Bullhead City Transit Commission Meeting - November 6, 2023
Bullhead City Transit Commission Meeting - November 6, 2023
The Bullhead City Transit Commission met on November 6, 2023, at 12:30 PM. All commission members were present. The meeting included public comments, approval of minutes, election of officers, a bylaw amendment, and extensive reports from transit staff on finances, grant transitions, facility planning, staffing, and upcoming holidays.
Consent Calendar
- Approval of Minutes (August 7, 2023): Motion to accept minutes as written passed unanimously.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Scotty (Bullhead City resident): Criticized board attendance, noting that recent meetings lacked a quorum and should have been rescheduled. He stated no improvements have been made to bus stops (no seats, shade, or shelters) despite years of requests. Mentioned two bus stops on Lakeside Drive that are unused. Requested additional stops at Walmart and Safeway for grocery shoppers. Announced his candidacy for Mohave County Supervisor District 2 and his intention to convene a civil grand jury to investigate transit and handicapped parking issues.
- Harvey Fryer (resident since 1987): Urged commissioners to ride the buses at least once a quarter to understand rider experiences. Criticized Bullhead Area Transit (BAT) for having no emergency plan for cooling centers or evacuations. Reported poor bus maintenance: bus 2816 has suspension issues and is unsafe. Questioned where maintenance money is going. Requested a bus stop at the new hospital and another near the DMV. Noted that bus stops near the cancer clinic have no seats or shade. Complained about route inefficiencies (e.g., having to transfer and pay extra even when the bus passes the destination). Highlighted lack of bathroom facilities for drivers. Expressed frustration that the city has not acted on these issues.
Discussion Items
- Election of Chairperson for 2024: AJ Pompos was nominated and elected chairperson by voice vote.
- Election of Vice Chairperson for 2024: Larry Toonforce was nominated and elected vice chairperson by voice vote.
- Annual Review of Transit Commission Bylaws (Section 302): Staff proposed no revisions. A commissioner suggested amending the bylaws to allow any seated commissioner to vote on minutes, even if they were not present at the meeting. Staff supported the change, noting it aligns with City Council practice and other commissions. A motion to adopt the amendment passed with one negative vote.
- Transit Program Updates and Reports (Michael Peluso, Transit Manager):
- Financial and Performance Reports: Staff is current on monthly reimbursements to ADOT. The e-grant system is down for year-two funding setup; reimbursements will resume by February 2024.
- 5307 Grant Program Transition: Major tasks from the FTA new recipient packet are nearly complete. Final steps include obtaining legal counsel opinion and a city council resolution. Once done, the city will become a direct recipient of FTA grants, potentially speeding up funding processes. No similar local transitions to reference.
- Transit Facility Project Update: Selbergan Associates is working on engineering. A refined design is under review. A town hall/workshop is planned for early 2024 to gather public and commission input. A presentation to the commission is expected in February, followed by a city council workshop.
- Staffing Update: Still seeking part-time drivers with a CDL Class C and passenger endorsement. A transit office specialist position was backfilled after a departure. Staffing shortages persist, with supervisors sometimes required to drive.
- Annual Recertification Process: 18 passengers were sent renewal letters for dial-a-ride service; the process continues through year-end. New applications take up to 21 days for approval, but typically about one week.
- Compliance Review: ADOT and consultant RLS are on site November 6–7 for a compliance review; no issues identified so far. This prepares the city for future FTA triennial reviews under 5307.
- Upcoming Service Holidays: No service on November 10 (Veterans Day observed), November 23 (Thanksgiving), November 24 (Family Day), December 25 (Christmas), and January 1, 2024 (New Year's Day). Notices are posted on buses and the city website at least one week in advance.
- Future Agenda Items:
- Commissioner requested discussion on electric vehicle (EV) charging stations for the future facility.
- Discussion on improving bus stops (benches, shelters) was proposed for the February 2024 meeting to align with budget planning. Staff agreed to prepare an analysis based on ridership metrics.
Key Outcomes
- Minutes approved (unanimous).
- AJ Pompos elected Chairperson for 2024 (unanimous).
- Larry Toonforce elected Vice Chairperson for 2024 (unanimous).
- Bylaw amendment passed (allow commissioners to vote on minutes regardless of attendance at the meeting).
- Future agenda items approved: EV station discussion and bus stop improvement analysis to be placed on the February 2024 meeting agenda.
- Meeting adjourned (motion and second).
Meeting Transcript
Good evening and welcome to the Bullhead City Transit meeting. Please stand for the Pledge of Allegiance. Undervisible. And now we'll take the roll call. All commission members are present. All right. This is the first meeting I've ever in, and I'm here only because I'm the current vice chair. This time we'll open call to the public. Scotty from Bullhead. I guess we got a vacancy on the board, huh? Again. I don't know why that is. And then people, because the last a couple months or a couple of meetings ago, you didn't have enough for even a quorum. That meeting should have been rescheduled. I don't know if you violated law or not. I don't really care. But I think a person isn't here. And I'm talking about all planning and zoning, you know, the whole nine yards. They need to have a note from the doctor. Remember, like we used to have to in grade school. Sorry to say that, but the person shouldn't apply for this any board unless they're gonna be here. Um the meeting should be made up. I haven't really said much lately because uh I don't know what this metropolitan thing is going to consist of. I know you're gonna run into federal rules, and uh it's a different animal, so I'm gonna kind of see what goes on. You haven't I've been coming here for years, and not one thing, not one thing has been changed. No bus stops, no seats, no shade, no nothing. I know they're 10 to 20,000 a bus stop for the shaded end of the thing. They can run you some money. But we haven't had any. There's two down on Lakeside Drive between Marina and Riverview. I guess that's part of the recordation, so people that are running around the block can sit and rest. They're long distance runners at the high school that use um, and I've never seen one person sit in them. They're sitting there collecting dust. I know they are city-owned, and why they can't be used at Safeway and Walmart. I'm not asking one for my place where I'm at. I'm asking for one more at Walmart and Safeway where people have groceries and stuff. They really need them there. And uh some of you know I'm running for Hill DC, District 2 supervisor. And one of my if I get a civil grand jury going, that's gonna be what I'm gonna be running on. The civil grand jury, I grew up with one. And the first two things I'm gonna do is ask the grand jury. They do not indict, they just make recommendations to the Board of Supervisors and the City Council, whatever. But I'm gonna ask that the transit and the handicapped parking in this town be investigated. The transit and handicapped parking. Gonna be numb my number one and number two. Good afternoon, everybody. Just hang on. Um, good afternoon. My name is Harvey Fryer. I've been a resident here in Bullhead City since 1987.
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