Sunset Empire Transportation District Monthly Commissioners Meeting Minutes Web Page

BOARD MEETING MINUTES
Sunset Empire Transportation District Board of Commissioners Meeting Minutes Astoria Transit Center Meeting Room 900 Marine Drive, Astoria Phone (503) 861-0657 Toll Free 866-811-1001 Fax (503) 325-1606 E-mail: cindy@ridethebus.org; sarah@ridethebus.org
June 24, 2008 9:30 a.m.
	Chair Fenske, Commissioners Conner, Bline, Gannaway, Mendenhall
	Members Absent: Gaebel, Goforth
	Staff Present: Executive Director Howe, Executive Assistant Dailey, Lori Karl-Human Resources/Payroll, Brenda Higgins-Bookkeeper, Tammy Slaughter-Bookkeeping Assistant, Roni Shaw-Driver Supervisor

	Guests: Judy Richmond

	Meeting called to order at 9:45 a.m.

	Pledge of Allegiance
	Roll Call


COMMENTS FROM AUDIENCE:
	There are no comments.


CHANGES TO THE AGENDA:
	Adoption of the updated SETD Policy Manual is added under OLD BUSINESS. Also, a discussion of Proposed New Routes is added under NEW BUSINESS.


APPROVAL OF MAY 2008 MINUTES:
.	Commissioner Mendenhall made a motion to approve the May minutes as presented. Commissioner Bline seconded. All were in favor and motion passed.


REPORTS FROM CHAIR AND COMMISSIONERS:
	Commissioner Gannaway said a passerby on the sidewalk in Astoria stopped him to say the Transit Center is the nicest building in Astoria and they were glad we improved the area.

	Commissioner Bline reported on the Seaside TSP meeting. They have started their planning process and have received 150 online survey responses. Public transit was listed as the highest priority second only to the Highway 101 congestion. Seamless service from Cannon Beach through Seaside to Astoria was listed as the most needed service.

	Commissioner Fenske reported on attending the Seniors and People with Disabilities meeting. She said Commissioner Goforth and Director Howe also attended. There was some important topics covered and all were able to do some networking to discuss topics. Senator Betsy Johnson introduced the transit board members in attendance.

	Commissioner Mendenhall said her grandson and his friends recently rode the bus to Tapiola Park and said the service is easy to use and they had no problems.


FINANCIALS:
	Commissioner Bline asked if the large lump sum received is grant funds, and is SETD still on budget for fuel expenses.

	Director Howe explained that many of our grant funds are received in a lump sum. She also says we are on schedule with the fuel budget. She said if they go over budget on fuel in the 2008-09 budget, we will have to transfer funds from Contingencies, but we will have to wait and see if that is necessary.

	Commissioner Fenske commented that it would be nice to stay on budget during the next cycle. We have a few areas in which we exceeded the budget during this last cycle.

	Director Howe responded that some of those areas appear over budget, but are not because we are reimbursed at a later time, so it doesn't balance until the reimbursement shows on the financial statement. Also, some areas exceed what was budgeted; however in other areas hardly anything was spent. She said that the bottom line, not line items, is the priority and this year's budget came in under budget. She noted that we did not have to transfer any money from contingencies this year as we had in past years.

	Commissioner Gannaway made a motion to accept the May Financials. Commissioner Mendenhall seconded. All were in favor and the motion passed.

	Director Howe explained that the Grant Summary made by Assistant Dailey is included as reference to see which grants are currently open and which projects they assist with.


PUBLIC HEARING :
	Chair Fenske opened the Public Hearing at 10:05 a.m.

	Chair Fenske asked what sums were added to get the Total ($5,039,302).

	Director Howe explained it is the total amount of the Northwest Ride Center and Sunset Empire Transportation budgets.

	Chair Fenske asked if there were any comments from the audience.

	There being no comments from the audience or board, Chair Fenske closed the Public Hearing at 10:07 a.m.

RESOLUTION 2008-03

	A RESOLUTION ADOPTING THE SUNSET EMPIRE TRANSPORTATION DISTRICT 2008-09 FISCAL YEAR BUDGET.

	BE IT RESOLVED that the Board of Commissioners of the Sunset Empire Transportation hereby adopts the budget approved by the Budget Committee for fiscal year 2008-09 in the sum of $5,039,302. Said budget is on file at the District Office.

	Commissioner Mendenhall made a motion to adopt Resolution 2008-03. Commissioner Conner seconded. All commissioners who were present voted YEA and Resolution 2008-03 was adopted.


RESOLUTION 2008-04

	A RESOLUTION MAKING APPROPRIATIONS FOR THE 2008-09 FISCAL YEAR BUDGET.

	BE IT RESOLVED by the Board of Commissioners of the Sunset Empire Transportation District that the amounts for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2008, and for the purposes shown below are hereby appropriated as follows:

	GENERAL FUND
	Personal Services	$1,915,000
	Materials and Services	$2,233,790
	Capital Outlay	$ 47,000
	Debt Service	$ 630,000
	Contingencies	213,512
	Fund Total	$5,039,302
	Commissioner Bline made a motion to adopt Resolution 2008-04. Commissioner Gannaway seconded. All commissioners who were present voted YEA and Resolution 2008-04 was adopted.

RESOLUTION 2008-05:
	BE IT RESOLVED that the Board of Commissioners of the Sunset Empire Transportation District hereby imposes the taxes provided for in the adopted budget at the rate of 0.1620 per $1,000 of assessed value for operations as of 1:00 a.m., January 1, 2008 on all taxable property within the district. These funds are exclusively for General Governmental purposes.

	General Fund	$0.1620/$1,000

	Commissioner Conner made a motion to adopt Resolution 2008-05. Commissioner Gannaway seconded. All commissioners who were present voted YEA and Resolution 2008-05 was adopted.


OLD BUSINESS
	SETD Policy Manual

	Director Howe reported that the SETD Policy Manual is finished, and Lori Karl, Human Resources, worked very hard to complete it. She did a great job. Board members who don't want to keep their copy, can return it to a staff member to be redistributed by a current/future employee. The new manual contains the same content as previous manuals, except it has been updated to meet federal and state laws. Also, an additional holiday 'floater day' was added to the policy, after previously being discussed and approved by the board.

	Commissioner Conner made a motion to adopt the Personnel Policy Manual. Commissioner Mendenhall seconded. All were in favor and the motion passed.

NEW BUSINESS
	Proposed Route Changes
	Director Howe reported that there have been some significant changes in the type of ridership on the bus, prompting staff to look at changing our current routes to better serve the population who currently ride and those who are wanting to use public transit to get to work and school. The current system prevents many people from getting to work by 8:00 a.m. and not having a convenient return route after work. Also, currently many of the riders have to transfer between 1-3 times to get to their destination. The goal of the new routes is to have clients transferring no more than 1 time to get to most destinations.

	There will be two express buses running between Astoria and Cannon Beach with stops in between; one bus will be going north and south. The buses will run on the hour and riders will be able to get to Cannon Beach or Astoria within 1 hour. The remainder of the routes will have optional connections to the express routes. The express shuttles to/from Cannon Beach to Astoria will have set stops but will also pick up/drop off flag stops along the way when riders request it. The express shuttles will not deviate from the route.

	Route 10E will be almost exactly the same, serving the hospital, Emerald Heights, Tongue Point, Clatsop College, etc.

	Route 10W will change to serve the west loop of Astoria, across the old business 101 loop to 19th street where the new Seniors and People with Disabilities (SDS) office is being built and where the new housing subdivision is going in and at the parole and probation and the Oregon Youth Authority facility is located. It will then continue on to make a stop at Fred Meyer before returning to the Transit Center.

	Route 15 will serve only Warrenton. If someone would like to connect to Astoria, they would transfer from Route 15 at Fred Meyer to one of the Astoria buses. It will also go to 19th Street to the possible new transfer point by the SDS office.

	Route 21 (Cannon Beach) will not change.

	Route 20 (Seaside) will adjust to concentrate and serve Seaside. It will serve the Hospital, campgrounds, down Avenue U (or another nearby street) and near the TrendWest Resort.

	The Westport Route is being considered for two more runs, one in the a.m. and p.m. to serve citizens working at 8:00 a.m. and getting off around 5:00 p.m. There are citizens in Knappa and Svenson who would like to ride, but cannot with the current route schedule.

	The plan is to get the word out in the community and start the new routes on September 2nd. Director Howe is going to have some public forums in communities in the next month to receive community input.

	The board had a discussion about the routes being a great idea. It will allow potential riders alternative transportation options to driving their cars and having expensive fuel costs.

	Once the routes are further along, Director Howe is going to see if we can run a bus with employees and board members on it to try it out.


	Meeting Adjourned at 11:00 a.m.



	Sarah Dailey Recording Secretary








Approved:







	Rae Goforth
	Secretary/Treasurer






THIS MEETING IS ACCESSIBLE TO THE DISABLED, AN INTERPRETER FOR THE HEARING IMPAIRED MAY BE REQUESTED UNDER THE TERMS OF OS 192.630 BY CONTACTING SUNSET EMPIRE TRANSPORTATION DISTRICT AT 861-7433