Sacramento Regional Transit District Board of Directors Meeting - September 12, 2022

The Sacramento Regional Transit District (SacRT) Board of Directors met virtually on September 12, 2022, at approximately 5:30 PM. A quorum was established with Directors Budge, Harris, Hume, Jennings, Schneyer, Cerna, Valenzuela, and Vice Chair Kennedy present; Directors Howell, Natoli, and Chair Miller were absent. The meeting included approval of the consent calendar, public comments on non-agenda items, an emergency resolution for light rail station repairs, and the General Manager's report.

Consent Calendar

• Items 2.1 through 2.11 were approved unanimously. Director Harris noted support for item 2.7, a contract with Forleaf for construction management at the Dos Rios light rail station, praising the selection based on previous city work.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Kay Crum (written comment): An avid transit rider for 15 years, she advocated for expanding light rail coverage and eliminating low-ridership stops on the Gold Line (e.g., Tiber, Starfire, Cordova Town Center). She suggested routing light rail along Stockton Boulevard, citing high demand near homes, shops, and Aggie Square, and compared Sacramento's coverage unfavorably to Portland's light rail.
• Glenn Mandelcorn: Praised SacRT's bus stop improvement project meetings, recommending them to riders and community members. He noted discussions about seating shade, as metal benches can exceed 114°F without shade.
• Megan Callaway (Freeport Boulevard resident): Described two frightening incidents at the Broadway light rail station: a man threatening to kill her and her partner, throwing glass; and three individuals trying to enter her backyard and attempting to break a window. She requested 24/7 security monitoring, a text alert system for police responses, higher fences, more trash cans, and signage against littering. She noted that current security vigilance during daytime is not matched at night.
• Lauren O. (Freeport Boulevard resident): Echoed Callaway's concerns, stating safety has worsened over six years, with individuals climbing light rail scaffolding and attempting to enter backyards. She called for enhanced non-working-hours security.
• Board response: Vice Chair Kennedy and Director Cerna acknowledged the concerns but noted limited discussion due to Brown Act rules. General Manager Henry Lee committed to personally investigating the issues at the Broadway station.

Discussion Items

• Item 7.1 – Emergency Declaration for 7th & Capitol Light Rail Station Electrical Damage: Staff presented that broken conduit under 7th Street caused power failure in December 2021. A temporary generator has been used but fails repeatedly due to mechanical issues and theft. Two bidding attempts were unsuccessful due to unknown damage extent and coordination with city right-of-way. Staff recommended declaring an emergency to suspend competitive bidding and authorize a contract up to $85,000 under the General Manager's authority. Director Valenzuela moved approval, noting staff's proactive response to constituent complaints about generator noise near restaurants. The motion was seconded by Director Budge.
• Item 8.1 – General Manager’s Report: Henry Lee reported on the recent heat wave (110–116°F) that impacted light rail infrastructure; SacRT implemented speed restrictions and collaborated with Sacramento County OES to offer free rides to cooling centers. Upcoming events include rebranding public input, a paratransit hiring event that extended 45 conditional offers (nearly 50% of applicants), participation in Clean Air Day (October 5) offering free system-wide rides, and community partnerships (Chalk It Up Festival, Elk Grove Multicultural Festival, Mexican Independence Day, Central's 25th anniversary). A traveling library train with QR codes is touring the system for a year. Rail Safety Week (September 19–25) is planned with Operation Lifesaver. Director Valenzuela praised the cooling center access but raised concerns that requiring a flyer may create barriers; she also applauded the library train partnership.

Key Outcomes

• Consent calendar approved unanimously.
• Resolution 2022-08097 (emergency declaration for 7th & Capitol station electrical damage) passed with 9 votes in favor (Directors Budge, Harris, Hume, Jennings, Natoli, Schneyer, Cerna, Valenzuela, Vice Chair Kennedy; absent: Howell, Chair Miller).
• The General Manager will follow up on safety issues at Broadway station, with contact information provided for residents to share details.
• Closed session items were read (conference with labor negotiator for ATU, and existing litigation cases) before recessing.