* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. ALL RIGHT. IT'S [00:00:01] 12, 15. I THINK WE HAVE A QUORUM. SO WE'LL, UH, GET GOING. AND ARE WE LIVE? THANK YOU. GOOD AFTERNOON, [I. Discussion Item 1. FY2021 Operating and Capital Budget and Five-Year Capital Improvement Plan] LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, WE'LL NOW START OUR PUBLIC HEARING. TODAY'S WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER THE 16TH. AND THE TIME IS 1215. THIS HEARING WILL BE ON THE PROPOSED FISCAL YEAR, 2021 BUDGET AND FIVE-YEAR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN. UH, MR. CONDOM, I'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE YOU AND UNDERSTAND YOU HAVE A BRIEF PRESENTATION FOR US. I DO CHAIRMAN GOOD AFTERNOON, CHAIRMAN COOPER, BOARD MEMBERS, PRESIDENT AND CEO CLARK. MY NAME IS KEVIN CONLIN AND THE BUDGET AND METRO, AND I'M HERE TODAY TO PRESENT HIGHLIGHTS OF THE FISCAL YEAR 2021 BUDGET FOR OUR PUBLIC CARING. SO LET THE FAA COMMITTEE KNOW EARLIER TODAY, WE'VE HAD A VERY CHALLENGING YEAR AND THOSE CHALLENGES HAVE EXTENDED TO OUR BUDGET PROCESS IN PREPARATION FOR THE UPCOMING FISCAL YEAR, DESPITE THE PANDEMIC AND CHALLENGES, WE HAVE A VERY EXCITING YEAR COMING UP AND WE BELIEVE THAT THIS IS REFLECTED WITHIN OUR BUDGET. I'D LIKE TO THANK ALL THE BOARD MEMBERS, SENIOR STAFF, OUR BUDGET TEAM, AND STAFF FOR THEIR DIRECTION, HARD WORK, AND PUTTING THIS BUDGET TOGETHER. THEIR PROPOSED BUDGET TAKES INTO ACCOUNT PRIORITIES THAT YOU AS A BOARD HAS SET FOR THE AGENCY AND MAKES INVESTMENTS BASED ON YOUR GUIDANCE AND STRATEGIC PLAN. NEXT SLIDE. THIS IS AN OVERVIEW OF THE TOTAL BUDGET SHOWS THE AGE. COULD YOU, COULD YOU PUT YOUR MIC MAYBE A LITTLE CLOSER? YEAH, NO PROBLEM. SO THIS, THIS IS AN OVERVIEW OF THE TOTAL BUDGET. IT SHOWS THE AGENCY'S TOTAL OPERATING AND CAPITAL EXPENSES OF 390.5 MILLION TO PROVIDE TRANSIT SERVICE WHILE ALSO ADDING NEW CUSTOMER SERVICE ENHANCEMENTS, BUILDING INFRASTRUCTURE AND PLANNING FOR THE REGION'S GROWTH, THE BUDGET STRUCTURALLY SOUND IMBALANCES FUNDED THROUGH VARIOUS REVENUE SOURCES IN CAPITAL RESERVES ON THE RIGHT OF THIS SLIDE IS OUR PROJECTION OF REVENUE OF RESERVE AND COMMITMENT BALANCES. AT THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR 2021 FOR A TOTAL OF 184.7 MILLION. I'M ALSO PLEASED TO SAY THAT WE'RE PROJECTED TO MEET ALL OF OUR RESERVE REQUIREMENTS WITH NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET. NEXT SLIDE. THIS SLIDE HIGHLIGHTS CAPITAL METRO'S RESILIENCIES THROUGH THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC IN THE COMING BUDGET AND RECOVERING WITH CARE PLAN, WHICH STANDS FOR CREATING SAFE PLACES FOR STAFF AND CUSTOMERS, APPLYING OUR RESOURCES WISELY AND EQUITABLY, RELYING ON DATA IN DECISION MAKING AND EVALUATING OUR RESULTS AND ADAPTING. THESE POINTS HAVE BEEN WOVEN THROUGH THE PROCESS OF DEVELOPING THE BUDGET FOR THE UPCOMING YEAR WITH SUSTAINED SERVICE RESERVE MANAGEMENT FUNDING FOR PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT, EQUIPMENT, AND ADDITIONAL DISINFECTING AND CLEANING OF OUR SERVICE, ADDITIONAL FREQUENCY AND ALL DOOR BOARDING. NEXT SLIDE. WE'RE EXCITED TO CONTINUE WITH INNOVATIVE MOBILITY INITIATIVES IN THE UPCOMING YEAR. UM, WE HAVE OUR CONTINUED ELECTRIFICATION OF OUR FLEET IN THE FIVE-YEAR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN AND HAVE AN ADDITIONAL 71 ELECTRIC BUS PURCHASES AS WELL AS CONTINUED SITE EXPANSION AND INFRASTRUCTURE THAT'S NEEDED FOR THE ADDITIONAL BUSES PLANNED WITHIN OUR CIP. AND AFTER THE SUCCESS OF OUR NORWOOD TRANSIT CENTER, WE'VE ADDED THREE ADDITIONAL BOMBILLA CITY HUB PROJECTS. THE NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET, A NEW PLEASANT VALLEY MOBILITY HUB, THE CARTS EAST SIDE PLAZA AND IMPROVEMENTS TO OUR EXISTING NORTH LAMAR TRANSIT CENTER. NEXT SLIDE FOR PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE. WE HAVE TWO VERY EXCITING PROJECTS TO HIGHLIGHT, UM, FOR OUR FUTURE, OUR CUSTOMER PAYMENT SYSTEMS PROJECT THAT COMMITS $4.9 MILLION OVER THE NEXT THREE YEARS FOR COUNT BASED BACKEND SYSTEM OR BUS ONBOARD, VALIDATORS CONTACT LISTS AND EQUITABLE SOLUTIONS AND NEW FARE MEDIA AND TECHNOLOGIES. BOTH COMMITTEES WILL BE RECEIVING AN UPDATE ON THIS PROJECT TODAY. OUR SECOND PROJECT WITH WHICH THE BOARD VOTED ON IN THE AUGUST BOARD MEETING IS THE BROADMORE STATION. THIS IS A NOT TO EXCEED $12 MILLION PUBLIC AND PRIVATE DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITY. OVER THE NEXT TWO YEARS, THE NEWS STATION WILL PROVIDE A MULTIMODAL TRANSIT CONNECTION IN NORTH AUSTIN. NEXT SLIDE, MOST IMPORTANTLY, IS THAT WE PLAN FOR THE CONTINUED GROWTH FOR THE REGION. PROJECT CONNECT IS THE COMPREHENSIVE TRANSIT PLAN. IT WILL EXPAND OUR TRANSIT CAPACITY FOR THE REGION AND CAPITAL. METRO IS COMMITTED $73 MILLION. THE NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET FOR PROJECT DEVELOPMENT ON THE ORANGE AND BLUE LINES, [00:05:01] AS WELL AS THREE NEW METRO RAPID LINES, ADDITIONAL RED LINE IMPROVEMENTS. AND OF COURSE, CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP FROM OUR CAPITAL EXPANSION FUND. NEXT SLIDE. AND THAT'S GOING TO CONCLUDE MY PRESENTATION FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 2021 BUDGET, BUT I'D LIKE TO OPEN IT UP TO ANY QUESTIONS FROM THE BOARD. AND IF WE HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT AT ALL, COLLEAGUES, ANY QUESTIONS, NONE, KEVIN, JUST A QUICK QUESTION AS A REMINDER, UM, IF YOU CAN JUST, UH, REFRESH OUR MEMORIES AND FOR, FOR THE PUBLIC THAT'S WATCHING, UM, WITH THE PROJECTED TAX REVENUE THAT WE'RE WORKING OFF OF HERE, THE SALES TAX REVENUE, UM, WHERE DID WE, WHERE WHERE'S THE, UH, ESTIMATE FALLING THAT YOU'RE, YOU'RE WORKING OFF OF THERE? THAT WAS IT. WAS IT WORKING OFF WITH A MORE CONSERVATIVE MODEL, KIND OF THE MID RANGE MODEL OR THE MORE AGGRESSIVE MODEL GOING FORWARD FOR THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR? LOOKING AT COVID, WE'RE WORKING OFF OF OUR MID RANGE MODEL, WHICH WE'VE TITLED OUR MOST LIKELY. SO WE'VE, WE'VE USED THAT MODEL, UM, FOR NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET AND OUR LONG RANGE FINANCIAL PLAN AS WELL. UM, THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT WE'VE FOR EACH MONTH OVER THE LAST THREE MONTHS, WE'VE ACTUALLY BEAT THAT MODEL A LITTLE BIT OVER EACH OF THE MONTH. SO WE'RE WE'RE RIGHT IN LINE. WE FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH THAT MODEL. WE'RE STILL TAKING THE CONSERVATIVE APPROACH FOR SALES TAX AND MAKING SURE THAT WE DO HAVE THE CORRECT FUNDING FOR NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET. OKAY, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. UM, IN THE EVENT THAT WE EXCEED PROJECTIONS, UM, AUSTIN HAS A TENDENCY AND CRISES LIKE THESE TO REBOUND FASTER THAN MOST OTHER, UM, MAJOR METROPOLITAN AREAS. I THINK BACK TO THE 2008, 2009, GREAT RECESSION. WE WERE ONE OF THE AREAS THAT REBOUNDED FASTER THAN MOST PARTS OF THE COUNTRY. UH, I BELIEVE THIS TOO SHALL PASS. UM, YOU KNOW, IF, IF WE END UP REBOUNDING, YOU KNOW, LATER IN THE FISCAL YEAR AND MORE WE HAVE MORE, UH, SALES TAX REVENUE COME IN, UM, ARE THERE WAYS TO, TO, UH, YOU KNOW, WHAT ENDS UP BEING THE, THE STANDARD COURSE OF ACTION FOR US AS AN AGENCY, IF WE'RE PROJECTING MORE, MORE REVENUE, MORE GROWTH, UH, FURTHER DOWN THE ROAD BECAUSE OF ADJUSTMENTS IN THE, UH, THE ECONOMIC, UH, OUTPUT. WELL, DUDE, WITH THIS YEAR'S BUDGET AND I'VE REPORTED THIS TO THE BOARD AS WELL, WE DO HAVE A NUMBER OF PROJECTS THAT WE'VE SIDELINED AND PLACED ON HOLD BECAUSE OF THE CURRENT ECONOMIC SITUATION. SO, YOU KNOW, IF WE, IF WE DO HAVE FAST RECOVERY, THERE ARE SOME PROJECTS THE AGENCY WOULD LIKE TO EMBARK ON THROUGH THE NEXT YEAR AND THE FIVE-YEAR CIP PLAN FIVE-YEAR CIP PLAN. SO WE DO HAVE A MECHANISM TO COME BACK TO THE BOARD FOR A BUDGET AMENDMENT FOR NEXT YEAR AND, UM, PUT SOME OF THESE PROJECTS ONLINE FOR NEXT YEAR AS WELL. RIGHT. AND THEN WE DO HAVE, RIGHT. AND WHEN THEY, WE DO HAVE A LONG RANGE FINANCIAL PLAN UPDATE THAT OUR CFO WILL BE GIVING TO YOU. THAT'S GOING TO ACTUALLY OUTLINE THREE DIFFERENT SCENARIOS AS FAR AS OUR BASELINE, A SLOWER RECOVERY, AND THEN A FASTER RECOVERY THAT YOU SPOKE OF THIS WAY. GREAT. THANKS SO MUCH. APPRECIATE ALL THAT. YOU'RE DOING OTHER QUESTIONS FOR KEVIN HEARING NONE. [II. Public Comment (please see instructions at the bottom to participate)] THEN WE'LL GO TO PUBLIC COMMENT. I THINK WE HAVE ONE SPEAKER SIGNED UP TODAY. UH, MS. JOSEPH'S, UH, IF HER, WITH US SHE'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES, MR. CHAIRMAN. YES. MR. EASTON. I MUTED MYSELF. SORRY ABOUT THAT. I'M ZENOBIA JOSEPH. I JUST WANTED TO MAKE A FEW COMMENTS RELATED TO THE FYI 20, 21 BUDGET. YOU JUST HEARD ABOUT THE NORTH LAMAR TRANSIT CENTER IMPROVEMENTS. AND I WANTED TO ASK SPECIFICALLY IF THERE WOULD BE POSSIBILITY TO CONSIDER A PUBLIC RESTROOM. I KNOW THIS ISSUE HAS BEEN BROUGHT UP BEFORE. I BELIEVE COUNCIL MEMBER KITCHEN ASKED ABOUT PUBLIC RESTROOMS. AND I WOULD JUST ASK YOU TO CONSIDER THAT PERHAPS A HOMELESS PERSON OR HOMELESS PEOPLE COULD ACTUALLY MEN THAT SITE IN ADDITION TO SECURITY. SO YOU WOULD BE DOING A GOOD SERVICE FOR THE COMMUNITY, AND MAYBE THERE COULD BE SOME TYPE OF SWIPEABLE CARD TO GO IN THE RESTROOM. SO IT'S NOT JUST OPEN TO THE PUBLIC ALL THE TIME, AS IT RELATES SPECIFICALLY TO THE BUS ROUTES. I JUST WANT [00:10:01] TO BRING TO YOUR ATTENTION ONCE AGAIN, THE THREE 92 IS ONLY 1.9 MILES TO THE ARBORETUM. AND JUST YESTERDAY, TRAVIS COUNTY COMMISSIONER'S COURT APPROVED ROUTE THREE, ONE EIGHT FOR COUNCIL MEMBER GARZA. THE OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE FOR THAT ROUTE IS ABOUT 73, $74,000. I WANT YOU TO UNDERSTAND, HOWEVER, WHEN YOU ACTUALLY INSTALL THAT ROUTE, IT ACTUALLY WAS 10.3 RIDERS AN HOUR FOR $1.8 MILLION, WHICH IS TWICE THE COST FOR HALF THE WRITERS OF SAINT DAVID'S NORTH. AND SO I'M ASKING YOU ONCE AGAIN, TO USE THE CARES ACT FUNDS TO RESTORE SERVICE TO SAINT DAVID'S. SAINT DAVID'S IS ACTUALLY THE BUS THAT WOULD HELP THE PEOPLE WHO ARE IN THE HOTSPOT ON RUNDBERG AND NORTH LAMAR, WHERE WALNUT CREEK LIBRARY ACTUALLY IS SERVING THEM AS DR. S GOD BRIEFS EVERY WEEK. I WANT YOU TO UNDERSTAND AS WELL THAT YOU ARE HOPING THAT BLACK PEOPLE WILL VOTE FOR PROJECT CONNECT AND YOU WANT BLACK PEOPLE TO ACTUALLY BE A PART OF THE PILOT AS IT RELATES TO THE FAIR, BUT YOU HAVE NOT MADE THE ROUTES EQUITABLE. SO WHILE YOU SAY EQUITABLE IN YOUR DOCUMENTATION FOR THE BUDGET, I WANT YOU TO RECOGNIZE THAT IT'S STILL 60 MINUTES FOR BLACK PEOPLE IN CRAIG WOOD AND CALLING, CALLING ME PARK. AND I WANT YOU TO UNDERSTAND THAT IT'S STILL 45 MINUTES TO 60 MINUTES, DEPENDING ON IF THE BUS IS LATE ON ROUTE THREE 92, I'LL JUST TAKE YOU BACK TO 2014 TO THE PROJECT CONNECT NORTH CORRIDOR STUDY, WHERE THE GROWTH FOR EMPLOYMENT IS IN THE NORTH AREA. AND THERE IS NO OPERATIONAL BUS THAT WILL OPERATE ON PALM LANE, FM SEVEN 34. AND SO I WOULD ASK YOU TO RECOGNIZE THE NEED FOR A PILOT IN THAT AREA. AND I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT AN INNOVATIVE ZONE. THE LAST THING I'LL ASK YOU TO RECOGNIZE AS IT RELATES SPECIFICALLY TO THE INNOVATIVE ZONES IS YOU ROLL THOSE OUT AS PILOTS AND YOUR OWN ANALYSIS THAT YOU WERE GOING TO LOOK AT THESE ROUTES, UM, AND ABOUT A YEAR, BUT IT HAS BECOME PERMANENT. I REALIZED THAT THIS WAS A FOREGONE CONCLUSION IN 2016 WHEN COUNCIL MEMBER KITCHEN ACTUALLY RECOMMENDED IT. BUT I WOULD ASK YOU TO RECOGNIZE THAT MR. CHISHOLM MENTIONED IN 2016, ANYTIME PEOPLE HAVE TO TRANSFER, THAT MAKES THE, THE ROUTE TWICE AS LONG. THEIR WAIT TIME IS TWICE AS LONG. AND SO I WOULD ASK YOU TO JUST DO THE RIGHT THING, MR. CHAIRMAN, AND TO RESTORE THE SERVICE ON ROUTE THREE 92 AND TWO 40, WHICH IS NORTH OF US, ONE 83. AND IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, I'LL GLADLY ANSWER THEM AT THIS TIME. THANK YOU, MS. JOSEPH'S. YOU'RE WELCOME. I THINK WE HAVE ANY OTHER SPEAKERS VERY WELL, UNLESS THERE'S ANY OTHER BUSINESS, UH, THIS WILL CONCLUDE OUR PUBLIC HEARING. OUR TIME NOW IS 1227. THANK YOU EVERYBODY. I THINK OPERATIONS COMMITTEE WILL BEGIN RIGHT ON THE HEELS OF THIS ONE. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.