Sacramento Regional Transit District Board Meeting - June 14, 2021

The Sacramento Regional Transit District Board met on June 14, 2021, conducted a roll call establishing a quorum, approved the consent calendar, held a public hearing on the FY2022 budget, adopted two budget resolutions, discussed surplus property at Power Inn Station, received the General Manager's report, and addressed various operational and planning matters.

Consent Calendar

• The board unanimously approved consent calendar items 2.1 through 2.13, which included routine approvals and administrative actions.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Public comment was received from Jeffrey Tartaguia, who questioned the process for making public comment under the hybrid meeting rules, raised concerns about transparency in the budget (including personal contracts and use of $500,000), and asked about changes from the prior year's budget. Staff indicated they would respond directly.

Discussion Items

• FY2022 Operating and Capital Budget (Public Hearing and Resolutions): Brent Berniger presented the budget, noting an operating budget of $214.3 million and a capital budget of $367 million, supplemented by approximately $150 million in additional federal funds. The budget is balanced, with reserves and working capital accounts. The board adopted Resolution B (approving the budget) and Resolution C (authorizing the Transportation Development Act claim) both by unanimous votes (8-0, with Vice Chair Kennedy and all directors voting aye).
• Surplus Property at Power Inn Station (Information Only): Staff presented plans to declare unimproved property adjacent to Power Inn Station as surplus, citing low parking utilization (pre-COVID peak of ~220 spaces out of 299). Options include selling the parking lot with a carve-out for RT needs or selling only the unimproved area. Potential uses discussed include transit-oriented development, student housing, retail, and housing for people experiencing homelessness. Directors encouraged exploring unhoused housing and coordination with the California Mobility Center. The item will return for action on July 26, 2021.
• General Manager's Report: Henry Li reported on the VTA tragedy and security enhancements, recovery of stolen RT trucks, COVID-19 updates (mask mandate on transit until Sept 13, service at 100% capacity), federal funding progress ($109B for transit in the Invest in America Act), state budget surplus advocacy, and the upcoming groundbreaking for the Power Inn electric vehicle charging hub (June 22). The draft Network Integration Plan was published for public review, recommending 15-minute headways on the Gold Line by Sept 2023 and other service improvements.
• Reports, Ideas, and Questions: Director Budge asked about the free fare program and noted service delays; staff responded that fares are reimbursed and student ridership is returning. Director Valentila raised the possibility of a new light rail station near Ramona Avenue to serve student housing developments; the GM agreed to participate in a task force with the city and other stakeholders to explore mobility options for the area.

Key Outcomes

• Consent calendar approved unanimously.
• FY2022 operating and capital budget adopted (Resolution B) and TDA claim authorized (Resolution C), both by unanimous votes.
• Staff directed to explore surplus property options at Power Inn Station, including potential for unhoused housing, and to coordinate with the California Mobility Center and local stakeholders.
• GM to provide a comprehensive security report to the board and may request a closed session.
• RT will join a work group to discuss mobility improvements near Ramona Avenue, including a potential new station.
• Closed session held to evaluate the General Manager's performance (Item 13.1).