[I. Call to Order]
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GOOD AFTERNOON AND THANK YOU FOR JOINING US FOR THE MAY MEETING OF THE CUP METRO BOARD OF DIRECTORS.
I'M THE BOARD SECRETARY AND BOTH CHAIR REBELLION AND VICE CHAIR ELLIS ARE UNABLE TO ATTEND TODAY.
TODAY IS MONDAY, MAY 19TH, THE TIME IS 1202.
AS WE BEGIN OUR MEETING TODAY, WE'D LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE TRAGIC INCIDENT THAT TOOK PLACE ON A CAT METRO VEHICLE LAST WEEK.
PRESIDENT WATKINS, I KNOW YOU WANTED TO SAY A FEW WORDS ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO DO THAT NOW? YES.
UH, LAST WEEK, AS I'M SURE MANY OF YOU KNOW, TRAGEDY STUCK THE CAT METRO COMMUNITY, UM, AS BOARD MEMBERS AND, AND MOST, UM, PROBABLY IN THE ROOM AND WATCHING ONLINE KNOW AN INCIDENT ON BOARD AT CAT METRO BUS RESULTED IN THE DEATH OF CHE GUPTA, ONE OF OUR CUSTOMERS, UH, LAST WEDNESDAY EVENING.
UM, WE ARE HEARTBROKEN AND GRIEVING AND BELIEVE FULLY THAT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT NEVER SHOULD HAVE HAPPENED.
UM, LAST WEEK ON THURSDAY, THE MORNING AFTER THE INCIDENT, I ADDRESSED OUR COMMUNITY THROUGH A STATEMENT THAT WE ISSUED TO MEDIA.
UM, AND I'D LIKE TO TAKE A MOMENT TO READ THAT STATEMENT INTO THE RECORD FOR ANYONE HERE TODAY AND FOR ALL OF THOSE WATCHING.
UM, SO HERE WAS OUR STATEMENT AT APPROXIMATELY 6:45 PM LAST WEDNESDAY ONBOARD ONE OF OUR VEHICLES, A TRAGIC INCIDENT OCCURRED THAT RESULTED IN A CUSTOMER LOSING THEIR LIFE.
OUR THOUGHTS ARE WITH HIS FAMILY, FRIENDS, AND ALL THOSE AFFECTED BY THIS DEVASTATING LOSS AND THIS AWFUL ACT OF VIOLENCE.
WE UNDERSTAND THE CONCERN THIS TRAGEDY MAY CAUSE.
I CAN ASSURE YOU THAT SAFETY AND SECURITY IS NOT JUST MY TOP PRIORITY EVERY SINGLE DAY.
IT'S THE TOP PRIORITY FOR EVERY PERSON AT THIS AGENCY AS STATED BY THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT.
THIS INCIDENT WAS AN ISOLATED INCIDENT, BUT IT WAS HORRIFIC AND NEVER SHOULD HAVE HAPPENED.
WE ARE DOING EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO SUPPORT THE PASSENGERS ON BOARD AND THE OPERATOR WHO ACTED WITH UTMOST PROFESSIONALISM UNDER INCREDIBLY DIFFICULT CIRCUMSTANCES TO OUR COMMUNITY.
I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT WE CARE DEEPLY ABOUT THE REGION WE SERVE.
EVERYONE DESERVES TO FEEL SAFE ON OUR SYSTEM, AND I'M PERSONALLY COMMITTED TO ENSURING THAT THEY ARE.
I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE A MOMENT TODAY, UM, TO PAUSE FOR A MOMENT OF SILENCE AND REFLECTION THE ACTIONS THAT WE ALL MUST TAKE, UM, INDIVIDUALLY AND COLLECTIVELY TO KEEP OUR COMMUNITY SAFE.
[II. Safety Briefing]
THE NEXT ITEM ON OUR AGENDA TODAY WILL BE OUR MONTHLY SAFETY BRIEFING, OUR EVP AND CHIEF SAFETY OFFER OFFICER, MR. GARDNER TEON IS HERE AND HEY, GOOD AFTERNOON.I SERVE AS CAPITAL METRO'S EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT AND CHIEF SAFETY OFFICER.
AS WAS MENTIONED, I'M HERE TO GIVE YOU YOUR, UH, SAFETY BRIEFING.
AND SO YOU ARE LOCATED AT 29 10 EAST FIFTH STREET IN THE ROSA PARKS BOARDROOM.
IN THE UNLIKELY EVENT OF AN EMERGENCY, YOU'LL BE ASKED TO EXIT EITHER THAT DOOR OR THIS.
EVERYONE THAT NEEDS TO EXIT APOLOGIZE FOR FEEDBACK.
EVERYONE THAT NEEDS TO EXIT SHOULD, UH, EXIT THROUGH THE DOOR AND MEET OVER IN THE 3,100, UH, PARKING LOT.
WE USED TO MEET ACROSS THE STREET AT AT FIFTH AND LINDEN, BUT NO MORE.
THAT'S BEEN CHANGED, UH, AS OUR RALLY POINT.
IF YOU HAVE MOBILITY CHALLENGES AND WE ARE REQUIRED TO EXIT FROM THIS DOOR, PLEASE WAIT ON THE LANDING AND WE WILL, UM, AND WE WILL ASSIST YOU DOWN THE STAIRCASE.
IN THE UNLIKELY EVENT, WE'LL NEED TO USE AN AUTOMATIC EXTERNAL DEFIBRILLATOR.
UM, THERE IS ONE LOCATED JUST TO THE LEFT OF THE ELEVATOR HERE ON THE FIRST FLOOR.
SO IT'S GOING OUT OF THESE DOUBLE DOORS MAKING A RIGHT AND THE ELEVATOR IS STRAIGHT AHEAD.
AND THE FIRE EXTINGUISHER IS LOCATED RIGHT HERE BY TRUSTEE ASSISTANT IS POINTING IT OUT FOR US.
AND THAT CONCLUDES OUR MONTHLY SAFETY BRIEFING.
[III. Public Comment]
OUR NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS PUBLIC COMMENT.EACH SPEAKER WILL HAVE THREE MINUTES UNLESS THEY'RE SPEAKING ON TWO AGENDA ITEMS OR
[00:05:01]
REPRESENTING A GROUP WITH MORE THAN ONE PERSON IN THE ROOM, IN WHICH CASE.I UNDERSTAND WE'VE GOT ONE PERSON SIGNED UP IN ADVANCE TO SPEAK REMOTELY.
UM, MS. JOSEPH, DID YOU MAKE IT ONLINE WITH US TODAY? MS. JOSEPH, ARE YOU WITH US? THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR.
I COULD HEAR, UH, DOTY WATSON'S STATEMENT, BUT NOT MR. AVON AND THEN YOU, SO I'M NOT SURE TECHNICAL DIFFICULTY OR WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOUR AUDIO TODAY.
YOU'VE GOT FIVE MINUTES TO SPEAK ON YOUR TWO AGENDA ITEMS. THANK YOU.
CAN YOU HEAR ME MADAM CHAIR? YES, WE CAN HEAR YOU OKAY SAYING THIS IS, YOU'RE BREAKING UP NOW.
MS. JOSEPH, CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW? I CAN AT THE MOMENT.
THANK YOU MADAM CHAIR MEMBERS ENOVIA.
JOSEPH, I JUST WANTED TO PREFACE BY SAYING RESPECTFULLY THE
I HAVE A PICTURE FROM MARCH 12TH, 2024 WHEN A HISPANIC MALE WAS STABBED ON 8 0 1 SOUTHBOUND.
LUCKILY HE DID NOT DIE, BUT YOU NEED TO BE HONEST WITH THE MEDIA AND HONEST WITH ALL OF THE PASSENGERS.
SAFETY IS NOT YOUR NUMBER ONE PRIORITY.
AND I AGREE WITH THE FAMILY OF THE VICTIM OF THE MOST RECENT STEP, BUT I'M WOULD ASK YOU TO BE HONEST AS IT RELATES TO SAFETY.
I AM STILL ASKING YOU TO CLOSE THESE MIDBLOCK STOPS.
I'M STILL REFERRING YOU TO THE REPORT FROM 2009 FROM TEXAS TRANSPORTATION INSTITUTE, WHERE CAPITAL METRO AND THE CITY OF AUSTIN STUDIED NORTH LAMAR PEDESTRIAN SAFETY FOR 20 MONTHS.
AND DOTTIE WATKINS HAS REFUSED TO CLOSE THE MID-BLOCK STOPS, SPECIFICALLY AT THE METROPOLITAN PARK, WALNUT CREEK METROPOLITAN PARK, TO THE HAKA PROPERTY, TO NOT YOUR ORDINARY SCHOOLS.
THERE'S NO SIDEWALK FOR SAFE ROADS TO SCHOOL.
AND I WANT YOU TO RECOGNIZE THAT YOU ARE NOT HONEST WITH THE PUBLIC AS IT RELATES TO, UH, YOUR FIRST ACTION ITEM, WHICH IS YOUR STRATEGIC PLAN 2030.
COMMISSIONER ILIAN CHAIR ILIAN MENTIONS ON PAGE 66 IN HIS LETTER THAT YOU'RE FOCUSED ON REGIONAL CONNECTIVITY.
I WANT YOU TO RECOGNIZE THAT YOUR GUARANTEED RIDE HOME PROGRAM GUIDELINES IS SIMPLY A LIE.
IT SAYS THE REASON THAT YOU'VE EXEMPTED LOCAL ROUTES ONE TO 99 AND 200 TO 4 99 IS THAT WE'RE NOT ELIGIBLE BECAUSE THESE ARE HIGH FREQUENCY SERVICES.
NOW, YOU KNOW THAT'S NOT TRUE.
WE'RE ALL 3 39 BLACK PEOPLE WAIT 60 MINUTES FOR THE BUS, 10 TIMES LONGER THAN WHITES.
I WANT YOU TO RECOGNIZE AS IT RELATES TO YOUR ITEM REGARDING THE RAIL, YOU HAVE INVESTED IN THE RAIL SYSTEM AT THE EXPENSE OF THOSE OF US WHO LIVE NORTH OF US.
180 3 LAST NIGHT, I DIDN'T HAVE A GUARANTEED RIDE HOME, BUT THE PEOPLE GOING TO THE SOCCER GAME ON SATURDAY GOT FREE RIDES OVER THE ROAD COACH BUSES, MANY ON STANDBY AT CRESTVIEW STATION.
AND I STOOD THERE OR I SAT THERE AS I WAS LOOKING AT MY DEVICE, MY LAPTOP AS THE STAFFER IN ORANGE WITH HIS VEST TOLD THIS WHITE GUY THAT IT WOULD BE FREE.
IT WAS EXECUTED PRECISELY FOR ALL THE WHITE CHOICE RIDERS TRYING TO GET TO THE GAME.
BUT LAST NIGHT I HAD TO WALK ABOUT AN HOUR AND A HALF FROM WALMART, NORWOOD.
THERE WAS NOT EVEN A PHONE CALL FROM THE ROUTE 10 DRIVER.
HE TOLD ME THAT CHRISTIAN'S WORK AT THE AGENCY AND THAT IS WHY YOU ARE NOT OPERATING THE NIGHT OWL ON SUNDAYS.
WELL, THE SAME CHRISTIANS ARE THE ONES WHO ARE LYING.
AND I WANT YOU TO RECOGNIZE AS YOU RELEASE TO THE $10 MILLION THAT YOU HAVE FROM THE
'CAUSE YOU SPECIFY, AS I SENT IN MY ATION TO MR. EASTON, THAT TO BENEFIT
THAT IS HOW YOU CIRCUMVENT TITLE VI OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1964, WHICH PROHIBITS DISCRIMINATION BASED ON RACE, COLOR, AND NATIONAL ORIGIN.
YOU USE THE MINORITIES, YOU USE BLACK PEOPLE LIKE SLAVES ON A PLANTATION.
YOU USE THIS TO GET THE FEDERAL FUNDING.
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THEN WHEN YOU GET THE FUNDING, YOU ACTUALLY IMPROVE THE RAIL SYSTEM FOR WHITE CHOICE RIDERS.YOU CAN SEE THE REGIONAL INFORMATION.
I JUST WANNA REMIND YOU LASTLY THAT IN 2014, THE PROJECT CONNECT NORTH CORRIDOR LOCALLY PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE TOLD YOU THAT 58% OF THE JOBS WOULD BE IN THE NORTH CORRIDOR BY 2035.
THE 425 ACRE DEVELOPMENT EAST VILLAGE ACROSS FROM SAMSUNG IS STILL BEING DEVELOPED.
YOU DO NOT HAVE MIXED USE DEVELOPMENT.
SO THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN NORTHEAST AUSTIN IN THE CORNER BY SAMSUNG WITH NO SAMSUNG, THE APPLE SERVICE WILL BE THE ONES WHO ARE WRITING WITH THIS 50 50 MODE SHARE.
AND AS FOR THE INFRASTRUCTURE MENTIONED IN PAVILION'S LETTER ON PAGE 66, THE SIDEWALK IS PLAIN NEXT TO RUNDBERG, HEB AND BARRINGTON ELEMENTARY, THE SCHOOLS IN THAT AREA.
BUT IT'S MULTIMODAL EVERYWHERE ELSE IN THE SYSTEM WITH THESE TERRACOTTA SIDEWALKS.
AND I'VE ASKED MR. TERRY FULL TO ACTUALLY TAKE A LOOK AT THAT, BUT HE HASN'T YET.
I AM REALLY GOING TO END ON A POSITIVE NOTE.
THERE WAS A DRIVER APPARENTLY SAW A MAN NAMED MR. TAYLOR.
I SHOWED YOU HIS PICTURE BEFORE THE HOMELESS MAN BY HEB HANCOCK.
AND TWO DAYS AGO HE ACTUALLY GAVE HIM A LITTLE WAGON BECAUSE ONE OF THE WHEELS WAS GOING TO FALL OFF.
AND HE TOOK A PICTURE WITH HIM.
I DON'T KNOW THE DRIVER, I DIDN'T KNOW HE WAS THE DRIVER UNTIL I WENT OVER AND TALKED TO THE GENTLEMAN AND HE SAID, DID YOU SEE MY NEW FRIEND? AND HE TOLD ME HE WAS A BUS OPERATOR.
SO I JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW THERE ARE SOME THAT ARE OUT THERE DOING GOD'S WORK.
THERE ARE SOME WHO ARE DOING GOOD.
AND I THANK YOU, RECOGNIZE, THANK YOU.
I APPRECIATE, APPRECIATED THAT.
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, I'LL GLADLY ANSWER THEM.
OKAY, WE HAVE GOT SEVERAL PEOPLE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK TODAY.
SO I WILL, UM, GO THROUGH THE LIST AND EACH OF YOU WILL COME TO THE PODIUM AND HAVE THREE MINUTES TO SPEAK.
UH, RENEE MUIRHEAD, CAN YOU PUSH THE LITTLE THERE, HERE COMES PETER TO HELP YOU.
MY NAME'S RENEE MUIRHEAD AND I'M JUST HERE TO TALK ABOUT THE FAIRBOX.
THEY HAVE NEW FAIRBOX TICKETS.
NOT ALL THE BUSES ARE EQUIPPED OR SHUT DOWN.
SO WHEN WE ASK THE PEOPLE YOU NEED TO GO TO CAPITAL METRO AND SWITCH YOUR TICKETS OUT, WE GET YELLED AT, YOU KNOW, SCREAMED AT.
AND SOME OF THE BUSES ARE STILL GIVING THE THE TICKETS.
LIKE, I HAD A PERSON LAST NIGHT COME ON WITH A BRAND NEW TICKET FOR A MONTH, WHICH SHOULDN'T EVEN BE THERE.
AND IT DIDN'T WORK ON MY MACHINE, BUT IT'S BRAND NEW.
SO WHEN I ASKED THEM, THEY'RE LIKE, NO, IT'S BRAND, YOU KNOW, IT'S FOUR MONTH.
WHY DO I NEED TO DO IT? SO I DON'T FEEL SAFE ASKING THESE PEOPLE TO, YOU KNOW, GO GET IT.
I THINK THE BUSES SHOULD BE PUT OR THIS PROGRAM SHOULD BE PUT ON HOLD UNTIL ALL THE BUSES ARE ON THE SAME PAGE, SO WE DON'T HAVE TO GET THE RETALIATION.
UM, MY NAME IS SHIRLEY MORRIS.
SO I HAVE SEEN SOME THINGS OVER THE PAST 40 YEARS.
UM, AND AS BEING AN ESSENTIAL WORKER, I'M REALLY, I'M REALLY SCARED BEING OUT THERE.
AND I'M SCARED FOR MY, MY FELLOW OPERATORS.
I'M SCARED FOR THE PASSENGERS.
WE, WE ARE GOING THROUGH SOMETHING EVERY DAY WHERE WE HAVE TO WATCH WHAT'S BEHIND US AND ALSO WATCH THE PASSENGERS, THE, THE PEOPLE THAT'S CROSSING THE STREET, THE CARS, THE, EVERYTHING I HAVE HAD, I LOOK UP, I HEAR SOMEBODY USING PROFANITY, I LOOK UP IN MY REAR VIEW MIRROR AND I'M TOLD B WHAT YOU LOOKING AT? DRIVE THE BUS WHEN YOU CALL FOR HELP, IT TAKES FOREVER.
BY THAT TIME PEOPLE DONE GOT OFF THE BUS, THEY, THEY KNOW EXACTLY HOW LONG IT'S GONNA TAKE FOR US TO GET SOME ASSISTANCE.
BUT WHERE'S THE TRANSIT OFFICERS? NOBODY.
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A YEAR OR SO.WHERE ARE THEY? AND IF THEY'RE THERE, IF THEY'RE OUT THERE IN THEIR CARS, WHY ARE THEY NOT OUT WALKING THE PLATFORM AND STUFF AT THE TRANSIT STOPS? YOU KNOW, THIS IS GETTING REALLY RIDICULOUS THAT WE CAN'T GET ANY HELP OUT THERE.
YOU HAVE THE AMBASSADORS, BUT I ONLY SEE THEM WALKING AROUND ON FOURTH STREET IN GUADALUPE.
I DON'T SEE THEM AT THE, AT THE TRANSIT CENTERS OR AT PARTICULAR BUS STOPS.
THE PASSENGERS ARE SCARED STANDING AT BUS STOPS.
I HAVE SEEN THEM JUST WALK AWAY AND I'M PULLING UP.
BUT IT'S BECAUSE SOMEBODY'S CUTTING UP RIGHT THERE.
THEY'RE WALKING AWAY AND I HAVE TO PICK 'EM UP, UH, HALF A BLOCK FROM THE STOP BECAUSE THEY'RE AFRAID I WANNA GO HOME AT NIGHT.
YOU KNOW, IT, IT JUST SEEMED LIKE THAT EVERYBODY'S RESTING EXCEPT US OPERATORS.
LIKE WE DON'T MATTER AND WE SHOULD, OUR PASSENGERS SHOULD, THEY SHOULD NOT BE AFRAID TO STAND AT A BUS STOP AND WAIT ON US.
WE SHOULD NOT BE AFRAID TO PICK THEM UP.
AND IF WE GOT SOMEBODY WHO'S STUMBLING, CAN'T WALK ON THE BUS, WELL, OUR MOTTO IS, AND I DONE HEARD IT MORE THAN ONCE, THAT'S WHAT WE ARE THERE FOR.
IF THEY TOO INTOXICATED TO DRIVE, WE'LL TAKE 'EM ON.
I DON'T MIND THAT, BUT I MIND YOU USING ALL THE PROFANITY BEHIND ME, SCARING ME TALKING TO SOMEBODY THAT'S DON'T EVEN EXIST.
SO I'M JUST ASKING Y'ALL TO JUST, SOMETHING HAS TO BE DONE.
IT, IT, IT, IT IS PAST THE TIME TO WHERE WOULDA COULDA NOW WE SHOULD BE DOING IT.
FIRST I, ONE JUST, YOU HAVE SOME VERY GREAT PATIENT DRIVERS.
THEY'VE HELPED ME A LOT THROUGH THE YEARS, BUT NOW I USE BASICALLY METRO ACCESS AND I'VE HAD A LOT OF PROBLEMS HERE LATELY.
AND I WANT TO, TO GET MY APPOINTMENTS ON TIME WHEN I SCHEDULE NOT HALF HOUR LATER OR HOUR LATER.
THEY NEED TO BE WHEN THE DOCTOR SAYS BE THERE AT 10 O'CLOCK, NEED TO BE THERE AT 10 O'CLOCK, NOT BE LETTING OFF THE BUS AT 10 O'CLOCK.
SO THERE NEED TO BE SOME CHANGES DONE WITH METRO ACCESS TO GET THESE THINGS BACK ON TRACK THE WAY THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO BE.
AND LIKE I SAY AGAIN, HAVE SOME WONDERFUL GOOD DRIVERS AND THEIR SAFETY MAKES ME FEEL SAFE.
MY CAN YOU HEAR ME? GOOD MORNING.
MY NAME IS STACY PENA KASU AND I HAVE SOMETHING THAT I'VE WRITTEN DOWN THAT I WOULD LIKE TO READ TO YOU.
UM, IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS, I'D ASK THAT YOU ASK, SAVE THEM FOR THE END.
I AM HERE TO ADVOCATE FOR MY, FOR THE SAFETY OF MY FELLOW BUS OPERATORS AND OUR ROAD SUPERVISORS.
I SEE THESE BANNERS AND HEAR THESE ANNOUNCEMENTS AND EVEN SOME OF OUR SAFETY MEETINGS.
IT IS CONSTANTLY INGRAINED INTO OUR HEADS SAFETY FIRST, BUT BASED ON WHAT IS WRITTEN OR SPOKEN AND WHAT THE REALITY OF OUR SAFETY IS, I FIND IT TO BE LAUGHABLE BECAUSE BASED ON MY ALMOST SIX YEARS HERE, I KNOW THAT MY SAFETY AND THE SAFETY OF MY FELLOW OPERATORS IS NOT PARAMOUNT TO THIS AGENCY.
SADLY, MY LIFE AND THE LIVES OF MY COWORKERS IS NOT IMPORTANT TO ALL WHO SIT BEHIND CUBICLES, LOCKED OFFICES, SECURED WALLS AND SECURITY AT YOUR DISPOSAL.
[00:20:02]
WE OPERATORS DON'T HAVE THAT LUXURY.WE ARE SITTING DUCKS BEHIND A USELESS PLEXIGLASS THAT CAN AND HAS BEEN BREACHED.
THE TIME FOR ACTION, REAL GENUINE ACTION IS HERE.
WE ARE SICK AND TIRED OF BEING SICK AND TIRED OF THE LAUGHABLE LIP SERVICE YOU ALL SERVE UP TO THE MEDIA AND NEWS STATIONS, JUST LIKE MS. JOSEPH TELL THE TRUTH OF WHAT REALLY HAPPENS, WHAT REALLY TAKES PLACE.
WE WANT ACTION, NOT PROMISES OF WHAT YOU'VE PLANNED, WHAT YOU'RE PLANNING OR IMPLEMENTING YEARS DOWN THE ROAD.
THESE ARE ACTUAL WORDS COMING FROM DOTTIE WATKINS, THE PRESIDENT AND CEO OF CAP METRO.
I AM DEEPLY DEVASTATED AND ANGRY.
WERE YOU REALLY? WERE YOU DEEPLY DEVASTATED AND ANGRY WHEN ONE OF YOUR OWN OPERATORS WAS STABBED IN THE FACE? WAS ANYBODY IN MANAGEMENT? UM, WAS ANYBODY IN MANAGEMENT? PEOPLE, OPERATORS AND CUSTOMERS ALIKE DESERVE TO FEEL SAFE ON OUR SYSTEMS. AND I AM PERSONALLY COMMITTED TO ENSURING THAT THEY ARE.
WE DON'T DESERVE TO FEEL SAFE.
WE DESERVE TO BE SAFE, PERIOD AT ALL COSTS.
AND THOSE ARE EASY WORDS TO SAY WHEN YOU'RE LOCKED AWAY BEHIND AN OFFICE DOOR BEHIND THE CONFINES OF SECURE BUILDING AND SECURITY.
WHERE'S OUR SECURITY WHILE WE ARE OPERATING YOUR EQUIPMENT? YOU ALSO STATED, OUR LEADERSHIP TEAM IS CONDUCTING A REVIEW OF OUR SAFETY PROTOCOLS AND WILL IMPLEMENT ANY NECESSARY ENHANCEMENTS.
I BELIEVE DARRYL LLS, OUR UNION VP, GAVE YOU A LIST OF NECESSARY ENHANCEMENTS AND HIS LETTER TO YOU.
SO I HOPE YOU WOULD ACTUALLY TAKE A LOOK AT THEM AND PERHAPS IMPLEMENT THEM.
CAP METRO IS NOT JUST A TRANS TRANSIT AGENCY.
WE'RE A FAMILY AND WE CARE DEEPLY ABOUT THE COMMUNITY WE SERVE.
IT'S FUNNY, I DIDN'T FEEL LIKE A MEMBER OF THE FAMILY WHEN I WAS CHASED AROUND THE 10 BUS AND THREATENED TO HAVE MY THROAT SLICED FROM EAR TO EAR.
WHEN RADIO DOESN'T TAKE OUR PLEAS FOR SECURITY SERIOUS AND COP AN ATTITUDE FOR US CALLING IN, I CERTAINLY DIDN'T FEEL LIKE FAMILY WHEN I WAS STABBED IN THE FACE, DRIVING A NIGHT OWL.
I WAS MET WITH THREATS OF LOSING MY JOB.
BY THE WAY, THAT DEESCALATION CLASS THAT WAS FORCED UPON US WAS A COLD, HARD SLAP TO OUR FACES.
FOR EIGHT HOURS, WE WERE TOLD REPEATEDLY TO TOLERATE, TO ENDURE AND TO PUT UP WITH.
ARE YOU ALL AWARE OR PERHAPS JUST DON'T CARE THAT OUR JOBS ARE ACTUALLY MORE TREACHEROUS AND MORE DANGEROUS THAN THE A PD POLICE OFFICERS BECAUSE WE DEAL WITH THE SAME EXACT PEOPLE THEY HAVE TO DEAL WITH AND PUT UP WITH.
WITH THE EXCEPTION THEY HAVE WEAPONS AND THEY'VE BEEN TRAINED IN COMBAT TO PROTECT THEMSELVES.
NONE OF US SHOULD EVER, NEVER HAVE TO COME TO WORK AND FIGHT IN, IN FIGHT OR FLIGHT MODE OR SURVIVAL MODE AND STRESSED OUT, WONDERING IF WE'LL EVEN MAKE IT HOME AT THE END OF OUR SHIFTS.
THE PROBLEMS ARE YOU ALL REFUSE TO GIVE CONSEQUENCES TO REPEAT VIOLENT AND SEXUAL OFFENDERS.
RACIST, BELLIGERENT OFFENDERS, PEOPLE WEAPONIZING THEIR DOGS AGAINST US, PEOPLE THROWING OBJECTS AT US OR SPITTING ON US, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF CYNTHIA RASCO, MR. SHERELL AND MILES TURPEN.
SHAME ON YOU ALL FOR YOUR LACK OF ICAL.
CONCERN AND SHAME ON YOU ALL FOR PLAYING WITH OUR LIVES, LIVES FOR THE SAKE OF YOUR RIDERSHIP.
CAN YOU HOLD ON? GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYONE.
THANK THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES, OKAY? DON'T HOLD DOWN.
I'M NOT USED TO SPEAKING THESE TYPE OF GET TOGETHERS.
BUT FIRST, GOOD AFTERNOON TO ALL THE BOARD MEMBERS TO CEO, MS. WATKINS, TO MR. SHAKI.
IF HE'S IN THE ROOM, I COME BEFORE YOU NOT TO SPEAK FOR A SHOW OR SELF ACCOLA LAWS.
FOR 23 YEARS, I HAVE BEEN EMPLOYED BY CAPITAL METRO AND FOUR SUBCONTRACTORS.
A TA CITY AND THE PEOPLE OF THIS CITY FOR 23 YEARS.
EVERY MORNING AT 3:00 AM IT WAS AN HONOR TO GET UP, PUT ON THIS BUS UNIFORM AND SERVED THIS CITY.
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SAME UNIFORM HAD STAINS, MEMORIES, SCARS, AND NIGHTMARES.WHEN WE ENTER THE GATE, WE LOSE OUR NAME AND BECOME OPERATOR.
MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS HAVE TAKEN EVERY KIND OF ABUSE THAT YOU CAN IMAGINE CALLED N CALLED BEES CURSED AT YOU AIN'T THROWING ON THEM, YOU NAME IT.
WE ARE FED UP AND TIRED OF IT.
WHILE METRO EXECUTIVES SITTING THERE, PLUSH OFFICERS, WE ARE ON THE FRONT LINE ENDURING THIS.
YOUR CODE OF CONDUCT FOR PASSENGER IS A JOKE.
IF THERE'S NO ENFORCEMENT OF YOUR OWN POLICY, WHAT DO YOU HAVE IT FOR? YOUR 5 1 2 4 7 4 1200 CUSTOMER SERVICE LINE GIVES THE SAME RUDE PASSENGERS A LINE TO CALL AND DISCREDIT YOUR OPERATORS.
LIE ON US AND ASSASSINATE OUR CHARACTERS.
THEY'RE REPORTED RUDE, ABUSIVE, DISRESPECTFUL RIDERS THAT CAPITAL METROS CONTINUE TO LET RIDE AS A CITIZEN OF A TX AND AN OPERATOR OF METRO.
WE HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR YEARS FOR METRO POLICE DEPARTMENT.
ARE THEY READY FOR CALL TO DUTY? BY NOW? YOUR PSA PUBLIC SERVICE AMBASSADOR PROGRAM LINES.
THEY LIKE GOING TO A FIRE WITH A WATER HOSE OR TO A GUN FIGHT WITH A FLASHLIGHT.
THEY CAN'T DO NOTHING TO THESE DISRUPTIVE PASSENGERS.
WE'RE TIRED INSTEAD OF BUYING MORE TRAINS INSTEAD OF BUYING MORE BUILDINGS AND MORE LANE, HOW ABOUT TAKE SOME OF THAT MONEY AND INVEST ON YOUR OPERATOR SECURITY? WE NEED THIS.
TRUST ME, WE ARE WORRIED ABOUT GOING HOME TO OUR FAMILIES.
WE'RE WORRIED ABOUT COMING TO WORK LAST WEEK.
IT COULD HAVE EASILY BEEN ONE OF US.
IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN YOU OR YOU IF YOU WAS RIDING THAT BUS THAT DAY.
OKAY, HOW Y'ALL DOING? EVERYBODY.
UH, ALL THE BOARD MEMBERS HERE.
DOTIE WATKINS, ALL THE KAPP, METRO OLIS LEADERSHIP HERE.
I'M WORKING ON 23 YEARS, JULY 29TH THIS YEAR.
UM, I'M THE AMALGAMATED TRANSIT UNION LOCAL 10 91 VICE PRESIDENT.
UM, IN MY 22 YEARS HERE, EVERY EVERY STATEMENT THAT I HEARD FROM THE PUBLIC AND MY FELLOW COWORKERS AND WHAT YOU'RE GONNA HEAR FROM MORE COWORKERS, UH, ABOUT THEIR SAFETY, WE HAVE TO TAKE THAT MORE SERIOUSLY.
WE HAVE CUSTOMERS TELL OTHER CUSTOMERS ON THE BUS THAT SUPERVISORS GONNA TAKE THEM HOME.
Y'ALL GIVE THEM FREE PASSES SO THEY CAN ABUSE US MORE.
THEY GET ON THE NEXT BUS CAUSE TROUBLE.
UM, I SHARED INFORMATION TO DOTTY AND THE STAFF, MY SUGGESTIONS, THEY GOT IT.
THERE'S NO LIE, UH, UNTIL I, I HAD FURTHER TO SAY, BUT I'M GONNA CUT IT SHORT BECAUSE I WANNA LET YOU KNOW WHAT I HEARD FROM MY COWORKERS TODAY.
THEY WENT TO THE SAFETY MEETINGS.
WHAT YOUR REPRESENTATIVE SAID ABOUT OUR UNION, IT'S UNSETTLING BECAUSE I'VE BEEN COMING HERE FOR, SINCE Y'ALL KNOW IT, SINCE 2018.
I AM THE ONE WHO GOT Y'ALL TO, TO KEEP IN MIND ABOUT OUR SAFETY WHEN I COME HERE.
WHEN I SEEN A TRANSGENDER CUSTOMER GET BEAT UP ON A 3 24 ROUTE OF MINE.
AND I ASKED FOR POLICE OFFICERS TO, TO BE ON THE BUS, OKAY.
SECURITY TO RIDE WITH US ON THE BUS.
[00:30:01]
OKAY? I ASKED FOR SAFETY SHIELDS WHEN RANDY CLARK WAS HERE, HE LAUGHED AT US, TOLD PEOPLE WE'LL BE CO CLAUSTROPHOBIC.IT TOOK COVID-19 FOR Y'ALL TO, TO EVEN JUST TAKE SOME TYPE OF ACTION.
OKAY? YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING, THE STATEMENT THAT EVERYONE IS SAYING IS TRUE.
SO WITH THAT SAID, WE JUST LAST NIGHT, JUST THIS SATURDAY AND IRONICALLY ON MY WAY HERE, A FELLOW BUS OPERATOR SATURDAY AND THE OPERATOR JUST LET Y'ALL KNOW THEY DID MAKE A REPORT.
THEY CALLED RADIO CONTROL, BUT THEY DIDN'T GET PROPER SUPPORT.
THEY WERE ROBBED AT DECKER AND LOYOLA LANE.
OKAY? AND ANOTHER EIGHT, THE 8 37 OPERATOR WAS BERATED, WAS THREATENED BY THIS INDIVIDUAL BLOCK.
AND THERE WAS A 8 37 OPERATOR INVOLVED.
OKAY? AND I JUST GOT THAT TEXT.
SO DARRYL SORRELLS IS NOT MAKING THIS UP.
WE HAVE HAD PEOPLE GET STABBED IN 2021.
THAT'S NOT THE FIRST EVENT TO THE PUBLIC.
THAT'S BEEN, THAT'S BEEN HITTING UNDER THE RUG.
THAT WAS AN OPERATOR WHO WAS TERMINATED BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T MAKE A REPORT.
SOMEBODY GOT STABBED AND BLED OUT ON THE BUS STOP AND ME MV TERMINATED THAT EMPLOYEE.
THERE WAS ANOTHER OPERATOR JUST TEXT ME THAT, A SERVICE DOG BIT THEM.
NOW THEY'RE GETTING RABIES SHOTS, OKAY? AND THE THING IS THAT I WANT Y'ALL TO KNOW IS RATHER THEY GET PHYSICALLY ABUSED, MENTAL ABUSE IS REAL AND TRAUMATIZED WHEN THEY'RE TRAUMA, WHEN THEY'RE THREATENED.
SO I'M ASKING IT, NO, WE DIDN'T PUT IT IN THE CBA, JUST BECAUSE IT'S NOT IN THE CONTRACT.
WE GOTTA AUTOMATICALLY USE HUMAN COMMON SENSE AND COURTESY TO GIVE THE EMPLOYEE A DAY OFF.
SEND 'EM TO EAP WHILE THEY OFF.
THANK YOU MR. SCHWAR, FOR THEY THREE OR FOUR DAYS THAT THEY NEED.
I'VE BEEN A BUS OPERATOR HERE FOR 13 YEARS.
I WOULD LIKE TO SHED SOME PERSPECTIVE WITH YOU GUYS ON EXACTLY WHAT IT IS WE'RE DEALING WITH.
IMAGINE YOURSELF WORKING AT A JOB WHEN THE POLICY IS WRITTEN TO ALLOW ANYONE AND EVERYONE TO BRING DEADLY WEAPONS INTO YOUR WORKSPACE EXCEPT YOU.
AND IRONICALLY, YOU ARE THE ONLY PERSON IN YOUR WORKSPACE THAT HAS SUBMITTED TO A BACKGROUND CHECK.
NOW, FOR WHATEVER REASON THE PEOPLE WE'RE DEALING WITH, A LOT OF THE PEOPLE WE'RE DEALING WITH, THEY ARE QUICK TO RESORT TO VIOLENCE, TO SETTLE DISPUTES.
OKAY? SO MY MAIN CONCERN IS WHAT DO I DO IF I'M ATTACKED WITH ONE OF THESE WEAPONS? RIGHT? I'M JUST TRYING TO BE SAFE.
AND BY THE WAY, MY PERSONAL SAFETY IS NOT NEGOTIABLE OR OPTIONAL.
THERE'S ONLY ONE THING IN MY LIFE MORE IMPORTANT THAN MY PERSONAL SAFETY.
AND THAT'S THE PERSONAL SAFETY OF MY FAMILY.
OKAY? SO WHAT'S CAP METRO'S ANSWER TO? UH, DEALING WITH POTENTIAL ATTACKS FROM DEADLY WEAPONS? CALL THE POLICE.
LEMME EXPLAIN SOMETHING TO YOU.
OKAY? UH, IF YOU'RE ATTACKED WITH A DEADLY WEAPON, YOU DON'T HAVE TIME TO CALL ANYBODY.
YOU DON'T HAVE TIME TO PUSH A PANIC BUTTON.
YOU HAVE A FRACTION OF A SECOND TO DO SOMETHING TO DEFEND YOURSELF.
AND THAT WILL MOST LIKELY DETERMINE WHETHER YOU LIVE OR DIE.
OKAY? THE POLICE SHOW UP AFTER THE FACT.
OKAY? YOU KNOW, THEY TAKE REPORTS AND WHATNOT, OKAY? BUT WHEN THE POLICE SHOW UP, THEY'RE NOT ABLE TO SULT YOU.
THEY SHOW UP AFTER ALL THE PIECES HAVE FALLEN WHERE THEY MAY, RIGHT? CASE IN POINT, THE INDIVIDUAL THAT LOST THEIR LIFE LAST WEDNESDAY, RIGHT? YOU HAD THE HIGHEST PRIORITY CALL FROM THE POLICE.
THERE IS NO HIGHER PRIORITY CALL THAN THAT.
OKAY? EASIEST TYPE OF LOCATION TO FIND.
THEY DIDN'T HAVE TO FIND AN ADDRESS.
THEY DIDN'T HAVE TO FIND A BUILDING NUMBER.
THEY DIDN'T HAVE TO ACCESS LOCK DOORS.
HIGHEST PRIORITY CALL, EASIEST TYPE OF LOCATION TO GET TO.
YET WHEN THEY ARRIVED, THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO FOR THE VICTIM.
WE NEED SOME TYPE OF MEANS TO DEFEND OURSELF AGAINST A DEADLY THREAT BECAUSE BY THE TIME THE POLICE SHOW UP, WE'RE GONE.
[00:35:02]
WE, WE NEED TO SERIOUSLY LOOK AT WHAT WE CAN DO FOR THE OPERATOR TO STOP PHYSICAL THREATS AND ATTACKS IN THE BUS BECAUSE THE SYSTEM IN PLACE IS NOT GONNA HELP US.OKAY? DO ANY OF YOU WANNA GET BEAT UP OR STABBED OR ASSAULTED FOR DOING YOUR JOB? I SURE DON'T.
I I WOULD LIKE TO CLOSE WITH THIS.
TODAY WE ARE IN THE ROSA PARKS BOARDROOM, RIGHT? ROSA PARKS STATED HER SEAT BECAUSE SHE UNDERSTOOD SHE COULD NOT CHANGE SOMETHING SHE WAS, WAS WILLING TO TOLERATE.
I SUBMIT TO YOU THAT NOTHING WILL CHANGE WITH OPERATOR SAFETY UNTIL YOU STOP TOLERATING IT.
I AM HERE TODAY TO, UH, SHARE MY EXPERIENCE.
I WAS ATTACKED TWICE IN APRIL BY UH, WHEELCHAIR PASSENGER DOG WHILE ATTENDING TO THE WHEELCHAIR PASSENGER.
THERE'S TWO SEPARATE INCIDENTS.
UM, THE SECOND INCIDENT TOOK PLACE ON APRIL 23RD.
RADIO CONTROL WAS CONTACTED, SUPERVISORS WERE REPORTED TO THE SCENE.
A PD WAS STATED THAT THEY WERE CONTACTED BUT DID NOT SHOW UP TO THE SCENE TO, UM, GATHER INFORMATION FROM THE WHEELCHAIR PASSENGER IN REGARDS TO HIS DOG, UM, VACCINATION.
I WAS GIVEN, UH, A NUMBER THREE, ONE ONE TO CALL IN, MAKE A REPORT TO A PD.
WHEN I CONTACTED THAT 3 1 1 CONTROLLER, UH, SHE SAID THIS IS NOT AN A PD SITUATION.
THAT THIS IS ANIMAL CONTROL SITUATION.
I HAD TO UH, UNDERGO FOUR SERIES OF RABIES SHOTS AND TETANUS SHOT AN EXPERIENCE THAT I WOULD NOT WANT TO IMPOSE ON ANYONE ELSE.
I WOULD LIKE TO CHANGE THE NARRATIVE FOR A MOMENT.
AS AN OPERATOR, I HAVE PICKED UP QUITE A FEW PASSENGERS WITH DOGS AND MORE TIMES THAN NOT, A PASSENGER WILL BOARD THE UNIT WITH THIS DOG.
IF THE PASSENGER NOTICE THAT THERE'S ANOTHER DOG ON BOARD AND DEPENDING ON WHERE THEY'RE SEATED, THEY WILL ASK TO BOARD AT THE REAR OF THE BUS.
THESE PASSENGERS WILL USE MEASURES TO AVOID CONFRONTATIONS WITH OTHER DOGS.
AND BECAUSE THEY KNOW THE CAPABILITY OF THE DOGS, THEY ARE BEING PRECAUTIOUS AS A SAFETY MEASURE.
ARE THERE ANY SAFETY MEASURE, SAFETY MEASURES BEING PUT IN PLACE TO PROTECT US OPERATORS AND PASSENGERS FROM BEING ATTACKED BY DOGS WHILE ON BOARD CAT METRO UNITS? AND IF SO, WHEN CAN WE EXPECT TO SEE THOSE CHANGES? THANK YOU.
ARE YOU SURE? HI, MY NAME IS LON ERIE.
I AM A ROAD SUPERVISOR AT MTM NORTH.
UM, TERRIBLE TRAGEDY HAPPENED ON WEDNESDAY AND WE ALSO HAD SOMETHING VERY SIMILAR HAPPEN ON SATURDAY.
WE HAD A A CLIENT BOARD, ONE OF OUR PICKUP VEHICLES.
HE'S IN AN ALTERCATION WITH ANOTHER THIRD PERSON, PULLS OUT A KNIFE WHILE HE'S STANDING THIS CLOSE TO OUR OPERATOR, SHE TRIES TO RELAY THAT INFORMATION TO METRO.
THEY SEND ME, THEY DON'T SEND A PD, THEY DON'T SELL METRO SECURITY.
THEY SEND ME, I AM NOT A POLICE OFFICER.
I SPENT 10 YEARS IN LAW ENFORCEMENT.
THERE'S A REASON I DON'T DO IT ANYMORE.
WE HAVE SOME OF THE PARTS, SOME OF THE PIECES.
[00:40:01]
TO BE PUT TOGETHER BECAUSE WE DO NOT TRAIN OUR OPERATORS FOR THOSE KIND OF SCENARIOS.THEY CAN'T EVEN BRING A KEY CHAIN LIKE A BOUTON.
I KNEW I WASN'T GONNA GO TO WORK THERE BECAUSE THERE'S NO PROTECTION THERE.
WHICH IS WHY I WENT TO METRO ACCESS AND NOW IT'S COME OVER BECAUSE THE SAME CLIENTS GET DROPPED OFF FROM FIXED ROUTE AT A TRANSIT CENTER AND BOARD.
ONE OF OUR PICKUP VEHICLES, SAME CLIENTS.
ALL THEY DO IS GET A NEW PHONE NUMBER, CHANGE THEIR NAME BECAUSE THERE'S NO KINDA ID REQUIREMENT ON PICKUP.
AND THEY CONTINUE TO USE THE SERVICE AND CONTINUE TO CAUSE PROBLEMS AND CONTINUE TO YELL AT OUR OPERATORS.
CREATING AN UNSAFE WORK ENVIRONMENT.
THERE'S GOTTA BE A WAY, YOU KNOW, COME RIDE WITH US WITHOUT ANYBODY ELSE, WITH YOU, WITHOUT YOUR UNIFORM.
AND LEGITIMATELY SEE WHAT IT'S LIKE BECAUSE OF WORKED IN THE CORPORATE WORLD WHEN I FIRST LEFT.
LAW ENFORCEMENT, UNLESS YOU GO OUT THERE AND RIDE THEIR VEHICLES, OUR PICKUP VEHICLES, YOU DON'T HAVE A FULL CONCEPT OF WHAT'S HAPPENING.
WE'RE HELD TO A VERY HIGH STANDARD.
I CAN TELL YOU THAT MY SHIRT CAN'T BE PAST MY MIDDLE FINGER WHEN IT'S EXTENDED.
I WANNA HOLD Y'ALL TO A STANDARD.
PROVIDE US A SAFE ENVIRONMENT.
I HAVE YET, I'VE BEEN HERE FOUR AND A HALF YEARS.
I HAVE YET TO MEET METRO SECURITY.
A PD DOESN'T EVEN SHOW UP HALF THE TIME.
BUT YOU'RE PUTTING ME OUT THERE TO HANDLE A SITUATION THAT SOMEBODY ELSE SHOULD BE DEALING WITH.
I NEED TO COLLECT THE INFORMATION.
I DON'T NEED TO BE THE FIRST RESPONDER.
OKAY, IL ADAMS. GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYBODY.
MY NAME IL ADAMS. I'VE BEEN HERE FOR THREE YEARS.
I HAVE A PASSION FOR TRANSPORTATION, PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION.
I'VE BEEN IN A PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION FOR NINE YEARS.
COMMERCIAL DRIVE FOR 20 YEARS.
I DON'T HAVE ANY FAMILY UP HERE AND I LIVE IN KILLEEN.
I GOT TWO KIDS, ONE THAT'S DISABLED THAT I DRIVE A HOUR AWAY AND I DON'T FEEL PROTECTED.
MY COWORKERS DON'T FEEL PROTECTED.
TWO WEEKS AGO I WAS DRIVING A SEVEN BLOCK EIGHT.
I HAD A PASTOR ON WOODROW AND EIGHTH STREET SWINGING A HAMMER, BEATING IT UP AGAINST EVERYBODY.
SO I LEFT HIM LIKE A REAL OPERATOR WOULD DO 'CAUSE MY SAFETY IS ME AND THE PEOPLE THAT'S ON THE BUS.
WHEN I GET TO PARKER WHERE THE TIME PERMIT IS LOCATED AT TWO PASTURES COMING, I HAD TO LEAVE THEM BECAUSE HE MADE HIS WAY DOWN THERE TO THE BUS.
SO AS I'M SLOW MOVING, TRYING TO GET THEM ON THE BUS, HE AT THE BUS.
HE DIDN'T HIT THE BUS WITH THE HAMMER.
HE DIDN'T DO NO DAMAGE BECAUSE I WOULDN'T ALLOW HIM TO DO DAMAGE.
BUT WHEN I CALLED MY RADIO DISPATCH TO EXPLAIN TO THEM, THEY ASKED ME WHY I DIDN'T LET HIM ON.
LET HIM ON FOR WHAT? YOU KNOW, WHAT DAMAGE A HAMMER WOULD DO.
A WEEK BEFORE THAT, I HAD A PASSENGER SWING HER BAG AT ME.
SHE WOULD'VE THREW HER HER COFFEE IN MY FACE IF IT WOULDN'T HAVE WASTE ON THE BUS.
AND FOR ME, I'M GONNA PROTECT MYSELF.
I'M NOT GOING SIT IN THE SEAT.
'CAUSE WE HAD THE PLEXIGLASS IN KANSAS CITY SO I KNOW THAT THOSE GET JAMMED.
SOMEBODY CAN PRESS THEIR BODY AGAINST THEM PLEXIGLAS AND CAUSE US SOME SERIOUS HOME AND NOBODY CARE.
I'M JUST GONNA CALL IT HOW IT IS.
WE SIT IN A SEAT FOR 12 HOURS, WE SIT HERE FOR 14, GET PAID FOR EIGHT AND Y'ALL GOTTA SITTING IN HARD CHAIRS.
Y'ALL WOULDN'T EVEN GIVE US RECLINERS.
Y'ALL WOULDN'T EVEN GIVE US RECLINERS TO BE ABLE TO GET THE PROPER REST BEFORE WE GO OUT THERE AS AN OPERATOR, I DON'T PICK UP ANYBODY.
IF I KNOW WHO YOU IS, I AIN'T GONNA PICK YOU UP AND PUT YOU ON A BUS WITH DECENT PEOPLE.
I DONE HAD MANY PASSENGERS SAY THAT THEY'RE SCARED TO DRIVE THE BUS BECAUSE THEY DON'T FEEL SAFE.
I HAD AN AMBASSADOR WITH A LADY.
I WAS ON THE PHONE WITH MY SHOP STEWARD AND I'M CALLING THE AMBASSADOR TO
[00:45:01]
COME HELP ME.AND THEY STANDING UP THERE LOOKING, I'M OUTSIDE THE BUS.
I'M GOING TO FIGHT BACK BECAUSE I UNDERSTAND THAT CAP METRO DON'T GIVE NOTHING ABOUT ME.
THEY SHOWED ME TIME AND TIME AGAIN WHEN I GOT SICK TWO WEEKS AGO AND ALMOST PASSED OUT, I COULDN'T EVEN GET A AP.
WHAT BOUGHT ME INTO THE HEARING OFFICE.
SO GUESS WHAT? WE DESERVE TO BE TREATED HOW Y'ALL TREAT.
AND TRUST ME, Y'ALL SIT IN THEM ACS AND SIT IN THEM SEATS AND Y'ALL DON'T GIVE A THING ABOUT US.
RADIO SHOWS US EVERY DAY THAT THEY DON'T CARE ABOUT US.
I HAD A SUPERVISOR ASK ME TO BE A SUPERVISOR, BUT I AIN'T BECAUSE YOU KNOW WHY I AIN'T GONNA SIT THERE AND LET MY DRIVER GET ASSAULTED AND THEN TAKE THE PERSON THAT ASSAULTED THEM WHERE THEY GOT TO GO.
RIGHT? THIS AIN'T NO DOOR TO DOOR SERVICE.
95% OF THE PEOPLE THAT'S ATTACKING US IS THE ONES THAT WALK PAST US AND DON'T EVEN ASK THE RIDE.
AND I WOULDN'T EVEN LET MY KIDS RIDE THIS BUS.
AND LORD KNOWS IF I WOULD'VE KNEW IT WAS LIKE THIS IN AUSTIN 'CAUSE I DON'T EVEN GET A RETIREMENT, I WOULDN'T HAVE CAME TO AUSTIN BECAUSE THE PAY IS BETTER AND IT'S A RETIREMENT.
SO I'M HERE BECAUSE I MOVED MY DAUGHTER HERE.
I'M HERE BECAUSE I'M NOT GONNA GO NOWHERE ELSE.
BUT I'M GONNA TELL Y'ALL WE FIGHT BACK.
AND SO Y'ALL HAVE TO PROTECT US.
DON'T SAY WHAT YOU GONNA DO, DO IT.
THANK YOU MS. ADAMS, EARL AND SEAN BIBLE.
UM, I JUST KIND OF WANNA BRING THIS TO YOU GUYS SO MAYBE WE CAN BRING IT DOWN A LITTLE BIT.
'CAUSE AS YOU SEE WHEN IT COMES TO THE SAFETY OUT THERE, IT'S PRETTY TOUGH.
OKAY? BUT I WANNA SHOW YOU THE LACK OF CONCERN AND SENSITIVITY THAT WE ARE FEELING FROM CAPITOL METRO.
WHEN WE COME IN TO WORK, WE CAN'T EVEN GET A PARKING.
WHY? BECAUSE ALL THE PEOPLE IN OFFICE, THEY GOT OFFICE UPSTAIRS AND CUBICLES EVERYTHING.
THEY'RE TAKING OUR PARKING SPOTS.
AND THERE'S MANY OTHERS THAT COME WHEN THE SUN IS DOWN, IT'S NOT NO SUN.
WHEN I LEAVE, I HAVE TO GO ALL THE WAY OUT THERE AND CROSS ALL THE WAY OVER A PARK ON THE STREET, DOWN THE STREET.
Y'ALL CAN'T EVEN GET THE PEOPLE AND THE OFFICE PEOPLE THAT HAS SUN WHEN THEY COME TO WORK, Y'ALL CAN'T EVEN GET THEM TO PARK OVER THERE.
SO WE CAN HAVE THIS SPACE TO WHEN WE COME OUT, THIS BUILDING ARE COMING IN THIS BUILDING AND THERE'S NO SUN, WE CAN GET IN SAFELY.
YOU GUYS CAN'T EVEN CHANGE THAT.
AND THAT JUST SHOWS YOU THE SENSITIVITY THAT YOU HAVE WHEN IT COMES TO OUR SAFETY.
ANOTHER THING WHY IS WE AS BUS OPERATORS, WHEN WE GONNA RELIEVE A BUS OR WE GET RELIEVED, WHY ARE WE CATCHING A BUS? WE GOT PLENTY OF PLENTY OF VEHICLES OVER THERE.
WHY DO WE HAVE TO CATCH THE BUS DOWNTOWN? I DON'T CATCH BUSES.
I GET UP EVERY DAY TO HAVE A JOB SO I DON'T HAVE TO CATCH THE BUS AND DEAL WITH THE THINGS THAT GOES ON THE BUS.
BUT YET STILL, I COME HERE TO GO TO WORK AND Y'ALL STILL PUT ME ON THE BUS.
CAN'T ANYBODY EXPLAIN THAT? WOULD YOU LIKE TO COME TO WORK AND STILL HAVE TO CATCH THE BUS? I DON'T SEE NO HANDS.
THAT'S BECAUSE YOU DON'T CARE.
SO WHY CAN'T YOU GUYS GIVE US VEHICLES TO WHERE WE CAN AT LEAST GET TO OUR JOB SAFELY? NOW WE HAVING TO WALK, WE HAVE TO ALSO WALK ALL THE WAY DOWN HERE.
YOU GUYS MAKE US WALK AND WANNA PAY US SEVEN MINUTES.
LEMME SEE ONE OF Y'ALL WALK DOWN THERE EVERY DAY TO GO DO YOUR SHIFT AND MAKE IT THERE IN SEVEN MINUTES.
NO THREE O'CLOCK TO GO RELIEVE A BUS.
WHEN WE CAN HAVE A VEHICLE THAT CAN GET US DOWN THERE SAFE.
WHO WANTS TO BE OUT IN A HUNDRED DEGREE WEATHER, WALKING BACK AND FORTH.
THAT JUST SHOWS YOU THE LACK OF CONCERN AND SENSITIVITY THAT YOU GUYS HAVE.
WE HAVE OPERATORS WITH HEALTH ISSUES.
THEY CAN'T MAKE IT DOWN THERE.
THAT'S ALL I WANNA SAY TO START OFF.
THERE'S ONE SEAT HERE IF ANYBODY NEEDS A SEAT ON THE FRONT ROW.
UM, I'M NOT AN EMPLOYEE
UM, I LOVE PUBLIC TRANSIT AND I ALWAYS HAVE, EVEN WHEN I WAS
[00:50:01]
YOUNG AND HEALTHY FOR ALL THE GOOD REASONS.AND I LIVED IN ATLANTA AT ONE TIME AND IT WAS WONDERFUL THERE.
SO I DO APPRECIATE IT AND I'M ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE WHO FROM TIME TO TIME WILL CALL IN AND COMMEND A DRIVER AND THANK 'EM FOR GOING OUT OF THEIR WAY.
I DON'T CALL 'EM IF THEY DO THEIR JOB AS I EXPECT THEM TO DO, BUT IF THEY ARE REALLY EXTRA NICE, I CALL IN
UM, I'VE GOTTA PULL UP SOMETHING.
I HAVE A QUESTION BEFORE I GET INTO THE MAIN THING I WANTED TO TALK ABOUT.
UM, CAN YOU TELL ME WHAT PERCENTAGE OF THE PEOPLE THAT WORK FOR CAP METRO ARE DIRECT EMPLOYEES AND WHAT PERCENTAGE ARE FROM SUBCONTRACTORS? I DON'T HAVE THAT NUMBER IN FRONT OF ME, BUT WE CAN CERTAINLY HAVE SOMEBODY TALK WITH YOU AFTER THE PUBLIC COMMENTS ARE OVER.
'CAUSE WE CAN'T DO A BACK AND FORTH RIGHT NOW.
OH, CAN I, I CAN'T ASK ANOTHER QUESTION BACK.
YOU CAN ASK THE QUESTION IF I CALL IN, GET SOMEBODY TO SPEAK TO YOU AFTERWARDS, AFTER, AFTER.
WE JUST CAN'T DO A BACK AND FORTH HERE RIGHT NOW.
WELL, I'LL JUST SAY THIS AND YOU DON'T HAVE TO ANSWER.
I'M JUST WONDERING IF I CALL IN, DO I TALK TO A, A DIRECT EMPLOYEE OR A SUBCONTRACTOR? BUT, UM, I KNOW THAT, UM, YOU DO HAVE WHAT YOU CALL SERVICE PROVIDERS THAT DO A LOT OF THE WORK, INCLUDING THE DRIVERS.
BUT I'M WANNA, UM, COMPLAIN
AND BEFORE I BOARDED THE NUMBER 10 BUS ON NORTH LAMAR, I HAD ALREADY WALKED A FEW HUNDRED FEET.
I WAS HOT OUT THERE, BUT I WASN'T SWEATING.
BUT SOON AFTER THE BOARDING THE BUS, I WAS SWEATING BECAUSE THE INSIDE TEMPERATURE WAS SO MUCH WORSE THAN OUTSIDE.
AND I ALSO NOTICED THAT AN ESCAPE VAN UP IN THE ROOF WAS OPEN LETTING IN MORE DIRECT HEAT.
WHEN THE BUS REACHED A STOP SIGN AND I FELT IT WAS SAFE, I WALKED UP AND POLITELY ASKED THE DRIVER, COULD YOU PLEASE TURN ON THE AIR CONDITIONING? HIS RESPONSE WAS VERY BUZZ, TAKE A SEAT.
AND AGAIN, EVEN LOUDER, TAKE A SEAT.
HE DID NOT ANSWER MY QUESTION, NOR DID HE EXPLAIN WHY IT WAS SO HOT ON THE BUS.
AND IT WAS FILLED WITH A FEW DOZEN PEOPLE.
AND AS I HAD BOARDED THAT BUS, THIS IS THE SECOND PROBLEM THAT AS I HAD BOARDED THAT BUS, I ASKED THE DRIVER IF HE STOPPED AT THE NORTH LAMAR TRANSIT CENTER WHERE I NEEDED TO TRANSFER TO ANOTHER BUS.
AND I ASSUMED THAT MEANT HE WOULD ALWAYS STOP AT THE TRANSIT CENTER.
HOWEVER, WHEN WE GOT THERE, HE, INSTEAD OF STOPPING, HE DROVE THROUGH TO THE OUTER OF FRONTAGE ROAD AND I HAD TO WALK BACK OVER GRASS AND SOME PAVEMENT TO GET BACK TO THE, WHERE THE OTHER BUSES WERE.
AND AT THAT TIME I HAD A PIECE OF LUGGAGE WITH ME TOO.
UM, SO I JUST WONDERED WHY HE DIDN'T AUTOMATICALLY STOP AT THE TRANSIT CENTER.
BUT ALL THESE THINGS HAPPENED IN THE SAME WEEKEND WHEN I FINALLY BOARDED MY CONNECTING BUS AT THE TRANSIT CENTER, THE DRIVER HAD A, A LAYOVER FOR A FEW MINUTES AND I ASKED HER WHILE SHE WAS WAITING, IF SHE COULD PLEASE ALERT ME WHEN WE REACHED THE STOP AT THE TARGET STORE ON RESEARCH BOULEVARD.
'CAUSE I HAD NEVER BEEN THERE AND I HAD NO IDEA WHERE THE STOP WAS.
HOWEVER, AT ONE POINT I LOOKED ACROSS THE WINDOW AND I SAW THAT WE HAD JUST PASSED THE TARGET STORE.
IT WAS SITTING BACK FROM THE ROAD, SO I COULDN'T SEE IT UNTIL WE WERE RIGHT IN FRONT OF IT.
AND SHE HAD NO SIGN OF SLOWING DOWN OR LETTING ME OFF.
SO I HAD TO GO DOWN SEVERAL BLOCKS TO GET OFF ACROSS A BUSY, BUSY HIGHWAY TO CATCH A BUS BACK.
AND THERE WAS NO WAY TO, NO SHADE THERE EITHER.
UM, MS SOMEWHERE IF YOU CAN SUMMARIZE FOR US.
UM, THE OTHER THING THAT HAPPENED SOME TIME AGO, UH, AS YOU CAN SEE, I HAVE A HUNCH BACK.
I HAVE COMPRESSION FRACTURE AND I HAVE CONSTANT PAIN.
SO, UM, WHEN I GO SHOPPING, I CARRY A SMALL CART AND WHEN IT'S FULL, I HAVE TO USE THE LIFT TO GET ON THE BUS.
I ASKED ONE DRIVER TO FOR THE LIFT AND HE SAID, I SAW YOU WALK UP.
IF YOU CAN WALK, YOU DON'T NEED THE LIFT.
AND I SAID, IF YOU SAW A WOMAN WALK UP WITH A BABY STROLLER, WOULD YOU SAY, I SAW YOU WALKING SO YOU DON'T NEED THE LIFT.
SO THAT'S, THOSE ARE JUST THE PROBLEMS THAT I'VE HAD.
[00:55:02]
MY NAME IS JOHN TORRES.I LITERALLY STARTED WORKING HERE RIGHT AFTER COVID COVID HIT.
THE WHOLE TIME I'VE BEEN HERE.
I'VE BEEN OBSERVING EVERYTHING, OBSERVING THE SAFETY, OBSERVING WHAT WE GO THROUGH.
AND ONE THING I WILL SAY IS OUR SAFETY IS A BIG, A BIG ISSUE HERE.
UM, MAYBE ABOUT A MONTH OR TWO AGO, I HAD AN ISSUE WHERE I WAS DOING THE, UH, THREE 11.
IT STARTS AT 5:45 AM AT A CC RIVERSIDE.
I HAD A GENTLEMAN, OH, UNHOUSED GENTLEMAN COME UP AND TRY ASSAULTING ME, TRY CHOKING ME.
THEY SAID THEY SENT AN OFFICER.
I'M OUT THERE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT.
WHAT ABOUT SOME OF OUR OTHER COWORKERS THAT WHO ARE NOT AS LUCKY AS ME OR WHO CANNOT DEFEND THEMSELVES? IT TOOK OVER AN HOUR FOR AN A PD OFFICER TO ARRIVE.
A SUPERVISOR ARRIVED BEFORE THAT.
AND WHEN I CALLED RADIO TO LET 'EM KNOW WHY I WAS UNABLE TO START MY ROUTE AND TO SERVICE THESE CUSTOMERS DUE TO THE ISSUE I WAS DEALING WITH, I WAS TOLD, WHY DON'T YOU CALL FROM THE UNIT? AND I EXPLAINED TO THEM, HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO GET ON THE UNIT WHEN THE GUY IS BLOCKING MY ONLY WAY IN? IF SO, I WOULD'VE GOTTEN IN, LOCKED THE DOORS AND SAT IN THE UNIT, WHICH IS BETTER PROTECTION THAN ME.
STANDING OUT WAS UNABLE TO DO THAT.
I HAVE MY OTHER FELLOW COWORKER WHO'S BEEN HERE THE SAME AMOUNT OF TIME AS ME, AND HE SAID AT THE LAST BOARD MEETING AND I QUOTE, WHAT ARE WE WAITING FOR FOR, UH, FOR SOMEBODY TO GET SERIOUSLY INJURED OR WORSE KILLED? NOW WE'RE HAVING TO DEAL WITH THIS THAT WE'RE DEALING WITH THAT HAPPENED ON OUR UNIT.
ALL I REALLY WANTED TO SAY IS OUR SAFETY IS A BIG RISK.
VERY BIG RISK EVERY SINGLE DAY TO THE RISK THAT I, I I DON'T KNOW ANYMORE.
I ENJOY SEEING PEOPLE, I ENJOY MY USUAL CUSTOMERS THAT I PICK UP.
I'VE GOTTEN TO KNOW THEM ON PERSONAL LEVELS AND THEY TRUST ME TO GET THEM WHERE THEY'RE GOING.
BUT HOW CAN I GET THEM SAFELY WHERE THEY'RE GOING? IF I DON'T HAVE THE SUPPORT? I NEED HELP.
UM, THAT ADDRESSES EVERYBODY THAT HAD SIGNED UP TO SPEAK.
IS THERE ANYBODY IN THE ROOM THAT WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK THAT HASN'T HAD THE OPPORTUNITY? YES MA'AM.
ONCE YOU'VE HAD YOUR THREE MINUTES, IF YOU WOULD SEE THE BACK AND FILL OUT A CARD.
WHAT IS IT? MORNING, AFTERNOON.
MY NAME IS SILA HARDIMAN AND I'M A A TU LOCAL 10 91 SHOP STEWARD.
I'VE BEEN HERE 20 YEARS AND I'M TELLING YOU, WHEN I GET UP IN THE MORNING, IT'S DAYS I DON'T EVEN WANNA GO.
IT'S DAYS I DON'T GO BECAUSE I FEAR FROM MY LIFE.
I'M OUT THERE AT FOUR 30 IN THE MORNING AT TECH RIDGE.
I'VE ASKED KEOLIS TO COME OUT AND RIDE THE BUS WITH ME SO THEY CAN SEE WHAT'S GOING ON.
NO ONE HAS SHOWED UP YET TO SEE WHAT I GO THROUGH.
SO WHAT, LET ME TELL YOU WHAT I DEAL WITH.
I DEAL WITH A BUNCH OF PEOPLE SLEEPING AT TECH RIDGE IN FRONT OF THE RESTROOM.
I CAN'T USE THE RESTROOM WHEN I GET THERE BECAUSE THERE'S SOMEBODY LAYING OUT THERE ASLEEP.
I'VE HAD MEN COME UP TO BEHIND ME WHEN I'M AT THE RESTROOM.
I DON'T HAVE PEPPER SPRAY, I DON'T HAVE A KNIFE.
I CAN GET HIM UP OFF OF ME, BUT CAN I WHOOP HIM? PROBABLY NOT BECAUSE MEN ARE MORE STRONGER THAN WOMEN.
SO MY LIFE IS IN DANGER OUT THERE.
DON'T GET ME WRONG, BUT I WANNA GO HOME TOO.
IT'S TERRIFYING OUT THERE FOR US WOMEN.
WE DON'T HAVE NO, YOU HAVE GLEN PALMER OUT THERE.
YOU KNOW WHAT HE DOES? HE GOES OUT THERE AND WAKE UP ALL THE PEOPLE THAT SLEEP INTOXICATED AND PUT THEM ON THE BUS WITH ME.
I SAID, WHATCHA DOING? WHY ARE YOU WAKING THESE PEOPLE UP, PUTTING THEM ON THE BUS WITH ME WHEN I GET TO SOUTH PARK MEADOWS? GUESS WHAT? THERE'S NOBODY THERE AND I'M TERRIFIED.
SO I'M DEALING WITH ALL THESE PEOPLE ON THE BUS.
THEY WAKE UP OUTTA, THEY SLEEP, THEY RAN AND THEY RAPING.
THEY'RE DRINKING, THEY'RE DOING EVERYTHING ON THE BUS.
YOU KNOW WHY? BECAUSE NOTHING IS GONNA BE DONE TO THEM.
THE SUPERVISOR'S GONNA COME TAKE 'EM OFF, PUT 'EM ON THE NEXT BUS.
WHEN I GO BACK AROUND, THEY BACK ON MY BUS AND IT IS GETTING OUT OF CONTROL.
[01:00:01]
SCARED.WHO IS GONNA PROTECT US? WE HAVE TO BID ON THESE RUNS.
NOBODY IS OUT THERE TO PROTECT US.
AND I AM BEGGING, BEGGING FOR YOU GUYS TO DO SOMETHING BECAUSE I WANNA GO HOME.
DOTIE, WE CAN'T HAVE PEPPER SPRAY.
IT'S NOT AGAINST THE LAW TO HAVE PEPPER SPRAY, BUT WE CAN'T HAVE IT TO GET THOSE MEN UP OFF OF US.
SO WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO WHEN I NEED TO GO TO THE RESTROOM AND SOMEBODY IS SLEEPING THERE AND I CAN'T EVEN GET IN? THEN I GOTTA GO ALL THE WAY, ANOTHER HOUR AND A HALF BEFORE I CAN GET TO THE RESTROOM AND I DEAL WITH NOTHING.
AND I'M NOT BEING NO TYPE OF WAY.
I DEAL WITH NOTHING BUT HOMELESS PEOPLE.
I DON'T KNOW HOW TO DEAL WITH MENTAL PEOPLE BECAUSE YOU NEVER TAUGHT US HOW TO DEAL WITH THAT TODAY.
WHAT WE HAD WAS PEOPLE GETTING ON THE BUS, GOING HOME AND GOING TO WORK OR WHEREVER THEY WAS GOING AND NOW THEY'RE GETTING FREE BUS PASSES AND IT MAKES IT EVEN WORSE BECAUSE NOW THEY'RE ON THE BUS ALL DAY AND WE'RE TERRIFIED.
I'M TELLING YOU, I'M AFRAID AND I WANNA GO HOME AT THE END OF THE DAY.
I DON'T WANNA BE IN THE NEWSPAPER.
THE ONE THAT GOT KILLED, THE ONE THAT GOT THE ONE THAT DIED.
SO WE'RE BEGGING YOU TO DO SOMETHING.
I MEAN, I DUNNO WHAT YOU CAN DO, BUT YOU GOTTA DO SOMETHING.
MAYBE YOU GUYS NEED TO START STANDING AT THE BUS STOPS JUST SHOWING UP, SHOWING SUPPORT.
I MEAN, YOU CAN'T GET THE POLICE LIKE THAT.
I UNDERSTAND, BUT AT LEAST SHOW UP.
HEY, STOP HARASSING OUR OPERATOR.
DO WE HAVE ANYBODY ELSE? YES SIR.
PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME AND WHEN YOU'RE DONE, YOU'LL NEED TO FILL OUT A CARD IN THE BACK.
AND SO ANYBODY WATCHING ONLINE, MY FIRST THAT IS THAT EVEN THOUGH WE ARE HERE TO HAVE THIS RECORDED AND EVERYTHING AND WHAT WE DO, WHAT YOU GUYS DO.
I SAID IT MONTHS AGO, A FEW MONTHS AGO.
THAT GENTLEMAN OVER THERE IS GREAT.
HE LISTENS TO ME A COUPLE OF TIMES.
BUT WE NEED MORE SUPPORT BECAUSE IF THIS IS WHAT CAN GET US FIRED, THIS LITTLE THING RIGHT HERE THAT CAN PROTECT US OR GET US FIRED.
AND LAST YEAR OR MAYBE A FEW MONTHS AGO, I SAY, ARE WE WAITING FOR A FATALITY OR ARE WE GONNA MOVE ON? ARE WE PROFESSIONAL BUS DRIVERS OR WE ARE KIDS DRIVING A BUS, PLAYING A, A SIMPLE DRIVER.
I DON'T WANT TO GO HOME SOMETIMES I LIKE TO BE HERE.
BUT WHY, WHY, WHY? I GOTTA WAIT FOR SOMETHING TO HAPPEN.
LET'S NOT GET THAT FATALITY HAPPENED.
LIKE I SAID, WHEN I SAW YOU ON THE ELEVATOR, REMEMBER I SAID, WHERE YOU WAITING? YOU SAW THE NEWS.
I DON'T WANT TO BE PART OF IT.
I'VE BEEN ASSAULTED MULTIPLE TIMES WITH GUNS MACHE, EVEN PEPPER SPRAY THAT WE CANNOT EVEN DEFEND OURSELF.
WHY ARE WE WAITING? THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY.
THANKS YOU FOR EVERYBODY TO COME IN TO SPEAK TODAY.
UM, WE WILL MOVE ON IN OUR AGENDA NOW.
MADAM SECRETARY, IF I MAY, OF COURSE, SINCE WE DID HAVE A NUMBER OF FOLKS SPEAK TO US TODAY THAT ARE MEMBERS OF THE CAP FIT METRO FAMILY, I, I DID WANT TO BRIEFLY RESPOND AND, AND TELL YOU GUYS THAT WE HEAR YOU.
AND I KNOW MY WORDS CAN'T FIX THINGS.
I KNOW ONLY OUR ACTIONS AND THE THINGS THAT YOU SEE HAPPEN WILL CONVINCE YOU THAT WE CARE.
BUT I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT WE DO DEEPLY CARE.
UM, WE'VE BEEN WORKING FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS TO GET THINGS IN PLACE SO THAT WE CAN HAVE OUR OWN POLICE DEPARTMENT.
UM, WE WILL HAVE OUR VERY FIRST OFFICERS.
THEY'RE HARD TO HIRE AND SLOW COMING, BUT WE'LL HAVE OUR VERY FIRST OFFICERS ON THE STREET NEXT MONTH.
SO IT'S A LONG TIME COMING, BUT IT'S WORK WE WILL CONTINUE TO DO.
UM, WE ARE COMMITTED TO CONTINUING TO WORK WITH, WITH, WITH YOU GUYS WITH THE UNION.
I KNOW, UH, ANDY KOWSKI, OUR CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER, REACHED OUT THIS WEEKEND TO BRENT PAYNE AND SAID, HEY, WE NEED TO GET A SPECIAL CALL MEETING OF THE LABOR MANAGEMENT SAFETY COMMITTEE TO TALK ABOUT THESE ISSUES.
GERALD RELL SENT SOME IDEAS THAT WE WANNA GO THROUGH WITH Y'ALL AND FIGURE OUT WHAT MAKES SENSE.
WHAT SHOULD OUR PRIORITIES BE? UM, WE'LL BE ASKING OUR BOARD TODAY TO APPROVE A
[01:05:01]
STRATEGIC PLAN.THE NUMBER ONE PRIORITY IN THAT STRATEGIC PLAN IS IMPROVING SAFETY AND SECURITY ON OUR SYSTEM.
WE KNOW FROM ME ALL THE WAY DOWN TO YOU THAT IF WE DON'T GET THIS FIXED, THEN FUNDAMENTALLY WHAT ARE WE HERE TO DO? WHAT ARE WE DOING? THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING THAT WE HAVE TO DO.
WE HAVE A LOT MORE WORK TO, TO GO, BUT I DO WANT YOU GUYS TO KNOW THAT WE CARE ABOUT YOU.
THAT WE WANT YOU TO GET HOME SAFELY TO YOUR FAMILIES.
AND WE ARE COMMITTED TO CONTINUING TO WORK WITH YOU EVERY SINGLE DAY UNTIL WE FIGURE THIS OUT.
[IV. Advisory Committee Update]
HAVE OUR BOARD ADVISORY COMMITTEE UPDATES AND MR. BRETTON IS HERE TO GIVE US THOSE.WANNA MAKE SURE THAT Y'ALL CAN HEAR ME.
SECRETARY ROSS, PRESIDENT AND CEO WATKINS AND MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.
I'M THE STAFF LIAISON FOR OUR ADVISORY COMMITTEES.
SINCE LAST MONTH'S UPDATE, THE ACCESS CUSTOMER SATISFACTION AND PUBLIC SAFETY ADVISORY COMMITTEES HAVE ALL MET AT THEIR REGULARLY, REGULARLY SCHEDULED TIMES.
THE ACCESS ADVISORY COMMITTEE RECEIVED A PRESENTATION ON SPARE LAB'S PAYMENT SYSTEM FROM BRANDY MOELLER AND SARAH SANFORD.
BOTH THE ACCESS AND CSAC RECEIVED PRESENTATIONS ON THE FIVE YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN BY PAT BADORI, OUR DIRECTOR OF PERFORMANCE AND STRATEGIC INITIATIVES, AS WELL AS AN UPDATE ON TRANSIT PLAN 2035.
THEY WERE ALSO NOTIFIED VIA EMAIL ABOUT OUR NEW PUBLIC SAFETY DASHBOARD OR PERFORMANCE DASHBOARD, SORRY, SAFETY PERFORMANCE DASHBOARD, WHICH LAUNCHED ON APRIL 21ST.
THE PUBLIC SAFETY ADVISORY COMMITTEE RECEIVED A FULL PRESENTATION ON THAT SAFETY PERFORMANCE DASHBOARD BY STEVEN SHINTY, THE PROGRAM MANAGER FOR DATA GOVERNANCE, AS WELL AS A PRESENTATION ON THE INDEPENDENT OVERSIGHT MODEL FOR OUR TRANSIT POLICE DEPARTMENT BY CHIEF ROBBINS.
WE ALSO HELD A PROGRAM STRATEGIES AND POLICY SUBCOMMITTEE MEETING ON MAY 15TH THIS PAST THURSDAY WHERE WE DISCUSSED THAT, UH, INDEPENDENT OVERSIGHT MODEL WITH THE COMMUNITY.
WE'LL HAVE ANOTHER MEETING OF THAT SUBCOMMITTEE ON THE NEXT ROUND OF POLICY ENGAGEMENT ON THE 29TH, WHICH IS NOT THIS THURSDAY, BUT NEXT THURSDAY.
AND ALL MATERIALS FOR OUR SUBCOMMITTEE MEETINGS ARE CURRENTLY AVAILABLE ON THE CAP METRO PUBLIC INPUT WEBPAGE@PUBLICINPUT.COM SLASH CAP METRO PUBLIC SAFETY.
LASTLY, MRS. GRETCHEN FLATTO HAS RESIGNED FROM HER POSITION ON THE PO PROJECT CONNECT COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE AND THE PROCESS TO FILL THAT VACANCY IS ONGOING.
IN THE JOINT POWERS AGREEMENT, UH, EXISTING APPLICATIONS WILL BE REVIEWED TO SELECT A NEW MEMBER.
NO ACTION IS REQUIRED AT THIS TIME.
THAT'S ALL I HAVE FOR THIS MONTH.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, AND I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER QUESTIONS IF YOU HAVE 'EM.
BOARD, ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS? THANK YOU.
[V. Board Committee Updates]
BE OUR REGULAR BOARD COMMITTEE UPDATES.CHAIR, VELA, CAN YOU KICK US OFF WITH OPERATIONS PLANNING AND SAFETY? THANK YOU, UH, VERY MUCH.
UM, WE, UH, REVIEWED THE, UH, THE APPROVED THE MINUTES AND REVIEWED, UH, MULTIPLE OF THE ITEMS THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE, UH, UH, SEEING TODAY ON THE, THE CONSENT CALENDAR, ALONG WITH A COUPLE OF, UH, NON-CONSENT ITEMS, ONE BEING THE APPROVAL REGARDING THE BROADMOOR, UH, STATION.
UM, AND THEN WE ALSO, UH, HEARD THE, THE OPERATIONS OF PLANNING AND SAFETY UPDATES AND GOT THE CURRENT NUMBERS, UH, REVIEWED THE BUDGET CALENDAR FOR THE COMING BUDGET PROCESS, UM, AS WELL.
ANY QUESTIONS? ALRIGHT, UH, CHAIR HARRIS, WILL YOU TAKE CARE OF FINANCE, AUDIT ADMINISTRATION AND
[01:10:01]
CAMPO? THANK YOU MADAM CHAIR.UH, FINANCE AUDIT ADMINISTRATION COMMITTEE MET ON WEDNESDAY, MAY THE SEVENTH.
UH, IN ADDITION TO APPROVING THE MINUTES, UH, WE ALSO APPROVED, UH, AND OR APPROVED AND RECOMMENDED FOR BOARD ADOPTION TO INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN FOR THE REIMBURSEMENT OF CAP METRO EXPENSES, UH, OF $10 MILLION, UH, IN TERMS OF A CARBON REDUCTION GRANT TO BE MANAGED BY THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
UH, IN ADDITION, WE ALSO HEARD EXTERNAL, UH, AUDIT RESULTS AND THE FINANCIAL REPORT FOR THROUGH MARCH OF 25.
UH, WE ALSO GOT AN UPDATE ON THE, UH, PROPOSED 2026 BUDGET CALENDAR AND AN INTERNAL AUDIT PLAN STATUS, UH, THAT CONCLUDED THE FINANCE AUDIT ADMINISTRATION, UH, MEETING, UH, THE CAMPO BOARD MET ON, UH, MAY 19TH, UH, AND TOOK ACTION ON A NUMBER OF ITEMS, UM, INCLUDING, UH, THE APPROVAL OF, UM, AMENDMENT NUM AMENDMENTS TO THE FISCAL 24 AND 25 UNIFIED PLANNING AND WORK PROGRAM.
UH, WE ADOPTED, UH, THE, UH, 2050 REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION PLAN, WHICH IS REQUIRED BY FEDERAL STATUTE, UH, AND ALSO, UH, DISCUSSED AND TOOK APPROPRIATE ACTION WITH RESPECT TO THE, UH, FD A'S SECTION 53 10 PROJECT CALL.
UH, FINALLY, WE ALSO DISCUSSED AND TOOK ACTION ON, UH, THE ALLOCATION OF TRANSPORTATION DEVELOPMENT CREDITS TO A NUMBER OF, UH, PROJECTS THAT WERE AWARDED, UH, THAT HAD BEEN RECOMMENDED, UH, BY THE TAC COMMITTEE.
UH, AND THAT CONCLUDES MY REPORT.
ANY QUESTIONS FROM THE BOARD? OKAY.
AND WE ARE NOT GONNA HAVE AN AUSTIN, UM, TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP UPDATE WITH CHAIR REBELLION BE ANNOUNCED, SO WE WILL TAKE CARE OF THAT NEXT MONTH.
[VI. Consent Items]
ON TO OUR CONSENT AGENDA.UM, BOARD MEMBERS, IF YOU'VE HAD A CHANCE TO REVIEW, IS THERE ANYTHING THAT YOU'D LIKE TO TAKE OFF OF THE CONSENT AGENDA AND HAVE CONSIDERED PART OF THE REGULAR AGENDA? OKAY.
IF NOT, I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION AND A SECOND TO APPROVE MOTION.
ANY OPPOSED? MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.
UH, MOVING ON TO OUR REGULAR AGENDA ITEMS. WE HAVE SIX AGENDA
[VII.1. Approval of a resolution adopting CapMetro’s Strategic Plan 2030 and authorizing the President & CEO to implement the Plan.]
ITEMS TODAY, AND WE ARE GOING TO START WITH THE ADOPTION OF THE AGENCY STRATEGIC PLAN.MAD SECRETARY, IF I MAY, AS, AS CARRIE GETS HERSELF SETTLED IN AND WE GET THE PRESENTATION GOING, I JUST WANTED TO TAKE A QUICK MOMENT TO SET THE STAGE FOR THIS ITEM.
UM, THIS IS A NEW FIVE-YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN FOR CAP METRO THAT WILL GUIDE OUR IMPLEMENTATION OF PROJECTS AND INITIATIVES AND ULTIMATELY HELPS US DEFINE WHAT OUR PRIORITIES ARE.
UM, IN MY VIEW, YOU'LL HEAR TODAY THAT OUR STRATEGIC FOCUSED, UM, REALLY ENCOMPASSES TWO AREAS.
ONE, SHORING UP OUR SERVICES AND TAKING THE NECESSARY STEPS AS AN AGENCY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN DELIVER AN EXCELLENT CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE.
AND TWO, ENSURING THAT WE ARE LEADING THE DISCUSSION FOR HOW WE ARE GOING TO MOVE INTO THE FUTURE AS A REGION TO ADDRESS MOBILITY ISSUES ALONGSIDE OUR MEMBER CITIES AND PARTNER CITIES AND OTHER REGIONAL, UM, COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND MORE.
UM, WELL, WE'RE REQUIRED LEGALLY TO HAVE A STRATEGIC PLAN.
WE HAVE REALLY APPROACHED THIS AS MORE THAN JUST TO CHECK THE BOX.
WE DID THE THING WE HAD TO DO OPPORTUNITY, BUT REALLY AN OPPORTUNITY TO SHAPE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH OUR PEERS IN OUR COMMUNITY, WHO WE ARE, WHO WE WANT TO BE, UM, AND TO REALLY HELP US DELIVER THE, THE TRANSIT SERVICE THAT WE ARE PROUD OF AND THAT WE KNOW WILL MEET THE NEEDS OF THE REGION.
UM, IN A WAY, I SEE THIS AS MY COMMITMENT TO Y'ALL, TO OUR CUSTOMERS, TO OUR TEAM, AND TO THE COMMUNITY ON BEHALF OF CAP METRO, UM, FOR WHO, UM, WE HOPE TO BECOME.
SO WE'RE VERY EXCITED TO PRESENT THIS TO YOU, AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO THE MUCH, MUCH WORK THAT IS INVOLVED IN IT.
UM, AND I WILL HAND IT OVER TO CARRIE TO WALK THROUGH THE PROCESS THAT GOT US HERE.
UH, BOARD MEMBERS AND PRESIDENT AND CEO DOTTIE WATKINS.
I SERVE AS YOUR DEPUTY, CEO AS, UH, DOTTIE MENTIONED, WE ARE HERE TODAY SEEKING YOUR ADOPTION OF OUR STRATEGIC PLAN 2030.
VERY CREATIVE NAME, BUT NOT TO BE CONFUSED.
UH, AS YOU KNOW, WE HAVE SPENT THE BETTER PART OF A LITTLE MORE THAN A YEAR LOOKING BOTH INWARD AND OUTWARD TO DETERMINE WHAT OUR FUTURE SHOULD BE AND FORMULATE THE PLAN FOR THAT.
UM, WE ARE LOOKING TO, TO, UM, COME UP WITH THE BEST PLAN TO HELP US CONTINUE TO DRIVE THIS ECONOMY FOR THIS REGION.
[01:15:02]
SO THIS IS THE FINAL STEP AFTER ALL OF THE WORK THAT WE HAVE DONE THE LAST, UH, YEAR OR SO.AND, AND THAT IS IN SEEKING YOUR ADOPTION OF THE PLAN.
BEFORE I DIG INTO THE PLAN, I WANNA TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE, THE PROCESS.
SO JUST AS A REFRESHER, BECAUSE WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT THIS OFF AND ON OVER THE COURSE OF THE LAST YEAR, AND, AND DOTTIE TALKED TO A LOT OF THESE THINGS, THIS PLAN WILL PROVIDE OUR ORGANIZATION DIRECTION AND HELP US FOCUS ON WHAT WE NEED TO DO FOR THE NEXT FIVE YEARS IN ORDER TO BE SUCCESSFUL.
THE PLAN DIGS INTO THE INDIVIDUAL ACTIONS THAT WE NEED TO TAKE TO MOVE OUR AGENCY IN THAT DIRECTION, AND THEN HELPS US COMMUNICATE OUR PRIORITIES.
WE'RE GOING TO DO ALL OF THAT THROUGH, UM, A VARIETY OF WAYS THAT WE WILL MONITOR OUR PROGRESS, AND I WILL, I'LL TELL YOU ABOUT THAT LATER.
WE'VE COME BEFORE YOU A COUPLE OF TIMES OVER THE COURSE OF THE LAST YEAR TO UPDATE YOU ON OUR PROGRESS.
WHAT YOU SEE HERE ON THE SCREEN IS REALLY JUST A SNAPSHOT.
THIS IS, UH, A WAY TO SUMMARIZE ALL OF THE ACTIVITIES THAT WE HAVE HAVE UNDERTAKEN IN THE LAST YEAR.
UH, IN THAT MIDDLE GROUP IS A, IS ALL OF THE, THE ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES THAT WE HAVE UNDERTAKEN.
AND IT HAS BEEN FROM THE INDIVIDUAL LEVEL, BOTH INDIVIDUAL INTERVIEWS WITH YOU, BUT WITH ALSO OUR EXTERNAL STAKEHOLDERS TO HELP US UNDERSTAND WHAT THEIR PRIORITIES ARE AND WHAT THEY ARE LOOKING FOR FROM CAT METRO.
AND WE DID SMALL GROUP DISCUSSIONS.
WE, UH, TALKED WITH INDIVIDUAL DEPARTMENTS ABOUT WHAT THEIR NEEDS ARE AND WHAT THEY THOUGHT WOULD, WOULD MAKE US MOST SUCCESSFUL.
AND THEN WE ALSO DID A SERIES OF LEADERSHIP WORKSHOPS TO COME WITH OH, TO COME UP WITH, OKAY, THESE ARE THE PRIORITIES.
HOW DO WE GET THERE? IN ADDITION TO ALL THE ENGAGEMENT THAT WAS DONE, A LOT OF DATA WAS ANALYZED.
UM, WE LOOKED AT CUSTOMER SURVEYS, EMPLOYEE SURVEYS, DID A LOT OF, UH, BENCHMARKING OF OUR PEERS TO IDENTIFY WHAT ARE GREAT OPPORTUNITIES FOR US TO MOVE FORWARD.
UM, AND THIS WORK REALLY JUST GAVE US A SENSE OF, UM, WHAT, OF, WHAT OUR PRIORITIES SHOULD BE AND HOW WE CAN TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THOSE OPPORTUNITIES.
BEFORE I DIG IN ANY DEEPER, I DO WANT TO TO ESTABLISH A FRAMEWORK OF THE TERMINOLOGY OF STRATEGIC PLANNING.
UM, FOR ANY OF YOU THAT HAVE EVER BEEN INVOLVED IN A STRATEGIC PLAN, EVERYBODY HAS DIFFERENT WAYS TO DESCRIBE ALL OF THE DIFFERENT PARTS OF A STRATEGIC PLAN.
SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE WE'RE SPEAKING OFF THE SAME, UM, SET OF, OF TERMS. OUR STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK IS OUR MISSION, OUR VISION, AND OUR VALUES.
AND THOSE ARE REALLY THE UNDERLYING PRINCIPLES OF WHO WE ARE AND WHY WE EXIST AND, AND WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE.
UM, WE, THESE SHOULD BE EVERGREEN IF DONE CORRECTLY.
UM, WE DID NOT MAKE ANY CHANGES TO OUR MISSION, VISION, AND VALUES IN OUR, IN THIS VERSION OF THE STRATEGIC PLAN, BECAUSE WE REALLY DO BELIEVE THE WORK WE'VE DONE OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, UM, HAS, HAS, UH, IDENTIFIED A MISSION, VISION AND VALUES THAT ARE EVERGREEN.
UM, WE, UH, UM, SO WE DIDN'T MAKE ANY CHANGES TO THAT.
CRITICAL RESULTS ARE WHAT I'M REFERRING TO AS OUR GUIDING LIGHT.
THEY ARE THE RESULTS THAT WE MUST ACHIEVE THROUGH THIS PLAN IN ORDER TO BE SUCCESSFUL.
OF COURSE, THEN THE ACTIONS ARE THE, THE THINGS WE'RE GOING TO DO TO GET TO THE CRITICAL RESULTS.
AND THEN MILESTONES DIG DEEPER INTO THE INDIVIDUAL THINGS THAT WILL MAKE UP THE ACTIVITIES TO SUPPORT THE ACTIONS.
AND YOU'LL SEE HERE ON THIS SLIDE THAT IT GOES IN A CIRCLE.
SO QUESTIONS ABOUT THE TERMINOLOGY, IT'S A HARD ONE.
AND THEN ALSO TO SET THE STAGE, I WANNA MAKE SURE WE'RE ALL ON THE SAME PAGE ABOUT
UM, WE ARE AMBITIOUS AS AN AGENCY, SO WE DECIDED WE SHOULD UNDERTAKE TWO MAJOR PLANNING ACTIVITIES AT THE SAME TIME.
UM, BUT WHAT IT HAS MEANT IS THERE IS SOME CONFUSION ABOUT THE LANGUAGE.
WE'RE HERE TODAY TO TALK ABOUT THE STRATEGIC PLAN.
AND AGAIN, THAT'S OUR DIRECTION FOR THE NEXT FIVE YEARS.
IT IS VERY INTERNALLY FOCUSED ON THE WORK WE CAN DO TO SUPPORT THE ORGANIZATION AND THE COMMUNITY.
THE TRANSIT PLAN, 2035, IS OUR MASTER PLAN FOR SERVICE.
IT IS A PLAN THAT'S REQUIRED BY THE FDA, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, IT, IT IS OUR WAY OF ANALYZING NEEDS AND OPPORTUNITIES AND DETERMINING WHAT IS THE BEST SERVICES WE CAN PUT ON THE STREET FOR OUR CUSTOMERS.
IT'S VERY CUSTOMER AND COMMUNITY FOCUSED.
OF COURSE, THEY RELATE THE STRATEGIC PLAN AND DOING THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE LAID OUT IN THE PLAN, POSITION US TO BE ABLE TO DELIVER THE TRANSIT PLAN.
AND THEN, OF COURSE, THE TRANSIT PLAN IS CONSISTENT WITH THE ORGANIZATIONAL PRIORITIES.
SO ENOUGH GROUNDWORK NOW FOR THE
[01:20:01]
PLAN.UH, AS YOU WILL SEE IN THE NEAR TERM, THE FIRST YEAR OR TWO OF THE STRATEGIC PLAN, WE'RE FOCUSED ON ACTIONS THAT WILL ENHANCE SECURITY AND SERVICE RELIABILITY.
THOSE ARE THE TWO MOST IMPORTANT THINGS WE HAVE TO DO.
UM, AND, BUT WE ARE DOING THOSE THINGS IN PREPARATION FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE FIVE-YEAR PLAN WHERE WE WILL, UM, BE LOOKING TO EXPAND OUR REACH IN A VARIETY OF WAYS THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY.
I MENTIONED CRITICAL RESULTS AS OUR GUIDING LIGHT.
THESE ARE THE FOUR CRITICAL RESULTS, AND WE'VE PRESENTED THESE TO YOU BEFORE, SO I WON'T SPEND A LOT OF TIME WITH THEM, BUT THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT WILL GUIDE THE CHOICES WE MAKE, THE DECISIONS WE MAKE, HOW WE ALLOCATE OUR RESOURCES, AND ULTIMATELY HOW WE DEFINE SUCCESS OVER THE COURSE OF THE PLAN.
UM, WHEN THESE THINGS ARE ACHIEVED, WE HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFUL.
WE WILL HAVE RELIABLE AND SECURE SERVICE THAT OUR CUSTOMERS CAN STAND BY.
WE WILL HAVE INCREASED RIDERSHIP IN THE REGION.
WE WILL REMAIN FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE, AND WE WILL BE AN INTEGRAL COMPONENT OF TRANSPORTATION IN THE REGION.
THOSE ARE THE FOUR MAJOR THINGS WE'RE LOOKING TO ACHIEVE WITH THE PLAN.
UM, OF COURSE, WE WILL MEASURE ALL OF THOSE THINGS, UH, WITH A VARIETY OF KPIS, WHICH ARE IN THE PLAN.
UM, AND WE WILL ACHIEVE THESE THINGS THROUGH THE ACTIONS.
THE 18 ACTIONS THAT ARE IN THE PLAN.
YOU HAVE THE FULL PLAN IN YOUR, UH, IN YOUR PACKETS AND ONLINE.
I AM NOT GOING TO GO THROUGH EACH OF THE 18 ACTION ITEMS FOR EVERYONE'S SAKE.
WHAT I, WHAT YOU SEE HERE IS AN EXAMPLE.
IT IS THE FIRST ONE ON THE LIST.
YOU'LL SEE OVER HERE ON THE LEFT CUSTOMER IS, IS THE, UM, GOAL THAT IT IS SUPPORTING.
UM, THEN WE HAVE IDENTIFIED THE ACTION.
WE'VE IDENTIFIED A NUMBER OF MILESTONES THAT WILL GET US TO FULL ACHIEVEMENT OF THAT ACTION.
AND THEN YOU SEE THE TIMELINE FOR THOSE, THOSE MILESTONES, THIS COMMON THROUGHOUT.
MANY OF THESE ACTION ITEMS ARE PLANNING AND INITIAL ACTIVITIES IN FY 26 WITH, UM, FULL IMPLEMENTATION AND MEASUREMENT AND ADJUSTMENT AND CONTINUING IN THE OUT YEARS.
UM, SO I WILL BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU HAVE ABOUT ANY OF THE INDIVIDUAL ACTION ITEMS, BUT WE ARE NOT INTENDING TO GO THROUGH THEM HERE.
UH, PLANS ARE GRAND, BUT A PLAN IS NOT ENOUGH.
IT HAS TO BE INTEGRATED INTO EVERYTHING WE DO.
SO WHAT YOU SEE HERE ARE OUR PLANS FOR IMPLEMENTATION.
UM, OF COURSE, THIS WILL BE INTEGRATED INTO OUR BUDGET.
WE ARE DEEP INTO THE FY 26 BUDGET PLANNING PROCESS.
AND AS WE LOOK AT ALL OF OUR AVAILABLE RESOURCES, WE ARE PRIORITIZING, UH, RESOURCES THAT ARE NEEDED TO SUPPORT ANY OF THE ACTION ITEMS IN THE, UM, IN OUR NEXT BUDGET, UM, EACH YEAR.
THEN OF COURSE, WE WILL LOOK AT THE ACTION ITEMS FOR THE ENSUING FISCAL YEAR AND ENSURE THAT WE HAVE ALLOCATED THE RIGHT RESOURCES TO, TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE THINGS ARE ABLE TO HAPPEN IN ORDER TO ENSURE IMPLEMENTATION.
EACH OF THE ACTION ITEMS HAS A DEPARTMENT WITH PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITY AND A SENIOR EXECUTIVE TEAM MEMBER WHO IS ACCOUNTABLE FOR DELIVERY.
UM, AND THAT IS HOW WE ENSURE THAT WE ARE FOCUSED ON THIS EVERY DAY.
UH, IN ADDITION THOUGH, WE HAVEN'T JUST IDENTIFIED WHO IS, WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR DELIVERY.
WE HAVE ALSO GONE DEEPER TO IDENTIFY WHO ALL NEEDS TO BE COLLABORATED WITH, BOTH INTERNALLY AND EXTERNALLY IN ORDER TO HAVE SUCCESS WITH THE, UH, ACTION ITEM.
AND OF COURSE, WE WILL HAVE, UM, PERIODIC REPORTING TO THE BOARD.
THIS INFORMATION, UH, EVALUATION OF OUR KPI KPIS WILL ALSO BE ON OUR DASHBOARD.
AND THEN WE WILL HAVE AN ANNUAL REPORT SUMMARIZING OUR PROJECT PROGRESS AS WE GO FORWARD.
HERE ARE A COUPLE OF EXAMPLES OF THE MEASUREMENTS, UH, THAT SUPPORT OUR CRITICAL RESULTS.
I'M NOT GONNA READ THESE HERE EITHER.
ALMOST ALL OF THESE ARE FAIRLY TYPICAL KPIS FOR THE TRANSIT INDUSTRY, AND YOU SHOULD BE FAMILIAR WITH MOST OF THEM.
THIS YEAR WE HAVE FOCUSED OUR ENERGIES ON PREPARING OURSELVES AS AN AGENCY AND AN ORGANIZATION TO BE READY FOR THIS PLAN TO BE IN PLACE.
SO WHILE WE WERE DOING ALL OF THIS PLANNING DURING FY 25, WE DID A LOT OF WORK ON OUR UNDERLYING SYSTEMS AND PROCESSES SO THAT WE ARE POSITIONED ONCE THIS, UM, BOARD ADOPTS THE STRATEGIC PLAN, AND WE START THE NEW FISCAL YEAR IN OCTOBER TO DIG DEEP, DIG RIGHT IN ON, UM, EXECUTION OF THE PLAN.
SO HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU HAVE.
DOTTIE, DID YOU HAVE ANY OTHER WORDS YOU WANTED TO SAY REGARDING THIS DONE? OKAY, SO THIS IS, I'M GONNA READ THE ACTION ITEM APPROVAL OF A RESOLUTION ADOPTING CAP METRO'S
[01:25:01]
STRATEGIC PLAN 2030, AND AUTHORIZING THE PRESIDENT AND CEO TO IMPLEMENT THE PLAN.THREE DISCUSSIONS OR A MOTION QUESTIONS
YEAH, SO I JUST WANT TO CLARIFY WITH THE, UM, AS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT UNDER THE, UH, THE, THE ACTIONS WITH WORKFORCE, IS THAT REFERRING TO JUST CAP METRO'S WORKFORCE, OR IS THAT ALSO IN PARTNERSHIP WITH OUR SERVICE PROVIDERS LIKE KEOLIS AND, UH, TA AND OTHERS? UH, IT WILL OF COURSE BE IN CONJUNCTION WITH OUR SERVICE PROVIDERS.
OUR MAIN FOCUS WILL BE ON OUR, UH, CAP METRO ORGANIZATION IN THE FIRST, UH, SEVERAL YEARS.
BUT AS YOU KNOW, OVER THE COURSE OF THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, WE'VE BEEN WORKING VERY DEEPLY WITH OUR SERVICE PROVIDERS TO ENSURE THAT THEY HAVE THE RIGHT TRAINING AND HIRING, UM, RESOURCES AVAILABLE TO THEM.
BUT WE WILL, OF COURSE CONTINUE THAT.
SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE, UH, THE CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE, AND I'M LOOKING AT, UM, GOAL 1.2, ONE OF THE TOP ONES CREATE A SAFE AND WELCOMING EXPERIENCE FOR CUSTOMERS AND TEAM MEMBERS BY IMPLEMENTING A MULTI-PHASE SECURITY STRATEGY THAT BUILDS UPON A SHORT-TERM ACTION PLAN.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT EXPERIENCE FOR CUSTOMERS AND TEAM MEMBERS.
THAT RIGHT THERE IS WHERE WE ARE.
WE'RE WE'RE BRINGING IN OUR SERVICE, OUR SERVICE PROVIDERS, OUR PARTNERS, THE VERY FOLKS THAT IN HERE THAT WERE EXPRESSING CONCERNS ABOUT, ABOUT SECURITY AND SAFETY.
I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT IT, IT'S VERY CLEAR WHERE TO FIND IT.
THAT THIS IS A TOP PRIORITY OF THE ORGANIZATION THAT WE'VE WORKED THROUGH, THROUGH, THROUGH Y'ALL AS STAFF LEADERSHIP AND THROUGH US AS BOARD THAT WE'RE, WE'RE, WE UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS AN ISSUE.
THE, IT, IT, IT'S, IT'S BEEN MORE AN ISSUE OF FIGURING OUT HOW TO, HOW TO GET US THERE AND, AND HOW TO ENSURE THAT WE CAN IDENTIFY, RECOGNIZE, TAKE ALL THE FEEDBACK, IDENTIFY AND RECOGNIZE THE EVER CHANGING ENVIRONMENT THAT IS TRANSIT NATIONALLY, BUT ALSO HERE IN AUSTIN AND, AND THE REGION AND TACKLE THIS IN SUCH A WAY.
BUT, BUT THIS PLAN SAYS, HEY, WE SEE IT, WE HEAR IT, AND WE'RE GONNA WORK TOWARDS THIS TO, TO MAKE THIS IMPORTANT.
BECAUSE IT'S IMPORTANT TO RECOGNIZE IT'S, THAT'S WHERE, THAT IS RECOGNIZED IN THIS PLANT, CORRECT? IT IS, THAT IS CORRECT.
IT IS THE HARDEST ISSUE THAT WE HAVE IN FRONT OF US.
IF THIS WAS AN EASY ISSUE TO ADDRESS, IT WOULD'VE BEEN SOLVED BY NOW.
WE ARE NOT ALONE IN THE INDUSTRY.
UM, UH, AND WE ARE, WE WILL CONTINUE TO DO EVERYTHING WE CAN THINK OF THAT IS REASONABLE, UH, TO, TO KEEP EVERYONE SAFE ON OUR SYSTEM, BUT WE KNOW THAT IT IS NOT SOMETHING WE'RE GONNA SOLVE IN YEAR ONE.
UM, AND WE WILL CONTINUE AT IT.
ANYONE ELSE? UH, I JUST WANT TO ECHO, UH, BOARD MEMBERS STRATTON'S COMMENTS THAT AS WE'VE GONE THROUGH THIS PROCESS AND LOOKED AT THE FEEDBACK THAT WE'VE SEEN, HONESTLY, MOSTLY FROM CUSTOMERS, BUT AS WELL OUR OPERATORS THAT CONTINUES TO PLAY A, A, A MAJOR ROLE IN, IN WHAT WE NEED TO DO HAS BEEN THE FEEDBACK REGARDING PEOPLE MAKING SURE THAT PEOPLE ARE SAFE ON THE BUS.
AND EVEN BEYOND THAT, AND I, I THINK, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE OPERATORS FOLKS, IS JUST NOT, EVEN IF YOU'RE NOT BREAKING A LAW, JUST BEHAVIOR ON THE BUS AND, AND WANTING TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S A, A SAFE AND COMFORTABLE ENVIRONMENT FOR EVERYONE.
UH, JUST AGAIN, APPRECIATE THE COMMENTS.
UH, I THINK APPRECIATE ALL THE COMMENTS THIS MORNING, UH, AS WELL FROM THE OPERATORS, UH, TAKE THEM TO HEART, UH, AND, AND LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING TO, TO WORK ON THIS ISSUE.
AND AGAIN, GLAD IT'S JUST SUCH A HIGH PRIORITY FOR THE STRATEGIC PLAN.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? NOW? I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION.
I, I DO WANNA SAY ONE OTHER THING.
I, I ALSO APPRECIATE THE, THE BEYOND JUST THAT AND, AND WHAT HAS COME TO LIGHT.
ESP I MEAN, WHAT'S BEEN RAISED AGAIN TODAY IN LIGHT OF RECENT ISSUES, BUT ALSO SOME OTHER THINGS THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT HERE FROM THE DYSONS COME ALONG DISCUSSING THE, THE, UM, REGIONAL SIGNIFICANCE.
UH, I KNOW WE'VE TALKED A LOT ABOUT THIS OVER, OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS ABOUT TRYING TO LOOK FOR SOLUTIONS TO MAKE THIS, UM, RECOGNIZING THAT TRANSIT SHOULDN'T BE, THAT TRANSIT AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GO HAND IN HAND AND SHOULDN'T BE AN EITHER OR PROPOSITION.
AND I, I, I DO WANT TO JUST GIVE, GIVE, UM, CREDIT TO MY COLLEAGUES FROM THAT HAVE BEEN ON PREVIOUS BOARDS AND THEN ALSO TO STAFF WHO HELPED DEVELOP PREVIOUS ITERATIONS OF THE STRATEGIC PLAN.
AND HAVING BEEN ON THE BOARD FOR A WHILE NOW, I'M REALLY EXCITED TO SEE US TAKING THIS NEXT STEP AND REALLY, REALLY, UH, BUILDING THIS UP AND, AND, AND POPPING THIS OUT, THE REGIONAL SIGNIFICANCE, UH, ABOUT, UM, MAKING, MAKING
[01:30:01]
THE, THE COORDINATION REGIONALLY AND MAKING CAP METRO A LEADER IN REGIONAL COORDINATION AND LOOKING FOR WAYS TO BRING EVERYONE TOGETHER TO SAY, HEY, THERE'S GOT TO BE BETTER WAYS TO MEET THE TRANSIT AND TRANSPORTATION NEEDS OF OUR GROWING REGION, UH, OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS AND, AND BEYOND.SO I, I, I JUST WANTED TO, TO TO CALL THAT OUT AND SAY HOW MUCH I, I THINK THAT THIS IS IMPORTANT FOR US AS AN ORGANIZATION AND, AND I WANT TO THANK Y'ALL AS STAFF AS RECOGNIZING THAT AND PREVIOUS BOARDS THAT GOT US HERE, AND THEN MY COLLEAGUES NOW FOR ALSO RECOGNIZING THIS IS GONNA BE BIG AND IMPORTANT OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS AND BEYOND TOO.
AND I THINK THAT'S ONE OF THE MAJOR BENEFITS OF GOING TO A FIVE YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN.
IN THE PAST, WE HAVE TAKEN UP STRATEGIC PLANS IN ONE YEAR INTERVALS, AND IT DOES NOT GIVE US AN OPPORTUNITY TO LOOK DEEP INTO THE FUTURE, UM, AND, AND HELP US PLAN AND THINK ABOUT WHAT ARE THE THINGS WE NEED TO DO OVER THE COURSE OF THE NEXT FEW YEARS, UM, TO CONTINUE TO FURTHER TRANSPORTATION AND TRANSIT IN THIS REGION, UM, INSTEAD OF JUST BEING FOCUSED ON OUR IMMEDIATE FUTURE.
SECOND BOARD MEMBER BELLA, AND THE SECOND BY MEMBER BOARD MEMBER STRATTON.
ANY OPPOSED? MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.
BOARD MEMBERS, I DO WANNA JUST, UM, TAKE A QUICK MOMENT OF PERSONAL PRIVILEGE AND THANK YOU AGAIN FOR YOUR SUPPORT OF THIS PLAN.
UM, THIS, UM, DOCUMENT, UM, WHILE BEAUTIFUL AND CONCISE REPRESENTS A LOT OF LONG HOURS OF HAND WRINGING AND HAIR PULLING, UM, AND HEALTHY DEBATE, UM, ABOUT WHAT WE WANNA BE AND, AND HOW WE'RE GONNA GET THERE.
UM, BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY, WE WOULD NOT BE HERE WITHOUT THE WORK OF OUR STAFF TO GET US HERE.
UM, SO I'D LIKE TO ESPECIALLY THANK MY EXECUTIVE TEAM AND MANAGEMENT TEAM FOR LEANING INTO THIS WORK.
UM, BUT MOST ESPECIALLY TO THANK ASHLEY ERICKSON AND PAT ARI, UM, WHO LED THIS PROJECT AND CONSULTANT TEAM, UM, THINKING MANY YEARS INTO THE FUTURE IS NOT ALWAYS EASY.
UM, AND ASHLEY AND PAT WERE BOTH THOUGHTFUL AND COLLABORATIVE AND DIDN'T CUT A SLACK 'CAUSE WE NEEDED TO NOT BE CUT SLACK, UM, AND REALLY PUSHED US TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GOT TO A PLAN THAT WAS GONNA BE GREAT FOR THE AGENCY.
SO I'M VERY GRATEFUL FOR THEIR PARTNERSHIP AND THEIR LEADERSHIP ON THIS EFFORT, AND I JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
SO WE LOOK FORWARD TO ALL THE GREAT THINGS THAT WILL COME FROM THIS PLAN.
[VII.2. Approval of a resolution authorizing the President & CEO, or her designee, to apply for the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) Transportation Alternative Set-Aside (TA) Program for a local match commitment of $1,385,238, or 20% of the total project cost of the CapMetro ADA Transition Plan Bus Stop Improvement Program of $6,926,190.]
ITEM IS APPROVAL OF A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE PRESIDENT AND CEO OR HER DESIGNEE TO APPLY FOR THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION TRANSPORTATION ALTERNATIVE SETASIDE PROGRAM FOR A LOCAL MATCH COMMITMENT OF $1,385,238 OR 28%, OR I'M SORRY, OR 20% OF THE TOTAL PROJECT COST OF THE CAP METRO 88 TRANSITION PLAN BUS STOP IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM OF $6,926,190.UM, GOOD AFTERNOON, UH, BOARD MEMBERS AND PRESIDENT AND CEO WATKINS.
UM, I SERVE AS, UM, SHARMILA KOJI.
I SERVE AS EVP, CHIEF PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT OFFICER AT CAP METRO.
AND I'M HERE FOR A BRIEF INTRODUCTION ON THE T DOT, UM, TRANSPORTATION SETASIDE PROGRAM.
ESSENTIALLY, UH, TO SEEK YOUR APPROVAL OF THE BOARD RESOLUTION THAT WOULD ALLOW US TO MOVE FORWARD, UM, AND APPLY FOR THE GRANT FOR CAT METRO, A DA TRANSITION PLAN, BUS STOP IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM.
UM, UH, JUST A BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF WHAT TEXT DOT, UM, TRANSPORTATION SET ASIDE PROGRAM IS.
IT ESSENTIALLY IS A DRAW FROM FEDERAL HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION'S TRANSPORTATION ALTERNATIVES, PREVIOUSLY KNOWN AS TRANSPORTATION ALTERNATIVES, UM, UH, SET ASIDE PROGRAM THAT ALLOWS FOR FUNDING FOR, UH, PEDESTRIAN BICYCLE TRANSIT SUPPORTIVE, UM, LOT OF, UH, MULTIMODAL NON ROADWAY, UH, NON-FREE TYPE PROGRAMS, INCLUDING SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL.
AND IN THIS SPECIFIC CASE, WE ARE ASKING, UH, YOUR APPROVAL, UH, FOR THE BOARD RESOLUTION TO MOVE FORWARD WITH, UM, A TRANSIT SUPPORTIVE, UH, GRANT FOR OUR A DA TRANSITION PROGRAM.
UH, THEY SET ASIDE THAT THE PROGRAM FOCUS AREAS ARE LISTED AND THEY ARE LISTED ESSENTIALLY FOR, UM, KIND OF YOUR UNDERSTANDING OF HOW THIS REFLECTS COLLABORATION AND COMMUNITY CONSENSUS TO SUPPORT LOCAL NEEDS.
AND WE BELIEVE THIS PROGRAM SPEAKS TO THAT BY IMPROVING SAFETY, MOBILITY AND CONNECTIVITY IN OUR COMMUNITY.
UM, IN THE NEXT SLIDE, TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, UH, WHAT OUR, THE PROGRAM IS ALL ABOUT AND THE MERITS OF THAT.
SO IT'S ESSENTIALLY, UH, THIS PROGRAM WOULD PROVIDE ADVANCED SUPPORT
[01:35:01]
FOR BEST UP CONSTRUCTION AND AMENITIES WITH THE TOTAL PROJECT COST OF 6.9, UM, MILLION DOLLARS.AND OUR LOCAL CAP METRO MATCH MATCHING COMMITMENT IS 1.3.
WE ACTUALLY ARE GOING TO BE SEEKING UP TO $5.5 MILLION 80% OF FEDERAL MATCH.
THIS WE HAVE NOT APPLIED FOR THE GRANT YET.
THE RESOLUTION ONLY ALLOWS US TO MOVE FORWARD WITH, UM, TO BE ABLE TO, THIS IS A REQUIREMENT TO BE ABLE TO APPLY FOR THE GRANT.
SO THE AMOUNT IS FLEXIBLE, BUT THAT WE CAN GO ALL THE WAY UP TO 80% OF THE MATCH.
PROJECT SCOPE WOULD ALLOW US TO CONSTRUCT 87 A DA COMPLIANT PRIORITY TRANSIT STOPS, AND IT WOULD ALSO EQUIP 17 TRANSIT STOP WITH AMENITIES, WHICH IS ABOUT 10% OF THE STOPS WOULD BE, UH, WOULD, COULD GO TO JUST PROVIDING AMENITIES OF THAT.
THESE ARE THE RECOMMENDATIONS FROM CAMP METRO'S, A DA TRANSITION PLAN.
IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE BELIEVE WOULD REALLY IMPROVE THE, UH, CONDITIONS AND MAKE MORE CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE.
AS YOU HEARD IN THE, OUR LONG RANGE PLAN, IT'S ONE OF OUR PRIORITIES.
IT'S ALSO CONSISTENT WITH OUR OVERALL LONG RANGE GOALS.
UM, AGAIN, UH, WE TALK ABOUT THE BENEFITS, IT WOULD SPECIFICALLY BENEFIT THE INDIVIDUAL WITH MOBILITY NEEDS, INCLUDING THOSE WITH, UM, DISABILITIES, BUT IT WOULD IMPROVE OUR OVERALL CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE AND WILL BENEFIT ALL OF OUR COMMUNITY.
WITH THAT, UM, I WOULD PAUSE FOR ANY QUESTIONS AND REQUEST YOUR APPROVAL, UH, OF THE RESOLUTION BOARD.
ANY QUESTIONS, COMMENTS? BOARD MEMBER? THE 87, UH, A DA COMPLIANT PRIORITY TRANSIT STOPS WOULD BE THE, WOULD THAT BE TURNING CURRENT TRANSIT STOPS INTO A DA COMPLIANT TRANSIT STOPS, OR WOULD THIS BE, UH, BEYOND THAT SCOPE? I'M JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THE, WHAT GRANT WOULD BE FOR.
SO MOST OF THEM ARE CURRENT STOPS.
IT'S IMPROVEMENT TO OUR CURRENT STOP.
WE HAVE A FULL LIST OF 117 THAT UNDER, THE REASON I'M NOT LISTING THEM IS THAT THEY'RE UNDER REVIEW NOW WITH CITY OF AUSTIN AS WELL.
AND IT'S PRIMARILY UPGRADING, UH, OUR EXISTING STOPS TO A DA COMPLIANCE FULL LEVEL OF A DA COMPLIANCE.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR MOTION? I'LL MOVE APPROVAL.
SECOND BY BOARD MEMBER BENGAL.
ANY OPPOSED? MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.
[VII.3. Approval of a resolution authorizing the President & CEO, or her designee, to finalize and execute a contract with Model 1, Inc. for the purchase of seventy-five (75) RAM Pro Master 3500 vans in a total amount not to exceed $5,963,100.]
THREE, APPROVAL OF A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE PRESIDENT AND CEO OR HER DESIGNEE TO FINALIZE AND EXECUTE A CONTRACT WITH MODEL ONE INC.FOR THE PURCHASE OF 75 RAM PROMASTER, 3,500 VANS IN A TOTAL AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $5,963,100.
UH, GOOD AFTERNOON, MADAM CHAIR, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD PRESIDENT, CEO WATKINS.
I SERVE, MY NAME IS RAHUL NI SERVE AS THE VICE PRESIDENT OF ROLLING STOCK AND SUPPORT ACUMEN HERE AT CAP METRO.
HERE I'M SEEKING APPROVAL FOR PROCUREMENT OF 75 DODGE PRO MASTER VANS, UH, AT A COST OF $5,903,100.
UH, THIS PROJECT ALIGNS WITH OUR STRATEGIC GOALS OF SAFE AND RELIABLE SERVICE, HIGH QUALITY CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE, ACCESSIBLE SYSTEM, AND OF COURSE, ALONG WITH THE RESPONSIVENESS TO OUR COMMUNITY AND CUSTOMER NEEDS, UM, INVESTING IN THESE NEW ASSETS PLACES, UH, FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY WHILE INTENT, RELIABILITY AND ACCESSIBILITY TO OUR
UM, THIS ALIGNS ALSO WITH OUR, UH, EQUITABLE TRANSPORTATION DIRECT AND RESPONSE SPONSORING COMMUNITY NEEDS AND ENSURING A DA COMPLIANCE.
UM, UH, WE ARE UTILIZING MODEL ONE, UH, FOR PRO PROCUREMENT OF THESE 75 DODGE PROMASTER VEHICLES, UH, TO EXPAND OUR SERVICES TO ALIGN WITH OUR ROUTES THAT WE HAVE SELECTED AND EXPANDED, INCLUDING MENT PICKUP ZONES.
UM, I'M OPEN TO ANY QUESTIONS, BOARD ANY QUESTIONS? YES.
HOW MUCH OF THE OVERALL FLEET DOES THIS 75 VEHICLES REPRESENT? UH, APPROXIMATELY, UM, 15% OR SO, I WOULD SAY BETWEEN THE NORTH BASE OUT, CAN YOU CHIME IN? SURE.
IT'S PROBABLY A LITTLE CLOSER TO ABOUT 33%.
UH, WE HAVE ABOUT TWO UP, WELL, I'M NOT DOING MATH IN, WE HAVE 2 71 TOTAL VEHICLES AND WE'RE LOOKING TO ADD THESE LEASE VEHICLES.
FOR THE SAKE OF THE MICROPHONE, I'LL JUST SHARE, THAT WAS ABOUT A THIRD
AND, UH, JUST TO, UH, FOR EVERYBODY'S INFORMATION WITH THE REASON WHY THIS, THIS VEHICLES WERE SUPPOSED TO BE PROCURED AS MINIVANS NEXT YEAR IN FFY 26, WE ADVANCE THE PROCUREMENT TO FFY 25 BECAUSE THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT SAVINGS BY GOING THIS ROUTE.
AND, YOU KNOW, UH, WE PULLED THE TRIGGER ON THE, ON THIS PROCUREMENT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN TAKE CARE OF THAT SAVINGS INTO OUR FISCAL YEAR PLAN.
[01:40:01]
YOU FOR THAT.I, I THINK THAT ACTUALLY ANSWERED MY QUESTION.
WE WERE TALKING WITH EITHER NOT YOUR, UH, ACCESS VEHICLES, EITHER SMALLER, UH, VANS THAT YOU WERE INITIALLY PLANNING ON GOING TO THE MINIVAN ROUTE FOR, UH, UM, WHEELCHAIR AND ACCESSIBLE, UM, ROUTES.
BUT THESE VANS WERE ACTUALLY A LITTLE BIT BIGGER AND IT ACTUALLY GIVES US MORE OPERATIONAL FLEXIBILITY.
AND THANKS TO THE NEGOTIATIONS WITH ART AND, UH, ANDY KOWSKI, WE WERE ABLE TO GET THEM AT A MUCH LOWER PRICE THAN ANTICIPATED.
AND THIS IS THE REASON WHY WE'RE GOING THAT ROUTE.
AND, UH, JUST THE LAST QUESTION THOUGH.
THE, UH, WILL THESE BE USED AS PART OF THE ACCESS UH, PROGRAM? YES.
IF I MAY, WE'RE GOING TO A, A MORE GENERIC VEHICLE UNDER ANDY'S LEADERSHIP WILL GIVE US FLEXIBILITY TO BE USED ON BOTH THE ACCESS AND PICKUP SERVICE.
YOU'RE, YOU'RE NOT MICROPHONE NAME, TITLE.
THANK, THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION.
UH, THESE VEHICLES WILL HAVE A GENERIC BRANDING THAT WILL ALLOW US THE FLEXIBILITY TO USE THEM BOTH ON THE ACCESS SERVICE AND ON THE PICKUP SERVICE.
THEY'RE ALL WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE GRANT.
SO THEN THIS, THIS WOULD BE, UH, I GUESS THAT THEY'RE MORE FLEXIBLE, CHEAPER AND, UH, OPERATIONALLY, UH, THAN THE LARGER KIND OF VEHICLES THAT AGAIN, I WOULD TYPICALLY SEE OUT AND ABOUT THAT ARE DOING THE ACCESS PICKUP SERVICE.
YOU RAISED THAT POINT INITIALLY, AND YES, IT IS SMALLER THAN A CUTAWAY VEHICLE AND IT IS LESS EXPENSIVE THAN THE, UH, MORE COSTLY CUTAWAY VEHICLE.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR A MOTION? BOB? BOARD MEMBER HARRIS.
SECOND AND SECOND BOB, BOARD MEMBER VELA.
ANY OPPOSED? SHOULDN'T PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.
[VII.4. Approval of a resolution authorizing the President & CEO, or her designee, to finalize and execute an Amended and Restated Agreement Regarding Transit Facilities and Related Improvements at the Uptown ATX Development with Broadmoor Austin Associates and BDN Management, Inc. (“Brandywine”) for development of a commuter rail station and related rail infrastructure, for a term ending one year after CapMetro’s acceptance of the facilities, in a total amount not to exceed $49,343,368, with a cost to CapMetro of $37,343,368.]
ITEM NUMBER FOUR, APPROVAL OF A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE PRESIDENT AND CEO OR HER DESIGNEE TO FINALIZE AND EXECUTE AN AMENDED AND RESTATED AGREEMENT REGARDING TRANSIT FACILITIES AND RELATED IMPROVEMENTS AT THE UPTOWN A TX DEVELOPMENT WITH BROADMOOR AUSTIN ASSOCIATES AND BDN MANAGEMENT INC.BRANDYWINE FOR DEVELOPMENT OF A COMPUTER RAIL SERVICE AND RELATED RAIL INFRASTRUCTURE FOR A TERM ENDING ONE YEAR AFTER CAP METRO'S ACCEPTANCE OF THE FACILITIES AND A TOTAL AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $49,343,368 WITH A COST TO CAP METRO OF 37,343,368.
UH, MADAM SECRETARY, UH, BOARD MEMBERS PRESIDENT AND CEO WATKINS.
I'M BRAD BOWMAN, UH, CHIEF COUNSEL FOR CAP METRO.
UH, AND I'LL, I WILL TRY TO BE BRIEF IN MY REMARKS.
I WANTED TO GIVE A, UH, INTRODUCTION TO THIS ITEM IN A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND, AND THEN I'LL TURN IT OVER, UH, TO JULIE, WHO'S HAS A, UH, PRESENTATION ON THE PROJECT ITSELF.
AND THEN, UH, LEE WILL TELL YOU, UH, A LITTLE MORE ABOUT THE SPECIFIC CHANGES, UH, IN THIS AMENDED, UH, AGREEMENT.
SO, UH, GOING BACK TO DECEMBER OF 2020, THAT WAS THE ORIGINAL AGREEMENT BETWEEN CAP METRO, UH, AND THE DEVELOPER BRANDYWINE TO DEVELOP THIS, UH, RAIL STATION AT, UH, BRANDYWINE'S, UH, DEVELOPMENT UPTOWN A TX NEAR THE, NEAR THE DOMAIN.
UH, ORIGINALLY THE, THE ORIGINAL IDEA WAS THAT BRANDYWINE WOULD CONTRACT FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE STATION AND, UH, BOTH PARTIES WOULD CONTRIBUTE FINANCIALLY TO THE PROJECT.
ORIGINALLY, CAP METRO'S CONTRIBUTION WAS GOING TO BE $12 MILLION.
AND, UH, AFTER THE PANDEMIC COSTS, UH, WENT UP, UH, FOR THIS PROJECT.
AS WITH MANY OTHER THINGS, UH, THE COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE MARKET, UH, WENT THROUGH, UH, CHANGES, WAS IMPACTED, UH, SIGNIFICANTLY AS A RESULT OF ALL OF THAT, UH, BRANDYWINE APPROACHED CAP METRO, UH, TO TRY TO RENEGOTIATE SOME OF THESE, UH, TERMS. AND WE HAVE BEEN WORKING FOR SOME TIME NOW FOR SOME NUMBER OF MONTHS WITH BRANDYWINE, UH, ON UH, TERMS THAT WOULD WORK, UH, BOTH FOR BRANDYWINE AND CAP METRO AND WOULD KEEP THE PROJECT MOVING FORWARD.
AND SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE PRESENTING, UH, TO YOU TODAY.
UH, THIS ITEM WAS ALSO PRESENTED TO THE, UH, OPERATIONS PLANNING AND SAFETY COMMITTEE THIS MONTH, AND THE COMMITTEE RECOMMENDED APPROVAL OF THE ITEM.
AND SO THIS IS, UH, FOR FULL BOARD CONSIDERATION HERE, UH, TODAY.
UH, HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS AT THIS POINT, OR, OR I CAN JUST TURN IT OVER TO JULIE AND LEE TO TELL YOU MORE ABOUT
[01:45:01]
THE DETAILS.ANY QUESTIONS BEFORE THE PRESENTATION? OKAY, WE'RE READY.
BOARD MEMBERS, UM, PRESIDENCY OF WATSON.
UM, I SERVE AS THE PROGRAM MANAGER FOR BROADMORE STATION, AND MY NAME IS JULIE BARR.
TODAY I'D LIKE TO GIVE YOU A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF THE STATION.
SO WHERE IS THE STATION LOCATED? IT'S ADJACENT TO THE DOMAIN ON NORTH BURN ROAD, A HALF MILE NORTH OF THE EXISTING KRAMER RAIL STATION AND ONE MILE NORTH OF THE NEW AUSTIN FC STADIUM.
THE BROADMOOR STATION IS A PO, UH, KNOWN AS A P THREE OR A PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN BRANDYWINE REALTY TRUST AND CAPITAL METRO.
IT WILL BE A NEW MULTIMODAL TRANSIT HUB WITH DIRECT CONNECTIVITY TO TWO TO THREE LOCAL BUS ROUTES AND INCLUDE ABUNDANT BICYCLE PATHWAYS AND PEDESTRIAN SIDEWALKS.
THE BROADMOOR STATION IS PROJECTED TO HAVE THE SECOND HIGHEST RIDERSHIP ON THE METRO RAIL RED LIGHT SECOND ONLY TO THE DOWNTOWN STATION.
IT PROVIDES A MULTIMODAL CONNECTION IN NORTH AUSTIN, ALSO KNOWN AS AUSTIN'S SECOND DOWNTOWN.
IT IS CONNECTED TO THE UPTOWN A TX, A HIGH DENSITY MIXED USE DEVELOPMENT.
IT IS ALSO ADJACENT TO CHARLES SCHWAB'S CORPORATE CAMPUS IN AUSTIN.
IT LEVERAGES PRIVATE INVESTMENT FOR A PUBLIC PROJECT AND IT SUPPORTS, IMAGINE AUSTIN'S VISION OF A MORE COMPACT AND CONNECTED CITY.
A FEW OF THE AMENITIES OF THE STATION INCLUDE THE DOUBLE TWO DOUBLE LENGTH FULLY COVERED PLATFORMS OVER ONE HALF MILE OF DOUBLE TRACK, NEW DOUBLE TRACK, AND 200 SHARED PARKING SPACES FOR TRANSIT USERS.
THE BUDGET FOR THE PROJECT, THE TOTAL BUDGET IS AT 49 MILLION.
UM, CONTRIBUTIONS FROM BRANDY WINE WILL BE 12 MILLION AND CAPITAL METRO WILL CONTRIBUTE APPROXIMATELY 37.3 MILLION TIMELINE FOR THE STATION.
UM, WE'RE SEEKING APPROVAL OF THE, UH, BUDGET TODAY IN MAY OVER THE SUMMER, WE'LL BE WORKING DILIGENTLY TO COMPLETE THE CONSTRUCTION AND THE LEGAL DOCUMENTS AND HOPE TO HAVE A PERMIT FINALIZED WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN BY THE END OF THE SUMMER.
UM, WE'LL START CONSTRUCTION IN EARLY FALL AND, UM, WE HOPE TO HAVE THE STATION OPEN IN WINTER OF 2027.
AND AT THAT TIME, WILL WE, WE WILL BE REPURPOSING THE KRAMER STATION.
UM, I, I CAN TAKE QUESTIONS NOW OR I CAN PASS ALONG TO MY, UH, COLLEAGUE LEE SIMMONS WHO WILL GO OVER SOME OF THE CHANGES IN THE DEAL POINTS.
ANY QUESTIONS? OKAY, WE'RE READY? YES.
JUST TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THE, THE, THE CONTRACT AND, AND THE DEAL POINTS.
UH, UM, SO THIS, I, UH, THE, THIS STARTED AS A, A PARTNERSHIP OF $12 MILLION FROM CAPITAL METRO AND THEN $12 MILLION FROM A BRANDY WINE.
UH, OBVIOUSLY THE PANDEMIC KIND OF CHANGED THOSE CIRCUMSTANCES AND WAS THE, FROM THE BRANDY WINE PERSPECTIVE, I GUESS THEY WANTED TO CAP THEIR CONTRIBUTION AT THE PREVIOUSLY AGREED TO $12 MILLION LEVEL? THAT IS CORRECT.
AND, UM, THEN SO THE, THE, THE PRICE CHANGES ESSENTIALLY, UH, BOTH INFLATIONARY AND POTENTIALLY SCOPE ENGINEERING DESIGN, ADDITIONAL EXPENSES, LIKE, FOR EXAMPLE, THINKING ABOUT THE MILE, I DUNNO IF THE DOUBLE TRACK WAS INCLUDED IN THE ORIGINAL SCOPE OF THE PROJECT OR, OR NOT, BUT I'M JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND THE, THE KIND OF THE COST ESCALATIONS.
YEAH, SO THAT 25 MILLION WHEN IT WAS, OR ORIGINALLY BROUGHT TO THE TABLE, THAT WAS BEFORE ONE LINE WAS EVER PUT ON A PLAN MM-HMM
AND SO THAT WAS A BUDGET THAT WAS FROM PREVIOUS RAIL STATIONS.
AND SO WITHOUT DRAWINGS, YOU, UM, YOU KNOW, IF YOU'VE BEEN EVER THROUGH THE PROCESSES, DRAWINGS PRO, UM, PROGRESS, THE BUDGET CHANGES, RIGHT? AS YOU GET MORE DETAILS, YOU GET SPECIFICATIONS AND YOU GET MODEL NUMBERS.
AND SO BASICALLY THAT 25 MILLION WAS A NUMBER WITH, UM, WITHOUT EVEN A PIECE OF PAPER, SO, SURE.
SO, AND I'M VERY FAMILIAR WITH THAT BECAUSE WE SEE IT AT CITY ALL THE TIME,
[01:50:01]
FORTH.UH, AND AGAIN, THIS IS ALL BUDGETED FOR IN THE CAPITAL METRO, UH, CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS, UH, UH, PLAN, CORRECT? WELL, I, I, I APPRECIATE THAT AND I KNOW THAT THERE'S BEEN SOME, SOME COVERAGE OF IT AND, UM, AND AGAIN, WE ALWAYS WANT OUR PRIVATE PARTNERS TO SHARE AS MUCH OF THE BURDEN AS, UH, THEY POSSIBLY CAN, BUT I THINK ULTIMATELY THIS IS THE CHOICE IS DO WE WANNA STATION THERE OR NOT? UH, AND, AND, UH, SO I, I WILL, UH, SUPPORT THE ITEM AND I, I APPRECIATE Y'ALL BRINGING IT BACK TO US WITH THE EXPLANATION.
UH, AND, UM, AND, AND LOOK FORWARD TO ULTIMATELY SEEING THE STATION, UH, BUILT IN OPERATIONAL.
AND I WILL SAY THAT ORIGINALLY, UM, THE STATION WAS DESIGNED TO BE AT THE IBM CAMPUS, WHICH WAS ORIGINALLY THE UPTOWN A DX, WHICH WAS ALSO, ORIGINALLY THE LAND WAS CALLED BROAD BOARD.
THAT'S WHY IT'S CALLED RIGHT NOW, IT'S REFERRED TO AS A BROAD BOARD STATION MM-HMM
BUT, UM, SO KRAMER WAS NEVER, IT WAS A SECONDARY, UM, CHOICE.
SO THIS IS, THIS IS WHERE IT SHOULD BE.
AND WHEN, WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT REPURPOSING THE KRAMER STATION, WHAT'S GONNA, 'CAUSE UH, WE DON'T REALLY NEED THE KRAMER STATION ANYMORE BECAUSE WE HAVE MACAL STATION.
UH, JUST A, A, A LITTLE WAVES DOWN.
OUR INTENTION IS THAT ONCE THE BROADMOOR STATION IS OPEN, WE WILL DECOMMISSION THE CRAMER STATION AS A PASSENGER STATION.
UM, MUCH OF THE, THE DOUBLE TRACK INFRASTRUCTURE THERE, SOME OF OUR KIND OF BACK OF THE HOUSE INFRASTRUCTURE WILL REMAIN THERE.
AND THE PLATFORMS, THE CONCRETE PLATFORMS WILL REMAIN IN PLACE IN CASE WE EVER NEED THEM, UM, FOR AN EMERGENCY EVACUATION OF A TRAIN.
THEY ARE RIGHT THERE ADJACENT TO, UH, A PUBLIC ACCESS STREET, UM, AND A GOOD RESOURCE TO HAVE ON THE RAIL LINE, BUT WE WILL NO LONGER SERVE IT AS A PASSENGER STATION.
UM, ONE QUESTION I DID RECEIVE DURING THE FINANCE COMMITTEE THAT I GOT CLARIFICATION ON IS, UM, WAS, IS ARE THERE, WILL THERE BE CROSSWALKS, UM, AT THE STATION AT VERNON ROAD? UM, AND YES, THEY'RE, UM, THE CITY OF AUSTIN REQUIRED BRAND NEW WINE TO CONSTRUCT THREE CROSSWALKS, AND THOSE ARE, UM, RECENTLY INSTALLED.
SO ONE IS AT, UM, G LANE, THAT WOULD BE THE FURTHEST NORTH, THERE'S ONE AT PALM WAY, AND THEN THE, UM, FOR THE SOUTH, IS IT SOLARIS DRIVE.
AND SO, UM, THOSE, THOSE ARE HAVE BEEN INSTALLED, AND SO THAT'LL BE GREAT CONNECTIVITY OVER TO THE DOMAIN.
AND YOU KNOW, AS YOU KNOW, THE CORE OF THE DOMAIN IS LESS THAN A HALF MILE AWAY, SO THANK YOU.
GOT ANOTHER, ANOTHER QUESTION.
HEY, SO, UM, UH, JUST TO CLARIFY, YOU WERE MENTIONING ABOUT THE, UH, THE, THE, THE COST OVERALL TOO.
I, IS THE COST NOW THAT WE'RE PROJECTING FOR THIS STATION, THE, THE, THESE REVISED NUMBERS, IS THIS MORE IN LINE WITH WHAT WE SAW, JUST JUST TO KIND OF COMPARE APPLES TO APPLES, WHAT IT COST US TO BUILD THE MACAL PLAYS STATION? YES.
AND WE'VE BEEN, UM, LOOKING AT THOSE NUMBERS BACK AND FORTH.
SO THIS, THIS IS MORE REALISTIC COMPARED TO WHAT IT WAS BACK WHEN WE FIRST PUT PEN TO PAPER IN 2020 WHEN WE WERE KIND OF, UH, THEORIZING AND HOPING THAT IT MIGHT BE.
AND THEN THAT WAS LONG AGAIN, AS, AS PER, UH, MEMBER BA VALE HAD PUT OUT BEFORE ALL THE CHANGE, ALL THE, THE, THE ESCALATIONS AND THINGS HAD HAPPENED AS A RESULT OF COVID AND INFLATIONARY FACTORS AND EVERYTHING.
UM, SO ALSO THAT $12 MILLION NUMBER, IS THAT AN ALL CASH BUY-IN THAT THEY'RE GONNA BE GIVING US? YES.
UM, UH, IN, IN THE CONTRACT IT SAYS THAT THEY WILL START CONTRIBUTING SIX MONTHS AFTER THE START OF CONSTRUCTION.
AND SO, AND THEN WE HAVE, UM, A, A BOND THAT WILL PROTECT US IF SOMETHING WOULD HAPPEN TO IN THE SIX MONTHS.
BUT YES, THEY WILL THEN START PAYING 50% OF THE INVOICE.
AND HOW DOES THAT COMPARE TO WHAT OUR, UH, PREVIOUS PARTNERSHIP, UH, WAS WHEN WE WERE BUILDING, UH, MACAL PLACE? WHEN THE, THE, UM, THE, THE, THE SOCCER STADIUM, UH, OR THE, THE, THE TEAM OWNERSHIP WHEN THEY WERE CONTRIBUTING, IS THIS IN LINE WITH, OR IS IT MORE, UH, IT WOULD BE FOUR TIMES AS MUCH.
FOUR TIMES AS MUCH? WELL, I, I BELIEVE THEY GAVE 3 MILLION, SO THAT'S OKAY.
THAT, THANK YOU FOR REMINDING ME OF THIS.
SO WE, WE ARE GETTING MORE DIRECT CASH CONTRIBUTION FROM OUR PRIVATE PARTNER TO BUILD THIS MM-HMM
UM, PLUS, UM, WE, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE FIVE, UM, LANDOWNERS WITH ALL THE DRAINAGE ISSUES IN THAT AREA RIGHT NOW, THE TRACKS FLOOD AND SO WE'LL BE CORRECTING ALL THAT AS WELL.
AND SO THOSE LAND ORDER OWNERS, UM, ARE ALSO PROVIDING EASEMENTS AND NO CHARGE TO US PLUS, UM, CHARLES SCHWAB IS PROVIDING A DE DEDICATION ON A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF LAND THAT WILL HELP HOUSE THE, UM, UH, ONE OF THE PLATFORMS. OKAY.
SO, SO THAT, IT SOUNDS LIKE THAT THIS IS A WIN-WIN OVERALL, WE'RE JUST KIND OF READJUSTING IT MM-HMM
TO, TO, TO THE REALITIES OF THE MARKET.
BUT IN THE PROCESS, WE'VE GOT PARTNERS THAT ARE LIKE, YES, WE WANT TO BUILD THIS.
WHAT CAN WE DO TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS PROCESS STAYS OKAY? I'LL SAY IT STAYS ON TRACK.
[01:55:03]
AFTERNOON, UH, MADAM SECRETARY, BOARD MEMBERS, UH, PRESIDENT, CEO WATKINS, I'M LEE SIMMONS, ASSOCIATE COUNSEL HERE AT CAP METRO.UH, I THINK BRAD DID A GREAT JOB AND JULIE, OF COURSE, OF KIND OF LAYING OUT THE HISTORY, UH, OF THIS PROJECT.
AND, UM, I CAN PROBABLY JUST FILL IN A, A FEW OF THE DEAL POINTS.
THIS IS GOING TO BE COMING, UH, IN THE FORM OF AN AMENDMENT TO THE 2020 AGREEMENT FOR TRANSIT FACILITIES.
UH, AGAIN, THE TOTAL COST IS 49 MILLION WITH THE 12 MILLION, UH, CAP FROM BRANDYWINE.
UM, JULIE DID, UH, DISCUSS THAT, UH, THOSE PAYMENTS FROM BRANDYWINE WILL NOT BEGIN UNTIL SIX MONTHS AFTER COMMENCEMENT OF CONSTRUCTION.
UH, FOR CONSIDERATION OF THAT, THEY AGREED TO PUT UP A PAYMENT GUARANTEE, UM, FOR, UM, NEGOTIATING THAT PARTICULAR TERM.
UM, UH, THERE WAS MENTION TO 200 PARKING SPACES.
UH, THOSE SPACES WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR THREE YEARS, UM, CONFIRMED, PLUS AN ADDITIONAL TWO YEARS PENDING, UM, AVAILABILITY.
AND WE WERE, UH, IN AGREEMENT WITH THAT, UH, NEGOTIATION, UH, TERM AS WELL.
UM, AS WE SAID ALREADY, BRANDYWINE WILL MANAGE CONSTRUCTION.
UM, AND, UH, ON A RELATED NOTE, I SHOULD SAY THAT, UH, WE ARE WORKING ON AN INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT WITH THE CITY, UH, FOR A PEDESTRIAN CROSSING FROM THE NEW TRANSIT STATION TO THE CITY'S NEW, UH, RED LINE TRAIL, WHICH, UH, WILL BASICALLY PARALLEL OUR RED LINE, UH, RAIL.
AND, UH, THAT IS GOING TO THE CITY COUNCIL ON MAY 22ND.
AND WE'LL BE COMING BACK TO YOU, UM, ON JUNE 23RD.
UM, I THINK THAT BASICALLY IS IT, IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, I'M, I'M HAPPY TO, UH, FEEL THEM.
ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS? A, I WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION MOVE BOARD MEMBER STRATTON, THE SECOND BOB BOARD MEMBER QUADRY.
UH, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
ANY OPPOSED? MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.
[VII.5. Approval of a resolution authorizing the President & CEO, or her designee, to finalize and execute a contract with Trimbuilt Construction, Inc. for construction of the first and second floors (Phase 1A & 2) of 3100 E. 5th Street, plus exterior improvements, for a total amount not to exceed $16,431,148, which includes a 20% contingency.]
ITEM NUMBER FIVE, APPROVAL OF A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE PRESIDENT AND CEO OR HER DESIGNEE TO FINALIZE AND EXECUTE A CONTRACT WITH TRIM BUILT CONSTRUCTION INC.FOR CONSTRUCTION OF THE FIRST AND SECOND FLOORS, PHASE ONE A AND TWO OF 3,100 EAST FIFTH STREET, PLUS EXTERIOR IMPROVEMENTS FOR TOTAL AMOUNT, NOD TO EXCEED $16,431,148, WHICH INCLUDES A 20% CONTINGENCY.
CEO WALKINS, MY NAME IS DAVE EK.
MY ROLE HERE IS EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT OVER CAPITAL CONSTRUCTION ENGINEERING AND DESIGN.
AS YOU SO READ, UM, BEFORE YOU, WE HAVE A CONTINUATION OF AN EXISTING PROJECT.
THE WAY WE KIND OF LOOK AT IT RIGHT NOW, WE'RE UNDER CONSTRUCTION AT, UH, 3,100 EAST VISTA STREET, UH, ON THE THIRD FLOOR.
UH, AND WE DO PLAN ON MOVING OVER THERE THE SUMMER OF 2025, UH, OUT OF THIS BUILDING.
UH, AND SO WHAT YOU'RE, WHAT AGAIN, WHAT YOU HAVE BEFORE YOU IS FOR OUR CONSTRUCTION FOR THE NEXT PHASE, WHICH WILL BE COMPLETE CONSTRUCTION ON FLOOR TWO FOR OUR NEEDS FLOOR, ONE OF WHICH FLOOR ONE WILL ALSO NOT ONLY HAVE LIKE HR FUNCTIONS AND TRA TRAINING AND EVERYTHING ELSE, DEDICATED SPACE THAT WE HAVEN'T BEEN AFFORDED HERE BEFORE, PREVIOUSLY TO THIS SCALE, BUT WE'LL ALSO HAVE A NEW BOARDROOM, A NEW COMMUNITY SPACE.
SO IT'S A MUCH MORE, UH, COMPLETE FACILITY FROM AN ADMINISTRATIVE PERSPECTIVE, UH, TO, UH, CONDUCT BUSINESS.
UM, ON THIS, UH, EFFORT, UH, WE'RE LOOKING FOR ABOUT ONE YEAR OF CONSTRUCTION.
THEY, THEY'RE EXPECTED TO WITH SUCCESSFUL ABOARD OR APPROVAL TODAY, WE EXPECT TO START CONSTRUCTION THIS, UH, UH, THIS SUMMER, UH, COMPLETING AGAIN IN ONE YEAR.
THE ONE OTHER CAVEAT I'D LIKE TO NOTE ALSO IS THAT WE WILL COME BACK TO THE BOARD FOR FURNITURE ELEMENTS AROUND, UH, THIS, UH, PROJECT AS WELL AS SOME OF OUR ITS ITEMS. WE'RE LOOKING TO TRY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE WORK OFF OF SPECIFIC SPECIFICATIONS, WHICH I LIKE TO MAKE SURE I UTILIZE.
AND WE PROBABLY DO A LITTLE BIT BETTER JOB OF GETTING THOSE THINGS THAT ARE MORE BRANDED AND SEATING WITH OUR OTHER AREA.
BUT THIS EFFORT IS REALLY ABOUT THE TOTAL CONSTRUCTION, UH, OF, OF NEXT DOOR, UH, START TO FINISH TO GET US MOVED IN.
SO I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
BOARD, ANY QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, MOTIONS, BOARD MEMBER BELLA, SECOND BUBBLE MEMBER HARRIS.
UM, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
ANY OPPOSED? MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.
[VII.6. Approval of a resolution authorizing the President & CEO, or her designee, to finalize and execute an interlocal agreement with the City of Austin for the reimbursement of CapMetro expenses up to $10,000,000, for a term of five years, for the implementation of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Climate Pollution Reduction Grant received by the City of Austin, as part of the regional approach to transportation demand management.]
SIX, APPROVAL OF A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE PRESIDENT AND CEO OR HER DESIGNEE TO FINALIZE AND EXECUTE AN INTERLOCAL[02:00:01]
AGREEMENT WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN FOR THE REIMBURSEMENT OF CAP METRO EXPENSES UP TO $10 MILLION FOR A TERM OF FIVE YEARS FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE US ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY CLIMATE POLLUTION REDUCTION GRANT RECEIVED BY THE CITY OF AUSTIN AS PART OF THE REGIONAL APPROACH TO TRANSPORTATION DEMAND MANAGEMENT.BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT CEO OF DOTIE WATKINS.
I AM THE DIRECTOR OF TRANSIT SYSTEM ENABLEMENT HERE AT CAT METRO, AND TODAY I'LL BE PRESENTING ON THE CLIMATE POLLUTION REDUCTION GRANT IN OUR LOCAL AGREEMENT WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN, ALSO KNOWN AS C-P-R-G-I-L-A WITH COA, JUST FYI
SO WHAT IS CPRG IS? THE CITY OF AUSTIN WAS AWARDED APPROXIMATELY $47.9 MILLION GRANT FROM THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY IN 2024.
UH, WITH ABOUT $20 BILLION WORTH OF CONSTRUCTION HAPPENING IN THIS REGION, THERE'S GONNA BE A LOT OF DISRUPTION TO COMMUTES IN THAT TIMEFRAME.
UH, SO TO HELP PREPARE FOR THAT, THIS GRANT IS LOOKING TO DEVELOP ALTERNATIVE, UH, COMMUTE OPTIONS TO HELP PRODUCE GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS.
THE CITY OF AUSTIN IS THE LEAD AGENCY, UH, WITH CAP METRO AS A KEY IMPLEMENTER ON THIS PROJECT, ALONG WITH OTHER AGENCIES SUCH AS CARTS, CAP, COG, MOVABILITY, TXDOT, AND CAMPO.
WHEN IT COMES TO IMPLEMENTATION, THE GRANT IS GOING TO BE IMPLEMENTED OVER THE FIVE YEAR PERIOD, UH, FROM 2025 UNTIL 2030.
THE IMPLEMENTATION IS BROKEN INTO THREE DIFFERENT TARGETED MEASURES.
UM, I'M GONNA GO OVER EACH MEASURE, BUT I'VE ALSO SHOWN HERE THE AREAS THAT CA METRICS IS KIND OF FOCUSED ON AS PART OF IMPLEMENTING THIS GRANT.
UH, THE FIRST MEASURE IS IMPROVING REGIONAL TRANSIT SERVICE.
SO FOR CAP METRO, THIS IS LOOKING TO IMPROVE OR MAINTAIN OUR CAP METRO SERVICES, DESPITE THE DISRUPTION OF ALL THE CONSTRUCTION THAT'S HAPPENING.
UH, FOR THE SECOND MEASURE THAT'S INVESTING IN MOBILITY INFRASTRUCTURE, THIS INCLUDES A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT THINGS SUCH AS, UH, HELPING WITH MOBILITY HUBS, BICYCLE INVESTMENTS, AND PARKING COUNTERS.
AND THEN FOR MEASURE THREE, WE'RE LOOKING AT TRANSIT OPTIONS AND OUTREACH.
AND SO FOR THIS EFFORT, CAP METRO WILL BE HELPING TO SUPPORT THE TRANSPORTATION WALLET INITIATIVE THAT'S GOING ON.
AS PART OF THIS GRANT, THERE IS $10 MILLION ALLOCATED TOWARDS CAP METRO SERVICES FROM 2025 UNTIL 2030.
THIS ILA BEFORE YOU PROVIDES UP TO $10 MILLION WORTH OF REIMBURSEMENT FOR THOSE CAP METRO SERVICES.
AND THE CITY OF AUSTIN DID APPROVE THIS ILA AT THEIR APRIL 24TH COUNCIL MEETING JUST LAST MONTH.
SO THEY ASK TODAY IS SEEKING BOARD APPROVAL TO FINALIZE AND EXECUTE THE C-P-R-G-I-L-A WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN TO REIMBURSE CAP METRO UP TO $10 MILLION.
AS FAR AS NEXT STEPS GO, UH, PLANNING IS ONGOING THROUGH 2025 WITH IMPLEMENTATION ANTICIPATED TO BEGIN IN 2026.
UH, FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION, WE ARE TARGETING INVESTMENTS THAT ARE TEMPORARY OR WILL LAST BEYOND 2030.
SO SOME OF THE TEMPORARY TYPE OF ADJUSTMENTS ARE SOME CONSTRUCTION DETOURS OR PASSES TO HELP ENCOURAGE RIDERSHIP.
UH, SOME OF THE LONG-TERM INVESTMENTS, WE'LL BE LOOKING AT OUR AMENITIES AT OR AROUND MOBILITY HUBS, UH, BIKE SHARE INFRASTRUCTURE, AND THEN USING SOME SECURITY CAMERAS TO HELP CAPTURE PARK AND RIDE COUNTS AND SHOW AVAILABILITY AT THOSE SITES.
I'LL TAKE ANY QUESTIONS IF YOU'VE GOT THEM, AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.
ANY QUESTIONS? WE'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION BOARD MEMBER QRE, THE SECOND BY BOARD MEMBER VELA.
ANY OPPOSED? MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.
[VIII.1. President and CEO Monthly Update - May 2025]
EXECUTIVE SESSION, WILL DO OUR MONTHLY UPDATE FROM OUR PRESIDENT AND CEO MS. WATKINS.UM, BOARD MEMBERS, WE HAVE, UM, AS TYPICAL A GOOD BIT GOING ON IN THE LAST MONTH, AND WE'LL START WITH IN FACT, UM, THE FIRST OF OUR, UM, WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE COMMUNITY EVENTS OCCURRED, UM, IMMEDIATELY FOR THE DAY AFTER LAST MONTH BOARD MEETING, UM, WHICH WAS ON EARTH DAY.
UM, WE CONTINUED WHAT HAS NOW BECOME OUR TRADITION OF CELEBRATING ART ON THE BUS.
UM, WE HAVE AN ONGOING PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CREATIVE ACTION NETWORK WHO WORKS WITH, UM, ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STUDENTS THROUGHOUT OUR SERVICE AREA.
UM, WE ACTUALLY HAD PARTICIPATION FROM ALL FOUR DISTRICTS WITHIN THE SERVICE AREA FROM AUSTIN MAINOR LEAN OR AND DEL DELL VALLEY ISDS, UM, WHERE STUDENTS, UM, THROUGHOUT THE YEAR HAVE BEEN PARTICIPATING IN EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS TO LEARN ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENT, LEARN ABOUT THE BENEFITS OF PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION, ALL WHILE MAKING ART, UM, SELECT, UH, SELECTIONS OF THAT ART WERE THEN SELECTED TO BE PUT ON, UM, VEHICLE WRAPS.
UM, AND WE WRAPPED VEHICLES THAT ARE NOW, UM, TRAVERSING THE STREETS OF THOSE VERY COMMUNITIES.
AND SO IT'S ONE OF OUR FAVORITE OPPORTUNITIES TO, UM, HIGHLIGHT THE PROMISE OF OUR YOUNG PEOPLE, UM, THE BENEFITS OF PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION AND REALLY PUT SOME GREAT BEAUTIFUL VEHICLES OUT ON THE STREET TO HELP OUR COMMUNITY DO THE SAME.
UM, WE ALSO JUST LAST WEEK, WAS IT LAST WEEK WAS BIKE TO WORK DAY.
I WAS LIKE, IT WAS, IT WAS VERY RECENTLY, UM, WAS NATIONAL BIKE TO WORKDAY AND CAP METRO WAS OUT IN FORCE.
YOU SEE A COUPLE PICTURES THERE ON THE TOP LEFT, UM, AT
[02:05:01]
CITY HALL AND AS WELL AS ON THE BOTTOM RIGHT OF SOME OF OUR STAFF THAT WERE OUT, UM, PARTICIPATING IN NATIONAL BIKE TO WORKDAY.UM, NEXT UP IN TERMS OF AWARDS AND RECOGNITIONS, UM, LAST WEEK, UM, WE HAD A HANDFUL OF CATME TEAM MEMBERS JOINED BY BOARD MEMBER STRATTON, UM, AND TRANSIT FORWARD EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, UM, ASHIKA GANGLY WHO ATTENDED LEADERSHIP AUSTIN'S COURAGEOUS LEADERS LUNCHEON.
UM, I WANT TO WISH A VERY BIG CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR VERY, UM, JACOB CALHOUN, FROM WHOM YOU JUST HEARD, AS WELL AS NINA LOWER, UM, BOTH OF WHOM ARE MEMBERS OF THE LEADERSHIP AUSTIN ESSENTIALS CLASS THIS YEAR AND WHO JUST RECENTLY GRADUATED FROM THAT PROGRAM.
SO CONGRATULATIONS TO THEM, UM, ON THAT ACCOMPLISHMENT.
WE ARE, UM, LEADERSHIP AUSTIN HAS BEEN A, A GREAT SUPPORTER OF DEVELOPMENT FOR LEADERSHIP IN THIS COMMUNITY AND WE ARE THRILLED TO HAVE SO MANY OF OUR STAFF, UM, WHO PARTICIPATED IN THE PROGRAM.
UM, NEXT UP JUST A, A QUICK PEEK INTO OUR CUSTOMER CARE STATS.
UM, ON THE LEFT THERE YOU SEE THE CHART OF TOTAL CALLS AND OUR TOTAL CALL VOLUME CONTINUES TO GO UP, UM, MONTH OVER MONTH, UM, IN OUR, IN OUR GO LINE.
INTERESTINGLY THOUGH, WHEN WE LOOK AT THE MONTHS OF APRIL TO, OR EXCUSE ME, MARCH TO APRIL, UM, OUR TOTAL CONTACT NUMBERS HAVE GONE DOWN.
UM, AND THAT WAS DRIVEN LARGELY BY THE LARGE NUMBER OF, UM, WEB FORM AND EMAIL CONTACTS WE HAD IN THE MONTH OF MARCH RELATED TO THE TRANSITION OF OUR FAIR SYSTEM.
SO PEOPLE WHO NEEDED TO TRANSITION THEIR ACCOUNTS FROM OUR OLD FAIR SYSTEM TO OUR NEW FAIR SYSTEM, UM, WE HAD A PROCESS SET UP THAT ALLOWED THEM TO DO THAT KIND OF ASYNCHRONOUSLY AND NOT REQUIRE A CALL TO THE GO LINE.
AND SO THAT'S WHY WE HAVE THE UNUSUAL CIRCUMSTANCE OF, OF HIGHER CALLS, BUT LOWER CONTACTS THIS MONTH.
UM, WE DO STILL CONTINUE TO GET A LOT OF QUESTIONS ABOUT, UM, OUR NEW FAIR PAYMENT PROGRAMS AND WE'LL CONTINUE.
UM, WE EXPECT TO CONTINUE GETTING THOSE AS PEOPLE GET USED TO THE NEW SYSTEMS AND UNDERSTANDING HOW THEY WORK.
UM, AND THEN SECONDLY, UM, IT IS SPRING IN AUSTIN, TEXAS, WHICH MEANS EVENTS, EVENTS, EVENTS.
AND SO WE GET LOTS OF QUESTIONS ABOUT, UM, ALL OF THE EVENTS GOING ON AS WELL AS, UM, AND MOST NOTABLY ALL OF THE AUSTIN FC GAMES, UM, THAT GIVE US AN OPPORTUNITY TO REACH A LOT OF CUSTOMERS THAT DON'T USE OUR SERVICES EVERY DAY.
UM, AND THEN LASTLY, IN TERMS OF WHERE I HAVE BEEN, UM, I HAD THE HONOR OF ATTENDING THE AUSTIN WOMEN'S MAGAZINE, UM, WOMEN'S WAY AWARDS.
UM, MANY THANKS TO BOARD MEMBERS, BENGAL AND ELLIS WHO JOINED US THAT EVENING.
UM, WE WERE THERE REC, UM, TO CELEBRATE WOMEN AND THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE COMMUNITY.
UM, AND I WAS THRILLED TO BE A FINALIST FOR THEIR I AM AUSTIN WOMAN AWARD.
UM, AND I WAS ALSO THRILLED TO KNOW THAT I DID NOT WIN, WIN THE AWARD, BUT I LOST IT TO MARSHA BALL.
AND AS A LIFELONG AUSTINITE, I FELT JUST LIKE THRILLED AND HONORED TO BE ON THE SAME SCREEN AS MARSHA BALL.
LIKE, OH MY GOD GUYS, I AM ALMOST AS COOL AS SHE IS.
I FEEL LIKE THAT IS THE PINNACLE OF AUSTIN WOMANHOOD.
I FEEL LIKE IT, THERE'S NOTHING ELSE I CAN DO.
UM, BUT MANY THANKS TO BOARD MEMBERS, BENGAL AND ALICE FOR, UM, A LOVELY EVENING OUT AND FOR THEIR ONGOING AND NEVER ENDING SUPPORT.
UM, I ALSO RECENTLY ATTENDED A PRESS CONFERENCE AT CITY HALL WITH MAYOR WATSON AND JUDGE BROWN, AMONG OTHERS, TALKING ABOUT HEAT AND THE, UM, UNEXPECTED EARLY HEAT WE'VE ALREADY STARTED EXPERIENCING AND WHAT WE AS A COMMUNITY ARE DOING TO HELP PEOPLE WORK THROUGH THAT HEAT.
UM, PARTICULARLY ON THE CAT METRO SIDE AND ENSURING THAT PEOPLE WHO NEED TRANSPORTATION TO COOLING CENTERS TO, WHETHER THAT'S A PUBLIC LIBRARY OR RECREATION CENTER, UM, IF THEY NEED TRANSPORTATION, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE CAN GET THEM THERE SAFELY.
UM, AND SO THAT IS THE, THE, THE, THE HIGH LEVEL OF WHERE I'VE BEEN THIS PAST MONTH.
UM, LASTLY JUST, JUST AS WE CLOSE, I I WANT TO REITERATE, UM, SOME OF WHAT WE'VE ALREADY SAID IN THIS MEETING, WHICH IS AS WE LOOK TOWARD JUNE, WE HAVE, UM, SOME EXCITING, UM, NEW THINGS COMING.
UM, MOST EXCITINGLY FOR ME IS THE, UM, ACTUAL INTRODUCTION OF OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT ON OUR SYSTEM, UM, TO HELP US FURTHER ENHANCE OUR OVERALL APPROACH TO PUBLIC SAFETY WITH BOTH CIVILIAN AND SWORN STAFF.
UM, A LOT OF WORK HAS BEEN GOING ON BEHIND THE SCENES TO LOOK AT OUR CODE OF CONDUCT AND ENFORCEMENT MECHANISMS. WE WILL BE DOING, UM, SOME PRESENTATIONS TO OUR ADVISORY COMMITTEES ON PROPOSED CHANGES TO THAT AS WELL.
UM, SO A LOT, A LOT IS IN THE WORKS, BUT WITH A LOT MORE TO COME AND WE WILL, UM, ABSOLUTELY KEEP THE BOARD INFORMED AS WE PROGRESS.
AND WITH THAT, THAT CONCLUDE CONCLUDES MY PRESIDENT'S REPORT.
[IX. Executive Session]
FIXING TO GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION AND, BUT WHEN WE CAN OUT, THE ONLY THING WE'LL BE DOING IS ADJOURNING THE MEETING.THE BOARD WILL NOW GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION WITH A QUORUM PRESENT UNDER SECTION 5 5 1 0.071 FOR CONSULTATION WITH AN ATTORNEY REGARDING LEGAL ISSUES RELATED, PENDING OR CONTEMPLATED LITIGATION OR SETTLEMENT OFFERS, INCLUDING LINDA O
[02:10:01]
OAK PARRA VERSUS HERZOG TRANSIT SERVICES, INC.ET ALL CAUSE NUMBER D ONE GV 2 102 3 3 8 IN THE DISTRICT COURT OF TRAVIS COUNTY.
ALL RIGHT, THE, UH, TIME IS NOW 2 38 AND WE'RE CALLING OUR BOARD MEETING BACK IN SESSION AND THE BOARD HAS NOW CONCLUDED OUR EXECUTIVE SESSION.
THE TIME IS NOW 2 38 AND WITH NO FURTHER BUSINESS FOR US TODAY, WE WILL STAND ADJOURNED.