY CAN'T WE OFFER 12 WEEKS? SINCE YOU'RE PRIMARILY CONCERNED ABOUT LOOKING AT THIS FROM AN EMPLOYEE RETENTION PERSPECTIVE, I'LL DO THE SAME.
I'M A TOD PLANNER HERE AT CAP METRO.
THE CITY'S E-T-O-D-E-T-O-D TEAM IS CURRENTLY HIRING.
THEY OFFER COMPETITIVE PAY MORE HOLIDAYS AND EIGHT WEEKS OF PAID FAMILY LEAVE.
I'M EXPECTING MY FIRST CHILD IN JULY.
THE QUESTION YOU NEED TO BE ASKING YOURSELVES IS WHY SHOULD HE STAY AT CAP METRO? AND THE QUESTION I'M ASKING MYSELF IS, IF THEY'RE COMFORTABLE CLOSING AN INFANT SERVING CHILDCARE CENTER WITH NO NOTICE, WHAT ELSE ARE THEY WILLING TO DO? THANK YOU.
THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME TO COME AND PRESENT.
AND, UH, LET ME, LET ME REMIND YOU THAT THE COUNTY GIVES 12 WEEKS ALREADY.
JUST, JUST WANNA POINT THAT OUT.
AND THEN ON DECK WOULD BE LAWRENCE DIETER.
MY HUSBAND HAS BEEN A BUS OPERATOR FOR CAPITAL METRO VIA THE MINI RECENT CONTRACTORS FOR ALMOST 24 YEARS NOW.
WHEN WE LEARNED THAT WE WERE PREGNANT WITH OUR FIRST CHILD IN 2017, WE TOURED AND PLACED OUR NAME ON THE WAIT LIST AND EVENTUALLY WERE OFFERED A SPOT WHEN OUR CHILD WAS FOUR MONTHS OLD IN JULY OF 2018, THE CENTER HAS BEEN OUR FIRST CHOICE, BUT OUR CHILD'S THIRD CARE PROVIDER.
BY TIME WE LANDED HERE, YOU COULD SAY WE WERE PICKY AND HAD HIGH EXPECTATIONS FOR OUR PREEMIE.
BUT OUR BUT LEAVING OUR CHILD WITH MS. LORI WAS NOWHERE NEAR AS SCARY AS LEAVING HER WITH HER PREVIOUS PROVIDERS.
OUR BABY WAS LOVED, SHE WAS HAPPY AND EXCEEDING BEYOND OUR WILDEST DREAMS WHEN THE PANDEMIC HIT, WE WERE BEYOND GRATEFUL THAT THOUGH LIFE WAS NO LONGER THE SAME FOR MOST OF US, IT WAS THE SAME FOR OUR CHILD.
BOTH MY SPOUSE AND I WERE CONSIDERED ESSENTIAL.
HIM AS A BUS OPERATOR AND MYSELF AS AN EMPLOYEE WITH AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH, WE WERE BOTH REQUIRED TO CONTINUE TO REPORT AND TO SUPPORT VARIOUS RESPONSIVE EFFORTS THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
MANY CENTERS WERE FORCED TO CLOSE DURING IN THOSE TIMES, BUT BRIGHT HORIZON SHIFTED AND REMAINED OPEN TO SUPPORT THE FAMILIES THAT STILL NEEDED CARE.
[00:20:01]
MS. MADDIE AND MS. ELISE WELCOME CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THE PANDEMIC MASKING AND SOCIAL DISTANCING AND CREATED LESSONS AND NORMALCY FOR OUR CHILD.WHEN MS. ELISE LEARNED THAT WE WERE HAVING ANOTHER CHILD, SHE INCORPORATED ADDITIONAL LESSONS ABOUT WHAT IT MEANT TO BE AN OLDER SIBLING, NOT JUST FOR OUR CHILD, BUT THE OTHER FRIENDS WHO WERE BEING BLESSED WITH SIBLINGS AS WELL.
WHEN OUR OLDEST ENTERED KINDERGARTEN IN AUGUST, WE TEETERED WITH THE THOUGHT OF FINDING CHILDCARE CLOSER TO HOME.
HOWEVER, THE LACK OF AVAILABILITY AND COST FOR THE QUALITY MAKES IT WORTH DRIVING 30 MINUTES SOUTH AND KEEPING MY HUSBAND'S HOME BASE HERE AT THE SOUTH GARAGE, MY OLDEST IS ALWAYS EXCITED TO STOP BY TO GET HER TO HELP PICK UP HER SIBLING AND CATCH UP WITH MISS ELISE AND UNCLE CHRISTIAN AS A GROUP OF KIDS AFFECTIONATELY CALLED HIM UPON UP UNTIL HE LEFT FOR THE POLICE ACADEMY.
THIS CENTER HAS BEEN OUR KIDS' EXTENDED FAMILY.
THIS AMAZING GROUP OF PROFESSIONALS HAVE CONTINUED TO MAKE IT EASY FOR MY HUSBAND, YOUR EMPLOYEE, TO CONTINUE TO SHOW UP, DRIVE THE BUS FOR HOURS PAST HIS TIME, HIS EXPECTED TIME TO BE AT WORK AND, UM, EXCUSE ME, PAST THE TIME HE'S EXPECTED TO BE AT WORK GIVEN METRO'S INABILITY TO PROVIDE HIM WITH A RELIEF AT TIMES.
LUCKILY, BRIGHT HORIZON HAS EXTENDED HOURS, WHICH HAS MADE IT EASIER FOR LAST MINUTE PIVOTS WHEN I HAVE TO RUSH TO PICK UP ONE KID FROM AFTERSCHOOL CARE AND THEN RUSH SOUTH TO PICK UP OUR YOUNGEST.
AND MS. SIMMONS MEMO ON THE 21ST, SHE STATED THAT ALL CAPITAL METRO TEAM MEMBERS WHO HAVE FAMILY MEMBERS USING THE CENTER HAVE BEEN CONTACTED.
NEITHER MY HUSBAND NOR I HAVE BEEN CONTACT BY, CONTACTED BY ANYONE FROM METRO IN REGARD TO THIS ISSUE.
IF IT WERE NOT, IF IT WERE NOT FOR THE OTHER PARENTS SHARING YOUR 11TH HOUR DECISION TO NO LONGER SUPPORT THE CHILDRE, WE DESPERATELY RELY ON, WE WOULD'VE BEEN LEFT TO SAY, EXCUSE ME, WE WOULD HAVE BEEN LEFT IN THE DARK.
SENDING AARI POSTCARD TO OUR HOME TO SAY YOU APPRECIATE YOUR TRANSIT EMPLOYEES MEANS NOTHING.
WHEN YOU'VE KNOWN FOR SIX MONTHS THAT YOU WERE PLANNING A CALLOUS DISRUPTION TO YOUR LOYAL EMPLOYEES LIVES.
AND WE WERE NOT EVEN WORTHY OF A PHONE CALL IN THIS CLIMATE.
WHEN ALMOST EVERY BUSINESS IS EXPERIENCING STAFFING SHORTAGES AND CHILDCARE CENTERS HAVE LONG WAIT LISTS.
WHERE DO YOU EXPECT US ALL? WHERE DO YOU EXPECT ALL OF US TO FIND CARE WITH LESS THAN A WEEK'S NOTICE? REALLY AWARE.
REALLY, I, LAST THING I REALLY JUST HAVE TO SAY IS SHAME ON ALL OF YOU FOR MAKING THAT DECISION.
UH, LAWRENCE DIETER, UH, IS IS NEXT WITH CHRISTINA CHILD ON DECK.
GOOD AFTERNOON, CAPITAL METRO BOARD OF DIRECTORS.
UM, I APPLIED TO WORK AT, AT CAPITAL METRO WHILE, UH, LIVING IN CHICAGO, UH, I WAS LUCKY ENOUGH TO BE GRANTED AN IN-PERSON INTERVIEW.
UH, AND, UH, DURING THAT IN-PERSON INTERVIEW, I WAS GIVEN AN IMPROMPTU TOUR OF THE BRIGHT HORIZONS LEARNING ACADEMY.
UM, I DIDN'T KNOW IT WAS A BENEFIT THAT CAP METRO OFFERED.
I WAS VERY IMPRESSED WITH HIS CENTER.
UH, CAP METRO DID NOT OFFER HIM AS MUCH MONEY AS I WAS MAKING.
I HAD TO TAKE A PAY CUT IN ORDER TO COME HERE.
BUT AS YOU'VE HEARD, I BELIEVED IN WHAT CAP MITCHELL WAS DOING.
I, UM, BELIEVED IT WAS THE RIGHT THING FOR MY FAMILY.
AND KNOWING THAT IT WOULD BE ONSITE CHILDCARE THAT WAS AFFORDABLE REALLY HELPED OFFSET THAT DECISION TO TAKE A PAY CUT.
I CLEARLY AM A WORKING DAD AND I HAD THE CHANCE TO BOND WITH MY CHILDREN WHILE THEY WERE AT BRIGHT HORIZONS.
UM, I, WE RODE THE BUS TOGETHER.
WE BIKED, UM, OVER TO BRIGHT HORIZONS.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE DID WHATEVER IT DID.
WE SOMETIMES WE CARPOOLED, UH, WITH, WITH MOM AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
I HAD THE CHANCE TO STOP STEP IN AFTER MEETINGS AND, UH, SEE MY KIDS LIKE MAYBE SOMETIMES THEY WERE ASLEEP, UH, NAPPING.
UH, MAYBE SOMETIMES I STOPPED IN FOR A, A GRILLED CHEESE SANDWICH FOR LUNCH WITH THEM.
UH, COSTUME PARTIES, EASTER EGG HUNTS, UM, MANY SPECIAL EVENTS THAT BEEN OFFSITE CHILDCARE, NONE OF THAT WOULD'VE EVER HAPPENED.
I WOULD NOT HAVE HAD THE CHANCE TO BOND WITH MY CHILDREN.
THE STAFF FROM MS. LORI WHO HANDLED MY VERY TOUGH DAUGHTER VERY WELL, UH, TO MS. UM, MADDIE, TO MS. ELISE.
IT'S A MAGICAL, THEY PREPARE OUR KIDS, THEY TAKE CARE OF OUR KIDS SO WELL.
THEY PREPARE OUR KIDS IN AMAZING WAYS.
UM, I KNOW AS YOU'RE HEARING ALL OUR KIDS EXCEL IN SCHOOL.
MY KIDS ARE IN MIDDLE SCHOOL AND THEY'RE TAKING HIGH SCHOOL CREDIT CLASSES.
UM, IT'S THIS AMAZING RECRUITING TOOL.
SEVERAL OF THESE PARENTS YOU'RE HEARING TALKED TO, I WAS ON THEIR INTERVIEWS.
WE TALKED TO THEM ABOUT BRIGHT HORIZONS.
WE TALKED TO 'EM ABOUT MS. ELISE.
WE TALKED TO 'EM ABOUT MS. MADDIE AND MS. LORI,
[00:25:01]
AND THEY CHOSE TO COME HERE.SO, UM, I'M URGING THE BOARD TO APPROVE THE ITEM WITH A MINIMUM TERM OF AT LEAST THREE YEARS SO THAT WE CAN FIGURE OUT HOW TO MAKE A HOLISTIC SOLUTION TO EVERYTHING AT CAP METRO.
CAP METRO NEEDS TO BE A LEADER IN THE COMMUNITY, NOT JUST IN THE TRANSPORTATION WORLD, BUT IN EVERYTHING WE DO.
UM, CAP METRO OFFERS MULTIPLE TRANSPORTATION SOLUTIONS.
WE OFFER PICKUP RAIL, BUS, METRO BIKE TO MEET THE MOBILITY NEEDS OF OUR COMMUNITY.
IT MUST PROVIDE MULTIPLE TRANSITS, MULTIPLE CHILDCARE SOLUTIONS FOR THE NEEDS OF ITS EMPLOYEES AND THE COMMUNITY.
AND ONSITE CHILDCARE IS A CRITICAL IMPORTANT PART OF THIS SOLUTION.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME IS NEXT, FOLLOWED BY JAMES RYAN.
I'M REPRESENTING THE COMMUNITY PARENTS HERE TODAY.
UH, AND I WANNA TALK ABOUT THE SEQUENCE OF EVENTS THAT'S FORCED ALL OF US TO HAVE TO NOT BE WORKING RIGHT NOW.
THIS 11TH HOUR SITUATION THAT WE ARE IN WAS ENTIRELY AVOIDABLE.
THIS BOARD HAD A SIX MONTH RUNWAY TO COME UP WITH AN ALTERNATE SOLUTION THAT COULD HAVE BEEN BENEFICIAL TO EVERYONE.
FULL STOP THE PROPOSAL THAT YOU PRESENTED.
IN SPITE OF THAT LACK OF A PLAN COMES WITH DEVASTATING DOWNSTREAM EFFECTS TO OVER 100 ADULTS IN THIS COMMUNITY THAT YOU CLAIM TO SERVE.
SO LET'S, LET'S BREAK THIS DOWN.
FIRST, WE HAVE 17 ESSENTIAL CHILDCARE WORKERS WHO WOULD HAVE LOST THEIR JOBS WITH ZERO NOTICE.
I'LL MENTION ALL OF THESE PEOPLE ARE WOMEN AND NEARLY ALL OF THEM ARE WOMEN OF COLOR.
AND WE ARE CRACKING THE LID ON THIS PR NIGHTMARE RIGHT HERE.
SECOND, WE HAVE 88 COMMUNITY PARENTS LIKE MYSELF, 44 FAMILIES WHO WOULD'VE LOST CHILDCARE WITH NO NOTICE.
THIS IS WHAT IT'S LIKE TO TRY TO WORK WITH YOUR KIDS AT HOME.
UH, WE PAY TAXES THAT FUND CAP METRO AND OUR VOTES HAVE HELPED LAND MANY OF YOU IN POSITIONS THAT YOU ENJOY TODAY.
UH, THERE HAS BEEN SO LITTLE REGARD FOR THE HUMAN IMPACT OF YOUR COLLECTIVE NEGLIGENCE THAT THESE TWO GROUPS OF PEOPLE WERE NEVER ONCE MENTIONED IN LAST WEEK'S MEETING.
THAT'S ALMOST A HUNDRED PEOPLE.
NEVER MENTIONED PROFITS OVER PEOPLE.
I MEAN, GET YOUR MEDIA TEAM READY BECAUSE THEY WILL EAT YOU ALIVE.
THIRD, AND THIS IS THE REAL KICKER.
YOU PROPOSE ENDING CHILDCARE FOR NINE OF YOUR OWN FAMILIES.
THE SAME CHILDCARE THAT ALLOWS THEM TO WORK FOR YOU.
MAKE THAT MAKE SENSE BECAUSE WE KNOW FROM THE PANDEMIC THAT WHEN PARENTS LOSE RELIABLE CHILDCARE, SOME OF THEM ARE FORCED TO QUIT THEIR JOBS.
AND WE KNOW THAT IT DISPROPORTIONATELY AFFECTS WOMEN AND THAT MAKES IT ALL THE MORE DISAPPOINTING THAT THREE WOMEN ON THIS BOARD, DIANE, BECKY ROSS, WHO'S NOT HERE, AND CEO DOTTIE WATKINS, WHO HAS PERSONALLY BENEFITED FROM THIS PROGRAM, DID NOT UTTER A SINGLE WORD OF SUPPORT FOR FAMILIES AT LAST WEEK'S MEETING.
IF YOU'RE NOT BURNING WITH SHAME AND EMBARRASSMENT AT HOW SLOPPY AND SHORTSIGHTED THIS PROPOSAL HAS BEEN.
I MEAN, JUST YOUR WORK IN GENERAL.
DO BETTER THANK YOU TO COUNCILWOMAN POOL FOR BEING THE SINGLE ADVOCATE FOR FAMILIES AND YOUR OWN CAP METRO, CAP METRO EMPLOYEES, AND FOR PUTTING YOUR PEOPLE ABOVE PROFIT.
THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TODAY.
I'M A MEMBER OF THE COMMUNITY WITH A THREE-YEAR-OLD ENROLLED AT CAP METRO BRIGHT HORIZON CENTER.
AND I HAVE A YOUNGER DAUGHTER WHO IS REGISTERED BUT HASN'T STARTED YET.
UM, I HAVE SOME CONCERNS ABOUT THE POSSIBLE CLOSURE OF THE CENTER THAT I'D LIKE TO SHARE WITH YOU.
FIRST I WANNA REITERATE, UM, WHAT OTHER PEOPLE HAVE SAID THAT IT'S, UH, ONE YEAR IS THE ABSOLUTE MINIMUM AMOUNT OF TIME, UM, NECESSARY TO FIND ALTERNATIVE CHILDCARE FOR THE FAMILIES THAT ARE ENROLLED.
UM, I'VE JUST BEEN THROUGH THIS PROCESS.
MY DAUGHTER STARTED LESS THAN SIX MONTHS AGO, AND THERE IS INDEED A CHILDCARE CRISIS
UM, WITH CLOSURE OF THE CENTER, NOT ONLY WILL THERE BE LESS AVAILABLE SUPPLY, OTHER CHILDCARE PROVIDERS IN THE AREA WILL NEED TO TAKE ON THE ADDITIONAL 50 KIDS
[00:30:01]
AND THERE AREN'T A LOT OF THEM.SECONDLY, AS I UNDERSTAND IT, THE STATED REASON FOR THE CLOSURE IS, UH, BUDGET.
SPECIFICALLY THAT CAP METRO IS SPENDING TOO MUCH PER EMPLOYEE ON THE CENTER, UM, EFFECTIVELY SUBSIDIZING COMMUNITY MEMBERS LIKE MY FAMILY.
I DON'T EXPECT CAP METRO SUBSIDIZE, UM, MY FAMILY'S CHILDCARE.
UM, AND I'VE HEARD THE SAME THING FROM A NUMBER OF OTHER COMMUNITY FAMILIES.
SO I'D LIKE TO KNOW WHAT'S POSSIBLE IF COMMUNITY MEMBERS WERE PAYING.
UM, A MARKET RATE CLOSING THE CENTER ISN'T JUST PROBLEMATIC FOR PARENTS AND STAFF.
IT'S ALSO HARMFUL TO THE KIDS.
THE OTHER KIDS AT THE CENTER ARE THEIR FRIENDS.
THEY FORM BONDS WITH THEIR TEACHERS EVEN IN FIVE MONTHS.
MY DAUGHTER POINTS OUT THE CAP METRO EVERY TIME WE PASS TO EXCITEDLY PROCLAIM.
AND THIS WEEKEND SHE TOLD ME SHE'S GONNA MISS MISS ELISE ON SUNDAY BECAUSE THE SCHOOL IS CLOSED.
I'D HATE TO TELL HER SOME DAY SOON THAT IT'S CLOSED FOR GOOD.
MS. LEE DOESN'T WORK THERE ANYMORE.
UM, SO I WOULD STRONGLY URGE THE BOARD TO KEEP THE CENTER OPEN FOR A MINIMUM OF ONE YEAR AND, UH, COMMUNICATE CLEARLY AND DIRECTLY WITH ALL AFFECTED FAMILIES, INCLUDING COMMUNITY FAMILIES.
AND I FURTHER REQUEST THAT THE BOARD COME BACK TO US, UH, IN 60 DAYS, LET'S SAY WITH A PROPOSAL FOR RENEWING THE CONTRACT FOR A LONG-TERM CONTRACT LIKE THE PREVIOUS ONE THAT LASTED SEVEN YEARS.
UM, TELL US WHAT NUMBERS, WHAT WOULD WORK.
LET US TELL YOU IF IT, LIKE WHAT WE CAN DO.
AS I MEAN THE AFFORDABILITY CRISIS, IT AFFECTS ALL OF THE CENTERS, NOT JUST, UM, NOT SPRAY HORIZONS.
AND FINALLY, WHEN IT COMES TO AVAILABILITY AND AFFORDABILITY, REDUCING THE SUPPLY OF CHILDCARE WHILE ADDING MORE DOLLARS, CHASING THE REMAINING SUPPLY IS ONLY GONNA DRIVE LONGER WAIT LISTS AND HIGHER PRICES.
UH, EMMA MARTINEZ AND, UH, CHRISTINA LEE WOULD BE ON DECK.
EMMA MARTINEZ GOT THREE MINUTES.
I'M EMMA MARTINEZ, UM, A CAT METRO EMPLOYEE.
UM, BUT TODAY I'M HERE AS A PARENT, UM, AND A PLANNER.
AND I'M HERE IN SUPPORT OF THE CONTRACT RENEWAL WITH BRIGHT HORIZONS.
THE FIRST THING I WANT TO ADDRESS IS THAT IT'S CLEAR OUR OPERATORS AND MECHANICS HAVE NOT BEEN MEANINGFULLY ENGAGED IN THE PROCESS OF EVALUATING OUR CHILDCARE BENEFITS.
I SPOKE WITH SOME OF OUR OPERATORS LAST WEEK AND NONE OF THEM THAT I SPOKE TO KNEW THAT CHILDCARE BENEFITS WERE EVEN BEING DISCUSSED AT THE BOARD.
HOWEVER, ALL OF THEM SAID THAT IF THE EXISTING CAP METRO CHILDCARE CENTER WAS MORE ACCESSIBLE AND AFFORDABLE TO THEM, THAT IS THE BENEFIT THAT THEY WOULD PREFER.
IMAGINE BEING ABLE TO TAKE A SPLIT SHIFT AND SEE YOUR CHILD WHILE ON BREAK.
THEY SAID, WHO DOESN'T WANT THAT? FURTHERMORE, WHEN I ASKED ABOUT A STIPEND, SEVERAL SAID THAT THEY WOULD PREFER TO USE IT TO PAY FAMILY MEMBERS FOR CHILDCARE.
THIS MEANS IF WE IMPLEMENT A STIPEND PROGRAM THAT CAN BE USED ONLY AT ACCREDITED PROVIDERS, OUR ESSENTIAL WORKERS WHO NEED HELP, MOST MAY NOT EVEN TOUCH THE STIPEND MONEY.
WE WILL SEE MANY OF THE SAME INEQUITIES IN OUR EXISTING SYSTEM REOCCUR.
SO LET'S TALK ABOUT SOLUTIONS.
IN 2006, CAP METRO PROMISED OUR OPERATORS AN ONSITE CHILDCARE CENTER THAT WORKS FOR THEM AND THEY DESERVE OUR FOLLOW THROUGH.
THE CONCERN FROM OUR BOARD IS THAT WE'RE NOT GETTING ENOUGH BANG FOR OUR BUCK IF WE FIND A WAY TO MAKE IT WORK FOR MORE OF OUR OPERATORS.
THERE ARE DOZENS MORE BABIES AND GRAND BABIES JUST WAITING TO INCREASE CAT METRO'S UTILIZATION OF THE ONSITE DAYCARE, WHICH AS I SAID WOULD BE A DREAM COME TRUE FOR MANY OF OUR ESSENTIAL WORKERS.
WE NEED AN INTERDISCIPLINARY TEAM OVERSEEING HOW WE CAN BE INNOVATIVE AND RESOURCEFUL AND MAKE THIS BENEFIT WORK FOR THE GOOD OF ALL EMPLOYEES.
CAP METRO IS KNOWN AS AN INDUSTRY LEADER IN EQUITY, INNOVATION AND TRANSPARENCY.
SO LET'S RISE TO THAT REPUTATION.
OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS NEED TO PAY MORE AND THE SLIDING SCALE RATES SHOULD BE REEXAMINED.
I ASSURE YOU OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS WOULD MUCH RATHER PAY MARKET RATE THAN SAY GOODBYE TO THEIR BELOVED TEACHERS AND FRIENDS.
SUMMER PROGRAMS AND AFTERSCHOOL CARE IS MORE PROFITABLE THAN THE CURRENT SERVICES PROVIDED.
LET'S SPEND THE NEXT SIX MONTHS EXAMINING A COST-EFFECTIVE WAY TO EXPAND CAPACITY WITHOUT AN EXPENSIVE BUILD OUT.
WE SHOULD CONSIDER THAT OUR PROCUREMENT MAY NEED A REDO, NOT JUST RENEGOTIATION.
FINDING THE BEST DEAL ENSURES THE LONG-TERM SUSTAINABILITY OF OUR DAYCARE CENTER RESTORING SOME OF THE STABILITY FOR FAMILIES AND DAYCARE EMPLOYEES THAT HAS BEEN LOST AT THE VERY MENTION OF ITS CLOSURE.
AND FINALLY, LET'S BE CANDID, RESPECTFULLY, THE RECENT SUGGESTION TO CLOSE OUR DAYCARE AND TRANSITION TO A STIPEND SYSTEM IS NOT ABOUT SUPPORTING OUR EMPLOYEES.
IT'S ABOUT CUTTING COSTS AT THEIR EXPENSE.
INSTEAD, WE NEED TO RENEW THE CURRENT CONTRACT AND INVEST IN OUR EMPLOYEE'S WELLBEING BY PROVIDING CHILDCARE THAT TRULY ACCOMMODATES THEIR NEEDS.
I THINK, UH, NEXT IS CHRISTINA LEE WITH EDNA YANG ON DECK.
[00:35:02]
THANK YOU.GOOD AFTERNOON, CAT METRO BOARD.
MY NAME IS CHRISTINA LEE AND I'M A COMMUNITY PARENT SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF MYSELF IN SUPPORT OF IMMEDIATELY SIGNING CAP METRO'S BRIGHT HORIZONS CONTRACT AND AGAINST FUTURE CLOSURE OF THIS DAYCARE, WHICH HAS BEEN A LIFELINE TO BOTH OUR FAMILY AND THIS COMMUNITY.
THEY SAY IT TAKES A VILLAGE TO RAISE A CHILD.
WELL, BRIGHT HORIZONS CAP METRO IS OUR VILLAGE.
AND YOU ALL ARE THREATENING TO RIP THIS LOVING COMMUNITY AWAY FROM US.
THESE DAYCARE TEACHERS HAVE HELD OUR BABIES, KEPT THEM SAFE, SOOTHED THEM TO SLEEP WHEN WE COULDN'T AND WHEN, WHEN WE HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO GO BACK TO WORK.
BECAUSE AUSTIN IS AN EXPENSIVE CITY TO LIVE IN.
SOME OF THE BABIES HAVE BEEN CARED FOR BY THESE AMAZING TEACHERS WHEN THEY WERE AS YOUNG AS SIX WHEN OLD.
AND THE LEVEL OF TRUST, GRATITUDE, AND APPRECIATION WE HAVE FOR THE CENTER AND THEIR CARE OF OUR CHILDREN IS PRICELESS.
ONLINE YOU CAN SEE CAP METRO'S TAGLINE IS GOOD WORK.
IT'S A THING AROUND HERE, APPARENTLY AROUND HERE DOESN'T INCLUDE THE SIDE.
WE ARE NOT ONLY IN MIDDLE OF A CHILDCARE CRISIS AROUND THE COUNTRY AND THIS CITY, WHICH WAS MENTIONED, BUT EAST AUSTIN IS A CHILDCARE DESERT.
FORGET A STIPEND WHEN THERE'S NO ONE TO GIVE THAT MONEY TO AROUND HERE.
THEY'LL DO A GREAT DISSERVICE TO A COMMUNITY THAT'S HELD THEM UP OVER DECADES.
THE MINORITY WORKING CLASS, THE BUS OPERATORS, MECHANICS, THE BUS RIDERS THAT THIS COMPANY DEPENDS ON TO KEEP THE CITY MOVING, PULSING, THRIVING.
I AM SO DEEPLY MORTIFIED THAT THERE ARE MEMBERS OF THIS BOARD, SOME WHO ARE PARENTS THEMSELVES, THINK THAT NUMBERS ON A SPREADSHEET WARRANTS SHUTTING THIS ALL DOWN FOR FIDUCIARY RESPONSIBILITY.
WHAT ABOUT YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO COMMUNITY BEYOND THE NINE CURRENTLY ENROLLED EMPLOYEES? WHAT ABOUT THE 60 BABIES, TODDLERS, PRESCHOOLERS WHO HAVE THEIR WORLDS TURNED UPSIDE DOWN? THE FAMILIES OF THE TEACHERS AND CARETAKERS WHO WILL LOSE THEIR LIVELIHOOD? WHAT ABOUT THEM? WHAT ABOUT US? WE ASK THE BOARD TO PLEASE SIGN THE CONTRACT.
KEEP BRIGHT HORIZONS CAP METRO OPEN AND LET US, ESPECIALLY PLEASE LET OUR CHILDREN KEEP OUR VILLAGE.
UH, I THINK EDNA YANG AND UH, MADDIE MITCHELL WILL BE ON DECK.
MY NAME IS EDNA YANG AND I AM HERE AS A COMMUNITY MEMBER AND A PARENT WITH A CHILD CURRENTLY AT CAPITAL METRO BRIGHT HORIZONS.
MY SON IS IN THE KINDER PREP CLASS.
UH, MY DAUGHTER IS NOW, UH, IN THE SECOND GRADE, BUT SPENT FIVE YEARS BEING CARED FOR AND EDUCATED BY THE DEDICATED, UH, STAFF AT THE CAP METRO CHILDCARE CENTER.
ENDING THE CURRENT CHILDRE CONTRACT WOULD BE SHAMEFUL.
THE CLOSURE OF THIS CENTER WOULD LEAVE A GAPING HOLE AND A TREMENDOUS NEED IN OUR COMMUNITY.
AUSTIN IS ALREADY FACING A CHILDCARE SHORTAGE THAT HAS BEEN WELL-DOCUMENTED.
THE LACK OF AFFORDABLE, RELIABLE DAYCARE OPTIONS, ESPECIALLY THOSE SERVING INFANTS AND TODDLERS IS APPARENT TO EVERYONE IN OUR COMMUNITY CLOSING A CENTER THAT PROVIDES SUCH NEEDED AND ESSENTIAL CARE DEFIES ALL LOGIC CAPITAL METRO EMPLOYEES ARE FRONTLINE WORKERS.
THEY DESERVE AFFORDABLE CHILDCARE.
THEY DESERVE THE RIGHT TO KNOW THAT THEIR CHILDREN ARE BEING CARED FOR AND EDUCATED AT A FACILITY THAT UNDERSTANDS THE PARTICULAR CONSTRAINTS OF THEIR JOBS, AND THAT THEY DESERVE TO HAVE SECURITY IN THEIR CARE OPTIONS AND KNOW THAT THEIR CHILDCARE CHOICES WON'T EVAPORATE.
DUE TO ARGUMENTS ABOUT COST CAPITAL, METRO CLOUD, CHILDCARE CENTER BENEFITS, NOT ONLY THE CAB METRO EMPLOYEES, BUT ALSO THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE.
THOSE OF US WHO HAVE BEEN LUCKY ENOUGH TO PLACE OUR CHILDREN AT THE CENTER, BUT ALSO THOSE OF US WHO RELY ON PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION.
YOU CANNOT RECRUIT A RELIABLE AND SUCCESSFUL WORKFORCE, ASK THEM TO DO A DEMANDING JOB AND THEN TAKE AWAY THE BASIC BENEFITS AND RIGHTS THAT ENSURE THE WELLBEING AND SECURITY OF THEIR FAMILIES.
PROVIDING A CHILDCARE SUBSIDY IN LIEU OF THE ACTUAL CHILDCARE CENTER DOES NOTHING TO ALLEVIATE THE DEMAND FOR CHILDCARE IN AUSTIN, ESPECIALLY IN EAST AUSTIN, WHERE OPTIONS FOR SUCH CARE ARE NEARLY NON-EXISTENT.
AND WHERE WAITS FOR INFANT AND TODDLER CARE CAN TAKE ANYWHERE FOR TWO, FROM TWO TO FOUR YEARS.
THE TEACHERS AT CAB METRO'S CHILDCARE CENTER HAVE BEEN CARING FOR OUR COMMUNITY'S CHILDREN, MY CHILDREN AS WELL, FOR OVER 17 YEARS.
THE CLOSURE OF THIS FACILITY WOULD NOT ONLY IMPACT OUR FAMILIES, BUT ALSO THE LIVELIHOODS OF THE CENTER'S STAFF.
CLOSING THE CENTER WOULD PUT SOME OF OUR MOST ESSENTIAL AND VULNERABLE CARE WORKERS AT RISK OF UNEMPLOYMENT.
THE REPERCUSSIONS OF THIS PROPOSED CLOSURE WOULD BE FELT DEEPLY BY COUNTLESS FAMILIES WHO RELY ON THIS FACILITY TO ENSURE THE WELLBEING AND SAFETY OF THEIR CHILDREN WHILE THEY ATTEND WORK, WHILE THEY ATTEND SCHOOL.
I WOULD ASK THAT THE BOARD THINK LONG AND HARD ABOUT THE IMPACT OF ITS DECISION TODAY AND ALL THE PEOPLE, THE CHILDREN AND
[00:40:01]
FAMILIES WHO WOULD SUFFER AS A RESULT OF THE CLOSURE OF THIS FACILITY.I WOULD ASK THAT YOU VOTE TO MAINTAIN THIS CHILDCARE CENTER AND EXTEND THE CONTRACT IN LONG TERM.
PLEASE VOTE TO SUPPORT WORKING FAMILIES AND SUPPORT OUR COMMUNITIES.
UM, MAD MITCHELL, FOLLOWED BY WAYNE KRAUS YANG.
THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME SPEAK.
I AM ONE OF THE TEACHERS THAT HAD BRIGHT HORIZONS.
OKAY, SO I LOOK AT IT THIS WAY.
I'VE BEEN WORKING WITH CHILDREN FOR 27 AND A HALF YEARS.
I'VE BEEN WITH BRIGHT HORIZONS FOR 13.
YOU KNOW, I WOULD GO TO BAT FOR MY KIDS NO MATTER WHAT.
I WOULD GO TO BAT FOR MY TEACHERS AS WELL.
IF YOU LOOK AT IT THIS WAY, THINK ABOUT IT.
CAP METRO HAS SO MUCH GOING ON.
WHERE ARE THEIR WORKERS AT IF THEY HAVE NO CHILDCARE, AS YOU CAN SEE, SOMEBODY POINTED OUT THEY CANNOT WORK WITH CHILDREN AT HOME.
IT'S, YOU HAVE NO WORKERS TO COME IN.
WHERE DOES THAT ALL LEAD US IN A BIG HOLE, RIGHT? THINK ABOUT IT.
THIS HAS, THIS IS OUR LIVELIHOOD TO GET OUT THERE AND FIND SOMETHING ELSE.
NOT IN THIS ECONOMY, NOT IN THIS DAMN TIME.
YES, MAYBE 50 SOMETHING YEARS AGO.
BUT NOW IT COMES TO WHERE DO WE STAND WITH THIS CONTRACT? YOU KNOW, LIKE I SAID, THESE ARE MY KIDS.
WE'RE ALL ONE BIG FAMILY THERE.
I'M AT YOUR TRANSPORTATION RIDER.
YOU KNOW, I AM PASSIONATE FOR WHAT I DO.
TWO YEAR OLDS ARE NOT A EASY AGE FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE.
WE REMEMBER, THEY ARE NOT AN EASY AGE.
AND TO SEE THAT THIS PROGRAM, THIS CENTER STAYS OPEN TO SUPPORT THE COMMUNITIES, SUPPORT THE WORKERS, SUPPORT EVERYBODY THAT IT INVOLVES, LET'S PLEASE LET US AGREE ON A LONG TERM.
AS ONE OF MY PARENTS HAVE SAID LONG TERM, I MEAN IT'S GONNA BENEFIT US ALL IN THE LONG RUN.
WAYNE KRAUS YANG AND THEN NATHAN.
UH, KINSMAN I THINK IS UP AFTER AND ON DECK.
I'M LUCKY ENOUGH TO HAVE TWO CHILDREN WHO HAVE BEEN PART OF THE CAP METRO FAMILY, UM, AND THEY'RE BETTER PEOPLE FOR IT.
AND I WANT TO THANK YOU CAP METRO, THE BOARD FOR ACTUALLY HAVING CREATED AN INCREDIBLE NURTURING COMMUNITY.
BUT TODAY THAT THANKS COMES WITH ONE BIG FAT ASTERISK AND THAT'S THAT Y'ALL HAVE TO DO THE RIGHT THING.
CONTINUE TO KEEP IT OPEN AND MAKE A PLAN.
IT'S ONE THING TO PLAN THINGS OUT, FORM A COMMITTEE, DO THIS OUT IN THE OPEN AND GET THINGS DONE RIGHT.
BUT FAILING TO RENEW A CONTRACT RIGHT NOW THAT'S PULLING THE RUG OUT AND DESTROYING ALL THE GREAT THINGS THAT YOU'VE CREATED.
NOW, UH, WHILE I DO HAVE A CHILD LEFT AT, UH, CAPITAL METRO DAYCARE RIGHT NOW, IT WON'T BE FOR LONG.
HE'S GETTING OUTTA THERE SOON.
UH, SO I DON'T REALLY HAVE A STAKE HERE PERSONALLY, BUT I'M HERE 'CAUSE IT'S THE RIGHT THING TO DO.
Y'ALL AND CAPITAL METRO HAVE DONE RIGHT BY US.
A GREAT ATMOSPHERE, THE BEST PLACE FOR CHILDREN, AND IT DESERVES TO REMAIN THAT CAPITAL
[00:45:01]
METRO BROUGHT WONDERFUL PEOPLE INTO THE FAMILY.YOU MET MADDIE, BUT IT'S NOT JUST HER.
THERE'S LORI, AMELIA, STELLA, LILY, LUCY AND ELISE.
THEY RAISED OUR CHILDREN IN MANY CASES BETTER THAN WE COULD.
THEY TAUGHT 'EM TO READ, THEY TAUGHT 'EM TO COUNT.
AND YEAH, THEY WIPE THEIR BUTTS A LOT.
IF THAT'S NOT FAMILY, I DON'T KNOW WHAT IS.
SO MADDIE'S PART OF OUR FAMILY, BUT SHE AND THE REST OF THEM, THEY'RE ALSO PART OF YOUR FAMILY.
AND YOU DON'T TURN YOUR BACK ON FAMILY.
NOW I'M NOT HERE TO TELL YOU HOW TO RENEGOTIATE A CONTRACT.
YOU WANNA GO TO IT, DO IT, BUT JUST DO IT.
YOU KNOW, SET A PLAN AND FIGURE THINGS OUT ALONG THE WAY, OUT IN THE OPEN.
AND ONE OTHER THING ABOUT THAT, UH, STIPEND, UH, MY DAUGHTER, WE PUT HER ON THE WAIT LIST AT, UH, CAPITAL METRO DAYCARE, UH, WHEN BEFORE SHE WAS BORN.
UH, AND WE PUT HER ON A LOT OF OTHER WAIT LISTS TOO, RIGHT? UH, THE FIRST CALL WE EVER GOT BACK FROM ANYONE ELSE WAS WHEN SHE WAS IN KINDERGARTEN.
A STIPEND AIN'T GONNA OPEN THOSE DAYCARE SLOTS.
YOU HAVE A CHANCE NOT TO DESTROY THEM, TO KEEP 'EM OPEN FOR THE COMMUNITY AND FOR CAP METRO, DO THE RIGHT THING.
AND IF THERE'S ANYONE ELSE WHO WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS THE BOARD WHO HAS NOT SIGNED UP, IF YOU WOULD SIGN UP NOW.
UH, THIS IS, THIS IS THE LAST SPEAKER OF RECORD.
THREE MINUTES, UH, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR HAVING ME TODAY.
I'M A PROUD EMPLOYEE OF CAT METRO.
I'M A DATA ANALYST IN THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT.
UM, I'VE BEEN WITH CAT METRO FOR ALMOST TWO YEARS.
I CAME TO CAT METRO BECAUSE I REALLY BELIEVE IN THE MISSION OF THIS AGENCY AND, AND WHAT WE DO FOR THE COMMUNITY.
UM, WHEN I CAME TO CAT METRO, UM, THERE WERE A LOT OF REASONS WHY I CAME HERE.
UM, BUT ONE OF THE MAIN SELLING POINTS FOR ME REALLY WAS THE CHILDCARE CENTER BEING RIGHT ON SITE.
UM, YOU KNOW, WHEN I CAME HERE FOR MY INTERVIEW, I, YOU KNOW, TOOK A TOUR OF, OF, UM, THIS BUILDING.
GOT TO KIND OF GO OUT ON THE BUS.
I REMEMBER BEING THERE WITH KIND OF JENNIFER AND LAWRENCE WHO WERE HERE AND THEY POINTED OUT THE CHILDCARE CENTER TO ME.
IT'S LIKE, IT'S RIGHT THERE, RIGHT, RIGHT NEXT TO THE OFFICE THAT IS REALLY CONVENIENT.
AND I CAME HOME AND TOLD MY WIFE ABOUT THAT AND WE SAID, WOW.
LIKE THAT'S, THAT COULD REALLY BE A GAME CHANGER FOR US.
WE SHOULD REALLY TAKE THIS JOB LIKE VERY SERIOUSLY.
UM, SO ULTIMATELY I'M GLAD THAT I CAME TO CAT METRO AND IT'S KIND OF NOT A SURPRISE THAT RIGHT AFTER KIND OF, UM, COMING HERE, MY WIFE AND I STARTED PLANNING ON ADDING TO OUR FAMILY, WHICH I'M REALLY HAPPY TO SAY THAT SHE'S SEVEN MONTHS PREGNANT.
WE'RE EXPECTING OUR FIRST CHILD IN MAY.
UM, I'M NERVOUS, I'M EXCITED, I'M TERRIFIED.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT DID PROVIDE SOME COMFORT IS KNOWING THAT THE BRIGHT HORIZON AND CHILDCARE CENTER IS REALLY OUR TOP OPTION FOR OUR LONG TERM LIKE CHILDCARE SOLUTION.
UH, MY WIFE IS ALSO A PUBLIC SECTOR EMPLOYEE.
WE REALLY NEED SOMETHING THAT'S GONNA BE ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, PROVIDE QUALITY CHILDCARE, UH, FOR OUR SON FOR THE NEXT FOUR OR FIVE YEARS OR SO.
UM, WE TOOK A TOUR OF BRIGHT HORIZONS A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO, IMMEDIATELY GOT ON THE WAIT LIST BECAUSE OF JUST HOW IMPRESSED WE WERE.
WE WALKED OUT OF THERE THINKING THIS IS PERFECT.
UM, WE KNOW THAT OUR, FROM SEEING THEIR FACILITIES FROM THE CLASSROOMS KNOWING THIS IS JUST GONNA BE A PERFECT STEP FOR GETTING OUR CHILD READY FOR SCHOOL.
UM, AND TALKING TO MY COWORKERS WHO HAVE, YOU KNOW, HAD THEIR CHILDREN GO THROUGH THAT PROGRAM.
I CAN SEE FROM WHAT THEY'VE TOLD ME AT THAT THAT WILL EXACTLY BE THE CASE.
UM, I GOT REALLY EXCITED ABOUT JUST IMAGINING MYSELF BEING ABLE TO JUST KIND OF DROP MY SON OFF AT THE CHILDCARE CENTER, THEN COME RIGHT OVER TO THIS BUILDING TO DO KIND OF QUALITY WORK FOR THE AGENCY.
UM, IT WAS HARD LEARNING LIKE TWO WEEKS AGO THAT THAT MIGHT NOT BE THE CASE.
THAT THAT'S REALLY KIND SCRAMBLED MY PLANS, UM, ALONG WITH MY WIFE'S TO FIGURE OUT WHAT IS KIND OF A LONG-TERM CHILDCARE SOLUTION FOR US.
UM, SO WE'RE KIND OF SCRAMBLING RIGHT NOW ON TOP OF KIND OF EVERYTHING ELSE THAT WE'RE TRYING TO PLAN FOR, UM, WITH A BABY COMING IN TWO MONTHS.
UM, SO I JUST, WHAT I MAINLY JUST WANT, WANT TO ASK OF YOU IS JUST TO LOOK KIND OF BEYOND THE DOLLARS AND CENTS OF THIS.
I DO UNDERSTAND KIND OF THE, THE FINANCIAL ASPECT OF THIS, BUT PLEASE JUST LOOK BEYOND THE DOLLARS AND CENTS AND KINDA ASK YOURSELF WHAT IS THE RIGHT THING TO DO HERE.
UM, AND I REALLY HOPE THE END ON KIND OF KNOWING THAT THE RIGHT THING TO, TO DO HOPEFULLY IN MY OPINION, BUT HOPEFULLY YOU CAN COME, COME TO YOUR OWN CONCLUSION, IS TO EXTEND, KIND OF FIGURE OUT A LONG-TERM SOLUTION TO KEEP THE CHILDCARE CENTER OPEN LONG TERM.
[00:50:01]
YOU.OKAY, SO I HAVE THE JAKE RIGHT, BUT NOW I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS BOONE OR, OKAY.
WE WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA WORK ON PENMANSHIP THIS WEEK,
AND, UH, I WANNA THANK Y'ALL FOR LETTING ME COME UP HERE.
I KNOW I WAS THE LAST MINUTE SIGN UP.
I'M A PLANNER AT CAPITAL METRO.
I BEGAN HERE IN OCTOBER OF 2023, SO I'M RELATIVELY NEW.
UM, LIKE MANY YOUNG PROFESSIONALS, MY WIFE AND I NEVER THOUGHT HAVING A BABY WOULD BE FEASIBLE FOR US FINANCIALLY.
UM, AND THAT STARTED TO CHANGE WHEN I STARTED MY JOB AT CAPITAL METRO.
I STARTED IN OCTOBER AND IN NOVEMBER WE FOUND OUT THAT SHE WAS PREGNANT.
SO, UM, THINGS HAPPENED FAST AND WHILE WE WERE SCARED, LIKE ALL EXPECTING PARENTS WERE, WE TOOK SO MUCH COMFORT IN KNOWING THAT WE WOULD HAVE THIS, UM, THIS FACILITY AND THIS BENEFIT FOR OUR BABY AND THAT WE WOULD BE ABLE TO STILL WORK, NOT HAVE TO SACRIFICE OUR PROFESSIONAL CAREERS TO RAISE A CHILD.
UM, SO I KNOW THAT MANY OF MY COWORKERS HERE HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SAME THING.
UM, NOW WITH THE FACILITY POTENTIALLY CLOSING, WE'VE HAD TO MAKE DECISIONS AND WE'VE HAD TO BUDGET THINGS DIFFERENTLY.
WE'VE HAD TO LOOK AT DOWNSIZING OUR HOME.
UH, WE'VE HAD TO LOOK AT DOWNSIZING EVERYTHING IN OUR LIVES TO BE ABLE TO AFFORD, UM, FULL PRICE DAYCARE.
UM, I JUST WANNA END BY SAYING TOO, AS A PLANNER AT CAPITAL METRO, A BIG PART OF MY JOB IS FINDING CREATIVE SOLUTIONS FOR THE COMMUNITY AND PROBLEM SOLVING.
AND I'D LIKE TO IMPLORE THE MEMBERS OF THE BOARD TO DO THE SAME, UM, PROBLEM SOLVE, FIND CREATIVE SOLUTIONS FOR YOUR EMPLOYEES.
'CAUSE JUST CLOSING IT DOWN WITH A MONTH'S NOTICE IS NOT A CREATIVE SOLUTION.
UH, THOSE ARE ALL THE FOLKS THAT WE HAVE SIGNED UP.
IS THERE ANYONE ELSE IN THE AUDIENCE THAT WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK TO THIS ISSUE? UM, OKAY.
IF YOU, UM, WELL IF YOU'LL, IF YOU'LL GIVE A SHEET AND YOU CAN JUST, I'LL GET ONE FROM HER.
UM, AND IF YOU'LL TELL US YOUR NAME.
UM, I AM A PARENT OF A 13 MONTH OLD AT BRIGHT HORIZONS.
UM, I ACTUALLY DID NOT KNOW THAT BRIGHT HORIZONS CAP METRO WAS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC ORIGINALLY.
I FOUND OUT THROUGH ANOTHER PARENT, UM, AND WE IMMEDIATELY GOT ON THE WAIT LIST.
UM, WE WERE ON THE WAIT LIST FOR ONE YEAR.
UM, WE WERE ATTENDING ANOTHER DAYCARE.
UM, AND I JUST, RIDE HORIZONS IS SO SPECIAL.
I'VE ONLY BEEN THERE FOR SIX MONTHS AND THE THOUGHT OF IT CLOSING IS HEARTBREAKING.
UM, EAST AUSTIN HAS NO DAYCARES.
WE WERE SPENDING 45 MINUTES A DAY DRIVING TO OUR PREVIOUS DAYCARE AND WE LIVE FIVE MINUTES FROM HERE.
AND THAT IS TIME THAT WE'VE GOTTEN BACK WITH OUR CHILD.
THEY DO NOT CLOSE RANDOMLY FOR TWO WEEKS IN THE MIDDLE OF SUMMER, WHICH IS AWESOME.
UM, AND IT'S REALLY ALLOWED MY HUSBAND AND I, UM, TO NOT ONLY BE GREAT PARENTS BUT ALSO EXCEL AT OUR CAREERS AND WE'RE SO GRATEFUL.
UM, I KNOW THIS IS NOT A BLACK AND WHITE SITUATION AND I HOPE THAT WE CAN FIND A COMPROMISE IF, I HOPE THAT YOU CAN SIGN A CONTRACT FOR LONGER THAN A YEAR.
UM, BECAUSE AS YOU KNOW, THAT'S THE TYPICAL WAIT LIST AT MOST DAYCARES.
UM, SO THERE'S GOTTA BE A SOLUTION.
I AM HAPPY TO PAY MORE TO STAY AT THE STATE CARE AND TO HELP THE CAP METRO EMPLOYEES.
SO I SEE MS. JOSEPH HAS MADE IT IN, UH, SHE WAS SCHEDULED TO, UH, SPEAK REMOTELY, BUT SHE'S ON SITE.
UM, MS. JOSEPH, RIGHT? YOU HAVE FIVE MINUTES, TWO ITEMS. CAN YOU WAIT FOR MR. EASTON? GIVE MY SLIDES? OKAY.
THANK YOU MR. CHAIR MEMBERS, I'M ENOVIA JOSEPH.
MY COMMENTS ARE SPECIFICALLY RELATED TO TITLE VI OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS ACTS, WHICH OF 1964, WHICH PROHIBITS DISCRIMINATION BASED ON RACE, COLOR, AND NATIONAL ORIGIN.
I JUST WANTED TO CALL TO YOUR ATTENTION THAT CAPITOL METRO ACTUALLY
[00:55:01]
ACKNOWLEDGED THE RACIAL ZONING HISTORY.AND IF YOU LOOK AT THE SLIDE, YOU'LL SEE AN ADVERTISEMENT WHICH SAYS HYDE PARK IS STRICTLY FOR WHITE PEOPLE AND SPECIFICALLY WHERE YOU WILL START THE LIGHT RAIL.
IT SAYS THERE IS NOT NOW AND NEVER WILL BE NEGROES FOR NEIGHBORS IN HYDE PARK.
I JUST WANT YOU TO RECOGNIZE THE NEED FOR SHELTERS IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
IF YOU LOOK AT THE BOTTOM, THAT IS WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE.
YOU CAN'T EVEN HARDLY SEE THE BLACK MAN THAT'S THERE.
BUT IN HYDE PARK ON ROUTE SEVEN DUVAL 30TH STREET WHERE THERE'S STILL CONSTRUCTION FOR THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN STUDENTS, YOU'LL SEE THAT CAPITOL METRO HAS THE SHELTER IN PLACE WAITING FOR THEM.
AND SO WITH THE $22.9 MILLION THAT THE CITY RECEIVED FOR SAFE STREETS AND ROADS FOR ALL, I WOULD ASK YOU TO USE THAT MONEY TO ALSO GIVE US SHELTERS.
AS IT RELATES SPECIFICALLY TO YOUR ACTION ITEMS ONE AND THREE, I JUST WANT YOU TO RECOGNIZE THAT AS IT RELATES TO THE SUMMER SERVICE CHANGES, I WOULD ASK YOU TO RESTORE SERVICE IN NORTHEAST AUSTIN.
AS I WAS TRYING TO FIND THE DISTANCE FOR COMMUNITY FIRST VILLAGE TO DECKER AND LOYOLA, THE CAPITAL METRO AD CONTINUOUSLY POPPED UP.
BUT I JUST WANT YOU TO RECOGNIZE THAT EVEN IF INDIVIDUALS WHO LIVE THERE WANTED TO WORK FOR CAPITOL METRO, THEY COULD NOT.
THE BUS STARTS AT SEVEN O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING AND ENDS ABOUT 10 AND IT ONLY ENDS AT 10 BECAUSE I FILED A US DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION COMPLAINT IN 2018 AND THEY ADDED TWO HOURS TO THE ROUTE.
ONE OF THE CRITERION TO LIVE AT COMMUNITY FIRST VILLAGE IS THAT YOU HAVE TO BE DISABLED.
I WANT YOU TO RECOGNIZE THAT IT IS A MILE WALK.
AND SO I DID THE SCREENSHOT SO THAT YOU COULD ACTUALLY SEE FOR YOURSELF.
I WANT YOU TO RECOGNIZE THAT MR. GRAHAM ACTUALLY INVESTED $20 MILLION INTO THIS FACILITY IN TRAVIS COUNTY.
RESPECTFULLY, COMMISSIONER, YOU HAVE NOT IMPROVED THE FREQUENCY ON THAT ROUTE.
I WANT YOU TO RECOGNIZE THIS AS 51 ACRES AND SPECIFICALLY THE EXPO CENTER, WHICH IS YOUR, UH, ACTION ITEM NUMBER THREE IS REALLY JUST DUPLICATIVE SERVICE.
I HAVE THE PLAN FROM 2005, WHICH ACTUALLY SHOWS ROUTE 37 AND ROBERTO GONZALEZ CAN CONFIRM IT WAS ELIMINATED JUNE 3RD, 2018 FOR CAP REMAP.
AND SO THIS IS DUPLICATIVE SERVICE.
THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE THERE CANNOT GET TO THE DAY LABOR.
AND I WOULD ASK YOU TO RECOGNIZE THE NEED TO DO BETTER.
THIS IS ACTUALLY JUST CSAC AND ONE OF THE THINGS I WANT YOU TO RECOGNIZE IS THAT IS VIEWPOINT DISCRIMINATION AT THE END OF YOUR BOARD PACKET TODAY, APPROXIMATELY PAGES 1 61 TO 1 69, YOU'LL SEE SPECIFICALLY THAT THERE IS CHINATOWN.
I WANNA SAY THAT I APPRECIATE THE DATA THAT'S IN THE BOARD PACKET.
OVER 200 PEOPLE BOARD THE BUS THERE.
WHAT I WANT YOU TO UNDERSTAND IS THAT IT DOES NOT MENTION MY NAME, HOWEVER, IT IS SCRIPTED FOR THESE PEOPLE WHO DON'T LOOK LIKE ME ON THE SCREEN.
AND SO I WANT YOU TO RECOGNIZE THAT WHEN YOU ELIMINATE PUTTING MY NAME IN THE PEOPLE WHO ARE BLACK IN THE BOARD PACKET, YOU ARE DISCRIMINATING AGAINST US.
AND SO WHAT I WANT YOU TO RECOGNIZE IS THAT THERE WERE ZERO VIEWS AND THAT THE CSAC MEETING WAS NOT EVEN ONLINE.
SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY DISCUSSED OTHER THAN WHAT IS IN THE BOARD PACKET.
I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S ANOTHER SLIDE OR NOT.
I GAVE MR. EASTON MORE THAN ONE EN ROUTE.
I WANT YOU TO REMEMBER IN 2014, PROJECT CONNECT LOCALLY PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE STUDY SHOWED THAT OVER 58% OF THE JOBS WOULD BE IN THE NORTH CORRIDOR BY 2035.
I WANT YOU TO UNDERSTAND THAT THERE'S 425 ACRE DEVELOPMENT EAST VILLAGE, WHICH IS ACROSS FROM SAMSUNG, JULY 27TH, 2020.
YOU UNILATERALLY ELIMINATED THE NORTHEAST WEST CONNECTIVITY SAMSUNG TO APPLE.
AND I WANT YOU TO UNDERSTAND THAT THIS GROWTH IS NOT GOING AWAY.
THERE ARE OVER 2000 UNITS AT DESA AND PALMER TODAY, AND I WANT YOU TO RECOGNIZE THAT THERE'S AN A DEVELOPMENT RIGHT NOW WITH 614 PARKING SPACES AND COUNCIL MEMBER POOL, AND THE OTHER MEMBERS FROM COUNCIL KNOW SPECIFICALLY DECEMBER 8TH, 2022, THE CITY EXERCISED IMMINENT DOMAIN TO RELIEVE THE CONGESTION THERE.
THOSE ARE MY COMMENTS, BUT I JUST WANT CHARMILLA AND MUER.
G IF I HAD THE TIME, I'D SHOW YOU THE PICTURE.
I WANT YOU TO RECOGNIZE THAT AT CHINATOWN IT WILL COST NO MONEY.
MR. CHAIR, THE LANDING PAD IS STILL THERE.
YOU CAN JUST PUT THE POLE BACK AT KRAMER AND MAKE IT ONE, AND THEN MOVE THE STOP.
THAT'S MID-BLOCK OVER TO CHINA, THE CHINATOWN STOP OVER TO CVS PHARMACY AT BREAKER AND NORTH LAMAR.
AND I GET YOU GOT THE FAR SIDE AND ALL OF THAT INFORMATION.
BUT THERE'S A 2015 FEDERAL TRANSIT ADMINISTRATION DOCUMENT THAT ACTUALLY TALKS
[01:00:01]
ABOUT THE DISTANCE AND ALL.AND I WOULD JUST GIVE YOU ONE EXAMPLE SPECIFICALLY AT AIRPORT THAT IS WHERE YOU ACTUALLY HAVE THE BUS THAT STOPS TWICE.
IT WAS AT THE HIGHLAND WHERE IT WAS AT.
THE LIGHT MOVED OVER TO THE JACK IN THE BOX.
THE SAME THING HAPPENS ON STANE LANE.
SO THAT IS NOT A REASON NOT TO MAKE THIS AREA SAFE FOR THE MINORITIES WHO ARE BOARDING THE BUS THERE.
I THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO BE SO EXTENSIVE AND IT TAKES A WHILE TO GET HERE ON THE BUS, SO I JUST AM GLAD THAT I MADE IT IN TIME.
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, I'LL GLADLY ANSWER THEM AT THIS TIME.
BOARD MEMBERS, ANY QUESTIONS? THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
[V. Advisory Committee Updates]
WE'RE GONNA MOVE INTO, UH, OUR ADVISORY BOARD COMMITTEE UPDATES.MS. PARRA, ARE YOU HERE TO INTRODUCE THOSE? IS MS. POWER HERE? SHE OKAY.
SO MAYBE WHAT WE CAN DO IN THE MEANTIME IS START WITH OUR BOARD COMMITTEE UPDATES AND OH, UP.
ALRIGHT, MS. BROWN, HOW ARE YOU? GOOD.
PLEASE GO AHEAD WITH CUSTOMER SATISFACTION ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
GOOD AFTERNOON, CHAIR TRAIAN, VICE CHAIR, POOL PRESIDENT, AND CEO WATKINS, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.
MY NAME IS EDNA PARRA, COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT MANAGER AND STAFF LIAISON FOR THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
UH, ADVISORY COMMITTEES FOR CAB METRO.
UM, AND I'M HERE TO PROVIDE YOU WITH THE MARCH COMMITTEE UPDATES.
UM, ALSO WITH ME IS CHAIR HUNT FROM ACCESS.
UM, SO I'LL GO THROUGH MY UPDATE FOR CSAC AND ACCESS AND THEN PASS IT ON TO, UM, UM, FOR HIS OTHER ACCESS ITEMS. UM, SO FOR MARCH, ACCESS AND CSAC MET ON MARCH 3RD AND 10TH.
UM, AND THE ACCESS COMMITTEE UPDATES INCLUDED THE SELF-EVALUATION AND A DA TRANSITION PLAN BY MARTIN CARI.
UH, THE PROPOSED SUMMER SERVICE CHANGED BY, UH, ROBERTO GONZALEZ.
UM, CSAC RECEIVED UPDATES ON THE ANTI DISPLACEMENT FUNDING FROM THE CITY OF AUSTIN'S HOUSING DEPARTMENT, UM, STAFF MEMBER MARLA, UH, TODO, AND ALSO AN UPDATE FROM METRO BIKE, UH, STRATEGIC EXPANSION PLAN FROM PETER PETER BRENTON.
UM, BOTH COMMITTEES RECEIVED AN UPDATE ON THE TITLE VI POLICY UPDATES AND, EXCUSE ME, AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT OVERVIEW THAT'S CURRENTLY HAPPENING AND WILL END ON APRIL 10TH.
AND THAT WAS FROM, UM, EMMA MARTINEZ AND PINEL B LING.
UM, AND I'LL PAUSE THERE FOR THE UPDATES FOR ACCESS WITH CHAIR HUNT.
AND THEN AFTER THAT I'LL DO THE PSAC UPDATES.
ANY QUESTIONS? THEN? LET'S CONTINUE.
CAN YOU HEAR ME OKAY, GUYS? YES.
UM, CHAIR TRILLIAN, UM, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, UM, PRESIDENT, CEO WATKINS, AND EVERYBODY, UH, THANKS SO MUCH FOR LETTING ME, UH, YOU KNOW, PRESENT THIS AFTERNOON.
UM, FIRST OF ALL, UM, WE'VE BEEN HEARING UPDATES ON THE, UM, SELF-EVALUATION.
UM, I HAVE TO TELL YOU THAT, UM, A FEW MONTHS AGO I TOOK THE, UH, LIGHT RAIL.
I WAS DOING THE PILOT TESTING, UH, FOR THE FAIR CAPPING, AND I GOT A CHANCE TO USE THE LIGHT RAIL GOING DOWNTOWN FROM HOWARD STATION.
CHECK THE DOWNTOWN STATION OUT.
GUYS DO A WONDERFUL JOB OF MAKING IT SAFE.
UM, YOU HAVE THINGS, UH, BARRICADED SO THAT YOU CAN'T GO WHERE YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO GO.
YOU'VE GOT, UM, VERY, UH, NICE TACTILE MARKERS ON THE LINES AND EVERYTHING LIKE THAT.
UM, ALSO, UM, SUMMER UP UPDATES WERE, THEY'RE PRETTY ROUTINE.
THEY, THEY HAPPEN AND, AND, UM, THAT'S OKAY.
UH, TITLE VI, I'M NOT ALL THAT FAMILIAR WITH, BUT, UM, WE GOT AN UPDATE ON THAT AS WELL.
UM, WE'VE BEEN WORKING AND, AND TRYING TO GET SCANNERS ON OUR BUSES, UH, ON THE METRO ACCESS AND PAIR AND, UH, PICKUP VEHICLES.
UM, MARTIN GAVE ME AN UPDATE SAYING THAT WE'RE REALLY NOT GONNA DO THAT FOR THE BUS, THE OPERATORS ON PICKUP OR, UM, METRO ACCESS.
UM, I DISAPPOINTED IN THAT, UM, FOR A COUPLE REASONS.
FIRST OF ALL, UH, IT CAUSES CONFUSION WITH THE PASSENGERS AND THE OPERATORS.
YESTERDAY, UH, I WAS ON A, ON A BUS AND THE OPERATOR CHALLENGED THE PASSENGER.
AND THE PASSENGER, UM, SAID, I ALREADY PAID, YOU KNOW, BOUGHT MY PASS.
[01:05:01]
THEY'D HAVE TO CALL METRO.WELL, IT SAYS, IT SAYS THE PASS IS THERE, AND THEN IT SAYS ON THE APP THAT IT'S INACTIVE, WHICH IS NOT NECESSARILY TRUE.
IT'S ACTIVE, BUT BECAUSE THEY CAN'T SCAN, THEY CAN'T VALIDATE.
THE OTHER THING IS, UM, FOR US WHO I'M A, I'M ONE UNUSUAL BECAUSE I'M A MULTIMODAL WRITER, RIGHT? I WRITE EVERY SERVICE YOU HAVE.
I WRITE, EXCEPT I DON'T DO VAN POOLING.
AND, YOU KNOW, UM, THAT KIND OF STUFF.
I TAKE THE BUSES, I TAKE WHITE RAIL AND I DO PICKUP.
SO WHAT YOU CAN'T DO ON PICKUP IS YOU CAN'T USE CARDS THAT ARE MONEY THAT'S STORED ON YOUR AMP CARD.
YOU CAN'T DO IT BECAUSE THERE'S NO SCANNER.
UM, YOU CAN'T VALIDATE A PASS, ACTUALLY VALIDATE A TICKET BECAUSE THERE'S NO SCANNER.
UM, SO THE OPERATORS JUST GO, WELL, WE SEE IT, IT LOOKS LIKE YOU GOT A PASS.
WELL, THAT'S OKAY, YOU KNOW, BUT REALLY IT'S CONFUSING AND THAT SORT OF THING.
UM, THE PROBLEM WITH SPARE PAY THOUGH IS WHEN ONE PERSON, YOU GOT TWO PEOPLE RIDING ON METRO ACCESS, THEN, UM, THE RIDER HAS TO PAY FOR BOTH.
THERE'S NO WAY TO SPLIT THAT ON, ON, ON SPARE.
SO, UM, THE WHOLE FAIR CAPPING, IT'S A WONDERFUL IDEA, BUT YOU HAVEN'T FINISHED THE PROJECT.
AND THIS IS NOT CHARACTERISTIC OF METRO.
METRO COMPLETES WHAT IT STARTS.
AND THEY HAVEN'T DONE IT HERE.
AND WHAT I PROPOSE THAT WE DO IS WE GET THE PARTIES INVOLVED.
'CAUSE THE CSAC IS INVOLVED AS WELL.
UM, THE CHAIR, ME, UH, THE CEO, WHOEVER THE BOARD WANTS TO DESIGNATE AND GET A GROUP TOGETHER, GET A WORKING SESSION TOGETHER AND SEE IF WE CAN MAKE THIS HAPPEN.
BECAUSE IT'S REALLY, UM, YOU'RE ALSO NOT COLLECTING DATA PROPERLY.
YOU KNOW, HOW ARE YOU GONNA COUNT YOUR BOARDING WHEN YOU'RE NOT SCANNING PASSES AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO, UM, WHOEVER MADE THAT DECISION, UH, I FEEL THAT IT'S SHORTSIGHTED, UH, AND, UM, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE A SOMETHING DONE ABOUT IT.
SO, UM, THAT'S, THAT'S IT FOR MY REPORT.
THANK YOU CHAIR HUNT FOR JOINING US, AND I'LL FOLLOW UP WITH YOU AND STAFF, UM, ON THAT ITEM TOO.
UM, AND I'LL CLOSE IT OFF FOR PUBLIC SAFETY ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
UM, WE HAD OUR FIRST SUBCOMMITTEE MEETING ON PROGRAM STRATEGIES AND POLICIES, UH, LED BY COMMITTEE MEMBERS, LUIS OSTAD LUGO, AND, UH, LESLIE YORK.
UH, WE INITIATED THE SERIES, UH, REVIEWING POLICIES ON ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE AND RESPONSIBILITY, MISSION, VISION, CORE VALUES, AND CODE, CODE OF ETHICS AND POLICY AGAINST BIAS BASED POLICING.
UM, THOSE ARE STILL AVAILABLE ON OUR PUBLIC INPUT SITE FOR COMMENTS.
UH, WE'LL ALSO HAVE OUR SECOND MEETING ON APRIL 4TH.
UM, AND THOSE ARE POSTED FOR REVIEW AND COMMENT AS WELL.
UM, AND, UM, THIS FRIDAY, MARCH 29TH, WE'LL HAVE A, A PSAC MEETING AND THEY'LL BE GETTING UPDATES ON THE SUBCOMMITTEES.
UM, AND ALSO JUST UPDATES ON THE PUBLIC SAFETY PROGRAM.
UM, I, I THINK ON THE LAST NOTE ON PSAC, WE HAD OUR, WE HAVE THE APPOINTMENT ON THE CONSENT AGENDA FOR MS. SHEENA WALTER.
UM, SO THANK YOU FOR EVERYBODY WHO HELPED US GET A COMPLETE P SAC COMMITTEE.
IF, UM, I'M HERE IF YOU GUYS HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, IF, IF YOU ALL HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.
ANY QUESTIONS? BOARD MEMBERS, HEARING NONE.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE EXCELLENT WORK THAT YOU CONTINUE TO DO.
UM, CHAIR'S BEEN MADE AWARE THAT THERE, UH, IS CONSENSUS ON THE BOARD AND IT LOOKS LIKE MOST OF THE PEOPLE ARE HERE FOR A PARTICULAR ITEM.
SO IT SEEMS THAT THERE'S CONSENSUS ON THE BOARD TO MOVE THAT ITEM, UH, FROM ACTION ITEM NUMBER TWO TO CURRENT ITEM, WHICH, UM, WHICH WE WOULD, UH, VOTE ON BEFORE WE GO TO THE BOARD COMMITTEE UPDATES.
CHAIR WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO THAT REGARD, IF ANY, IF ANYONE'S INTERESTED.
THAT, THAT MOTION IS MADE BY BOARD MEMBER POOL AND IT IS SECONDED BY BOARD MEMBER VAN.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION, ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? OKAY.
I, I WOULD LIKE TO JUST SAY A COUPLE THINGS.
I WAS, UM, TAKEN BY SURPRISE, UH, AS YOU WERE LAST WEEK TO HEAR ABOUT THE, UH, LACK OF SUPPORT FOR CONTINUING THE BRIGHT HORIZONS CHILDCARE PROGRAM.
AND I WANT TO TELL YOU ALL HOW MUCH, HOW VERY MUCH I APPRECIATE YOU COMING TOGETHER SO QUICKLY AND SO ELOQUENTLY AND NOT WITHOUT TEARS, UH, TO REMIND THIS DAIS ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF THE CHILDCARE BENEFIT THAT THIS, UM, PUBLIC AGENCY HAS BEEN PROVIDING TO ITS EMPLOYEES.
[01:10:01]
CUTTING THAT SHORT IN A MERE TWO WEEKS, UH, WHAT THAT ACTUAL IMPACT IS FOR LIVING, BREATHING REAL HUMAN BEINGS.UM, MY DAUGHTER IS 36 NOW, AND SO SHE'S PROBABLY THE AGE OF SOME OF YOU ALL, AND SHE DOESN'T HAVE ANY KIDS YET, BUT I REMEMBER HOW HARD IT WAS WHEN I WAS PREGNANT 37 YEARS AGO TO FIND CHILDCARE.
AND WHILE WE DO HAVE MORE OPTIONS NOW, WE STILL DON'T HAVE ENOUGH.
SO CUTTING THIS SER SERVICE OFF SO ABRUPTLY AND WITHOUT CLEAR, UH, NOTICE, UH, AS A PUBLIC ENTITY, I, I VERY MUCH, UH, WAS STARTLED AND VERY MUCH OPPOSED THAT.
SO I'M GRATEFUL TODAY FOR YOU ALL COMING HERE AND GIVING US A CLEAR, UH, LINE OF VISION INTO YOUR CONCERNS.
I SHARE YOUR CONCERNS, YOU PRESENTED THEM MOST ELOQUENTLY.
I DID TALK WITH DOTTIE OVER THE WEEKEND, UH, ABOUT FINDING A CLEAR PATH, UH, FORWARD.
AND SHE HAS COMMITTED TO DOING THAT.
AND I KNOW THAT THE CAT METRO STAFF HAD BEEN TRYING TO DO THAT.
THIS, IT'S NOT THAT, THAT THEY WERE NOT.
SO I THINK WHAT WE ARE LOOKING AT HERE IS A RECOMMITMENT TO THIS PROCESS AND TRYING TO WORK THROUGH SOME OF THE CONCERNS THAT THE, MY COLLEAGUES HERE ON THE DIOCESE HAVE RAISED.
UM, AND WE WILL SEE WHERE WE ARE AT WITH SOME ADDITIONAL EFFORT.
UM, AND I ALSO JUST WANTED TO SEE IF OUR CEO WANTED TO SPEAK TO THIS BOARD MEMBER.
UH, THIS IS JUST TO MOVE THE ITEM.
I'LL CALL THE ITEM UP AND THEN WE CAN HAVE DISCUSSION ABOUT THIS IS JUST TO MOVE IT FROM WHERE IT IS OKAY.
TO WHERE WE CAN ACT, ACT ON IT.
AND I WON'T NEED TO TALK AGAIN,
AND WHEN IT'S APPROPRIATE, I WOULD LIKE TO ASK DOTTIE TO SPEAK TO THIS TOPIC.
UH, I THINK SHE RECOGNIZES THE, THE DEEP CONCERNS OF THE EMPLOYEES AND NOT JUST THE EMPLOYEES AT CAT METRO, BUT EVERYBODY WHO HAS BEEN USING THE BRIGHT HORIZONS, UH, CHILDCARE ACROSS THE STREET.
[VIII.2. Approval of a resolution authorizing the President & CEO, or her designee, to finalize and execute a contract with Bright Horizons Family Solutions, LLC for the management of the Childcare and Learning Center operations for one base year for a total contract amount of $662,090.]
SEE.UM, ALL IN FAVOR TO MOVE THE ITEM FROM ACTION ITEM NUMBER TWO TO THE NEXT ITEM THAT WE ACT ON.
PLEASE LET IT BE KNOWN BY SAYING AYE.
THE CHAIR WILL MAKE IT UNANIMOUS.
NOW WE WILL PULL UP, UH, THE ITEM AND THE ITEM, UH, WILL READ APPROVAL OF A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE PRESIDENT AND CEO OR HER DESIGNEE TO FINALIZE AND EXECUTE A CONTRACT WITH BRIGHT HORIZONS FAMILY SOLUTIONS LLC, UH, FOR THE MANAGEMENT, UH, OF THE CHILDCARE AND LEARNING CENTER OPERATIONS FOR ONE BASE YEAR FOR A TOTAL CONTRACT AMOUNT OF $597,090.
UH, DONNA SIMMONS WILL, WILL, UH, TELL US OTHER THINGS THAT WE NEED TO KNOW AND THEN WE WILL, UM, IF, IF I MAY POINT OF PRIVILEGE, SAY A FEW WORDS FIRST.
I THINK I'D LIKE TO, THAT'S FINE.
UM, THANK YOU VERY MUCH ALL WHO CAME OUT TO SPEAK TO US TODAY.
I KNOW THAT IT IS NOT EASY TO TAKE TIME AWAY FROM WORK AND YOUR LIVES TO COME TALK TO US.
UM, I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE ON BEHALF OF OUR CURRENT EMPLOYEES AND OUR PAST EMPLOYEES, AND EVEN OUR FUTURE EMPLOYEES, THAT WE ARE IN A CHILDCARE CRISIS.
AND WE KNOW THAT THAT IS THE STATE OF THE COMMUNITY TODAY.
AND ONE THAT'S NOT JUST AN AUSTIN PROBLEM, IT'S, IT'S A NATIONAL PROBLEM.
OUR REGION IS ALSO EXPERIENCING AN AFFORDABILITY CRISIS, UM, AND LAND USE CHALLENGES, WHICH FURTHER EXACERBATE THOSE ISSUES AND FRANKLY, EXACERBATE THE LIMITED RESOURCES WE HAVE TO EFFECTIVELY AND EFFICIENTLY SERVE OUR REGION'S PUBLIC TRANSIT NEEDS.
THAT DIFFICULT PUBLIC TRANSIT OPERATING ENVIRONMENT IS THE SAME ENVIRONMENT WHICH WE HAVE TO RECRUIT AND HIRE STAFF.
AND SO THESE ISSUES ARE IMPORTANT TO US ON BOTH SIDES OF THAT CORN, BOTH IN THE TRANSIT PLANNING REALM AS WELL AS, UM, IN THE STAFF RECRUITMENT REALM.
UM, FOR NEARLY 20 YEARS, WE'VE PROVIDED ONSITE CHILDCARE FOR OUR EMPLOYEES BECAUSE IT'S WHAT OUR EMPLOYEES NEEDED.
UM, OUR MOST RECENT EMPLOYEE SURVEY ABOUT CHILDCARE CONFIRMED WHAT OUR GUT INSTINCT TOLD US, WHICH WAS THAT THAT MODEL WASN'T WORKING FOR THE MAJORITY OF THE CAT METRO FAMILY ANYMORE.
AND THAT THE NEEDS OF THE 2024 WORKFORCE ARE MUCH MORE GEOGRAPHICALLY DISPERSED.
OUR STAFF ARE MUCH MORE GEOGRAPHICALLY DISPERSED AS ARE OUR OFFICES AND FACILITIES.
AND THAT ONE SIZE FITS ALL MODEL ISN'T FITTING RIGHT NOW.
SO WHAT DOES THIS MEAN? THIS MEANS WE NEED TO, WE NEED TO STILL SOLVE THE PROBLEM.
AND THERE IS A, WE RECOGNIZE OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO SOLVE THAT PROBLEM IN A WAY THAT PROVIDES, UM, THE LEAST HARM.
SO TO GIVE US THE TIME TO PUT PEN TO PAPER AND FIGURE OUT WHAT WE ARE DOING, THE STAFF CONTINUES TO RECOMMEND THAT THE BOARD, UM, APPROVE
[01:15:01]
THE ITEM THAT WAS, UM, DISCUSSED BUT NOT FORWARDED BY THE FINANCE AUDIT ADMINISTRATION COMMITTEE, UM, TO AUTHORIZE THE NEW CONTRACT WITH BRIGHT HORIZONS FOR, WITH FUNDING APPROVED FOR A PERIOD OF ONE YEAR, UM, SO THAT WE CAN FIGURE OUT WHAT'S GOING ON AND KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THE PLAN WILL BE GOING FORWARD.SO WITH THAT, I WILL TURN IT OVER TO DON.
I TOOK A LITTLE BIT OF HER THUNDER.
I KNOW, BUT I WANTED TO MAKE SURE TO PROVIDE THAT, THAT CONTEXT AND, AND REALLY HELP RECOGNIZE HOW DIFFICULT THIS CHALLENGE IS AND THAT WE DO RECOGNIZE OUR RESPONSIBILITY HERE.
THANK YOU DOTIE AND BOARD CHAIR OF ILION, BOARD MEMBERS PRESIDENT, CEO DOTTIE WATKINS.
I AM DONNA SIMMONS, AND I SERVE AS CAPTAIN METROS, EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT OF ADMINISTRATION AND DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION OFFICER.
UH, YOU'VE ALREADY HEARD WHAT THE BOARD ACTION IS, UH, BEFORE YOU TODAY, SO I WON'T REPEAT THAT.
I'LL JUST GO AHEAD AND GET INTO, UM, THE SHORT PRESENTATION THAT I HAVE FOR YOU TO SHARE SOME INFORMATION, UM, THAT SPEAKS TO A LOT OF WHAT DOTTY ALREADY SAID, UM, BUT, AND ALSO PROVIDES, UM, THE DETAILS OF THE CONTRACT THAT WE ARE RECOMMENDING TO THE BOARD TODAY.
YOU'VE HEARD A LOT OF TALK ABOUT, UM, CAP NITRO BEING A FAMILY FRIENDLY EMPLOYER.
UM, SO, UM, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF WAYS THAT WE DEMONSTRATE THAT IN ADDITION TO OUR OWN SITE CHILDCARE CENTER, WE HAD PAID PARENTAL LEAVE.
YOU HEARD SOME INDICATIONS AND DISCUSSION ABOUT THAT TODAY.
AND, AND PART OF THE, AND A REQUEST TO, TO CONSIDER MAKING THAT A LONGER LEAVE, WHICH IS ON THE LIST THAT I WILL GET TO LATER IN THE PRESENTATION.
UM, WE OFFER CHILDCARE LOCATION SERVICES THROUGH OUR EMPLOYEE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.
OUR HEALTHCARE COVERAGE FOR CAP METRO EMPLOYEES, UM, INCLUDES COVERAGE FOR FAMILY MEMBERS AT A VERY COMPETITIVE, AND I WOULD SAY LOW COST.
UM, WE OFFER FLEXIBLE WORK SCHEDULES WHEN FEASIBLE FOR EMPLOYEES WHO WORK IN A ROLE THAT, WHERE THAT, WHERE THAT IS POSSIBLE.
WE HAVE PAID SICK LEAVE TO CARE FOR FAMILY MEMBERS, AND AS YOU'VE HEARD A LOT ABOUT TODAY, WE LED THE WAY IN PROVIDING ONSITE CHILDCARE STARTING IN 2006.
SOME ADDITIONAL BACKGROUND ON THE CENTER, UH, YOU'VE HEARD SOME REFERENCE TO THIS AS WELL.
UH, WE HAVE IN THE PAST DONE RETURN ON INVESTMENT ANALYSIS THAT DEMONSTRATED THE SUCCESS OF THE PROGRAM BY THAT RESULTED IN LESS EMPLOYEE ABSENTEEISM AND HIGHER RATES OF RETENTION FOR EMPLOYEES WHO WERE USING THE CENTER AS COMPARED TO OTHER EMPLOYEES.
WE DID OPEN THE CENTER TO THE COMMUNITY BACK IN 2012 TO HELP REDUCE THE SUBSIDY AS WELL AS TO MAINTAIN OCCUPANCY LEVELS NEAR THE CAPACITY OF THE CENTER, WHICH IS AT 65.
WE DID EXPERIENCE A REDUCTION IN THE ENROLLMENT IN THE CENTER DURING THE PANDEMIC AS MANY CHILDCARE CENTERS DID.
UM, AND THE CHILDCARE CENTER HAS BEEN FOCUSED SINCE THEN ON REBUILDING THE ENROLLMENT IN THE CENTER TO, UM, CLOSER TO FULL CAPACITY.
SPEAKING OF THAT CAPACITY IN THE PAST THREE OR FOUR YEARS, IT'S BEEN ABOUT 80 TO 83% FULL.
THERE WERE YEARS PRIOR TO THAT WHEN IT WAS A HUNDRED PERCENT FULL, BUT THAT HASN'T BEEN THE CASE IN THE LAST FOUR OR FIVE YEARS.
UM, THE PROGRAM ACCEPTS THE CHILDCARE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM THROUGH WORKFORCE SOLUTIONS CAPITAL AREA, WHICH PROVIDES ELIGIBLE FAMILIES WITH CHILD CHILDCARE SCHOLARSHIPS TO HELP COVER CHILDCARE NEEDS.
UM, THE CENTER ACCEPTS AGES INFANT TO PRESCHOOL.
THERE'S NO, UH, SCHOOL AGE PROGRAM OR AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAM THAT'S PROVIDED BY THE CENTER.
UM, AND THE CENTER IS ALSO CERTIFIED TO RECEIVE FOOD ASSISTANCE THROUGH THE CHILD AND ADULT CARE FOOD PROGRAM FROM THE STATE OF TEXAS.
I'LL MOVE ON NOW TO TALK SOME ABOUT BRIGHT HORIZONS QUALIFICATIONS.
AS YOU'VE HEARD REFERENCE TO BRIGHT HORIZONS HAS OPERATED THE CENTER SINCE 2006 WHEN WE FIRST OPERATED, WHEN WE FIRST OPENED IT.
THE CENTER IS ACCREDITED BY THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR THE EDUCATION OF YOUNG CHILDREN, UH, WHICH IS ONE OF THE MOST STRINGENT CERTIFICATIONS THAT, UH, ACCREDITATIONS THAT CAN BE RECEIVED FOR A CHILDCARE CENTER.
SOME OF THE CRITERIA FOR THAT INCLUDE A HIGHLY TRAINED STAFF, STAFF AND CHILD RATIOS AND GROUP SIZES THAT ARE MORE STRINGENT THAN STATE LICENSING REQUIREMENTS.
COMPREHENSIVE EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION CURRICULUM, AND STRINGENT HEALTH AND SAFETY STANDARDS.
THE CENTER IS ALSO CERTIFIED THROUGH THE STATE, UM, UNDER THE, UH, TEXAS RISING STAR PROGRAM, WHICH IS THE PROGRAM THAT, AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, OFFERS CHILDCARE SCHOLARSHIPS, VERY LOW STAFF TURNOVER, UM, COMPARED TO MOST CHILDCARE CENTERS.
UM, AS YOU'VE HEARD FROM SOME OF THE PRESENTERS HERE TODAY, UM, A LOT OF THE TEACHERS WHO ARE, UM, WHO PROVIDE CARE AT THE CENTER HAD BEEN THERE SINCE THE CENTER OPENED IN 2006.
VERY HIGH PARENT SATISFACTION.
I PROBABLY DON'T NEED TO TALK MUCH MORE ABOUT THAT BASED ON WHAT YOU'VE ALREADY HEARD.
HIGH QUALITY EMPLOYER SPONSORED EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION ENVIRONMENTS ACROSS THE UNITED STATES.
MOVING ONTO THE PROPOSED CONTRACT, UM, WE'VE SAID THIS NUMBER A COUPLE OF TIMES.
UM, THE PROPOSED CONTRACT IS FOR A ONE YEAR PERIOD, UM, WITH AN ANNUAL
[01:20:01]
COST OF $597,090.UM, THAT COST IS ARRIVED AT FROM TAKING THE TOTAL ESTIMATED COST TO OPERATE THE CENTER, APPLYING ESTIMATED TUITION AT 80% OCCUPANCY, AND THEN CAP METRO WOULD PAY THE ANNUAL FIXED FEE.
UM, THAT, UM, THAT THAT RESULTS FROM THAT.
THERE ARE SOME INDIRECT COST OF OPERATING THE CENTER.
SO FOR EXAMPLE, UH, THE SPACE THAT THE CENTER OCCUPIES, UM, IF IT WERE TO BE LEASED AT FAIR MARKET VALUE IS ESTIMATED TO BE ABOUT $191,000, ALTHOUGH THERE WOULD BE SOME REPURPOSING SIGNIFICANT ONE-TIME REMODELING COSTS TO REPURPOSE THE CENTER FOR, FOR ANOTHER PURPOSE.
THERE ARE OTHER ANNUAL OPERATING COSTS FOR SOME SUPPORT THAT CAP METRO PAYS, SUCH AS FOR JANITORIAL, JANITORIAL MAINTENANCE AND UTILITIES.
AND BASED ON THE SQUARE FOOTAGE OF THE CENTER, THAT'S APPROXIMATELY $75,000.
WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT THIS BEFORE AS WELL.
THERE HAS BEEN A CHANGING ENROLLMENT LANDSCAPE.
SO CURRENTLY THE ENROLLMENT AT THE CENTER IS APPROXIMATELY 80% COMMUNITY AND 20% CAP METRO FAMILIES.
THERE ARE A NUMBER OF REASONS THAT WE, THAT WE BELIEVE DR.
UH, HAVE DRIVEN THAT, AND DOTTIE COVERED SOME OF THOSE.
UM, OUR EMPLOYEES LIVE IN A LARGER GEOGRAPHIC AREA THAN THEY DID IN THE PAST.
UM, WE HAVE MULTIPLE WORK LOCATIONS NOW, WHEREAS WHEN WE OPENED THE CENTER IN 2006, THE VAST MAJORITY OF OUR EMPLOYEES WORKED EITHER IN THIS FACILITY OR AT THE 6 24 FACILITY WHERE THE CHILDCARE CENTER IS LOCATED.
OUR EMPLOYEES WORK A VARIETY OF SCHEDULES AND HAVE A VARIETY OF CHILDCARE NEEDS.
DOTTIE REFERENCED THE CHILDCARE SURVEY THAT WE DID BACK IN THE SUMMER, UM, AND BASED ON THAT SURVEY, UM, WE HAVE BEEN EXPLORING SOME OF THE OTHER OPTIONS TO PROVIDE CHILDCARE ASSISTANCE TO OUR FAMILIES.
AND I'LL COVER THOSE IN A LITTLE BIT AS WELL.
SO, UH, WE ARE ABSOLUTELY COMMITTED TO REMAINING A FAMILY FRIENDLY EMPLOYER AND THESE ARE SOME OF THE OPTIONS THAT WE HAVE BEEN EXPLORING AND WILL CONTINUE TO, UM, OVER THE NEXT YEAR.
UM, REALLY OVER THE NEXT FEW MONTHS, AND I'LL GET TO THAT IN A MINUTE AS WELL.
CAPTAIN, OUR COMMITMENT TO COME BACK TO THE BOARD.
UM, SO SOME OF THOSE INCLUDE CHILDCARE AND ELDER CARE ASSISTANCE STIPENDS FOR EMPLOYEES OF CAP METRO AS WELL AS OUR CONTRACTED SERVICE PROVIDERS BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT EMPLOYEES, SOME EMPLOYEES HAVE CHILDCARE, CHILDCARE NEEDS, BUT THERE'S ALSO EMPLOYEES AT A DIFFERENT STAGE IN THEIR LIFE WHO ALSO HAVE ELDER CARE NEEDS.
SO IF WE WERE TO OFFER A STIPEND PROGRAM, WE WOULD WANT TO INCLUDE THAT AS A POTENTIAL BENEFIT AS WELL.
THERE IS, UM, ONE OF THE OPTIONS THAT WE'VE BEEN EXPLORING IS TENANT USE OF CAP METRO SPACE BY A CHILDCARE PROVIDER, BUT WITHOUT THE CAT METRO SUBSIDY THAT WE CURRENTLY PROVIDE.
EXPANDED PARENTAL LEAVE, YOU HEARD SOMETHING ABOUT EARLIER AND WE ARE EXPLORING THAT OPTION AS WELL.
BACKUP CARE SOLUTIONS, UM, IS ANOTHER OPTION EVEN WHEN PARENTS HAVE A PRIMARY CHILDCARE PROVIDER.
UM, THERE, THERE ARE TIMES WHEN THAT FALLS THROUGH.
UM, AND IN ORDER FOR THEM TO BE ABLE TO WORK, THEY MAY NEED, UH, A BACKUP SOLUTION FOR THAT.
ALSO, EXPLORING DISCOUNTED RATES FOR CAP METRO FAMILIES AT ALTERNATIVE CHILDCARE PROVIDERS IN THE COMMUNITY, AS WELL AS PARTNERSHIPS TO SUPPORT THE CHILDCARE COMPONENT OF THE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS THAT WE HAVE BEEN PARTNERING WITH THE CITY, UH, THE COUNTY, UM, AND WORKFORCE SOLUTIONS CAPITAL AREA ON RECENTLY.
IN A NUTSHELL, OUR RECOMMENDATION IS TO AWARD THE CONTRACT TO BRIGHT HORIZONS FOR A ONE YEAR TIME PERIOD, UM, AND WITH A DIFFERENT APPROACH THAN WE HAVE HAD IN THEIR PRIOR CONTRACTS.
SO WE WILL BE SHIFTING THE RISK FOR COLLECTION OF TUITION TO BRIGHT HORIZONS.
THEY WILL RECEIVE, UM, THE MONTHLY FLAT FEE, UM, BASED ON THE ANNUAL CONTRACT AMOUNT AND WILL BE, UM, WHOLLY RESPONSIBLE FOR COLLECTING TUITION.
SO IF, UM, IF ENROLLMENT INCREASES, THEN UM, THAT'S A BENEFIT TO BRIGHTER HORIZONS.
IF, IF ENROLLMENT FALLS BELOW, UM, THE 80% PROJECTION, UM, THEN, UM, THEN BRIGHTER HORIZONS WILL BEAR THAT RISK.
YOU MIGHT HAVE NOTICED THAT THE RESOLUTION DIRECTS STAFF TO REPORT BACK TO THE BOARD ON COMPLETION OF THE RESEARCH.
OF THOSE OPTIONS THAT WE'VE MENTIONED AND OTHERS THAT WE MAY BECOME AWARE OF AS WELL, UH, NO LATER THAN JULY OF 2024, STAFF WILL CERTAINLY CONTINUE OUR REGULAR COMMUNICATIONS WITH EMPLOYEES, WITH THE RIGHT HORIZONS FAMILY MEMBERS, WITH OTHER STAKEHOLDERS AND POTENTIAL PARTNERS THAT, UM, THAT MAY UM, BE AVAILABLE TO ASSIST US WITH A SOLUTION TO THIS VERY DIFFICULT SITUATION.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME BOARD MEMBERS AND I'LL BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? UH, MISS BOARD MEMBER POOLE ON THAT LAST, ON THAT LAST BULLET THERE, DONNA, THE, UM, COMMUNICATION PIECE.
I WANTED TO BE REALLY CLEAR THAT I'M HOPING THAT THE CONVERSATIONS THAT ARE HAPPENING ARE INCLUDING BRIGHT HORIZONS FOLKS, UH, THE, UM, FAMILIES WHO MAY NOT BE CAP METRO EMPLOYEES, BUT WHO HAVE THEIR CHILDREN THERE.
SO I THINK THERE'S THE STAKEHOLDERS, BUT I WASN'T SURE
[01:25:01]
ON, ON YOUR SLIDE.AND THEN OF COURSE, THE STAFF WHO WORK THERE NEED TO UNDERSTAND WHAT'S GOING ON.
AND THEN ALL OF THE KEPT METRO EMPLOYEES, WHETHER THEY HAVE CHILDREN THERE OR NOT, IT WOULD BE GOOD TO INCLUDE THEM IN THE CONVER IN, UH, THE COMMUNICATIONS TO UNDERSTAND WHAT'S GOING ON AS YOU BUILD YOUR RESPONSE FOR, UH, THE SHIFTED APPROACH IN PARTICULAR THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.
UH, BASICALLY I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT IT'S A HUNDRED PERCENT COMMUNICATION ACROSS THE BOARD TO EVERYBODY.
SO WE DON'T HAVE THE UNFORTUNATE SITUATION WHERE PEOPLE COME AND SAY THEY DIDN'T KNOW THAT THIS WAS HAPPENING, I THOUGHT WAS PROBABLY THE MOST HEART WRENCHING, UH, FOR ME SITTING HERE, KNOWING WHAT IT'S LIKE TO TRY TO FIND REALLY HIGH QUALITY CHILDCARE AND THEN TO LEARN UNEXPECTEDLY AND THROUGH INFORMAL AVENUES THAT THERE IS SOME, THAT IT'S A, THAT IT'S VULNERABLE AND THERE'S SOME CHANCE THAT IT WILL BE TAKEN FROM YOU.
UH, AND THEN THE LAST THING I I WOULD SAY IS PLEASE DON'T IF, IF WE ARE LOOKING AT CONTINUING WITH, WITH BRIGHT HORIZONS OR WITH THE CHILDCARE, AND I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S GONNA BE PART OF WHAT YOU COME BACK TO US IN JULY WITH YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS, BUT IF CAP METRO DOES CONTINUE TO PROVIDE CHILDCARE, PLEASE DON'T SACRIFICE THE HIGH QUALITY, UH, THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF EDUCATION OF YOUNG CHILDREN, THAT THAT STATUS IS REALLY IMPORTANT.
I WAS AROUND WHEN THAT WAS CREATED YEARS AND YEARS AND YEARS AGO.
AND TO, UH, TO SEE THAT, THAT THAT MIGHT NOT BE A REQUIREMENT.
IF CAP METRO IS GONNA CONTINUE TO SUPPORT CHILDCARE AND PROVIDE IT, I WOULD HEARTILY ARGUE AGAINST SACRIFICING THE LEVEL OF, UH, THE QUALITY OF THE CHILDCARE THAT IS PROVIDED.
'CAUSE AS WE KNOW IT REALLY MAKES A DIFFERENCE.
AND IF WE'VE ACHIEVED IT, LET'S HOLD ONTO IT.
THAT REQUIREMENT HAS ALWAYS BEEN A REQUIREMENT OF OUR CONTRACT WITH BRIGHT RESIDENTS SINCE THE BEGINNING.
THANK YOU, DONNA, FOR THIS INFORMATION.
I KNOW WE WENT OUT AND WE DID OUR SURVEYS.
HOW MANY DID WE GET BACK? DID WE FEEL LIKE WE HAD A GOOD SAMPLE? IT WAS NOT AS MANY AS WE WOULD'VE HOPED TO BE HONEST, EVEN THOUGH, I MEAN WE DID, WE MAILED POSTCARDS TO EVERY EMPLOYEES, INCLUDING OUR FRONTLINE EMPLOYEES HOMES, TO ENCOURAGE EMPLOYEES TO RESPOND TO THE SURVEY.
UM, APPROXIMATELY 145 EMPLOYEES RESPONDED TO THE SURVEY.
UM, AND, UM, BASED ON THAT, UM, WE DID HEAR FROM EMPLOYEES THAT ONE OF THE OPTIONS THEY WANTED US TO EXPLORE WAS THE STIPEND OPTION TO BE ABLE TO, UM, TO USE THAT TOWARDS CHILDCARE THAT THEY MAY ALREADY HAVE OR WOULD BE ABLE TO FIND, UM, MAYBE CLOSER TO WHERE THEY LIVE.
UM, AND THAT IS, AND, AND MAYBE MORE IN LINE WITH THE HOURS THAT THEY WORK.
SO, UM, IT WASN'T AN OVERWHELMING RESPONSE.
UM, BUT IS IS PART OF THE WORK THAT YOU'RE SUGGESTING THAT CONTINUES GOING TO BE TO SEEK MORE INPUT AND MAYBE IN A DIFFERENT WAY TO GET A BROADER GROUP REPRESENTED? YES.
ALRIGHT, ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS? UH, BOARD MEMBER VAN, UH, WHAT IS THE BALANCE IN TERMS OF WHERE ARE OUR EMPLOYEES? AND AGAIN, I KNOW THAT THEY'RE GONNA BE SOON AND EVEN MORE DIVERSE LOCATIONS BECAUSE WE HAVE A COUPLE OF, UH, OF DIFFERENT PROPERTIES THAT WE'VE PURCHASED OVER THE LAST YEAR, UH, TO HOUSE OUR VARIOUS OPERATIONS.
BUT RIGHT NOW, AND PLEASE CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, UH, OBVIOUSLY WE HAVE OUR HEADQUARTERS HERE AND OUR, UH, OPERATIONS CENTER RIGHT NEXT DOOR.
AND THEN WE HAVE OUR NORTH OPERATIONS, UH, CENTER ARE, THOSE ARE THE TWO MAIN, UH, PLACES FOR CAPITAL METRO EMPLOYEES.
THEY ARE CURRENTLY, UM, THERE WILL BE MORE OF OUR EMPLOYEES ONCE WE FINISH OUT THE, THE LOCATION NEXT DOOR THAT WE RECENTLY PURCHASED.
THERE WILL BE MORE OF OUR EMPLOYEES.
FOR EXAMPLE, ALL OF THE EMPLOYEES WHO WORK DOWNTOWN AT LAVACCA NOW WILL BE MOVING INTO THAT FACILITY ULTIMATELY.
AND HOW MANY EMPLOYEES, UH, UH, ONCE THAT RENOVATION IS COMPLETE AND WE PULL ALL OUR ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF BACK TO, UH, THIS LOCATION OR HERE NEXT DOOR, HOW MANY EMPLOYEES, MORE OR LESS ARE WE TALKING ABOUT? I'M AFRAID I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT OFF TOP.
YEAH, I WAS GONNA SAY, I, I AND I, I'M LOOKING AT OUR CONSTRUCTION FOLKS AND THEY'RE RAISING THEIR EYEBROWS.
LIKE, I DON'T KNOW THAT ANSWER OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD EITHER.
WE CAN ABSOLUTELY GET YOU THAT.
UM, I WILL ALSO CALL OUT THAT IN ADDITION TO OUR TWO LARGE, UM, BUS AND RAIL OPERATING FACILITIES, WE HAVE A NORTH DEMAND RESPONSE OPERATING FACILITY WITH A FEW HUNDRED EMPLOYEES.
UM, THAT'S CURRENTLY AT THAT NEAR THE, OUR TECH RIDGE PARK AND RIDE AND, UH, SOUTH DEMAND RESPONSE AS WELL.
SO WE ARE, WE'RE A BIT SCATTERED WHERE THAT'S CONCERNED.
UM, I DO KNOW THAT AS WE'VE LOOKED AT WHERE OUR FRONTLINE EMPLOYEES LIVE, THE MAJORITY OF OUR FRONTLINE EMPLOYEES DO
[01:30:01]
NOT LIVE IN THE CITY LIMITS OF AUSTIN.THEY LIVE IN THE COUNTY AND SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES, AND WE, YOU KNOW, HAVEN'T ASKED THEM EXACTLY WHY THEY'VE MADE ALL THEIR LIFE CHOICES, BUT, UM, EXPECT THAT, YOU KNOW, JUST AFFORDABILITY IS A BIG REASON WHY FOLKS HAVE MOVED IN THE REGION FURTHER AND FURTHER OUT.
UH, AND VERY SIMILAR TO CITY AND I'M SURE COUNTY TRENDS, UM, IN TERMS OF WHAT ARE THE CURRENT HOURS FOR THE BRIGHT HORIZONS? IT OPERATES FROM 6:00 AM TO 6:30 PM 6:00 AM TO SIX 30.
UH, AND HOW WELL DOES THAT LINE UP AGAIN, YOUR TYPICAL KIND OF A BUS DRIVER MECHANIC SCHEDULE? HOW, HOW DOES THAT, UH, LINE UP WITH THE SCHEDULES THAT WE CURRENTLY ASK THE MAJORITY OF OUR EMPLOYEES TO, TO WORK? IT REALLY DOESN'T, WHICH IS ANOTHER REASON THAT WE'RE CONSIDERING OTHER OPTIONS BECAUSE, UM, MOST OF THEIR HOURS DO NOT ALIGN WITH THAT.
LIKE EVEN THE, EVEN THE EMPLOYEES WHO, EVEN THE BUS OPERATORS WHO'VE BEEN HERE FOR A LONG TIME AND ARE WORKING WHAT MIGHT BE CONSIDERED THE, UM, THE IDEAL SCHEDULES, THEY ARRIVE AT WORK BETWEEN FIVE AND 5:30 AM THEY MAY BE OFF WORK BY TWO 30 OR THREE, BUT, UM, THERE IS REALLY NOT IN THE COMMUNITY EVEN A, A CHILDCARE SOLUTION FOR EMPLOYEES WHO WORK THOSE TYPES OF HOURS BECAUSE THERE'S REALLY NOT A, A GOOD MATCH, ESPECIALLY FOR, AGAIN, THE REALLY TOUGH BUS OPERATOR, BUS DRIVER HOURS.
UH, WHAT ABOUT OUR MECHANICS? WHAT ARE TYPICALLY LIKE MECHANICS, MAINTENANCE CREWS? WHAT, WHAT ARE THEIR SCHEDULES GONNA BE LOOKING LIKE? I BELIEVE THAT, CRAIG, YOU MAY CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG ABOUT THIS STUDY, BUT I BELIEVE OUR FIRST SHIFT IS, UH, AROUND 6:30 AM TO 2:30 PM AND OUR, UM, AND OUR SECOND SHIFT IS TWO 30 TO THREE TO AROUND 10:30 PM DOES THAT SOUND RIGHT? AND THEN THIRD SHIFT IS 10 30 OVERNIGHT.
SO THE, THE OVERNIGHT WOULD BE KINDA THE PREPPING AND FOR THE, FOR THE MORNING SHIFT, RIGHT.
AS WE WERE GETTING THE BUSES READY TO GO OUT WHEN THEY GO OUT VERY EARLY IN THE MORNING, BASICALLY LATE AT NIGHT SLASH EARLY IN THE MORNING.
UH, THAT, THAT'S, I JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND AGAIN, LOVE THE CENTER.
UH, IT IS, UH, CLEARLY VERY POPULAR, VERY, UH, UH, BELOVED, I, I'M, I'M, MY CONCERN IS THAT IT DOESN'T SERVE OUR BLUE COLLAR EMPLOYEES VERY WELL, AND THAT'S WHO NEEDS THE MOST HELP, REALLY.
UH, AND SO, SO THAT'S WHERE, WHERE, UH, MY, MY CONCERNS WOULD, WOULD BE AROUND IS THAT WE'RE, WE'RE, YOU KNOW, I HAVE NO PROBLEM SPENDING THE MONEY TO PROVIDE CHILDCARE FOR OUR CAPITAL METRO EMPLOYEES, UH, EIGHT EMPLOYEES OR NINE EMPLOYEES, YOU KNOW, THAT THAT IS, IS, IS, IS A CONCERN.
WE'VE GOTTA BE BETTER, MORE EFFECTIVE ABOUT OUR, OUR SPENDING, UH, THAN THAT.
UH, BUT, UH, AND, AND AGAIN, IN PARTICULAR, OUR, OUR BUS OPERATORS, OUR MECHANICS, OUR WORKING CLASS FOLKS WHO STRUGGLE THE MOST, UH, WE'VE GOT TO DO BETTER BY THEM, UH, AS WELL.
I MEAN, AS WE, WE KIND OF RECONFIGURE, UH, I, I WOULD HOPE THAT, THAT WE COULD POTENTIALLY, YOU KNOW, GET SOME OF THE, THE, THE NUMBERS UP THERE AND RIGHT HORIZONS, BUT THANK YOU.
BOARD MEMBER POOL OR VICE CHAIR POOL, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE, UM, UNDERSTANDING THAT THE ISSUE OF CHILDCARE IS, HAS MORE THAN ONE ELEMENT.
YOU'VE GOT THE PROVISION OF ACTUAL CHILDCARE, THE FINANCIAL PIECE OF STIPEND THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, BUT YOU'RE ALSO TALKING ABOUT A BRICK AND MORTAR LOCATION AND THE EFFECT ON THE FAMILIES WHO ARE EITHER THERE NOW OR PLANNING TO BE THERE.
UM, AND SO I THINK WE'VE GOT AT LEAST A TWO-PRONG ISSUE TO RESOLVE.
IT'S NOT ONE OR THE OTHER BECAUSE IF WE CLOSE, IF WE DON'T CONTINUE THE CONTRACT WITH BRIGHT HORIZONS AND BRIGHT HORIZONS CLOSES, THAT HAS ONE SIGNIFICANT IMPACT.
AND IT DOESN'T TOUCH ANY OF THE FOLKS WHO MAY NEED, UM, SOME KIND OF FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR CHILDCARE OR ELDER CARE, OR MAYBE THEY DON'T.
UM, SO WE NEED TO UNRAVEL THAT PARTICULAR ISSUE, LIKE HOW MANY PEOPLE ACTUALLY NEED THAT HELP AND WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE AND WHERE DO THEY WORK VERSUS THE FACT THAT WE HAVE A BRICK AND MORTAR LOCATION THAT IS IN, UH, UH, THAT LOOKS LIKE IT MIGHT BE SHUT.
AND, AND THAT'S A WHOLE DIFFERENT SITUATION.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE CLEAR ON THE CONCEPT THAT THERE'S A COMPLICATED ISSUE THAT NEEDS TO BE RESOLVED.
[01:35:01]
DOTTIE AND HER TEAM NEED THE TIME TO WORK THROUGH ALL OF THIS.YOU MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE A SOLUTION, COMPLETE SOLUTION FOR US BY JULY, BUT WE DEFINITELY NEED A REPORT BACK TO SEE WHERE YOU'RE AT.
BUT BY GOLLY, THESE, THESE FAMILIES HAVE TO KNOW WHAT TO, WHAT TO EXPECT.
THEY HAVE TO PLAN IF THERE'S GONNA BE SOME KIND OF CHANGE, THEY NEED TO START LOOKING AT IT NOW OR IN JULY, OR, OR WHAT, BUT WE CAN'T WAIT UNTIL TWO WEEKS BEFORE, UH, WE'RE PLANNING TO PULL THE PLUG AND PULL THE PLUG.
SO, UM, I, I JUST WANTED TO GET AN ACKNOWLEDGEMENT FROM THE TEAM HERE THAT, THAT WE'RE ACTUALLY LOOKING AT MORE THAN THERE'S LAYERS.
THERE'S THE STIPEND IDEA, WHICH COULD REACH A LARGER GROUP OF EMPLOYEES, WHICH IS WHAT MY COLLEAGUE HERE IS TALKING ABOUT.
BUT THERE'S ALSO THE VERY REAL PROSPECT OF CLOSING THE DOORS ON AN ACTUAL FUNCTIONING CHILDCARE CENTER, WHICH THE EAST SIDE CANNOT AFFORD.
SO THERE SHOULD BE SOME EFFORT TO KEEP THAT GOING, WHETHER, AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT SIZE CAP METRO'S INVOLVEMENT IN THAT WOULD CONTINUE TO BE, BUT I THINK YOU'VE GOT TWO VERY DISTINCT PROBLEMS TO SOLVE HERE, AND YOU MAY NEED ALL OF A YEAR TO GET EVERYTHING ORGANIZED AND RESOLVED.
DOES THAT MAKE SENSE TO YOU? DOT, YES, IT DOES.
ANY, ANYTHING ADDITIONALLY THAT YOU'D LIKE TO ADD? I APPRECIATE THE TIME, UH, THAT YOU'VE TAKEN.
WE UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS NOT A LINEAR EQUATION.
UH, SOME PEOPLE NEED INFANT CARE, SOME PEOPLE NEED PRESCHOOL AFTER SCHOOL.
SO WE HAVE TO TAKE A VERY SOBER APPROACH AND, AND, AND LOOK AT WHAT IS AVAILABLE AND WHAT THAT COSTS.
AND, UH, AND I GUESS WE NEED TO TAKE, UH, PLAY TO, TO THINK ABOUT THE LONG TERM RATHER THAN THE SHORT TERM.
HOW DO WE PULL ALL THE INFORMATION BACK TOGETHER AT, AT THE END OF THE DAY THOUGH, UM, WE, WE ARE LOOKING FOR YOU TO BRING SOMETHING BACK TO US, UH, DURING THE COURSE OF THE YEAR SO THAT WE CAN, UH, MAKE SOME LONGER TERM DECISIONS.
UM, AT THIS POINT, UH, UH, THE CHAIR WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO APPROVE FORMALLY ACTION ITEM NUMBER TWO, WHICH IS, WHICH HAS BEEN PLACED ON THE CURRENT, UH, AGENDA.
IT HAS BEEN MOVED BY BOARD MEMBER POOL.
I DIDN'T, I HAVEN'T LOOKED TO MY LEFT, SO, UH, SINCE, SINCE YOU GAVE US THE, THE, THE SECOND I'LL, I'LL PUT THE OTHER SECOND, UH, RIGHT HERE, UH, WITH, UH, BOARD MEMBER ELLIS.
ALRIGHT, SO IT'S BEEN MOVED AND PROPERLY SECONDED THAT WE APPROVE THE RESOLUTION, UH, AUTHORIZING, UH, NOT, NOT ONLY THE BRIGHT HORIZONS FAMILY SOLUTIONS CONTRACT, BUT THE RESEARCH THAT IS NECESSARY TO COME BACK TO THE BOARD WITHIN A YEAR TO MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE LONGER TERM.
IS THERE ANY, ANY DISCUSSION HERE? OH, MATT, BOARD MEMBER HARRIS.
I WAS A LITTLE BIT LATE TODAY AND I REALLY HAVEN'T HAD A CHANCE TO GATHER MY THOUGHT.
AND I WAS AT THE CARDIOLOGIST, SURPRISINGLY, AND, UM, FOR MANY OF YOU, YOU'D BE LIKE TO KNOW THAT THEY ACTUALLY DID FIND A HEART.
UM, I WAS THE ONE, WHEN THIS CAME UP SIX MONTHS AGO, I RAISED THE CONCERNS ABOUT THE COST AND RELATIVE BENEFITS, UM, OF CONTINUING THIS CONTRACT AND ASKED AT THE TIME THAT WE COME BACK THAT WE, I WAS HOPING THAT WHEN THIS CAME BACK AROUND IN FEBRUARY, THAT WE WERE GONNA BE GIVEN SOME OPTIONS.
AND MY MOTION, OR, OR BASICALLY I THINK, AND I DON'T WANNA SPEAK FOR THE OTHER MEMBERS OF THE FAA, UH, BUT BASICALLY WAS TO TRY AND SORT OF GET THE STAFF TO FOCUS ON THIS ISSUE, UM, A LITTLE BIT MORE INTENTLY THAN APPARENTLY IT WAS ADDRESSED IN THE LAST SIX MONTHS.
UM, AND FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, PERSONALLY, I LOOK AT THIS AS A MUCH BROADER ISSUE.
SALARY AND BENEFITS ARE MEANT TO ATTRACT AND RETAIN QUALITY TALENTED PEOPLE.
AND FOR THE MOST PART WE'VE GOT THAT.
THE SURPRISING THING, AND AGAIN, I GO BACK TO SOME OF MY EXPERIENCE RUNNING A LARGE BEVERAGE COMPANY, WHICH HAD 550 PEOPLE, HOURLY EMPLOYEES, YOU COULD TELL, YOU COULD TALK TO THEM ABOUT BENEFITS ALL THEY WANT, AND ALL THEY WANT TO HEAR ABOUT IS SALARY.
THEY WANNA KNOW WHAT THAT, WHAT THEIR, WHAT RATE PER HOUR THAT THEY'RE GONNA BE PAID.
AND IT'S SAD AND BECAUSE IN A LOT OF WAYS, I THINK IT'S A VERY SHORTSIGHTED DEAL, BUT IT IS THE REALITY THAT WE LIVE IN AND THE REALITY THAT WE'RE REALLY ABOUT TO LIVE IN ARE ABOUT, WE'RE ABOUT TO COME INTO, IS IF WE THINK THE COMPETITION FOR EMPLOYEES NOW IS DIFFICULT, WAIT TILL SOME OF THESE OTHER INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS START COMING ONLINE, WE ARE GONNA BE CHASE BECAUSE THEY'RE GONNA NEED THE SAME CDL DRIVERS, THE SAME EQUIPMENT OPERATORS, THE SAME MECHANICS THAT WE'RE ALL PURSUING.
[01:40:01]
OUR SALARY AND BENEFITS PACKAGE HAS TO BE DESIGNED TO ATTRACT AND KEEP THOSE PEOPLE SO THAT WE CAN, CAN, CAN MAINTAIN THE ROUTES THAT WE HAVE AND NOT ONLY, BUT ALSO GROW THE ORGANIZATION IN CONJUNCTION WITH, YOU KNOW, PROJECT CONNECT.UM, I'M PLEASED THAT PARTICULARLY FROM, AND DOTTIE, AND I'VE TALKED A COUPLE TIMES SINCE, UH, SINCE LAST WEEK.
AND ONE OF THE ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS AND ONE OF MY FRUSTRATIONS WITH THE CURRENT PROPOSAL WAS THE FACT THAT IT DIDN'T REALLY ADDRESS ALL THE EMPLOYEES THAT WE HAVE AND THE MULTIPLE LOCATIONS THAT WE'RE OPERATING OUT OF.
AND, UH, I'VE, I'VE GONE THROUGH THIS, YOU KNOW, AND LIKE I SAID, THERE'S A LOT OF FLEX FOR ME.
IT'S ABOUT FINDING FLEXIBILITY TO PROVIDE HELP, HELP OUR EMPLOYEES FIND CHILDCARE, EITHER BY SOMETHING THAT WE DO OR PROVIDING THEM A STIPEND.
THERE'S A LOT OF REASONS WHY PEOPLE MAY NOT WANT TO COME ALL THE WAY DOWN TO EAST AUSTIN TO BE ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, TO DROP THEIR KID OFF REGARDLESS OF HOW GOOD THE CENTER ACTUALLY IS.
AND I, I, I, I WILL GRANT YOU THAT APPARENTLY JUST FROM THE LIMITED TESTIMONY WE HAD TODAY, IT'S THE EXCELLENT CENTER, BUT YOU, WE HAVE EMPLOYEES LOCATED ALL OVER A BASICALLY A FOUR COUNTY FOOTPRINT.
AND UNFORTUNATELY BECAUSE OF THE AFFORDABILITY CRISIS, I CAN SEE THAT'S GONNA BE MOVING OUT EVEN MORE.
SO I'M TRYING TO FIND WAYS TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE A, A STIPEND TO HELP THEM WITH CHILDCARE SO THAT WE CAN RETAIN THEM.
THE OTHER FACTOR IS, AND I THINK, AND WE'VE TOUCHED ON THIS, IS THAT THIS IS A UN IT'S A CHILDCARE IS ONE COMPONENT OF A MUCH BROADER BENEFIT PACKAGE.
AND I'D LIKE TO SEE US FIND A WAY THAT BASICALLY SORT OF GIVES A STIPEND THAT AN EMPLOYEE CAN USE FOR DIFFERENT STAGES OF THEIR LIFE.
THAT'S THE, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE, AND, AND I CAN, AGAIN, I GO BACK TO MY EXPERIENCE, YOU MAY NEED CHILDCARE WHEN YOU'RE 20, BETWEEN 20 AND 30 OR 20 AND 35, BUT WHEN YOU'RE BETWEEN 50 AND 60, YOU MAY NEED SUPPLEMENTAL HEALTH INSURANCE, YOU MAY NEED LONG-TERM CARE INSURANCE.
YOU MAY, THERE'S, IN OTHER WORDS, YOUR, YOUR NEEDS ARE GOING TO CHANGE.
AND IF WE CAN HELP SUPPLEMENT THAT IN SOME WAY AND THAT HELPS KEEP YOU, YOU KNOW, KEEP YOU AS A CAP METRO EMPLOYEE THROUGHOUT YOUR WORKING CAREER, I'M ALL FOR THAT.
IT'S, IT'S FOLLOWING UNDER A SECTION 1 25 CAFETERIA PLAN IN SOME WAYS.
BUT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE WHEN THIS PROPOSAL COMES BACK, I'D LIKE TO, I WOULD LIKE IT TO NOT JUST ADDRESS THE CHILDCARE ASPECT, BUT TO REALLY TAKE A BROADER LOOK AT THE BENEFITS ASPECT OF THIS, SUCH THAT WE'RE ADDRESSING ALL OUR EMPLOYEES NEEDS AT DIFFERENT STAGES OF THEIR LIFE AND NOT THIS ONE, THIS ONE NARROW INSTANCE.
AND I WOULD ENCOURAGE STAFF, AND I SPENT A LOT OF TIME WITH THE, THE NEW KEOLIS REP LAST WEEK, AND I POINT BLANK ASKED HIM, I SAID, TELL ME WHAT OTHER COMPANIES, BUS COMPANIES, PUBLIC TRANSIT AGENCIES ARE DOING TO ATTRACT AND RETAIN EMPLOYEES.
WHAT KIND OF BENEFITS DO THEY OFFER? WHAT KIND OF, WHAT KIND OF, YOU KNOW, HOW DO THEY COMPETE AGAINST, YOU KNOW, THE SAME PEOPLE THAT WE'RE COMPETING AGAINST IT? AND HE HAD ACTUALLY SOME VERY INTERESTING IDEAS AND COMMENTS THAT HE'S GONNA SHARE WITH ME, YOU KNOW, AT A LATER DATE.
BUT IT'S A MATTER OF JUST TRYING TO FIND THAT MIX OF BENEFITS THAT GETS US WHERE WE NEED TO BE.
AND IT'S GONNA BE A TOUGH MARKET, FOLKS.
I CAN, I CAN ASSURE YOU RIGHT NOW THAT IT'S GOING TO BE A VERY COMPETITIVE MARKET OVER THE NEXT 10 YEARS WITH ALL OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE STUFF THAT'S GOING ON HERE.
AND NOT ONLY DO WE HAVE THAT ISSUE, BUT OUR FRONTLINE GUYS, THEY'RE OUR CUSTOMER SERVICE PEOPLE.
THEY'RE THE ONE, AND THEY HAVE TO DEAL WITH THINGS THAT A GUY THAT'S ON A BACKHOE NEVER HAS TO DEAL WITH.
HE HAS TO DEAL WITH, HE HAS TO INTERFACE WITH THE CUSTOMER COMING ON THE BUS.
HE HAS TO DEAL WITH PROBLEMS WITH DISRUPTIONS ON THE BUS, THINGS LIKE THAT, THAT, YOU KNOW, WHERE WE MAY EVEN HAVE TO PAY A PREMIUM IN ORDER TO RETAIN THAT, TO GET THAT GUY TO TAKE THAT JOB.
SO I GUESS I WOULD LOOK AT, I GUESS I WOULD TASK THE STAFF, NOT JUST TO LOOK AT THIS VERY NARROW, BUT VERY IMPORTANT ISSUE, BUT TO TAKE A MUCH BROADER PERSPECTIVE OF LOOKING AT OUR TOTAL BENEFITS PACKAGE IN CONJUNCTION WITH SALARY IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO COME UP WITH A, A LONGER TERM PLAN THAT ADDRESSES OUR, YOU KNOW, OUR EMPLOYEES NEEDS.
UM, I REALLY APPRECIATE EVERYONE WHO TOOK THE TIME, WHO CAME AND SPOKE TODAY.
UM, IT'S IMPORTANT AND THANK YOU FOR EXPRESSING YOUR CONCERNS.
I ALSO VERY MUCH APPRECIATE THE COMMENTS MADE BY MY FELLOW BOARD MEMBERS.
UM, THEY'VE ALL BEEN VERY IMPORTANT.
I MADE SOME BRIEF COMMENTS, UH, WHEN THIS WAS PRESENTED AT THE FINANCE AND AUDIT COMMITTEE, AND I WOULD LIKE TO EXPAND ON THOSE.
AND I'M GONNA READ THIS AND IT'S BECAUSE I DID TAKE THE TIME TO CONDENSE MY THOUGHTS AND I REALLY WANT TO BE BRIEF FOR YOU ALL.
UM, I WHOLEHEARTEDLY AGREE THAT CHILDCARE IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT NEEDS FOR A FAMILY AND A HARD PROBLEM TO SOLVE FOR.
NOT ONLY IS IT EXPENSIVE, BUT IT CAN ALSO BE INCREDIBLY DIFFICULT TO NAVIGATE TRYING TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT LOCATION, THE RIGHT FIT FOR YOUR CHILD.
[01:45:01]
A CHALLENGE FOR ANY FAMILY WHO MUST FIND CHILDCARE.I KNOW FIRSTHAND I HAVE TWO CHILDREN, I PUT THEM BOTH, UH, IN DAYCARE FROM THE BEGINNING FROM WHEN THEY WERE INFANTS ALL THE WAY THROUGH PRE-K UNTIL THEY WERE READY TO ENTER PUBLIC SCHOOL.
I UNDERSTAND WHY CAP METRO WANTS TO PROVIDE THE BENEFIT OF CHILDCARE FOR ITS EMPLOYEES AND CONTRACT WORKERS.
WE SHOULD BE PROVIDING CHILDCARE BENEFITS FOR OUR EMPLOYEES AND CONTRACT WORKERS.
AND THAT'S WHY I WANNA CLEAR, CLEARLY EXPLAIN WHY STILL CANNOT VOTE FORWARD THIS CONTRACT.
FIRST, I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY ONLY EIGHT FAMILIES ARE CURRENTLY USING THIS BENEFIT OUT OF THE MORE THAN 2100 OF CAP METRO'S EMPLOYEES AND CONTRACT WORKERS.
AND WHY HAVEN'T WE FIGURED OUT A BETTER WAY TO ALLOW MORE OF OUR CAP METRO FAMILIES TO RECEIVE THIS CHILDCARE BENEFIT? IF WE WANNA PROVIDE CHILDCARE BENEFITS FOR OUR EMPLOYEES TO HELP WITH HIRING, RECRUITING, AND RETENTION? THESE ARE ALL VALID GOALS.
LET'S DO IT IN A MA IN A WAY THAT MAKES SENSE AND THAT I DON'T BELIEVE THAT THIS IS THE RIGHT VEHICLE FOR IT RIGHT NOW.
CAP METRO NEEDS TO FIND A WAY TO FI TO SUPPORT CHILDCARE FOR OUR EMPLOYEES, BUT AUTHORIZING A CONTRACT THAT PROVIDES ALMOST $85,000 IN SUBSIDY FOR EACH OF THE EIGHT FAMILIES.
LAST YEAR, THIS BOARD AUTHORIZED A SIX MONTH EXTENSION ALLOWING STAFF OVER SIX MONTHS TO COME BACK WITH BETTER OPTIONS.
NOW WE FIND OURSELVES SIX MONTHS LATER STILL WITH NO IMMEDIATE OPTIONS PRESENTED TO THIS BOARD OTHER THAN LET'S RENEW OUR SUBSIDY FOR ANOTHER FULL YEAR IN THIS CONTRACT.
WHAT ABOUT PROVIDING MONTHLY STIPENDS WITH THE SAME AMOUNT OF MONEY? CAP METRO WOULD IMMEDIATELY PROVIDE 115 OF ITS EMPLOYEE FAMILIES WITH CRITICAL NEEDS WITH A MONTHLY STIPEND OF $500 A MONTH TO HELP OFFSET CHILDCARE COSTS AT CHILDCARE CENTERS OF THEIR CHOICE.
OUR PRIMARY FOCUS SHOULD HAVE BEEN THE CAP METRO FAMILIES THAT WERE CURRENTLY ENROLLED AT THE CENTER AND ALTERNATIVE SOLUTIONS SHOULD HAVE BEEN FOUND.
ONE OF OUR MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES AS A BOARD MEMBER IS TO DEMONSTRATE PROPER STEWARDSHIP OF PUBLIC FUNDS.
IT IS HARD TO ARGUE FOR ME THAT THIS CONTRACT AND THIS SUBSIDY FOR THE BENEFIT OF ONLY EIGHT CAP METRO FAMILIES IS THE BEST USE OF PUBLIC FUNDS.
THE SECOND REASON I CANNOT VOTE FOR THIS IS BECAUSE I'M A BUSINESS PERSON, BUT I'M ALSO A LAWYER.
AND I DON'T BELIEVE THAT THE OPERATION OF THE CENTER, AS IT CURRENTLY STANDS CONVINCINGLY PASSES THE LEGAL THRESHOLD.
I'VE READ THE APPLICABLE LAW AND THE AGS OPINION, IT RELIES ON, IT STATES THAT THE PRIMARY MISSION OF THE CHILDCARE CENTER MUST CONTINUE TO BE THE CARE OF CHILDREN OF EMPLOYEES.
AND I DON'T BELIEVE WHAT WE ARE DOING NOW MEETS THAT THRESHOLD.
IT MAY HAVE BEEN THE PRIMARY PURPOSE WHEN THIS STARTED, BUT NOW AT THIS 80%, 20% SPLIT OF NON-EMPLOYEES VERSUS CAP METRO EMPLOYEES ENROLLED AT THE CENTER, I DON'T BELIEVE A FACT FINDER WOULD FIND THAT PROVIDING FOR OUR EMPLOYEES IS STILL THE PRIMARY PURPOSE OF OPERATING THE CENTER.
AND I JUST CANNOT VOTE FOR SOMETHING THAT I DON'T BELIEVE WOULD PASS THIS LEGAL THRESHOLD.
THIS IS NOT A VOTE AGAINST CHILDCARE.
WE SHOULD IMMEDIATELY FIND BETTER AND MORE VIABLE OPTIONS TO PROVIDE CHILDCARE BENEFITS FOR OUR EMPLOYEES.
AND I CONTINUE TO WHOLEHEARTEDLY SUPPORT OUR ONGOING EFFORTS.
ANY ADDITIONAL, ANY ADDITIONAL DISCUSSION? ANY ADDITIONAL DISCUSSION? UH, BOARD MEMBER ELLIS, I CAN'T VERY WELL BE THE ONLY ONE THAT DOESN'T SPEAK THEIR MIND ON THIS MATTER.
UM, I REALLY APPRECIATE ALL THE FAMILIES THAT CAME OUT TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM TODAY.
UM, I MYSELF DON'T HAVE CHILDREN, BUT, YOU KNOW, WHO KNOWS WHAT THE FUTURE WILL HOLD FOR ME AND MY FAMILY.
AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WHERE PEOPLE FIND THAT SENSE OF FAMILY WITH THE PEOPLE WHO ARE RAISING THEIR KIDS WHEN THEY'RE AT WORK AND THE PEOPLE WHO ARE REALLY TAKING CARE OF THEM, THAT WE CAN'T JUST SET SOMETHING DOWN BEFORE WE HAVE FIGURED OUT WHAT PICKING UP THE NEXT ITEM IS GOING TO BE.
AND SO I REALLY WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE NOT LEAVING ANYBODY OUT THERE SURPRISED AND NOT KNOWING WHERE, WHERE THEY'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO FIND CHILDCARE OR OTHER FORMS OF FAMILY ASSISTANCE IN THE MEANTIME.
AND SO, AS I'VE STARTED TO LOOK THROUGH THIS PARTICULAR CONTRACT, UM, I KNOW THERE'S BEEN A REQUEST FOR IT TO BE EXTENDED EVEN LONGER.
UM, BUT WE ABSOLUTELY HAVE TO GET THIS RIGHT FOR ALL THE OTHER FAMILIES THAT MY, MY COLLEAGUES ON THE DAIS HAVE MENTIONED TODAY.
UM, BUT WE CAN'T LEAVE ANYBODY OUT THERE WITHOUT SOME SORT OF, UM, CONFIDENCE OF WHAT THE NEXT YEAR IS GOING TO HOLD AND ENOUGH LEAD TIME TO MAKE SURE THAT IF SOMETHING DOES CHANGE, THAT THEY KNOW HOW TO MAKE SURE THAT THEIR KIDS AREN'T HAVING TO TAKE A BREAK AND AREN'T HAVING TO END UP ON WAITING LISTS FOR YEARS AT A TIME.
YOU KNOW, THE CITY OF AUSTIN HAS DONE A LOT TO TRY TO MAKE SURE, UM, THAT CHILD MORE CHILDCARE PROVIDERS HAVE ACCESS TO SPACES.
WE'VE CHANGED OUR ZONING LAWS TO ALLOW CHILDCARE.
[01:50:01]
AND THE COUNTY ARE, ARE LOOKING AT WAIVING TAXES FOR CHILDCARE FACILITIES FOR THE FOOTPRINT THAT THEY OCCUPY.AND SO WE KNOW THAT AS WE EMBARK ON THIS MISSION TOGETHER, THAT CHILDCARE IS AT THE TOP OF OUR MINDS.
WE ALWAYS TALK ABOUT THE NUMBER ONE COST OF FAMILY BUDGET.
IT'S GONNA BE THE ROOF OVER YOUR HEAD.
UM, USUALLY NEXT IT'S TRANSPORTATION.
AND LUCKILY, CAP METRO IS A FANTASTIC PARTNER IN MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE BRINGING THAT COST DOWN FOR FAMILIES.
AND IF YOU HAVE KIDS, THE VERY NEXT THING IS CHILDCARE.
SO, YOU KNOW, WHEN FOLKS SAY THEY'RE, THEY'RE CRUNCHING THEIR FAMILY BUDGETS AND TRYING TO UNDERSTAND WHERE EVERY DOLLAR INCENT IS GOING TO GO AND HOW THEY'RE GONNA MAKE SURE THAT THE THE ENDS ARE BEING MET.
THESE ARE THE THINGS WE HAVE TO TACKLE.
SO AT THE COUNTY, AT THE CITY COUNCIL LEVEL, WE ARE ALWAYS TALKING ABOUT HOUSING AND AFFORDABILITY AND HOW TO MAKE SURE WE'VE GOT THE RIGHT HOUSING STOCK.
UM, WE'VE DONE A LOT OF WORK TO MAKE SURE THAT YOUR COMMUTE TO AND FROM WORK, UH, IT WORKS FOR YOU AND YOUR FAMILY.
AND SO WE CANNOT DROP THE BALL AT THE CHILDCARE LEVEL.
AND SO I'LL BE SUPPORTING THIS ITEM TODAY AND CERTAINLY LOOK FORWARD TO FURTHERING THE CONVERSATIONS AROUND THE OTHER ASPECTS OF FAMILY CARE AND LIFE CARE THAT PEOPLE HAVE BROUGHT UP TODAY.
ALRIGHT, SO I THINK THAT, I THINK THAT WE'VE GOTTEN EVERYBODY'S COMMENTS.
UM, IT'S CLEARLY A COMPLEX ISSUE.
UH, AND CLEARLY WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE, UH, HAVE THE SPACE AND TIME THAT'S NECESSARY TO MAKE AN, AN EFFECTIVE, UH, DECISION FROM STEWARDSHIP POSITION, BUT ALSO FROM A POSITION OF OUR FAMILIES THAT ARE USING, UH, THIS SERVICE.
SO I WILL CALL THE QUESTION ALL IN FAVOR OF SUPPORTING THIS RESOLUTION AS DESCRIBED.
PLEASE LET IT BE KNOWN BY SAYING I, AYE.
ALL OF THOSE WHO ARE OPPOSED TO THE ITEM AS PRESCRIBED, UH, LET IT BE KNOWN BY SAYING I ALSO, I, OKAY, SO THERE ARE TWO AGAINST, AND THERE ARE, LET'S SEE, UH, THE CHAIR WILL MAKE IT FOUR.
UH, THERE WILL BE FOUR FOR IT.
SO BY VOTE OF FOUR TO TWO, UH, THIS ITEM IS APPROVED.
SO WE WILL GET BACK TO THE AGENDA.
WE, WE LEFT OFF AT THE, UH, BOARD
[VI. Board Committee Updates]
COMMITTEE UPDATES, UM, BOARD COMMITTEE UPDATES.I THINK, UH, THE FIRST ONE WILL BE OPERATIONS PLANNING AND SAFETY, UH, BY VICE CHAIR OF THAT COMMITTEE.
ELLIS, THANK YOU FOR THE RECOGNITION CHAIR.
I'LL PROVIDE THE UPDATE FOR OUR OPERATIONS PLANNING AND SAFETY COMMITTEE.
WE MET ON MONDAY, MARCH 18TH, AND WE CALLED THE MEETING TO ORDER AT 12:51 PM ALL FOUR MEMBERS WERE IN ATTENDANCE.
UH, JEFF ILIAN, ERIC STRATTON, VELA, AND MYSELF, PAIGE ELLI, UH, CHAIR STRATTON DID ATTEND REMOTELY.
SO AS VICE CHAIR I SERVED, UM, OVER THAT COMMITTEE MEETING, WE RECEIVED PUBLIC COMMENT FROM TWO SPEAKERS.
WE APPROVED ALL NINE ACTION ITEMS UNANIMOUSLY, AND YOU WILL SEE THOSE ITEMS REFLECTED ON TODAY'S AGENDA THAT WE ARE ABOUT TO TAKE UP.
AND AT THE END, WE RECEIVED OUR MONTHLY OPERATIONS UPDATE.
SO WE ADJOURN THE MEETING AT 1:49 PM ALRIGHT, UM, THANK YOU BOARD, UH, VICE CHAIR ELLIS.
UH, WE NOW HAVE THE FINANCE AUDIT AND ADMINISTRATION COMMITTEE, BOARD MEMBER, OUR BOARD CHAIR HARRIS FOR THAT.
UH, WE MET, UH, THE FINANCE AUDIT AND ADMINISTRATION COMMITTEE MET ON MONDAY, MARCH 18TH AT 11.
UM, ALL FOUR MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE, UH, WERE PRESENT.
UH, IN ADDITION TO APPROVING THE MINUTES, WE ALSO DISCUSSED THE, UM, ITEM THAT WE RECENTLY, UH, RELATED TO THE BRIGHT HORIZONS CONTRACT.
AND AT, AT THAT TIME, TOOK NO ACTION ON, ON THAT MATTER AND THEN WE ADJOURNED AT, UH, 1124.
UH, WELL SINCE, SINCE YOUR MIC'S ON, WE MIGHT GET YOU FOR CAMP.
MIGHT AS WELL GET YOU FOR CAMPO, RIGHT.
THIS, THIS ONE SHOULD BE QUICK.
UH, WE DID NOT HAVE A FORMAL CAMPO MEETING, UH, IN THE MONTH OF MARCH.
HOWEVER, UH, THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE FOR, UH, CAP OR CAMPO AND THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE FOR THE, UH, ALAMO AREA MPO, UH, MET, UH, LAST FRIDAY DOWN IN SAN MARCO TO DISCUSS TWO OR THREE SIGNIFICANT ITEMS. UH, ONE WAS TO, UH, UH, BASICALLY HEAR A PRESENTATION ON THE IH 35 PLANNING AND ENVIRONMENTAL LINKAGES STUDY.
AND I'LL BRIEFLY DESCRIBE THIS.
THIS IS SORT OF LIKE AN OVERARCHING PLAN TO DISCUSS, UH, TO CREATE AN UMBRELLA UNDER WHICH VARIOUS PROJECTS IN AND ALONG I 35 FROM SAN, UH, WEST SIDE OF SAN ANTONIO ALL THE WAY UP TO GEORGETOWN ARE GONNA BE INTEGRATED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE NOT PLANNING IN A VACUUM AND THAT WE'RE TALKING WITH OUR, UH, PARTNERS IN SAN ANTONIO SINCE, UH, THE CORD, WE BASICALLY SHARE THE CORRIDOR SPACE WITH THEM.
UH, WE ALSO DISCUSSED AND SET A, UH, RE AS FAR AS A GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSION TARGET
[01:55:01]
SETTING FOR THE SAN MARCOS URBANIZED AREA.AND WITHOUT, UH, BORING YOU WITH THE INTERIM DETAILS.
THIS IS JUST A FEDERAL REQUIREMENT THAT WE, SINCE WE BASICALLY SHARE THAT, UH, URBANIZED AREA WITH, UH, THE AUSTIN AREA, UH, OUR ALAMO AREA PLANNING ORGANIZATION, WE HAD TO SET A TARGET.
AND FINALLY WE HEARD TWO, UH, PRESENTATIONS REGARDING, UH, FREIGHT, REGIONAL FREIGHT STUDIES.
AND THERE WAS ACTUALLY A FAIRLY SUBSTANTIVE DISCUSSION ABOUT THE NATURE OF HOW WE ARE GOING TO HANDLE BOTH THE, UH, LOCAL, UH, TRUCK AND FREIGHT TRA UH, LOCAL TRUCK AND RAIL TRAFFIC AS WELL AS THE, UH, TRAFFIC THAT'S ORIGINATED IN THE BORDER THAT PASSES THROUGH OUR, BOTH, BOTH OF OUR COMMUNITIES.
AND, UM, VERY SIMILAR WITH THE AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP.
I HAVE NOT HAD A MEETING YET THIS MONTH.
IT'S SCHEDULED TO BE HELD ON THE 27TH IN THE FORM OF A WORK SESSION.
AND, UH, WE'LL MAKE SURE THAT, UH, THAT WE UPDATE EVERYONE ON, UH, WHAT HAPPENED IN OUR APRIL MEETING.
[VII. Consent Items]
NOW WE ARE GONNA MOVE INTO OUR CONSENT AGENDA AND UH, WE ARE POSTED FOR ACTION ON SEVEN ITEMS TODAY.AND I THINK EVERYBODY HAS HAD A CHANCE TO REVIEW THOSE ITEMS. ARE THERE ANY ITEMS THAT ANY BOARD MEMBER WOULD LIKE TO REMOVE FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA? ANY ITEMS DURING THE THIRD TIME? ANY ITEMS TO REMOVE HEARING? NONE.
THE CHAIR WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA AS WRITTEN.
UM, IT'S BEEN MOVED AND PROPERLY SECONDED, UH, THAT WE APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA AS WRITTEN.
IS THERE ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION ABOUT ANY OF THE SEVEN ITEMS THAT ARE ON THE CONSENT AGENDA? ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? FURTHER DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE.
ALL IN FAVOR? UH, LET THE SUPPORT OF THE CONSENT AGENDA BE KNOWN BY SAYING AYE.
THE CHAIR WILL MAKE THAT UNANIMOUS.
ALRIGHT, SO NOW WE'LL MOVE TO OUR REGULAR AGENDA ITEMS AND, UH, WE HAD FOUR, BUT WE MOVED ITEM NUMBER TWO AND HAVE APPROVED IT AT THIS POINT.
SO NOW WE'RE GOING TO MOVE INTO ACTION ITEMS ONE, TWO, AND THREE.
[VIII.1. Approval of a resolution authorizing the President & CEO, or her designee, to implement the Summer 2024 Service Changes]
ACTION ITEM ONE INTO THE, UH, INTO THE RECORD, UH, APPROVAL OF A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING, EXCUSE ME, AUTHORIZING THE PRESIDENT AND CEO OR, OR HER DESIGNEE TO IMPLEMENT THE SUMMER 2024 SERVICE CHANGES.UM, MR. GONZALEZ, WOULD YOU COME FORWARD AND MAKE YOUR PRESENTATION, SIR? SURE.
CHAIR ILIAN, PRESIDENT WATKINS BOARD MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.
THERE ARE ONLY TWO SLIDES BECAUSE WE SAW THESE SLIDES AT THE PUBLIC HEARING LAST MONDAY.
BUT IN GENERAL, UH, THE PROPOSED SERVICE CHANGES FOLLOW THROUGH IF YOU'D LIKE.
JUST GO BACK TO THE, THE PROCESS OF HOW WE DEVELOP OUR SERVICE CHANGES.
WE LOOK AT OUR FEEDBACK, SOME, UH, KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS.
DEVELOP THESE PROPOSALS, BRING THEM OUT TO THE PUBLIC, AND THEN LISTEN TO WHAT THE PUBLIC HAS TO SAY REGARDING THOSE PROPOSALS BEFORE COMING BACK TO THE BOARD FOR FINAL, UH, RECOMMENDATIONS.
AT THE TIME WHEN, WHEN WE, UH, WE WERE DISCUSSING LAST, UH, THESE ARE THE FOUR SUBJECTS AT HAND, UH, WHEN IT CAME DOWN TO SCHOOL TRIP ADJUSTMENTS.
THESE ARE TRIPS THAT SERVE PARTICULAR SCHOOLS UP IN NORTHEAST, EAST, SOUTHEAST, AND SOUTHWEST PORTIONS OF AUSTIN.
UH, THESE ARE SUPPLEMENTAL TRIPS THAT HELP US, UH, SERVE BETTER SOME OF THESE AREAS.
WE HEARD ENOUGH FROM THE, FROM THE ADMINISTRATORS AND SOME PARENTS THAT SOME OF THESE TRIPS COULD BE BETTER UTILIZED IF THERE WERE BETTER TIMED IN THAT AREA AND IF THERE WERE MORE INFORMED ABOUT THE SERVICES THAT, THAT ARE OFFERED IN THAT AREA.
SO WE HAD SINCE DISCUSSED AT THAT TIME THAT STAFF WAS RECOMMENDING NOT TO ELIMINATE THEM.
UPON THE RETURN OF THE FALL SEMESTER, WE'LL BE BACK NEXT, UH, MONTH TO PRESENT THE FALL CHANGES.
AND AT THAT TIME, I'LL SPEAK TO THE FACT THAT WE WOULD BE RESTORING THOSE, THOSE, UH, TRIPS AND SERVICE.
THERE ARE SOME MINOR, UH, UT SERVICE ADJUSTMENTS AND THAT HAPPENS ON AN ANNUAL BASIS WHEN WE ADJUST FROM THE NORMAL FALL, SPRING FULL SERVICE LEVELS DOWN TO A SUMMER MODE.
VERY, VERY MINOR, UH, ADJUSTMENTS TO BUS AND RAIL AS NEEDED, JUST TO IMPROVE OUR ON-TIME PERFORMANCE TO ADDRESS ANY NEEDS THAT WE HAVE.
AND THEN IN TERMS OF PICKUP, WE TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE, UH, PERFORMANCE OF EACH ONE OF THOSE ZONES TO DATE.
AND THEN WE'LL SPEND MORE TIME NEXT MONTH DELVING INTO THE DETAILS OF EACH ONE OF THOSE ZONES.
BUT THE RESOLUTION AS THE CHAIR HAS, HAS READ OUT, WOULD, UH, AUTHORIZE THE PRESIDENT'S CEO TO, UH, FORMALIZE AND HELP US EXECUTE THE, IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THESE SERVICE CHANGES WOULD BE, WHICH WOULD BECOME EFFECTIVE IN LATE MAY OF THIS YEAR.
ALRIGHT, UM, BOARD MEMBERS, ANY QUESTIONS?
[02:00:02]
ANY QUESTIONS? UH, HEARING NONE, UH, THE CHAIR WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO APPROVE ACTION ITEM NUMBER ONE.IS THERE A SECOND? BOARD MEMBER FAVOR? OKAY.
IT'S BEEN MOVED AND PROPERLY SECONDED.
UH, THAT WE APPROVE ACTION ITEM NUMBER ONE.
IS THERE ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? FURTHER DISCUSSION.
ALL IN FAVOR? LET IT BE KNOWN BY SAYING AYE.
THE CHAIR WILL MAKE IT UNANIMOUS.
[VIII.3. Approval of a resolution authorizing the President & CEO, or her designee, to finalize and execute a contract with M.A. Smith Contracting Company, Inc. for construction of the Expo Center Park and Ride for $17,318,834, plus $3,463,767 representing 20% contingency for a total amount not to exceed $20,782,602]
TO ACTION.ITEM NUMBER THREE, APPROVAL OF A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE PRESIDENT AND CEO OR HER DESIGNEE TO FINALIZE AND EXECUTE A CONTRACT WITH MA SMITH CONTRACTING COMPANY, INC.
FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE EXPO CENTER, PARK AND RIDE FOR $17,318,834 PLUS $3,463,767, REPRESENTING A 20% CONTINGENCY FOR THE TOTAL AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $20,782,602.
KEN CARTWRIGHT WILL MAKE THE PRESENTATION.
I AM KEN CARTWRIGHT, VICE PRESIDENT OF CONSTRUCTION AND FACILITIES.
AND AS YOU MENTIONED, THIS IS A CONSTRUCTION CONTRACT FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF OUR EXPO, CENTER, PARK AND RIDE FACILITY.
THIS FACILITY, UH, WILL BE THE NORTHERN TERMINUS OF OUR NEW EXPO RAPID SERVICE.
THIS IS LOCATED, UH, WITHIN THE EIGHT ACRES THAT, UH, CAPITAL METRO ACQUIRED FROM, UH, THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND, AND TRAVIS COUNTY ON THE, SO, UH, WEST CORNER OF THE TRAVIS COUNTY EXPOSITION CENTER.
YOU CAN SEE THE SITE PLAN HERE, UH, AS WELL.
THIS, UH, THIS PARTICULAR PARK AND RIDE WILL FEATURE EIGHT BUS BAYS WITH, UH, ELECTRIC CHARGING INFRASTRUCTURE.
IT'LL HAVE 140 CUSTOMER PARKING SPACES.
WE'LL BE MAKING IMPROVEMENTS TO WHAT'S, UH, COMMONLY CALLED, UH, CARNIVAL DRIVE THERE, LEADING TO TRAVIS COUNTY GATE TWO TO THE EXPO CENTER.
AND ONE OF THE FEATURES OF THIS PROJECT, IT WILL IMPROVE THE INTERSECTION THERE OF CARNIVAL LANE, UH, GOING ACROSS DECKER LANE INTO COLONY CO, EXCUSE ME, COLONY LOOP DRIVE INTO THE COLONY PARK NEIGHBORHOOD.
THAT WILL NOW BE A SIGNALED, UH, INTERSECTION WITH A PEDESTRIAN PROTECTED CROSSING THERE AS WELL.
SO THIS, UH, PARTICULAR CONTRACT IS FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF THIS FACILITY.
IN ADDITION TO THE RAPID SERVICE.
IT WILL ALSO, UM, PROVIDE ACCESS FOR THESE THREE BUS ROUTES, UH, 3 37, 2 37, AND 2 33.
UH, SHOULD THE CONTRACT BE AWARDED, THE, THE CONSTRUCTION WILL TAKE APPROXIMATELY A YEAR TO COMPLETE.
UH, THE FIRM RECOMMENDED FOR THIS CONSTRUCTION CONTRACT.
MA SMITH HAS DONE QUITE A BIT OF WORK FOR, UH, CAB METRO IN THE PAST, AND THEY, UH, THEY WERE DETERMINED TO BE THE BEST VALUE PROPOSAL.
UH, UH, OUT OF THE FIVE PROPOSALS RECEIVED FOR THIS PROJECT, THERE WAS A 15%, UH, SBE GOAL ESTABLISHED FOR THIS CONTRACT, AND MA SMITH IS PROPOSING TO MEET THAT 15% GOAL.
AND THE FUNDING FOR THIS PART, UH, PARTICULAR PROJECT IS INCLUDED IN OUR FY 24, UH, CAPITAL BUDGET.
I'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU HAVE REGARDING THIS PROPOSED CONSTRUCTION BOARD MEMBERS.
ANY QUESTIONS? BOARD MEMBERS? OKAY.
THIRD TIME POSTERITY, MY BOARD MEMBERS.
UH, ALL IN FAVOR OF APPROVING ACTION.
ITEM NUMBER THREE, LET IT BE KNOWN BY SAYING AYE.
THE CHAIR WILL MAKE IT UNANIMOUS.
[VIII.4. Approval of a resolution authorizing the President & CEO, or her designee, to finalize and execute a contract with Hatch Associates Consultants, Inc. for rail operations consulting and technical support services for a three (3) year base period with up to five (5) option periods for a twelve (12) month duration in a total amount not to exceed $6,573,004.]
ITEM NUMBER FOUR.LET ME READ IT INTO THE RECORD.
APPROVAL OF A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE PRESIDENT AND CEO OR HER DESIGNEE TO FINALIZE AND EXECUTE A CONTRACT WITH HATCH ASSOCIATES CONSULTANTS, INC.
PHARRELL OPERATIONS CONSULTING AND TECHNICAL SUPPORT SERVICES FOR A THREE YEAR BASE PERIOD WITH UP TO FIVE OPTION PERIODS FOR A 12 MONTH DURATION IN THE TOTAL AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED, UH, $6,573,004.
UH, PLEASE PRESENT, UH, GOOD AFTERNOON, CHAIR TRILLIAN, UH, BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT.
UH, MY NAME IS MURIEL FRIDAY AND I'M THE VICE PRESIDENT OF RAIL OPERATIONS.
UH, THIS IS A TASK ORDER CONTRACT WITH HATCH ASSOCIATE CONSULTANTS.
UH, THE WORK THEY'LL BE DOING FOR US CAN INCLUDE, UH, TECHNICAL OVERSIGHT FOR DESIGN REVIEW, INSTALLATION, AND, UH, CONSTRUCTION ON NEW OR EXISTING RAIL ASSETS SUCH AS GRADE CROSSINGS, SIDINGS, MAIN TRACKS WITHIN OUR EXISTING PTC CORRIDOR.
ALSO, THEY WOULD ASSIST WITH DEVELOPING TECHNICAL PROPOSALS, SCOPES OF WORK SCHEDULES, DESIGN
[02:05:01]
CRITERIA, UH, ALSO STATE OF GOOD REPAIR WORK FOR OUR TRACKS, BRIDGES, CULVERTS, COMMUNICATIONS SIGNALS, SINGLE LINE DESIGN, GRADE CROSSING, WARNING SYSTEMS, OPERATIONAL READINESS, CRITICAL STANDARD DESIGN, NEW VEHICLE DESIGN, AND ALTERNATE VEHICLE COMPLIANCE.ALSO, THEY WILL HELP, UH, DEVELOP AND NEGOTIATING NEW OPERATIONAL AND MAINTENANCE CONTRACTS.
UH, THEY WILL ALSO CONDUCT FEASIBILITY STUDIES, UH, PERTAINING TO OUR EXTENDING, EXPANDING COMMUNAL RAIL SERVICES ON OUR EAST, WEST AND CENTRAL CORRIDORS.
AND THEY ALSO MEET DBE AND SBE GOALS.
ALRIGHT, IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, ANY QUESTIONS, BOARD MEMBERS, ANY QUESTIONS? NO QUESTIONS.
AND THE CHAIR WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO APPROVE ACTION ITEM NUMBER FOUR, RIGHT.
UM, BOARD MEMBER BENGAL MADE THE MOTION AND, UH, BOARD MEMBER ELLIS WITH THE SECOND.
UH, IT'S BEEN MOVED AND PROPERLY SECONDED, UH, THAT WE APPROVE ACTION ITEM NUMBER FOUR.
IS THERE ANY, ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? NO FURTHER DISCUSSION.
IF NONE, THEN ALL IN FAVOR OF APPROVING ACTION ITEM NUMBER FOUR, PLEASE LET IT BE KNOWN BY SAYING AYE.
THE CHAIR WILL MAKE IT UNANIMOUS.
UH, WE WANT TO, UH, I THINK THAT THAT CONCLUDES, UH, ALL THE ACTION ITEMS THAT WE HAVE.
[IV. Recognition]
BACK TO THE RECOGNITION THAT WE WERE, UH, CONSIDERING AT THE BEGINNING OF THE, OF THE, UH, OF OUR AGENDA.AND, AND, UH, WE WANT TO TAKE, UH, AN OPPORTUNITY TO, UM, TO RECOGNIZE, UH, DOTIE NOT ONLY FOR 30 YEARS OF SERVICE TO US, BUT ALSO FOR ONE YEAR AS CEO.
UH, I THINK THAT, UH, THAT THERE, THERE, UM, THAT IT IS UNANIMOUS ON THIS BOARD THAT, UH, THAT WE THINK THAT WE MADE THE FINEST DECISION THAT WE COULD HAVE MADE SOMEONE WHO UNDERSTANDS THE ORGANIZATION, WHO WORKS HARD IN THE ORGANIZATION, WHO IS TRUSTED NOT ONLY BY HER BOARD, UH, BUT BY, UH, THE EMPLOYEES THAT WORK HERE AS WELL.
UH, NOT EVERYBODY ACHIEVES THAT.
UH, SO WE JUST, WE JUST WANT TO IDENTIFY SOME OF THE THINGS THAT YOU HAVE BEEN DOING OVER THE LAST YEARS, AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR, YOUR UNWAVERING COMMITMENT TO WORK IN AND WITH COMMUNITIES AND, UH, PROVIDE HIGH QUALITY PUBLIC TRANSIT, UH, IN, IN, UH, IN OUR REGION.
SO, UH, NOW YOU, YOU STARTED AS A BUS OPERATOR FOR THE SHUTTLE IN 1994.
UH, WORKED ALL THE WAY UNTIL, UNTIL THEY MOVED YOU UP TO VP OF OPERATIONS AND THEN CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER, AND THEN DEPUTY CEO.
AND, AND WHEN WE SAW THAT WOULDN'T SCARE YOU OFF, WE DECIDED THAT, UH, THAT, THAT MAYBE WE SHOULD CONSIDER YOU FOR, FOR THE, THE, UH, ACTUAL CEO, UH, YOU, YOU THINK ABOUT WHERE WE'VE COME FROM, YOU KNOW, WE'VE COME FROM A CITY IN THE NINETIES THAT WAS ABOUT 500,000, UH, TO ALMOST DOUBLING THAT SIZE.
AND OUR, OUR TRANSIT NETWORK HAS GROWN, UH, IN 19, IN 1994, I UNDERSTAND WE HAD 62 BUS ROUTES, AND NOW WE HAVE 97, UH, PLUS COMMUTER RAIL, UH, PLUS EXPANSIONS TO PROGRAMS LIKE CAPITAL CAP, METRO ACCESS, UH, RIDE SHARE, PICKUP, METRO BIKE.
UM, YOU'VE WORKED WITH US HAND IN HAND IN, IN THE, UH, IN THE CHALLENGES THAT WE HAVE MET.
UH, JUST TO MENTION A COUPLE OF THINGS OVER YOUR FIRST YEAR, UH, OPENING MACAL STATION, UH, THE Q2 STADIUM, UH, COMPLETING THE LEANDER DOUBLE TRACKING PROJECT, UH, SECURING $65 MILLION IN FEDERAL GRANTS FOR OUR METRO RAPID EXPANSION, ADVANCING LIGHT RAIL DESIGNS.
UH, A PROJECT NECK PARTNER, UH, WITH THE CITY AND WITH A TP SECURING $11 MILLION FOR METRO BIKE, WHICH I WON'T BE RIDING BY THE WAY,
AT THIS AGE, I WANT FOUR WHEELS.
UH, IMPLEMENTING, UH, THE FAIR CAPPING AND THE AMP CARD, UH, COMPLETING AN OPERATIONAL TRANSITION WITH KEOLIS AND THEN LAUNCHING THE DOVE SPRINGS PICKUP ZONE.
UM, WE THINK THAT YOU HAVE DONE A MARVELOUS JOB, UH, THAT YOU HAVE SERVED QUITE WELL, AND I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT I OPEN THE MIC TO MY COLLEAGUES SO THAT IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT I MISSED, UH, THAT THEY CAN TELL YOU ABOUT IT.
UH, CHIEF OF STAFF CHEYENNE CONER.
UH, BEFORE WE TURN IT OVER TO REMARKS FROM OTHER BOARD MEMBERS, WE ALSO HAVE, UM, SOMETHING SPECIAL PREPARED, UM, THAT WE WOULD LOVE TO SHOW IF WE CAN TAKE
[02:10:01]
A MOMENT.YOU GET A VIDEO WHERE THIS CHAIR IS NOW, I WOULD BE OVER HERE WORKING ON THIS WORK BENCH, OR I'D BE IN THAT DYNAMOMETER RUNNING AN ENGINE OR A TRANSMISSION ON THE DYNAMOMETER.
IT'S A WHOLE DIFFERENT BALLGAME.
I'M AN EX-EMPLOYEE OF CAPITAL METRO.
FOR 23 YEARS, I WORKED IN THE, EVERY JOB THAT'S ABLE TO DO IN THE MAINTENANCE DEPARTMENT, I'VE DONE IT.
AND NOW MY DAUGHTER, DOTTIE WATKINS, IS THE CEO.
AND I'M ALSO PROUD OF DOTTIE THAT DOING WHAT SHE'S DOING.
WHEN SHE WAS GOING TO COLLEGE, SHE HAD SEVERAL PART-TIME JOBS.
I TOLD DOTTI, I SAID, LOOK, YOU COULD, YOU COULD DRIVE A BUS.
I MEAN, THEY HAD TRAINED YOU TO DRIVE, IT'S NOTHING TO DRIVE A BUS.
AND SO THEN WHEN SHE FINALLY, UH, GRADUATED AND I COULD MAKE MORE MONEY DRIVING A BUS OR WORKING ON THE BUS COMPANY.
AND SO THAT'S WHAT SHE STAYED WITH THEM.
SHE MAY HAVE BEEN A SUPERVISOR BY THEN, TO MY KNOWLEDGE, SHE NEVER HAD AN ACCIDENT.
SO, UH,
I HAVE A LOT OF RESPECT FOR THE PEOPLE I WORK FOR.
AND I KNOW DOTTIE HAS THE RESPECT FOR THE PEOPLE SHE WORKS FOR, AND NOW THEY'RE WORKING FOR HER.
AND I THINK THAT IT'S, IT'S GOOD THAT CAPITAL METRO IS ABLE TO, TO SEE THE GOOD AT EVERYBODY AND, AND TO GO AHEAD AND DEVELOP THAT PERSON.
IT MADE ME FEEL LIKE, WELL, I GUESS YOU DID A PRETTY GOOD JOB RAISING THIS KID, YOU KNOW, AND, AND, YOU KNOW, PUT THE, YOU KNOW, GIVE HER SOME, SOME GOOD UNDERSTANDINGS.
DOTTIE, CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR FIRST YEAR OF CEO OF CAPITAL METRO.
YOUR MOTHER AND I ARE BOTH PROUD OF YOU AND WE LOVE YOU AND WE ARE PROUD OF THE JOB THAT YOU'RE DOING.
YOU WANT ME TO START OUT? GO AHEAD, START.
HEY DEE, WHAT'S UP BABY? HOW YOU DOING?
YOU INSPIRED ME TO BE BETTER WHERE I AM TODAY.
SIR, I JUST WANNA SAY CONGRATULATIONS, GOTTI, ON YOUR ONE YEAR AS CEO.
CONGRATULATIONS ON 30 YEARS OF SERVICE TO CAPITAL METRO AND THANKS FOR MAKING CENTRAL TEXAS AN EVEN BETTER PLACE TO LIVE.
IT'S A PLEASURE TO WORK WITH YOU AND I HOPE YOU HAVE MANY MORE YEARS AT THE AGENCY.
IT IS FANTASTIC WORKING WITH YOU.
IT'S GREAT HAVING YOU AS OUR LEADER.
I'VE REALLY ENJOYED WORKING WITH YOU ON EVERYTHING FROM HELPING OUT WITH DISASTERS TO HELPING OUT GET, GETTING MORE PASSENGER RAIL AND LOCAL RAIL HERE IN AUSTIN AND TRAVIS COUNTY.
WE REALLY VALUE THE PARTNERSHIP HERE AT OPPORTUNITY TO AUSTIN AND LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING TO BUILD ONE OF THE GREATEST REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS IN THE UNITED STATES.
IT'S ALSO GREAT TO SEE A FORMER MCCALLUM KNIGHT SUCCEEDING IN AUSTIN.
CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR 30 YEAR ANNIVERSARY AND ALSO YOUR FIRST YEAR ANNIVERSARY AS OUR NEW PRESIDENT FROM ALL YOUR FRIENDS AT APTA, CONGRATULATIONS AND KEEP UP THE TREMENDOUS WORK.
THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU AND CAPITAL METRO DO TO CONNECT CENTRAL TEXANS TO JOB OPPORTUNITIES THROUGHOUT THE REGION.
CONGRATS ON THE 30 YEARS AT CAP METRO AND BEST OF LUCK IN ALL YOUR FUTURE ENDEAVORS.
WHAT CAN I SAY? YOU'RE THE REAL DEAL.
COULDN'T BE ANY MORE LUCKY TO HAVE YOU LEADING CAP METRO AND OUR COMMUNITY AND ALL THE GREAT TRANSIT STUFF THAT YOU AND YOUR TEAM ARE DOING.
THANK YOU FOR THREE DECADES OF LEADING AND WORKING AND YOUR DEVOTION TO TRANSIT.
WE LOVE TO SEE HOW YOUR WORK LIVES ON THE CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR FIRST YEAR ANNIVERSARY AS CEO AND PRESIDENT OF CAP METRO AND ALSO FOR THE 30 YEARS OF YOUR TENURE WITH THE AGENCY, THEY COULDN'T ASK FOR A BETTER PERSON.
THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU DO AND YOUR FRIENDSHIP FOR THE PAST 30 YEARS WITH ME.
SHE'S INTELLIGENT, ARTICULATE, ENERGETIC, POSITIVE, AND A GREAT REPRESENTATIVE OF THIS COMMUNITY.
YOU DESERVE EVERYTHING THAT YOU GET.
AND THANK YOU FOR MY LAST 20 PLUS YEARS WITH YOU.
UH, YOUR LEADERSHIP HAS BEEN TRANSFORMATIONAL THIS FIRST YEAR AS CEO AND AUSTIN TRANSIT IS DEFINITELY ON TRACK, BUT MAYBE MOST IMPORTANTLY IS ONE OF THE HARDEST THINGS TO DO IN AUSTIN IS MAKE THE MAYOR LOOK COOL.
THAT IT WAS DOTIE THAT MADE ME ANGRY.
CONGRATULATIONS DOTIE AND THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU'VE DID, BUT YOU'VE WEATHERED
[02:15:01]
THE STORMS. WE'RE IN A GOOD PLACE NOW AND YOU'VE POSITIONED US FOR THE FUTURE.SO THANK YOU FROM KEELING MIDDLE SCHOOL, HORNETS TO TEXAS, LONGHORNS AND BEYOND.
IT'S BEEN A HECK OF A WILD RIDE.
BUT YOU KNOW WHAT? I'M GLAD YOU'VE BEEN MY DRIVER 30 YEARS.
LOOKING FORWARD TO WHAT'S UP NEXT.
I'VE WORKED WITH YOU MANY YEARS.
I APPRECIATE YOUR LEADERSHIP, APPRECIATE AND ALSO YOUR GUIDANCE AND ALL I'VE DONE.
I REMEMBER WHEN WE USED TO SPEND OUR TIME IN THE BUS OPERATIONS AREA PREPARING FOR EVENTS.
HE WOULD ALWAYS FIND A FUN WAY TO KEEP EVERYBODY ENGAGED AND ALSO MOTIVATE US TO TAKE ON CHALLENGES.
I'M SO PROUD TO CLAIM A LEADER OF YOUR CALIBER AND DEDICATION TO OUR COMMUNITY.
AS A HEEL TOPPER HERE IS TO MANY MORE YEARS OF SUCCESS AND IMPACT.
YOUR PASSION AND COMMITMENT HELPED SHAPE WHAT CAP METRO IS TODAY.
ON BEHALF OF THE CITY OF LEANDER, HERE'S TO CELEBRATING YOUR ACHIEVEMENTS AND LOOKING FORWARD TO THE FUTURE.
TOGETHER WE EXTEND OUR CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF LEADING CAP METRO AND YOUR MORE THAN 30 YEARS OF COMMITMENT TO OUR REGION AND COMMUNITY.
I'VE REALLY ENJOYED GETTING TO WORK ALONGSIDE YOU AND WISH YOU THE BEST FOR MANY, MANY GOOD YEARS TO COME WITH CAP METRO.
I'M PROUD OF ALL THE GREAT THINGS YOU GUYS HAVE DONE IN THIS FIRST YEAR AND EXCITED TO SEE ALL THE GOOD CAP METRO DOES UNDER YOUR LEADERSHIP IN THE YEARS TO COME.
THAT IS SO IMPRESSIVE TO START AS A BUS DRIVER AND NOW BE AT THE LEVEL YOU ARE INFLUENCING POLICY AND CHANGE IN OUR COMMUNITY.
I'M SO THANKFUL TO WORK WITH SUCH A GREAT PARTNER AS WE TACKLE THE TRANSPORTATION CHALLENGES HERE IN THE AUSTIN REGION.
AND I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING TOGETHER FOR MANY YEARS TO COME.
WHEN YOU CAME TO CAP METRO, WE KIND OF KNEW YOU'D BE AROUND FOR A WHILE AND WE EVENTUALLY FIGURED OUT THAT WE MIGHT ALL BE WORKING FOR YOU.
A LOT OF THE THINGS, YOU KNOW AS A BUS OPERATOR IS STILL KIND OF GUIDING YOU.
FOR INSTANCE, SQUARE YOUR TURNS, SCAN YOUR MIRRORS EVERY FIVE SECONDS AND SCAN THE ROAD AHEAD TO BE SURE YOU KNOW WHAT'S COMING.
ALL THOSE THINGS HAVE BEEN PART OF YOUR LEADERSHIP.
SO MY ADVICE IS GOING TO BE TO BUY A LOTTO TICKET TODAY,
I WAS THINKING TO MYSELF, WE NEED TO SAVE THIS.
'CAUSE SOME OF THOSE COMMUNITY PARTNERS, WE MIGHT NEED TO REMIND THEM DOWN THE ROAD HOW MUCH THEY LOVE AND SUPPORT.
UM, THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR TAKING THE TIME TO CONTRIBUTE TO SUCH A WONDERFUL TRIBUTE.
UM, SO MANY OF THE PEOPLE ON THAT VIDEO ARE PEOPLE.
OBVIOUSLY MY PARENTS LET IT OFF.
I MEAN, YOU CAN'T GET MORE PERSONAL THAN THAT.
UM, IT HAS, AUSTIN IS MY HOME.
I GREW UP HERE AND IT HAS BEEN SUCH A PRIVILEGE AND JOY FOR ME TO GET TO LEAD THIS AGENCY THAT I'VE BEEN A PART OF ALMOST MY ENTIRE ADULT LIFE.
I WAS 19 YEARS OLD WHEN I FIRST STARTED DRIVING A BUS.
UM, AND I DID HAVE ONE ACCIDENT, BUT IT WAS NON-PREVENTABLE.
SO I JUST SET THE RECORD STRAIGHT.
IT WAS NOT A, IT WAS NOT MY FAULT.
SOUNDS LIKE YOU DIDN'T TELL YOUR DAD
WELL, YOU KNOW, I'M THINKING NEEDED TO KNOW.
UM, BUT SO MANY, ESPECIALLY OF THOSE OF THE STAFF THAT WERE ON THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN PART OF MY CAP METRO FAMILY FOR A VERY LONG TIME AND, UM, WHOM I LOVE DEARLY AND I'VE SEEN THEIR CHILDREN GROW UP AND THEY'RE WATCHING MY DAUGHTER GROW UP AND IT'S ONE OF THE THINGS I LOVE ABOUT THIS PLACE.
SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH TO THE MARKETING STAFF WHO I KNOW WORKED A LOT TO GET THIS PULLED TOGETHER.
SO NOW I, I THINK THAT WE'RE DONE.
DO WE HAVE ANY OTHER, ANY OTHER ITEMS THAT WE NEED TO COVER? I THINK THAT WE'RE GOOD.
SO NOW THE ONLY THING IS I HAVE TO HAVE A TOOTH PUT BACK IN AT TWO 30.
SO I'M, I'M GONNA TURN THIS OVER TO YOU.
AND, UH, CEO AND PRESIDENT WATKINS, EXCUSE ME.
WE ALL KNOW THAT OUR EMPLOYEES ARE ARE HEROES, BUT TODAY WE WANNA RECOGNIZE A SUPERHERO.
UM, AND TODAY WE ARE OVERJOYED TO RECOGNIZE AND COMMEND CAP METRO OPERATOR EVERETT PINK FOR HIS EXTRAORDINARY ACT OF HEROISM AND COMPASSION IN PERFORMING CPR AND SAVING A PASSENGER'S LIFE ON FEBRUARY 12TH OF THIS YEAR.
HIS QUICK THINKING, CALM DEMEANOR AND SWIFT ACTION EXEMPLIFY THE HIGHEST IDEALS OF SERVICE AND BRAVERY.
[02:20:01]
TO THE SAFETY AND WELLBEING OF OUR PASSENGERS GOES ABOVE AND BEYOND THE CALL OF DUTY.AND HIS SELFNESS ACTIONS HAVE MADE A PROFOUND DIFFERENCE IN THE LIVES OF MANY AND IN FOR SURE THE LIFE OF ONE PERSON.
UH, ON BEHALF OF KILIS AND CAP METRO, WE EXPRESSED OUR DEEPEST GRATITUDE AND ABERRATION FOR HIS EXCEPTIONAL COURAGE AND UNWAVERING COMMITMENT TO EXCELLENCE.
A SMALL TOKEN OF OUR APPRECIATION.
AND IF WE COULD GET A QUICK PICTURE YEAH, MY TOOLS CAN WAIT A FEW MINUTES A MINUTE.
I THANK OLI AND THE RADIO DISPATCH AND CHAIRMAN
YOU KNOW, I THINK MOST OF US WOULD'VE DONE THE APPRECIATE MY GRANDMOTHER.
ALRIGHT, HAVE FUN AT THE DENTIST.
WE HAVE TWO DISCUSSION ITEMS. YOU, YEAH.
HERE I CAN GIVE YOU THE, WE ARE CONGRATULATIONS MR. PINK.
I DON'T KNOW, YOU'RE BEING VERY MODEST.
WE ALL HOPE THAT WE COULD DO WHAT YOU DID.
ALL RIGHT, SO THAT CONCLUDES OUR RECOGNITIONS.
THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE STILL WITH US TODAY IN THE ROOM, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO HELP YOURSELF TO, OH, A TASTY TREAT IN HONOR OF TODAY'S CELEBRATION WE'VE PLACED OUT IN THE HALLWAY ON THE WAY OUT.
[IX.1. Ridership and Planning Process Overview Presentation]
NOW MOVE ON TO OUR DISCUSSION ITEMS TODAY, WHICH IS AN OVERVIEW OF KE METRO'S RIDERSHIP AND PLANNING PROCESS FROM JENNIFER, JENNIFER GOVE AND ROBERTO GONZALEZ.THANKS FOR BEING HERE, MS. GOVE AND MR. GONZALES.
OKAY, LET'S SEE IF WE CAN GET THIS PULLED UP HERE.
CAN Y'ALL, CAN Y'ALL HEAR ME OKAY? WE CAN, I'M TRYING TO, TVS ARE, GET THE PRESENTATION UP.
I CAN GO AHEAD I GUESS AND GET STARTED.
GOOD AFTERNOON, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD PRESIDENT, CEO WATKINS.
MY NAME IS JENNIFER GOVEA AND, UM, I'M THE SERVICE ANALYSIS MANAGER IN THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT.
AND I'M HERE TODAY TO TALK ABOUT, UH, RIDERSHIP, YOU KNOW, HOW IS RIDERSHIP DEFINED, UH, CALCULATED WHY IT'S IMPORTANT AND HOW WE USE IT, AND NOT JUST IN OUR DEPARTMENT, BUT AROUND THE AGENCY.
UM, AND ROBERTA WILL TALK ABOUT A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW, UM, IT'S USED IN THE SERVICE PLANNING PROCESS.
AND THEN WE'LL GO OVER THE CURRENT TRENDS IN RIDERSHIP.
SO I KIND OF ALREADY WENT THROUGH THE AGENDA HERE.
SO HOW IS RIDERSHIP DEFINED? YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE OUR SOURCES FOR THAT RIDERSHIP AND THE PLATFORM THAT WE USE TO, UM, GATHER ALL THAT INFORMATION? THE RIDERSHIP DEFINITION IS KNOWN AS UNLINKED PASSENGER TRIPS.
A PASSENGER IS COUNTED EACH TIME THEY BOARD A VEHICLE, NO MATTER HOW MANY VEHICLES THEY USE TO GET FROM THEIR ORIGIN TO THEIR DESTINATION.
SO IF A PASSENGER NEEDS THREE VEHICLES TO GET TO THEIR DESTINATION, THEY'RE COUNTED THREE TIMES.
THEY ARE CONSUMING A SEAT, A SEAT ON EVERY VEHICLE THAT THEY BOARD.
AND WE USE AUTOMATIC PASSENGER COUNTERS TO CAPTURE THAT INFORMATION.
YOU MAY ALSO HEAR A TERM CALLED LINKED PASSENGER TRIPS, AND THAT IS WHERE THAT SAME PASSENGER,
[02:25:01]
UH, THAT MAY NEED THREE VEHICLES TO GET TO THEIR DESTINATION, THEY WOULD ONLY BE COUNTED ONCE IN THE LINKED PASSENGER TRIP DEFINITION.AND WE TYPICALLY CAPTURE THAT INFORMATION THROUGH OUR ORIGIN AND DESTINATION SURVEY.
Y'ALL MAY REMEMBER, UM, US BRINGING THE RESULTS OF THAT SURVEY, UM, TO Y'ALL IN THE FALL THAT WE DID LAST SPRING.
BUT FOR UNLINKED PASSENGER TRIPS, TRIPS, IN OUR RIDERSHIP DEFINITION, WE USE AUTOMATIC PASSENGER COUNTERS, ALSO KNOWN AS APCS.
AND THAT RECORDS THE ONS AND OFFS OR SOMETIMES CALLED BOARDINGS AND THE LIGHTINGS AT EACH STOP AND STATION ALONG THE RAIL AND, UH, BUS ROUTES.
UM, AND THAT'S AT, ON EVERY ROUTE, UH, EVERY TRIP THAT IS OPERATED EVERY DAY.
AND ONCE DAILY, THAT DATA FLOWS INTO OUR DATA WAREHOUSE AND WE CAN AGGREGATE IT AND SLICE AND DICE IT IN A VARIETY OF WAYS.
SO I MENTIONED OUR DATA WAREHOUSE INTERNALLY HERE.
WE CALL IT OUR ENTERPRISE DATA ANALYTICS PLATFORM.
UM, AND THIS IS KIND OF THE FLOW CHART OF HOW THE DATA GETS INTO THAT SYSTEM.
WE HAVE THE A PC DATA, ALONG WITH OTHER DATA SETS THAT, UM, GETS PULLED IN ONCE DAILY, UM, KIND OF DUMPED, DUMPED INTO WHAT WE CALL A DATA LAKE.
AND FROM THERE IT GETS TRANSFORMED AND MOVED INTO THE DATA WAREHOUSE WHERE THOSE DESPERATE SYSTEMS, UM, CAN NOW MORE EASILY TALK TO EACH OTHER AND WE CAN CREATE SOME NICE TOOLS, REPORTS, AND DASHBOARDS, AND ALSO DO TARGETED ANALYSIS ON, UM, OUR SERVICES.
SO WHY IS RIDERSHIP IMPORTANT AND HOW IS IT USED? UH, ONE OF THE MAIN REASONS IS WE HAVE A FEDERAL REPORTING REQUIREMENT WHERE WE HAVE TO REPORT OUR UNLINKED PASSENGER TRIPS TO THE NATIONAL TRANSIT DATABASE PART OF THE FTA.
AND WE REPORT CERTAIN DATA SETS, YOU KNOW, CERTAIN SMALL DATA SETS MONTHLY, AND THEN WE DO A MORE COMPREHENSIVE ANNUAL REPORT.
THIS IS PART OF OUR FEDERAL FUNDING ALLOCATION AND OUR FORMULA FOR RECEIVING FUNDS FROM THE FTA AND OUR APCS ARE CER CERTIFIED THROUGH THIS PROCESS.
RIDERSHIP IS ALSO IMPORTANT AS, AS WE ASSESS OUR TRANSIT CORRIDORS FOR VARIOUS INITIATIVES, UM, SUCH AS THE TRANSIT ENHANCEMENT PROJECTS THAT WE WORK ON WITH THE CITY.
UM, WE ALSO, YOU KNOW, ARE DEVELOPING OUR HIGH CAPACITY TRANSIT AND DO TRAVEL DEMAND MODELING, YOU KNOW, AND ONE EXAMPLE IS OUR BIG PROJECT CONNECT, AND THEN ROBERTO'S GONNA TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE, UH, IN A BIT ABOUT HOW THAT INFORMATION IS USED IN OUR SERVICE CHANGE PROCESS, WHERE WE LOOK AT DATA IN A VARIETY OF WAYS TO, UM, UPDATE OUR SERVICES.
UM, NEXT WE'RE GONNA LOOK AT A SERIES OF KIND OF SNAPSHOTS OF SOME OF THE DASHBOARDS THAT HAVE BEEN CREATED OUTTA THE, UH, PLATFORM.
THE FIRST ONE IS ON OUR PUBLIC WEBSITE, CAP METRO.ORG.
UNDER THE PERFORMANCE AT THE BOTTOM ON THE FIRST PAGE, YOU CAN CLICK AND GO FIND IT.
THIS SHOWS, UH, MONTHLY RIDERSHIP FOR A 12 MONTH PERIOD FOR THE PAST THREE YEARS, THREE PLUS YEARS.
AND IT'S JUST AN AGGREGATED VIEW OF OUR MONTHLY RIDERSHIP, RIGHT? RIGHT HERE WE'RE SHOWING OUR BUS SERVICES ON THE TOP CHART HERE.
AND ON THE BOTTOM ONE, IT'S COMPARING THIS YEAR'S MONTH TO LAST YEAR'S MONTH.
SO THAT'S WHERE YOU SEE THIS PERCENTAGES AT THE BOTTOM.
HOW IS OUR RIDERSHIP DOING COMPARED TO LAST YEAR? UM, NEXT COUPLE OF SLIDES WE'RE GONNA LOOK AT SOME OF THE INTERNAL TOOLS THAT WE'VE BUILT WITH THE PLATFORM.
FIRST ONE IS OUR DAILY RIDERSHIP DASHBOARD WHERE WE CAN INSTANTLY VIEW, UM, THE LAST 30 DAYS OF OUR SYSTEM RIDERSHIP AND THAT WE HAVE VARIOUS FILTERING CAPABILITIES WHERE WE CAN LOOK AT ROUTE LEVEL, UM, SERVICE DAY TYPE, MAYBE JUST A PARTICULAR DAY OR DAY OF WEEK, AND WE CAN SEE IF TRENDS ARE FORMING.
THIS NEXT DASHBOARD OR TOOL THAT WE'VE BUILT INTERNALLY IS A PASSENGER LOAD DASHBOARD.
NOW THIS WAS DEVELOPED BASED ON OUR SERVICE STANDARDS AND GUIDELINES DOCUMENT THAT THE BOARD PASSED LAST YEAR, WHERE, UM, SOME RECOMMENDED GUIDELINES FOR MAXIMUM CAPACITY ON OUR BUSES WERE SET IN THAT DOCUMENT.
UM, THE TOP CHART HERE IS SHOWING, UM, A PARTICULAR ROUTE, UH, 6 42.
IT'S KIND OF IN A TABLE FORMAT IN ORDER BY STOP.
AND WE CAN SEE AS THE BUS IS MOVING ALONG THROUGH THE STOPS, UM, IT'S GREEN, GREEN, GREEN, AND THEN IT, WE'RE STARTING TO GET A LITTLE WARNING THERE ONCE IT GETS OVER TO WEST CAMPUS, UM, THE BUS IS GETTING FULL AND THEN FINALLY AT 22ND AND PEARL, UM, IT'S FLAGGED AS OVER THAT MAXIMUM RECOMMENDED CAPACITY.
UM, IT HELPS US UNDERSTAND WHAT'S GOING ON ON PARTICULAR ROUTES WHERE WE MIGHT NEED TO, TO MAKE INTERVENTION WITH THE BUSES ARE GETTING FULL.
WE CAN ALSO REPRESENT THIS LIKE WE SEE IN THE BOTTOM, UH, DASHBOARD CLIP AS A GRAPHICAL DEPICTION OF THAT.
SO YOU CAN KIND OF SEE IT AS IT STARTS ON CAMPUS AND MOVES AROUND OVER TO WEST CAMPUS AND THEN STARTS PICKING UP ALL THOSE, PASS ALL THOSE STUDENTS OVER ON WEST
[02:30:01]
CAMPUS.THE BUS BUS STAYS PRETTY FULL UNTIL IT GETS BACK TO CAMPUS.
AND THIS ALLOWS US TO VISUALIZE THOSE PASSENGER LOADS ALONG THE ROUTE.
AND THESE DASHBOARDS REFRESHED DAILY.
UH, AND ALL THOSE DASHBOARDS THAT I JUST DISCUSSED WERE BASED ON OUR UNLINKED PASSENGER TRIPS AND WE TALKED ABOUT LINKED PASSENGER TRIPS WHERE, UM, WE GET THAT THROUGH OUR ORIGIN AND DESTINATION SURVEY.
AND SINCE WE DID THAT PRESENTATION LAST FALL, WE'VE CREATED A NICE DASHBOARD FOR STAFF TO USE TO DIG INTO THE DETAILS OF THAT STUDY AND UNDERSTAND THE CUSTOMER'S ORIGINS AND DESTINATIONS THAT WE CAN SEE LIKE PLOTTED HERE ON THE MAP.
FOR EXAMPLE, WE'RE LOOKING AT UT SHUTTLE WEEKDAY SERVICE, AND THEN WE CAN ALSO, UH, DIG A LITTLE DEEPER ON HOW THE CUSTOMERS ARE USING THE SERVICE AND THEIR DEMOGRAPHICS.
UH, THIS NICE ENTERPRISE DATA ANALYTICS PLATFORM ALLOWS US TO LOOK AT DATA IN A VARIETY OF WAYS.
WE CAN DO THE AGGREGATE ANALYSIS, LOOKING AT RIDERSHIP TRENDS AND SLICE AND DICE IT IN DIFFERENT WAYS.
WE CAN DIG IN A LITTLE DEEPER AT THE STOP LEVEL WITH THIS DATA.
UH, I KNOW OUR MARKETING TEAM, UM, REQUESTS SPECIFIC, UH, INFORMATION PERIODICALLY TO DO TARGETED OUTREACH EFFORTS AT THOSE HIGH RIDERSHIP AREAS.
UM, AND THEN WE CAN ALSO DO TARGETED ANALYSIS AS WE BRING MORE AND MORE INFORMATION INTO THE DATA WAREHOUSE, WHICH IS A WORK IN PROGRESS, CONTINUING WORK IN PROGRESS.
WE CAN DO SOME OF THESE MORE TARGETED ANALYSES SUCH AS LOOKING AT OUR TRANSIT SIGNAL PRIORITY.
UH, IT ALREADY MENTIONED, YOU KNOW, TRANSIT, OUR TRANSIT ENHANCEMENT PROJECTS AND PROJECT CONNECT AND VARIOUS OTHER, UH, WAYS WE CAN USE THAT INFORMATION.
SO NEXT UP HERE, ROBERTA'S GONNA TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW THIS INFORMATION IS USED IN OUR SERVICE PLANNING PROCESS.
THESE WILL JUST BE A, A FEW SLIDES JUST SO YOU CAN GET A FLAVOR OF SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE DO HERE.
AND IN MY TIME HERE, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS A TIME WHEN THE DATA WAS COLLECTED MANUALLY.
AND NOW THE WAY THAT JEN HAS DESCRIBED IT, WE COLLECT IT ON A DAILY BASIS, SECOND BY SECOND, MINUTE BY MINUTE ON EVERY SINGLE ROUTE, EVERY SINGLE DIRECTION, EVERY SINGLE SERVICE.
SO WE HAVE A PLETHORA OF DATA AND IT'S QUALITY DATA, UH, THAT WE CAN UTILIZE.
WE'VE GONE OVER HOW WE KIND OF DEVELOP OUR PROPOSALS.
PART OF THAT IS KIND OF OUR KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS.
RIDERSHIP IS JUST ONE OF THOSE PIECES OF INFORMATION AND WE'RE ABLE TO TIE IT IN WITH SOME OTHER SOURCES OF DATA AS WELL TOO.
THIS IS JUST KIND OF LIKE A REPRESENTATION OF BEING ABLE TO PULL THE DATA OVER INTO A MAPPING SYSTEM AND BE ABLE TO QUICKLY CHART IT OUT SO WE CAN UNDERSTAND WHAT A CORRIDOR LOOKS LIKE OR WHAT A NEIGHBORHOOD LOOKS LIKE.
EARLIER WE HEARD SOME COMMENTS ABOUT, UH, THE NEED FOR LIKE A SHELTER AT A PARTICULAR BUS STOP.
WE CAN QUICKLY ANALYZE WHETHER OR NOT RIDERSHIP IS ONE OF THOSE ITEMS THAT WE NEED TO BE TAKING A LOOK AT TO HELP INFLUENCE THAT.
WHEN WE'RE TALKING TO NEIGHBORHOODS.
NEIGHBORHOODS ALWAYS WANT TO KNOW, YOU KNOW, WHAT DOES RIDERSHIP LOOK LIKE IN THE AREA THAT THAT I'M SERVED BY? AND THEN HOW DOES THAT COMPARE TO SOME OTHER AREAS? AND WE'RE ABLE TO DO THAT WITH SOME OF OUR INTERNAL TOOLS RELATIVELY QUICKLY.
I MEAN, IT USED TO TAKE A WHILE, UH, YEARS BEFORE, BUT WE'RE ABLE TO DO THAT AT OUR FINGERTIPS NOW WITH THE TOOLS THAT WE HAVE AT HAND.
THIS IS JUST A REPRESENTATION OF, YOU KNOW, ANOTHER PIECE OF DATA IN THERE THAT WE SOMETIMES USE AND WE'RE ABLE TO PULL IN ON A REGULAR BASIS THE TRENDS ANALYSIS OF, OF WHERE STUDENTS LIVE IN AND AROUND OUR COMMUNITY.
WE'LL PULL THAT IN, MATCH IT UP AGAINST DATA, UH, FOR RIDERSHIP AND SEE DOES IT MIMIC ACCORDING TO WHERE, WHERE STUDENTS ARE LIVING AND WHERE SHOULD WE BE CONCENTRATING MOST OF OUR SERVICES IN AND AROUND THE AREA.
AND WE HAVE SEEN SOME TRENDS OVER THE YEARS BECAUSE WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO CATALOG AND AND CHART THESE, THESE, UH, MOVEMENTS FOR THE PAST 20 PLUS YEARS IN THE AREA.
THERE'S SOME OTHER TRENDS THAT, THAT I WANNA LET, UH, JEN TALK.
I JUST WANT TO GIVE JUST A BRIEF FLAVOR OF THAT WE COULD GO ON FOR HOURS ABOUT, UH, WAYS THAT WE LOOK AT SOME THINGS.
BUT JEN IS JUST GONNA GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT MORE ITEMS AND THEN WE'LL OPEN UP QUESTIONS.
SO NEXT UP WE'LL LOOK AT, UM, RIDERSHIP TRENDS FOR CAPITAL METRO ITSELF, AND THEN WE'LL LOOK AT A COUPLE OF OUR PEER AGENCIES.
UM, THESE CHARTS THAT YOU SEE HERE ARE TAKEN DIRECTLY FROM ANOTHER TOOL THAT WE HAVE, UM, AT OUR FINGERTIPS THAT WE'VE CREATED.
UM, OUR MONTHLY RIDERSHIP DASHBOARD THAT'S INTERNAL.
AND UM, THIS IS LOOKING AT RIDERSHIP FOR OUR BUS, RAPID EXPRESS AND RAIL SERVICE FROM OCTOBER OF 20, WHICH WAS THE START OF FY 21 TO FEBRUARY OF 24.
UM, WE CAN SEE LOOKING AT OUR BUS AND OUR RAPID SERVICE, THOSE GRAPHS LOOK PRETTY SIMILAR AND THESE, AND YOU CAN SEE THE UPWARD TREND IN OUR RIDERSHIP SINCE COMING OUT OF THE PANDEMIC.
AND THESE TWO SERVICES CARRY THE BULK OF OUR RIDERS IN OUR SYSTEM AND THEY'RE KIND OF THE BACKBONE OF OUR RIDERSHIP.
UM, THE NEXT TWO AT THE BOTTOM, EXPRESS AND RAIL, THOSE, YOU CAN SEE THAT THOSE LOOK A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT.
YEAH, ALTHOUGH YOU CAN, CAN'T KIND OF SEE OF A A, A UPWARD TREND IN BOTH OF THEM, BUT THEY BOTH HAVE UNIQUE CHARACTERISTICS.
[02:35:01]
THE EXPRESS SERVICE, UM, WE'RE STILL ONLY OPERATING AT A FRACTION OF THE SERVICE THAT WE HAD, UH, PRE PANDEMIC.AND SO RIDERSHIP HAS CHANGED, UM, SINCE 2021.
BUT THE PEAKS THAT YOU SEE ON THE CHART THERE, I GUESS I COULD DO A POINTER.
SO THE PEAKS THAT YOU SEE UP HERE, THESE KIND OF COINCIDE WITH, UM, UT UM, WHEN THEY'RE IN SESSION.
UM, EXPRESS IS SENSITIVE TO THAT.
BUT WE ALSO SEE SOME OF THESE, UM, DIPS DOWN HERE, THE VALLEYS, UM, THOSE ARE USUALLY DURING THE HOLIDAY SEASONS.
SO OUR, OUR EXPRESS SERVICE IS KIND OF SENSITIVE TO THOSE THINGS AS, UH, THE RIDERSHIP, UH, CHANGES FROM MONTH TO MONTH, BUT WE CAN STILL SEE KIND OF AN UPPER TREND IN OUR EXPRESS RIDERSHIP AS WELL.
UM, FOR OUR RAIL, IT'S EVEN KIND OF A LITTLE DIFFERENT ANIMAL.
UM, WE ARE OPERATING AT FULL CAPACITY, UH, THAT WE OFFERED PRE PANDEMIC RIGHT NOW, BUT, UM, WE WERE GOING ALONG PRETTY LOW THERE UNTIL ABOUT JUNE, 2021.
YOU SEE THIS LARGE INCREASE HERE.
WELL THAT'S WHEN, UM, Q2 STADIUM OPENED AND WE STARTED SURFACING, UH, RIDERS TO THE STADIUM.
AND SO WE SEE THAT BIG JUMP THERE.
AND THEN YOU ALSO SEE THESE GIANT PEAKS, UH, EVERY SO FEW, FEW MONTHS HERE WE'VE GOT ACL THAT HAPPENS IN OCTOBER, AND THEN WE'VE GOT SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST.
THAT HAPPENS IN THE MARCH TIMEFRAME.
SO THAT'S WHERE YOU SEE THOSE HIGH PEAKS.
BUT YOU DO STILL SEE KIND OF SOME DEEP VALLEYS IN HERE.
WELL, PERIODICALLY WE'VE HAD TO SHUT THE RAIL DOWN FOR A WEEK OR SO AT A TIME.
AND, UH, THAT'LL AFFECT OF COURSE HOW MANY RIDERS ARE ON THE SERVICE FOR THE MONTH.
SO JUST BEING, UH, AWARE OF, UM, YOU KNOW, THINGS THAT AFFECT RIDERSHIP.
BUT ALL OF THESE ARE SHOWING AN UPWARD TREND.
OKAY, WE'LL GO TO THE NEXT ONE HERE.
HERE WE'RE LOOKING AT SOME OF OUR PEERS.
UM, WE'RE LOOKING AT RIDERSHIP FROM OCTOBER 20 TO JANUARY 24.
THIS DATA WAS PULLED FROM THE NATIONAL TRANSIT DATABASE AND ON ONLY HAS DATA THROUGH JANUARY 24.
ALL OF THESE AGENCIES, UM, HAVE SIMILAR RIDERSHIP LEVELS.
WE'VE GOT VIA IN SAN ANTONIO, ONE OF OUR SISTER AGENCIES HERE IN THE STATE.
AND THEN WE HAVE UTAH TRANSIT AND, UM, ORANGE COUNTY TRANSIT IN CALIFORNIA.
AND WE'RE NOT ANY DIFFERENT COMPARED TO OUR PEERS AS FAR AS WHERE OUR RIDERSHIP'S TRENDING OVER THE LAST THREE OR FOUR YEARS COMING OUT OF THE PANDEMIC.
UM, THE PATTERNS ARE VERY SIMILAR.
UM, IT'S NICE TO SEE THAT WE ARE NOT, UM, ANYTHING OUT OF THE ORDINARY COMPARED TO SOME OF OUR PEERS.
UM, SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING ONGOING TO INCREASE RIDERSHIP.
UM, WE DO THINGS, YOU KNOW, KIND OF IN THE NEAR TERM, UM, AND ONGOING AND SOME THINGS IN THE LONG TERM.
OUR MARKETING TEAM THIS PAST FALL DID A WEGO WHERE YOU GO CAMPAIGN FOCUSING ON THE HIGH FREQUENCY ROUTES, UM, AND, AND TARGETING DIFFERENT AREAS AND, UM, RIDERS ALONG THAT ROUTE.
OF COURSE, WE OPENED UP THE MCAL STATION HERE RECENTLY AND THERE WAS A BIG OUTREACH FOR THAT.
UM, MARKETING IS ALSO DOING CAMPAIGNS ON KUT TO LURE BUSINESS, UH, CUSTOMERS.
UM, WE'RE ALL, WE'RE DOING OUTREACH IN THE PICKUP ZONES AS WELL AND CONTINUOUSLY DOING OUTREACH ON THE UT CAMPUS.
'CAUSE WE KNOW, UH, YOU KNOW, STUDENTS TURN OVER THERE EVERY FOUR YEARS AT LEAST.
UM, AND THEN WE HAVE OUR LONG TERM, UM, PROGRAMS THAT WE WORK ON AND THE SERVICE AND CAPITAL PROGRAM PLANNING.
WE'VE GOT OUR, UM, PB AND EXPO LINES COMING UP IN THE NEAR FUTURE OPENING UP, UM, WORK, WORKING ON THE TRANSIT SERVICE PLAN, AND OF COURSE OUR ONGOING, UH, SERVICE CHANGE PROCESS TO HELP, YOU KNOW, GET GET OUR SERVICES IN LINE WITH WHAT OUR CUSTOMERS NEED.
SO FINALLY HERE, I MEAN WE TALKED ABOUT THE COMPREHENSIVE DATA SYSTEMS THAT WE HAVE NOW, UM, THAT ARE IN EXISTENCE AND I MENTIONED THAT WE'RE STILL, UM, IN THE, IN THE WORKS OF BRINGING MORE OF THOSE SYSTEMS INTO THE DATA WAREHOUSE, WHICH WILL ALLOW US TO DO EVEN MORE COMPREHENSIVE ANALYSIS THAN WHAT WE'RE DOING NOW.
I MEAN, IT'S JUST A WEALTH OF INFORMATION FOR US TO USE AND SLICE AND DICE IN A VARIETY OF WAYS.
AND THOSE ANALYTICAL TOOLS, THOSE ARE JUST A FEW OF THE ONES THAT WE HAVE BUILT INTERNALLY FOR STAFF TO USE AND LOOK AT DIFFERENT, UM, ASPECTS OF OUR SERVICE.
SO THEY'RE UNDER CONTINUOUS DEVELOPMENT AND CONTINUING TO EVOLVE.
UM, WE HAVE THE SERVICE NETWORK UPDATE, LIKE THE TRANSIT SERVICE PLAN THAT I JUST MENTIONED THAT IS GONNA UTILIZE ALL OF THIS INFORMATION TO ASSESS OUR EXISTING CONDITIONS.
AND WE'LL BE USING THAT INFORMATION TO, UM, FOR OUR NEAR TERM AND LONG TERM, UH, DECISION MAKING AND PLANNING EFFORTS
[02:40:01]
AND FOR ONGOING OUTREACH AND OF COURSE THOSE SERVICE ADJUSTMENTS TO IMPROVE OUR RIDERSHIP.WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE TO GET A COPY MR. HARRIS OF THE SLIDE PRE THE SLIDE PRESENTATION? OH, I'M SURE THERE IS.
IS IT IN THE BACKUP? IS IT IT SHOULD BE.
IT WAS UPDATED IN THE FINAL PACKET THAT POSTED FRIDAY, BUT WE CAN ALSO GET IT TO YOU SEPARATELY.
UM, YOU KNOW, AS, AS JEN MENTIONED, THIS IS SORT OF A VERY RICH DATA SET AND, AND THERE ARE, I MEAN, THERE'S A MILLION RABBIT HOLES YOU CAN COME DOWN, YOU CAN JUMP DOWN IF YOU WANNA LOOK AT RIDERSHIP DATA.
SO AS YOU GUYS CONTINUE TO ABSORB THIS INFORMATION AND AS WE EMBARK UPON UPDATING TRANSIT SERVICE PLANS, IF YOU WOULD LIKE A DEEP DIVE ON ANY OF THE RIDERSHIP DATA, LET US KNOW.
WE'D BE HAPPY TO SIT WITH INDIVIDUAL BOARD MEMBERS AND KINDA SHOW YOU THE MECHANISMS OF HOW IT WORKS.
I PERSONALLY THINK IT'S MOST FUN TO SIT WITH THE PLANNERS AND WATCH 'EM PLAY WITH THE MAPS.
UM, BUT OTHER PEOPLE LIKE TO SIT WITH THE NUMBERS PEOPLE AND LOOK AT THE NUMBERS.
SO LET US KNOW IF YOU'RE A MAPS OR A NUMBERS PERSON OR BOTH AND WE'D BE HAPPY TO SIT WITH BOARD MEMBERS AND GO THROUGH IT.
ANYTHING ELSE? GOOD PRESENTATION.
WAS THERE ANOTHER QUESTION DOWN HERE? NO, NO, IT'S GOOD.
UM, DO WE HAVE ONE MORE THING REPORT I CAN DO VERY QUICKLY? OH, YES, LET'S DO THAT.
AND WE WILL NOT BE DOING AN EXECUTIVE SESSION.
[X.1. President & CEO Monthly Update]
DO A QUICK PRESIDENT'S REPORT.JUST A FEW THINGS I WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT.
UM, IT WOULD, I, I CANNOT ALLOW US TO GET THROUGH THE MONTH OF MARCH WITHOUT REMINDING EVERYONE THAT IT'S WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH.
UM, AND AS WE CELEBRATE WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH, UM, WE PARTNERED WITH, UM, LOCAL ARTISTS, UM, NZ DID I SAY THAT RIGHT? I'M LOOKING FOR MY MARKETING PEOPLE TO CONFIRM.
YES, I'M BEING TOLD, RIGHT? UM, WHO CREATED THIS BEAUTIFUL TRIBUTE ON ONE OF OUR BUSES.
IT HONORS REMARKABLE WOMEN ADVOCATES AND COMMUNITY LEADERS WHO HAVE MADE A LASTING IMPACT ON AUSTIN.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT THAT BUS THERE IN THE MIDDLE, WE HAVE, UM, MARTHA RA, A CHICANA CIVIL RIGHTS ACTIVIST, AND ACTUALLY ONE OF THE PEOPLE THAT WAS ON THE EXPLORATORY COMMITTEE THAT WAS PUT TOGETHER TO CREATE CAPITAL METRO, UM, BACK IN THE 1980S.
UM, WE ALSO HAVE, UM, GEORGIA SOBECK ON THE LEFT.
SHE WAS THE FIRST FEMALE BUS OPERATOR IN AUSTIN, TEXAS.
UM, AND MILDRED GRIFFIN ON THE RIGHT, WHO WAS THE FIRST, UH, WOMAN OF COLOR TO DRIVE BUSES IN AUSTIN, TEXAS.
AND THEN ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE BUS, IT'S NOT PICTURED HERE, UM, WE HONOR JOAN MEANS KELLI, WHO, UH, WHOSE COURAGEOUS PROTEST AT BARTON SPRINGS ACTUALLY SPARKED THE CIVIL RIGHTS ERA WOMEN'S.
UM, SO THIS YEAR'S THEME IS WOMEN WHO ADVOCATE FOR EQUITY, DIVERSION, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION, OR AS I LIKE TO SAY, WOMEN WHO ADVOCATE FOR THEMSELVES.
UM, AND THIS PARTICULAR TRIBUTE BUST NOT ONLY RECOGNIZING THESE HEROES, BUT THESE LOCAL HEROES, I THINK WAS JUST IT.
IT HAS BEEN A FANTASTIC OPPORTUNITY.
SO, UM, THAT BUS IS STILL OUT THERE ON THE STREETS.
I HOPE YOU GET THIS CHANCE TO SEE IT IN PERSON.
UM, WE MENTIONED IT BRIEFLY, BUT UM, WE SURVIVED SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST.
I FEEL LIKE THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE GET TO EXHALE EVERY YEAR.
THIS YEAR IN PARTICULAR, SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST, WHICH IS ALMOST ALWAYS OUR, OUR HIGHEST RIDERSHIP WEEK OF THE YEAR.
ALSO INCLUDED ON BOTH SATURDAYS OF SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST, WE HAD AUSTIN FC HOME GAMES AT Q2 STADIUM.
UM, SO LOTS OF FUN, LOTS OF PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY ON OUR RAIL SERVICE.
UM, BUT ALSO UTILIZING OUR BUS SYSTEM.
AND, UM, I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU TO THE AMAZING NUMBERS OF STAFF FROM THROUGHOUT THE ORGANIZATION, UM, WHO CAME OUT TO HELP MAKE SURE THAT THE SERVICE WENT SWIMMINGLY.
UM, NEXT UP, UM, AS WE MENTIONED ON THE DAY ACTUALLY THAT WE HELD COMMITTEES LAST MONDAY, UM, WAS A NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED, UH, TRANSIT EMPLOYEE APPRECIATION DAY.
UM, AND SO MANY THANKS TO ALL OF THE TRANSIT EMPLOYEES HERE IN AUSTIN, TEXAS.
UM, SERVING OUR REGION, WE, UH, SERVED MEALS AT ALL OF OUR LOCATIONS.
AS A, AS JUST A TOKEN OF THANK YOU, UM, TO ALL OF OUR STAFF FOR THE AMAZING WORK THAT THEY DO.
ON FRIDAY, I WAS HONORED TO ATTEND THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE NEW INFRASTRUCTURE ACADEMY LOCATION AT AUSTIN COMMUNITY COLLEGE, ALONG WITH VICE CHAIR POOL, UH, MAYOR WATSON, JUDGE ANDY BROWN, THE SOUTHWEST LABORERS DISTRICT COUNCIL, THE WORKFORCE SOLUTIONS, ESSENTIAL TEXAS, I'M SURE I'M FORGETTING SOMEBODY IMPORTANT.
UM, BUT WE ARE PROUD TO HAVE BEEN PART OF THE IMPORTANT WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT WORK, UM, THAT HAS LED TO UNDERSTANDING THE NEEDS FOR AND THE IMPLEMENTATION OF AN INFRASTRUCTURE ACADEMY, UM, THAT THE CITY IS WORKING TOWARD TO DEDICATE FUNDING OUT OF THEIR CAPITAL PROGRAM TO HELP FUND THAT.
[02:45:01]
COMMUNITY COLLEGE NOW HAS, UM, DEDICATED FACILITIES TO SUPPORT AND WILL HELP US MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE QUALITY SKILLS TRAINING FOR PEOPLE THROUGHOUT THE REGION TO BE ABLE TO START CAREERS AND HOPEFULLY STAY IN, UM, AUSTIN AND CENTRAL TEXAS.SO, UM, VERY EXCITING OPPORTUNITY TO BE OUT THERE, UM, WITH OUR MANY PARTNERS.
UM, SPEAKING OF WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, WE WERE RECENTLY, UM, RECOGNIZED BY THE TEXAS WORKFORCE COMMISSION AND THE TEXAS VETERANS COMMISSION FOR OUR COMMITMENT TO HIRING VETERANS.
UM, WITH OVER 10% OF OUR WORKFORCE CONSISTING OF VETERANS, UM, WE ARE PROUD TO SUPPORT AND PRIORITIZE THOSE WHO SERVE, UM, PEOPLE WITH A HEART FOR SERVICE FIT IN PERFECTLY HERE AT CAP METRO.
UM, AND EACH YEAR ON VETERANS DAY, WE HIGHLIGHT THE WORK, UM, THAT OUR VETERANS BRING TO THIS ORGANIZATION.
UM, AND IT WAS NICE TO SEE OTHERS, UM, RECOGNIZE US FOR THAT AS WELL.
SO TO ALL THE VETERANS OUT THERE LOOKING FOR WORK, WE ARE STILL HIRING CATME.ORG/JOBS.
WE HAVE LOTS OF GREAT OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE.
AND LAST BUT CERTAINLY NOT LEAST, I'M EXCITED TO EX EXTEND TO Y'ALL A SPECIAL INVITATION TO JOIN US FOR CAT METRO'S ECLIPSE NICK.
UM, AS YOU KNOW, UM, ON APRIL 8TH, WE WILL, CENTRAL TEXAS WILL BE IN THE PATH OF TOTALITY FOR TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE AND WE WILL BE HOSTING A PICNIC THEMED EVENT AT THE LEANDER PARK AND RIDE, UM, WHICH IS SCHEDULED TO GET A FEW SOLID MINUTES OF TOTALITY, UM, A GREAT LOCATION, UM, AND AVOID THE TRAFFIC CONGESTION BY RIDING THE RAIL.
WE WILL BE RUNNING SPECIAL SCHEDULES THAT DAY.
NORMALLY WE HAVE A BREAK IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DAY TO ALLOW FREIGHT THROUGH, BUT WE'RE NOT ALLOWING FREIGHT THROUGH THAT DAY SO THAT WE CAN CONTINUE MIDDAY SERVICE IN SERVING THIS EVENT.
SO, UM, IF YOU HAVE NOT YET FIGURED OUT EXACTLY WHERE YOU'RE GOING TO, UM, WATCH THIS ONCE IN A LIFETIME, UM, ECLIPSE OVER CENTRAL TEXAS, WE'VE GOT IT.
DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANYTHING FOR DONNIE OR ANY QUESTIONS FOR STAFF? UH, SEEING NONE, I WILL SAY THAT AT 2:47 PM TODAY, WE ARE ADJOURNED.
AND THANK YOU ALL, EVERYBODY GOOD MEETING.