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Record of Proceedings

Sacramento Regional Transit Board Meeting - January 10, 2022

Sacramento Regional Transit Board Meetings — Monday, January 10, 2022
BodySacramento County, California
SessionSacramento Regional Transit Board Meetings
DateMonday, January 10, 2022
StatusFILED
Video Record
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0:00

May 10th, 2022 of the Sacramento Regional Transit Board of Directors to order.

0:05

Welcome everyone.

0:06

And now this is a virtual meeting.

0:08

And all speakers, the board and staff, if you could please announce your name when you begin to speak.

0:13

This meeting is being live streamed, and the slide on the screen shows the information on how to join our webinar via Zoom.

0:21

You can also call into the meeting at 253 215 8782.

0:27

And the webinar access code is 82520191.

0:34

If you're participating by phone, please push star nine to indicate a desire to comment.

0:40

If you're joining us online through Zoom, please push the raise hand button.

0:46

And be sure to unmute yourself when it's your turn to speak.

0:50

And please volunteer voluntarily state your name for the record.

0:58

And with that, uh Tabitha, would you call the roll?

1:01

Yes, Director Buddh.

1:13

And Director Harris?

1:15

Here.

1:18

Here.

1:20

Director Hume.

1:22

Here.

1:23

Director Jennings.

1:28

I see them on here.

1:30

Let's see.

1:31

Director Jennings.

1:33

Here.

1:34

Director Kennedy.

1:36

Here.

1:38

Director Natoli.

1:42

Hang on.

1:43

I think he might have this.

1:44

Oh, this is Linda Budge.

1:52

Okay.

1:54

Director.

1:55

I'm going to go back to Director Natoly.

1:58

Director Shaneer.

2:00

Here.

2:01

Director Cerna.

2:04

Here.

2:05

Director Valenzuela.

2:07

Here.

2:08

Director Budge.

2:12

Here.

2:14

And Chair Miller.

2:16

Here.

2:17

All right.

2:17

With that, we have a quorum at 10 votes.

2:21

And this meeting of the Sacramento Regional Transit District will be cable cast on Metro 14, the local government affairs channel on Comcast, Consolidated Communications, and ATT Uverse.

2:32

Today's meeting will air on Wednesday, January 12th at 9 a.m.

2:35

and Tuesday, January 18th at 9 a.m.

2:38

on channel 14 and webcast at Metro14 Live.sackCounty.net.

2:43

And is closed captioned.

2:45

This meeting can also be viewed at YouTube.com forward slash Metro Cable 14.

2:54

Thank you, Tabitha.

2:57

And with that, uh, would you please join me for the Pledge of Allegiance?

3:03

I pledge allegiance to the flags of the United States of America.

3:09

And to the Republic for which it stands.

3:13

One nation under God under God.

3:15

Indivisible.

3:15

Indivisible with Liberty and Justice for all.

3:20

Thank you.

3:23

And with that, uh, let's call the first item.

3:26

The first item is the consent calendar items 2.1 to 2.2.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Public Transit█████████████████████████████████████████████46%
Public Comment████████████████████20%
Procedural███████████11%
Homelessness████████8%
Public Health███████7%
Governance Options███3%
Budget and Finance███3%
Parks and Recreation██2%
Summary of Proceedings

Sacramento Regional Transit Board of Directors Meeting - January 10, 2022

The Sacramento Regional Transit (SacRT) Board of Directors held its first meeting of 2022 virtually on January 10, 2022, with a quorum of 11 votes. The meeting covered consent calendar approvals, public comments, new business items including officer extensions and committee formations, the General Manager's report with updates on COVID impacts, the safe parking program, and a detailed presentation on paratransit (SacRT GO) performance.

Consent Calendar

  • Items 2.1 to 2.2 were approved unanimously with 11 votes. Director Harris commented positively on contractor Fourleaf for a project, and staff provided cost estimates: second side track at $35.2 million, low floor station conversion at $73.9 million, and replacement LRVs at $19 million for the first phase. The projected construction start is March 2022. Public comment from Jeff Tartakia clarified the three components.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Email comments: Betty Matsui and Linda Lucena congratulated SacRT on human trafficking awareness training and partnerships, thanking staff and Director Hume. Staff response reaffirmed commitment.
  • Barbara Stanton (ridership for the masses) urged SacRT to use physical signage (sandwich boards) for service cancellations, noting not all riders have smartphones. Staff responded.
  • Jeff Tartakia reported issues: inactive electronic bulletin boards at light rail stations, need for clear bus bridge signage during upcoming Blue Line closures, and disruptive student behavior on routes 81 and 51, suggesting transit administrators.
  • Michael Harris celebrated the 22nd anniversary of Rosa Parks Day in California (Feb 4), praising SacRT for its early recognition and emphasizing carrying the torch.
  • Barbara Stanton announced the upcoming Top Banana award for transit advocacy, inviting nominations by mid-February.

Discussion Items

  • 7.1 Officer Extension: Motion to extend Chair Steve Miller and Vice Chair Patrick Kennedy for one more year (2022). Approved with 11 votes.
  • 7.2A Capitol Corridor Joint Powers Authority: Appointed Director Harris as member and Director Howe as alternate due to scheduling conflicts. Approved with 11 votes.
  • 7.2B Retirement Boards: Chair appointed Vice Chair Kennedy as board member and Shelley Valentine as alternate. No vote needed.
  • 7.2C Ad Hoc Committee on Board Composition: Formed to discuss voting structure and board composition. Members include one representative from each jurisdiction: Director Hume (Folsom), Director Natoli (county), Director Cerna (city), and others. Chair Miller also serves. No vote needed; meetings will be publicly noticed.
  • General Manager's Report: GM Henry Li reported on COVID-19 surge impacts, national workforce shortages causing trip cancellations (but no service reduction yet), two successful hiring events yielding over 280 applicants (70 in process). Upcoming events: MLK Jr. vehicle caravan (Jan 17) and Tet Festival at Florin station (Jan 29-30). Watt/I-80 station improvements: new west elevator installed, east elevator completed, full completion by Feb 28.
  • Safe Parking Program Update: Chris presented that the Roseville Road pilot is delayed due to Caltrans lease negotiations and required environmental assessment (could take up to a year). Mayor Steinberg requested a second pilot at Franklin station and additional spaces at Roseville. Director Shanier moved to proceed with Franklin as a faster option, supported by Directors Harris and Howe. Director Howe questioned city council unity; Director Shanier confirmed support. Direction given to work with city to maximize spaces at Franklin.
  • Paratransit (SacRT GO) Update: Laura Hamm and CFO Brent Berniger presented. Key financials: Total revenues $18.8M, direct costs $12.3M, indirect $3.8M, initial surplus $2.5M, net surplus $1.8M after eligibility costs. Comparison to FY2020 contractor Paratransit Inc. showed a deficit under PI. Cost per trip for SacRT GO was $98, up from $50-60 pre-pandemic due to COVID inefficiencies. SacRT raised wages, lowered medical costs, and offered hiring incentives. Ridership recovered to 63% of pre-pandemic levels but dropped recently due to COVID. Staff noted ongoing challenges and plans for supplemental service provider. Director Kennedy expressed concern over $98 cost per trip, suggesting a subcommittee; Director Hume noted the service is inherently expensive but costs should decrease. Laura Hamm explained fixed costs and COVID impacts. No formal action taken.

Key Outcomes

  • Consent calendar approved unanimously.
  • Chair Miller and Vice Chair Kennedy extended for 2022.
  • Harris and Howe appointed to Capitol Corridor JPAA.
  • Kennedy appointed to retirement boards with Valentine as alternate.
  • Ad hoc committee on board composition formed with one rep per jurisdiction.
  • Board directed staff to pursue Franklin safe parking pilot and maximize spaces, while continuing Roseville Road efforts.
  • Paratransit update received; concerns noted about cost per trip; no formal direction but staff will explore efficiencies and provide comparative data with other agencies.

Meeting Transcript

May 10th, 2022 of the Sacramento Regional Transit Board of Directors to order. Welcome everyone. And now this is a virtual meeting. And all speakers, the board and staff, if you could please announce your name when you begin to speak. This meeting is being live streamed, and the slide on the screen shows the information on how to join our webinar via Zoom. You can also call into the meeting at 253 215 8782. And the webinar access code is 82520191. If you're participating by phone, please push star nine to indicate a desire to comment. If you're joining us online through Zoom, please push the raise hand button. And be sure to unmute yourself when it's your turn to speak. And please volunteer voluntarily state your name for the record. And with that, uh Tabitha, would you call the roll? Yes, Director Buddh. And Director Harris? Here. Here. Director Hume. Here. Director Jennings. I see them on here. Let's see. Director Jennings. Here. Director Kennedy. Here. Director Natoli. Hang on. I think he might have this. Oh, this is Linda Budge. Okay. Director. I'm going to go back to Director Natoly. Director Shaneer. Here. Director Cerna. Here. Director Valenzuela. Here. Director Budge. Here. And Chair Miller. Here. All right. With that, we have a quorum at 10 votes. And this meeting of the Sacramento Regional Transit District will be cable cast on Metro 14, the local government affairs channel on Comcast, Consolidated Communications, and ATT Uverse. Today's meeting will air on Wednesday, January 12th at 9 a.m. and Tuesday, January 18th at 9 a.m. on channel 14 and webcast at Metro14 Live.sackCounty.net. And is closed captioned. This meeting can also be viewed at YouTube.com forward slash Metro Cable 14.

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