The hour of 1045 having arrived, the meeting of the legislation and intergovernmental relations committee of the Cook County Board of Commissioners will come to order.

Madam Secretary, will you please check the role and see that we have a quorum?

Ma'am, at your recess meeting, you had all members present.

I will add Commissioner Daly to the roll call.

Absences you have for Britain, then excuse for Gaynor.

Moore, Sean Morrison, and Commissioner Stamps.

There's a quorum.

Thank you.

Do we need a motion for any remote participation or not?

There's no request for remote participation.

Do we have any public speakers?

One speaker registered.

I don't see him at the moment.

George Blake Moore.

George Blake.

Ma'am, that concludes your list of speakers.

Great, thank you.

Commissioner Miller, would you be ready to move approval of the minutes?

Yes.

Yes, I'd like to move approval of the committee minutes from the June 10th, 2026 meeting, item number 26-1902.

Thank you.

Moved by Commissioner Miller, seconded by Commissioner Anaya.

Any discussion?

If not, all those in favor signify by saying aye.

Opposed nay, and the opinion of the chair of the ayes have it.

Uh Commissioner Miller, will you please make a motion for the next item?

Yes, I'd like to move to approve item number 261754.

Uh, this is the appointment of Angela Manning Hardeman as Cook County's chief financial officer.

Move by Commissioner Miller, seconded by Commissioner Vasquez.

We'll now hear about Angela from Angela about uh her interest in this appointment.

Angela, would you please approach the podium?

Or the dais.

Hi, how are you?

Yeah, gentlemen.

Whoever we're hearing from Angela, Angela, please start.

Thank you.

Uh good afternoon, Chairman Degman.

You just have to get close to that.

Oh, okay.

Good afternoon, Chip Chair, Chair Degman and members of the Board of Commissioners.

Um, it is an honor to be with you today.

Yeah, you have to work to like.

Okay.

Okay.

I'm grateful to Madam President for appointing me to this role and for the opportunity to work with the county leadership and the board of commissioners to serve the people of Cook County.

My family couldn't be here with me today, but I do want to thank them for their unwavering support throughout my career.

It's been a journey.

Over the past three weeks, I have often been asked why Cook County.

And the answer is simple impact.

The CF role is challenging yet deeply rewarding because the work creates meaningful change.

In this position, that impact is visible every day across the region and in the lives of the people who call it home.

Furthering the great work of the county does, assisting residents, providing life safe saving care, promoting equity, encouraging innovation, and most importantly, making a difference was an opportunity I could not pass up.

The work the county is doing changes lives for the better, and that is something I wanted to be a part of.

The work is important, and the impact is immense.

As a lifelong Cook County resident, bringing 20 years of CFO experience to serve the county during one of its most challenging periods, also feels like a full circle moment.

Preparation meeting challenge.

Airports after 9-11, when O'Hare was labeled one of the nation's most delayed airports, while embarking on one of the most ambitious modernization efforts of its time.

Regional transportation planning during Illinois' historic 793-day budget impasse, which threatened to halt state-funded transportation construction projects.

Higher education as institutions confronted the academic enrollment cliff and the need to reimagine learning.

I proudly served as the CFO of O'Hare Midway Airports, the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, Illinois Institute of Technology, and Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory Fermi Lab during their most challenging times.

More importantly, I brought people together, creating calm, focused collaboration to solve complex challenges.

I lead with a high level of integrity and transparency because clear and honest information helps people solve difficult problems and innovate effectively.

This all happens through partnership.

This experience and my time-tested approach are what I bring to this role.

I'm committed to continuing to build upon the county strong financial foundation.

The county's financial strength gives us a strong position from which to work together to address the significant budget deficit ahead.

So quick county can continue serving all of its constituents and their best interests.

Thank you for this opportunity and your support.

Thank you.

And thank you, Angela, for your willingness to take on this really large responsibility.

You know, having the excellent background that you do is basic and baseline to the to the job that you'll have before you.

But I think listening and leadership and relationship building with this board are equally important to make sure that you achieve the critical success that I know that you and the board and the county all envisioned for our future.

There's you know, um big needs that we have and a lot of changing unpredictable landscapes with the way that we receive money from the state or the feds and how things move very quickly and decisions that need to be made very quickly.

This is a 24-7 job.

So I really appreciate you and your ability to fill this role and communicate with everybody.

Chairman Daly.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

And Angela, let me welcome you to again to the uh Cook County Board in your new position.

Um I've worked with a number of chief financial officers, so I look forward to working with you, as has been outlined, and then you see it because you you know budgeting.

We're gonna face some very difficult times.

And I know with your lead lead lead leadership and guidance, we'll be in the fine spot.

So I look forward to working with you.

Ideas, suggestions you have, and a new process we're looking forward to.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you, Chair.

Commissioner Miller.

Thank you, Chair.

And Angela, I just want to say welcome and thank you for the extensive conversation we had prior to your appointment and where you outlined your vast experience.

So I think you're going to be uh well suited for this role, and we look forward to all of your expertise coming into play here at Cook County.

So I just want to say welcome and congratulations.

Thank you.

Uh, Commissioner McCaskill.

Thank you, Chair.

Welcome and thank you.

I am excited about the your wealth of back, your wealth of knowledge and your background as it relates specifically to Oracle.

Um, your best practices, I believe, are going to really be a benefit to all of our employees, and I believe they are going to be excited about new opportunities that you bring with working with best practices in that system.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Commissioner Lowry.

Thank you, Chair.

CFO Manning Hardeman.

Um it was exciting meeting you virtually.

Uh so thank you for the your time.

Your empirical background is absolutely stellar, uh, and we look forward to your leadership during this vital time.

And if you're the type of individual who strives to work where you are needed, I want you to hear, we need you.

So welcome aboard.

Thank you.

Commissioner Aguilar.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Uh, Angela's congratulations.

Uh, like Chairman Dearly said we're gonna be fishing and facing some difficult times, but I'm sure that's where you work with this administration, you look out for the best interest of the residents of Cook County.

So, congratulations and look forward to working with you.

Thank you.

Commissioner Scott.

Thank you, madam chair.

Um just want to say congratulations, pre.

Um, you know, I I really enjoyed the conversation that we had, and uh, although we know we're going into difficult times, it you it takes um tough people with with thinking outside of the box to get us to where we need to be.

And uh through our conversations, you seem very uh capable of of thinking outside of the box and making sure that we have what we need to move the county forward, and I look forward to working with you.

And if you need anything, please do not hesitate because we want to be helpful uh in this transition.

Thank you.

Thank you, Commissioner Marita.

I really appreciated our conversation.

I just you know your passion for understanding that budget is not just numbers, but it's people and communities, and it's a uh reflection of our values and priorities.

I really appreciate it and your kind of holistic background.

Uh we're lucky to have you.

Your success will be our success, so we look forward to working together.

And like I just said to our uh hopefully future Nita appointees, congratulations.

Thank you.

Thank you, Commissioner Naya.

Thank you, Chair.

Um, I echo the same sentiments of my colleagues.

Just want to number one, welcome you, and number two, you know, just state um how how much this body really does work with the department.

And I'm looking forward to working with you uh through these um budget processes.

Thank you.

Seeing no further hands, the motion on the floor is to approve 26, 1754.

All those in favor signify by saying aye.

Aye, oppose nay, and the opinion of the chair of the ayes have it.

Congratulations, and thank you for your willingness to serve in this role.

Your appointment will be official tomorrow when the board concurs with the recommendation of this committee.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Um before we consider the remainder of the appointments on the agenda, we will have a brief presentation from DOTH related to the public transportation landscape and the wake of the Northern Illinois Transit Authority Act, otherwise known as Nita.

We have Sis Kellen here, who is the superintendent for the counties Department of Transportation and Highways here to present.

Thank you, sis and team.

We have a director of strategic policy and planning, Jesse Elam.

Director of strategic policy.

Of strategic planning and policy, Jesse Elizabeth.

Thank you, Commissioner.

Thank you, everyone, for your time today.

We are going to go through a brief presentation before we bring up the recommended candidates for the various service boards, PACE, METRA, CTA, and those that will serve in the dual role also on Nita, the new regional transit entity.

We'll wait for that presentation to come up.

Go ahead.

Introduce yourself.

Good afternoon, uh Commissioners.

I'm Jesse Eelum.

I'm the director of strategic planning and policy at Transportation Highways.

Uh Sis and I are going to tag team this.

I'm going to talk a little bit about the legislation that brings us here today.

Um, and then she's going to talk a bit about the process and the appointees who you'll be voting on in just a bit.

So uh at the end of the veto session last year, if you could go to the next slide.

At the end of the veto session last year, Illinois managed to do something that uh most other states have not managed to do thus far, which is to put its mass transit system on sound financial footing.

Um I think as you know, the pandemic led to a lot more uh working from home and other changes in travel behavior that had enormous budget impacts um for the transit system.

But on Halloween of last year, the General Assembly did pass a new funding and reform package with supermajorities in both chambers.

The governor then enacted it into law in December.

And what that did, the Northern Illinois Transit Authority Act or SB 211, uh that restructured the transit agencies and provided about 1.2 billion dollars in new annual operating funding.

It retired the old Regional Transportation Authority or RTA while retaining and restructuring its service boards, PACE, METRA, and CTA.

Next slide.

So this new authority has expanded powers in planning, budgeting, programming, several other areas, and I'm gonna get the highlights on those in just a second.

But first off the board itself, it has 20 members.

Uh there are an equal number of appointees by each of the governor, the county board president, the mayor of Chicago, and the collar county leaders.

That's the Will County Executive and the Counter Board Chairs and the other collar counties.

Um and then uh most of that 20-member board also sits on the boards of CTA Metro or Pace.

And the idea there was to cultivate a regional outlook, sense of shared purpose while also maintaining those boards that could continue to respond to local needs.

So the new NITA board also has supermajority requirements inspired somewhat by the old RTA board uh to make sure that all voices are heard, but it also has mechanisms that are really meant to prevent a voting impasse from happening.

Next slide.

So I'll uh move on to the transition from RTA to Nita.

Uh there's a lot to do.

Um first off the legislation calls for a consultant to assist with that and for Illinois Department of Transportation to procure that consultant.

They have now done that uh as of just a couple of days ago.

Um it also creates a transition working group or calls for transition working group to be formed to help advise on the roll-up that's supposed to happen at the beginning of October, and then those groups working together, supposed to issue a transition report a little bit less than a year from now, um, and then to actually implement at least parts of that by ordinance on September 30th of next year.

Next slide.

The heart of the new NITA is to be able to manage planning and budgeting more centrally.

NITA has to develop a coordinated service plans built up from uh what are called service standards to help guide the the delivery of service uh of what types of service should be delivered where in the region.

It's also supposed to take a new role in funding and help coordinate helping coordinate local dialerite service, which if you're not familiar with that, that is the service often operated by townships, municipalities with typically with cutaway vans rather than buses.

And then another major change uh that came with this legislation is that the old formulas that guided the distribution of operating funding, those all go away and it will be replaced by a distribution uh based on those service standards that I talked about.

It's gonna be a six-year phase in period, uh, but at that point it will be based on a new system that's not those old uh old fixed formulas.

Um then I'll just mention finally there's also there are also some changes to the amount of the budget that's supposed to come from fairs.

Next slide.

A final key item, key area of the law that I want to talk about is uh is a renewed focus on public safety.

Um it requires the creation of a new law enforcement task force to be led by the Cook County Sheriff.

And that task force both has an operating role as well as a role in developing a report on long-term policing.

Um then the needle board is to consider that report among other types of input and deciding whether to create a new regional transit police force.

But the law does not just contemplate additional policing, it also establishes a coordinated safety response council that's meant to integrate prospectives for beyond law enforcement to include things like behavioral health providers and others.

The law creates a new transit ambassador program.

Um that is a program where employees in distinctive uniforms are there to assist customers, make them feel safe while connecting those who need it to behavioral health resources or helping coordinate a police response in some cases.

So this is meant to be a broad spectrum response to uh to a pro to problems that were identified uh in the drafting of this legislation.

So these kinds of programs uh have been seen, particularly transit ambassadors have been seen to be successful in other major systems like LA Metro and the Philly system.

Okay, before I hand it back to SIS to talk about to talk about uh how how the the uh the appointments are to run.

Uh, there are a lot of other things in this law that we're not gonna have time to talk about.

Happy to provide some more information at a different time.

One major change is that NEEDA will now be responsible for delivering major projects.

Another big change is that fairs, uh actually, if we could go on to the next slide, sorry.

Another big change is that NETA will be responsible for setting fairs and for actually uh procuring and managing the fair payment system contract, which currently is Ventra.

And then lastly, big changes in the finance world as well.

NITA in the future will be responsible for debt issuance or any sort of project financing with some carve outs for existing projects that are already on the way that are already underway.

So uh we wanted to just give you a flavor of the responsibility that these Cook County appointees uh to the NITA board and to the other transit boards are going to have.

Um so let me turn it over to SIS to talk a little bit more about the appointment process.

Thank you, Jesse.

So we do have several board changes that are going to be directly impacting Cook County as a result of this legislation.

So a few of the highlights are on the screen for you today.

All of the transit directors are to be appointed by the board president with advice and consent from the quant the county board of commissioners.

Currently, Madam President has two direct appointments to the transit agencies, one at RTA and one at METRA.

That changes with the with the the swivel to her, where she will now appoint eight directors in lieu of the current two that she has.

We still retain eight appointments across the county, so overall our number of appointments have not changed.

And five of the appointments, they are going to serve in dual roles.

So they will serve on both the NITA board and a service board.

We will have two individuals who were serve on NITA and Metra, two individuals who will serve on NEDA and PACE, one individual who will serve on NETA and CTA, and then one unique appointment to each of those boards, one to Metra, one to PACE, and one to CTA.

A change to this structure and an exciting one that I that I think is that Cook County is now going to have two appointments to the CTA board.

You may know as we go through our annual budget appropriations.

We do provide a $2 million contribution to the operations of CTA given its mass in Cook County, and we will now have a voice on that board.

For the director qualifications, the legislation was rather specific regarding the expertise and the experience that a director must have.

Directors will collectively bring diverse and substantial relevant experience and expertise sufficient for the oversight planning and operation of a regional transit system.

The examples of the appropriate backgrounds include, but are not limited to urban and regional planning, management of large capital projects, labor and workforce development, business management, public administration, transportation operations, and community organizations and engagement.

And with their vantage points from each of those areas of expertise, they would then be responsible for the regional transit entity that Jesse spent a little time walking through what their current charge is and what the expanded charges are under this new legislation.

There was also an expectation for diversity.

Appointing authorities shall strive to assemble a board that reflects to the greatest extent possible the ethnic, cultural, economic, racial, and geographic diversity of the metropolitan area served by Nita, and that is explicit within within the legislation itself.

This next slide shows the breakdown of those appointments.

And unlike any other appointing authority, Cook County had geographic restrictions placed on its representation.

So this slide highlights where we had the ability to identify candidates to serve as prospective board members.

The first individual serving on both CTA and NITA did not have residency requirements but could be anywhere in the county.

The second appointment for CTA could also reside anywhere in the county.

The third appointment, who will serve on Metra and Nita, had a geographic restriction to be in Southwest Suburban Cook County.

The fourth appointment, who will serve on Metra and NEDA, had a geographic restriction to reside in South Suburban Cook County.

The fifth appointment who will serve on Metra did not have a geographic restriction and can reside anywhere in the county.

The sixth appointment will serve on PACE and NITA and must reside in West Suburban Cook County.

The seventh appointment will serve on PACE and NITA with residency requirements in North Suburban Cook County.

And the final appointment will serve on PACE, and that individual can look be located anywhere in the county.

One thing that I will point out is that with the legislation, there are changes and who may serve as an appointee, and it did create constraints on the individuals itself.

So as you look at appointees six, seven, and eight, we do have those flagged with an asterisk because anyone who serves on PACE, they may be a local elected official.

So we may have a mayor who serves on PACE, whereas previously it was a requirement to be a current mayor or former mayor.

This new change also impacts the ability to serve on other boards where PACE is now the only board where elected officials may sit.

So I want to make sure that we spent a little time and called out that change.

Next slide.

As we went through this process to identify candidates and to move them through an evaluation process given the constraints that the legislation had placed before us, President's Office wanted to make sure that there was still a process to seek feedback and involvement from those who had had the opportunity to put forth our representatives previously.

So we did have an invitation for commissioners to provide recommended prospective applicants for consideration.

We also reached out to Cook affiliated groups like the Council of Economic Advisors, for example, as well as some advocacy groups and community groups, encouraging them to also recommend candidates for the president's consideration.

The bottom line is that it is a very competitive process, both in terms of the number of applicants that came to us, but again layering on that constraint with the residency residency constraints as well.

When we look at the total number of interested applicants, they exceeded by a factor of five the number of seats that we had available to make those recommended board appointments.

As part of the evaluation, each candidate did provide their affidavit.

They went through an extensive application highlighting the description of the experience that they had in the requisite areas that were contained within the legislation.

And we also wanted to understand from them why they had interest in serving.

It's one thing to be eligible to serve, but what the lift and charge that each one of these individuals needs to take on, we need to ensure that there is a firm commitment and fervor to be able to weather the challenges that are going to come behind the establishment of not only a new regional board, but that of the individual boards as well.

Overall, 19 interviews, so nearly half of the applicants were brought were brought in for further discussion.

And now this is where we will call it the curtain call, as we do with all of your invest in cook briefings, where it is the identification of the individuals who who will serve Cook County, who will serve each of you and your constituents on the board with your approval.

The proposed Cook County appointments, Tom Katarick for CTA plus NETA, Ann Kallial, serving CTA, Diane Williams, serving on Metra and NEDA, representing Southwest Cook County, Romain Brown, representing Metra and Nita, representing South Suburban Cook County.

Joe Zabo, representing serving on Metra, who can reside anywhere in the county.

Mayor Rory Hoskins of Forest Park, serving on PACE and NITA, representing West Suburban Cook County.

Luis Montgomery, serving on both Pace and Nita, representing North Suburban Cook County.

And last but not least, Mayor Terry Wells, who will be serving PACE as he has for the last number of years.

So now, Madam Chair, we can turn it back over to you as we go through the proceedings of the committee.

Thank you.

Thank you.

We will now begin to propose NETA appointments.

I want to thank everyone for their willingness to serve and for the state for laying out structural reforms that were much needed for quite a while, as well as investments in our public transport transit system.

We have an incredible once-in-a-generation opportunity to fulfill the promise of our public transit system to literally change people's quality of life, give them way more predictability, and have this centered both economically and socially in change.

We all want to see a responsive, unified approach to transit that we can be proud of.

I hope every proposed appointee takes seriously the awesome responsibility and duty attached to these roles and makes decisions through a leadership lens.

With that, Commissioner Miller, would you please make a motion for the next item?

Yes, I'd like to move to accept all as substituted.

The item numbers are as followed.

26-1737, 26 death 1738, 261740, 26-1741, 26, 1742, 26 dash 1743, 26-1744, and 26-1746.

Thank you.

Move by Commissioner Naya, second it or move by Commissioner Miller, seconded by Commissioner Anaya.

Um the motion on the floor is to accept as substituted these Nita appointments, item numbers 26, 1737, 38, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, and 46.

This is just to accept the substitute.

All those in favor, signify by saying aye.

Oppose nay.

In the opinion of the chair, the ayes have it.

Um then, Commissioner Miller, will you please move uh the first appointment?

Item number 26, 1737 is substituted.

Okay, thanks to move.

So moved.

Okay, thank you.

So this is for the appointment of Tom Katerik for a three-year initial term to the Chicago Transit Authority and Northern Illinois Transit Authority boards.

So, Tom, will you come up to the podium and or either here or there and share a little bit about your knowledge and experience?

Just gonna slim to the easy.

Either one.

Okay.

Tom, why don't you come over here?

Because I think it'll be easier for the board to see you.

Sorry.

Seconded by Anaya.

Okay.

A little exercise.

I feel like you need the extra exercise.

Okay.

So, Tom, if you could state your first and last name, um, introduce yourself to the folks, and then uh share a little bit about yourself and why you want to serve.

Good afternoon, Vice Chair Degnan and Commissioners.

It's an honor to appear before you as a nominee to serve on the boards of Nita and the CTA.

First, I want to thank board president Tony Preckwinkle for her confidence in me and for this nomination.

I've long admired her dedication to public service and her leadership on transportation issues.

And I also want to thank each of you for your commitment to strengthening public transit for the residents of Cook County and our region.

I especially want to thank my wife and our two children for their constant love and support, and they have patiently listened to more conversations about transit than anyone should ever have to.

And I could not be here without them.

Public transportation has been part of my family's story for generations.

My grandfather immigrated from Croatia and went to work for the Chicago Surface Lines in 1920.

When the CTA was created through a major restructuring of our transit system, he became one of its employees and retired there after more than three decades of service.

That job gave him the opportunity to raise six children as a widowed father, and it showed our family how strong public institutions can change lives.

My father also spent more than 40 years working in the railroad industry as a clerk, including at the Rock Island Railroad before it became part of Metra.

Their careers taught me that transit is about far more than buses and trains, it's about creating opportunity.

I have been fortunate enough to spend more than 25 years working in the transportation sector, including more than 12 years in Capitol Hill as a senior policy advisor to our senior U.S.

Senator Dick Durbin.

After returning to Chicago, my home, I've served as Deputy Executive Director of CMAP, leading the agency's transportation planning and capital programming work.

And for the past eight years, I've led the civic committee's transportation infrastructure work.

For the past year and a half, I've been honored to serve on the Regional Transportation Authority board.

Over the past several years, I've been a proud part of a broad coalition of labor, business, environmental, civic, and transportation organizations that add of advocated for bold transit reform and the investments needed to build a transit system that is safe, connected, reliable, and integrated.

A transit system with one network, one timetable, and one ticket.

Because of the leadership of many elected officials, especially President Peckrinkle, and many of you here today.

That vision is now possible through the new authorities and investments included in the NETA Act.

If confirmed, I will work every day to help turn that vision into reality.

I look forward to working closely with each of you, and I welcome your advice, your council, and your partnership.

Together, I believe we can build a transit system that not only better serves the riders, but also drives economic growth, expands opportunity, and helps ensure Cook County and the Chicago region are the best place to live, work, and do business.

I thank you for your consideration, and I'm happy to answer any questions.

Well, I want to say thank you, Tom, for your willingness to serve.

Many years ago, um you and I got together and you gave me a full tutorial about the issues in our transit system, um, how you thought that they could be fixed.

You laid out a step-by-step plan and went going back over a hundred years to talk about how our transit system first got started.

And so I know that your qualifications and expertise and deep knowledge in this area has supported not just me and my team and commissioners, but really the greater state of Cook County in Illinois.

So I do really appreciate your willingness to be on a board where there is such a heavy lift.

There is so much at stake.

It is a personal commitment for you.

I know and your family and the time.

Um, and I can't wait for it to be successful.

And I know it will be in part because you are there.

So thank you very much.

Chairman Dealy.

Thank you, Mr.

Chairman.

And Tam, it is really a great honor for me to support your nomination as well as all the other nominations.

As you outlined what you've done, uh, it is really remarkable from your family, your grandfather to your family.

But I've known you personally.

Um I've seen your commitment, I've seen your knowledge.

Those discussions you had with your wife.

I know many times in my house you had them with people, but many people it was late hours, but people didn't want to discuss it.

But Tom, you bring a strong commitment of confidence as well as public servants.

I wish you that you and you helped break this for your part of the writing this legislation.

So it's a commitment you've had in your family.

I wish you all the best.

Thank you, Chairman.

Uh Commissioner Trevor.

Thank you, Chair.

Um, and thank you, uh uh Mr.

Katark, for meeting with me to talk about uh why you wanted to to serve on this board.

I was impressed with uh first of all, I've been impressed with your service in this is in this area.

I was impressed with your um uh knowledge uh and understanding of some of the the real challenges we have in in my district.

Uh and I just wanted to uh say that um you have my full support for this.

So thank you.

Thank you, Commissioner, for your support and your uh real doggedness, both you and the chairman on in reforming transit.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Commissioner Miller.

Thank you, Chairwoman.

And thank you, Tom, for your uh professionalism and reaching out to my office prior to this board appointment and explaining your background.

I do appreciate that.

I just wanted to ask you a couple quick questions.

Um, one is I know that you have extensive knowledge in this area, and as we're looking at the red line extension continuation of that project, and my focus is always focused on how we're gonna build the South plan.

So, what are your ideas for that?

Yeah, uh I'd say you know, the red line extension is a really good lived experience for why Nita uh can help deliver for the entire region.

The red line extension is an absolute home run for the city of Chicago.

I think we missed an opportunity to hit a grand slam for the entire region.

The red line extension was planned exclusively by the CTA.

And so what we'll have now is an extension of CTA to the edge of the city.

However, we're gonna cross the Metro Electric Line around 117th Street.

Early in the planning, we should have been thinking about how to connect that.

So that you're not just going from Chicago's CTA, but you're really opening up the entire region to the Southland Joliet and elsewhere.

And if you look at the terminus where it's um expected to end at 130th Street, if you throw baseball far enough, you can you can hit the hole in the wall where the northern Indiana um NICTI line is.

And so that would have really been interstate um access.

I think one of the things I'd really like to do uh as a future CTA board member and Nita board member is to see as we're building and designing this to allow for those connections to happen.

They may not be able to do it with the current design.

We're pretty far along, we've broken ground.

Uh, but I do think right now when we're doing mega projects, we're gonna do them for the entire region to open it up for everybody and access across the region.

Is that a recommendation you can make on this board?

I hope to certainly sit down with the design staff and figure out what's possible and feasible, and I really look forward to working with you and getting your feedback on that.

It's a federally funded program.

Uh, and so that dynamic is going to be important to have the federal um support and uh see what we can do to expand it and and really make it uh as good and well, it's already great, but to make it even more so.

Well, I might have some eyes on that.

Um so I guess have you ever been on the CTA?

Uh yes, uh every day.

I checked out Ventra just in case I got asked.

It was a hundred trips between CTA Metro and PACE in the last uh 65 days or 75 days, and uh today I was texting with the acting president of CTA to tell her about the diversity bus, uh, two ghost buses and the delta between when the bus was supposed to show and when it did was six minutes.

So I I'm a big sort of numbers and excellence person.

I I believe that uh a really strong performance management of the operations is what's the service board's responsibility going forward, and I think we should bring a lot of that data to the public so that we can hold people like myself accountable, but the management as well.

You've been on CTA or Metro in the South Suburbs.

Absolutely.

Um I was just out at the fossil or in the South Suburbs.

Um trying to think, went out to Joliet for one of those baseball games uh and that was a few months back.

So we'll plan to soon.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Tom, I just have one additional question based on what commissioner mentioned.

Um, you know, we had long talked about the red line expansion, and then there's a metro station and an ITCD station that haven't met up to make it like a cohesive ability for people to triangulate between those rail lines.

So do you know right now if that project and planning and development is too far along to make those changes?

I don't.

And I think this is one of the key questions I'd like to have some public discussion about too at the at the CTA board and the NITA level.

I think with a renewed governance structure, that conversation uh is people are more willing to have it.

Yeah.

You know, uh that felt like something that everyone was racing to make sure that we got done by a certain period of time, and to have that conversation to say what are the trade-offs if we needed to sort of, you know, maybe wait and make us an extension and to have that um publicly and to deliberate and discern about it and make a decision after.

Yeah, I'll say like 20 years from now, people are gonna look back and say they didn't even start putting a shovel on the ground.

They could have changed those plans.

The architects and engineers could definitely have changed them and make historic changes and make it way easier for people to get around.

So, like I think Commissioner uh Miller had said, and I think you had echoed, is that it would be a really big missed opportunity not to really allow those folks to triangulate between an ITCD Metro CTA, which I think is kind of the genesis of having this new government's governance structure.

So I hope that that happens.

And I I know you'll make it happen, Tom.

Okay.

Um hearing no additional questions from the board.

The motion on the floor is to prove 26, 17, 37.

Ah substituted, all those in favor signify by saying aye.

Oppose nay.

And the opinion of the chair, the ayes have it.

Just to confirm, uh, Commissioner Anaya did make a motion to second this item.

Congratulations to Tom and thank you for your willingness to serve.

Your appointment will be official tomorrow when the board concurs with the recommendation of this committee.

Thank you.

Thanks, Commissioner.

Commissioner Miller, will you please move the next item?

Um I moved to uh anyone with anything here any particular.

Thank you.

Moved by Commissioner Miller, seconded by uh Chairman Daly.

We'll now hear from uh Ann about her interest in this appointment.

Hi, hi, good afternoon.

Good afternoon.

Good afternoon.

First of all, I want to thank can you identify yourself just for the folks at home?

Sure.

My name is Ann B.

Kalile.

I always use my middle initial.

Um I want to thank um President Frankwinkle, Chair Degnan, and the members of the board for this opportunity be to be considered for this appointment.

Um let me just briefly tell you a little bit about myself.

Um while I was in college, I took a job in the IT department at Weiss Memorial Hospital, not too far from here, to pay myself through undergrad and graduate school.

I learned very early that infrastructure isn't glamorous.

Um in fact, nobody thanks you when systems are actually running smoothly.

It's when they don't, everything stops.

And the lessons actually never left me.

It carried me into an 18-year career at the University of Chicago, building the technology infrastructure that kept complex systems running to serve thousands of people every day.

In 2011, I was brought into public service as GSA's regional administrator based here in Chicago, where I oversaw federal facilities from development, capital construction, and operations.

I managed fleet, electrificational fleet, as well as federal supply chain.

And 2017, I was fortunate to come here to be the Bureau Chief of Asset Management, and I've had the privilege to serve both President Prequinkle as well as President Obama, two leaders who taught me that good government is the discipline of making systems work for the people who depend on them.

Outside of that career, I've stayed rooted in community, particularly the Asian American community, serving on boards and have organized around immigration reform, hate crimes, and civic engagement.

That combination has shaped three things I care deeply about and would focus on in this board.

And that is primarily the writer experience, because a transit system only succeeds if the people using it feel it was designed for that for them with them in mind.

Economic development, because a transit system is often the backbone that connects residents to jobs and opportunity, and sustainability because green infrastructure is very, very important.

In my work today in higher education, I see how our students depend on public transportation to get to class, stay enrolled, and graduate.

And when a bus or a train is late or a route is cut for some students, it's the difference between finishing their degree or not.

The thread throughout my career, infrastructure, capital construction, and technology exist to serve people, not the other way around.

I come with this experience of building systems, people rely on, and therefore one that needs to be reliable and people centered.

I'd be honored to bring that to the CTA board on behalf of the writers who depend on it, and I look forward to working with each and every one of you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

So what are your ideas about how to fill the gaps to allow a single car to allow people to use PACE, Metra, and the CTA?

I'm an operational efficiency person, and so I think what's really important is to, you know, once I can get appointed and get in, is to work with both the Nita board as well to see how can we get rid of some of these redundancy, redundant systems.

Um and I'd be happy to do that once we sit down and actually get started.

Sounds good.

I think you know, historically there's been a situation where if one fare is paid and there's three systems somebody's using three systems, how are those dollars and pennies allocated between systems?

And with Nita, the hope is that there will be collaboration where there'll be more of a one pot to share between the three where needs-based analysis has been performed, um, and that can change year to year.

But I do think that historically this board has really wanted that to happen for our constituents.

It's one of the things that we've heard about most frequently.

So, you know, with your appointment, we'd like you to look at that as well.

Yeah.

Okay, thank you.

Uh Commissioner Miller and then Chairman Dealy.

No, go ahead.

Thank you, Tierwoman.

Thank you.

And good to see you.

And welcome.

And um, I just wanted to ask a quick question, a couple of questions about CTA, because I am concerned about the extension priorities beyond 95th Street.

So, what do you think about that?

I I want to say that I come with um not so much of transit experience, but I do understand the importance of public transportation for communities, especially communities that don't have the e-resources allocated to it.

When I get to the CTA board, it's something that I would really like to look into and try to see how we can solve these problems, but not just but with community input as well.

Well, Tom had a great answer that you know, especially knowing that Chicago does not end at 95th Street, that's number one.

130th Street, and then the connectivity that goes from 130th Street out to the South Suburbs, it's really an issue that's been on the forefront for decades.

So I would hope that this with the reimagining of this board and the focus that you know restructuring the board uh has made as its priority that it's inclusive of all communities and especially CTA.

I mean, CTA has to look at the other connectivity outside of Chicago.

It does it north pretty well.

It doesn't do it south.

And so the priorities looking at what happens south has to be, I would hope that would be a number one priority for the NITA board and in your role as CTA on CTA.

So then, have you ever been on CTA?

So this is a very interesting.

It's a very good question.

Um, where I live, and I think Commissioner Marita knows this.

I live in Lincoln Wood, and I live near Devon in Cicero.

I don't know if you're familiar with I'm very familiar with the whole city of Chicago.

Yes, thank you.

And so there is uh from McCormick on Devon to Cicero, there is absolutely no public transportation.

And on Cicero, the public transportation is literally not consistent.

Um so for me to take public transportation, I would have to get into a car because I don't and drive further along in order to get into public transportation.

And so my hope is because I have heard of you know, this part of town is where is a very large immigrant community, and most people when they come into this country as new immigrants, they come into this area because it's kind of a portal for them to to get to work and to get to other places.

And this is a persistent problem is that they don't have public transportation.

It's absent in this route.

And it's um it's unreliable.

So I'm my goal is I'm hoping, and this is why one of the reasons I'm interested in doing this is to be able to help um identify these problems and help resolve it.

Well, thank you.

And um, that's gonna be another issue, you know, connectivity throughout every single area.

So highlighted another good point.

So thank you.

Chair Daly.

Thank you, Madam Chair, and welcome back.

Thank you.

I had the honor of working with you when you were head of chair uh head of the asset.

And needless to say that the knowledge you brought in reforming that department and in reforming that you make uh Cook County government a better place in which to work and serve.

Um I I've totally in favor of your appointment.

You outlined your concern.

I also you mentioned your concern about people who don't have and you just outlined it now in reference to where you live uh and help because it is the transit is key to everyone, every community.

So thank you.

All these anomalies today are great appointments, and look forward to vote supporting all of them.

All the best, yeah.

Thank you very much.

Thank you, Commissioner Marita.

Thank you.

Um thank you, Ann, for being willing to do this as a constituent of mine, but also um I'd be remiss to also not recognize uh my state senator, Ron Villa Vallam, who chairs transportation in the Senate and the tremendous amount of uh work that he and the entire General Assembly did to help us get to this point.

I know you've been a mentor to him and to me.

You've worked intimately as a bureau chief here at the county at GSA.

Um, so I think we're very lucky to have somebody with such a broad uh perspective of different levels of government.

Um, but particularly for here for us here at the county board.

I know everybody will do an amazing job representing Cook County, but I don't know if we have anybody who knows Cook County government um at the intimate uh level that you do, and so we appreciate you being an advocate for us here at the county on this board.

Thank you.

Thank you very much.

Seeing no further hands, the motion on the floor is to approve 26, 1738 uh substituted.

All those in favor signify by saying aye.

Oppose nay, in the opinion of the chair, the eyes have it.

Thank you.

Congratulations, Ann, for your willingness to serve your appointment.

We'll be official tomorrow when the board concurs with this recommendation of this committee.

Uh Commissioner Miller, please move the next item.

I'd like to move item number 26-1740 as substituted the appointment of Diane Williams for a three-year initial term to Metra and the North the NITA board.

Thank you.

Can move by Commissioner Miller, seconded by Commissioner Trevor.

We'll now hear from Diane about her interest in this appointment.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you for being here.

Good afternoon.

Good afternoon.

And thank you.

Thank you for this opportunity to present myself and to present some of my thoughts about transportation in this area.

I'm I want to start with just a little story as someone else did, and this is sort of the picture of transportation as I initially knew it in Chicago.

At 10 years old, I could take a bus from my house on 72nd in Evans to the L using the transfer, of course, that I got on the bus to do that.

I could take the L downtown, go down some stairs, through a tunnel, up some other stairs, and go to the Congress Hill to visit my cousins.

There was no adult with me.

I did that on my own at 10 years old.

My parents loved me and wanted me to be okay, so they weren't sending me off to get hurt.

They were sending me off because they felt that I was safe and that I could I could manage that and navigate that system in that way at that age.

I want to see that to be the case today.

I think we can do that.

I think that we can, I think that's not going to be an easy task.

I think there's a lot that goes into it, but I think we can do that.

I'm born and raised in Chicago, a product of the Catholic and public schools in the city of Chicago, as well as the universities in this area.

And I'm a, as I mentioned, a longtime transportation person.

I don't use transportation as much today as I did in the past, but it turns out that I'm actually one of 36% of Metro riders who are occasional riders and one of 43% of CTA riders that are occasional riders.

So there's a fairly large segment of the people that we serve who very much use the service in the same way that I do.

I have had an opportunity on a number of different occasions to work with our transportation systems.

As president of the Safer Foundation for 18 years, it was my responsibility to not only identify and connect people with up with jobs, but to ensure that they could get there, perform those jobs well, and then had money to support their families.

In doing that, we had we worked with a number of different uh transportation departments.

One of those was PACE.

There were many jobs in the South Suburbs where they couldn't find employees and our people couldn't find jobs.

So we negotiated a deal with PACE, had an opportunity to have an assigned PACE bus that got people to those jobs in the shifts and times that they needed.

We ran into a little problem because the work the employers wanted them to work overtime.

And so if we had a only a single option, that would not have worked.

Ultimately, we were able to actually lease a PACE bus, have a drive have drivers trained, and make sure that we could be flexible enough to get people to work and to have those workers get their work done.

I think that's a that's a really important aspect to the kind of things we do when we work with transportation.

It's not always the way we go when we think about it initially, but it's something that we can do.

There are a number of other of those kind of opportunities that we have before us.

But but I mentioned when I talked about my trip, I was safe.

I think safety is a really important aspect of public transportation.

I've had an opportunity to ride on the Washington DC public transportation system.

I've been to New York.

I remember when I would not get on a New York train.

But today I don't think a lot about it.

I feel pretty safe, and I get on that train when I get ready to.

I've been to Singapore and to Hong Kong and to a few other places that have outstanding systems.

They have they have integrated systems, they have efficient systems, they have comfortable systems, they have systems that are that reach everywhere.

I think Singapore's perspective is that they don't want any of their people to be more than five minutes away from public transportation.

So there are some, there are some samples, some things that we can kind of learn, not just from our own location, but from other places as well.

As part of my work at Safer, I also sat on a number of police chiefs' advisory boards so that I have a fair sense of how we can engage.

But I don't I don't want to jump the gun because I still have a lot to learn before I make any final decisions.

But it keeps me hopeful because I know that they do tend to want to help.

I also believe, as we think about this, that the community and engaging that community is really important in this whole process.

We ultimately want to have workforce development, we want to have increased numbers of jobs, we want economic development that matters.

And I can tell you that the time my time at the Southland Development Authority as the founding chair for the Southland Development Authority, after finding a way to hire my co-chair to make him president, we learned a lot about what it takes in terms of transportation and getting businesses to move into your area and getting people to work.

I want very much to help with the work that I see on the table today.

I believe that my background, my experiences, the sort of unique opportunities I've had to work with Chicago or but the regional area transportation leads me to a good place to do that work.

Rather than going on and on, I'll just stop now and ask if there are any questions for me.

Thank you.

Thank you for your willingness to serve.

I do have a question about your joint Nita and Metra appointment.

So the Metro UP is an ongoing project in my district.

So the people's homes were right up against that Metro line, and now in the expansion of that line, you know, it is UP property, but it has caused disruption for many families that live right along that line.

And so there has been, I would say, imperfect community engagement around the work that's being done, the frequency of that work, when it's gonna occur, the times of day that it's going to occur, causing a lot of not just disruption to the family life, but then a lot of um significant feelings by those homeowners in that community engagement.

I think part of the difficulty for those homeowners is to the not knowing.

You know, if it's 3 a.m.

and they're gonna work on the line, or if they have to have lights out there or part of the land that they were using is no longer going to be available, there's just lots of different uh uh concerns.

So, how in your um Metro and Nita appointment, do you think that you can work jointly together to ensure that there's mandatory policies around community engagement, even at a more micro level, because while these are big structures, when it's one family or one community, it is very personal to them.

And I can imagine that's always gonna be true.

That that's not the situation that we want to have, obviously.

I believe we are talking about communication as you noted.

Today I believe that Metro actually has people employed that are responsible for interfacing in various communities.

It sounds to me like that has not gone as well as we would like for it to go.

So taking a look at what we're doing today and determining what we need to do better is something that I would be very much supportive of doing.

I think that if people are gonna live in a community, if they're gonna, and our purpose is in fact to make that a better quality of life for them through the transportation systems, then we do have to hear what they think that looks like.

And we have to be able to be responsible to respond to that.

So I think that's a very good project for us to take on.

Great.

I think um what I've heard is they would like some sort of mandatory policies as to when that communication would happen to give homeowners an opportunity to respond to it.

I mean, equally important are rail lines and having people transport from place to place, but equally important is the people who are now living in their homes taking the Metro so they see both sides of it.

They're on the the rail lines, but they're also living adjacent to it.

And both of those can be equally important for the people that are involved.

Yeah, I and I think community gatherings as well as written communications or electronic communications can be helpful in that way.

I think formalizing it is important, so thank you for that.

Commissioner Miller.

Thank you, Chairwoman.

Thank you, Diane, for being here, and thank you also for proactively reaching out to my office to express your interest in this position.

And your story was fantastic because um it's relatable.

I always tell Jim and Romain from Metro that I put my greatest asset on the Metro every single day when they went to high school and they were safe.

And they've utilized Metro even for fun and not just for transportation to go to school.

So that's really uh a tribute to what Metro does and can continue to do.

I know there's significant challenges with the aging of the trains and you know and needed upgrade.

So how do you see that uh from a budgetary standpoint if you've had a chance to think about it?

Just uh how that should be incorporated into the possible plans for expansion.

I I think whatever we do, it has to be a plan.

We have to have a clear sense of where we are, what the level of service or level of that car is today, and what makes what has the greatest need to be done, and then to base our budget and our scheduling on that.

There is a lot more out there than there was in the past from the perspective of materials and configurations, light rail, and other kinds of things that offer different price points in ways to achieve what we're trying to achieve.

So I think making sure we understand what we have and what we what our options are is a starting point for that.

And you've had vast experience on CMAP and you know, so you really understand what's going on in the south suburbs specifically in the connectivity.

So is there something you think you can really start to do once you get on this NITA board?

I I I think I initially I'm gonna be overwhelmed with with catching up, to be perfectly candid.

But I really think I'll be a quick study because as you said, having served on the CMAP board for five years, both on the on the coordinating committee and on the executive committee, I think I have a bit of a head start on that kind of thing.

I think I have a bit of a head start on that kind of thing.

And I and I think again, we have a number of I'm gonna say paths to go down, things that we have to take a close look at, and based on what we come up with that make make the recommended changes.

But connectivity is right at the top of all of that.

It makes no sense for people to sit in the far south side of Chicago and not be able to get to work in a nearby suburb.

It there just that just makes no sense at all.

And yet it exists today, and I know it exists today.

So those are that's one of the kinds of things I think that we could even call low-hanging fruit and take a look at pretty quickly.

And then I know this is Metro, but you'll be for Metro, but uh the connectivity even to CTA and what those conversations will look like.

I know you'll be able to uplift those conversations from a person who resides in the South Surbs and has for many years, but just to say that it's really something that has to be a priority of this board, and you know, we can't just have connectivity going north and not have it going south.

But but I think that's the one of the beauties of this new structure, right?

Is that you're gonna you're gonna have people that will be on both Metra and Nita.

You're gonna have people with pace in the same spot.

I mean, the intent is to build a team that can get this work done in the most effective way possible.

Yes, okay, thank you.

Chair Daly.

Thank you, Mayor Chair.

Uh, let me also thank you.

Uh, you began the your introduction by talking about safety, and that is I believe the number one concern of individuals running uh on the transit.

Um and you mentioned New York.

We could learn, I I think the transit agencies have done a great job.

This is a new beginning.

Your leadership at the Safer Foundation for tremendous knowledge, and I wish you all the best.

Thank you.

Commit Commissioner Trevor.

Thank you, Chair.

Uh, and uh thank you for um uh your uh desire to serve on this board.

Um I I heard a couple of people talk about uh these connections and actually when you when you mentioned that you frustrated with the fact that somebody can't get from one suburb to the next in the south suburbs uh to get to work or job or you know, school or whatever.

I think that really resonates with me.

Um you know, a good example that I use in my areas.

I I I live like a stone's throw from Schomburg and Schomburg boomers play um in a minor league team.

If I want to go to a boomers game on public transportation, I have to take the Northwest Metro line to downtown Chicago, switch trains, and then take another train out, even though they're only probably five miles away.

Uh, but there uh you can look at a map and see all sorts of potentials for connections um between metro lines uh that would allow some suburb to suburb um uh transfers.

I'm wondering uh, you know, is that something that that you've you've seen, you've looked at, and also do you have any opinions on what some of the stumbling blocks might be with um with uh uh dealing with some of the rail companies uh that control the tracks um and how do you see Nita uh handling that situation if at all?

So to some extent I have to say, no, I I don't have an answer for for how to do that today.

I do know that some of that took place through pace in the past.

There were other there were other venues for it, but I don't see much of that connectivity today.

So I think it's that it warrants, as I mentioned before, a real study and then a real plan to make it happen.

Thank you.

Uh Commissioner Lowry and then Commissioner McCassy.

Thank you, Chair.

Diane, I just want to say, as you shared your dream and your vision, I was inspired.

And I found myself back to when I was a little boy.

We had one car that worked 50% of the time, and when it worked, my dad took it to work.

So my sister and I went everywhere with my mother.

Either we walked or we were on a bus or we're on a train.

And those are some of the best memories I have.

So I just really I'm so grateful that you're willing to serve in this way, and I look forward to your leadership.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Commissioner McCaskill.

Thank you for accepting this challenge.

I look forward to what you're going to bring to the Southland.

And your piece is so unique because while you don't have a plethora of transportation experience, your connectivity and your understanding of the quality of life that is required is going to make sure that this board stays people focused, and that's what we want to make sure we do.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Seeing no further questions, the motion on the floor is to approve item number 26-1740 as substituted.

All those in favor signify by saying aye.

Oppose nay, and then the opinion of the chair.

The ayes have it.

Congratulations.

Uh Diane, and thank you for your willingness to serve on these boards.

Your appointment will be official tomorrow when the board concurs with the recommendation of this committee.

Thank you.

Thank you very much.

Commissioner Miller, will you please move make a motion for the next item?

I'd like to move to approve item number 261741 as substituted the appointment of Romain Brown for a five-year initial term to Metra and Nita Board.

Thank you.

Moved by Commissioner Miller, seconded by Commissioner Scott.

We will uh we were supposed to hear from Romain about uh their interest in this appointment, but they had a family emergency, so they were unable to be here and recommend uh that you check out their uh their resume that we were provided with and follow up at a future time if you have additional questions.

So this was moved by uh Commissioner Miller, uh seconded by Commissioner Scott.

Yes.

Okay, okay.

Um I think it was already moved and seconded, right?

Right.

Um does anybody have any questions about uh the appointment for Romain, even though she's not here or comments?

Are we appointing it now?

I don't know that we have an option to defer till tomorrow unless the president's office has an opinion about that.

Chair.

Yes.

I think with the allowance of the chair, we'd like to go forward, please.

Okay to make the vote.

Um you're fine with that.

Yep.

Okay.

The motion on the floor is to approve item number 26 1741 as substituted.

All those in favor signify by saying aye.

Aye.

Oppose, nay.

And the opinion of the chair, the ayes have it.

Um Commissioner Miller, will you please move the next item?

I'd like to move to approve 261742 as substituted the appointment of Joe Zaba for a three-year initial term to Metra.

Move by Commissioner Miller, seconded uh by Commissioner Vasquez.

We will now hear uh from Joe about their interest in uh this appointment.

Good afternoon, Joe.

Well, thank you, Madam Chair and uh Commissioners.

Uh it's an honor to appear before you today as a nominee for the Metro Board of Directors.

Since the age of 18, some 50 years ago, when I first hired out as a trainman on what is Metro electric today, my career is focused on transportation, urban planning, public policy, and public service.

Having punched tickets and worked those trains for 19 years, I know from the ground up what it takes to deliver safe, reliable, and convenient service for the public.

Having spent 21 years in municipal government in uh the South Suburbs, the village of Riverdale, starting first as a member of the uh planning commission and ultimately serving as the mayor, I understand firsthand what quality mass transit means to the economic growth and quality of life of a community.

Uh Riverdale served by Metro Electric, and in the first 42 years of my life, I never lived further than two blocks from a commuter station, experiencing transit-oriented development firsthand.

And today, as a resident of the city of Chicago, I continue to rely nearly every day on our mass transit system.

I spent 13 years as the state legislative director for the United Transportation Union, having the privilege to represent rail workers across the state of Illinois, including Metro train crews, uh matters before the Illinois General Assembly, and working closely with agencies like the Federal Railroad Administration, uh IDOT, and the rail safety division of the Illinois Commerce Commission.

And from 2009 to 2015, had the honor to serve as the head of the Federal Railroad Administration, an agency overseeing approximately uh 950 employees that are responsible for the safe, reliable and efficient movement of people and goods by rail.

And it was there that I was able to observe more about other commuter railroads across the nation and grow a stronger understanding of uh the importance of a strong integrated mass transit service that uh uh ensures well connected and convenient service for riders.

It was my time as executive director of the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning that really drove home the need for better integration of a unified mass transit system here in Chicagoland, uh, which are the very goals of the uh NATO legislation.

And so, if confirmed by you to serve on the Metro board, I pledge to use all of my life experiences to help deliver this unified system and ensure that the riding public has this safe, efficient, and uh interconnected, reliable service that they deserve.

Um happy to take any questions.

Thank you for being here, and um thank you for sharing more about your knowledge and experience.

Um I'm gonna ask you the same question uh that I asked uh before about Metro and the UP project.

So did you hear the question that I had asked about?

Yeah, I think so.

Yeah, yeah.

And and obviously uh communicating with communities, you know, as a former mayor, believe me, I I I can appreciate the critical importance of making sure that there is good communication, uh, you know, accurate information shared with uh uh residents so they understand the impacts of of what is happening uh in their neighborhoods.

So I think there's been some ad hoc communication um that has improved over time, but there will be additional Metro uh projects.

There will be improvements over time.

So, what are your ideas about formalizing community engagement in some sort of written form to ensure that Metro itself has policies and procedures that its employees must follow when it cons a project from cradle to grave, not just when there has been a shovel ready project that begins construction, but planning and preparation is so incredibly important to bring in that community engagement so you don't have to go back to the architects and engineers, spend more money adding additional parts to the plans because the community engagement came in so late.

So, what are your ideas in order to accommodate that?

So I think over and above any policy, it's important that there's a culture uh, you know, you create a culture of communication so that becomes second nature and uh in essence is automatic.

You know, it just becomes a way of life uh for the agency uh in its relationship with the communities.

Okay.

Well, I'm glad to hear you say that it's critically important.

I have a city district, and those folks, you know, their land isn't big, it's 25 by 125 parcels.

And so for each one of those homeowners, they have a very strong feeling about that that small piece of land that they have.

They call it home.

It is their biggest investment, and when it is substantially changed through this work, I think it's incumbent upon Metro to really respond to them, to bring them in into that decision making and to hear them and to change those plans accordingly.

So thank you for your commitment to doing that.

Commissioner Miller.

Yes, thank you, Chairman.

Good to see you.

Good to see you, Commissioner.

Um you have such a great uh background and knowledge, even though you left us in the South Suburbs, that's okay.

Still home.

Yes, it is.

But um, I just want to just from your work on CMAP and even the other things.

I mean, what do you see as the biggest challenge that this newly new envisioned board can address from a Metro perspective?

Yeah, I mean, I think over and above Metro, again, it comes back to a uh a culture shift.

You know, I mentioned culture in the uh the last answer, but uh, you know, the history is so deep of uh all of the agencies, you know, operating in essence in a silo.

And so uh creating this culture of where it's viewed as a holistic system, uh, that the interconnectivity is uh is second nature, you know uh what the citizens want is convenient, safe, uh quality service.

They're less concerned about whether it's on Metro or on CTA or on pace.

They want the high quality interconnectivity.

And uh it's just not been the way that it's been looked at before.

And so this culture shift, I think, will be both the biggest challenge as well as the biggest opportunity, right?

That it's it's now one big holistic system.

And uh it's important the Metro be a piece of that.

Well, I'm glad to hear you say that.

I know you will make sure that happens with all of your knowledge and actual context of what it means to have that kind of culture shift.

You know you're still a legend in our house, so for many reasons.

But um, so the other thing, I guess I'm just trying to get a sense from everyone who's joining these new the newly formed board that it's a reimagining of what transportation is gonna look like, and you probably know better than anyone.

Like, how can we make sure there's connectivity throughout the South Suburbs?

Yeah.

So I mean, obviously, in my mind in the Southland, it starts with Metroelectric, right?

That's your spine uh that has been the spine.

That's that's that's my old railroad.

That's the one I live two blocks from uh worked as a young guy.

But uh it really becomes then how do we better connect suburb to suburb movements uh and or connect suburban movements to Metroelectric uh to get downtown.

I thought the conversation was very interesting earlier about the opportunities with the red line and how we better uh tie this in.

I mean, I would offer that even NICTI needs to be a part of this, and they are funded partially by uh by RTA.

Uh we just can't worry about which particular mode it is, but we do have to make sure that everything is fitting together to let people use whichever service is most efficient, most convenient for them to use uh to get to their destination.

And so, yeah, Metroelectric is an important spine.

Uh but uh how do how do we layer over that?

And and you're right.

I mean, we can't ru r worry about the modality, and so I think that's the purpose of this board.

It's about the journey, right?

It's it's it's not about the mode, it's about the journey.

And so how do we do that efficiently, conveniently?

Right.

Yeah.

Well, thank you.

Good to see you.

Thank you, Commissioner Miller.

Uh Commissioner Travar, and then Chairman Daly.

I think this is just going to be a follow-up to the uh answers you have given uh to this before.

First of all, can you if if you can explain the NIPTE acronym for those of us who are not familiar?

Uh I'm sorry, which acronym?

You just used in your uh your reply to Commissioner Miller used to be.

Uh NICTY.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Uh Northeast Indiana uh transit district, so that's the uh the South Shore.

So those trains run from uh Randolph Street on Metro Electric down to Pullman.

Uh they serve Hegwish and currently the RTA funds that service to Hegwish.

And then from Hegwish it actually runs all the way over out to uh uh South Bend, Indiana.

Okay.

Related not necessarily related to that, but there are lottery lines that come through uh Northeast Illinois in and some of the Metro is in fact on, like for instance, in my area, Union Pacific and Metro doesn't own them.

Um I asked this question to another nominee as well, but how do you see uh I I can look at a map and look at places where there would be logical connections to be made for suburb to suburb transportation that are part of existing rail tracks.

Yeah, but they're not necessarily metro property.

Do you what's your what's your have you thought about this at all?

Um how do you feel about uh the possibility of working with the rail companies uh to improve that kind of connectivity?

So actually uh some 40 years ago, Metra at that time did have a uh vision for, I believe they called it the Star Line that would have done a uh outer circle uh around the existing, you know, spoke, I would call it.

This would be like creating the the wheel.

Um but I would caution that there are a lot of challenges with that kind of approach.

You know, given that this infrastructure is owned by private corporations, the freight railroads, uh, given that they're so incredibly protective uh, you know, of their uh their assets, uh, and given the critical importance that the movement of uh freight and goods has in Chicago land, how important that is to our economy, need to be careful about that.

You know, my thought would be that every option needs to be on the table, uh, but again, going back to you know the uh the comments to Commissioner Miller, uh you shouldn't be overly concerned about what mode it is.

It needs to be more about what is going to most efficiently and conveniently provide that needed transportation and and how does everything connect.

So uh cost effectiveness is gonna be an important part of that equation.

Specifically, actually, one of the ones that pops for me.

I you know, you I I've seen maps of the proposed star line, and I believe that that was farther out.

It sort of was more like Joliet, you know, farther out.

There is a point in displains, and I believe it's in my district or close to my district where the Metro North uh line, and I forget whether it's UP or whatever, and the the Northwest line cross.

Uh it's just, I believe, west of the displaying station.

There are two metro lines there that cross.

Um it's not yes, they are at least one of them is on the freight train um route, but it's it's uh it seems to me that you know, given how much real estate the these, and I know they're protective of their assets, and they you know understandably so, but we still need to get people from point A to point B, and we already do comment accommodate um freight traffic uh on lines that are shared with Metro.

It just seems to me that this needs to be part of the dialogue.

So I think the key here is again to be uh for for all of the uh service boards and uh and of course NATO is to again not throw out any options to remain you know very creative.

Uh your point is an important one that uh the mobility is not as much suburbs to downtown today as it was uh you know 20, 30 years ago.

And so it really is about how do we better connect the whole region for suburb to suburb uh mobility, city to suburb mobility, uh, and ensure that everything is is fully interconnected.

I mean, I'm using the service every day uh as a semi-retetiree.

Uh you know, most of my trips are midday.

I'm going out to the suburbs, and so I'm taking CTA to uh to Metra.

Uh and of course, that final mile uh is always the uh the trickiest part.

Yeah, and uh and I agree with you totally.

I think that I worry a little bit in the suburbs that it's not the final mile, it's the final three miles or four miles.

Absolutely.

Yeah, absolutely.

Okay.

Those are all my questions.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Chair Daly.

Yeah, let me just thank you.

And as you outlined, you know, again, your what you've done in the past.

This is a whole new focus, and people have to reimagine how we provide transit.

Um these agencies, and let's say they've done a good job.

But now it's time to move on with the with this new board cooperating with them.

All the best.

Thank you.

Commissioner Vasquez.

Thank you, Chair.

Um, and so I've heard a lot of my colleagues talk about connectivity, which is very important to me.

Um, when I came over to introduce myself to the appointees, I mentioned that I'm a commuter and I don't have a car.

And I think I heard somebody say, wow.

Um, but the future I think is going to be, you know, split.

I think it's gonna be a lot more people like me who are using public transportation to get around.

Um in my 20s, I biked a lot.

Um, and I one time even biked to Milwaukee from Irving Park in Chicago, and I was able to take the Metro back because I underestimated how difficult the ride was.

Um and so in addition to connectivity, I think service is really important.

I learned that the Metro takes their timing extremely seriously, which I like, but also if I don't make that window, you know, I'm gonna be sitting around for a while, and I just wondered if there was any considerations or any discussions that you're thinking about in terms of increased service for Metro.

So obviously I'd love to see it.

Uh you know, I'll start with that.

You know, uh again, as uh somebody growing up in the village of Riverdale as a young train when we had 30 minute service out there in those days, and believe me, it was used today, it's hourly.

Um but I have to also say I don't come in with any preconceived ideas on service expansion.

Um, you know, because there are going to be tough budgetary considerations that we have to weigh.

And so in my mind, it all requires taking this step back to think about the level of transportation that we need for the region as a whole, and using all three agencies as well as Nita is as our parent, uh, come up with the most efficient, you know, safest way to provide the level of mobility.

Um the mobility again is the key, not necessarily the mode, if that makes sense.

I think you commissioner Vasquez.

Seeing no additional questions, the motion on the floor is to approve 26, 1742 is substituted.

All those in favor signify by saying aye, oppose nay, and the opinion of the chair, the eyes have it.

Thank you, Joe.

Congratulations, and thank you for your willingness to serve.

Your appointment will be official tomorrow when the board concurs with the recommendation of this committee.

Commissioner Miller.

I'd like to move to approve item 20 item number 26, 1743.

I substituted the appointment of Rory Hoskins for a five-year initial term to pace and Nita.

Moved by Commissioner Miller, second seconded by Commissioner Naya.

We'll now hear from Rory Hoskins about our interest in this appointment.

Yep.

Welcome.

Good afternoon, Madam Chair.

Good afternoon, Commissioners.

Commissioners, I want to thank you for the opportunity uh to speak with you today.

My name is Rory Hoskins, and I serve as mayor in the village of Forest Park.

I am honored to be considered for an appointment to the Northern Illinois Transit Authority Board.

As mayor of Forest Park, I've seen firsthand how transit shapes the economic vitality, public safety, and quality of life in our communities.

I am seeking this appointment because I believe strong regional leadership is essential to building a transit system that is safe, reliable, sustainable, and responsive to the needs of riders and the communities we serve.

Forest Park provides a unique local perspective.

Our community is home to two CTA rail terminals.

It serves as a major pace hub.

It sits alongside two communities that have metro stations.

And it makes us one of the most transit connected suburbs in the region.

That experience has given me a practical understanding of both the opportunities and challenges of regional transit.

From rider safety to service reliability to emergency response, accessibility, and the importance of strong partnerships among transit agencies and local governments.

If allowed to serve, I will bring a local perspective to regional decision making while advocating for all stakeholders and working collaboratively to ensure investments strengthen the entire system.

Throughout my career, I've approached complex challenges by balancing by balancing fiscal responsibility with the needs of the people we serve, whether as mayor, police commissioner, attorney, or when I was a social worker.

I have learned that the best public policy is people centered and practical.

That is that is the perspective I would bring to the NITA board.

Advocating for a transit system that is reliable, safe, environmentally sustainable and responsible, excuse me, responsive to the diverse needs of our region.

I would be honored to help ensure that local experience informs regional decision making, and that every investment strengthens the confidence of riders, communities, and taxpayers alike.

Thank you, ma'am.

Thank you, Mayor Hoskins.

My first question relates kind of back to the ideas of connectivity.

So the concept of public transport at its most fundamental components are to carry people from one place to another.

Now, the silos of Metro, PACE, and CTA, as they were historically started, really accounted for a different type of population than we have today.

So that's why we all believe that this NITA board is so important in historically, the way that the current public transportation system works, it has left out communities.

And now that we have expanded way beyond Chicago, there's this arbitrary line where CTA doesn't go or PACE will only go up to a certain line, but that doesn't mean that the communities there need different types of operational support.

So understanding that the landscape of transportation, the landscape of human population has moved so much in the last several decades.

What are your ideas about how to bridge those gaps?

Sure, thank you for the question.

So working with our expert planning agency partners, uh groups like CMAP, uh, like Metropolitan Planning Council.

Uh we have very good studies that show us where populations are now centered.

Uh we know where the jobs are being created.

Uh we know where the different languages are being spoken.

And so the beauty of the NITA board, right?

It's centralized.

Um it has, as you know, the expanded authorities.

So I believe that by working with our partners, um, we can give the kind of direction to the different transit agencies to be responsive and to meet the current needs of our communities, and by uh repeatedly uh assessing where people are moving to and uh and just being responsive.

Yep, I think there are a lot of gaps in service.

You know, I think we heard um somebody who is here today uh wishing for our wanting and um recommending themselves for an appointment, saying they live kind of in a desert, a transportation transportation desert, if you will.

And so I think if we want to increase the number of people riding and increase the number of dollars that are being pulled into public transportation, it's incumbent upon the NITA board to ensure that we are investing in the infrastructure to make sure there are no deserts.

And so I hope that as you are appointed into this role, you keep that top of mind.

Break down those silos because it those silos are created by humans.

And so if you can kind of blend those things together, we'll have better service, better transportation, um, and more money to boot.

Absolutely.

I've been speaking with uh certainly the PACE executive director.

Um that agency serves 274 communities.

And riders have to feel safe, and that's one of the opportunities with with NITA, right?

We have the opportunity to rebrand and make really substantive reforms that are responsive to the needs of our communities.

Okay, my final um question to you is that there is a lot of environmental components that you can think about with buses and trail lines.

Um the city and pace have been very slow to expand their fleet to include um e-buses.

I understand the reason why they have been slow to do that, but they have pace, especially has come and made a commitment to this board to expand that.

So what are your thoughts about that?

So I will certainly support uh the use of electric powered buses.

Um I know there are only two on the streets right now.

I think they're both on 95th Street.

I understand that PACE recently took in about maybe 27 new electric buses, more are on the way.

Uh they also have a number of hybrid buses uh coming, I think 80.

Uh they're working to electrify their facilities to meet the needs of having an increasingly uh electric fleet.

Yep.

I think we all recognize that air pollution is caused in main part because of transportation, it's one of the largest contributors.

So every single bus that's taken off of a diesel engine and is put into service with EV service is really reducing the negative components on concentrations of air pollution, which to be frank really end up happening more in lower income areas.

So to make to keep us a cleaner, healthier community, transportation really needs to come in and make those investments.

Um and so I rely on you to do that.

Yes.

Uh Commissioner Miller.

Thank you, Chairman.

And thank you, Mayor, for being here.

Um so you mentioned about you, your area has the fortunate distinction of being the most transit connected suburb.

So how do you think that uh could be duplicated with this board formation?

What I think we can do is make improvements uh across the entire system.

Uh Forest Park, when I said that's it it you know, it's it's geography, right?

It's where it's located is centrally located.

But what I do know is that you know, in the Southland in your area, um PACE is looking at expanded service uh through the pulse lines.

They're um certainly they're building up a facility in Markham and uh electrifying more facilities there.

So as a new board, we you know we have the opportunity to just really reform how we're doing things and certainly look at connectivity in your area as well.

Yeah, so um that's also what I've been saying to each person, and each uh person on this board because the connectivity is going to be one of the biggest focuses in how these boards will work together to increase connectivity in underserved areas like in the South suburbs.

So that's number one.

Then I guess you know, since you've had this vast experience with um the regional transportation within your own area.

What's a great project that you can cite that maybe can I I I was looking for things that can be duplicated, something that you've already done that we could bring to this board that you would wish that they would do.

I'm particularly interested in how NITA will work to stand up the ambassador program.

Um part of my background is in clinical social work.

And we look at people's rider experience on the trains, on the buses, and we see the stories all the time about safety and and rider insecurity.

So in Forest Park, the advocacy that we've done, um, you know, it's not just unique to my community.

So Thrive Counseling Center is an example.

They're a mental health service provider based in Oak Park.

They had one of their early engagements to sort of pilot the ambassador program on the green line.

Uh I'd like to take what we find from their work and expand it to all the all of our service lines.

That's good.

Okay.

Have you been on a PACE bus?

I have been on a PACE bus.

Good.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Commissioner Trevor.

Thank you, Chair.

Thank you, Mayor Huskins, for for being here today and for uh agreeing to do this.

Um I'm going to once again ask about connectivity.

Um, I you know, I I my district borders Forest Park.

In fact, I may have half a street uh in Forest Park, so I'm familiar with the area.

Um I am impressed by the amount of uh public transportation that's available in an area.

Um the that is an anomaly in my district.

Uh and uh a lot of the issues of of connectivity, I think really boil down to suburb to suburb transportation.

And there is no way for me to get down to that part of my district by public transportation.

Um I wouldn't even say easily.

It would probably take me a full day to get down and probably have to stay in a hotel overnight to get up the next morning to get back.

Um what is your perspective on suburb to suburb transportation, improving those.

I've asked this of each of the uh the uh people have come before this this uh committee today.

Um what do you see as being some of the the tools in the toolbox, whether it be working with the freight railroads, um uh tell us a little bit about what you think needs to be done.

So with respect to pulse, uh, Commissioner Trevor, I think they're looking at expanding the uh, I meant to say with respect to pace.

They're looking at expanding the pulse line along Harlem.

Um that's an important connector in the West suburbs along Surmac.

Uh but of course Harlem is a main thoroughfare and uh a couple of other streets in your area.

I think Dempster is probably a pulse line.

And I'd certainly love to come out to your area and and learn more about the concerns and and see firsthand how we can improve things uh in your district.

And you know, just on that note, I there I have a certain um conflict, personal internal conflict when I hear about these expansions of Pulse lines.

Um I know that PACE very often has focused on improving service on existing lines, uh of which Pulse is one of the ways that they do that uh versus um instituting service in areas that currently have none.

And I've mentioned this many times.

There are a hundred thousand people in my district who have no real access to fixed bus service.

We do have a dial ride service that's been expanded thanks uh in uh to the generosity of this body uh in an investment cook grant.

But just to give you an example, if I want to get to a bus uh a bus stop with a fixed service, I have two choices.

One is to walk about three miles to Gulf Road, uh cross a three lanes in each direction uh street uh and and you know sit at that bus stop.

Uh there is also a bus line, I believe it's on Meacham in Schaumburg.

Uh it is closer, it's maybe a mile and a half, but in order to get there, I have to cross Algonquin Road twice and walk uh about a half mile section that has no sidewalks and then you know cross again.

Uh many I wouldn't say many, but there have been several fatal accidents involving both cars and pedestrians at that accident j at that um area just in the past two years.

It's not safe.

And that's a problem um throughout large parts of of the suburbs.

Um and so uh, you know, making a question out of this long comment in terms of prioritizing improvements in service versus increasing or putting services in in places that aren't currently serviced by pace um or uh increasing suburb to suburb connectivity, how would you prioritize those?

When you tell me that there have been deaths um you know what are probably preventable deaths at this intersection because not providing adequate service, that that makes it a very high priority, Commissioner.

I do want to highlight that there are annually there are deaths along Algonquin and Gulf Roads.

Um not only pedestrians, but also people on bicycles.

And again, they're trying to get to and from work, they don't have cars, and it's a terrible place to ride a bike because there uh are no shoulders.

Um there may be sidewalks in certain sections and other sections there are not, and none of them are plowed during the winter.

Um so for me it's it's really critical from us when we talk about safety uh in this body about public transportation, we're very often talking about crime, but there are other aspects to safety, and one of them is just being able to get from point A to point B without you know risking life and limb by you know getting hit by a car.

So thank you.

Thank you.

That's you've just described something that's not acceptable.

Um I'd like to speak with you more about it, um see it directly, right?

And and look at how we can be responsive to your community, Commissioner.

Thank you.

Thank you.

You took the words out of my mouth.

I was gonna say that maybe Commissioner Trevor and uh Mayor Hoskins could have some more discussion because it you know intimately familiar, and I think that would go a long a long way to kind of reduce some of the concerns.

Thank you.

Um Aguilar, Commissioner Aguilar.

Thank you, Chairman and uh Mayor, congratulations.

Um you're not in my district, but your neighbor, and I but I work with you in other mayors, and I see uh we admire your concern and you know for the residents of your of your town, of your village, but uh overall the western suburbs.

So uh it's uh great to see you.

But again, you know, we all we talked about expansion.

You know, there's gonna be some challenges along the way.

Uh for all these appointees, congratulations, but it's gonna be a challenge.

So, you know, you got our support, but then we have to work together and and work with state legislators and the federal at the federal level.

And if you want to we want to expand transportation, because just like my uh my colleague here said, uh Commissioner Trevor, you know, there's some areas that still lack transportation for residents to go from one point to another, school work, whatever they need to go and where was the families.

But it's gonna be rough, and I think we have to get together practically demand funding from federal and state to get these expansions.

So you you all got your work uh cut off for you.

So you got our support again, and uh, we get just stick together to see how we can improve transportation for our residents.

So thank you.

Congratulations, uh, mayor, and congratulations to all of you.

Thank you, Commissioner Aguilar.

Uh you were one of the most uh collaborative public officials on knowledge.

Commissioner Aguilar uh came regularly to all of our uh proviso West Suburban Mayor's dinners.

Um that extends to all of you all.

But uh thank you, Commissioner.

Commissioner Lowry.

Thank you, Chair.

Mayor, it's great to see you.

Thanks for the years of friendship, partnership, and thanks for your service.

Your op-ed from last fall uh I found to be just wonderful as you really laid out the demands on transit, the issues facing transit, and possible solutions for transit.

But one of your recurring themes had to do with public health challenges in in transit.

I'd love to meet with you uh following today so we can put our heads together and see if there are specific ways either Cook County or Cook County Health can partner relative to this component of what you've raised.

Thank you, Commissioner Lowry.

You were a great partner during COVID when we set up a mass vaccination center in Forrest Park.

It was in large part because you were a part of the discussion.

Chairman Daly.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Mayor, let me just congratulate you.

Uh and uh you bring as mayor, I have a partial for mayors.

You know what's going on, needless to say.

And as a mayor, you're you're going to you and your fellow mayor are going to be a great addition to this board.

Thank you, Chairman Daly.

Thank you.

The motion on the floors to approve 26, 1743 is substituted.

All those in favor signify by saying aye.

Thank you.

Commissioner Miller.

Hi, Madam Mayor.

I move to approve item number 26-1744 as substituted the appointment of Lewis Montgomery for a three-year term to pace and be that board.

Move by Commissioner Miller, seconded by Commissioner Kevin Morrison.

We'll now hear from Lewis about his interest in this appointment.

Okay.

Um Good afternoon.

I'm honored to be before this committee as a nominee for the newly enacted Northern Illinois Transit Authority, Nita, and as the representative for North Cook County and the uh PACE bus.

Uh my name is Luis Montgomery.

Uh let me tell you a little bit about myself.

Excuse me, Lynn, can you instruct the person to mute themselves?

Incredible.

So thank you.

Please continue.

Apologies.

Do I have to start over?

No, we can just continue.

Okay.

Uh let me tell you a little bit about myself.

I was born in Columbia, South America.

I moved to the United States uh specifically to Chicago as an infant because my father was obtaining his PhD in sociology at UIC.

I grew up on the north side of Chicago and was raised on public transportation from taking the L with my mom as a toddler to National College as she was obtaining her certificate uh to be a teacher.

Um I also learned uh to navigate the bus transfers from the number nine Ashland to number number 22 Clark as a kindergartner, going from uh St.

Alphonsus uh kindergarten to my new neighborhood on the further north side uh with my mom and my sisters.

Uh fast forward nine years and I learned to introdu intricacies of the A B trains.

I think if you know, you know, uh and and quickly and how to quickly transfer from uh the red line back then it was called the Howard Englewood Line uh to the number 12 Roosevelt bus to get to high school.

Uh I continue taking public transit throughout my life adult life and currently reside in Arlington Heights with my wife and five daughters, where I regularly ride my bike to the train station and commute on Metro as I did this morning.

Um I uh am a civil engineer.

I graduated for uh from the College of Civil Engineering from at the University of Illinois, Urbana Champaign, and I'm a licensed professional engineer.

I think I'm the only licensed professional engineer on the uh Cook County uh uh nominees.

Um during my uh uh career as an engineer, uh I became civically engaged and politically active with organizations like Hispanic American Construction Industry Association, Hasia, uh Jackie Gomez was here earlier, uh Latino uh leadership council.

Um I also was able to uh testify uh in um uh Senator Villevlam's uh transportation committee for um design build legislation, and I was part of uh this mayor's transition team for transportation.

So I'm very uh politically active and and uh civically engaged.

Um I also recently obtained my master's of arts in public policy from the University of Chicago.

So in conclusion, this NITA board would be a perfect confluence of all of my interests engineering, civic engagement, public policy overlaid by my my passion, transit.

Thank you, and I'll take any questions.

I feel like we'd be friends, Lewis, because I'm also an engineer and very civically engaged.

So I'm very glad to hear about your background, your knowledge, and your experience.

Um I think you can also attest that as an engineer, you don't look at a problem and then decide how are we gonna fix the problem.

You decide is this something we need to fix?

Is there utility to it?

And maybe we just don't need this anymore, and we're not gonna spend the time, energy, and money fixing a problem that is anachronistic.

And so I think that really applies to what we're talking about here today.

The expansion of population density throughout Chicago and suburban cook means that these silos that were once created for utility now are no longer as effective as they once were.

And so I will look to you as somebody on the Nita board and the PACE board to pull down some of these silos and look at the administrative burden that it costs the county, it costs the state, and it costs all of the people which lead to then less effective service.

So I think you have a really unique skill set.

I think everybody that is um going to be on this NITA board has a different Silsket skill set, but being in your corner as an engineer, I will rely on you to take some of those ideas about how to deconstruct the problem and then um look at it from its different components, you know, hold them up and look at them through the light of day.

Not everybody thinks that way.

So I think having you on that board will be um incredibly important.

The second component is the what I had mentioned to uh, I believe Mayor Hoskins and the environmental combo component is that um there are ways to fix these things.

There's lots of engineers, there's lots of technology out there to drive a reduction in air pollution and get better um service-oriented people in communities who are struggling with worse environmental controls.

So I would also like to see you as a pace person to make sure that you are investing in the type of transportation where you are moving to e-vehicles and away from heavy diesel fume vehicles.

So, what are your thoughts about how to perform that?

Well, uh for the EV vehicles, the electric vehicles, um, I think there's lots of room for improvement today.

Today is a perfect example.

I think you were referring to this earlier with the diesel fumes.

Today's an ozo act ozone action day directly because of the fumes.

Today's a day where we should be insisting on more transit, but more electric transit and transit in general, because that would reduce the amount and amount of vehicles internal combustion engines and you know, spewing out all these fumes.

Um, and uh and then so I I guess I can't agree with you more.

I I think there needs to be more electric vehicles and and more people just using transit and reducing the number of personal vehicles.

I took transit this morning.

Yeah.

Well, I'm glad to hear that you are such a fan of transert, and you're a regular user.

Um Commissioner Miller.

Thank you, Chair.

And yes, I want to thank you for your presentation and thank you for taking public transportation to get here.

Because this is a great location.

And so you said you took the 22 Clarks, and I took the 22 Clark, 36 Broadway, 147, 151, all of those back in the day.

So uh I think we might have seen each other maybe somewhere.

So um I just wanted to again, I'm really focused on the connectivity part um and focus on ensuring that the south suburbs gets connectivity from pace very specifically, but also just as this board is being formed and being transformative, that that's always a topic of conversation.

So I just wanted to get your thoughts on that, because we talked about red line extension and the the city does not end at 95th Street.

I was hoping you were gonna ask me because I was prepared.

Um I uh think there's another opportunity.

I know um Tom and some others mentioned uh connections with Metro Electric and NICD.

Um but I think there's even a new that no one has meant thought about where I uh is uh cottage grove just south of the Calumet River, where we're there's a study under undergoing by Create, uh which is a rail, you know, the Create program.

I'm not sure if everybody's familiar with it.

And uh it's a great set, but Cottage Grove between CSX and uh the uh Illinois Belt uh or Indiana Belt.

Uh and that is a stone's throw, maybe it's tough stone, but uh or a very flight stone uh to the 130th street station, proposed station at the Red Line Extension.

So if we could extend that great separation over the river, we would connect Dalton, Riverdale, all of those landlocked, we could create a new pulse line up uh up cottage grove that would terminate or originate at 130th Street and go south from there.

Uh and I those are those are projects as a civil engineer.

I get passionate about, I get excited about, and would love to encourage that as you said, Commissioner Degnan, looking at the problem and then trying to create more solutions or better solutions.

Well, I love that vision.

Um I love that visionary expansion and moving forward as this board also is in formation and looking to see what it can be done.

I hope that you'll meet me where I go next and we can talk about that.

We'll need federal dollars.

And I have a civil engineer son.

So fantastic.

For the engineers, uh Commissioner Aguilar.

Thank you, Chairman.

Uh Luis, felicidades.

You know, she's not gonna hit the unit places with a CIA and uh you uh, you know, yeah, being an engineer, you're obviously a very analytical.

But uh you remember of ship membership, the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers.

Yeah, as I was mentioning on there as well.

So you, you know, I've you've you've uh your background is extra extraordinary in public service and and advocating for issues, but uh again, challenges are coming.

Uh expansions, we like to see expansions in transportation because it affects so many people.

So I'm sure you're gonna do a good job, and I'm sure you're gonna you know uh congratulations, you're good asset for this board, and I look forward to working with you.

Okay, thank you very much.

Commissioner Kevin Morrison.

Thank you, Chairwoman.

Uh Luis, I just want to congratulate you on your appointment.

I could attest to your civic engagement.

We've met at many an event out in the Northwest suburbs.

Uh so I'm wishing you well uh in your appointment, and I know you will uh serve uh great on the baseboard.

Thank you very much.

Commissioner Commissioner Arnaya.

Thank you, Chair.

Um I also joined my colleagues in congratulating you, Luis.

Um the first time I met you, I remember our conversation went quickly to transit.

Um there's not a time that I have seen you or run into you that you do not pull out a map in your phone and say we can connect this line with this other line using this or and and it's wonderful to see the passion of someone that doesn't necessarily uh just care about it uh from an external point of view, but really somebody that has been deeply involved with transit and understands both the the day-to-day operations of it, but also the engineer mindset.

So I uh just want to thank you for you know uh your willingness to serve um and for your passion.

I know there's a lot of we've heard from great members uh today that share your passion for transit for um connecting um the the many many um lines that you have uh highlighted before to to me and and many others of us uh here on the board.

Um but I I'm uh very much looking forward to working with you and the other members to ensuring that um that we put forward um the needs and wants of uh the population and the 5.2 million people that are here in Cook County and making sure that they're connected to transit so that it is um not an option that they're having to do, but an option that they choose to to practice and um and utilize on their work school, etc.

Thank you.

Well said, Commissioner Vasquez.

Thank you, Chair.

Um Luis, hearing your story, I didn't know your your personal story and just hearing about your mom and how she came here and took the buses with you when you were kindergartner.

I mean, we're both Colombian, but I didn't realize that our stories were so similar.

Um it's been a really hard two years for our community.

Um and I have to say, you know, seeing you here and potentially joining this board makes me so proud that we'll have representation, especially since there was a Colombian national that was killed on Monday, and I'm getting emotional.

Um seeing you in this position.

I'm so proud.

And I'm so grateful to support you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Commissioner Marita.

Thank you.

And um congratulations, Luis.

We're excited to uh have you be willing to take on this role.

I think we've known each other for almost 10 years.

We worked together when you were at MWRD doing work with MWRD.

And you know, I think I think of you as just such a connector, you know, of the technical skills, but with big ideas and planning ideas, like Alma said, you always have something new to put on our our on our on our radar of ways to connect, um, ideas, um, opportunities, things like that, but also connector of communities to government, um, and you know, I think just your excitement and pure positivity about what is possible is really exciting, as well as your connectivity of just tangible skills, you know, understanding the stormwater components, understanding roads and bridges, understanding public transportation, understanding regional connectivity, understanding community needs, all of that together, and so I'm really excited um that you'll be a voice on this board.

Thank you.

Commissioner McCaskill.

Welcome to the board.

And then also um I look forward to hearing as you talk about the vision and expansion, especially in those South Suburban areas.

It will be very interesting to see how you uh culminate all of this with uh the rail yard, the freights that often stop in our areas for hours and finding out how your vision can actually uh collaborate, if there can be some type of collaborative or cooperative effort to make sure that when you do the any type of expansion that that's taken into consideration and how they respond to that.

Thank you, and I look forward to working with you, Commissioner.

Chairman Daly.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Let me again congratulate you.

Um you outlined your gr your childhood and growing up and your connectivity to the community.

That is a great asset that you bring to this board.

And I thank you for that dedication.

Thank you for your dedication to your community and helping others otherwise.

Thank you, Commissioner.

Seeing no additional questions, the motion on the floor is to approve item number 26, 1744 as substituted.

All those in favor signify by saying aye.

Oppose nay.

In the opinion of the chair, the ayes have it.

Congratulations, and thank you for your willingness to serve.

Your oh, Commissioner Trevor, did I not?

Yes, I would like to be recorded as present on this vote.

Okay.

Um can that be recorded?

Yes.

Secretary.

Then um in the opinion of the chair that I still have it despite that division.

Your appointment will be official tomorrow when the board concurs with the recommendation of this committee.

Thank you.

No problem.

Uh Commissioner Miller.

Thank you, Chair.

I'd like to approve item number 26-1746 as substituted the appointment of Terry Wells for a five-year initial term to pace.

Thank you.

Move my Commissioner Miller, seconded by uh Commissioner McCaskill.

We will now hear from Terry about their interest in this appointment.

We have 20 milliseconds.

Um Commissioner Miller moved it.

McCaskill seconded it.

Good afternoon.

How are you?

Good afternoon, Vice Chair Dagner.

Hello, everyone.

Good afternoon.

Um my name is Terry Wells.

Uh thank you for allowing me to speak uh this afternoon.

I've had the pleasure of serving on the face board for the past 20 years, including a stint as uh at the audit committee chairperson and most recently serving on the revision and the infrastructure committees at pace.

The infrastructure committee worked to ensure that the pay staff had the tools necessary to serve the riding public.

Now that included things like the new scheduling technology, uh preparing facility upgrades to support natural gas, hybrid, and new electric vehicles.

Now I was also on the revision board, or revision committee, and we spent significant time planning for pays' future.

We prepared a doomsday scenario if the General Assembly did not pass the legislation.

Fortunately, we were able to throw that away because the legislation was indeed passed.

And Pace has been able to add additional services.

Some of the services that we've been able to use is, for example, uh Van Gogh, uh dial a ride.

Uh we've been able to have uh increased uh bus services.

We've added pulse lines.

We've improved weekend service, and we've expanded access to riders with disability.

Now these improvements have greatly benefited our riders.

And there's even more progress coming.

Now, a little bit about me.

Uh I am the mayor of the village of Phoenix.

Phoenix is a small town located between Harvey and South Holland.

If you blink, you will miss it.

It was about 3,000 people.

But I've had the pleasure of serving for 34 years as mayor of that community, making me the longest serving African American mayor in the state of Illinois.

And I worked as a work-based coordinator.

Now, as a work-based coordinator, my job was to set up college fairs and job fairs for students at our school.

Also, we put together internships with local businesses in our community.

Following up with education, uh, I am the uh chairman of the board of South Suburban College in South Holland, position I've held for five years.

Uh one of the programs I'm especially um proud of is we have a CDL training program at South Suburban College.

Uh this free nine-week course offers all expense on all expense uh all expenses paid to participants as they work towards their CDL license.

Once participants successfully complete the program and pass required tests, PACE is a job opportunity waiting for them, making anywhere from 23 to 25 dollars an hour.

Uh this is one of the creative programs that PACE has come up with over the years, and it was done because there is a severe shortage of drivers in our area.

This program is not just limited to South Suburban College, it is open to all the community colleges in the area, and we hope that they all uh take advantage of it.

But I want to say South Suburban was first, do it.

I'm also the past president of South Suburban Mayors and Managers Association.

I'm currently served on the executive board and the transportation committee.

Now that transportation committee works to ensure that our 43 communities are aware of the state and local transportation grants that are available, not just for buses, but also for bike paths, bus shelters, and related infrastructure areas.

Now, my experience as mayor, educator, and a long-term waste board member gives me a unique perspective on the regional transportation and the needs of the communities that PACE serves.

I'm proud of the progress that we've made at PACE and would be honored to continue serving this agency as we expand services to modernize our fleet to support our hard workers at PACE and to connect residents to more opportunities for jobs, education, recreation, and essential services.

Thank you for allowing me to speak.

Um, and I hope I didn't go past my initial three minutes.

If I did, I apologize.

No, you're great.

Thank you so much for your willingness to serve.

I think the benefit of you going last is that you got to hear about the primary concerns about the board, and I think um they don't necessarily bear repeating because I know that you were actively listening, but I will say for me, you know, your uh appointment to the PACE board means really a critical thinking and utility about the way population expansion has now really required the idea of CTA and pace and those bus riderships really blending between the current kind of arbitrary lines that we've set up based on the fact that they're not really useful in the way that they used to be.

So I would like you to carry that message throughout the PACE board and again to Nita to connect on that.

And again, I can't stress enough that you know there are big fundamental issues at play here about structure, about finances, and in the environment gets pushed to the side because it never seems to be a priority.

It's always something that we backburner thinking that we'll do it tomorrow.

But those critical changes that we need to incorporate now for these environmental issues that we see now for climate change and all the other infrastructure improvements that we need to make now are going to be way more expensive five or ten years from now when we are even worse off.

So I I really would love to see you engage in that with the PACE board, with the Nita board, and push that forward because it is a better use of taxpayer money, it is a better use of all of our energy to make those fundamental critical changes, those environmental changes now, rather than kicking that can down the road.

Absolutely.

And and and I I heard what you said as far as sustainability.

Yeah.

Um, and we are we are working on that at pace.

Not working as not getting it done as quickly as as as I would like.

Yeah.

Some of it, some of it is that uh, you know, five years ago, or what 10 years ago, we um we embarked upon a uh uh natural gas, uh natural gas uh uh buses in in Markham, and we were able to purchase a bunch of them.

We did all the infrastructure changes, and we were all excited about it.

And if you ride through the Southland now, you see those natural gas buses that are traveling back and forth.

And it we thought that was the wave of the future.

So we were trying to be proactive.

Now things have changed.

Yep.

Now there is now there's hybrid buses, which are we're working at, and then the electric buses, as uh as as a mayor mentioned, yeah.

We have purchased, we purchased a few of them.

Not enough because there's sometimes they're a little bit difficult to get.

But I will just say the the natural gas concept and the the well to wheel cost of the the loss of the natural gas.

And I understand the concept behind why people like that, but really the gold standard is making sure our grid is sufficiently um the infrastructure on our grid is sufficient in order to incorporate e-buses.

They just they last longer, they're better for the environment, they're more predictable, and they don't have the negative environmental consequences um of the natural gas.

So I appreciate the movement in the right direction.

I just would like to see, and I'm using this pulpit as a way to say that more work and energy dedicated to the environmental issues.

So Commissioner Miller.

Absolutely.

Thank you, Chair.

Welcome, Mayor Wells.

Um, so as you know, I'm probably one of the people who represents a majority of the South Suburbs, 36 municipalities and South Suburban area.

So with that in mind, I just as we are reformulating and reimagining this NITA board, I'm specifically focused on not only the communication that goes back and forth to this board, because I don't know that we've ever talked in my seven and a half years here about anything related to pace, and that's been a huge focus of mine.

So how can we improve communication as members of the board or join this new board?

Well, one of the things is um I think it at pace.

I think we do a pretty good job of of trying to uh communicate uh with the various municipalities.

Um there's always room, there's always room for improvement.

Um that I am going to do, and one of the things I'm gonna have to do as a as a potential pace member uh board member for a larger area is is to make sure that that I reach out to the other to the other uh municipalities.

My focus was for the most part always on the always on the south the south suburbs.

But I want to be able to expand that into into other areas.

And that's why being on uh mayors and managers, you know, those 43 communities, we sit, we have regular meetings and we talk about um again the transportation committee and what pace can do for those 43 communities.

But I want to be able to focus even more on that.

So, how can South Suburban mayors and managers also improve communication with the different levels of governments?

I don't mean just internally with the municipalities.

I mean like with this board.

So for instance, I'll just give up for instance.

The two we had appointees, now this structure has changed with uh you know the appointments coming from the president's office.

The appointments that were directly from the area that I represented, I got pretty much monthly updates from them as to what was going on in Metra or PACE.

So I appreciate communication from board members like that.

Okay.

Um and um I also uh would appreciate, you know, especially when we're talking about a holistic area like the South Suburbs, uh information from South Suburban Managers as a whole as to what's going on from an infrastructure standpoint or transportation standpoint, because this board has a lot to do with that.

So how can that be streamlined with this new need of board focus?

Well, I'll make sure that we we get uh uh that that communication being on the executive board of of uh uh of South Suburban mayors and managers and of course the um uh the president is one of your one of your residents.

So I'm gonna make sure that that we we do a better job then of getting that information out uh to legislators um to uh to the cook county board.

So I would make sure that we do that.

Yeah, because that's I mean, I'm just really concerned with this new formation of this board that transparency can be lost and communication can also not be um dealt with in the way it makes it beneficial for everyone, especially we are connecting every level of government here with this board.

So municipal, state, county, federal.

So those conversations are gonna be not only transformative conversations, but they're also gonna be tr conversations that will change a community, communities like yours very specifically.

And communities like ones in the south suburbs, and communities that have been underfunded and under-resourced for many years.

And I don't know if it's from lack of intentionality or just lack of funding, but if we have that as going into the board as a focus, uh, I think it could help.

Absolutely.

So also when you talked about what the South Suburban mayors and managers do.

So can you just explain?

You know, everybody's not in the South Suburbs.

So can you just explain the focus of that board and what you do that you know translates to what happens here?

Well, as I said, you know, 43 43 communities representing the uh uh the Southland, um all the Southland are part of the part of the Southwest uh suburbs as well.

Um what we do is we we we we work together as as one unit.

We uh we go down to Springfield, we we pressure legislators.

Your husband was uh was one of those people that we we talk to on a regular basis uh regarding issues in the Southland.

And you know, there's there's uh there's strength in numbers.

Uh and so we go down and we lobby uh in in Springfield, we lobby for we lobbied for the uh uh the transit, the transit bill.

We were down there on a regular basis trying to make sure that that that it was passed.

So that's a that's a that's a big focus of of what we do at South Suburban Mayors and Managers.

So but how can what the South Suburban Mayors and Managers are doing affect the new Nita board because we're looking at expansion that's gonna come from the state, it's gonna come from the federal government as well.

I talked to everybody else about the red line extension.

I know you know about that.

But how do we make sure that that funding meets the needs of our communities from the South Suburban Manager?

I mean, is that one of your legislative priorities?

Yes.

Yes.

Uh to to be able to to uh to talk to our legislators to to uh to have the have the ear of the governor.

I don't have the ear of the governor like some people do, but but I have some people in my um on my board that definitely do.

Well, I just hope that your position on this board will make you a strong advocate for what happens in the Southland.

I mean so I mean with a very detailed focus, because like I said, communication has not been direct and focused in my opinion.

And it also has to have you you're gonna have to have that for this to be meaningful as a transformative board.

Yeah.

And and and I know one of the things that that is near and duty to you is that Third Airport.

And that's one of the biggest things that we in the in the Southland has been pushing for because we think that's the economic engine that's gonna save the Southland.

And I know your I know your your dedication to that, and I know that's that's your charge.

And so I sure would be able to be able to run regular uh metro and pace buses and and uh and trains down there because that's the economic engine for us.

If you build it, they will come.

Yes, ma'am.

Thank you, Commissioner Scott.

Thank you, uh Madam Chair.

Um I didn't I didn't want to speak to everybody, I but I wanted to speak at the end, and I I know this is our last one, and I wanted to one congratulate all of you and thank you for your willingness to serve on this board.

Um, you know, I I heard all of your stories, and and that we have mayors and educators and engineers and train conductors and planners and civilly engaged people and and transit riders.

Um I think that is really important when we have these large um issues like connectivity and sustainability and infrastructure and fiscal responsibility and and what you all bring to the table and and mixing that up, I think is a perfect uh mixture to hopefully move our transit system in Cook County and City of Chicago forward.

So I I just wanted to uh one thank all of you for your willingness to serve.

I wanted to uh thank the president and the president's office for uh the great candidates that you brought before us.

Everybody seems infinitely qualified in moving this board forward and and good luck, and please use us as a resource to help as we try to uh to move our communities forward in transit.

Thank you, Madam President.

I mean thank you, Madam Chair.

Chair Daly.

Thank you.

Uh Mayor, let me congratulate you and thank you.

Uh did you say you third if 30 years?

20 years as mayor.

As mayor.

34 years.

34 years.

So you'd be both members of my family.

But you're not again, I wish you and uh uh Michael's touch on it on it.

You and your fellow nominees and uh that we've approved today for tremendous challenge to this uh nutrient agency.

And I commend the president.

I want to thank Sarah for organizing it and putting this together and just wish you all the best.

Also, as we look forward, uh we're gonna need help from Springfield, and we are members, we know individual state senator, state reps, and ask us if any of your needs going forward.

And that would apply to everyone.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Chair McCaskell, or Commissioner Ms.

Caskell.

All these new titles.

I'll accept that.

Thank you, Mayor Wills, for accepting this challenge.

I just want to commend you because I know you wear a lot of hats, and I know that um many boards as they are volunteer that um it does consume you and that you give sacrificially regarding your family and your time.

So we want to appreciate you for that.

And then this entire board.

I do believe that the future of transportation in Illinois and in Cook County looks a lot brighter with this group of individuals.

I look forward to what you're going to bring.

I know your vision on environmental justice.

We know what you've done already at South Suburban College in collaboration with the county board.

So I look forward to seeing what expansions and visions and things you have in store for us, and I look forward to seeing this board be a very collaborative board that moves forward expeditiously and not take years for things to happen.

So we look forward to that, but I appreciate you so much.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

The motion on the floor is to approve item number 26-1746 is substituted.

All those in favor signify by saying aye.

Oppose nay, and the opinion of the chair, the ayes have it.

Congratulations, uh Terry, and thank you for your willingness to serve.

Your appointment will be official tomorrow when the board concurs with the recommendation of this committee.

Um thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you so much.

Okay.

So we are now, Commissioner Miller moving to defer the next item.

I'll move to defer item number 26-1745, uh proposed resolution, congratulating Cook County Clerk's office on receiving an U.S.

election assistance commission clearing house award.

Thanks.

It is moved to defer by Miller, seconded by Scott.

The motion on the floor is to defer 2675.

All those in favor signify by saying aye.

Aye.

Oppose nay in the opinion of the chair, the ayes have it.

Commissioner Miller, please move the next item.

Um, I'd like to move to approve item number 26-0724, proposed intergovernmental agreement between the Justice Advisory Council and the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority.

Thank you.

Move by Commissioner Miller, seconded by Commissioner Lowry.

Um, would a representative of JAC like to speak to this item?

Yep, you can come up.

Either way.

Good afternoon, thank you, Madam Chair.

My name is Avic Das.

I'm the executive director of the Justice Advisory Council.

The item before you is essentially a technical correction to an amendment that was passed uh through the support of this board in 2025, a standing intergovernmental agreement between the Justice Advisory Council and the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority, or ICEGA, under the auspices of the Government Alliance for Safe Community, or Gask.

In that space, uh we work with ICEGA to convene what we generally call the Institute to Innovate and specifically the capacity building network under that, where ICEGA administrates that capacity building network, and we support getting violence prevention organizations into that space so that they can have support building out their capacity to administrate these various government level grants and stay coordinated in their efforts.

So with that, this technical amendment is simply to extend that intergovernmental agreement as originally intended to June 30th, 2027.

Okay.

So it sounds like this uh there isn't a financial component to this agenda.

Correct item.

It's really just um commemorating and documenting the partnership.

That's correct, madam chair.

Thank you.

Any questions on this agenda item?

Seeing no questions, uh the motion on the floor is to approve item number 260724.

Um seconded by Lowry.

Um all those in favor signify by saying aye.

Oppose nay, and the opinion of the chair, the ayes have it.

Thank you very much, Audit.

Thank you.

Um Commissioner McCaskill moves to adjourn, seconded by Commissioner Anaya.

All those in favor signify by saying aye.

Oppose nay in the opinion of the chair.

But no?

Oh, yeah, the ayes have it.

Thank you.

We are adjourned, ladies and gentlemen.

What are we doing next?

Next committee is workers' comp.