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Record of Proceedings

Bullhead City Transit Commission Meeting Summary – May 6, 2024

Boards & Commissions — Monday, May 6, 2024

BodyBullhead City, Arizona

SessionBoards & Commissions

DateMonday, May 6, 2024

StatusFILED

Video Record

0:00 / 36:31

Transcript — VerbatimClick a timed line to jump · ⧉ to share it

0:12

Thanks.

0:15

Call to order.

0:21

Madam Clerk, roll call.

0:23

All commission members are present.

0:25

If you all join me in the Pledge of Allegiance.

0:30

I pledge allegiance.

0:32

To the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands.

0:38

One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

0:43

Thank you.

0:48

No presentations this evening.

0:51

Call the public.

1:08

My name is Harvey Pryor, been a resident here since 1987.

1:13

I put in a records request for some maintenance and stuff like that going on.

1:19

Just because I'm nosy like that.

1:23

Michael, thank you very much.

1:25

You did an awesome job with the spreadsheet and everything.

1:27

I could understand it, and things did work out where I understood it.

1:32

Hey, that's pretty good, man.

1:34

But uh, it did raise some questions.

1:36

There's a couple items on there that were quite striking.

1:40

Actually, the page kept sliding out of the stack, and it's like, look at me, look at me.

1:43

And I'm like, okay, well, I'll look at you.

1:44

What are you?

1:46

Um, pretty much what it was is the A1 Fleet Smart.

1:50

And what you have here, and I gotta say the dates on these are not always a Monday, Tuesday during the week.

1:58

Some are on Saturday and some are on Sundays.

2:00

So it kind of leads to some other questions.

2:04

But it's a uh all 10 vehicles are going through a car wash system.

2:11

Um, I know we have a mechanical system over here.

2:14

I don't know, I cannot say.

2:17

I wish somebody would have explained to us the car wash and how a minivan costs $75.

2:25

That's pretty pricey car wash, you know.

2:28

When I know you got to go take it through the car wash and you spray out the inside and wipe it down.

2:35

I've done medical transportation and taxis in this town for 14 years.

2:39

I can take a semi-truck to Kingman and get the tractor wash for 49.95.

2:46

This is all federally funded.

2:50

I've got other requests in trying to find out if other departments pay $75 to wash a car or a minivan or a bus.

2:59

And if they do it on Saturdays and Sundays, I don't think they do.

3:04

And it makes you wonder why is a federal getting, I mean, I know you guys got to spend the money or you lose the money.

3:13

But $75 for a car wash, $750 to do it.

3:18

Who is washing it?

3:20

I mean, because to me, my thinking is being from the transportation department in my life.

3:27

Sunday's a short day, get off at what two, last driver coming through, fuels up, goes hits the car wash, wipes everything down.

3:36

I'm gone for the weekend, man.

3:38

Where's Monday?

3:39

The thing is ready to go.

3:40

That's what my brain is thinking.

3:43

Are we paying an ASE certified mechanic to wash a car?

3:49

That's crazy money.

3:50

I mean, so this does need to be itemized.

3:56

I have other reports in here that show other vehicles that are down for serious mechanical issues, suspension failures.

4:07

He knows what I'm talking about.

4:09

I'm not trying to point fingers and things like that.

4:11

And it even says in big red letters.

4:13

You know, this vehicle's down, but it can be used if needed.

4:19

And then when you start looking through some of the other pages, by golly, it was needed.

4:25

There's other cars or you got buses that are going out with transmissions, and then when you finally get the trans, you know, get it back.

4:33

Well, it still doesn't run because the transmission needs to be flashed.

4:37

So it's still down for more days, and then those days it's down to buses that are in less prime condition are out there on the streets working.

4:48

That's hard.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting

Public Transportation█████████████████████████████████████████████60%

Budget Equity Analysis███████████████20%

Public Engagement██████8%

Procedural██████8%

Marketing And Outreach███4%

Summary of Proceedings

Bullhead City Transit Commission Meeting Summary – May 6, 2024

The Bullhead City Transit Commission met on May 6, 2024, at 1:30 PM. All commission members were present. The meeting included public comment, approval of past minutes, and a detailed staff report covering financials, grant transitions, facility planning, and upcoming service disruptions.

Public Comments & Testimony

Harvey Pryor, a resident since 1987, raised concerns about transit maintenance costs and vehicle reliability. He questioned a $75 per vehicle charge for car washes (for 10 vehicles, totaling $750) and noted that some entries on records showed work occurring on Saturdays and Sundays. He argued that $75 is excessive compared to $49.95 for a semi-truck wash in Kingman. He expressed concern that federally funded money might be used inefficiently and requested itemized breakdowns. He also criticized recurring suspension failures on buses (air ride system issues) and poor equipment that makes driving difficult. He praised Michael (staff) for providing spreadsheets but urged the commission to consider different vehicle manufacturers and lift systems, and to add a fifth transit route. He stated his intent to investigate further during upcoming budget hearings.

Discussion Items

Staff Report (Michael):
- Financial and Performance Reports: Michael explained that two vehicles (one bus, one van) were awarded by ADOT under a 5339 grant (applied for nearly two years ago). Reimbursements have been delayed because ADOT shut down e-grant access while amending contracts. Staff has multiple reimbursements ready but can only submit one at a time, each requiring review. The timeline for receiving the vehicles is about a year, with production delays possible.
- Transition to 5307 Grant Program: The city is designated as a small urban 5307 agency, but the transition period continues until October 2024, when 5307 funds will begin to be used. The apportionment for the upcoming federal fiscal year (starting October 1, 2024) is just over $1 million. Staff has requested the full amount allocated. Remaining steps include completing certifications through FTA’s TRAM system, expected to be ready by August 2024.
- Transit Facility Project: Staff continues working with Selbering Associates. Public feedback from earlier meetings has been integrated into revised plans, which are now with engineers for final schematics. Staff hopes to present finalized plans to the commission and city council by end of summer 2024. Electric vehicle charging stations were not included in the current plans.
- Events: Staff attended the 37th annual ASTA conference in April 2024, meeting FTA staff relevant to the transition. Upcoming service closures: Memorial Day (May 27, 2024), Juneteenth (June 19, 2024), and Independence Day (July 4, 2024).
- Name Change for Transit: A commissioner asked about rebranding. Staff recommended waiting until construction funds for the new facility are awarded to avoid piecemeal efforts, but offered to give a presentation if the commission desires.
- Ridership Statistics: A commissioner requested quarterly ridership reports; Michael agreed to provide monthly and quarterly data from existing reports.
- Complaint Log: A commissioner asked for a summary of public complaints. Michael said he could provide a statistical summary (number, nature, findings) without personal information, but would first consult the city attorney regarding redactions.
- Adding Stops or Routes: Responding to a recurring question, Michael explained the evaluation process for new stops: staff analyzes boardings, usage, and industry standards. Adding a stop with shelter, ADA pad, etc., costs up to $20,000 per stop, often not warranted for low-ridership areas. A major route reconstruction was last done in 2018; a future one is likely when the new facility opens. Michael offered to provide a more detailed overview at the next meeting.

Key Outcomes

Approval of Minutes: The commission unanimously approved the minutes from the February 5, 2024 meeting (motion carried).
Directives to Staff:
- Staff to include quarterly ridership statistics in future commission reports.
- Staff to prepare a summary of transit complaints (redacted as needed) for inclusion in reports.
- Future agenda items may include a presentation on transit branding/name change and a detailed discussion on adding stops or routes.

Meeting Transcript

Thanks. Call to order. Madam Clerk, roll call. All commission members are present. If you all join me in the Pledge of Allegiance. I pledge allegiance. To the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Thank you. No presentations this evening. Call the public. My name is Harvey Pryor, been a resident here since 1987. I put in a records request for some maintenance and stuff like that going on. Just because I'm nosy like that. Michael, thank you very much. You did an awesome job with the spreadsheet and everything. I could understand it, and things did work out where I understood it. Hey, that's pretty good, man. But uh, it did raise some questions. There's a couple items on there that were quite striking. Actually, the page kept sliding out of the stack, and it's like, look at me, look at me. And I'm like, okay, well, I'll look at you. What are you? Um, pretty much what it was is the A1 Fleet Smart. And what you have here, and I gotta say the dates on these are not always a Monday, Tuesday during the week. Some are on Saturday and some are on Sundays. So it kind of leads to some other questions. But it's a uh all 10 vehicles are going through a car wash system. Um, I know we have a mechanical system over here. I don't know, I cannot say. I wish somebody would have explained to us the car wash and how a minivan costs $75. That's pretty pricey car wash, you know. When I know you got to go take it through the car wash and you spray out the inside and wipe it down. I've done medical transportation and taxis in this town for 14 years. I can take a semi-truck to Kingman and get the tractor wash for 49.95. This is all federally funded. I've got other requests in trying to find out if other departments pay $75 to wash a car or a minivan or a bus. And if they do it on Saturdays and Sundays, I don't think they do. And it makes you wonder why is a federal getting, I mean, I know you guys got to spend the money or you lose the money. But $75 for a car wash, $750 to do it. Who is washing it? I mean, because to me, my thinking is being from the transportation department in my life. Sunday's a short day, get off at what two, last driver coming through, fuels up, goes hits the car wash, wipes everything down. I'm gone for the weekend, man. Where's Monday? The thing is ready to go. That's what my brain is thinking. Are we paying an ASE certified mechanic to wash a car? That's crazy money. I mean, so this does need to be itemized.

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