Feb 24, 2021 Austin Transit Partnership Board Meeting

WE WANT DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES.

SO WE'LL BE WORKING ON COMMITTEE CHARTERS, WHICH WILL INCLUDE A COMMITTEE COMPOSITION.

AND THIS IS WHERE WE'LL NEED YOUR INPUT.

UM, DO WE WANT TWO APPOINTEES PER BOARD MEMBER? IS THERE ANOTHER NUMBER THAT MAKES SENSE TO THE BOARD FREQUENCY AND ATTENDANCE? IS IT AS NEEDED MONTHLY, QUARTERLY? UM, WHAT IS THE REPORTING PROCESS? DO WE EXPECT THAT TO BE THE BOARD LIAISON, OR DO WE WANT A COMMITTEE CHAIR TO DO THE REPORTING? UM, AND THEN SOME DISCUSSION ON THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS AS WELL.

WE'LL NEED TO KNOW HOW WE WANT TO, UM, SELECT THE MEMBERS FOR THESE COMMITTEES.

DO WE WANT BOARD APPOINTMENT OR DO WE WANT AN APPLICATION PROCESS? HOW ARE WE GOING TO SEAT THE MEMBERS, UM, IDENTIFIED, UM, IN THE DECEMBER RESOLUTION? AND WHAT WILL THE TERM BE OF THOSE MEMBERS? IS IT AT BOARD DISCRETION, BOARD MEMBER DISCRETION, OR IS THERE A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF YEARS THAT WE WOULD LIKE, UM, FOR THEM TO SERVE? SO THOSE ARE SOME OF THE QUESTIONS THAT WILL HELP US FILL IN THE CHARTERS FOR THESE.

WE EXPECT TO COME BACK TO YOU WITH THOSE CHARTERS NEXT MONTH.

UM, SO IN THE MEANTIME, I WILL GIVE IT BACK TO THE CHAIR FOR YOU ALL TO OPEN DISCUSSION IF YOU'D LIKE TO, AND IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ON ANY OF THE INFORMATION I'VE JUST PRESENTED.

THANK YOU, JACKIE.

UM, I DO HAVE SEVERAL QUESTIONS IN TERMS OF HOW WE'RE GOING TO LAUNCH ALL OF THESE DIFFERENT COMMITTEES.

UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, AND I WAS DISCUSSING WITH, UH, VICE CHAIR BURNETT, UM, BRIEFLY, WAS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T WANT TO, WE DON'T WANNA DISCOURAGE ANYONE FROM PARTICIPATING.

SO I THINK ALL OF THESE GIVE US AN OPPORTUNITY TO REALLY BE OUT IN THE COMMUNITY AND EVERYBODY BE PLUGGED INTO A PIECE OF THIS PUZZLE WHERE THEY SEE THEIR ENERGY BEING, YOU KNOW, BEST SUITED.

UM, AS WE'RE GOING THROUGH ROBUST PIECE OF, UM, RECRUITMENT RIGHT NOW FOR THE CAC, YOU KNOW, I, I DON'T WANT IT TO LOOK LIKE WE'RE, UM, YOU KNOW, EACH OF THESE DIFFERENT TECHNICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEES, EACH OF EACH OF THEM HAVE PURPOSE UNDER THE BIG UMBRELLA OF THE CAC, RIGHT? SO HOW DO YOU KNOW IN TERMS OF HOW DO WE RECRUIT, HOW DO WE HAVE OTHERS BE, UM, ENCOURAGED TO PARTICIPATE? WHAT DO Y'ALL THINK? I HAD A FEW COMMENTS IF I COULD.

UM, MADAM CHAIR, I, I GUESS FIRST I WANT TO, UM, COMPLIMENT JACKIE ON, UM, THE SCOPING MEETINGS.

I WAS ONE OF THE, UH, 735 PEOPLE FOR THE BLUE LINE, AND I'VE ATTENDED A LOT OF SCOPING MEETINGS IN MY DAY.

BUT I WAS REALLY IMPRESSED WITH THIS ONE, UM, HOW IT WAS LED, THE INFORMATION THAT WAS GIVEN.

UM, IT WAS VERY COMPREHENSIVE.

SO KUDOS TO, UM, JACKIE AND YOUR TEAM FOR THAT.

UM, I, I GUESS THE FIRST THING IS, UM, AT THE DECEMBER 18TH, UM, CITY COUNCIL, CAP METRO BOARD MEETING, I BELIEVE SEVEN INDIVIDUALS WERE NAMED BY THE BOARD, UH, AS, UH, REPRESENTATIVES, UH, THAT WE COULD USE FOR THOSE THREE COMMITTEES.

SO I WOULD, UM, FIRST RECOMMEND THAT THE BOARD LIAISON FOR THOSE COMMITTEES AND THEIR COUNTERPART AT CAP METRO GO THROUGH THOSE SEVEN RESUMES AND DETERMINE IF SOME OF THOSE PEOPLE, AND I THINK SOME OF THOSE HAS SOME REALLY GOOD BACKGROUNDS, UM, WOULD BE SUITABLE.

YOU KNOW, IT SEEMS TO ME THAT WE'D WANNA HAVE AT LEAST KIND OF THREE OR FOUR MEMBERS.

AND I, I THINK THE KEY THING IS YOU WANNA GET DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES, RIGHT? WE DON'T WANNA HAVE SEVEN PEOPLE THAT ALL THINK THE SAME WAY.

UM, I, I THINK, YOU KNOW, THAT WE SHOULD PROBABLY MEET, UM, EVERY TWO MONTHS OR QUARTERLY AND MAYBE MORE FREQUENTLY AT THE CHAIR'S DISCRETION.

UM, I THINK THE BOARD, UH, LIAISON AND THEIR STAFF COUNTERPART SHOULD JOINTLY WORK ON THE CHARTER, UH, SO THAT IT'S A COMPREHENSIVE CHARTER.

AND THEN THAT WOULD GET BROUGHT TO THE BOARD FOR APPROVAL.

UM, AND THEN I WOULD THINK, SO THE REPORTING PROCESS WOULD BE, AT LEAST MY THOUGHTS WOULD BE THROUGH THE BOARD MEMBER LIAISON.

AND, AND THEN JUST ONE COMMENT ON THE FINANCE ADVISORY COMMITTEE, SINCE, I GUESS THAT'S KIND OF IN MY BAILIWICK, I WOULD ADD TO THAT RISK MANAGEMENT, UH, SORRY TO ADD MORE ACRONYMS, BUT RISK MANAGEMENT TO ME IS REALLY IMPORTANT.

AND THAT SHOULD BE SOMETHING THAT SHOULD BE, IT SHOULD BE ALL THREE COMMITTEES SHOULD BE LOOKING AT RISK, BUT FOR, FOR LACK OF A BETTER PLACE, I'D KIND OF PUT IT IN THE FINANCIAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE.

ANYBODY ELSE HAS ANY OTHER COMMENTS? I, I HAVE A QUESTION MORE SO THAN A COMMENT.

MEMBER ELKINS.

UM,

[00:15:01]

UM, JACKIE, I, WE LIKE THE DIAGRAMS. I'M A VISUAL PERSON, SO THAT THAT HELPS TREMENDOUSLY FOR THE CAC.

WHO'S MAKING THAT SELECTION? WHO'S ON THAT? NOE? SO THE NOMINATING COMMITTEE IS COMPOSED OF THE CHAIR OF OUR, UH, OPERATIONS AND FINANCE COMMITTEE AT CAPITAL METRO.

UM, THE CHAIR OF THE MOBILITY, UH, THE, THE CITY'S MOBILITY COMMITTEE, THE CHAIR OF THE URBAN TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE.

AND I BELIEVE THE OTHER ONE IS THE CHAIR OF THE, UM, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION, OR, NO, I THINK I'M, I'M CONFU, EXCUSE ME.

I'M CONFUSING THAT WITH THE, UM, THE COMMISSION, THE, THE GROUPS THAT DESIGNATE MEMBERS FOR THE CAC.

I APOLOGIZE.

I WOULD HAVE TO PULL UP OUR RESOLUTION TO, I THINK, UH, CHECK ON THAT, JACKIE.

I, I THINK, I BELIEVE IT'S THE TWO TAB CAB, CAB METRO COMMITTEES, BOTH THE CHAIR OF OUR FINANCE AND AUDIT COMMITTEE, AND THE CHAIR OF OUR OPERATIONS COMMITTEE.

AND ON THE CITY SIDE, IT'S THE CHAIR OF MOBILITY COMMITTEE AND THE CHAIR OF THE CITY'S FINANCE AND AUDIT.

RIGHT.

I BELIEVE THOSE ARE THE FOUR, UH, NAMES THAT ARE DOING THE, THE NO, THE NOMINATION REVIEW PROCESS.

SO I, I WOULD SUGGEST THAT MAYBE WE THINK ABOUT HAVING THE CHIEF EQUITY OFFICER OR, UM, THE CHIEF RESILIENCE OFFICER, OR, UM, I BELIEVE WE JUST, I WOULD SUGGEST THAT, UH, TO HAVE THAT LENS THERE FOR THOSE SELECTIONS, FOR THAT COMMITTEE IN PARTICULAR.

AND THE WAY THAT WE HAVE BUILT OUR BOARD, OUR, UH, BOARD POLICIES AND PROCEDURES, UH, THOSE CHARTERS HAVE TO BE WRITTEN AND THEN REVIEWED PERIODICALLY.

WE WORK VERY, WE'RE WORKING VERY CLOSELY WITH THE EQUITY OFFICE, UM, AND FRANKLY, USING THEIR RESOURCES AND THEIR OPINION, THEIR PER PERSPECTIVE TO HELP US VET EVERYTHING WE DO THAT'S COMMUNITY FACING.

SO I THINK THEY'D BE HAPPY TO PARTICIPATE.

MADAM CHAIR? YES.

UH, IF, IF I MAY, UM, SO FIRST OF ALL, UH, JACKIE, IF I COULD, COULD JUST ECHO WHAT, UM, BOARD MEMBER ELKINS SAID, I, I ALSO HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO ATTEND, UH, THE FIRST, UH, I BELIEVE IT WAS THE, THE ORANGE LINE, UH, SCOPING MEETING.

AND WAS, WAS VERY IMPRESSED WITH THE WORK Y'ALL PUT INTO THAT AND, AND DOING THAT ONLINE MEETING.

AND THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE A CHANCE, BOTH AS, AS A MEMBER OF THIS BOARD AND THE CAP METRO BOARD, TO, TO JUST HAVE A MINUTE TO, TO ADDRESS THE AUDIENCE AND, AND SPEAK TO FOLKS AND, AND WELCOME THEM AS PART OF THIS PROCESS, AS WE CONTINUE TO, UH, PAVE THE WAY.

AND, AND, AND THROUGHOUT THIS, I'M VERY PLEASED ALSO TO SEE THE NUMBERS AND THE FEEDBACK AND NOTE THAT IT, IT SEEMS TO BE VERY SIMILAR, UH, YOU KNOW, JUST, JUST OFF BY A, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, 40 PEOPLE, I GUESS IT SEEMS LIKE BETWEEN THE TWO OF THE ORANGE AND THE BLUE LINES MM-HMM .

SO VERY GOOD TO SEE THAT, THAT, THAT WE'RE ON TRACK WITH THOSE BOTH.

UM, AS FOR THE COMMITTEES, UH, I, I'M, I WANTED TO, TO JUMP IN HERE.

I'M, I THINK I'M VERY MUCH, UH, AGREE IN AGREEMENT WITH, UH, WHAT BOARD MEMBER ELKINS HAS ALSO SAID ABOUT, ABOUT THIS PROCESS.

AND LOOKING AT IT, UM, THE, UH, THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND CAP METRO AS PART OF THE ADOPTION OF THE NOMINATING, UH, THE NOMINATIONS COMMITTEE REPORT.

WE DID HAVE THOSE ADDITIONAL NAMES, AND I, I CANNOT REMEMBER.

I, I THOUGHT IT WAS SOMETHING LIKE 12 PEOPLE, MAYBE IT WAS SEVEN.

I DON'T REMEMBER THE EXACT NUMBER.

UM, BUT I DO THINK THAT, UH, IT IS BECAUSE THE CITY AND THE CAP METRO BOARD, IN ADDITION TO SPECIFICALLY, UH, COMING BACK AND PROVIDING SPECIFIC GUIDANCE AS TO AT LEAST SOME FRAMEWORK ON THE, UH, COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE AND HOW THAT PROCESS WORKS, THEY ALSO PROVIDED US THESE NAMES FOR THESE KIND OF TECHNICAL ADVISORS.

I DO THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT, THAT WE AS A BODY CONSIDER THOSE NAMES IN PARTICULAR.

AND I, I THINK, UH, I, I DO TEND TO AGREE WITH BOARD MEMBER ELKINS, THAT IT WOULD MAKE AN AWFUL LOT OF SENSE TO HAVE THE, UH, THE, THE SUB, THE, UH, BOARD LIAISON, UH, FOR THAT, FOR EACH OF THE PARTICULAR COMMITTEES THAT, THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, FORMING UP AS TECHNICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEES TO SERVE AS THE, UM, UH, THE, AS THE LIAISON TO BE THE, THE KIND OF THE POINT PERSON TO REACH OUT IN EACH OF THOSE, UH, FIELDS OF EXPERTISE TO, TO, UH, REACH OUT TO THOSE INDIVIDUALS AND APPROACH 'EM AND SAY, HEY, ARE YOU INTERESTED IN DOING THIS? DO WOULD YOU BE INTERESTED IN SERVING ON, ON THIS, UH, THIS PARTICULAR PANEL? UH, THE ONE THING THAT I WOULD NOTE IS, I THINK FUNDAMENTALLY WHAT WOULD BE, I, I BELIEVE, HELPFUL, I KNOW THAT WITH, WITHIN CAP METRO, WE HAVE A KIND OF, UM, UH, WE, WE HAVE CHARTERS FOR OUR COMMITTEES AS WELL, FOR OUR, UH, OPERATIONS PLANNING AND SAFETY COMMITTEE, AND ALSO FOR OUR FINANCIAL AUDIT AND ADMINISTRATION COMMITTEE.

[00:20:01]

AND THE WAY THAT THOSE CHARTERS WERE WRITTEN, UH, THE WAY I, AND, AND I'VE SERVED ON BOTH THOSE COMMITTEES, SO I'VE READ BOTH OF THE CHARTERS, THEY'RE VERY, VERY SIMILAR IN STRUCTURE.

THEY'RE, THEY'RE ALMOST BOILERPLATE.

AND I THINK THAT MAKES THINGS VERY EASY.

THAT PRETTY MUCH WHAT THEY DID IS THAT THEY REALLY JUST CHANGED, FOR THE MOST PART, JUST CHANGED THE, UM, THE DEFINITIONS OF THE FOCUS OF THE COMMITTEE, BUT REALLY PRETTY MUCH LEFT EVERYTHING ELSE VERY STRUCTURED AND VERY BOILERPLATE, BECAUSE IT MAKES IT EASY FOR, UH, THE COMMUNITY AS WELL AS FOR THE BOARD MEMBERS TO UNDERSTAND, OKAY, WELL, WELL, HOW DOES THIS COMMITTEE FUNCTION? SO, YEAH, YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU KNOW, FUNDAMENTALLY THAT, THAT, THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT WHEN YOU GET ON OPS, YOUR FUNDAMENTAL FUNCTION IS GOING TO BE OPERATIONS, PLANNING, SAFETY.

AND IF YOU'RE REALLY KIND OF WONDERING, WELL, WHAT EXACTLY DOES THAT MEAN? YOU CAN GO TO THE COMMITTEE CHARTER AND READ THE CHARTER'S, UH, DEFINITION OF, WELL, WHAT IS THE SCOPE OF THAT COMMITTEE EXACTLY.

VERSUS, UH, FINANCE AUDIT ADMINISTRATION.

ONE, ONE, JUST LITTLE, UH, SIDE NOTE I'LL THROW IN HERE IS THAT, UM, IT JUST AS AN EXAMPLE WITH, WITH CAP METRO'S, FAA COMMITTEE AT SOME POINT DOWN THE LINE, THE BOARD OF CAP METRO, SPECIFICALLY GRANTED THE FINANCE, AUDIT AND ADMINISTRATION COMMITTEE, THE POWER TO SPECIFICALLY BE THE ONE TO REVIEW THE, UH, THE, THE, THE, UH, AUDITOR THAT, THAT THEY HIRED.

SO THAT WAS JUST ONE LITTLE MINOR DIFFERENCE WITH THAT PARTICULAR COMMITTEE.

BUT ALL THAT TO BE SAID, I, I THINK THERE'S SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE OF BENEFICIAL NATURE FOR US TO HAVE KIND OF A, UH, A SORT OF BOILERPLATE LANGUAGE FOR EACH OF THE CHARTERS, FOR EACH OF OUR TECHNICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEES THAT ARE, UH, THE, YOU KNOW, BOARD ADVISORY COMMITTEES.

AND THEN, YOU KNOW, JUST TO LIKE, LIKE TO BOARD MEMBER ELKINS POINT, JUST, YOU KNOW, TWEAK, TWEAK WHAT THE, THE ACTUAL, UH, THE CHARTER SCOPE IS, UH, TO HIS POINT.

I, I LIKE THIS IDEA THAT A, A ABSOLUTELY, YOU KNOW, RISK MANAGEMENT OR, OR PUT THAT UNDER, UM, UH, PUT THAT IN THE, THE SCOPE OF THE FINANCIAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE.

BUT I THINK THAT THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL IS KIND OF JUST, JUST STANDARDIZE THE BOILER PLATING IN TERMS OF THAT WAY WE CAN DECIDE AS, AS OUR BOARD, OKAY, WHAT, WHAT ARE THE, WHAT ARE THE TERMS, YOU KNOW, HOW WE BRING THE PEOPLE ON BOARD, HOW THEY MIGHT NEED TO BE REMOVED, OR IF THEY STEP DOWN, THEN HOW DO WE GO ABOUT FILLING IT? MAKE ALL OF THAT INFORMATION CONSISTENT AND STANDARD.

BUT THEN, UM, YEAH, JUST KIND OF LET, LET LET THE COMMITTEES KIND OF SORT OF DECIDE, UH, YOU KNOW, WHAT THEIR, THEIR, YOU KNOW, SORT OF SCOPE IS WITH, WITH THE, WITH, WITH THE CAVEAT THAT WE DON'T WANT THEM TO REALLY STEP ON EACH OTHER'S TOES, AS IT WERE.

YOU DON'T WANT TO END UP IN A POSITION WHERE, YOU KNOW, IT BECOMES CONFUSING AS TO WHO'S ON FIRST, I GUESS, IN TERMS OF WHAT THE RESPONSIBILITIES OR EXPERTISE IS GONNA BE.

YOU DID, AND GINA DID, UH, GOING INTO THE ELECTION IN TERMS OF HAVING SO MANY PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY INVOLVED AND INVESTED AND MAKING SURE WE HAD THE BEST POSSIBLE PROPOSALS, ONE OF THE STRENGTHS THAT WE HAVE.

BOARD MEMBERS, STRAT.

UM, I DO HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION ABOUT THE CHARTER FOR THE CACI.

YOU KNOW, I DON'T, THEY HAVE, THEY'RE GONNA HAVE TO CREATE THEIR OWN CHARTER AS WELL, CORRECT? SO, UM, YES.

AND TO ME, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I THINK WOULD BE EX VERY BENEFICIAL IS THAT ALL OF US, AS WE LEAD EACH ONE OF THESE, UH, ADVISORY COMMITTEES, THAT WE CROSSPOLLINATE IDEAS, I WANNA BE VERY CLOSELY IN CONTACT WITH THE FINANCE, UH, TECHNICAL GROUP, BECAUSE I KNOW THAT THAT'S GOING TO INFLUENCE THE DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION ARENA AND THE COMMUNITY, UH, ENGAGEMENT AND URBAN PLANNING COMMITTEE.

YOU KNOW, WE REALLY NEED TO CROSSPOLLINATE THROUGH, YOU KNOW, HOW WE COLLABORATE WITH EACH OTHER.

SO I, I DO THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT, AND I LIKE THE IDEA THAT, UM, THAT THE BOARD LIAISON HELPS, UH, KEEP US ALL UPDATED WITH WHAT'S BEEN DISCUSSED IN EACH OF THESE TECHNICAL COMMITTEES.

AND, UM, ANY OTHER, ANY OTHER THOUGHTS.

AND I DO, I DO ALSO SECOND THE, THE RECOMMENDATION FROM BOARD MEMBER, BOARD MEMBER ELKINS ABOUT THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WERE PUT FORWARD TO BE ON THIS BOARD.

THOSE, THOSE MEMBERS THAT HAD ALREADY GONE THROUGH THE APPLICATION PROCESS, THEIR LETTER OF INTEREST, IT WAS AVE A VERY STRICT VETTING PROCESS.

, I MEAN, I WENT THROUGH IT.

SO I KNOW THAT I THINK IF THOSE, UH, FOLKS HAVE ALREADY BEEN RECOMMENDED, I WHOLEHEARTEDLY TRUST THAT, THAT WE MOVE FORWARD IN, IN VETTING THEM AS WELL.

I MEAN, JUST REACHING OUT TO THEM.

MAYOR NER, UH, I THINK I AGREE WITH ALMOST EVERYTHING THAT EVERYBODY HAS SAID.

UH, I LIKE THERE ARE SO MANY WAYS WITH THIS COMMITTEES AND THE WORK GROUPS FOR PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY TO BE ABLE TO, TO PARTICIPATE AND, AND WEIGH IN.

I THINK THAT ONE OF THE STRENGTHS OF THE WORK THAT, THAT, UH, RANDY

[00:25:01]

SO I, I THINK IT'S, IT'S GOOD TO SEE THAT, THAT CONTINUING FORWARD, UM, I THINK THAT, UH, UH, BOARD MEMBER ELKINS COMMENT, A REMINDER THAT THERE WERE SEVEN PEOPLE THAT BECAME KIND OF FINALISTS FOR THE THREE SPOTS ON THE BOARD, UH, HAD GREAT EXPERTISE.

AND, AND I THINK THAT, UH, I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK, I THINK, TO EACH OF THEM, UH, BACK WHEN THE BOARD WAS, WAS FORMING.

AND, AND I THINK THAT THEY ALL INDICATED AN INTEREST IN, IN BEING ABLE TO, TO PARTICIPATE.

SO I THINK THAT WOULD BE A, A VALUABLE SOURCE.

THERE WERE ALSO SOME OTHER PEOPLE THAT EXPRESSED SOME INTEREST IN, IN BEING PART OF, OF THE A TP THAT DIDN'T MAKE IT TO THE FINALISTS.

UM, UH, AND I THINK THAT THERE ARE SOME REALLY GOOD PEOPLE ON THAT LIST THAT HAD ALSO EXPRESSED AN INTEREST IN, IN MOVING FORWARD.

SO, UH, I WOULD CHECK CERTAINLY THE SEVEN.

UH, BUT I, BUT I WOULD ALSO CONSIDER GOING PAST THAT.

AND AS I UNDERSTAND IT, UH, YOU KNOW, WITH RESPECT TO THE ADVISORY GROUPS, UH, AND HAVEN'T BEEN ON A BOARD THAT HAD THE SAME KIND OF ADVISORY BOARD STRUCTURE OTHER THAN, THAN CAP METRO, UH, WHERE THERE'S A TECHNICAL ADVISORY PANEL, AND IT'S REALLY HELPFUL.

UH, ONE OF THE THINGS I THINK THAT'S REALLY HELPFUL ABOUT IT IS WE DON'T NECESSARILY ASK THEM TO COME TO A CONCLUSION, ALTHOUGH THEY CERTAINLY CAN.

I MEAN, THEY CAN LOOK AT THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING AND MAKE A RECOMMENDATION, UH, BUT TO THE POINT MADE EARLIER, WE'RE LOOKING FOR DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES.

SO I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO INCLUDE IN THE CHARTER SOME EXPLICIT, UH, STATEMENT THAT, THAT, TO THE DEGREE THAT, THAT ANYBODY ON THAT, UH, ADVISORY COMMITTEE, UH, HAS AN, AN ISSUE OR A SENTIMENT THAT THEY WANT THE A TP BOARD TO CONSIDER, IT SHOULD COME FORWARD.

UH, CERTAINLY IT'S GOOD TO KNOW WHEN THEY'RE ALL UNANIMOUS ON SOMETHING, BUT JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S SEEN IF IT'S NOT A DECISION MAKING BODY, BUT AN ADVISORY BODY.

AND PART OF THAT IS IDENTIFYING, UH, ISSUES, UH, AND PERSPECTIVES FOR US.

THANK YOU, MAYOR.

UH, RANDY ON THE MUTE THING.

OH, .

CAN'T WAIT TILL THAT.

MUTE THING'S OVER.

UM, SORRY ABOUT THAT.

UM, JUST A QUICK NOTE THAT, UH, FOR EVERYONE'S INFORMATION, I SENT A NOTE TO ALL SEVEN OF THE INDIVIDUALS THAT WERE, UH, NAMED BY THE CAP METRO BOARD AND CITY COUNCIL IN DECEMBER, A FEW MONTHS AGO, BUT MAYBE LIKE, MAYBE A MONTH AGO, SIX WEEKS AGO, LETTING THEM KNOW THAT WE WERE GOING THROUGH THIS PROCESS AND JUST FOR A TOUCH BASE, SO THEY ALL KNOW THAT WE'RE THINKING ABOUT THEM, AND THAT WE, WE WILL BE CONTACTING THEM.

SO DON'T WORRY THAT THEY HAVEN'T BEEN CONTACTED AT ALL.

THEY'RE CLEARLY READY FOR THE NEXT CONTACT POINT, BUT, BUT I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE YOU ALL KNEW THAT WE JUST HAVEN'T LEFT THEM IN LIMBO FOR TWO MONTHS.

THAT, THAT I HAVE PROACTIVELY REACHED OUT TO THEM AND MULTIPLE PEOPLE HAVE RESPONDED AND SAID THEY LOOK FORWARD TO BEING ENGAGED.

MADAM CHAIR, BOARD MEMBER STRATTON.

UM, YEAH, I, I GUESS IF, IF I COULD ASK A QUESTION, AND MAYBE THIS MIGHT BE MORE DIRECTED TO, UM, TO MAYOR, UH, ADLER, UM, FROM YOUR EXPERIENCE WITH, WITH OTHER ORGANIZATIONS YOU'VE WORKED WITH THAT HAVE HAD THESE KINDS OF TECHNICAL ADVISORY PANELS OR COMMITTEES, UM, WHAT'S KIND OF THE SWEET SPOT? I MEAN, WHAT IS A GOOD NUMBER TO HAVE? I MEAN, IF YOU, IF YOU GET LIKE 15 OR 25, I THINK THAT, THAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT SOMETHING THAT'S, THAT'S ALMOST TOO BIG TO REALLY BE EFFECTIVE AT ADVISING US AS A BODY.

BUT IF YOU'VE GOT, YOU KNOW, THREE OR FIVE LIKE US THEN AND IT'S ALMOST TOO SMALLER, YOU COULD GET KIND OF A GROUP THING.

SO WHAT ARE, WHAT ARE THOUGHTS OUT THERE IN TERMS OF, 'CAUSE I THINK, UH, YOU KNOW, JACKIE WAS, AS STAFF WAS KIND OF ASKING US WHAT, WHAT WE'D LIKE TO, TO PROPOSE.

I CAN'T GIVE YOU A CONCLUSION FROM MY EXPERIENCE IN PART BECAUSE, UH, I NEVER ACTUALLY CONVENED WITH THE TECHNICAL ADVISORY GROUP ON, ON CAMPO.

THERE WERE JUST, YOU KNOW, UH, ADVICE AND, AND THE LIKE THAT CAME FORWARD.

UH, BUT I AGREE WITH YOU.

THERE'S DEFINITELY A GROUP TOO SMALL AND A GROUP TOO BIG.

UM, AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT THOSE NUMBERS ARE.

SO, SO MAYBE JACKIE, YOU COULD TRY TO PUT ON THE WEBSITE THAT WE ARE RECRUITING FOR THESE TECHNICAL POSITIONS.

WE HAVE THE SEVEN PEOPLE, AND, UH, AT SOME POINT IN TIME, THE BOARD LIAISON WITH THEIR COUNTERPART AT CAP METRO CAN GO THROUGH THE APPLICANTS AND THE SEVEN PEOPLE AND, UH, PICK A COUPLE

[00:30:01]

FROM BOTH SO THAT WE HAVE A GOOD POOL FOR EACH OF THE THREE GROUPS.

WILL DO.

I'D ALSO REACH OUT TO THE LARGER GROUP THAT APPLIED.

'CAUSE I KNOW SOME OF THEM HAD ASKED TO BE CONSIDERED, SO I AT LEAST LET THEM KNOW THAT IT'S HAPPENING.

AND GO AHEAD.

OH, I'M SORRY.

GO ON MADAM CHAIR FOR GO AHEAD.

NO, I, I MEAN, I THINK ALSO BECAUSE THE TIME COMMITMENT, AND IT GOES ALSO TO YOUR POINT JACKIE, ABOUT WHAT, FOR WHAT LENGTH OF TIME ARE THERE GOING TO BE, UH, ADVICE US YEAR, YEAR THREE YEAR TERM.

AND, YOU KNOW, I DO THINK WE NEED TO DISCUSS THAT AS WELL TO SAY, YOU KNOW, ANY, ANY CONTEXT TO WHAT THEIR TIME AVAILABILITY IS.

BECAUSE JUST TO LAUNCH SOMETHING, JUST TO GET US MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION, GET GAIN MOMENTUM, IS GONNA TAKE TIME.

AND I DON'T, I PERSONALLY DON'T WANT THAT MOMENTUM TO THEN SAY, OKAY, YOUR TERM IS OVER NOW, , YOU KNOW, IT'S LIKE, WHAT IS THIS ALSO THAT SWEET SPOT OF, OF ENGAGEMENT, GETTING EVERYONE TO KNOW EACH OTHER, GETTING REALLY FAMILIAR WITH THEIR CHALLENGES THAT WE'RE GONNA BE FACING AND, AND ADVISING US IN THE NEXT STEP FORWARD.

SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, IN TERMS OF THEIR, THE TIME COMMITMENT FROM THE PUBLIC WHO WANTS TO PARTICIPATE AND WHAT THE, YOU KNOW, THE LENGTH OF THIS PROGRAM, I THINK WE NEED TO LOOK INTO, WHAT DO Y'ALL THINK ABOUT TERM, YOU KNOW, ONE YEAR, TWO YEAR, THREE YEARS FOR YOUR THINKING? I DEFINITELY WOULDN'T ADVOCATE FOR ONE YEAR.

'CAUSE IT DOES, IT TAKES TIME.

IT TAKES PEOPLE THAT AMOUNT OF TIME TO GET TO KNOW EACH OTHER AND REALLY TO GET IN A GROOVE.

SO, UM, I, I DEFINITELY WOULDN'T ADVOCATE FOR ONE.

I WOULD, I WOULD ADVOCATE FOR TWO TO THREE, UM, FOR SURE, BUT I DEFINITELY WOULD NOT ADVOCATE FOR 1, 2, 2 TO THREE.

SOUNDS ABOUT RIGHT.

THANK YOU, DR. BURNETT.

UM, I, I'D AGREE WITH, I WOULD AGREE WITH THAT TOO.

MAYBE A TWO YEAR THUMB.

I COULD ALSO MAKE THE CHARTERS THAT YOU COULD JUST REAPPOINT PEOPLE TOO.

SO DO OUR, SO I MEAN, BASED ON SOME OF THIS DISCUSSION THEN CHAIR AND SOUNDS LIKE, UM, WHAT MIGHT BE THE BEST APPROACHES OR WRITE UP THE DRAFT CHARTER FOR EACH OF THE GROUPS THAT STAFF LEAD WILL THEN WORK DIRECTLY WITH EACH BOARD LIAISON OF THE THREE, REFINE THE CHARTER TO GET IT TO A GOOD DRAFT SPOT THAT WILL COME TO THE BOARD NEXT MONTH, REFINE ALSO BOARD DESCRIPTION FOR THAT SPECIFIC BOARD SPOT.

SO THAT COULD COME BACK NEXT MONTH.

AND IN THE MEANTIME, CON OR CONCURRENTLY WE'LL REACH OUT TO ALL THE PEOPLE THAT WERE INVOLVED TO PUT A NOTICE OUT TO SAY, POST OUR BOARD MEETING, EXPECT US TO BE POSTING OFFICIAL APPLICATION PROCESS AND FINAL CHARTER THAT WE WANNA MAKE YOU AWARE.

AND DOES THAT SOUND LIKE THAT WOULD WORK FOR, FOR THE GROUP AT LARGE? OKAY.

A LOT OF, A LOT OF THUMBS UP THERE, MATT, MADAM CHAIR.

NEXT, UM, ITEM FOR DISCUSSION IS THE MONTHLY PROJECT CONNECT PROGRAM UPDATE FROM THE COUCH.

1, 1, 1 THING ABOUT THAT THOUGH, THAT, THAT I GUESS WE DIDN'T, WE'VE GOTTA FIGURE OUT IS HOW WE GO ABOUT SELECTING THEM TOO, IS I KNOW THAT THAT WHAT JACKIE HAD PUT UP ON THAT SLIDE WAS, YOU KNOW, IS THIS SOMETHING WHERE INDIVIDUAL BOARD MEMBERS WOULD MAKE THE RECOMMENDATIONS? I MEAN, DOES IT GO THROUGH STAFF, LIKE SOME OF THE, LIKE THE CA WHAT, WHAT'S, WHAT'S HAPPENING HERE IN TERMS OF, I MEAN, 'CAUSE IF WE PUT THAT OUT THERE AND WE SAY, HEY, YOU FOLKS WHO HAD BEEN, WHO HAD APPLIED FOR THE ATT BOARD BEFORE, BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THIS, FOR AN APPLICATION PROCESS.

WELL, IF GREAT, WE PUT OUT AN APPLICATION, BUT IF WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THE CRITERIA IS FOR REVIEW AND WHO'S GOING TO ULTIMATELY BE RESPONSIBLE FOR MAKING PROPOSED APPOINTMENTS, WE PROBABLY NEED TO FLESH THAT OUT SOMEHOW TOO.

SO WE KNOW HOW TO GO ABOUT ACTUALLY SELECTING THOSE INDIVIDUALS.

SO I MEAN, THERE, THERE ARE A COUPLE OF WAYS THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU COULD, YOU COULD DO THAT.

I KNOW THAT THE, YOU KNOW, WITH, WITH CITY COUNCIL APPLICATIONS COME IN AND EACH INDIVIDUAL COUNCIL MEMBER IS RESPONSIBLE FOR, YOU KNOW, MAKING RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE, THE COUNCIL AS A WHOLE FOR THEIR PARTICULAR QUOTE UNQUOTE SLOT.

AND I KNOW WE EVEN DO THAT WITH CAP METRO ON, IN, IN SOME WAYS.

BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, IS, IS, IS THAT THE WAY TO GO? AND, YOU KNOW, AND IF THAT WERE THE CASE, THEN DOES EACH ONE OF THE FIVE OF US GET TO HAVE A, A MEMBER? AND SO THEN WE HAVE FIVE MEMBERS ON THE TECHNICAL BOARD, EACH OF THE TECHNICAL BOARDS.

YOU KNOW, I, I JUST, I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER NECESSARILY, BUT I THINK THAT TOO, WE NEED TO KIND OF FLESH THAT OUT AS WELL.

BECAUSE IF WE JUST PUT IT OUT THERE, HEY, WE'LL BE PUTTING OUT A APPLICATION PROCESS AND THEN MONTHS TO COME, BUT WE DON'T YET HAVE A WAY OF DETERMINING, WE AS A BOARD HAVE NOT DECIDED YET HOW WE'RE GOING TO, UM, SELECT THOSE INDIVIDUALS OR HOW MANY INDIVIDUALS ARE GOING

[00:35:01]

TO SELECT.

I JUST, I WANNA THROW THAT OUT THERE.

I THINK THAT IT GOES HAND IN GLOVE WITH THE, THE, THE WHOLE CONCEPT OF, YOU KNOW, APPROVING THE CHARTER, THAT WHILE WE MAY BE APPROVING OR LOOKING AT DRAFT CHARTERS, WE ALSO WOULD NEED TO BE LOOKING AT GLOBALLY SPEAKING, AND I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS NEEDS TO BE IN THE FORM OF A BOARD POLICY OR IF WE JUST WRITE THIS INTO EACH INDIVIDUAL CHARTER, HOW WE'RE GOING TO EACH ONE OF INDIVIDUAL COMMITTEES.

IT'S HOW MANY, AND THEN HOW WE SELECT TO PUT THEM ON THERE.

I THINK ERIC, THE ATTEMPT WOULD BE WE PUT THAT IN THE CHARTER.

SO THEN WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU ALL APPROVE IN NEXT MONTH, IF WE CAN, YOU KNOW, WORK WITH EACH LIAISON AND IT GETS FRAMED UP WITH THE JOB DESCRIPTION AND THE CHARTER, ALL OF THOSE DETAILS ARE IN THERE.

AND THEN THAT WAY IT'S VERY CLEAR AND TRANSPARENT.

SO WHEN BOARD MEMBERS CHANGE OUT AND WHEN COMMUNITY MEMBERS CHANGE OUT, I MEAN, WE'RE LOOKING AT A, YOU KNOW, A DECADE LONG PROGRAM HERE.

UM, SO IT'S NICE AND CLEAN AND, AND THEN THAT WAY WE CAN DO THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS.

SO IF THAT WORKS, THAT'S WHAT, UH, WE CAN MOVE FORWARD WITH STAFF.

I WOULD, I WOULD AGREE WITH THAT BECAUSE I MEAN, WE, EVERYTHING WE PUT INTO PLACE NOW WE HAVE TO THINK OF TRANSITIONS AND IT'S ALREADY SPELLED OUT IN THE CHATTER, THEN WE KNOW WE HAVE A TEMPLATE OF HOW, HOW TO FOLLOW FOR THE NEXT APPOINTMENTS.

I WOULD AGREE.

IS THERE ANY MORE, UM, DISCUSSION ON THIS ITEM? EVERYBODY? OKAY, SO NOW WE'RE GONNA MOVE ON.

THANK YOU JACKIE, SO MUCH.

THANK YOU, JACKIE.

UM, OUR

[II.2. Monthly Project Connect Program Update]

GOOD, GOOD, GOOD AFTERNOON, MADAM CHAIR, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, UH, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR CLARK.

UH, I'D LIKE TO GO AHEAD AND GIVE YOU AN UPDATE ON THE PROGRESS WE'VE BEEN MAKING, UH, ON THE PROGRAM ITSELF.

AND AS WE'RE STARTING TO MOVE FORWARD, NOT ONLY WITH SCOPING, BUT ALSO WITH, UH, PRELIMINARY ENGINEERING PROCESS.

WE'VE STARTED TO DO WORK IN THE FIELD, UH, THAT IS CONNECTED WITH THE EARLY ENGINEERING, UH, TO BE ABLE TO GO AHEAD AND GET, FOR EXAMPLE, SOIL BORINGS, UH, WHERE WE'RE GONNA PUT THE BRIDGE ACROSS THE LAKE DOWN AT THE FOOT OF TRINITY.

UH, AND ALSO THE TUNNEL UNDER THE LAKE PARALLEL TO THE FIRST STREET BRIDGE.

UH, THE PICTURE'S ON THE RIGHT, UH, THE UPPER PICTURE IS THE BARGE ITSELF WITH THE DRILLING RIG, UH, ON IT.

AND THEN YOU CAN SEE THE LOWER RIGHT, UH, IS WHERE IT'S MOORED TO BE ABLE TO GO AHEAD, UH, AND DO THOSE BORING.

SO WE DID TWO AT EACH LOCATION, UH, DOWN TO A POINT THAT, UH, FOR THE TUNNEL PORTION THAT WE GOT, WELL BELOW WHAT THE BOTTOM OF THE TUNNEL WOULD BE.

UH, AND THEN FOR THE PORTION THAT'S THE BRIDGE LOOKING, UH, FOR A POINT THAT GETS YOU INTO SOLID ROCK, THAT WOULD BE THE FOUNDATION FOR THE BRIDGE.

WE'RE, WE'RE ALSO IN THE PROCESS OF ESTABLISHING AND SERVING, UH, THE RIGHT OF WAY BOTH SIDES TO MAKE SURE THAT WE KNOW EXACTLY WHERE THAT LINE IS.

UH, SOME PLACES IN SOME LOCATIONS, YOU WIND UP WITH DIFFERENT DEVELOPMENTS AND OLDER STRUCTURES THAT SOMETIMES CAN ENCROACH ON THAT RIGHT OF WAY.

SO THAT'S THE PROCESS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE KNOW THAT WE'VE, WE'VE GOT THAT ALL CORRECTLY DONE.

UH, WE CONTINUE COORDINATION WITH THE CITY, UH, A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF COORDINATION AND COOPERATION, UH, WITH ANIQUE BODAY AND HER GROUP, UH, TO BE ABLE TO GO AHEAD AND LOOK AT THE GUIDEWAY LOCATIONS, TO LOOK AT WHAT THE WIDTHS WILL BE, STATION LOCATIONS, ADDITIONAL RIGHT OF WAY THAT MAY BE NECESSARY.

ALSO, WHAT'S VERY IMPORTANT IS THE COORDINATION ON THE UTILITIES.

UH, WE'VE STARTED THAT IN ERNST WITH THE WORK THAT'S THERE WITH AUSTIN ENERGY, UH, STARTING TO LOOK AT THINGS THAT GOES INTO PARK AND REC SO THAT WE'RE SEEING WHERE THINGS ARE AND WHAT'S GOING ON AS WE TRY TO ADVANCE THE DESIGN.

IN ADDITION, UH, WE'VE GONE AHEAD AND SENT OUT A SERIES, UH, RIGHT OF ENTRY LETTERS THAT YOU ALL SHOULD HAVE RECEIVED A COPY OF THE LETTER AND THE INDIVIDUAL PROPERTIES THAT THEY WERE GOING TO.

THIS IS NOTHING THAT IS INTRUSIVE OR A PURCHASE PROCESS, IT'S SOMETHING THAT GOES INTO LOOKING AT WHAT THE ARCHEOLOGICAL AND OTHER ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES MAY BE ON ANY ONE PIECE OF PROPERTY.

SO THOSE ARE THE ONES THAT WE'VE IDENTIFIED AS THE FIRST GROUP.

AND, AND THAT IS THE BLUE LINE.

WE WILL HAVE A COMPARABLE NUMBER THAT WILL BE THERE FOR THE ORANGE KNOT LINE.

UH, AND WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF DEVELOPING THAT RIGHT NOW.

UH, SO THAT'S WHAT WE ALSO WIND UP DOING AS WE, AS WE GO FORWARD.

UTILITY SURVEY WORK, UH, IS LOOKING FOR THE, UH, MORE EXACTING LOCATION, UH, WHERE WE'RE GOING AT, WE'RE OPENING MANHOLES, LOOKING FOR THE LOCATION, UH, OF SEWER LINES, THINGS OF THAT NATURE, VALVE BOXES, UH, SO THAT WE CAN GET THAT DETAILED INFORMATION, NOT ONLY HORIZONTALLY, BUT ALSO HOW DEEP IT IS BELOW THE SURFACE, BECAUSE THAT'S GONNA BE A KEY.

AND, AND THIS IS REALLY THE FOUNDATION, THE STARTING POINT FOR US TO GO AHEAD AND ADVANCE THE PRELIMINARY ENGINEERING.

[00:40:02]

UH, THIS IS AN UPDATE.

UH, JACKIE STARTED TO TALK ABOUT IT AND WENT THROUGH, UH, THE DIFFERENT NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT, THAT ATTENDED AND PARTICIPATED, WHETHER IT WAS, UH, ONLINE WITH, THROUGH THE VIRTUAL, WHETHER IT WAS THE SELF-GUIDED, UH, TOUR.

UH, IT IS THE SAME FORMAT THAT WE ADOPTED LAST SPRING, UH, WHEN WE HAD TO PIVOT FROM THE IN-PERSON MEETINGS OVER TO VIRTUAL MEETINGS.

SO THOSE HAVE ALL BEEN COMPLETED.

UH, THE ACCESS, AS I BELIEVE YOU'VE ALL SEEN, UH, THE PRESENTATION IS AVAILABLE ONLINE AT THAT ADDRESS.

UH, WE ALSO HAVE GOT PARTICIPATING IN COOPERATING AGENCIES.

THOSE LETTERS ARE OUT TO EACH ONE OF THEM.

UH, AND WE'LL GO INTO MORE DETAIL LATER IN THE, THE FOLLOW ON PRESENTATION ABOUT NEPA OF WHAT'S THERE AND WHAT IT MEANS FOR A COOPERATING AND PARTICIPATING AGENCY.

UH, WE'VE STARTED TO DO THE AGENCY SCOPING MEETINGS.

WE HAD THE MAJOR ONE YESTERDAY.

UH, AND I BELIEVE WE HAD JUST ABOUT ALL OF THE LOCAL AGENCIES, UH, INVOLVED.

UH, WE DIDN'T HAVE PARTICIPATION, UH, FROM A COUPLE OF THE ONES THAT ARE CENTERED IN WASHINGTON, DC WE DIDN'T HAVE THE CORE OF ENGINEERS, BUT WE'RE HAVING A FOLLOW UP MEETING WITH THEM.

UH, WE'VE BEEN HAVING CONVERSATIONS AND HELD OUR FIRST MEETING WITH CHIPO, UH, TO GO AHEAD AND LOOK AT ANYTHING THAT ARE THE HISTORIC ASPECTS.

UH, AND WE PUT THE GROUNDWORK IN PLACE FOR THAT, UH, IN A MEETING ON THE 25TH OF JANUARY FOR THE ORIGIN AND FOR THE BLUE.

AND ALL OF THIS THAT'S GOING INTO THIS, UM, THIS CANNOT HAPPEN WITHOUT THE COORDINATION AND TIGHT COORDINATION AND WORK THAT WE'VE GOT THANKS TO THE PROJECT CONNECT, UH, OFFICE AND THE TEAM THAT, THAT THE CITY OF AUSTIN HAS SET UP, AND THAT WE'VE GOT UNDER YOUR LEADERSHIP OVER THERE, UH, TO ENSURE THAT, THAT, UH, THAT, THAT A TP AT METRO AND CITY OF AUSTIN ARE WORKING SO INTRICATELY TOGETHER TO ENSURE THAT WE CAN MAKE THIS HAPPEN.

NOPE, SORRY.

UH, METRO RAPID.

UH, THESE ARE THE COMPANION PROJECTS.

THESE ARE THE ONES THAT ARE BEING EXECUTED UNDER THE CAP METRO UMBRELLA.

UH, THE FIRST TWO LINES FOR THE METRO RAPID, UH, WILL BE THE EXPRE, THE EXPO LINE IN PLEASANT VALLEY, CURRENTLY DOING FIELD VERIFICATION, ESTABLISHING LOCATIONS OF STATIONS, AND DOING THAT, UH, QUICKER ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW.

UH, THIS IS A CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION AS OPPOSED TO SOMETHING THAT IS THE FULL ENVIRONMENTAL PROCESS LIKE WE HAVE ON ORANGE AND BLUE.

WE EXPECT THAT TO BE COMPLETED TOWARDS THE END OF MARCH.

UH, AND LET US GO AHEAD WITH FURTHERING THE DESIGN, UH, FOR THE RED LINE.

THE MCCULLOUGH STATION ADJACENT TO THE STADIUM CONCEPTS ARE UNDER DEVELOPMENT, UH, EVALUATING THE CIRCULATION, UH, WHAT WILL OCCUR AT THE BEGINNING, WHAT WILL HAPPEN AT THE ENDS OF GAMES, UH, THE BOARDING PATTERNS AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE.

UH, BROADMOOR TRACK DESIGN, UH, AT THE BROADMOOR PROJECT, UH, THAT'S BEING LOOKED AT IN FINALIZED, ADDRESSING SOME THINGS THAT ARE THERE FOR OPERATIONAL FLEXIBILITY.

AND THE OTHER PORTION THAT WILL BE THE, THE DOUBLE TRACKING FOR THE AREA THAT IS LAKELINE TO LEANDER, THAT'LL LET US GO FROM A 20 MINUTE FREQUENCY TO 15, UH, IS AT A HUNDRED PERCENT DESIGN, AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO MOVING FORWARD WITH THAT.

UH, ON THE NEIGHBORHOOD CIRCULATORS, UH, THE GUIDELINES, UH, ARE UNDERWAY.

THEY'RE BEING PUT TOGETHER AND THEY'LL BE PRESENTED TO THE CAP METRO BOARD, UH, IN THE MONTH, UH, LATER THIS MONTH, UH, FOR ADOPTATION.

SO THAT'S THE OVERALL UPDATE ON EVERYTHING THAT'S WITHIN PROJECT CONNECT, BOTH, UH, LIGHT RAIL, UH, THE COMMUTER RAIL, AND EVERYTHING THAT ARE THE OTHER COMPONENTS, UH, WITH METRO RAPID, UH, AND RED LINE WORK.

AND I'D BE GLAD TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS.

THANK YOU, MR. COUCH.

UH, THERE ANY QUESTIONS FROM THE GROUP FOR MEMBER BILL, PLEASE? YEAH, YEAH.

THANKS DAVE.

I, I DON'T HAVE A QUESTION, BUT MORE JUST A COMMENT.

I REALLY APPRECIATE THE UPDATE AND I, I KNOW I'M PREACHING TO THE CHOIR WHEN I SAY THIS TO YOU, UH, DAVE, BUT, YOU KNOW, GEOTECHNICAL ANALYSIS AND INVESTIGATION KNOWING BASICALLY WHAT'S IN THE GROUND AND UTILITY RELOCATION IS A KEY PROGRAM RISK, AND I KNOW YOU KNOW THAT.

SO THE MORE WORK WE CAN DO HERE IS GONNA PAY BIG DIVIDENDS FOR US WHEN WE HELP GET CONTRACTORS COMFORTABLE WITH THE RISK, THEY'RE ASSUMING, UH, AND ARE SHARING AND REDUCE CONTRACTOR RISK CONTINGENCIES.

SO, UH, I APPLAUD YOU FOR THAT AND, UH, KEEP ON GOING.

IT'S, YOU CAN NEVER DO ENOUGH OF THIS TYPE OF WORK.

WE WE'RE TO ADDRESS THAT AND TO LOOK AT THE QUANTITY THAT WE'RE DOING OVER BETWEEN NOW AND THE BEGINNING OF JULY.

UH, WE'RE LOOKING AND WORKING WITH, UH, GINA'S FOLKS AND ANIQUE, WE'RE GONNA NEED SOME 275 PERMITS TO DO ALL THE LOCATIONS THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT.

SO WE'RE DOING IT EXTENSIVELY.

BOARD MEMBER STRATHAM, UH, KINDA LIKE BOARD MEMBER ELKINS, JUST TO COMMENT, UH, GINA TO YOU AND YOUR TEAM, THANK YOU.

UM, WHEN, WHEN I HEAR, UH, MR. COUCH TALKING ABOUT 200 AND SOMETHING PERMITS THAT ARE GONNA BE NEEDED

[00:45:01]

SO THANK YOU AGAIN.

WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE REALLY APPRECIATIVE OF, OF THE ONE YOU BEING HERE IN THIS MEETING, AND THEN TWO, YOUR TEAM AND EVERYTHING THAT THEY'RE DOING BEHIND THE SCENES TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN.

I APPRECIATE THAT BOARD MEMBER.

WE'VE REALLY BEEN IN LOCKSTEP AND, AND WE CERTAINLY APPRECIATE ALL OF THE HARD WORK AND THE COLLABORATION WITH DAVE COUCH.

WE'VE BEEN WORKING YEARS WITH, UH, THIS TEAM, AND SO WE'VE, UH, STOOD UP THE PROJECT CONNECT OFFICE AND, UH, WE'VE REALLY HIT THE GROUND RUNNING.

SO I APPRECIATE THOSE KIND WORDS, AND WE'LL BE SURE TO PASS THEM ALONG TO THE STAFF.

I DO HAVE A COMMENT.

I MEAN, SOMETIMES DOING THIS, UM, EXPLORATIONS REQUIRED ROAD CLOSURES MM-HMM .

ESPECIALLY WITH DOING WORK IN THE RIGHT OF WAY.

HOW ARE WE PRIORITIZING THESE STUDIES OVER, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES WE HAVE TO INCONVENIENCE DRIVERS IN SOME WAYS BECAUSE WE'RE DETOURING TRAFFIC, BUT HOW, HOW ARE WE DOING BE PROACTIVELY KEEPING THE COMMITTEE INFORMED THAT THIS IS GONNA BE, UM, AN INCONVENIENCE THAT'S SHORT-LIVED WHILE WE DO THESE EXPLORATIONS? MM-HMM .

NO, IT, UH, IT, IT BASICALLY, UH, EACH ONE OF THESE BORINGS IS FOUR TO 500 FEET APART.

UH, IT INVOLVES NORMALLY A LANE CLOSURE.

UH, WE'RE WORKING TOWARDS DOING THINGS IN SOME EXPANDED HOURS, UH, WITH THE DECREASE IN TRAFFIC IN DOWNTOWN, UH, AS A RESULT OF THE EFFECTS OF COVID, UH, WE'RE LOOKING, FOR EXAMPLE, A LOT OF THEM GO ACROSS FOURTH STREET.

UH, SO THAT GIVES US A LOCATION WHERE THE TRAFFIC IS NOT AS HEAVY AT THIS POINT IN TIME.

AND WE'RE WORKING THROUGH THAT WITH, UH, GENUS FOLKS TO BE ABLE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE GETTING MAXIMUM ADVANTAGE OF IT.

UH, WHEN WE START TO DO THINGS ON THE BLUE LINE, IT'S, IT'S REALLY ACROSS RIVERSIDE, UH, AND THERE ARE SUFFICIENT, THERE'S THREE LANES IN EACH DIRECTION NOW.

UH, SO IT DOES REQUIRE THE CLOSURE OF A CLOSURE OF A LANE, UH, AND SOME TRAFFIC STAGING.

UH, BUT IT ISN'T SOMETHING THAT, UH, IS TAKING, UH, SOMETHING OUTTA SERVICE FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME.

THANK YOU, CHAIR, CHAIR.

I'LL JUST ADD INTO THAT.

UM, 'CAUSE, UH, FOR THE MOST PART, THESE ARE VERY MINOR IMPACTS RIGHT NOW.

WE WILL HAVE A VERY, VERY, VERY SIGNIFICANT, UH, DISRUPTION IN, IN, IN IMPACTS IN THE FUTURE, TO SAY THE LEAST.

UH, BUT TO YOUR POINT, WHEN WE GET ENOUGH STAFF ON BOARD, ONE OF THE CONCEPTS WE WANNA DO IS AN ACCOUNTABILITY AND TRANSPARENCY DASHBOARD.

AND IN THAT, WE WANT TO HAVE A SECTION THAT IS ALL ABOUT, UH, ROADWAY INTERRUPTIONS.

AND SO TAKING FROM THE CITY INTERFACE, PLUS OTHER THINGS LIKE CAP METRO SERVICE, OR IT COULD BE TEXT DOT AND FUNNELING THAT INTO ONE EASY TO USE INTERFACE FOR ALL LOCAL MEDIA AND THE PUBLIC AT LARGE TO SEE DAY BY DAY AND A LITTLE, LITTLE, AND A BIT OF A LOOK AHEAD TO SEE HOW THINGS ARE GOING TO PROGRESS.

AND THAT'LL BE REALLY IMPORTANT WHEN WE GET INTO REAL, LIKE, CONSTRUCTION.

RIGHT NOW WE'RE IN THE DUE DILIGENCE PROCESS, BUT WE WE'RE, WE WANNA WORK AND MAKE THAT REALLY, UH, KIND OF A, AN EASY TO USE, YET SOPHISTICATED TOOL TO SHOW MAPPING AND, UH, EN ROUTE IMPACTS AND ALL OF THOSE KIND OF THINGS.

AND SOME OF THE OTHER LARGER PROGRAMS IN THE COUNTRY HAVE DONE A REALLY NICE JOB OF THAT.

AND WE WILL STEAL LIBERALLY FROM THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE FIGURED IT OUT THE BEST.

UM, JUST OUT OF CURIOSITY, THIS IS JUST FOR MY OWN, UH, KNOWLEDGE.

I MEAN, HOW, HOW DEEP WERE THOSE BORINGS IN THE LAKE? HOW, HOW DEEP DID WE GO? UM, WE'RE DOWN AT THE AREA THAT IS AT FIRST STREET, UH, THE TOP OF SOMEWHERE IN THE 80 FOOT RANGE, UH, WHERE, WHERE YOU GET TO THE BOTTOM OF THE LAKE.

AND THE NORMAL RULE OF THUMB IS A TUNNEL DIAMETER, UH, UNTIL YOU GET TO THE TOP OF THE TUNNEL.

UH, AND THEN THE TUNNEL WILL BE ABOUT 20 FEET IN DIAMETER.

UH, SO YOU GET BELOW THAT TO MAKE SURE, AND WHAT YOU'RE REALLY LOOKING FOR IS WHAT'S THE ROCK THAT YOU'RE GONNA ENCOUNTER IN THAT FACE, UH, AND ALSO MAKING SURE THAT YOU'RE BELOW AND WELL INTO THE ROCK, UH, SO THAT YOU'RE NOT IN ANY AREA ABOVE THAT.

SO ABOUT 80 FEET, MAYBE, MAYBE 90 FEET IN SOME LOCATIONS.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

DOES ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR MR. COUCH? NO.

THANK YOU SO MUCH, DAVID.

SO NOW WE'RE GONNA HAVE OUR FINAL DISCUSSION ITEM.

[II.3. Organizational Development Presentation]

IT'S A PRESENTATION FROM GREG CANELLI.

HE'S THE A TP CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER AND BOSTON CONSULTING GROUP

[00:50:01]

ON A TP ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT.

GREG CANAL WILL SET THE STAGE WITH A SHORT PRESENTATION, AND THEN NATALIE BUTLER WITH BCG WILL INTRODUCE HER TEAM AND SHARE HER PRESENTATION.

MR. CANAL.

GOOD, GOOD AFTERNOON, MADAM CHAIR, MADAM VICE CHAIR, UH, BOARD MEMBERS AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR CLARK.

UM, THANKS FOR, UH, LETTING US GO THROUGH THIS TOPIC THIS AFTERNOON.

THIS IS REALLY A CONTINUATION OF OUR, OF OUR, OF THE IDEA OF US AS AN ORGANIZATION AS WE BEGIN CREATING OUR ORGANIZATION, STANDING IT UP AND DOING ALL THE WORK.

AS YOU CAN SEE, A LOT OF THE WORK IS ALREADY UNDERWAY, UM, WITH, WITH DAVE'S TEAM.

UM, BUT AS WE BUILD THE FOUNDATION OF A TP, WE WANTED TO TALK SOME MORE ABOUT THAT TODAY AND, AND ALSO LAY OUT HOW WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT IT IN THE FUTURE.

UM, SO THIS IS A SLIDE THAT YOU'VE NOW SEEN, UH, MANY TIMES, AND I THINK YOU WILL SEE IT MANY TIMES.

IN FACT, I THINK EVEN IN THIS SLIDE DECK, IT'S GONNA SHOW UP ONCE OR TWICE MORE.

UM, THIS REALLY IS THE TABULAR THAT THE VOTERS APPROVED IN TERMS OF THE SEQUENCING PLAN FOR ALL OF THE PROJECT CONNECT PROGRAM, THE PROJECTS THAT ARE PART OF THE PROGRAM.

WHAT WE'VE DONE ON THIS ONE THOUGH, WE'VE ACTUALLY ADDED A, A, A A, UM, ALMOST AN EFFORT THAT GOES ALONG WITH ALL OF THE PROJECTS THEMSELVES, WHICH IS THE PROGRAM OVERSIGHT AND THE MANAGEMENT OF THAT AS ITS OWN KIND OF DELIBERATE, UH, ACTION AND THOUGHT THAT WE NEED TO GO THROUGH.

AND SO THAT'S WHAT WE WANNA TALK ABOUT TODAY.

UM, UH, BOTH BIG PICTURE AND THEN HAVE NATALIE WITH BCG START TALKING ABOUT SOME OF THESE FOUNDATIONAL, ORGANIZATIONAL, UM, UH, PROCESSES THAT WE'RE GOING THROUGH.

SO ON THE NEXT SLIDE, SO AS WE SAID, WE'RE, WE'RE REALLY LOOKING AT, UM, WELL OUT INTO THE FUTURE, OUT INTO 2033.

THAT'S THE LONG TERM, THE MIDTERM.

UM, AS WE MOVE MORE, UH, BEYOND, UH, THE, THE DESIGN PHASE ACTUALLY INTO KIND OF PRELIMINARY ENGINEERING, THE MIDTERM.

SO WE WANT TO FOCUS TODAY REALLY ON THE NEAR TERM, BECAUSE EVEN IN THE NEAR TERM, WE HAVE LOTS OF WORK THAT WE'RE, THAT WE ARE GOING THROUGH.

AND WE WANTED TO PUT A, A KIND OF A VISUAL TOGETHER TO HELP EXPLAIN WHERE WE ALL ARE TOGETHER AS WE GO THROUGH THIS, UM, TO LAY OUT SOME OF THE, SOME OF THE TASKS THAT ARE REALLY EVEN IN THE, IN THE NEAR TERM, UM, AND SHOW YOU WHERE, WHAT THE TIMELINE OF THOSE ARE AND WHERE WE BELIEVE WE ARE IN THE PROGRESS OF THOSE.

SO IT STARTED, UH, AND IT WON'T GO THROUGH EACH OF THESE, BUT IT STARTED OBVIOUSLY WITH CREATING THE BOARD AND THE BYLAWS AND THE OFFICERS, UM, GETTING THE INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY AND CAP METRO.

WE HAD A MAJOR STEP AT OUR FIRST BOARD MEETING, APPROVING THE FIRST YEAR, THE FIRST BUDGET EVER OF A TP.

UM, WE'RE NOW MOVING ON TO DOING THINGS LIKE OUR STAFFING AND OUR, WE'LL HAVE AN UPDATE ON THE STAFFING PLAN LATER IN THE PRESENTATION, SECURING OFFICE SPACE FOR THE TEAM AS IT GETS BUILT OUT WORKING, UH, ON THE TECHNICAL SUPPORT TEAM.

THERE'S AN ITEM, UH, WITH THAT TODAY ON THE AGENDA, UH, WITH THE TECHNICAL SUPPORT TEAM WITH THAT, UH, GINA WAS TALKING ABOUT.

AND, AND, AND DAVE WAS TALKING ABOUT, UH, THAT THE REALLY NECESSARY PART OF, OF THE TEAM, UM, TALKING ABOUT NEPA.

THERE'LL BE A PRESENTATION ON THAT TODAY AS WELL.

AND THEN THE COMMITTEES, UH, THAT JACKIE WAS ABLE TO GO THROUGH.

UM, AND THEN ADDITIONAL, THE TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY DASHBOARD.

THE NEXT SLIDE SHOWS YOU A FEW MORE OF THESE ON SLIDE 16.

UM, THE ILA WITH THE ANTI DISPLACEMENT THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO TOUCH ON.

AND THEN REALLY STARTING THE FOUNDATIONAL WORK ON BRINGING ON ADDITIONAL, UH, RESOURCES, PROFESSIONAL SERVICES, ESPECIALLY AROUND LEGAL AND REAL ESTATE TO HELP US FOUNDATIONALLY SET UP A TP.

SO AGAIN, WE JUST DON'T WANNA KIND OF SHOW THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING RIGHT NOW, HOW IT FITS IN WITH THE OVERALL, UM, TIMELINE OF THE SEQUENCING PLAN.

UM, THESE ARE IMPORTANT PROCESSES AND EFFORTS.

THEY'RE CONCURRENT.

UM, AS YOU CAN TELL, DAVE IS STILL MOVING FORWARD AND DOING THE WORK THAT HE NEEDS TO DO, BUT WE WANNA STAND UP THIS, THIS PART OF THE ORGANIZATION AS WELL.

AND THERE'S GONNA BE MORE INITIATIVES TO COME AS WE CONTINUE TO FILL THIS OUT.

BUT AGAIN, KIND OF WHERE WE ARE PLACED IN SPACE TOGETHER ON THIS, ON THIS PROCESS.

ON THE NEXT SLIDE, UM, WHAT WE REALLY WANNA LAY OUT FOR YOU IS THIS IDEA OF A SERIES OF INSIGHT AND INFORMATION SESSIONS.

SO AS WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IN THE FUTURE, THERE'S GONNA BE SOME VERY MAJOR DECISIONS AROUND FUNDING AND BONDS AND CONTRACTS.

AND, UM, BUT TO GET TO THAT, THERE'S JUST A LOT OF, UH, UM, TOPICS THAT WE ALL NEED TO DO DEEPER DIVES ON TOGETHER.

UM, AND SO THESE INFORMATION AND INSIGHT SESSIONS WE THINK WILL BE IMPORTANT NOT ONLY FOR YOU AS A BOARD, BUT FOR THE COMMUNITY AS WELL TO SEE, SO THE COMMUNITY KNOWS WHERE WE'RE GOING AND WHERE AND HOW WE'RE GONNA, UM, KIND OF PROCESS THROUGH THE STEPS ON THIS.

SO, FOR EXAMPLE, TODAY WE'RE GONNA HAVE, WE HAVE ONE OF THE INFORMATION SESSIONS ON TODAY'S AGENDA AT THE END.

WE'RE GONNA GO THROUGH THE NEPA PROCESS IN MARCH.

WE WANT TO DO A, A THOROUGH, MORE THOROUGH DISCUSSION ABOUT THE FEDERAL GRANTS OVERVIEW.

AND YOU CAN SEE OVER THERE ON THE PARKING LOT, THE FUTURE TOPICS.

THERE'S, THERE'S LOTS OF FUTURE TOPICS TO GO THROUGH, UM, THAT WE WANT TO SCHEDULE AND LAYER OUT SO THAT EVENTUALLY ALL OF THESE TOPICS CAN COME TOGETHER AS THOSE, THOSE ACTUAL MAJOR

[00:55:01]

DECISIONS BEGIN TO GET MADE BY THE BOARD, AND WE BRING DECISIONS TO YOU TO MAKE.

UM, IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE'RE GONNA BE DOING A LOT OF CASE STUDIES AND, AND HOPEFULLY SOONER RATHER THAN LATER HERE, START GETTING OUT AND DOING SOME, SOME SITE VISITS AND, AND BEING TOGETHER AND, UM, AND TRYING TO UNDERSTAND BEST PRACTICES AROUND THE COUNTRY AND REALLY AROUND THE WORLD AND HOW WE CAN INCORPORATE THOSE BEST PRACTICE AND MAKE AND MAKE AUSTIN THE NEW BEST PRACTICE, UM, UH, FOR THE COUNTRY.

SO WITH THAT KIND OF, THAT'S KIND OF WHERE WE'RE GOING AND WHAT WE WANTED TO SET OUT THAT FRAMEWORK.

AND ON THE NEXT SLIDE, UM, JUST TO KIND OF BRING IT BACK TO WHERE WE ARE AGAIN, A TP, UH, WAS CREATED BY CAP METRO AND, AND THE CITY, UH, THE, THE LARGE, JUST KIND OF REFRAMING THE CHARGE THAT, THAT THE BOARD HAS THE DESIGN, THE ENGINEERING, CONSTRUCTION OVERSIGHT, MAJOR PROCUREMENTS THAT WILL BE COMING FORWARD, UM, A LOT TO DO WITH FINANCES, BUT ALSO REPORTING OUT US REPORTING TO YOU AND YOU REPRESENTING THE COMMUNITY AS WE REPORT OUT ON THE PROGRESS OF THAT.

UH, AND, AND A BOARD OPERATOR.

SO THAT'S JUST ALWAYS TO REMEMBER WHERE WE ARE AND HOW WE'RE APPROACHING, UH, THE ROLE THAT A TP HAS.

AND THEN ON THE NEXT SLIDE, UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE STARTED, AS, YOU KNOW, BRINGING IN SOME FOLKS TO HELP US WITH WHO HAVE BEEN THROUGH THIS WITH OTHER ORGANIZATIONS.

UM, AND THAT'S WITH BCG.

UM, AND THE TEAM IS HERE TODAY TO KIND OF WALK THROUGH WHAT THEY'VE BEEN DOING WITH US TO HELP US THINK ABOUT FOUNDATIONALLY SOME OF THIS WORK THAT WE NEED TO BE DOING TO SETTING UP THE ORGANIZATION WELL, UM, SO THAT WE CAN THEN, WHEN IT'S TIME TO EXECUTE, WE HAVE EVERYTHING KIND OF, WE'VE HAD, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO MAP EVERYTHING OUT SO THE EXECUTION IS WELL DESIGNED AND WELL THOUGHT OUT ON ALL OF THAT.

SO NATALIE'S GOING TO TAKE IT FROM HERE, I BELIEVE, ONTO THE NEXT SLIDE.

UM, IT'S WONDERFUL TO SEE ALL OF YOU EXCITED TO BE HERE TODAY.

UM, I'LL INTRODUCE MYSELF QUICKLY AND THEN LET MY COLLEAGUE ON THE PHONE DO THE SAME.

UM, MY NAME IS NATALIE BUTLER.

I'M A PROJECT LEADER WITH BCG HERE IN OUR AUSTIN OFFICE.

SO I'M SITTING DOWNTOWN, PROBABLY QUITE CLOSE TO SOME OF YOU.

UM, AND WE'VE BEEN SUPPORTING CAT METRO ON SEVERAL DIFFERENT ENDEAVORS, UM, ONE EARLIER IN THE SPRING OF 2020, AND THEN ON THIS PARTICULAR QUESTION SINCE NOVEMBER OF 2020.

UM, AND IT'S BEEN AN ABSOLUTE PLEASURE WORKING WITH EVERYONE.

UM, MY COLLEAGUE RICH IS ON THE PHONE, SO I'D LOVE TO GIVE HIM A CHANCE TO INTRODUCE HIMSELF AND THEN WE WILL DIVE INTO SOME OF THESE TOPICS.

YEAH, NATALIE, I'LL BE BRIEF AND THEN GET BACK TO YOU, NATALIE, BUT RICH DEVIA, A PARTNER IN OUR BOSTON OFFICE.

UM, I DO SPEND A FAIR AMOUNT OF MY TIME AT BCG ADVISING TRANSIT, UM, CLIENTS BOTH HERE IN THE US AND GLOBALLY.

UH, BEEN AT BCG ABOUT FOUR YEARS.

AND BEFORE THAT MYSELF HAVE, UH, SOME HANDS-ON TRANSPORTATION EXPERIENCE.

I WAS THE STATE TRANSPORTATION SECRETARY IN MASSACHUSETTS FOR THREE YEARS, UH, FOR THE PREVIOUS, UH, OUR PREVIOUS GOVERNOR OF AL PATRICK ALSO RAN THE MBTA IN BOSTON FOR A FEW YEARS, AND THE COMMUTER RAIL SYSTEM THERE, UH, BEFORE THAT.

SO BETWEEN NATALIE AND MYSELF AND FOLKS WHO WERE NOT ON THE PHONE, A BUNCH OF EXPERTS THAT WE LEVERAGED, UH, THAT'S HOW WE ARE BRINGING SOME INFORMATION FORWARD TO YOU TODAY AND LOOK FORWARD TO THE CONVERSATION.

ANY QUESTIONS, OF COURSE YOU MAY HAVE.

SO NATALIE, I'LL KICK IT BACK TO YOU.

CAN YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE? SO, AS A QUICK OVERVIEW, THE FOCUS OF THE, OF OUR EFFORTS SINCE NOVEMBER HAS BEEN REALLY ON THREE DISTINCT QUESTIONS.

THE FIRST ONE IS REALLY AROUND THE BOARD.

UM, Y'ALL PLAY A KEY ROLE IN PROJECT CONNECT'S OVERALL SUCCESS.

AND SO WE WANTED TO DO SOME DETAILED BENCHMARKING AROUND OTHER SUCCESSFUL TRANSIT BOARDS OR WHAT WE CAN LEARN FROM THOSE THAT HAVE HAD STRUGGLES AND REALLY WHAT ROLE DOES THE BOARD PLAY AND HOW IS THAT GOING TO EVOLVE OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS.

UM, AND THEN WE ALSO LOOK PRETTY DEEP AT THIS QUESTION OF THE ORGANIZATION.

A TP IS A NEW ORGANIZATION, UH, STARTING FROM ESSENTIALLY SCRATCH WITH A LOT OF SUPPORT FROM CAP METRO IN THE CITY.

AND SO HOW DO WE WANT TO SET UP THAT ORGANIZATION TO RUN TO DELIVER THIS PROGRAM SUCCESSFULLY? THE THIRD QUESTION WE DID SOME RESEARCH AROUND AS WELL WAS, IS THE SORT OF NITTY GRITTY OF THE WORK PACKAGES AND DELIVERY MODELS FOR THE PROJECT ITSELF.

UM, WE WON'T BE GETTING INTO DETAIL ON THAT TODAY.

WE'VE SHARED A LOT OF OUR RESEARCH AND LEARNING WITH THE PROJECT TO CONNECT THE A TP AND CAT METRO TEAMS. UM, BUT SOME OF THOSE DECISIONS ARE STILL QUITE FAR OUT, SO WE WON'T BE GETTING INTO DETAIL ON THAT PIECE TODAY.

SO I'LL BE FOCUSING OUR TIME ON THIS BOARD QUESTION SOME OF THOSE DECISIONS, AND THEN SETTING UP THE ORGANIZATION FOR SUCCESS.

IF YOU COULD GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.

THEN THE NEXT ONE.

TYPES WITH A LOT OF BENCHMARKING AND EX EXPERT SUPPORT, IDENTIFY KEY PARTNERS, AND THEN PRIORITIZE BOARD ACTIVITIES GIVEN HOW WE WANT TO USE YOUR TIME OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS.

SO ON THIS QUESTION OF THE, THE BOARD ROADMAP AND REALLY WHAT DOES THE, WHAT ROLE DOES THE BOARD PLAY AND HOW CAN THE BOARD, UM, BE SET UP TO DELIVER THE PROGRAM SUCCESSFULLY? WE, LIKE I SAID, WE DID BENCHMARKING CONSULTANT EXPERTS, UM, AND LOOKED AT BEST PRACTICES IN THIS SPACE TO TRY TO UNDERSTAND A LOT OF OUR, OUR FOCUS WAS ON THESE FIRST TWO TOPICS, SO THE DECISION TYPES THAT WILL COME TO THE BOARD, AND THEN THE CRITERIA FOR WHAT DECISIONS ARE ESCALATED TO THE BOARD OR NOT.

UM, WE ALSO SPENT SOME TIME THINKING ABOUT THE ROADMAP OF OVERALL YOUR ACTIVITIES AND LEARNING KEY PARTNERS AS WELL AS WHAT WE CAN LEARN FROM OTHER PROGRAMS IN ORDER TO DO THIS.

UM, WE CATEGORIZE COMMON DECISION

[01:00:01]

IF YOU'LL GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, UM, AS GREG TALKED ABOUT EARLIER, YOU'VE SEEN THIS CHART MANY A TIME.

UM, BUT AS THE PROGRAM EVOLVES, THE SORTS OF DECISIONS AND LEARNING REQUIRED OF THIS BOARD WILL CHANGE OVER TIME.

UM, YOU'LL DIFFERENT THINGS AND DECISIONS, UM, AND KEY THINGS WILL COME TO YOU.

AND SO WE KNOW THAT THE, THE BOARD AND ALL THE THINGS THAT YOU WILL BE DOING AND THAT WE'LL BE, YOU'LL BE SPENDING YOUR TIME DOING WILL EVOLVE AS THE PROGRAM ITSELF EVOLVES.

AND WE'RE, LIKE GREG SAID, WE'RE STILL AT THIS, THAT INITIAL BEGINNING OF THE PROGRAM SEQUENCE HERE.

SO WE'LL GO TO THE NEXT PAGE TO GET A LITTLE BIT DEEPER INTO THAT.

AS WE SPOKE WITH OTHER, YOU KNOW, EXPERTS GOVERNING BODIES, ET CETERA, AT OTHER LARGE TRANSIT PROGRAMS AND EXPANSIONS, WHAT WE REALLY HEARD A LOT IS THAT THESE, ESPECIALLY WITH A LARGE PROGRAM LIKE THIS, THIS THESE FIRST FEW YEARS, REALLY THE FIRST TWO YEARS WE THINK HERE WILL A LOT OF YOUR TIME AND ENERGY AND THEN THE STAFF'S TIME AND ENERGY IN SUPPORTING YOU WILL BE SPENT ON ORIENTATION, PROGRAM D DILIGENCE, AND CRITICALLY THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE OPERATING POLICIES AND PROCEDURES TO HAVE IN PLACE TO DO THIS SUCCESSFULLY OVER TIME.

I KNOW THAT Y'ALL ARE VERY WELL UNDERWAY IN THIS PRO THIS PRO THIS PROCESS OF DEVELOPING THOSE POLICIES AND IT WILL CONTINUE.

A FEW THINGS THAT WE THINK ALSO FALL UNDER HERE ARE JUST CONTINUED, YOU KNOW, EDUCATION AND ENGAGEMENT, SITE VISITS, UNDERSTANDING BEST PRACTICES, ET CETERA, APPROVING INITIAL BUDGETS, SETTING UP PROCUREMENT POLICIES, ET CETERA.

AND WE REALLY THINK THAT AFTER 2022 IS WHEN A LOT OF YOUR TIME WILL SHIFT INTO MORE ACTIVE OVERSIGHT OF THE PROGRAM AND CONTRACTING AND OVERSIGHT OF CONTRACTING DECISIONS.

UM, THAT'S NOT TO SAY THAT YOU WON'T HAVE LARGE PROCUREMENT DECISIONS THAT HAVE BEEN BEFORE 2023.

YOU VERY WELL MAY, BUT AT 20, 23 AND ONWARD IS REALLY WHEN THE BULK OF YOUR TIME AND ENERGY AS A BOARD OF DIRECTORS WILL BE AROUND APPROVING KEY DECISIONS, ADAPTING POLICIES AS NEEDED FROM, FROM WHAT YOU KNOW, HOW THOSE FIRST FEW DECISIONS GO, ET CETERA.

AND, AND NATALIE, I MIGHT JUST MIGHT SAY, BUT THE NEXT 18 MONTHS OR SO ARE, ARE, ARE OBVIOUSLY CRITICALLY IMPORTANT TO THE BOARD.

'CAUSE WHAT YOU'RE GONNA DO IS ESTABLISHING SOME OF THESE POLICIES, DBE CONTRACTS FOR EXAMPLE, OR WE'VE SEEN OTHER ORGANIZATIONS ESTABLISH, UM, YOU KNOW, OPPORTUNITIES FOR APPRENTICESHIP AND JOBS FOR FOR LOCAL, UM, YOU KNOW, FOR LOCAL FOLKS IN PLACES LIKE LOS ANGELES.

WE DID IT IN BOSTON.

SO, YOU KNOW, THESE ARE THE, THESE ARE THE MOMENTS WHERE YOU AS A BOARD WILL BE ABLE TO WORKING WITH THE STAFF AND THE TEAM TO THINK ABOUT HOW THE POLICIES THAT YOU ESTABLISH CAN REALLY LEAVE A BIG MARK FOR THE COMMUNITY, FOR EXAMPLE, OVER THE NEXT DECADE OR SO.

SO, YOU KNOW, UH, NOT TO UNDERSTATE ALL THE WORK YOU HAVE AHEAD OF YOU, BUT, UH, SOME OPPORTUNITY IN THESE COMING MONTHS TO THINK ABOUT HOW TO HAVE A LASTING IMPACT.

UH, THEN YOU OF COURSE GET TO OVERSIGHT, CONTRACT APPROVAL, THE RISK, UH, MANAGEMENT, I THINK FOR EXAMPLE, THAT, UH, MEMBER ELKINS TALKED ABOUT EARLIER.

SO, YEP.

THEN ON THE HIGHER END IN, UH, TORONTO, THE CEO SIGNATURE AUTHORITY, UM, HAS BETWEEN 10 AND $20 MILLION, DEPENDING ON SOME EARMARKS FOR GOVERNMENT PRE-APPROVAL.

IF YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.

SO ONE AREA, LIKE I PREVIEWED EARLIER WHERE WE DID A DEEP DIVE WAS DECISIONS THAT COME TO A BOARD OF DIRECTORS IN A PROGRAM LIKE THIS.

UM, WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT THINGS THAT WILL BE REQUIRED FOR YOUR APPROVAL? WHAT ARE DIFFERENT, YOU KNOW, TOPICS THAT ARE LIKELY TO COME BEFORE YOU? SO THE FIRST PHASE OF OUR RESEARCH HERE WAS REALLY AROUND BENCHMARKING.

SO WE SPOKE WITH A LOT OF FOLKS WHO HAVE WORKED IN STAFF ROLES AND GOVERNANCE ROLES, UM, AT SIMILAR PROGRAMS AND REALLY CATEGORIZED AT HIGH LEVEL THE KEY DECISIONS THAT ARE LIKELY TO COME BEFORE YOU.

I KNOW YOU'VE SEEN A NUMBER OF THESE, UH, ALREADY, MAYBE TODAY EVEN, AND WE'LL SEE MORE OF THESE IN THE FUTURE.

BUT THESE REALLY FALL IN SIX MAIN CATEGORIES.

UM, YOU KNOW, APPROVE, LIKE, APPROVE OVERALL OBJECTIVES OF THE PROJECT, KEY APPROVE KEY BUSINESS PROCESSES, OVERSEE THE FTA PROCESS, UM, UNDERSTAND AND APPROVE MAJOR PROJECT DESIGN AND DELIVERY DECISIONS.

AND THEN SELECT AND APPROVE CONTRACTS, UM, BASED ON THE LEADERSHIP RECOMMENDATIONS.

AND FINALLY, APPROVE A CUSTOMER FACING STRATEGY.

AND AS WAS TALKED ABOUT EARLIER TODAY, UM, THIS, YOU KNOW, FOCUS ON WORKING WITH THE COMMUNITY IS INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT.

AND ALL OF YOU HAVE A KEY ROLE TO PLAY THERE.

YOU'LL GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.

ANOTHER AREA WHERE WE DID AN EVEN DOUBLE CLICK ON THESE DECISION MAKING QUESTION WAS AROUND THE FINANCIAL AUTHORITY.

SO ESSENTIALLY WHAT DECISION MAKING AND FINANCIAL, ESSENTIALLY SIGNATURE AUTHORITY DOES THE STAFF LEADERSHIP OF A TP HAVE, VIS-A-VIS THE BOARD AND WHAT DIFFERENT DECISIONS DO YOU AS A BOARD NEED TO APPROVE VERSUS THE STAFF HAVE THE ABILITY TO APPROVE? AND SO WE DID A DOUBLE CLICK ON THIS ONE BECAUSE IT'S IMPORTANT IN GETTING THIS ORGANIZATION SET UP SO THAT, YOU KNOW, WE CAN REALLY HIT THE GROUND RUNNING AND START TO DELIVER THE PROGRAM.

UM, AS YOU'LL SEE ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE OF THIS PAGE, THE BENCHMARKS VARY QUITE A BIT IN TERMS OF WHAT AUTHORITY BOARDS HAVE VERSUS CEOS OR EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS ON THE LOWER END.

UM, PHOENIX, THE VALLEY METRO PROGRAM, UH, THE CEO HAS $150,000 OF SIGNATURE AUTHORITY.

AND

[01:05:01]

SO IT'S A PRETTY LARGE SIGNATURE AUTHORITY THERE THAT'S IN CANADIAN DOLLARS.

UM, AND THEN ONE OF THE PROGRAM THAT'S LIKE SIMILAR SIZE IN SOME WAYS IS SEATTLE, THE SOUND TRANSIT PROGRAM.

THEY DIVIDE THEIR DECISION MAKING, UM, BASED ON PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AND CAPITAL CONTRACTS, AND THEN OTHER SERVICES AND CONTRACTS.

THEY HAVE, UH, 5 MILLION DO THE CEO HAS FIVE UP TO $5 MILLION OF SIGNATURE AUTHORITY ON PROFESSIONAL AND CAPITAL.

UM, AND THEN 2 MILLION ON OTHER TYPES OF, YOU KNOW, CONTRACTS AND PROCUREMENTS.

UM, IF YOU'LL GO TO THE NEXT PAGE, PLEASE, AS WE THOUGHT ABOUT AND, YOU KNOW, WORKED WITH THE A TP TEAM AS WELL AS EXPERTS AND THOUGHT ABOUT WHAT DECISION MAKING FRAMEWORK COULD MAKE SENSE FOR A TP AND FOR THE DELIVERY OF PROJECT CONNECT, WHAT MADE SENSE TO US WAS TO DIVIDE THIS DECISION MAKING, UH, QUESTION INTO TWO CATEGORIES.

ONE BEING ADMINISTRATIVE AND PROFESSIONAL SERVICES, AND THE OTHER BEING CAPITAL DECISIONS, YOU KNOW, CAPITAL EXPENDITURE.

UM, YOU KNOW, GIVEN THAT THESE ARE LIKELY TO LOOK QUITE DIFFERENT IN TERMS OF HOW THESE CONTRACTS WILL BE STRUCTURED, THE NATURE OF CHANGE ORDERS, ET CETERA, I THINK SEPARATING THEM THIS WAY MAKES QUITE A BIT OF SENSE.

UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK AS, AS RICH MIGHT SAY, IF YOU ASK A QUESTION OF HIM ONCE YOU SEE, SO YOU'VE SEEN ONE TRANSIT AGENCY, YOU'VE ONLY SEEN ONE TRANSIT AGENCY.

THERE ARE A LOT OF DIFFERENT WAYS TO SPLIT THIS UP.

BUT BASED ON OUR CONVERSATIONS HERE AND LEARNINGS FROM OTHER PROGRAMS, GENERALLY WE THINK THAT THIS SPLIT MAKES SENSE.

AND I WOULD JUST SAY, NATALIE, ONE OTHER POINT WHICH MAKES SOME OF THESE UNIQUE, AND AGAIN, I KNOW MANY OF YOU, IF NOT ALL OF YOU HAVE HAD THIS EXPERIENCE ON THE CAPITAL PROJECTS, FOR EXAMPLE, YOU'RE VERY LIKELY TO, FOR EXAMPLE, HAVE CONTINGENCIES OR, YOU KNOW, OTHER, UM, EITHER APPROVAL RIGHTS OR DELEGATED APPROVAL THAT YOU PROVIDE IN THE CAPITAL PROJECTS.

YOU'RE NOT GONNA HAVE THAT IN ADMINISTRATIVE PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AS AN EXAMPLE.

SO, YOU KNOW, THERE WILL BE OTHER IMPORTANT NUANCES TO THE CAPITAL PROJECTS.

WE EXPECT THEM TO BE LARGER, THEY WILL BE A LOT, YOU KNOW, VERY COMPLEX, THEY'LL BE INTERDEPENDENCIES.

AND SO I THINK THOSE ARE SOME OTHER REASONS WHY, YOU KNOW, OUR RECOMMENDATION AND SOME OF THE BEST PRACTICES WE'VE SEEN ACROSS INDUSTRY IS, IS TO, IS TO SEPARATE THE TWO.

SO YOU'VE GOT, SO THE BOARD HAS APPROPRIATE LINE OF SIGHT AND OVERSIGHT ON BOTH OF THESE TYPES OF CONTRACTS.

DEFINITELY.

UM, AND I KNOW THAT IN TERMS OF SETTING THE POLICY AS IS AS, AS WE DISCUSSED EARLIER, A KEY ELEMENT OF WHAT Y'ALL NEED TO DO, UM, ON THE CAPITAL SPEND QUESTION.

UM, I THAT, YOU KNOW, A TP STAFF I THINK WILL COME TO THE BOARD AT SOME POINT IN THE FUTURE WITH A RECOMMENDATION AND A CONVERSATION AROUND THE POLICY THERE.

I DO KNOW THAT ON YOUR AGENDA TODAY IS AN APPROVAL OF A DECISION MAKING THRESHOLD AND PROCESS FOR THE ADMINISTRATIVE AND PROFESSIONAL SERVICES.

I KNOW GREG WILL TALK ABOUT THIS MORE IN A MOMENT, BUT, UM, I BELIEVE THEY'RE ASKING FOR A $250,000 SIGNATURE AUTHORITY AT THE STAFF LEVEL, AND THEN ANYTHING ABOVE THAT ON ADMINISTRATIVE AND PROFESSIONAL SERVICES WOULD COME TO THE BOARD FOR APPROVAL.

UM, THIS IS IN LINE LIKE WE SAW ON THE PRIOR PAGE, IT'S ON THE LOWER END OF THE BENCHMARKS THAT WE SAW.

UM, BUT THINK, YOU KNOW, GIVEN THAT WE'RE, YOU KNOW, RECOMMENDING THAT WE SPLIT DECISION MAKING THIS WAY, THAT RECOMMENDATION IS VERY MUCH IN LINE WITH THE BENCHMARKS.

UM, AND I THINK ALLOWS FOR, YOU KNOW, FINDING THAT BALANCE BETWEEN OVERSIGHT AND TRANSPARENCY AND ALSO THE ABILITY TO MAKE DECISIONS AND MOVE THE PROGRAM FORWARD.

IF YOU'LL GO TO THE NEXT PAGE, PLEASE, UM, I'LL JUST HIT THESE NEXT TWO QUITE QUICKLY.

ANOTHER THING WE DID SOME RESEARCH ON IS REALLY WHAT DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS, ET CETERA, WILL THE BOARD BE CALLED ONTO PARTNER WITH.

LIKE WE SAID EARLIER, THE, YOUR ROLE AND, AND WHERE TO PARTNER AND WHAT KIND OF DECISIONS ARE COMING TO YOU ARE GOING TO EVOLVE OVER TIME.

UM, AND I REALLY THINK THAT AS THIS PROGRAM MOVES FORWARD, THE DIFFERENT AGENCIES AND ENTITIES THAT THE BOARD WILL LIKELY NEED TO PARTNER WITH AND INTERFACE WITH, THEY'RE GOING TO CHANGE.

UM, BUT THERE ARE JUST SOME KEY ONES ON HERE.

OBVIOUSLY THE CITY AND CAT METRO ARE INCREDIBLY CRITICAL HERE.

THE FTA TXDOT IN THE STATE WILL BE IMPORTANT AT DIFFERENT ELEMENTS OF THIS PROGRAM.

AND THEN ABSOLUTELY THE PRIVATE AND NONPROFIT SECTOR, COMMUNITY ADVOCATES, ORGANIZATIONS AND DEVELOPMENT WITHIN THE CITY WILL BE, UM, YOU KNOW, FOLKS THAT YOU WILL BE HEARING FROM, I'M SURE ON A REGULAR BASIS AND ALSO MIGHT BE CALLED UPON TO PARTNER WITH TO DO SOME PROBLEM SOLVING.

SO WE'LL GO TO THE NEXT PAGE.

AND THEN THE LAST THING ON THIS BOARD QUESTION THAT I'LL BRING UP IS, UM, LIKE WE SPOKE ABOUT EARLIER, ONGOING EDUCATION AND LEARNING FROM OTHER COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE ENGAGED IN PROGRAMS LIKE THIS IS VALUABLE FOR THE A TP STAFF, BUT ALSO FOR THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS.

AS WE DID RESEARCH, UM, AND WORKED WITH THE A TP TEAM, WE IDENTIFIED A NUMBER OF PROGRAMS THAT, YOU KNOW, FIT A, A BROAD PROFILE OF BEING RELATIVE CONSTRUCTED IN A RELATIVELY RECENTLY IN THE LAST MAYBE 10 OR 15 YEARS.

AND THEN ARE, A LOT OF THESE WERE VERY GREENFIELD PROGRAMS, SO BEING BUILT IN COMMUNITIES THAT DIDN'T HAVE OLD MATURE TRANSIT SYSTEMS SIMILAR TO WHAT AUSTIN IS EMBARKING UPON.

AND SO A LOT OF THESE DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES, YOU KNOW, VALLEY METRO I TALKED ABOUT A LITTLE BIT, DENVER, SEATTLE, TORONTO, HONOLULU ARE, YOU KNOW, NORTH

[01:10:01]

AMERICAN EXAMPLES WHERE THERE ARE POTENTIALLY GREAT LEARNINGS THAT Y'ALL CAN GET AS YOU MOVE THROUGH THE PROGRAM BY, YOU KNOW, DOING SITE VISITS AND CONTINUED CASE STUDIES.

BUT WE ALSO THINK THAT THERE'S QUITE A BIT TO BE LEARNED FROM PROGRAMS OUTSIDE OF NORTH AMERICA, UM, IN PARTICULAR AROUND VEHICLE AND POWER SYSTEMS, INNOVATION, MULTI-PARTY STAKEHOLDER COORDINATION, WHICH IS GONNA BE IMPORTANT IN AUSTIN.

AND THEN FINALLY THE PLACEMAKING STATION ARCHITECTURE AND SUSTAINABLE DESIGN.

THERE ARE SOME REALLY INTERESTING EXAMPLES IN SINGAPORE, IN FRANCE, IN LONDON, IN AUSTRALIA, AND IN OTHER PLACES AROUND THESE KEY TOPICS.

AND SO I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, YOUR CONTINUED LEARNING FROM THESE DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES WILL BE IMPORTANT AS PROJECT CONNECT EVOLVES.

YOU'LL GO TO THE NEXT PAGE.

AND THEN THIS LAST PIECE, I KNOW THAT JACKIE SPOKE ABOUT THIS EARLIER, OBVIOUSLY ENGAGING WITH THE COMMUNITY IS CRITICAL.

WHEN WE SPOKE WITH, YOU KNOW, EXPERTS AND DID BENCHMARKING HERE, THIS IS ALSO SOMETHING WE DID A BIT OF A DOUBLE CLICK ON.

AND THE REALLY, THE REASON WE DOVE INTO THIS IN PARTICULAR WAS ABOUT THE IMPLICATIONS THAT THIS HAS FOR HOW A TP BUILDS ITS ORGANIZATION.

HOW DO YOU THINK ABOUT HIRING, HOW DO YOU THINK ABOUT DEDICATING STAFF? BUT I WANTED TO HIT ON IT HERE BECAUSE I THINK IT, YOU KNOW, REALLY FITS IN WITH THIS OVERALL MANDATE TO BE CONNECTED AND ENGAGED AND RESPONSIVE TO THE COMMUNITY.

SO WHAT WE HEARD FROM A NUMBER OF FOLKS, I HIGHLIGHTED PHOENIX HERE, BUT THIS WAS COMMON AMONGST, AMONG A LOT OF PLACES, IS TO HIRE AREA COORDINATORS THAT REALLY UNDERSTAND THEIR COMMUNITY AND OBVIOUSLY WE'RE RELEVANT, INCLUDING BILINGUAL NEEDS AND TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE REACHING OUT TO EVERYONE IN THE COMMUNITY THAT'S AFFECTED BY THIS.

THIS IS SOMETHING THAT PHOENIX WAS INCREDIBLY INTENTIONAL ABOUT AND I THINK IS QUITE RELEVANT HERE IN AUSTIN AS WELL.

UM, AND THEN ALSO VALLEY METRO OVER TIME WORKS EXTENSIVELY WITH IMPACTED BUSINESSES, ESPECIALLY THOSE THAT WERE IMPACTED BY CONSTRUCTION, BY BUILDING UTILITY REBATES, MODIFYING CONSTRUCTION HOURS WHERE THEY COULD, YOU KNOW, PROVIDING SIGNAGE.

AND THEN THEY BUILT A SMALL BUSINESS FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM, UM, THAT THEY'VE NOW SORT OF REVAMPED AS THEY EXTEND VALLEY METRO INTO NEW PARTS OF THE PHOENIX AREA.

UH, THEY'RE ACTIVELY DOING THAT NOW.

AND SO I KNOW A LOT OF THESE THINGS ARE IN THE PLAN FOR THE AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP.

UM, I THINK THIS IS OBVIOUSLY INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT, BUT I JUST WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT HERE THAT, UM, THIS HAS IMPLICATIONS FOR THE ROLE THAT THE BOARD PLAYS.

THIS HAS IMPLICATIONS FOR HOW YOU BUILD, UM, YOUR ORGANIZATION WITHIN A TP AND HAS OVERALL IMPLICATIONS FOR HOW YOU ENGAGE WITH THE COMMUNITY.

WE'LL GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.

SO I WILL PAUSE HERE FOR ANY QUESTIONS ON THIS TOPIC.

AS A PREVIEW, I'M NOT DONE YET.

OUR NEXT TOPIC IS ON ORG SETTING UP THE ORGANIZATION FOR SUCCESS.

THAT'S A MUCH SHORTER PRESENTATION.

I'M JUST GONNA HIT SOME KEY POINTS THERE.

BUT BEFORE GETTING TO THAT, I'M HAPPY TO PAUSE HERE FOR ANY QUESTIONS ON THIS BOARD AND DECISION MAKING TOPIC.

THANK YOU, NATALIE.

UM, THAT'S A LOT OF GOOD INFORMATION, .

SO DOES ANYBODY HAVE, UH, BOARD MEMBER ELKINS? YEAH.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

MAD AND CHAIR NATALIE.

UH, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.

IT WAS VERY COMPREHENSIVE.

I, I HAVE A FEW COMMENTS.

UM, I GUESS I'LL GO BACKWARDS.

UM, ON SLIDE DECK 33 ON THE SITE VISITS, UM, I THINK SITE VISITS CAN BE AN IMPORTANT WAY TO LEARN FROM OTHER PROGRAMS, UH, AND TRANSIT SYSTEMS, WHAT WENT RIGHT, WHAT WENT WRONG.

UM, HOWEVER, WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO ENSURE THAT, YOU KNOW, TAXPAYER DOLLARS ARE SPENT WISELY.

UM, AND I THINK THAT SELECT SITE VISITS CAN BE VALUABLE, UH, COMBINED WITH VIRTUAL VISITS.

ABSOLUTELY.

UM, SO I'D LIKE TO UNDERSTAND AT THE APPROPRIATE TIME THE CRITERIA FOR VISITS, UH, ESPECIALLY OVERSEAS TRIPS AND AN OVERALL BUDGET FOR SITE VISITS.

AND THIS COULD BE FOR A FUTURE MEETING.

I DO GO, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT CAME UP IN SOME OF OUR, OUR RESEARCH AS WE SPOKE WITH EXPERTS WHO'D DONE THIS A NUMBER OF YEARS WHERE VIRTUAL MEETINGS WEREN'T NECESSARILY THE NORM.

IT WAS MORE COMMON TO DO SITE VISITS.

I THINK THAT MAYBE ONE THING, IF THERE'S A SILVER LINING IN SOME WAY TO WHAT WE'VE BEEN GOING THROUGH THE LAST YEAR, MORE RECEPTIVENESS TO BEING FLEXIBLE ABOUT HOW WE DO LEARNING AND CONVENING, UM, I THINK WILL DEFINITELY ASSIST ALL OF YOU, UM, IN THIS ENDEAVOR FOR SURE.

GREAT, GREAT.

COMPETITIVE CONTRACTS OVER 150.

THEN I HAD ANOTHER QUESTION ON SLIDE DECK 27 ON THE, UM, SIGNATURE AUTHORITY FOR ALL THE OTHER PROGRAMS. UM, AND I APPRECIATE ALL THE WORK YOU FOLKS HAVE DONE.

I, YOU KNOW, UH, EACH OF THESE PROGRAMS ARE DIFFERENT SIZES.

SO FOR INSTANCE, SEATTLE'S A PROGRAM I KNOW VERY WELL, SOUND TRANSIT THREE IS 54 BILLION, UM, A LITTLE BIT BIGGER THAN OUR PROGRAM HERE.

UM, THE OTHER IMPORTANT PART IS IT'S IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND WHAT SIGNATURE AUTHORITY IS, BUT IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND WHAT REPORTING GOES BACK TO THE BOARD.

THOSE TWO ELEMENTS ARE CRITICAL.

SO FOR INSTANCE, IN SOUND TRANSIT, UM, THERE'S A RESPONSIBILITY TO REPORT BACK TO THE BOARD MONTHLY ON, UH, CONTRACTS THAT ARE SOLE SOURCE 25,000 PROPRIETARY, OVER 150

[01:15:01]

SO, UM, THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT BECAUSE IT'S OKAY TO HAVE A LARGE SIGNATURE AUTHORITY AS LONG AS THERE'S REPORTING.

I THINK THE OTHER THING THAT'S IMPORTANT IS TO HAVE A WELL COMPREHENSIVE PROCUREMENT SET OF REGS.

I MEAN, IT'S GREAT TO SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR CAN SIGN UP TO X, BUT I, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE KIND OF A COUPLE PAGES OF REGS THAT WOULD BE OKAY IF IT'S UNDER A CERTAIN AMOUNT WE DON'T NEED, WE CAN SOLE SOURCE.

IF IT'S BETWEEN X AND Y, WE CAN DO TWO QUOTES.

UM, PUBLIC ADVERTISING, YOU KNOW, UH, I, I THINK THOSE ARE BEST PRACTICES THAT I BELIEVE MOST TRANSIT AGENCIES WOULD HAVE A COMPREHENSIVE SET OF PROCUREMENT REGS OR, UH, FORMAL PURCHASING AND PROCUREMENT SUMMARY.

SO, SO THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING I THINK WOULD BE HELPFUL.

ABSOLUTELY.

AND WE HAVE, WE A LOT OF THE SORT OF NITTY GRITTY DETAILS ON THAT DID COME OUT IN OUR RESEARCH AND WE'VE SHARED ALL OF THAT DETAIL WITH THE A TP TEAM.

AND SO I KNOW THAT THEY HAVE THAT AND ARE WORKING ON SOME OF THE DETAIL.

AND THEN IN, IN TERMS OF THE DECISION BEING ASKED OF Y'ALL TODAY ON THE AGENDA, I DO BELIEVE THERE'S A REPORTING COMPONENT FOR THINGS THAT FALL UNDER THAT THRESHOLD THAT Y'ALL WILL BE DISCUSSING.

I KNOW THAT GREG HAS THAT TEED UP TO TALK ABOUT.

ELSE, TO YOUR POINT ON THE, ON THE PROCUREMENT, IT'S A GOOD ONE, AND I THINK RANDY AND TEAM KNOW THIS AND, AND, AND, AND MANY OF THE BOARD MEMBERS DO TOO, IS THAT'S GONNA BE CRITICAL BECAUSE IF THE FT A IS GONNA BE YOUR FUNDING PARTNER, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO HAVE THAT VERY CLEARLY OUTLINED, RIGHT? SO, SO IT IS NOT A NICE TO HAVE, IT IS AN ABSOLUTE MUST TO HAVE THAT KIND OF CLARITY.

OBVIOUSLY YOU WANT THAT AS BOARD MEMBERS, BUT IF YOU WANT THE FT A, UM, CONTRIBUTION, WHICH I KNOW I KNOW THAT YOU, YOU DO AND, AND REQUIRE, UM, THAT'S GONNA BE A, A CRITICAL PART OF HOW YOU ESTABLISH IT.

SO YOU, YOU RAISE A POINT, YOU, YOU RAISE A GOOD POINT FOR A NUMBER OF REASONS.

AND I, I JUST HAVE TWO OTHER COMMENTS GOING BACK TO GREG'S PRESENTATION ON SLIDE DECK 19, HE TALKED ABOUT AN ADDITIONAL PMRI BELIEVE THAT'S A PROGRAM MANAGEMENT OWNER'S REP.

UM, SO I JUST LIKE TO UNDERSTAND WE DON'T HAVE TO DO IT RIGHT NOW, WHY WE WOULD NEED ADDITIONAL PMOR.

'CAUSE I THOUGHT HDR IS OUR PMOR, SO YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT, THAT'S A QUESTION THAT I HAVE.

THE OTHER ONE, WHICH IS THAT NEW LINE ON THE GRAPH TALKS ABOUT PROGRAM OVERSIGHT MANAGEMENT.

I LIKE THAT LINE.

IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT.

I THINK AN INITIATIVE THAT WOULD BE A SHORT TO MEDIUM TERM INITIATIVE THAT I MIGHT WANT TO ADD WOULD BE THE CREATION OF A PROJECT MANAGEMENT OR A PROGRAM MANAGEMENT PLAN.

AND I'M SURE THAT'S SOMETHING THAT, UH, DAVE IS ALL OVER WORKING ON THAT THING.

BUT I THINK THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT, UH, FOR, FOR THOSE THAT THAT MAY NOT BE THAT FAMILIAR WITH IT.

A A PROGRAM MANAGEMENT PLAN IS A LIVING DOCUMENT THAT IS REGULARLY UPDATED THAT DESCRIBES HOW THEIR PROJECT OR PROGRAM IS GONNA BE CONTROLLED, MONITORED, EXECUTED COVERS, AREAS SUCH AS QUALITY, SAFETY, RISK MANAGEMENT, CHANGE MANAGEMENT, MILESTONES, SCHEDULING, ALL THAT FUN STUFF.

THAT'S REALLY CRITICAL.

I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING AT THE APPROPRIATE TIME THAT SHOULD BE BROUGHT UP TO THE BOARD FOR OUR REVIEW.

THAT'S ALL I GOT ON THAT THANKS BOARD MEMBER.

I COULD, UH, JUST, JUST VERY QUICKLY ON THAT AND THEN WE CAN, OBVIOUSLY WE WE'RE GONNA ESTABLISH SOME ONE-ON-ONE MEETINGS WITH EVERY BOARD MEMBER AS WELL, AND THEN OBVIOUSLY THE NEXT MEETING AND ON AND ON, UH, I SEE DAVE AND GREG BOTH THERE.

SO, UH, TO THE PMP, WE ARE ALREADY IN PROCESS OF THAT.

OBVIOUSLY THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WILL COME TO THE BOARD FOR BOARD OF, UH, BOARD REVIEW AND ACTION ON, UH, ALSO ON PROCUREMENT, ALL, ALL THE PROCUREMENT DOCUMENTS AND STANDARDS.

ALSO BASIC, I WON'T EVEN SAY IN DEVELOPMENT, BUT CONCEPTS ARE IN DEVELOPMENT BECAUSE, UH, SO FAR ON THE FINANCIAL SIDE, OUR STAFFING INVOLVES GRAND CANAL.

SO, UM, ALL THE THINGS YOU MENTIONED I VERY MUCH APPRECIATE AND I GUESS I JUST ASK THE BOARD TO HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF PATIENCE WITH US IN THE SENSE OF WE ARE DOING A STARTUP AND AT THE SAME TIME HAVING TO QUICKLY RAMP UP A VERY BIG, UH, OPERATION TO SUPPORT ALL THAT.

SO ALL OF THOSE POINTS YOU MADE THE TEAM HAS TOGETHER, UH, WHEN IT COMES TO, IF YOU WILL, PMOR, MAYBE NOT THE GREATEST TERM THAT IS LAID ON THIS SLIDE, BUT IT MEANS ADDITIONAL MANAGEMENT CONSULTANT SUPPORT, PROBABLY SPECIFICALLY ON THE, UH, SCHEDULE CONTROLS RISK SIDE AND MAYBE ADDITIONALLY ON THE CAMPUS MAINTENANCE CAMPUS SIDE.

SO AGAIN, KIND OF TRYING TO BUILD THE BIGGEST CAPACITY AS WE CAN INSIDE THE TEAM BECAUSE EVEN EVERY CONSULTANT WE USE, THEY CAN ONLY STAFF UP SO MUCH AS WELL.

IT'S GETTING PEOPLE WE'RE, WE'RE BASICALLY GOT RECRUITERS TRYING TO STEAL EVERYONE AROUND THE COUNTRY OR EVEN LOCALLY TO BE PART OF THIS, UH, 'CAUSE IT'S SUCH A MASSIVE OPERATION.

SO, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT THAT'S HOW IT GOES.

BUT GREAT POINTS, AND I CAN ASSURE YOU THAT THE TEAM IS, HAS THOSE KIND OF LAID OUT AND WE JUST, SOME OF THEM NEED WEEKS AND MONTHS AND OTHERS NEED LOTS OF MONTHS TO, TO WORK THROUGH.

APPRECIATE IT.

[01:20:02]

THANK YOU EVERYONE.

I DO HAVE A, A COMMENT, NATALIE, UM, ON THE SLIDE, I DON'T REMEMBER THE NUMBER, BUT IT WAS THE ONE WHERE IT HAD THE PARTNERSHIPS WITH THE DIFFERENT AGENCIES, UH, LOCAL, FEDERAL, AND, YOU KNOW, COMMUNITY AND CORPORATIONS.

ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I HOPE WE CAN LOOK THROUGH THIS PROGRAM AS IT GETS DEVELOPED, YES, THIS SLIDE IS THAT, YOU KNOW, AS WE PUT IN THIS NEW INFRASTRUCTURE AND WE'RE GONNA LOOK THROUGH THE LENS OF RESILIENCY AND SYSTEMS THAT BENEFIT THE GREATER COMMUNITY.

I DO THINK WE, I I WOULD LIKE TO SEE HOW ONE INVESTMENT GETS US TO UPGRADE ANOTHER INVESTMENT FOR, UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK, YOU KNOW, AS WE THINK ABOUT ELECTRIFIED SYSTEMS AND, AND JUST BASED ON WHAT WE JUST WENT THROUGH THIS WEEK AND, AND WHAT REDUNDANCY MEANS AND AUGMENT AUGMENTING AND MAKING OUR SYSTEMS BETTER FOR THE GREATER COMMUNITY, I THINK THAT'S GONNA GO A LONG WAYS TO SERVE THE COMMUNITY THAT IS NOT JUST PROJECT CONNECT AND IT'S NOT JUST THIS PARTICULAR PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION, BUT THAT WE'RE AUGMENTING AND LIFTING UP OTHER SYSTEMS, RIGHT, THAT ARE GONNA HELP BENEFIT THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE IN OTHER AREAS.

AND THAT IT IS A TRICKY ARENA THAT WE DON'T WANT TO ADOPT UPGRADING OF STORMWATER SYSTEMS DOWNSTREAM, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S ALL KIND OF TRICKLED INTO EACH OTHER, BUT I THINK WE REALLY NEED TO BE ABLE TO PARTNER WITH ALL THESE AGENCIES WELL AND PLAY NICELY SO THAT THESE SYSTEMS ARE REALLY ROBUST AND VERY RESILIENT.

SO THANK YOU FOR SHARING THAT SLIDE.

FIRST NUMBERS, PATRICK? YES.

WANT TO HAVE THAT FLEXIBILITY OR WE REALIZE, YOU KNOW WHAT, AS WE'RE GOING DOWN THE ROAD, WE, WE WANT TO GIVE, UH, RANDY AND STAFF MORE FLEXIBILITY.

IF, IF I CAN GO BACK TO, TO SLIDE NUMBER, I BELIEVE IT'S, UH, 28 ON THE RECOMMENDED FRAMEWORK.

UM, JUST HAD A QUESTION.

UH, FIRST OF ALL, I, I THINK THAT, THAT BASED ON, I APPRECIATE Y'ALL'S WORK ON THIS AND, AND Y'ALL BRINGING THIS TO US.

UH, B UH, BCG, UM, I DO TEND TO AGREE WITH THIS OVERALL CONCEPT OF DIVIDING OUT THE EXPENDITURES BETWEEN ADMINISTRATIVE PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AND CAPITAL PROJECTS.

I, I DO TEND TO BELIEVE THAT, UM, OUR ADMINISTRATIVE PROFESSIONAL SERVICES IS GONNA BE, UM, I MEAN LOOK, WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE BUILDING 7.1 BILLION WITH THE CAPITAL B UH, DOLLAR SYSTEM HERE.

AND I THINK IN THE BIG SCHEME OF THINGS, YOU KNOW, WE JUST APPROVED, UH, UH, JUST JUST SHY OF A $200 MILLION BUDGET.

I THINK, WHAT WAS IT, LIKE 96 MILLION WAS OPERATIONS, AND THEN THE REST WE'RE PUTTING INTO, UH, TO OUR RESERVES TO, TO PREPARE FOR WHAT'S COMING DOWN THE ROAD HERE.

I THINK IN THE BIG SCHEME OF THINGS, WE'RE LOOKING AT THIS NOW AND WE'RE, WE, WE WANNA MAKE THE RIGHT DECISIONS ABOUT OUR, UH, A LOT OF WHAT WE'RE DOING NOW TO, TO, UH, YOURS AND GREG'S POINTS IS GREG NEELY'S POINTS IS THAT IT'S ADMINISTRATIVE AND PROFESSIONAL SERVICES.

THOSE THINGS THAT WE DO RIGHT NOW AREN'T REAL EXPENSIVE, BUT THEY'RE GOING TO PAVE THE WAY FOR THE BIG STUFF WHEN THE CAPITAL PROJECTS COME ALONG.

UM, BUT I THINK THAT BY HIGHLIGHTING THIS, THIS HELPS, WOULD HELP US ONE, BE TRANSPARENT TO THE COMMUNITY ABOUT WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE, BUT PROVIDE THE FLEXIBILITY.

AND TO ME THAT'S ABOUT, IT'S ABOUT US STRIKING THAT BALANCE BETWEEN TRANSPARENCY AND FLEXIBILITY SO THAT POOR RANDY AND STAFF DON'T HAVE TO WAIT EVERY MONTH TO COME BACK AND GET PERMISSION FOR US TO, TO, FOR HIM TO DO STUFF AND BE ABLE TO GET THE JOB DONE.

UM, WITH THAT SAID, AND, AND THE REASON I LIKE THIS TOO, IS BECAUSE I REALLY DO BELIEVE THAT THERE'S A BIG DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A, YOU KNOW, $1 BILLION CONTRACT FOR, YOU KNOW, BORROW A TUNNEL, FOR EXAMPLE, AND, YOU KNOW, A, YOU KNOW, $125,000 CONTRACT FOR, YOU KNOW, MANAGING FINANCIAL SERVICES OR YOU KNOW, IT, BUYING COMPUTERS, WHATEVER IT MIGHT BE, UH, JUST TO BE ABLE TO STAND UP THIS GOVERNMENT STARTUP.

UH, NOW WITH THAT SAID, I WAS WONDERING IF, IF, WHAT KIND OF INFORMATION OR MAYBE YOU GUYS HAD FROM LOOKING AT THIS IN TERMS OF, UH, THE AGENCIES THAT YOU REVIEWED, UH, WHAT PRO, HOW EASY WAS IT FOR THEM TO MAKE THE CHANGES AT THE BOARD LEVEL TO THOSE POLICIES? AS YOU MENTIONED, UH, AND I MADE NOTE OF THIS, THAT, THAT WE, YOU STATED, YOU KNOW, WE CAN INVOLVE AND CHANGE AS TIME PROGRESSES.

WE MAY ADOPT, FOR EXAMPLE, ONE STANDARD NOW FOR ADMINISTRATIVE AND PRO PROFESSIONAL SERVICES THAT IS THE SIGNATORY AUTHORITY.

AND, AND AS, UH, BOARD MEMBER ELKINS NOTED, AND I, I WHOLEHEARTEDLY AGREE WITH HAVING ALONG WITH THAT, A, UM, A REPORTING REQUIREMENT, UH, THAT WE MAY WANNA CHANGE LATER BECAUSE WE

[01:25:01]

UM, HOW DID YOU FIND, UH, IN TERMS OF ADVISING US IS WE DEVELOP OUR, OUR BOARD POLICIES AND PROCEDURES THAT WERE MAYBE KIND OF BEST PRACTICES FOR THE BOARD, ALLOWING THEMSELVES TO SET AND CHANGE SUCH PRACTICES AND BE NIMBLE, BUT NOT AT THE SAME TIME, UH, GIVING UP THAT TRANSPARENCY OR FLEXIBILITY.

AND NATALIE, I CAN JUMP IN.

SO RESPONSIBILITY.

YEAH, SO MEMBER STRATTON, A COUPLE THINGS.

I THINK ONE IS MEMBER ELKINS ALREADY RAISED IT, WHICH WAS THE, UM, IDEA OF HAVING A MONTHLY OR QUARTERLY DELEGATED AUTHORITIES REPORT, RIGHT? I THINK THAT'S VERY TYPICAL IN THE AGENCIES WE LISTED IN THE AGENCIES.

WE DIDN'T LIST THE ONE I WORKED FOR AT THE MBTA, WE ABSOLUTELY HAD A DELEGATED MONTHLY REPORT, AND WE WERE PREPARED TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THE BOARD, YOU KNOW, MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE HAD ON A PARTICULAR CONTRACT.

I THINK THAT'S ONE, I THINK TWO, ANOTHER BEST PRACTICE I'VE SEEN EMERGE IS TO THE EXTENT, YOU KNOW, YOU ESTABLISH A FINANCE AND AUDIT COMMITTEE, OR FINANCE AND OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE, HOWEVER YOU DESCRIBE IT, I THINK I'VE SEEN BOARDS THROUGH THAT COMMITTEE PROCESS ON AN ANNUAL BASIS LOOK AT THE DELEGATED AUTHORITIES TO SEE IF THEY'RE APPROPRIATE, RIGHT? SO IN THE CASE OF BOSTON, I THINK WE HAD A VERY LARGE BRIDGE PROGRAM HAPPENING, YOU KNOW, MULTI A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLAR PROJECTS, AND THE BOARD VERY MUCH WANTED TO SPEND TIME ON THOSE AS OPPOSED TO, YOU KNOW, $2 MILLION PAVING CONTRACTS.

NOW, THIS WAS THE DOT NOT THE TRANSIT AUTHORITY.

AND SO THEY SHIFTED, YOU KNOW, FOR A PERIOD OF TIME WHILE THAT BRIDGE, UH, PROGRAM, UM, WAS HAPPENING.

SO I, I THINK, YOU KNOW, AND THEN LOOK, THERE'LL BE A MATURITY TO THE ORGANIZATION, RIGHT? UM, IT'S TO TO, AND I DON'T MEAN TO THE PEOPLE, BUT I MEAN TO THE WORK YOU'RE DOING RIGHT PRETTY SOON, AND IT, IT, IT MIGHT FEEL FAR AWAY, BUT PRETTY SOON YOU WERE GONNA BE CONSIDERING MULTI HUNDRED MILLION DOLLAR CONTRACTS ON A REGULAR BASIS.

AND YOU KNOW, MY GUESS IS YOU'LL BE WANTING TO SPEND A LOT OF TIME BEFORE THOSE CONTRACTS COME TO YOU TO THINK ABOUT WHAT THAT IS AND THEN HAVE THE CONVERSATIONS UP UNTIL, YOU KNOW, APPROVAL AND THEN OVERSIGHT OBVIOUSLY.

SO I THINK THINKING ABOUT IT FROM A, MAYBE A DELEGATED AUTHORITIES REPORT, SO WHATEVER YOU'RE NOT APPROVING YOU, YOU STILL HAVE INSIGHT IN, INTO A LINE OF SIGHT INTO, AND THEN MAYBE ON A REGULAR BASIS JUST BEING OPEN AND HONEST WITH ONE ANOTHER ABOUT, YOU KNOW, IS THIS THE APPROPRIATE LEVEL OF AUTHORITY GIVEN WHERE WE ARE TODAY AS AN ORGANIZATION AND MAYBE ON AN ANNUAL BASIS YOU REVIEW THAT.

SO THOSE ARE A COUPLE THOUGHTS.

SO FOR EXAMPLE, YOU KNOW, BEING CLEAR ABOUT DBE GOALS AND THAT BEING REALLY IMPORTANT TO THE BOARD, IT WILL BE IMPORTANT FTA, BUT THAT, THAT THOSE WILL BE, YOU KNOW, FLOORS, THERE'LL BE OPPORTUNITIES FOR POTENTIALLY FOR YOU TO STRETCH THERE.

AND IN DOING THIS RESEARCH, UM, WE, I TYPICALLY SAW THAT CHANGING THESE POLICIES WOULD NORMALLY JUST CAME DOWN TO A BOARD VOTE IN ORDER TO UPDATE A POLICY.

AND I SAW IN TWO DIFFERENT WAYS THAT THOSE CHANGES WERE INITIATED.

SO ONE WAS FROM THE STAFF LEVEL STAFF COMING TO THE BOARD AND SAYING, FOR ONE REASON OR ANOTHER, WE WOULD LIKE TO UPDATE THIS POLICY.

AND DOING SOME RESEARCH, BRINGING SOME DATA.

I WATCHED THE VIDEO LIKE THIS ONE OF A DART MEETING FROM A FEW MONTHS AGO WHERE THEY DID SOMETHING EXACTLY LIKE THIS AND A STAFF MEMBER PRESENTED A PROPOSAL AND THE BOARD VOTED ON CHANGING A MECHANISM FOR HOW THEY APPROVE CHANGE ORDERS.

UM, ANOTHER WAY THOUGH, SEATTLE WAS AN INTERESTING EXAMPLE, UM, AS SOUND TRANSIT WAS EMBARKING ON THAT VERY LARGE EXPANSION, THE BOARD MEMBER ELKINS NOTED, THE BOARD DECIDED TO INITIATE SOME RESEARCH ON THEIR OWN, UH, BECAUSE THEY THOUGHT THAT TOO MANY DECISIONS WERE COMING BEFORE THEM THAT WERE HOLDING THE PROJECT BACK.

AND AS THEY WERE ABOUT TO GO SPEND MANY BILLIONS OF DOLLARS, THEY KNEW THAT THAT PROBLEM WOULD BE EXACERBATED.

AND SO THE BOARD INITIATED SOME RESEARCH AND THEN DECIDED TO CHANGE THEIR THRESHOLDS, WORKED WITH STAFF, OBVIOUSLY, BUT THE IMPETUS FOR MAKING AN ADJUSTMENT INITIALLY, FROM WHAT I CAN TELL AT LEAST CAME FROM THE BOARD.

UM, SO I THINK THAT REGULAR REVIEW AND UPDATING AND ASSESSING HOW YOU ALL ARE FEELING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE SPEED AND EFFICACY, THE LEVEL OF TRANSPARENCY, ET CETERA, WILL BE IMPORTANT HERE.

CHAIR, IF I COULD ASK A QUESTION, UM, I THINK YOU'VE TOUCHED ON WHAT I WAS, WHAT I WAS GOING TO ASK, NO PUN INTENDED, BUT THE TRAIN IS OUT THE STATION AND IT'S MOVING FAST.

SO WHAT, WHAT BEST PRACTICES HAVE YOU SEEN TO BALANCE, UM, STAYING UNDER BUDGET AND ON TIME WITH BAKING IN EQUITY THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE PROJECT? ABSOLUTELY.

UM, I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S SOMETHING WE COULD TALK ABOUT FOR, FOR HOURS.

AND SO I WILL TRY TO, TRY TO BE BRIEF AND THEN WE CAN, UM, ALSO DISCUSS THIS AT, UH, ANOTHER TIME AS WELL.

UM, I THINK A KEY THING ABOUT THAT PIECE IS BAKING IT INTO THE PROCESS.

IF WE TREAT EQUITY, LIKE IT'S SOMETHING THAT IS A NICE TO HAVE OR A CHECK THE BOX, I DON'T THINK THAT IT WILL BE, YOU KNOW, VALUED AT THE SAME LEVEL AS THE ON TIME AND ON BUDGET.

BUT IF IT IS BAKED IN AS AT THE SAME DEGREE OF REQUIREMENT, I THINK THAT THAT IS ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL THERE.

RICH, I KNOW YOU HAVE A LOT MORE EXPOSURE TO THIS, SO I'LL NO MAD VICE.

THAT'S EXACTLY RIGHT.

YOU KNOW, ON TIME AND ON BUDGET IS SORT OF THE MANTRA OF, OF CAPITAL PROJECTS IN, IN IN TRANSIT, RIGHT? BUT, BUT WHY SHOULDN'T EQUITY BE PART OF THAT MANTRA? AND I THINK IF, IF YOU AND THE BOARD ARE ESTABLISHING THOSE GUIDELINES UPFRONT,

[01:30:01]

I ALSO THINK TOO, THAT ON THE HIRING PRACTICES, I MEAN THAT'S SOMETHING ELSE THAT I THINK TRANSIT AUTHORITIES HAVE VERY MUCH FOCUSED ON IN, IN LA AND, AND RANDY KNOWS THIS VERY WELL, BUT LA METRO'S DONE SOME REALLY INTERESTING WORK THERE.

SO HAS THE BOSTON AND THE GREEN LINE, BUT MAKING SURE THERE ARE JOB OPPORTUNITIES FOR, UH, RESIDENTS OF AUSTIN AS WELL.

UM, AND, AND MAKING SURE, BY THE WAY, THAT'S A DIVERSE OFFERING.

SO I, I THINK, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE WAYS FOR YOU TO BAKE IT IN UPFRONT THAT MAKE IT VERY CLEAR THAT EQUITY AND IT GOES BEYOND JUST BUSINESS AND JOBS OBVIOUSLY, BUT EQUITY IS GONNA BE A REALLY IMPORTANT PART OF WHAT YOU'RE DOING.

PUBLIC PROCESS.

OBVIOUSLY YOU HAVE A ROBUST PUBLIC PROCESS IN PLACE NOW, AND I APPLAUD YOU FOR THAT, BUT MAKING SURE THAT DOESN'T SLIP, THAT THAT'S PART OF IT.

AND THEN IT WILL BE UP TO, YOU KNOW, RANDY AND TEAM AND, AND IT'S A, IT'LL STRIKE, YOU KNOW, BALANCE A STRIKE THAT YOU'RE GETTING BOTH YOUR PROCESS RIGHT, AND YOUR SUBSTANCE, RIGHT? 'CAUSE IF YOU DON'T GET BOTH RIGHT, YOU KNOW, THE PROGRAM WON'T, WON'T, WON'T BE AS SUCCESSFUL AS YOU'D LIKE.

RIGHT? I WAS LOOKING FOR BEST PRACTICES, THE HOW TO, NOT THE WHY.

SO I WOULD LOOK, YEAH, I DON'T ANTICIPATE YOU ANSWERING IT TODAY, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE WHAT STRATEGIES, SPECIFIC STRATEGIES THAT OTHER INDUSTRIES, OTHER ENTITIES DID.

SURE.

WE CAN DO THAT.

UH, CERTAINLY SOME OF THE BEST PRACTICE IN HIRING, FOR EXAMPLE, DBE AND OTHERS, ABSOLUTELY WE CAN, WE CAN BRING SOME, SOME THOUGHTS TO YOU ON THAT.

AND SPECIFICALLY WHAT THEY DID IN PROGRAMS THAT THEY ADOPTED.

THEY MAY OR MAY NOT BE RELEVANT OR RIGHT FOR YOU, BUT I THINK SOME OF THEM COULD BE ACTUALLY TAILORED AND WOULD BE VERY INTERESTING.

GOOD THOUGHTS? YES, MR. CLARK, I, I JUST WANTED TO QUICKLY RESPOND TO THAT AND SAY, UH, DR. BURNETT, YOU, YOU MAY RECALL ON A SLIDE THAT WAS PRESENTED EARLIER.

WE'LL, WE HAVE THESE INSIGHTS AND INFORMATION SESSIONS EACH MONTH, AND THE GOAL IS, AND OBVIOUSLY IF WE HAD YOU ALL FOR EIGHT HOURS, UH, THEN WE COULD DO MAYBE A COUPLE OF THESE.

BUT OBVIOUSLY FOR THE SAKE OF, OF AND, AND, AND SO MUCH WATER, THE FIRE HOSE, YOU'LL SEE THAT THIS MONTH IS NEPA NEXT MONTH WE WERE HOPING TO DO FTA GRANT OVERVIEW.

AND THEN ON THAT RIGHT HAND SIDE, THERE'S A, IF YOU WILL, AT THE PARKING LOT, ONE OF THEM IS DBE PROGRAM, ONE OF 'EM, WE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM AND ON AND ON AND ON.

SO THE, WHAT WE WANT TO DO IS WORK IDEALLY TOWARDS ONES THAT WE KNOW WE'LL HAVE TO WORK ON AS SOON AS POSSIBLE THAT WILL, THAT CAUSE FOUNDATIONAL KIND OF CASCADING DECISION MAKING.

UM, SO WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT'S GONNA BE IMPORTANT, BUT THAT ONE COULD BE, YOU KNOW, EIGHT MONTHS FROM NOW BECAUSE THAT STUFF'S NOT NEEDED FOR A WHILE, WHERE WE HAVE TO REALLY GET HOW WE'RE GONNA GO IN OUR, IN OUR FEDERAL STRATEGY FOR GRANTS AND THE WHOLE NEED FOR PROCESS NOW.

AND EACH ONE OF THOSE WILL HAVE DIFFERENT, I THINK, TO YOUR POINT E EQUITY LENS BAKED IN.

AND A FEW OF THEM ARE VERY, VERY FOCUSED ON THAT.

SO I THINK THAT'S HOW WE WERE HOPING TO GO ABOUT IT EACH MONTH IS GO THROUGH AN INSIGHT INFORMATIONAL TOPIC.

AND I THINK YOU'LL SEE IN THE NIKA ONE TODAY EQUITY BAKED INTO THAT FDA GRANTS, THERE'LL BE A PIECE ON THAT, ET CETERA, ET CETERA.

I HOPE, I HOPE THAT GIVES CONTEXT AND OTHERWISE WE'LL SPEND SOME MORE TIME WITH YOU SPECIFICALLY IF THAT DOESN'T ANSWER TO GET MORE, MORE INFORMATION THAT COULD THE LEAD TO THE QUESTION YOU HAVE.

CAN THINK ABOUT, AND I, I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S HAPPENED ON OTHER PROGRAMS, BUT, BUT LET'S TRY TO PUSH THIS AS MUCH AS WE CAN AND, AND NOT TRY TO MAKE IT BEST EFFORTS WHERE IT'S CHECK THE BOX AND, AND PEOPLE CAN, YOU KNOW, NOT HIT THE NUMBERS BECAUSE THEY SAY, WELL, WE COULDN'T, WE COULDN'T FIND THE TRADES.

I APPRECIATE THAT.

THAT'S A REALLY GOOD POINT.

GO AHEAD, MAYOR ALER.

UM, I THINK, UH, YOU'RE ON MUTE.

MAYOR ADLER, IT LOOKED LIKE YOU WERE SPEAKING AS WELL.

I'LL GO RIGHT AFTER YOU.

NO, NO, GO AHEAD.

GO AHEAD.

I, I JUST, UH, WANTED TO, TO, TO CONCUR WITH WHAT, UH, UH, VICE CHAIR MENTIONED.

I THINK THAT'S GONNA BE IMPORTANT FOR YOU ON HOW WE BUILD THAT IN.

AND JUST TO THAT END, PARENTHETICALLY, I'M, I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING HOW YOU FILL OUT THE REST OF THE EXECUTIVE TEAM, UH, AT A TP, UH, 'CAUSE THAT'S GONNA BE VERY VISIBLE, UH, AND INITIAL STATEMENT.

THANK YOU, MAYOR.

BOARD MEMBER PLEASE.

YEAH, JUST A QUICK COMMENT ON THE DBE.

YOU KNOW, WE'RE GONNA BE SPENDING 6.8 BILLION HERE, MINUS THE 300 MILLION OF, OF, OF DISPLACEMENT.

AND IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE TRY TO GET THE MAXIMUM PERCENTAGE OF DBE UH, MBE PARTICIPATION IN THE COMMUNITY.

UM, YOU KNOW, THE, WE NEED TO BE SETTING AGGRESSIVE NUMBERS TO THE CONTRACTORS, BUT THEY NEED TO BE ACHIEVABLE NUMBERS.

UH, AND WE NEED TO GO THROUGH AN ANALYSIS WHERE WE TAKE A LOOK AT SUB-TRADES DISCIPLINES AND SEE WHAT'S ACHIEVABLE IN THE MARKET.

I KNOW WE'VE SPOKEN WITH RANDY ABOUT, YOU KNOW, APPRENTICESHIPS SO THAT WE CAN PUSH THOSE NUMBERS AND, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THESE NUMBERS THAT I'VE SEEN ARE BEST EFFORTS AND, YOU KNOW, THERE'S WAYS TO FUDGE BEST EFFORTS.

SO I'D LIKE TO SEE US THINK OF WAYS THAT WE CAN USE CARROT AND STICK APPROACHES.

SO IF WE SET A GOAL OF SAY 15% MAKE UP A NUMBER AND A CONTRACTOR COMES AT 18%, THEY GET A BONUS.

IF THEY COME IN AT LESS, AT 10%, THEY GET A PENALTY.

SO, UH, AND I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE

[01:35:01]

I REALLY LIKE THAT.

UM, ALSO, YOU KNOW, TO, TO YOUR POINT BOARD MEMBER ELKINS ABOUT TAKING ADVANTAGE OF VIRTUAL TOURS, THEY, YOU KNOW, LIKE IF, IF WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO LEARN FROM OTHER AGENCIES AND WE'RE GONNA LEARN ABOUT THEIR SYSTEMS AND THEIR MAINTENANCE AND THEIR IMPLEMENTATION, I LIKE THE IDEA A LOT OF REALLY LEARNING BEST PRACTICES OF HOW THEY WERE SUCCESSFUL IN RECRUITMENT OF MINORITY FIRMS AND SMALL AND SMALL BUSINESSES TO BE PARTICIPANT ACTIVE PARTICIPANTS OF THIS PROGRAM.

SO PART OF THAT LESSONS LEARNED, I, I REALLY LIKE, LET'S TAKE ADVANTAGE OF VIRTUAL MEETINGS AND REALLY PICK THEIR BRAIN AND INCLUDE US IN THOSE CONVERSATIONS OR THAT RESEARCH, BECAUSE I THINK WE HAVE A REALLY GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO, TO EXPLOIT THIS NEW TECHNOLOGY REALLY WELL AND HAVE A GOOD FIDUCIARY DUTY TO OUR CONSTITUENTS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE LISTENING, WE'RE LEARNING AND WE'RE ASKING THE RIGHT QUESTIONS OF OTHER AGENCIES.

UM, BECAUSE I MEAN, I THINK THAT THOSE VIRTUAL SITE VISITS ARE GONNA BE VERY INFORMATIVE, BUT REALLY THAT HOW THEY IMPLEMENTED THOSE SYSTEMS EQUITABLY.

AND I, I REALLY LOVE THAT ON BUDGET AND ON TIME AND EQUITABLE, LIKE, LET THAT BE PART OF THAT DIALOGUE AND BE INSERTED IN THROUGHOUT, BECAUSE THAT WOULD BE THE MANTRA.

WE'RE WANTING AN ORGANIZATION THAT'S ENTREPRENEURIAL.

UM, I'M HAPPY TO DIVE INTO THE ORGANIZATIONAL PIECE OF OUR WORK AS WELL.

UM, THOSE SLIDES COME BACK UP.

UM, I WILL, I'LL SPEED THROUGH THIS, UM, OUT OF RESPECT FOR Y'ALL'S TIME, BUT THAT IS NOT NECESSARILY THE SPEED WITH WHICH I'LL DO, THIS IS NOT REFLECTIVE OF THE LACK OF IMPORTANCE OF THIS TOPIC BECAUSE IT'S INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT, BUT I KNOW THAT THERE'S QUITE A BIT LEFT ON THE AGENDA.

UM, SO I WILL BE, TRY TO BE QUICK AND THOROUGH.

YOU CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.

UM, SO ANOTHER KEY COMPONENT OF THE RESEARCH WE DID, UM, WAS REALLY TO HELP THE A TP STAFF AS THEY BUILD THIS ORGANIZATION.

UM, IT'S RELEVANT TO THE CONVERSATION WE WERE JUST HAVING.

UM, THERE AREN'T NECESSARILY ANY DECISIONS FOR Y'ALL AS A BOARD TO MAKE BASED ON THIS TOPIC, BUT WE REALLY JUST WANTED TO GIVE YOU AN UPDATE ON SOME OF THE RESEARCH THAT WE HAVE DONE, UM, AND SORT OF THE PLA WHERE THE A TP ORGANIZATION IS IN ITS INFANCY AS IT GROWS.

UM, SO I JUST WANTED TO, I'LL GIVE Y'ALL A QUICK UPDATE HERE.

WE REALLY LOOKED AT HOW DO WE, HOW SHOULD A TP BE STRUCTURED? WHAT IS THE CULTURE THAT WE WANT IN THE ORGANIZATION? HOW ARE WE GOING TO WORK TOGETHER? WHO HAS WHAT ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES? AND THEN WHAT IS A LONG-TERM TALENT STRATEGY? THIS ORGANIZATION NEEDS TO GO ON FOR QUITE SOME TIME? HOW ARE WE GOING TO MANAGE TO HAVE THE BEST PEOPLE, UM, DELIVERING THIS PROGRAM FOR AUSTIN? SO IF YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.

SO AS WE LOOKED AT OTHER TRANSIT AGENCIES, OTHER, YOU KNOW, GOVERNMENT, YOU KNOW, GOVERNMENT PROGRAMS, LARGE EXPANSIONS, CAPITAL PROGRAMS, ET CETERA, AND LOOKED AT THAT IN THE CONTEXT OF A TP IN AUSTIN, WE IDENTIFIED SIX KEY ORG DESIGN PRINCIPLES AS, UH, AS THIS ORGANIZATION IS, YOU KNOW, CONSTRUCTED, UM, THOSE WERE ON THE DESIGN FRONT BEING BOTH STREAMLINED AND SCALABLE.

WE REALLY THINK THAT MINIMIZING HIERARCHY IS IMPORTANT HERE TO ENABLE DECISION MAKING.

BUT THEN AS WE TALKED ABOUT, THIS PROGRAM IS GOING TO EVOLVE AND CHANGE SHAPE OVER TIME.

AND SO YOU NEED AN ORGANIZATION THAT HAS THE BANDWIDTH TO MANAGE THE INFLUX AND CHANGES IN THE NUMBER OF CONTRACTORS YOU'RE DEALING WITH, THE PHASE OF THE PROGRAM, ET CETERA.

THE ORGANIZATION NEEDS TO BE FLEXIBLE.

ON THE STAFFING FRONT, WE THINK IT'S INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT THAT THIS IS MULTI-SOURCE, THAT WE NEED TO BE HIRING FROM A LOT OF DIFFERENT PLACES.

WE NEED TO EMPHASIZE EQUITY IN HIRING AND ALSO TO UNDERSTAND THAT THAT IS NOT JUST IMPORTANT FOR THE PEOPLE THAT WE ARE HIRING DIRECTLY AS A TP, BUT ALSO FOR ALL OF THE CONTRACTORS AND CONSULTANTS THAT WILL BE WORKING ON THIS.

THOSE FOLKS WILL MAKE UP A LARGE CHUNK OF THIS TEAM, AND IT'S INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT THAT THEY WORK TOGETHER.

UM, AND THAT WE REFLECT OUR VALUES ACROSS ALL OF THOSE DIFFERENT FOLKS THAT ARE GONNA COME INTO THIS TEAM.

AND ALSO TRANSITION READY.

IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO SORT OF WORK SHOULDER TO SHOULDER WITH CAT METRO'S, EXISTING SERVICES, TEAMS AND PROGRAMS RIGHT AWAY, GIVEN THAT WE WANT TO MINIMIZE DISRUPTION TO THE EXISTING TRANSIT SYSTEM.

AND ALSO WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THERE IS SEAMLESS INTEGRATION WITH THE EXISTING SERVICES SO THAT OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE, UM, IS EFFECTIVE AND SEAMLESS GOING FORWARD.

AND THEN FINALLY, ON THE WAYS OF WORKING FRONT, TWO KEY THINGS THAT CAME OUT IN A LOT OF THIS RESEARCH.

THERE'S A LOT TO BE DONE HERE.

THERE'S A LOT OF AMBIGUITY TO TACKLE AND THINGS NEED TO START HAPPENING QUICKLY, AND WE WANT TO BE INNOVATIVE.

NOW, THIS IS A LARGE PROGRAM, IT'S NOT A STARTUP, BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN WE CAN'T EMPHASIZE INNOVATION IN THE WAY THAT WE APPROACH THINGS.

AND

[01:40:01]

THEN FINALLY, COMMUNITY FOCUSED, DESIGNING A SYSTEM AND AN ORGANIZATION THAT IS FOCUSED ON GENUINELY BENEFITING ALL OF AUSTIN CITIZENS AND AGAIN, EMPHASIZING THAT POINT OF EQUITY.

UM, WE GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.

UM, A KEY THING HERE, AND THIS GOES BACK TO SOMETHING THAT, UM, BOARD MEMBER, UH, STRATTON SAID EARLIER THAT THIS IS NOT NECESSARILY JUST AN A TP QUESTION, BUT THAT CAP METRO AND THE CITY IN PARTICULAR ALSO PLAY INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT ROLES HERE.

IT'S SUPER IMPORTANT TO STACK HANDS IN TERMS OF GETTING PERMITS DONE, MANAGING THE UTILITIES, ET CETERA.

SO A TP HAS A LOT TO DO, BUT IT CAN'T DO ALL OF IT ALONE.

UM, AND SO BUILDING REALLY STRONG, ROBUST RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE CITY, THE LIAISON OFFICE, ET CETERA, AND WITH CAT METRO IN PARTICULAR, ARE GOING TO BE INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT TO DELIVER THIS PROGRAM SUCCESSFULLY.

AND SO REALLY THE THE OVERALL PROGRAM OFFICE TO DELIVER PROJECT CONNECT IS NOT JUST A TP, IT'S THIS WHOLE TEAM.

WE'LL GO TO THE NEXT PAGE AND BASED ON SOME OF THIS WORK AND WORKING WITH THE A TP TEAM, THE FOCUS ON AN ORGANIZATIONAL FRONT FOR THE COMING YEAR ARE REALLY ON GROWING ONBOARDING AND SOLIDIFYING THOSE INTERFACES.

THERE'S GOING TO BE QUITE A BIT OF HIRING SO THAT YOU NO LONGER JUST HAVE THE FEW KEY FOLKS THAT ARE HERE TODAY DOING THE WORK, BUT THAT THEY HAVE TEAMS THAT CAN START PUSHING THIS FORWARD AND GETTING A LOT DONE.

UM, WE NEED TO ONBOARD THOSE NEW HIRES AND ONBOARD THE PARTNERS AND, YOU KNOW, OTHER INTERFACES THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE HAVING SO THAT FOLKS ARE ON THE SAME PAGE.

THIS ONBOARDING PROCESS IS ALSO, IN OUR VIEW, A WAY THAT YOU START INSTILLING THAT CULTURE, THOSE WAYS OF WORKING IN THE WAY THAT YOU WANT THIS TO OPERATE.

AND THEN FINALLY ON SOLIDIFYING INTERFACES, THOSE STRONG, STRONG, STRONG WORKING RELATIONSHIPS WITH CAT METRO IN THE CITY AS WELL AS OTHER IMPACTED PARTIES, UM, ACROSS AUSTIN WILL BE INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT SO THAT A TP IS OUT THERE IN THE COMMUNITY AND REALLY PLAYING AN ACTIVE ROLE FROM THE BEGINNING.

IF YOU GO TO THE NEXT PAGE, PLEASE, THAT IS IT ON THAT FRONT.

OBVIOUSLY THIS ORGANIZATIONAL TOPIC IS COMPLEX AND IMPORTANT AND IT'S THE A TP STAFF IS UP AND RUNNING ON IT, BUT JUST WANTED TO GIVE YOU A HIGH LEVEL OVERVIEW OF SOME OF THE RESEARCH WE HAVE DONE THERE, BUT I'M HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS ON THAT BEFORE PASSING IT BACK OVER TO, UH, TO THE CHAIR.

THANK YOU, MS. BOTH.

DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY FOLLOW UP QUESTIONS? I JUST HAD ONE IF I COULD.

MADAM CHAIR, UH, NATALIE, JUST A QUESTION ON, UM, PACKET NUMBER 39, THE ORG CHART WITH, UM, A TP AND CAP METRO.

I DIDN'T SEE AN INTERNAL AUDIT FUNCTION REPORTING TO THE A TP BOARD OF DIRECTORS.

I KNOW THAT'S PRETTY COMMON IN TRANS AGENCIES.

WHAT'S YOUR THOUGHT ON THAT? YEAH, SO THAT IS SOMETHING THAT IT, I I THINK IT'S ON ONE OF THE EARLIER PAGES THAT THE BOARD SHOULD HAVE AN AUDIT FUNCTION, HAVE AN AUDITOR THAT REPORTS DIRECTLY TO THE BOARD.

SO THAT'S NOT REFLECTED ON THAT SUMMARY CHART, BUT IT'S SOMETHING THAT I BELIEVE IS A PART OF IT'S CODIFIED, BUT WAS AN, WELL, WE'RE, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TWO AUDITORS.

WE'RE GONNA HAVE A, A BIG FOUR AUDITING FIRM AUDITING THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS, BUT I'M TALKING AN INTERNAL AUDIT FUNCTION FOR INDEPENDENT OVERSIGHT OF PROGRAM EXPENDITURES, COMPLIANCE WITH POLICIES, PROCEDURES, THAT TYPE OF THING.

UH, SO I DON'T KNOW IF THAT PERSON WOULD BE SECONDED FROM CAP METRO OR WE WOULD OUTSOURCE IT, BUT THAT I THINK IS A FUNCTION WE SHOULD THINK ABOUT HAVING.

SURE.

SO BOARD MEMBER ELKINS, UH, WE, WE CODIFIED THAT, THAT THE BOARD WILL, YOU ALL WILL, WILL POST A POSITION INTERVIEW AND HIRE AN INDEPENDENT AUDITOR THAT WILL WORK DIRECTLY FOR THE BOARD TO HOLD HOLD MANAGEMENT ACCOUNTABLE ON YOUR BEHALF.

SO I, I THINK OUR TEAM IS ACTUALLY PUTTING SOME JOB DESCRIPTIONS FROM THE CITY AND CAP METRO, JUST LIKE CAP METRO HAS AN INDEPENDENT AUDITOR OF THE BOARD AND SO DOES THE CITY.

UH, THEY HAVE A COUPLE OF THOSE READY.

AND THEN I THINK THE IDEA WAS GET PAST ANOTHER MEETING HERE WHERE, AND THEN PROVIDE THAT TO THE BOARD, PROBABLY THE NEXT BOARD MEETING TO SAY, YOU KNOW, IF YOU WILL, OUR HR FUNCTION, WHICH IS BARELY AN HR FUNCTION.

THIS ONE, IT'S SCOTT METRO FUNDING AND HELPING IS READY TO ADVANCE THAT PER BOARD DIRECTION.

ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS? NO, THANK YOU MS. BUTLER, I APPRECIATE YOUR TIME.

SO NOW WE'RE GONNA MOVE TO OUR FIRST ACTION ITEM OF TODAY, UM, THE APPROVAL OF MEETING MINUTES FROM THE JANUARY 20TH, 2021 MEETING.

NO, THANK YOU.

[III.1. Approval of minutes from the January 20, 2021 Austin Transit Partnership board meeting. ]

UM, I HOPE EVERYBODY HAD A CHANCE TO REVIEW THE MINUTES AND, AND I WILL REQUEST A MOTION AND A SECOND ON ACTION.

ITEM NUMBER ONE.

I HAVE A MOTION, SO MOVE COLETTE SECOND.

UM, DO I HAVE A SECOND? SECOND.

THANK YOU MR. UM, ELKINS.

UM, AND NOW MAKE SURE THAT WE ALL HAVE OUR CAMERAS ON.

SO WE'RE GONNA GO AHEAD AND, UH, CALL FOR A VOTE.

SO CAN YOU PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME AND SAY I OR NA ON THE MEETING MINUTES? COLETTE PIERCE BURNETT.

[01:45:03]

RANDY, UM, I'M SORRY.

UH, WE GO BOARD MEMBER STRATTON STEVE ADLER.

STEVE ADLER, A THANK YOU BOARD MEMBER ELKINS, UH, TONY ELKINS.

AND ERIC STRATTON, BOARD MEMBER STRATTON.

WE WILL NOW HAVE A SECOND ITEM, THE APPROVAL OF RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OR HIS DESIGNEE TO ENTER INTO AN INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT WITH CERTAIN LOCAL GOVERNMENTS FOR THE PURPOSE OF PARTICIPATING IN COOPERATIVE PROCUREMENT OPPORTUNITIES VIA THE TEXAS WITH A LOCAL PURCHASING COOPERATIVE.

AND MY VOTE IS AYE VERONICA'S QUOTE.

UM,

[III.2. Approval of a resolution authorizing the Executive Director, or his designee, to enter into an interlocal agreement with certain local governments for the purpose of participating in cooperative procurement opportunities via the Texas Interlocal Purchasing Cooperative.]

AND OUR CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER, MR. CANALI, WILL GIVE US SOME BACKGROUND INFORMATION.

MR. CANAL? SAME.

THERE WE GO.

THANK YOU MADAM CHAIR.

UM, YES, THIS IS, UM, ONE OF OUR, UH, ITEMS TO ALLOW US TO MOVE FORWARD ON, AGAIN, STANDING UP THE ORGANIZATION.

THERE IS A INTERLOCAL, UM, COOPERATIVE BETWEEN THE CITY AND CAP METRO.

THE COUNTY'S PART OF THIS.

WHAT THIS WILL ALLOW A TP TO DO IS TO PIGGYBACK OFF OF PROCUREMENT PROCESSES THAT HAVE ALREADY GONE THROUGH BY THOSE ENTITIES, UM, RIGOROUS PROCESSES AND THEN ENTER INTO OUR OWN CONTRACTS BASED ON THOSE PROCUREMENT CONTRACTS.

WE WOULD AN, WE WOULD ANTICIPATE USING THESE ON, UH, THINGS, FOR EXAMPLE, EARLY ON, TRYING TO GET SOME LEGAL COUNSEL TO HELP US DO SOME RF QS OUT IN THE STREET AS WE MOVE FORWARD WITH OFFICE LEASE SPACE.

WHILE THAT WILL BE ITS OWN PROCUREMENT COMING BACK TO YOU, WE WOULD ANTICIPATE HAVING TO DO SOME CABLING OR SOME FURNITURE.

WE WANNA BE ABLE TO ACCESS THOSE, UH, KIND OF STARTUP, UH, FUNCTIONS USING THIS, UH, COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT.

DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR MR. UM, CANAL? SO JUST A QUICK QUESTION, GREG.

SO ITEM NUMBER TWO WOULD BE SUBJECT TO THE LIMITS OF AUTHORITY THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE VOTING ON FOR THE NEXT ACTION ITEM.

I BELIEVE, UH, YES, BOARD MEMBER THIS, THE, THE SECOND THIRD BOARD, THIRD ACTION ITEM WILL BE TWO 50 WILL APPLY TO THIS AS WELL AS OTHER PROCUREMENTS AS WELL.

NOT ALL OF OUR, NOT ALL OF OUR PROCUREMENTS WILL, UH, THESE INITIAL PROCUREMENTS WILL BE OCCURRING UNDER THIS COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT.

WE'LL, WE WILL STILL GO DO OUR OWN SOLICITATIONS FOR OTHER THINGS, FOR EXAMPLE, FOR LEGAL SERVICES, FINANCIAL SERVICES, BUT SOME OF THOSE SMALLER THINGS WHERE WE CAN ACCESS THAT.

BUT THAT TWO 50 WILL APPLY TO THIS AS WELL AS THOSE OTHER ONES.

ALRIGHT.

SO IF THERE'S NO, ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS, CAN I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE ACTION ITEM NUMBER TWO? DO I HAVE A MOTION? I MOVED, YEAH.

UM, MOTION BY BOARD MEMBER STRATTON ELKINS AND MAYOR ALER IN THE SECOND BOARD MEMBER ELKINS.

SO WE MOVE TO, UM, APPROVE.

SO I'M GONNA DO A ROLL CALL.

SO, UH, VICE CHAIR DR. BURNETT, WHAT IS YOUR VOTE? YES, APPROVED.

UH, BOARD MEMBER, UH, MAYOR ADLER.

APPROVED.

BOARD MEMBER ELKINS APPROVED BOARD MEMBER STRATTON AYE.

AND MY VOTE IS ALSO AYE.

NOW WE MOVE ON TO ACTION ITEM NUMBER THREE.

[III.3. Approval of a resolution authorizing the Executive Director, or his designee, to execute contracts and agreements for amounts not to exceed $250,000 per year per agreement, and requiring that the Executive Director, or his designee, report to the Board of Directors on a quarterly basis regarding any contract or agreement entered into during the previous quarter valued between $150,000 and $250,000.]

UM, THIS IS THE APPROVAL OF A RESOLUTION OF HORIZON, THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF HIS S AND E TO EXECUTE CONTRACTS AND AGREEMENTS FOR AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $250,000 PER YEAR PER AGREEMENT.

AND REQUIRING THAT THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OR HIS DESIGNEE REPORT TO THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS ON A QUARTERLY BASIS REGARDING ANY CONTRACT OR AGREEMENT ENTERED INTO, DURING THE PREVIOUS QUARTER VALUED BETWEEN $150,000 AND $250,000.

SO AGAIN, MR. CANAL, WE'LL HAVE SOME BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON THAT FOR THIS.

THANK YOU MADAM CHAIR.

YES, AS WE, AS WE DISCUSSED AS NATALIE WALKED YOU THROUGH THE CASE STUDIES, UM, AND THE RECOMMENDATION ON THIS TWO 50 APPLYING TO THE PROFESSIONAL SERVICES, UH, WE THINK THIS IS THE, THE RIGHT NUMBER TO BE WORKING ON.

UM, I WILL SAY THIS, UM, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A, THERE'LL BE A LOT OF PROCUREMENTS THAT COME FORWARD IN FRONT OF THE BOARD.

I THINK THE, THE, THE LARGE MAJORITY OF THEM WILL BE COMING BACK TO THE BOARD FOR

[01:50:01]

APPROVAL BECAUSE WE ARE GONNA BE IN THIS, IN THE SCHEMES AS I THINK AS, UH, AS RICH SAID IN HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS.

UM, AND THEN I THINK A KEY COMPONENT OF THIS IS THAT WE WILL HAVE THAT REPORTING, UH, THAT REPORTING STRUCTURE BACK OUT OF, UM, OF PURCHASES UNDERNEATH THAT AUTHORITY BACK TO THE BOARD.

WE THINK THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT FROM A TRANSPARENCY PERSPECTIVE, NOT ONLY TO THE BOARD, BUT TO THE COMMUNITY.

DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? MR. CAN BOARD MEMBER PLEASE? YEAH, J JUST JUST TO COMMENT, YOU KNOW, I'M, I'M FINE WITH THE 250,000 FOR, UM, THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR.

I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE ONLY MEET ONCE A MONTH AND THERE'S GONNA BE A LOT OF DECISIONS THAT, THAT HE AND STAFF ARE GONNA BE ABLE TO HAVE TO MAKE QUICKLY.

UH, SO I'M FINE WITH THAT.

I THINK THE OTHER PART, AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, IS THE REPORTING REQUIREMENT.

AND IT'S JUST A QUESTION ABOUT WHETHER REPORTING QUARTERLY IS FREQUENT ENOUGH, SHOULD IT BE MORE FREQUENT, PERHAPS MONTHLY? AND IS TWO 50 TO ONE 50 THE RIGHT NUMBER FOR, FOR THAT? SHOULD IT BE, UH, PERHAPS SOMETHING 75 AND OVER AND IT SHOULD IT BE MORE FREQUENT? SO I, I'LL I'LL THROW THAT OUT TO THE REST OF THE BOARD MEMBERS.

I AGREE WITH THE MONTHLY TO BEGIN WITH.

UM, IT'S EASIER TO LET IT OUT AS OPPOSED TO PULL IT IN.

SO I, UM, I WOULD CONCUR WITH THE MONTHLY JUST TO START WITH, TO REALLY GET OUR, OUR LEGS, OUR SEA LEGS AND HAVE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT'S GOING ON, A BETTER GRASPING OF WHAT'S GOING ON.

MM-HMM .

SO BEFORE WE VOTE ON THIS, ANY OF THIS PARTICULAR AMENDMENT WOULD BE, UM, IF WE GO FOR A VOTE, IT WOULD BE WITH THE AMENDMENT TO HAVE THIS DONE MONTHLY RATHER THAN QUARTERLY.

IS THAT CORRECT? I WOULD SUPPORT THAT.

MADAM CHAIR.

MADAM CHAIR, SOMEBODY, SOMEBODY WOULD HAVE TO ACTUALLY PUT, OFFICIALLY PUT FORWARD THE AMENDMENT AND IT'D BE SECONDED AND WE'D HAVE TO VOTE ON THE AMENDMENT AND THEN VOTE ON THE RESOLUTION AS A WHOLE.

GOT IT.

OKAY, GREAT.

SO, UM, IS THERE ANY MORE DISCUSSION, ANYBODY ELSE, ANY OTHER MAYOR ADLER STAFF? DOES THAT PRESENT, UH, AN ISSUE GOING TO JUST A, A MONTHLY, UH, REPORT OF THOSE EXPENSES? NO.

WE CAN MAKE THAT, WE CAN MAKE THAT WORK AND, UH, THAT'S WHAT THE BOARD LIKES, BUT WE'LL MAKE THAT WORK.

BUT PARTLY, I THINK INITIALLY IT'LL JUST BE AS MUCH AN EDUCATION TOOL AS ANYTHING ELSE TO KNOW WHAT KINDS OF THINGS ARE, ARE APPROVED, AND, UH, IF YOU'RE JUST FOR THAT REASON, I THINK IT MIGHT BE.

THAT MAKES SENSE.

I JUST HAD A QUESTION.

YES, ? UH, YEAH.

BASED ON THE RECOMMENDATIONS FROM BCG, THEY WERE RECOMMENDING WE BREAK IT DOWN BETWEEN ADMINISTRATIVE AND PROFESSIONAL SERVICES VERSUS CAPITAL PROJECTS.

I NOTICED THAT THE RESOLUTION, UH, DOES NOT, UH, SPEAK TO THAT IN PARTICULAR.

UM, WAS THERE A REASON BEHIND STAFF BRINGING THAT FORWARD AND NOT BREAKING THAT DOWN? IS IT BECAUSE, WELL, WE DON'T HAVE ANY CAPITAL PROJECTS YET, AND THAT AT THIS POINT WE'RE JUST LOOKING AT ANYTHING IN GENERAL, AND WE'LL GET BACK TO THAT AND BREAKING IT OUT AT A LATER TIME.

AND THIS IS JUST LIKE, HEY, LET'S, LET'S HIT THE GROUND RUNNING AND JUST HAVE A SOMETHING, UM, BOARD, BOARD MEMBER, SEAN? YEAH, I BELIEVE THAT WAS, THAT WAS IT.

WE, 'CAUSE OF, WE, WE DID FRAME THIS OUT AS THE CAPITAL.

CLEARLY WE DON'T HAVE ANY CAPITAL PROJECTS COMING FORWARD.

SO WE'RE USING THAT LANGUAGE AROUND AGREEMENTS AND CONTRACTS.

I THINK CLEARLY THE, I THINK WITH, I THINK WHETHER IT HAS TO BE AN AMENDMENT OR JUST DIRECTION THAT IT WOULD, THAT IT WOULD RESIDE WITHIN THAT PROFESSIONAL SERVICES, I THINK THAT THAT IS ENTIRELY OUR INTENT BECAUSE WE'RE NOWHERE NEAR DOING THOSE CAPITAL PROJECTS YET.

AND WE WOULD, AND, AND I WOULD SAY WE ARE STILL GONNA HAVE TO BRING BACK THAT POLICY AROUND SPENDING AUTHORITY AROUND CAPITAL PROJECTS.

UM, AND I THINK TO YOUR EARLIER QUESTION ABOUT ADJUSTING, RIGHT, AS WE, AS WE GROW ADJUSTING THOSE NUMBERS OR REVISITING THEM, UM, SO THAT'S HOW WE FRAMED UP THE RESOLUTION.

THAT, THAT THAT WAS NOT PER SE AN OVERSIGHT BY STAFF TO SAY, OH, WELL WE, YOU'RE RIGHT.

YEAH, I'LL JUST SAY THAT, THAT THERE, IF RIGHT NOW WE ONLY TO THAT POINT, IF WE SPECIFIED OR PUT IN THE LANGUAGE ADMINISTRATIVE AND PROFESSIONAL SERVICES, IF WE PUT THAT IN THERE, NOW, MY CONCERN WOULD BE IF WE DO THAT BUT DON'T SIMULTANEOUSLY HAVE THE OTHER SIDE OF THE EQUATION THAT WE'RE PUTTING IN PLACE, THEN WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE KIND OF, WE'RE ONLY ADDRESSING HALF OF THAT THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF BCG.

AND, AND I DON'T THINK PERSONALLY I WOULD SAY THAT'S NOT GOOD PRACTICE.

I, BUT I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT, THAT THAT WAS,

[01:55:01]

WE SHOULDN'T, WE SHOULD HAVE PUT IN ADMINISTRATIVE PROFESSIONAL SERVICES ON THAT.

SO I, I'M OKAY WITH THAT.

AS IS I FURTHER CONFIRM BOARD MEMBER, WE WILL HAVE ZERO CAPITAL PROGRAM, $250,000 OR LESS.

SO IT WILL BE ALL PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AND ADMINISTRATION.

AGAIN, I THINK THAT THAT IS A GUARANTEE I THINK I CAN MAKE RIGHT AT THE MOMENT.

UM, WE CAN CERTAINLY REVISE THE RESOLUTION TOO.

SO, UM, IF WE HAVE, SO NOW, UH, THIS IS, THIS WOULD BE A MOTION FOR THE AMENDMENT FOR THIS RESOLUTION TO HAVE QUARTERLY INSTEAD OF QUARTERLY REPORTING TO BE COMPLETE REPORTING ON ANY CONTRACTS, THE $250,000 PER AGREEMENT.

UM, DO I HAVE A, A MOTION FOR THE AMENDMENT? SO MOVE MAD CHAIR MS. COLETTE.

AND A SECOND YOU ADD THERE.

SECOND.

AND SO NOW WE'RE GONNA DO A ROLL CALL FOR VOTING ON THIS ITEM.

UM, DID I COVER ALSO YOURS MEMBERS, BOARD MEMBER STRAT, ABOUT THE BETWEEN ADMINISTRATIVE AND CAPITAL PROJECT? NO, THE, THE STAFF COVERED IT.

THIS IS THE ONLY AMENDMENT THAT'S I'M GOOD FOR NOW.

THANKS.

SO NOW I'M GONNA DO A ROLL CALL BOARD MEMBER ELKINS.

UM, I'M APPROVING IT.

I'M NOT AMENDING IT, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO NOTE THAT AT A FUTURE DATE, I WOULD THINK IT WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR US TO SEE THE MORE FORMAL PROCUREMENT REGULATIONS AND, AND I REALIZE THAT THE STAFF AND THE AGENCY IS, IS NEW AND, AND AND DEVELOPING, BUT I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT, YOU KNOW, WE SHOULD HAVE AT SOME POINT IN TIME TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE PROCURING THINGS THE RIGHT WAY.

SO I APPROVE IT.

UM, JUST CHAIR, JUST A CLARIFICATION.

UM, THIS, I BELIEVE THAT THIS IS THE VOTE ON THE AMENDMENT FIRST, AND THEN WE WOULD TAKE THE VOTE ON THE, THE AMENDED RESOLUTION.

YES, THAT IS CORRECT.

JUST MAKING SURE I DIDN'T LOSE TRACK , WHICH IS ENTIRELY POSSIBLE TODAY.

NO, THAT IS CORRECT.

SO THIS IS ON THE, ON THE AMENDMENT.

UM, IN THE FIRST VOTE FROM BOARD MEMBER, TIS WAS YES.

AND THEN BOARD MEMBERS, AYE, UM, VICE CHAIR DR. PIERCE COLLECT HERE.

UM, BOARD MEMBER MAYOR ALAN? YES.

AND MY VOTE IS ALSO YES, ON THE AMENDMENT.

UM, I DID ASK THE QUESTION OF STAFF EARLIER AS FAR AS YOU KNOW, THEY'RE USING THE STATE'S PROCUREMENT PROCESS ON THIS.

AND I KNOW THE STATE ALSO HAS THEIR MECHANISMS FOR HAVING, UH, GUIDELINES FOR PEOPLE THAT ARE ON THAT BUCKET WHERE THEY CAN PROCURE THESE CONTRACTS THAT ARE, UH, MEETING THE MINORITY BUSINESS CRITERIA AS WELL IN THIS PROCUREMENT EFFORTS.

SO THAT SAID, MY HEART AT EASE, THAT THIS WAS, UH, A GOOD BUCKET TO PULL FROM AS RESOURCES THAT THEY NEED.

SO, UM, AND WITH THAT, I'D LIKE TO THEN CALL A, A VOTE ON A, IN A MOTION IN A SECOND TO APPROVE THIS.

UH, ITEM NUMBER THREE.

DO I HAVE A, DO I HAVE A MOTION? SO MOVED.

THANK YOU MEMBER.

UH, STRATTON.

DO I HAVE A SECOND? BOARD MEMBER L CAN SECOND THANK YOU.

AND NOW FOR A VOTE.

UM, I'M GONNA START NOW WITH DR. BURNETT , WHAT IS YOUR VOTE? APPROVED.

UM, AND NOW MAYOR ADLER, WHAT IS YOUR VOTE? APPROVE.

BOARD MEMBER STRATTON AYE.

AND BOARD MEMBER ELKINS APPROVED.

AND MY VOTE IS ALSO, AYE.

THE MOTION PASSES.

AND NOW WE'RE GONNA MOVE ON TO ACTION ITEM NUMBER FOUR, THE APPROVAL OF A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OR HIS DESIGNEE TO FINALIZE AND EXECUTE AN INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN FOR CERTAIN DEDICATED TECHNICAL SUPPORT FUNCTIONS RELATED TO THE SIGN REVIEW AND PERMITTING FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PROJECT CONNECT SYSTEM FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE FISCAL YEAR.

UM,

[III.4. Approval of a resolution authorizing the Executive Director, or his designee, to finalize and execute an interlocal agreement with the City of Austin for the provision of certain dedicated technical support functions related to design, review and permitting for the implementation of the Project Connect System for the remainder of this fiscal year.]

[02:00:02]

AND, UM, AND SO FOR THIS WE'RE GONNA HAVE OUR GENERAL COUNCIL, CASSIE , UH, SHE'LL GIVE YOU SOME BACKGROUND ON THIS.

UM, YEAH, SO THIS IS AN INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT, VERY SIMILAR TO THE ONE THAT WE HAD, UM, WITH CAT METRO IN THE LAST BOARD MEETING, UM, IN TERMS OF ITS STRUCTURE, BUT THE CONTENT IS DIFFERENT.

UM, THE IDEA IS, AND IT RELATES TO THE BCG PRESENTATION THAT YOU GUYS JUST SAW ABOUT OUR PARTNERSHIP THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE HAVING WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN.

AND THE IDEA IS FOR THE REMAINDER OF THIS FISCAL YEAR, WE'RE GONNA BE STANDING UP, UM, FOUR POSITIONS WITHIN THE CITY USING A TP FUNDING IN ORDER FOR TO SET UP A TECHNICAL TEAM THAT CAN SUPPORT, UM, THE, THE PROGRAM OF PROJECTS NEEDS FOR DESIGN REVIEW AND PERMITTING.

AND, YOU KNOW, SPECIFIC TO UTILITY COORDINATION, PERMIT COORDINATION, UM, TO HELP WITH FEDERAL GRANT COORDINATION AND, UM, TO ASSIST ANIQUE THE MOBILITY OFFICER IN THAT OFFICE.

THANK YOU, MS. AK, DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? MS. ROYAL? ? TARA.

TARA, I WONDER, I JUST WANNA KNOW IF YOU WANT THE OPPORTUNITY FOR, UH, A CM VIA AND DACA IF IT MAKES ANY SENSE FOR OUR COMMENT, BECAUSE I, I CAN'T THANK HER AND HER TEAM ENOUGH FOR ALL THE SUPPORT THEY DO.

'CAUSE THIS IS REALLY FOR A TP TO REALLY BE BUYING PROFESSIONAL SERVICE SUPPORT FROM THE CITY.

AND I JUST WANT THE IT UP FOR YOU, OBVIOUSLY, CHAIR, BUT I JUST WANTED TO REALLY RECOGNIZE GINA AND HER TEAM AND IF SHE, IF SHE NEEDED TO ARTICULATE THIS A LITTLE BIT MORE ON HER END.

JUST WANTED TO CONNECT THOSE DOTS THAT PEOPLE NEEDED THAT.

YES, MS. KIN, THANK THANK, THANK YOU CHAIR.

THANK YOU, RANDY, FOR THE OPPORTUNITY, UH, ALLOWING US TO REALLY STAND UP THE PROJECT CONNECT LIAISON OFFICE WITHIN THE CITY WILL, UH, GREATLY ASSIST US AS WE SORT OF WORK THROUGH THE, THE ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW PROCESS, THE UTILITY PERMITTING PROCESS, AND ALSO THE, UM, THE, THE PROJECT MANAGER FOR, UH, UTILITIES AND ENGINEERING AND PERMITTING.

UH, WE'VE REALLY WORKED HARD TO, YOU KNOW, WORK THROUGH ALL OF THE, UH, RIGHT OF WAY ACQUISITIONS THAT, THAT WE NEED.

YOU KNOW, WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, ALL OF THOSE PERMITS THAT ARE SITTING WITH OUR TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT, BUT ALLOWING US JUST TO SORT OF EMBED THE EXPERTISE WITHIN THAT LIAISON OFFICE ALLOWS US TO HAVE THAT SINGLE POINT OF CONTACT THAT WILL BE CRITICALLY IMPORTANT AS WE STAY ON BUDGET, ON SCHEDULE, UM, AND ALSO WORK WITH, WITH OUR COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE AND, AND SORT OF PASS THAT OFF TO OUR, OUR, UH, HOUSING DEPARTMENT AND, AND WORK WITH OUR EQUITY OFFICE AS WE LOOKED AT, AT THAT LENS AS WE STAND UP THE PROJECTS CONNECT PROGRAM OFFICE.

SO WE APPRECIATE THE PARTNERSHIP, UH, APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS THE BOARD WITH THIS MATTER, AND HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.

THANK YOU, MS. AKA.

DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? NO, I YES.

PHONE NUMBER SEVEN.

UM, THIS IS CLOSELY ALIGNED WITH WHAT YOU SAW FROM BCG.

YEAH, GINA, I JUST WANNA, AGAIN, THANK YOU.

AND, UM, IF YOU CAN JUST, UH, ELABORATE A A LITTLE BIT FURTHER, UM, BESIDES THE, I MEAN, JUST AMAZING PROJECT CONNECT OFFICE AND, AND THE TEAM THAT Y'ALL HAVE GOT THAT, THAT'S WORKING UNDER THERE.

UH, JUST, JUST FOR, YOU KNOW, THE SAKE OF TRANSPARENCY AND FOR THE, FOR THE REST OF THE PUBLIC, UM, WHAT OTHER, YOU KNOW, JUST KIND OF SOME MORE BROAD, GENERAL BRUSHSTROKE KIND OF, UH, ASPECTS, WILL THE, THE CITY BE PROVIDING AS PART OF ITS PARTNERSHIP WITH THE, UH, WITH THE A TP? SURE.

SO, SO THIS EARLY INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT WILL ALLOW, UM, UH, AN BODAY WHO'S OUR PROJECTS CONNECT PROGRAM, UH, LIAISON OFFICER THAT REPORTS TO ME IN THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE TO, UM, UH, AMA, UH, TO START STANDING UP THAT OFFICE WITH FOUR POSITIONS.

AND BASICALLY ONE OF THEM WOULD BE DEDICATED TO, UM, MANAGING THE, UM, ENGINEERING AND UTILITIES PROCESS FROM THE CITY'S PERSPECTIVE.

UM, MANAGING THE PERMITTING PROCESS FROM THE CITY'S PERSPECTIVE, MANAGING THE NEPA PROCESS FROM THE CITY'S PERSPECTIVE.

UM, AS A PARTICIPATING, UM, AGENCY AND A PARTNERING AGENCY, WE THINK THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT.

WE HAVE, UM, 80 PLUS DEPARTMENTS IN THE CITY THAT HAVE BEEN TOUCHED BY THIS.

SO, UH, ONE OF AN'S FIRST TASKS THIS WEEK FOR, FOR YOUR OWN KNOWLEDGE IS THAT WE'LL BE CALLING TOGETHER ALL OF THOSE DEPARTMENTS AS WE SORT OF FRAME UP WHAT THE, THE CITY'S, UH, RESPONSE TO THE NEPA PROCESS WILL BE IN ONE VOICE.

UH, WE'LL ALSO HAVE A TRANSPORTATION OFFICER THAT REPORTS DIRECTLY TO ANIQUE INSTEAD OF HER ASSISTANT.

SO THAT'S THE EARLY STRUCTURE.

[02:05:01]

UM, THEY WERE TERRIFIC IN SORT OF HELPING US, UH, SORT OF CONCEPTUALIZE WHAT THAT STRUCTURE NEEDED TO BE IN ORDER FOR US TO BE SUCCESSFUL.

SO WORKING FROM THAT, THAT WILL, UH, SORT OF, UH, PROVIDE THE FRAMEWORK FOR US AS WE MOVE INTO OUR FY 22 BUDGET FOR, UM, FOR SUPPORTING PROJECT CONNECT AND THE NEAR TERM, BUT ALSO BEYOND.

I HOPE THAT ANSWERED YOUR QUESTION.

YES, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

AND WE GREATLY APPRECIATE THIS OPPORTUNITY AND THIS PARTNERSHIP AND ARRANGEMENT.

YEAH, THAT EXPLANATION HELPED ME TOO AS WELL.

THANK YOU, MS. CCA.

AND, UH, IF THERE ARE NO MORE COMMENTS FROM ANYBODY ELSE, ARE WE READY FOR VOTING ON ITEM NUMBER FOUR? AND WE HAVE A, CAN I HAVE A MOTION MEMBER? ELKINS? AND A SECOND? SECOND.

UM, AND NOW WE'RE GONNA VOTE FIRST, UH, BOARD MEMBER STRATTON AYE.

UH, BOARD MEMBER MAYOR LER.

BOARD MEMBER, UH, VICE CHAIR, DR. BURNETT.

AND BOARD MEMBER ELKINS.

AND MY VOTE IS ALSO, YES.

WE JUST MOVE ON TO, UM, ITEM NUMBER FOUR FOR DISCUSSION.

UM, AND NOW WE'RE GONNA MOVE ON TO, UM, THIS IS, THIS CONCLUDES ALL OUR ACTION ITEMS THAT REQUIRE A VOTE.

AND I BELIEVE IF, UM, BOARD MEMBER STRATTON THAT YOU HAVE, UM, YOU MAY NEED TO STEP OUT OF THIS MEETING, BUT I THINK THAT WE NO LONGER HAVE ANY MORE ACTION ITEMS. AND NOW

[IV.1. National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Overview]

WE HAVE AN OVERVIEW OF DPA, ENVIRONMENTAL NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY ACT FROM DAVE COUCH.

MR. COUCH, UH, THANK YOU MADAM CHAIR.

UH, BOARD MEMBERS, UH, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR CLARK.

I'M GONNA, THIS IS GONNA BE A TWO PART PROCESS.

I'M GONNA GO THROUGH THE FIRST FEW SLIDES, UH, AND THEN I'VE GOT ONE OF OUR, UH, NPA EXPERTS IS WITH AECOM WHO'S GONNA TAKE THE SECOND PART OF THE PRESENTATION.

SO IF WE CAN GO TO THE FIRST SLIDE, PLEASE.

THIS, THIS IS THE, UH, SCHEDULE YOU'VE SEEN A COUPLE OF TIMES ALREADY DURING TODAY.

UH, AND THE PART THAT I WANNA FOCUS ON IS THE FIRST TWO LINES, UH, THE ORANGE LINE AND THE BLUE LINE.

UH, AS WE DISCUSSED EARLIER, WE'RE GOING INTO THE SCOPING PROCESS RIGHT NOW.

WE'VE HAD THE MEETINGS AT THE END OF JANUARY, AND WE'RE MOVING FORWARD TO GO THROUGH THE, THE DETAILED ENVIRONMENTAL PROCESS TO GET TO A RECORD OF DECISION FOR BOTH THE ORANGE AND THE BLUE LINE.

AS WE STARTED THROUGH THE PROCESS TO BE ABLE TO ARRIVE, UH, AT THE CONCLUSION IN JUNE, UH, WE WENT THROUGH EACH ONE OF THE STEPS WITH THE FIRST STEP OF LOOKING AT WHAT THE QUARTERS WERE OF IDENTIFICATION, DOING A DETAILED EVALUATION OF WHAT EACH ONE OF THE PARTS AND THE EVALUATION PROCESS WOULD BE.

THAT LED US THROUGH THE PUBLIC PROCESS AND ALL OF THE MEETINGS THAT WE HAD, UH, LAST SPRING, UH, THAT STARTED OUT IN PERSON AND THEN WENT VIRTUAL.

UH, THAT TOOK US TO THE POINT THAT ON THE 10TH OF JUNE OF LAST YEAR, UH, WE WERE ABLE TO GO AHEAD AND HAVE ADOPTION OF THE LOCALLY PREFERRED ALTERNATIVES FOR NOT ONLY THE ORANGE IN THE BLUE, UH, BUT ALSO IT WAS FOR THE OVERALL SYSTEM PLAN.

SO THAT TOOK US TO THAT POINT IN THE PROCESS.

AND NOW WE'RE READY AND POISED TO GO AHEAD AND TAKE THAT SECOND STEP AND GO INTO THE DETAILED COMPONENTS OF EACH ONE OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT FACTORS SO THAT WE CAN GO AHEAD AND GO FORWARD THROUGH THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROCESS.

NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.

WITH THAT, I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND ASK JULIUS, UH, TO GO AHEAD AND PICK UP THE PRESENTATION FROM HERE, UH, AND TAKE YOU THROUGH THE DETAILED PORTIONS OF THE IMPLEMENTATION.

JULIA.

COMPRISED OF THREE DIFFERENT PARTS.

THANKS, DAVE.

AGAIN, MY NAME IS JULIA SUE PRA.

I'M WITH AECOMS SUPPORTING CAP METRO ON THIS EFFORT.

SO YES, THE REFERENDUM WAS PASSED IN FALL 2020.

VERY EXCITING.

SO THAT MOVED US RIGHT INTO THE NEXT PHASE, WHICH IS WHAT WE'RE GONNA BE TALKING ABOUT HERE, WHICH IS THE NEPA CLEARANCE PROCESS.

SO THAT'S WHAT'S HIGHLIGHTED ON THIS SLIDE AND READ HERE.

AND IT'S

[02:10:01]

SO WE'RE GONNA WALK THROUGH WHAT HAPPENS IN EACH OF THOSE.

BUT WHAT I WANNA DRAW YOUR ATTENTION TO IS THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT THAT IS ONE OF THOSE CIRCLES, BUT THEN ALSO IS SHOWN AS THAT KIND OF GRAY WAVY LINE BECAUSE THAT IS GOING TO WEAVE THROUGHOUT THIS ENTIRE PROCESS, UM, AS WE MOVE FORWARD THROUGH NEPA INTO DESIGN.

AND THEN FINALLY, CONSTRUCTION AND OPERATIONS.

SO ON THE NEXT SLIDE WE'LL TALK ABOUT WHAT NEPA IS.

SO THE FEDERAL TRANSIT ADMINISTRATION IS THE AGENCY THAT IS LEADING THIS EFFORT.

SO WE ARE GONNA BE WORKING HAND IN HAND WITH THEM TO ACHIEVE THIS CLEARANCE.

SO THEY ARE THE FEDERAL AGENCY THAT'S IN CHARGE.

UM, AND WE WILL WORK WITH THEM TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE ADDRESSING THEIR ISSUES OVER THE COURSE OF THIS NEPA CLEARANCE PROCESS.

SO THEY WORK WITH US TO IDENTIFY WHICH OTHER AGENCIES THAT WE NEED TO COORDINATE WITH AS WE GO THROUGH THIS PROCESS.

AND TO THAT END, WE HAVE BEEN HAVING WEEKLY MEETINGS WITH THEM TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY UNDERSTAND WHAT WE'RE WORKING ON, GIVE US DIRECTION AND MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE MOVING ALONG THE PROCESS EFFICIENTLY.

SO ON THE NEXT SLIDE, WE WANNA TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT EVERYONE'S ROLE IN THIS PROCESS.

SO FTA PART OF THE US DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION, AGAIN, THAT'S THE LEAD FEDERAL AGENCY IN THIS PROCESS, UH, CAP METRO IS SERVING AS THE LOCAL SPONSOR FOR THIS EFFORT.

UM, AND THE CITY OF AUSTIN IS GONNA BE A PARTICIPATING AGENCY.

UM, AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP IS GOING TO SERVE AS THE GUIDING IMPLEMENTATION AND OPERATIONS ONCE WE GO THROUGH THE NEPA CLEARANCE PROCESS.

SO ALL THESE PIECES HAVE TO FIT TOGETHER, BUT WHAT'S MOST IMPORTANT IS IN THE UPPER RIGHT HAND CORNER IS THE PUBLIC MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC HAVE OPPORTUNITIES AT EVERY STAGE OF THIS PROCESS TO WEIGH IN AND SHARE THEIR, UM, THOUGHTS AND CONCERNS AS WE, AS WE GO THROUGH THE DESIGN EVALUATION PROCESS.

SO ON THE NEXT SLIDE, UM, THIS IS JUST MEANT TO SHOW YOU THAT NEPA IS A BIG UMBRELLA, IN THIS CASE, A BIG RED UMBRELLA THAT COVERS A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT, UM, TECHNICAL DISCIPLINE AREAS.

SO WE CAN ORGANIZE THOSE INTO THREE MAIN AREAS AS WE SEE ON THE NEXT SLIDE HERE.

SO IT REALLY BOILS DOWN TO PHYSICAL AND NATURAL ENVIRONMENTS, HUMAN ENVIRONMENTS, AND THEN CULTURAL ENVIRONMENT.

SO THIS IS REALLY A BROAD HOLISTIC PERSPECTIVE THROUGH WHICH WE'RE CONSIDERING THE ENVIRONMENT.

SO I WANNA TAKE A MOMENT AND REALLY FOCUS ON THE HUMAN ENVIRONMENT AND THE CULTURAL ENVIRONMENT.

'CAUSE I KNOW THERE IS A LOT OF CONCERN ABOUT EQUITY AND DISPLACEMENT AND AFFORDABILITY, UH, SOCIOECONOMIC IMPACTS, UM, AS WE MOVE FORWARD WITH IMPLEMENTING THE PROGRAM OF PROJECTS.

SO I JUST WANNA HIGHLIGHT THAT THOSE ARE SPECIFIC ITEMS THAT WILL BE STUDIED IN DETAIL AS WE GO THROUGH THIS PROCESS.

SO AS WE COME BACK TO YOU AND BRIEF YOU ABOUT OUR PRO, UH, PROGRESS ALONG THE CONTINUUM, UH, YOU WILL BE SEEING A LOT OF DISCUSSION AROUND THOSE ELEMENTS IN ADDITION TO YOUR MORE TRADITIONAL SORT OF PHYSICAL AND NATURAL ENVIRONMENTS ELEMENTS.

ON THE NEXT SLIDE, UM, JUST HIGHLIGHTING AGAIN THAT THIS IS REALLY THE COMBINATION OF A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT STARTING FROM LOCAL AND REGIONAL, GOING UP TO STATE, INCLUDING TRIBAL NATIONS, AND THEN FINALLY AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL, AND THERE WILL BE A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT FEDERAL AGENCIES THAT WILL BE PARTICIPATING.

THOSE AGENCIES ARE GOING TO BE ORGANIZED BY THE FTA AND THE NEXT SLIDE.

SO WE'LL JUST QUICKLY WALK THROUGH IN A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAIL WHAT THESE THREE STEPS ARE.

SO AS YOU'VE HEARD, WE'RE WORKING OUR WAY TOWARDS CONCLUSION OF THE SCOPING PHASE.

THEN WE WILL MOVE INTO THE DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT PREPARATION OR DEIS.

ONCE THAT'S COMPLETE, WE'LL MOVE INTO THE FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT, EIS AND RECORD OF DECISION ROD.

SO THE ROD REALLY SIGNALS THE COMPLETION OF THE NEPA CLEARANCE PROCESS.

SO ALL OF THIS WILL BE HAPPENING IN ABOUT TWO YEARS FROM THE NEXT SLIDE.

WE'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT SCOPING IS, AND BASICALLY, THERE'S A LOT OF WORDS ON THE SCREEN HERE, BUT WHAT IT MEANS IS THIS IS THE TIME FOR PEOPLE, MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC PARTNER AGENCIES AND STAKEHOLDERS TO COME FORWARD AND TALK TO US ABOUT THE UNIVERSE OF THINGS THAT THEY WANNA SEE STUDIED AS PART OF THE NEPA CLEARANCE PROCESS.

SO NOW'S THE TIME TO, FOR US TO LISTEN AND GATHER THAT INPUT SO THAT WE CAN THEN STUDY IT IN MORE DETAIL DURING THE NEXT STEP IN THE PROCESS, WHICH IS THE, THE DEIS.

SO IN THE NEXT SLIDE, WE CAN SEE THE MAIN COMPONENTS OF THE DEIS.

SO IT'S THE PURPOSE

[02:15:01]

OF AND NEED FOR ACTION.

YOU MAY RECALL THAT WE DEVELOPED A PURPOSE AND NEED DURING THE ALTERNATIVES ANALYSIS DATA PROCESS.

SO WE'LL BE REVISITING THAT, UPDATING THAT.

UM, SECOND PIECE IS A DESCRIPTION OF THE ALTERNATIVES, INCLUDING THE PROPOSED ACTION, WHICH IN THIS CASE IS THE PROJECTS THAT WE'LL BE RECOMMENDING FOR IMPLEMENTATION.

THEN BASED ON THE DEFINITION OF THOSE PROJECTS, WE WILL BE DISCUSSING THE EFFECTIVE ENVIRONMENT.

AND AGAIN, THAT'S ALL THOSE DIFFERENT CATEGORIES THAT WE WERE WALKING THROUGH PREVIOUSLY.

AND THEN ASSESSING THE ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES OF THAT ACTION.

SO OF, FOR INSTANCE, THE ORANGE LINER BLUE LINE ON THOSE ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES.

SO THAT'S THE PROCESS THAT COMPRISES THE DEIS.

SO ONCE WE DO ALL OF THAT ANALYSIS AND DOCUMENT IT, WE'LL MOVE ON TO THE THIRD STEP, WHICH IS THE EIS AND RECORD OF DECISION.

SO THIS PIECE OCCURS AT THE CONCLUSION OF A 30 DAY COMMENT PERIOD.

SO WE DO ALL THE DEIS WORK, 30 DAY COMMENT PERIOD.

WE TAKE ALL OF THAT INFORMATION AND THEN WE HAVE TO RESPOND TO IT.

SO THIS IS REALLY WHERE WE DRAFT ALMOST THAT CONTRACT WITH THE PUBLIC WHERE WE SAY, WE UNDERSTOOD YOUR CONCERNS, WE STUDIED IT, AND HERE IS OUR PROPOSED MITIGATION FOR THOSE ISSUES THAT WE IDENTIFIED.

SO THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT DOCUMENT.

IT'LL REALLY BE A, A GUIDING FOUNDATIONAL DOCUMENT AS WE GO FORWARD IN THE DESIGN PROCESS.

AND AGAIN, THE RECORD OF DECISION THEN JUST INDICATES CONCLUSION OF THE NEPA CLEARANCE PROCESS.

SO FINALLY, I'LL JUST WALK THROUGH QUICKLY WHERE WE STAND IN TERMS OF DEFINING THOSE BUILD ALTERNATIVES, STARTING WITH THE ORANGE LINE.

SO THIS IS CONSISTENT WITH, UM, WHAT WAS PUT BEFORE THE VOTERS, UM, IN THE REFERENDUM.

SO PRIMARILY WE WILL BE STAYING AT GRADE ALONG THE MAJORITY OF THE ALIGNMENT, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF SOME AERIAL PORTIONS OVER TXDOT ASSETS, PARTICULARLY AT I 35.

AND THEN SH 71, THERE'S TWO AREAS WHERE WE'RE STILL WORKING THROUGH SOME DESIGN DECISIONS ABOUT WHAT THAT PROFILE WILL LOOK LIKE IN TERMS OF BEING AT GRADE, UM, AERIAL OR UNDERGROUND, INCLUDING, UH, BETWEEN CRESTVIEW AND UT WEST MALL, AND THEN SOUTH OF LADY BIRD LAKE ALONG AUDITORIUM SHORES, DOWN SOCO.

AND THEN AGAIN THE, THE, UH, USING THE TUNNEL TO GET UNDER LADY BIRD LAKE.

AND THEN JUST QUICK OVERVIEW OF THE BLUE LINE BUILD ALTERNATIVES.

THIS WILL ALSO BE PRIMARILY A GRADE, UM, LRT INVESTMENT.

THERE WILL BE A TUNNEL THROUGH THE DOWNTOWN TO CONNECT TO THE ORANGE LINE, AND THEN SOME ELEVATED PORTION OVER US 180 3 ACCESSING, UH, THE TERMINAL AT THE AIRPORT.

SO AGAIN, WE'RE JUST WRAPPING UP THE SCOPING PHASE NOW, SO WE'LL CONTINUE TO COME BACK AND UPDATE YOU AS WE CONTINUE MAKING PROGRESS AND CAN REPORT BACK ON WHAT WE'RE HEARING FROM MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC AND THEN OUR PLAN, UM, FOR ADDRESSING THOSE CONCERNS.

SO THANK YOU, AND I THINK WE'RE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.

THANK YOU, MR. AND MR. COUCH, DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ON THE BOARD? BOARD MEMBER ELKINS? UM, THANK YOU MADAM CHAIR.

I JUST HAD A QUICK QUESTION.

DAVE AND JULIE, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.

IT WAS VERY WELL DONE.

UH, JUST ON SLIDE, UH, 49 WHERE WE TALK ABOUT PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION, WHERE DOES THE RFQ REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS AND REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS FOR THE ORANGE, BLUE AND TUNNEL COME INTO PLAY? WOULD THAT BE SOMEWHERE RIGHT AROUND THE TIME OF THE ROD RIGHT BEFORE THE ROD YOU'D ISSUE THE RFQ? WHAT, WHERE, WHERE'S YOUR THOUGHT ABOUT WHERE THAT WOULD SIT? UH, THE THOUGHT PROCESS IS TO DEVELOP THE CONTRACT PACKAGES SO THAT AS SOON AS WE GET THE ROD, WE WOULD BE ABLE TO GO AHEAD AND GO FORWARD.

UH, WE HAVE GOT RESTRICTIONS THAT ARE THERE FOR, UM, PARTICIPATION BY ANY FIRM THAT IS INVOLVED IN THE NEPA PROCESS.

UH, AND WE CAN'T DO ANYTHING TO START THE CONTRACTS UNTIL WE GET TO THE RECORD OF DECISION.

SO THE OBJECTIVE WOULD BE TO GO AHEAD, UH, IN A, WITH THIS BEING ON A TWO YEAR CYCLE, UH, ABOUT A YEAR FROM NOW, MAKING THOSE CONTRACT TYPE DECISIONS, WHICH WOULD GIVE US THE BETTER PART OF A YEAR TO THEN DEVELOP WHAT THE PACKAGES WOULD BE, UH, TO THEN BE READY TO GO AHEAD AND ADVERTISE THEM, DO THE PREQUALIFICATION, THE SELECTION, UH, AND THEN ONTO THE NEXT STEP, UH, DE BASICALLY, DEPENDING UPON WHAT THE CONTRACT TYPE WAS, UH, IF IT WERE SOMETHING THAT WERE BE DESIGNED BILLED, THAT COULD START SOONER RATHER THAN LATER.

IF WE'RE DOING SOMETHING THAT COULD BE A HUNDRED PERCENT DESIGN, THEN THE DESIGN WOULD BE THE FIRST PIECE OVER MAYBE THE NEXT 12 TO 18 MONTHS.

UH, OR IF WE DO OTHER KINDS OF FORMS OF CONTRACTS, IT WILL JUST DEPEND UPON WHAT

[02:20:01]

THE TIMING IS THAT WE GO FORWARD, UH, AFTER WE GET TO THE RECORD OF DECISION.

UH, BUT THE ONE THAT WE WOULD IN ALL PROBABILITY START WITH, UH, IS A UTILITY RELOCATION CONTRACT, UH, BECAUSE WE KNOW THOSE ARE ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, UH, IN ADDITION TO REAL ESTATE THAT CAN REALLY AFFECT AND DELAY THE BEGINNING OF A PROJECT.

SO THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE LOOKING TOWARD NOW, IS THAT PROBABLY BEING ONE OF THE FIRST CONTRACTS THAT WE ROLL OUT THE DOOR.

YEAH, I TOTALLY AGREE WITH YOU ON THE UTILITY RELOCATION OF REAL ESTATE.

DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS? I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WOULD ADD IS WHEN JULIA WAS TALKING ABOUT THE MITIGATION THAT COMES OUT OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROCESS, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT CARRIES THROUGH THE LIFE OF THE PROJECT.

THERE ARE SOME COMPONENTS THAT ARE COMPLETED WHEN YOU'RE DOING THE ENGINEERING, SOME GET COMPLETED DURING CONSTRUCTION, AND THEN SOME THAT AREN'T COMPLETED UNTIL YOU GET INTO THE OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE.

SO IT, IT'S A STEPPED PROCESS THAT YOU, YOU GO AHEAD AND FOLLOW AND FINISH OFF EACH ONE OF THOSE ITEMS THAT ARE IN THE MITIGATION.

THANK YOU, MR. COUCH.

IF ANYBODY HAS NO MORE COMMENTS, UM,

[V. Executive Director's Report]

I WOULD LIKE TO THEN MOVE ON TO OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR'S REPORT FROM MR. RANDY CLARK.

THANK YOU CHAIR.

AND, UH, DAVE AND JULIA DID A GREAT JOB THERE OF TAKING, UH, MULTIPLE YEARS WORTH OF WORK AND TENS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS WORTH OF EFFORT INTO A QUICK 15 MINUTE PRESENTATION.

I THINK MOSTLY FOR THE SANCTITY OF TIME, UH, THAT IT'S PAST THE FIVE O'CLOCK HOUR.

BUT I DO, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT YOU ALL DEFINITELY, UH, KNOW THAT WE ARE AVAILABLE AT ANY TIME TO DISCUSS THE NEPA PROCESS IN MORE DETAIL.

SOME OF YOU'RE PARTICIPATING ON THE SCOPING CALLS, AND I APPRECIATE YOU MAKING YOURSELF AVAILABLE FOR THAT.

UH, BUT IT IS A, DAVID AND JULIA MADE IT SEEM RELATIVELY SIMPLE.

JULIA, AS AN EXAMPLE, IS AN INCREDIBLE EXPERT ON THAT TOPIC, AND WE'RE HAPPY TO DO ONE-ON-ONE BRIEFINGS OR PROVIDE MORE INFORMATION IF ANYONE NEEDS IT.

IT'S, UH, IT'S CRAWL, WALK, RUN.

WE HAVE A WAYS TO GO WITH THAT, BUT, UH, THE TEAM IS DOING A GOOD JOB.

SO THANK YOU.

UH, A COUPLE QUICK THINGS.

UH, NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.

I'M JUST GONNA GIVE YOU A COUPLE UPDATES, UH, USING THIS, UH, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR UPDATE EVERY MONTH.

ONE IS THAT WE WANTED TO KIND OF CREATE A FRAMEWORK, UH, BACK TO THE IDEA OF REPORTING AND, UH, BOARD MEMBER KINS AND I HAVE ACTUALLY HAD A GOOD CONVERSATION, UH, OF, UH, SIMILAR TO THIS THREAD.

AND AS YOU NOTICED, UH, EARLIER THIS MONTH, DAVE STARTED THE MEETING, UH, WITH A TECHNICAL PROGRAM UPDATE, AND JACKIE DID ONE ON THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT UPDATE.

AND WHAT WE WANT TO DO IS KIND OF BUILD MUSCLE MEMORY AND CADENCE BEHIND SOME OF OUR PROCESS HERE.

SO A WAY THAT, UH, FRAME OUT THE, THE VARIETY OF TOPICS WE WILL HAVE AND HOW TO MAKE THE BEST USE OF YOUR, YOUR LIMITED TIME, AND MAKE SURE THE COMMUNITY IS OBVIOUSLY SEEING OPENNESS AND TRANSPARENCY THROUGHOUT A VERY COMPLEX PROGRAM.

AND I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS I'LL KEEP ASKING EVERYONE INVOLVED TO DO AS BEST WE CAN IS EMPHASIZE PROGRAM VERSUS PROJECT.

PROJECT CONNECT IS A BIG PROGRAM MADE UP OF, YOU KNOW, ULTIMATELY IT'S GONNA BE DOZENS OF PROJECTS.

THE ORANGE LINE ITSELF MAY BE FOUR OR FIVE PROJECTS.

UM, AND THE BETTER WE CAN ARTICULATE THE PROGRAM ELEMENT, I THINK THE COMPLEXITIES AND THE LAYERS OF THIS ONION WILL START BEING, UH, EASIER TO STITCH TOGETHER FOR PEOPLE THAN JUST ONE MONOLITHIC THING.

SO TO THAT END, ONE OF THE THINGS THE STAFF AND AND, UH, AND I HAVE WORKED ON IS THE IDEA OF HAVING A PROPOSED BOARD, UH, UPDATE SCHEDULE.

SO ON A TECHNICAL PROGRAM THAT TYPES OF TOPICS THEY WOULD COVER ON A MONTHLY BASIS.

AND HE'LL ALSO SUMMARIZE THINGS THAT THE CAP METRO TEAM IS ACTUALLY WORKING ON, ON BEHALF OF THE A TP, THE THINGS THAT YOU ALL APPROVED IN YOUR ILI LAST MONTH, LIKE YOU DID, UH, THIS MONTH.

SO LIKE THE RED LINE IN THE METRO RAPID PROJECT.

SO UNDER THE PURVIEW NOW OF THE CAP METRO BOARD TO GET THOSE CONTRACTS DONE, BUT REPORT BACK TO A TP AND THE PUBLIC ON A, ON A PUBLIC WAY, BUT ALSO THE ARCHITECTURE ENGINEERING, AND THEN PETER, UH, ON THE URBAN DESIGN ELEMENTS.

AND THEN COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AGAIN ON A MONTHLY BASIS.

JACKIE COULD TALK ABOUT THE CURRENT NEPA PROCESS, KEY STAKEHOLDER MEETINGS, THE COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE, AND WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THAT.

AND THEN EVENTUALLY GET INTO THINGS LIKE CONSTRUCTION MITIGATION.

IT COULD BE SMALL BUSINESS IMPACT FUNDS, THINGS OF THAT NATURE ON THE FINANCE RISK AND PROCUREMENT.

AND I THINK A BOARD MEMBER, , THIS GOES TO THE WORDS YOU WERE USING FOR THAT COMMITTEE, MAKING SURE RISK.

'CAUSE THAT'S CERTAINLY THE WAY DAVID, GREG, AND I, UH, HAVE CERTAINLY BEEN THINKING ABOUT THAT.

BUT THIS WOULD BE, UH, THE IDEA ON A QUARTERLY BASIS, BRING TO THE BOARD, NOT NOT PROCUREMENTS FOR ACTIONS, BUT AN ANTICIPATED LOOK AHEAD TO SAY, HERE'S WHERE WE ARE AND HERE'S WHERE WE ANTICIPATE CONTRACTS COMING TO YOU.

SO EVERYONE KIND OF COULD SEE THIS LOOK AHEAD PROCESS, OBVIOUSLY BUDGET WHERE WE ARE, QUARTERLY FINANCIALS, UH, STAFF APPROVED PROCUREMENTS AS YOU ALL PASS THE, UH, RESOLUTION TODAY.

UH, WE'LL CHANGE THIS OBVIOUSLY TO MONTHLY, BUT THE IDEA WAS, AGAIN, PROVIDING THIS MONTHLY,

[02:25:01]

UH, NOW MONTHLY REPORT ON PROCUREMENTS UNDERNEATH THE T OF THE BOARD THRESHOLD WHERE WE ARE MAYBE ON FEDERAL GRANT PROGRAMS. SO GOOD EXAMPLE OF THAT COULD BE, WE ARE A LONG WAY OFF FOR THE FULL NEW START CAPITAL INVESTMENT GRANT, GRANT PROGRAM, UH, OPPORTUNITIES FOR ORANGE AND BLUE, BUT, UH, WE'RE NOT THAT FAR AWAY FROM, YOU KNOW, UH, INFRASTRUCTURE GRANTS THAT THE, THAT THE DOT JUST RELEASED LAST WEEK, OR NO LOW GRANTS.

NOW THOSE WOULD BE PROBABLY, WE'LL PROBABLY GO AFTER THOSE, THE CAP METRO LENS, BECAUSE WE'RE A TRANSIT AGENCY AND WE'LL BE ABLE TO DO A, UH, THE APPLICATION THAT WAY.

BUT WE WANNA BRING THAT BACK AGAIN TO A TP SO WE CAN SEE HOW ALL THE PARTS ARE COMING TOGETHER.

AND THEN PROGRAM SCHEDULE AND RISK MANAGEMENT, THE IDEA OF HOW, WHAT, WHAT ELEMENTS OF SCHEDULE ARE WE, ARE WE GOOD WITH? WHAT ELEMENTS ARE WE WORDED WITH AND HOW ARE WE CONSTANTLY THINKING ABOUT RISK? AND WHETHER THAT'S RIGHT AWAY ACQUISITION RISK TO OTHER TYPES OF RISK, ALL, UH, ALL IN THAT LENS.

AND AGAIN, THAT'D BE KINDA A QUARTERLY IDEA.

BOARD COMMITTEE REPORTS.

WE WERE REALLY WAITING TO SEE HOW OFTEN YOU WANTED TO HAVE YOUR COMMITTEES.

SO THIS, THIS IS TBD RIGHT NOW, AND WE'LL EVENTUALLY PUT A TIME, UH, OR A, A A PERIOD ON HERE.

BUT THAT WOULD BE, UH, UPDATES FROM ALL THREE OF THE COMMUNITY, UH, TECHNICAL ADVISORY, THE ALL THE TECH TECHNICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEES, PROBABLY, PROBABLY MORE ON A QUARTERLY BASIS.

BUT AGAIN, YOU, YOU ALL WILL HAVE TO DETERMINE THAT WITH THE, WITH, WITH THE COMMITTEES.

AND THEN ON THE EXECUTIVE RECORD BOARD MONTHLY FOR ME TO DO A COUPLE THINGS, ONE BOARD FOLLOW UP.

SO THINGS THAT HAPPENED LAST MONTH ARE QUESTIONS THAT WERE ASKED, AND I CAN, IF WE HAVEN'T ANSWERED THEM IN A, IN A, IN A PRESENTATION OR AN ACTION, I CAN TOUCH WHERE WE ARE WITH THOSE STAFFING UPDATES, ESPECIALLY IN THE, YOU KNOW, PROBABLY NEXT, UH, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 MONTHS AFTER THAT, WE'LL GET TO A POINT WHERE I, IF WE, IF WE'RE NOT HAVING A, A LOT OF STAFFING PUT ON FLIGHT, SIX, SEVEN MONTHS, UH, UH, A LOT OF THE PEOPLE THAT YOU SEE IN FRONT OF YOU, WE WILL, UH, BE RATHER STRESSED OUT.

SO, UH, HOPEFULLY WITH THE STAFFING UPDATES WILL COME OFF AT SOME POINT.

UH, PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS AND INITIATIVES, YOU KNOW, THINGS THAT WE ARE DOING OUT THERE IN THE COMMUNITY RELATED TO THIS PROGRAM THAT I THINK ARE IMPORTANT TO, TO HIGHLIGHT AT A BOARD MEETING SO THE PUBLIC COULD SEE THINGS THAT YOU ALL MAY SEE DURING THE MONTH THAT WE SEE.

BUT LET'S BRING SOME ATTENTION.

I MEAN, WHETHER IT'S THE, UH, UH, A SOIL, UH, BORING ON THE, ON THE LAKE, WHICH I THINK GOT SOME PEOPLE'S ATTENTION TO IT COULD BE, UH, UH, SOME PROCUREMENT AT ACCOUNT METRO OR SOME EVENTUAL RIBBON CUTTING OR SHOVELS IN THE GROUND SOMEDAY, THAT KIND OF STUFF.

FEDERAL, UH, AND OTHER KEY PARTNER MEETINGS.

THIS COULD BE, UH, AN APTA, UH, YOU KNOW, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION MEETING FOCUSED ON SOMETHING, OR A FEDERAL MEETING THAT WE HAVE WITH THE FDA BOTH REGIONALLY OR AT HEADQUARTERS, OF WHICH, YOU KNOW, WE MIGHT, UM, IT MIGHT BE APPROPRIATE FOR A BOARD MEMBER TO JOIN THAT, OR IT MIGHT BE JUST AN UPDATE MEETING, AND WE JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE'S IN THE LOOP ON THAT.

AND THEN AGAIN, ON THE, THIS IS, THIS IS NOT MONTHLY, BUT IT FIT IN THIS COLUMN NICELY.

UH, WE ARE REQUIRED TO DO AN ANNUAL REPORT, SO A MANAGEMENT REPORT BACK TO, UH, THE CITY AND CAP METRO.

AND I THINK, UH, I WOULD THINK CHAIR THAT WOULD PROBABLY BE SIGNED OFF BY, YOU KNOW, THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AND, AND THE CHAIR TO PRESENT, UH, THE IDEAS.

IN DECEMBER, WE WOULD'VE AN ANNUAL TRI-PARTY MEETING WITH CAP METRO, THE CITY COUNCIL AND THE A TP TO REVIEW THE ANNUAL MEETING AND YOUR INDEPENDENT AUDIT REPORT.

SO, WANTED TO GET ANY FEEDBACK OR THOUGHTS YOU HAVE.

OBVIOUSLY, I DON'T NEED THAT RIGHT NOW, BUT YOU, WE COULD, IF YOU HAVE SOME, WE'D LOVE TO TAKE IT.

IF NOT, YOU COULD, YOU COULD THINK ABOUT IT.

ARE WE MISSING ANYTHING HERE SPECIFICALLY? HOW DOES THIS CADENCE WORK? UH, AGAIN, WE WANNA DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO BE TRANSPARENT, PRESENT THE INFORMATION, AND, UH, REALLY POSITIVE, CONSTRUCTIVE, UH, COLLABORATIVE WAY.

SO THAT'S WHAT THIS, THIS SLIDE IS REALLY, UH, SUPPOSED TO DEPICT FROM OUR END.

SO IF I HAVE NO, NO COMMENTS OR THOUGHTS ON THAT, AGAIN, UH, I, EVERYONE HAS MY NUMBER.

UH, WE CAN ENGAGE, UH, ANYTIME IF YOU LIKE.

UH, I'LL JUST SAY, I'LL JUST SAY ONE THING, RANDY.

I, I REALLY LIKE THIS, UH, AS, AS YOU KNOW, TRANSPARENCY, AND YOU SAID THE WORD IS ONE OF OUR KEY KIND OF, UH, OBJECTIVES, AND I, I THINK THIS GOES A LONG WAY TO KIND OF REALLY INCREASING TRANSPARENCY.

SO I, I REALLY SUPPORT THIS.

OF BACKGROUND, UH, PROFESSIONAL ENGINEER, AND I THINK HE'S GONNA BRING A LOT OF VALUE TO THE PROGRAM.

OKAY, THANK YOU.

THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.

UH, SO SPEAKING OF HIRING, UH, I WANT TO ANNOUNCE A COUPLE, UH, KEY HIRES THAT WE'VE DONE ON THE, UH, AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP SIDE.

WE HAVE A FEW OTHERS THAT ARE IN THE WORKS THAT WE'RE HOPING TO ANNOUNCE, BUT THESE ARE REALLY, UH, ESPECIALLY FOCUSED ON THE TECHNICAL SIDE OF THE PROGRAM.

SO WE WERE ABLE TO, UH, MAKE AN OFFER AND ACCEPT THAT JOHN ROHN AND JOHN WILL BE DAVE'S DEPUTY PROGRAM OFFICER.

SO VERY, VERY IMPORTANT KEY POSITION.

UH, JOHN HAS HAD EXTENSIVE BACKGROUND IN, IN VERY LARGE CAPITAL PROGRAMS, ACTUALLY IN THE DALLAS AREA, AND A COUPLE OTHER AGENCIES AS WELL, BUT A VERY LARGE, UH, PROGRAM SIMILAR TO WHAT WE WOULD BE DOING HERE.

AND, UH, A LOT

[02:30:01]

AND WE'RE VERY EXCITED FOR JOHN TO JOIN, UH, ABOUT MID-MARCH IS WHEN HE OFFICIALLY IS GONNA TRANSITION INTO THE A TP, UH, LOCALLY.

PEOPLE KNOW, I THINK PETER MULLIN, A LOT OF PEOPLE KNOW PETER MULLIN.

AND WE, I THINK WE'RE VERY FORTUNATE THAT PETER DECIDED TO, UH, COME JOIN US AS OUR NEW CHIEF OF ARCHITECTURE AND URBAN DESIGN.

AND PETER HAS AN INCREDIBLE, UH, JUST PERSPECTIVE ON, UH, THE PUBLIC REALM.

AND I THINK HE'S TALKED ABOUT IT VERY WELL, WHERE TRANSIT, WE, YOU KNOW, THE, THE TRAINS AND THE BUSES ARE GONNA BE THE BLOOD THAT FLOWS THROUGH THE VEINS, BUT THE REALITY IS PROJECT CONNECT IS GOING TO DO A LOT OF KIND OF REDESIGNING, UM, IN A VERY POSITIVE WAY, MOST OF OUR URBAN LANDSCAPE.

AND IT'S GONNA HELP REALLY THINK THROUGH, UH, HOW WE CAN EQUABLY DO DEVELOPMENT, CREATE BETTER ACCESSIBILITY.

YOU KNOW, THE IDEA IF WE'RE GONNA SPEND BILLIONS OF DOLLARS ON THE TRANSIT SYSTEM, LET'S MAKE IT ACCESSIBLE TO AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE.

SO THAT IS THE COMPACTNESS NEAR THOSE CORRIDORS, THE GREAT GREAT WALK SHED, TREE CANOPY, PUBLIC ART, UH, YOU, YOU NAME ALL THAT STUFF.

IT'S HOW DO WE, HOW DO WE MAKE THIS, UH, REALLY JUST AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE, OF THE URBAN LANDSCAPE.

ON THE CAP METRO SIDE, WE'VE NOW SECONDED FOUR PEOPLE OVER TO A TPA HUNDRED PERCENT FULL-TIME.

SO ESSENTIALLY THEIR A TP STAFF.

AND, UH, THAT'S JACKIE BERG, WHO'S OUR DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY EN ENGAGEMENT AND INVOLVEMENT.

UH, UH, MOST OF YOU KNOW, SAM, SAM IS ACTUALLY, UH, TAKING A DAY TODAY.

HE'S DOING THE BAR EXAM.

SO WE'RE GONNA GIVE SAM THE, THE FREEDOM OF BEING OFF THE A TP MEETING TODAY, AND I'M SURE HE IS DOING WELL ON THAT.

UH, BUT SAM IS GONNA HELP BE THE PROGRAM STRATEGY COORDINATION.

UH, JACOB CALHOUN IS DIRECTOR OF PROGRAM WIDE CONTRACT.

SO, UM, THAT WILL HELP DAVE REALLY KEEP, UH, DAY-TO-DAY MANAGEMENT AND, UH, THE TECHNICAL TEAM OF A LOT OF THE DIFFERENT CONTRACTS AND OVERSIGHT AND, UH, JUST THE VOLUME OF PAPERWORK RELATED TO A LOT OF THOSE CONTRACTS AND THAT BACKGROUND.

AND RASHMI IS THE DIRECTOR OF PROJECT CONTROL.

SO RASHMI, UH, CAME FROM OUR CAPITAL PROJECT UNKNOWN PARTICIPANT IS NOW EXITING, OH, YOU JUST LOST SOMEONE THERE.

UM, BUT RASHMI HAS BEEN WITH THE AGENCY FOR A WHILE AND, UH, REALLY STRONG ON PROJECT SCHEDULE CONTROLS AND RAN ALL THAT ON THE CAPITAL GROUP.

AND, UH, THE CAPITAL TEAM HAS, UH, BEGRUDGINGLY LET HER MOVE OVER TO, UH, THE A TP WORKING FULL-TIME ON DAVE'S SIDE.

UH, SO SHE'S BEEN WORKING ON THIS FOR ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF, AND, UH, HAS AN EXTENSIVE BACKGROUND IN THAT.

SO IN THAT AREA, SO, UH, FOUR NEW PEOPLE ADDED TO THE TEAMS TO KIND OF FROM CABINET METRO, TWO GREAT NEW HIRES THAT, UH, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO HIRE.

AND DAVE IS NOW IN THE PROCESS OF, UH, WORKING WITH, UH, RECRUITER AND SOME OTHERS.

WE'RE LOOKING AT SOMEONE FOR, UH, SCHEDULE CONTROL AND RISK SENIOR DIRECTOR ROLE IN THAT WAY.

WE'RE, WE'RE VERY CLOSE TO HIRING SOMEONE WE BELIEVE FOR RUNNING THE ORANGE LINE.

UM, UH, WE WANT TO, WE HIRE SOMEONE FOR THE BLUE LINE AS WELL.

AND THEN WE HAVE A LOT OF POSTINGS ON AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP.ORG.

AND THAT IS, UH, SPECIFICALLY CASEY HAS POSITIONS UP WITH JACKIE TO HIRE A LOT OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT SPECIALISTS.

REALLY PEOPLE THAT WILL BE FOCUSED, YOU KNOW, ONE PERSON A HUNDRED PERCENT ON THE ORANGE LINE, ONE ON THE BLUE LINE, ONE ON METRO RAPIDS, ONE THINKING THROUGH SMALL BUSINESS, UH, YOU KNOW, OUR BUSINESS, UH, UM, COORDINATION, UH, ON THE GREG'S SIDE, WE OBVIOUSLY NEED SOMEONE TO HELP RUN BUDGET.

WE NEED SOMEONE TO RUN PROCUREMENT.

WE NEED SOMEONE TO RUN REAL ESTATE.

SO, UH, I CAN'T THANK THE CAP METRO, UH, PEOPLE AND CULTURE TEAM HAS BEEN WORKING KIND OF DOUBLE TIME SUPPORTING THE A TP THROUGH THESE EFFORTS, AND I THANK THEM VERY MUCH.

SO WE ARE A LOT OF POSITIONS, UH, POSTED AND THE TEAM IS WORKING HARD TO FILL AS MANY OF THOSE POSSIBLE.

LASTLY, I JUST WANNA MENTION AS THE KIND OF FOLLOW UP FROM LAST MEETING, A COUPLE OUTSTANDING ITEMS. UH, ONE YOU ALL PROBABLY GOT AN EMAIL EARLIER TODAY FROM CASEY ABOUT, UH, POTENTIAL MEETING TIMES.

AND THAT IS, I GUESS THE REALLY THE LENS OF POST COVID, UH, AND WHENEVER THAT IS EXACTLY.

BUT THE IDEA OF WHEN WE ALL FEEL LIKE WE CAN MEET IN PERSON AGAIN, AND, AND, UH, VICE CHAIR BURNETT MENTIONED LAST MEETING, MAYBE, MAYBE THREE O'CLOCK IS NOT THE BEST TIME.

UH, I MEAN, THERE IS NO PERFECT TIME, OBVIOUSLY.

UH, SO THE QUESTION IS, WHAT IS THE BEST THAT WORKS FOR ALL OF YOU FROM A PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT POINT OF VIEW? I, BEFORE I GOT HERE, UH, CARRIE HAS TOLD ME CAP METRO DID AN ANALYSIS TO TRY TO FIGURE OUT THE BEST TIME THREE IN THREE IN THE AFTERNOON OR, OR MIDDAY OR 6:00 PM SOME PEOPLE LIKE ONE AND DISLIKE THE OTHER.

SO I, I GUESS WHAT WE WOULD REALLY ASK YOU ALL IS JUST IF YOU COULD REPLY TO CASEY AND GIVE US WHAT, WHAT'S BEST FOR YOU ALL ON THAT WEDNESDAY, IF WE, IF WE COULD, IF WE'RE STICKING WITH WEDNESDAY SO WE CAN GET THAT ALL STRUCTURED, UM, IDEALLY MAYBE, YOU KNOW, BY MAY WE COULD BE BACK INTO IN PERSON.

AND REALLY, I, IT SEEMS LIKE THE VACCINATION PROGRAMS REALLY, I THINK THAT'S THE BIG, THE BIG KEY ON HOW FAST THEY MOVE.

[02:35:01]

BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, IF YOU COULD REPLY TO THAT, WE'D APPRECIATE IT.

AND THEN LASTLY, I KNOW, UM, MAYOR, YOU BROUGHT THIS UP AND I, AND I, I APOLOGIZE, THERE MIGHT HAVE BEEN ANOTHER BOARD MEMBER AS WELL AND TALKED ABOUT THE, UH, ANTI-DISPLACEMENT FUNDING SEQUENCING AND FOR US TO LOOK AT THE FINANCIAL MODEL AND COULD WE KIND OF, UH, ADVANCE OR ESCALATE SOME OF THE FUNDING, UH, A LITTLE IN THE FIRST A HUNDRED MILLION TRANCHE A LITTLE BIT FORWARD.

AND SO, UH, I, I, I SEE GREG POPPED HIS FACE.

I, I'LL HAVE GREG, I GOTTA GIVE A LITTLE CONTEXT TO THIS, BUT I WOULD SAY WE'RE CAUTIOUSLY OPTIMISTIC WE COULD BRING TO THIS BOARD AND THEN AFTER THE BOARD, THE CITY COUNCIL AND ILA, TO ACT IN MARCH TO ACTUALLY START THE FLOW OF THE MONEY AND GET THAT PROCESS GOING.

AND I THINK WE'RE SOMEWHAT OPTIMISTIC.

WE, WE HAVE, I THINK GREG WILL SAY, UH, UNTIL ABOUT NEXT WEEK TO GET THOSE NUMBERS FINALIZED, BUT WE THINK WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO SHIFT A LITTLE BIT OF YEAR THREE MONEY INTO YEAR TWO, ALL WITHIN THE FINANCIAL MODEL TO HELP ACCELERATE THAT PROGRAM A BIT.

BUT GREG, IF YOU DON'T MIND TAKING A MINUTE AND JUST GIVING A LITTLE MORE CONTEXT.

NO, ABSOLUTELY.

YEAH, I WANNA FOLLOW UP.

AND I KNOW, UH, DR. BURNETT, WE TALKED ABOUT THIS, UM, A FEW WEEKS AGO.

AND SO I THINK THERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY, UM, I FIRST WANNA RECOGNIZE THE CITY COUNCIL AND THE CAP METRO BOARD, WHEN THE $300 MILLION WAS PUT IN THERE WAS, UM, IN ESSENCE TRYING TO FRONT LOAD THAT AS MUCH AS WE COULD WITHIN THE MODEL AND THE TAX RATE.

SO, YOU KNOW, A HUNDRED MILLION OF IT IS IN THE FIRST THREE YEARS.

AND SO NOW OUR TASK, I THINK, AS RANDY SAID, I, I THINK WE CAN GET TO A POINT WHERE WE'RE, WE'RE GONNA TRY TO DO MORE IN YEAR TWO THAN WE DID THIS YEAR.

THE BUDGET FOR THIS YEAR IS 23 MILLION.

THAT WAS MAINLY BASED ON THE TIMING AS WELL, RIGHT? THE, WE DON'T HAVE THE AGREEMENT WITH THE CITY YET, AS RANDY SAID, WE'RE, WE'RE OPTIMISTIC.

WE'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO BRING THAT BACK TO YOU, THE BOARD, UH, AND THEN THE CITY COUNCIL IN MARCH, UH, WORKING WITH THE CITY SPECIFICALLY WITH THE HOUSING AND PLANNING DEPARTMENT ON THAT.

AND THEN LOOKING, I THINK WE, WE ALL RECOGNIZE IF WE CAN GET SOME OF THOSE FUNDS FLOWING QUICKER, ESPECIALLY FROM AN ACQUISITION PERSPECTIVE.

SO TRYING TO GET MORE FUNDS IN YEAR TWO THAN YEAR THREE.

STILL MAINTAIN THE A HUNDRED OBVIOUSLY WE'RE, WE HAVE OUR MODEL THAT WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO UPDATE AND LOOK AT AS WE DO BUDGET AND FORECAST, UH, FOR THE FOLLOWING YEAR.

SO IT'S LOOKING POSITIVE AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO REPORTING BACK TO YOU IN ADVANCE OF THE NEXT BOARD MEETING.

I'LL BE ON SCREEN A SECOND.

SO THAT'S THE, UH, FOLLOW UP FOR ITEMS. UH, BUT OTHERWISE THAT WOULD BE THE CONCLUSION OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR REPORT FOR THIS MONTH.

UM, AND HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS, THOUGHTS, CONCERNS, ISSUES, OR, UH, OTHER ITEMS FOR YOU.

THANK YOU, UM, MAYOR ROGER, I, IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION, IT'S A GOOD REPORT.

AND THANKS FOR FOLLOWING UP ON THE THINGS THAT WE RAISED LAST TIME WHEN YOU DID THE REVIEW AT, AT CAP METRO TO DETERMINE WHEN WAS THE BEST TIME TO GET PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT.

'CAUSE I THINK THAT'S WHERE THAT QUESTION CAME FROM.

IS THERE A BETTER TIME DURING THE DAY WHEN YOU GET MORE, WHEN PEOPLE ARE BETTER ABLE TO ENGAGE IN THE COMMUNITY? WHAT WAS THE RESULT OF THAT STUDY? I, I DON'T HAVE THAT WITH ME, MAYOR.

I ASKED, UH, OUR CHIEF OF STAFF, CARRIE BUTCHER, AND SHE SAID THAT THE, I GUESS, UH, SEVERAL YEARS AGO BEFORE I GOT HERE, UH, CAPTAIN I, THE BOARD AND LEADERSHIP DECIDED TO DO THAT EXERCISE, PUT OUT A SURVEY, AND I THINK THEY SAID IT CAME OUT KIND OF AS A WATCH.

SOME PEOPLE WANT SIX O'CLOCK, SOME PEOPLE WANT NOON, SOME PEOPLE WANT A THURSDAY, SOME PEOPLE WANT.

SO I GUESS IT'S, IT'S THE EYE OF A HOLDER SCENARIO.

UM, YOU KNOW, I GUESS ONE OF THE, ONE OF THE GOOD THINGS IS, IS IF WE COULD MEET, YOU KNOW, IDEALLY CENTRALLY ACROSS THE, WHERE AT LEAST ON THE CAP METRO SIDE, IT'S ALSO TRANSIT ACCESS IS A BIG FOCUS WHERE PEOPLE THAT ARE ON TRANSIT SPECIFICALLY REALLY THINK THAT WAY.

UM, BUT I THINK IT'S LIKE YOU HAVE WITH CITY COUNCIL, RIGHT? UH, SOME PEOPLE LIKE IT WHEN YOU HAVE AN ITEM AT ONE IN THE AFTERNOON AND OTHERS GET MAD WHEN SOMETHING'S AT 11 O'CLOCK AT NIGHT.

UM, I DON'T THINK THERE'S A PERFECT, BUT I'LL GET THE RESULTS THAT CARRIE, AND THEN WE'LL SEND THAT ALL OUT TO EVERYONE.

THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL.

AND IT'S GOOD TO HEAR, UH, IF YOU CAN TAKE A LOOK AT THOSE NUMBERS.

I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, THE EARLIER WE COULD BE OUT INVESTING IN, IN, IN PROPERTY TO, IF THAT'S THE STRATEGY THAT THE COMMUNITY TAKES, THAT'S GOOD NEWS TO, TO, TO HEAR.

PEOPLE, I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT QUESTION WAS POSTED RANDY, IN THAT SURVEY, BUT WHAT DOES THE PUBLIC PREFER REALLY IS, IS IS THE KEY ELEMENT HERE.

AND I, I ALSO WANT US TO MAKE THE DECISION ABOUT THE TIMING POST COVID BECAUSE EVERYBODY'S AT HOME NOW AND THAT, WELL, A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE AT HOME NOW AND HAVE THE OPTION TO TUNE INTO A MEETING AS OPPOSED TO WHEN THE WORKFORCE GOES BACK TO THE WORKPLACE.

UM, I ANTICIPATE MOST PEOPLE WILL GO BACK TO A WORKPLACE, IT WOULD BE DIFFERENT, UM, FROM A NINE TO FIVE PERSPECTIVE, WHICH YOU COULD DO DURING THE DAY AS OPPOSED TO ANYTHING.

YEAH, AND I BELIEVE THE QUESTION WAS REGARDING NOT SO MUCH OF WHAT'S CONVENIENT FOR US AS A BOARD, BUT YOU KNOW, WHAT WOULD BE MOST BENEFICIAL FOR THE, FOR THE PUBLIC TO TUNE IN AND TO ATTEND THE MEETING.

SO, I MEAN, AS, AS WE ADJUST OUR SCHEDULES, LET'S NOT FORGET, YOU KNOW, THAT FOR SOME

[02:40:01]

AND WHAT WE'VE HEARD SO FAR IS THAT PERHAPS EVENING MEETINGS ARE MORE, UH, EQUITABLE OR ACCESSIBLE TO OTHERS.

SO YEAH, I COULD SAY FROM THE STAFF WE'RE, WE'RE OBVIOUSLY AT THE, UH, DISCRETION OF THE BOARD.

SO I THINK THE QUESTION THAT CAP METRO ASKED WAS TO THE PUBLIC ITSELF SAYING HOW DO WE GET THE MOST PARTICIPATION FROM THE PUBLIC? AND I THINK IT CAME OUT PRETTY FRANKLY, IS KIND OF A WASH.

AND I THINK WE'D SEE THAT LOCALLY WHERE IF I RECALL, LIKE, MAYOR, I THINK YOU ALL MEET, IS IT START AT 12 OR ONE CITY COUNCIL? UM, AND THEN THE COUNTY COMMISSION, I BELIEVE STARTS, I THINK AT 10:00 AM ON THEIR MEET COUNTY COURT.

SO IT KIND OF REALLY IS ALL OVER THE PLACE.

UM, AND WHETHER THAT'S RIGHT, WRONG OR NOT, BUT WE'LL, WE'LL GET THE RECAP OF WHAT, WHAT YEARS AGO, UH, WHATEVER DATA THAT WAS.

AND I'LL, AND I'LL HAVE, UH, THAT SET OUT TO EVERYONE.