Sunset Empire Transportation District Board of Commissioners Meeting Minutes PO Box 68, Warrenton, OR 97146 Phone (503) 861-0657 Toll Free 866-811-1001 Fax (503) 325-1606 www.ridethebus.org
BOARD MEETING MINUTES
August 26th, 2010 9:00 a.m.
	Members Present: Bline, Commissioners Goforth, Gannaway, Kee, Conner
	Members Absent:None
	Staff Present:Executive Director Cindy Howe, Sarah Dailey, Roni Shaw, Sharon Williams
	Meeting called to order 9:00 AM
	Pledge of Allegiance
	Roll Call
ELECTION OF OFFICERS: CHAIR: VICE CHAIR, SECRETARY/TREASURER:
	COMMISSIONER KEE MADE A MOTION TO RETAIN THE CURRENT BOARD OFFICERS FOR 2010-11. COMMISSIONER CONNER SECONDED. ALL WERE IN FAVOR; MOTION PASSED.
COMMENTS FROM THE AUDIENCE:
	No audience present.
CHAIR REPORT:
	Chair Bline read aloud a letter he wrote to the board regarding the book keeping issues being faced by the district. The letter was distributed at the meeting.
	Commissioner Fenske asked how the district got to the current situation without foreseeing the issues.
	Sharon Williams explained the difference between a budget and a cash flow statement. Because our books were not accurate, the district was unaware of any issues. There were improper journal entries that remained on the books which also worsened the situation, along with the change in state and federal grant reimbursement process.
	Commissioner Goforth thanked Chair Bline for his strength in dealing with the issue. He has worked hard to support the staff and keep the Executive Board informed. She feels she understands the financials better now than she ever has.
	CHANGES TO THE AGENDA
	There were no changes suggested.
APPROVAL OF JUNE MINUTES:
	COMMISSIONER CONNER MADE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE JUNE MINUTES OF 2009-10. COMMISSIONER GOFORTH SECONDED. ALL WERE IN FAVOR. MOTION PASSED; EXCEPT FOR COMMISSIONERS FENSKE AND GAEBEL WHO ABSTAINED DUE TO BEING ABSENT.
REPORTS FROM CHAIR AND COMMISSIONERS:
	Commissioner Fenske said she has nothing to report, except that she will make a better effort to attend future board meetings. She did have a transit conversation while at a local business. The employees there were unaware of many of SETD's routes, hours and services. She provided information when they made the comment about local transit service lacking many things.
	Commissioner Kee asked if the bus drivers monitor foul language (as a rule) on the buses.
	Roni Shaw said the drivers can only ask passengers using foul language to stop if they are being disruptive, abusive or unruly. If they are simply using foul language, they are protected under the Right to Free Speech. There was a recent incident of a passenger directing foul language and name calling at two other passengers. The rider will be receiving a disciplinary warning letter asking it to stop or they are not allowed on the bus.
	Commissioner Goforth said the NWRC Advisory Board had a good quarterly meeting, held at the Senior and Disabled Services new building in Warrenton. Some good ideas were discussed including expanded transportation options for veterans, but having the brokerages coordinate VA transportation.
	Commissioner Gaebel mentioned seeing some really terrific bus shelters in Ft. Collins, Colorado that were a curved shape. The shape allowed for waiting in elements while being protected regardless of the direction of the weather. They also featured an attached trash can.
	Director Howe said we purchase all of our shelters off the state price agreement. Next time we are ready to purchase shelters we can look into that design. In the past, the shelter design has also been picked as a collaborative effort between local community members and groups.
	Commissioner Conner asked how the situation ended with SETD's bus driver who clipped a parked car by the Silver Salmon Restaurant. She also knows someone who would like to take transit to Lincoln City and asked if that is possible.
	Roni Shaw reported the driver in the accident resigned from the district. She also gave her information from the Transit Center to give to her friends about riding transit south of Tillamook.
FINANCIAL REPORTS FOR JUNE & JULY :
a.	Financial Update
	Sharon Williams explained she is currently working three jobs and will be retiring from the Tillamook County Health Department the beginning of September. She has been working diligently on cleaning up SETD's books and things are getting more manageable. With this, grant reporting will also be easier. She is not a fan of QuickBooks because of its limitations in dealing with non-profits and grants. SETD needs a more comprehensive system that can also track grants, along with other county, state and federal income. She explained this month there are two financial reports that were distributed; one report done in QuickBooks the same as pas reports, and a new one done in the new Accrual method. One difference in the new book keeping method is to allow for depreciation of assets. We are not allowed to depreciate grant-funded purchases, but we do need to track and record the depreciation, which historically has not been happening. She also said in future reports the board will have a variance report that will show the month-to-month comparisons. She has adjusted some income areas according to where we are at, such as lowering the amount anticipated for tax revenue. She reviewed the income and expenses on the new financial report. In the future, she will be providing three statements to the board monthly: a Profit & Loss, Balance Sheet and a Cash Flow Statement. Other current changes will be departmentalizing the agency and assigning codes to each, as well as having the accounting department divided into Accounts Receivable and Accounts Payable.
	Director Howe explained this will help by keeping receivables and payables separate and better organized. One staff will work Monday-Wednesday, and the other will work Wednesday-Friday, with Sharon working on Wednesday as well as other days to oversee the department. Another change will be to move the department from Warrenton to Astoria, and move the NWRC to Warrenton. This will happen on September 13th, the same day as the schedule change. Also, before the end of the calendar year, SETD will advertise and hire a Finance Manager to oversee the department. She also wanted to make it clear that when Sharon Williams refers to fixing 'last year' this means making sure the entries are where they are supposed to be; this does not mean changing the totals or amounts. This will make the audit easier to understand.
	Sharon Williams said it will be one entity with NWRC acting as a department with its own cost centers.
	THE BOARD DISCUSSED AND MADE A DECISION TO WAIT TO APPROVE JULY FINANCIALS, UNTIL SHARON HAS HAD ADDITIONAL TIME TO WORK ON THE BOOKS, DISTRIBUTE THE BALANCE SHEET, AND A CASH FLOW STATEMENT.
b.	Resolution 2010-08 to Rescind Resolution 2010-07
	Chair Bline read Resolution 2010-08 to rescind Resolution 2010-07, which repeals the Flex Tran funds.
	COMMISSIONER GOFORTH MADE A MOTION TO ADOPT RESOLUTION 2010-08. COMMISSIONER FENSKE SECONDED. ALL WERE IN FAVOR; MOTION PASSED.
	Roll call vote was taken and resolution passed.
OLD BUSINESS
	There was none at this time.
CORRESPONDENCE :
	There was none at this time.
NEW BUSINESS
	Director Howe said an official announcement was made yesterday. SETD was awarded Oregon Connect III funds to build a Seaside Transit Center. She recently met with Seaside City Manager Mark Winstanley and Planning Director Kevin Cupples to discuss the project. There are several sites being evaluated, and the city has volunteered to form a committee to offer input and guide the process. Also, the city is exploring the opportunity for a block grant to help fund the match for the grant. She also reported we will be going out for Requests For Proposals for the Coast Regional Transit project soon (a Department of Energy grant). That project is a collaborative between Columbia, Clatsop, Tillamook, Lincoln and Benton counties to influence the way people travel when they come to the coast. A secondary goal of the project is for the idea to be easily duplicated in other regions throughout the U.S.
OTHER ITEMS :
a.	Operations, Human Resources, and NWRC Reports
	A reminder the Oregon Transit Association Annual Conference is in October. It is at the Seaside Convention Center and free attendance is available through scholarships. Sarah Dailey recently emailed the tentative conference schedule. If you would like to attend, please let her know. She will be taking care of your registrations.
	Meeting Adjourned at 10:47 a.m.
	Sarah Dailey Recording Secretary
Approved:
	Commissioner 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