Note on date discrepancy: The provided agenda and minutes list the meeting date as February 12, 2026, but the user instruction specifies the meeting took place on February 18, 2026. This summary uses the date provided in the instruction.
The Citizens Advisory on Transit (CAT) committee met to hear two informational presentations: one on driver recruitment and retention from Rochester Public Transit’s contractors, and one on incidental use of federally funded transit assets. The committee also received an update on upcoming spring service changes.
Guest presenters Victoria Morales (General Manager, Transdev), Dereck Momany (Operations Manager, Transdev), and Sequoia Gaylord (General Manager, MyCity Transportation) provided a detailed overview of the recruitment, hiring, training, and retention process for Rochester Public Transit (RPT) drivers. Key points included:
Presenter Roxanne Theobald (Transit Administrative Manager) explained the concept of incidental use (joint/shared use) of federally funded transit assets. Under federal guidance, agencies are encouraged to use vehicles or property for secondary revenue as long as it does not interfere with transit service. Examples include subleasing vehicles on weekends or leasing shelter space for a food truck. RPT’s first incidental use agreement is with Mayo Clinic, which is renting a transit shelter at Station G (on 2nd Street) for valet parking for 6–8 months at fair market value. The committee discussed potential future opportunities (e.g., leasing park-and-ride space on weekends) and the need to avoid public perception of the city having excess property. The presentation was informational; no action taken.
Staff provided an update on spring service changes following completion of the public engagement phase (open houses, feedback due February 13). Feedback has been collected and incorporated into planning. Staff recommended that the March meeting include a formal presentation on the finalized fall service changes and an overview of preliminary planning for spring adjustments. The committee voted unanimously to add this item to the March 2026 agenda.
Note: The meeting ran longer than scheduled due to detailed discussion on driver recruitment and retention.
Oh we have other normally move they made mistakes with a new member here is accent Jesse here Michael here and sent very well is there any discussion about the minutes uh actually first is there a motion to approve the minutes from the January meeting? So moved second is there any discussion about the minutes from January? All right, so all those in favor opposed. Very well, the motion passes. Um we now go to the agenda for today's meeting. We're going to have several items. Um I was in a discussion with the staff and some items that we may have discussed previously are not able to be discussed today due to time. Uh updates. But is there any um motion to approve the current agenda as it stands? Motion to approve the current agenda. Second any objections during discussion about the agenda. Seeing no discussion about the agenda. All those in favor of approving the current agenda for today's meeting at the stand still. I proposed open past unanimously. For those who are in who were not free. Um we did not previously arranged to give a presentation. I'm sorry, I'll just introduce my Patrick. I'm on the Rochester City Council of downtown for another meeting here and I saw you guys are showing up so I can sit in, listen to your things, and uh just kind of get caught up a little bit. So thanks for your work here with the city. Thanks for joining. Do you wish to give any particular comment council member theme? Oh no, I'm just here as an observer. Very well. Anyone else? Seeing none, we now move to the reports. Do we have any reports for this? Okay, thought that we did. My apologies. Now we're moving on to old business then. Seeing none, new business. So from the last meeting we had two that two challenges that items came up request on the channel extension and clean names in the fold request that the translator gives this presentation. So we tell you if you want to intend to meet our manager for chair and staff there at the rest of your location. And this is Derek, imagine business. I'm Derek, um Operations New Leaf Operational Manager at TrendStack. And I'm Sequoia, um, the general manager for this exposure. So Victoria will be giving the presentation. I guess we kind of ask skating questions as she goes through the presentation. Okay, oh, we're gonna discuss the terms there at the register locations. Recruiting and retention process. All right, so here's kind of our process. We recruit, hire, on board, support, and retain, uh as far as recruiting those. Um couple. Um we've also got employees who refer people. Um and then we go through a screening process. So we do like a phone screen, and then give the employee an opportunity to let us know if it's not gonna work for them. Like for example, we ask if a split shift would work for them because right now that's more than likely a shift they would get. So we kind of go through that. If they're good with that, then we continue and we move to an official interview. Typically, that first interview would be either with like a safety manager, RHR or a supervisor. Once they go through that first interview and until they're suitable, then I would speak with them.