OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Sacramento Regional Transit Board of Directors Meeting - November 10, 2025

Sacramento Regional Transit Board Meetings — Tuesday, November 11, 2025
BodySacramento County, California
SessionSacramento Regional Transit Board Meetings
DateTuesday, November 11, 2025
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:21:12
Transcript — Verbatim
0:00

Of the Sacramento Regional Trans Transit Board of Directors.

0:03

Tabitha, would you please do a roll call and then read the Metro Cable replay statement?

0:09

Director Burr.

0:10

Here.

0:10

Director Budge?

0:12

Director Dickinson is absent.

0:14

Director Hume is absent.

0:16

Director Kennedy.

0:18

Director Maple is absent.

0:19

Director Rorba.

0:20

Here.

0:21

Director Schaefer.

0:22

Here.

0:23

And Director Rodriguez.

0:25

Here.

0:25

Director Rodriguez is here as alternate for Director Cerna this evening.

0:30

And Director Jennings is absent.

0:32

And Chair Singh Allen.

0:34

Here.

0:35

Director Hume is present.

0:36

Director.

0:39

With that, we have a quorum of eight votes.

0:43

And this meeting of the Sacramento Regional Transit District is recorded with closed captioning.

0:47

The recording will be cable cast on Metro Cable Channel 14, the local government affairs channel on the Comcast and Direct TV Uverse Cable Systems.

0:56

The recording will also be video streamed at Metro14 Live.sackCounty.gov.

1:01

Today's meeting replays Saturday, November 15th at 2 p.m.

1:04

and Sunday, November 16th at 11 30 a.m.

1:07

on Metro Cable Channel 14.

1:09

Once posted, the recording of this meeting can be viewed on demand at YouTube.com forward slash metro cable 14.

1:17

Members of the audience wishing to address the board should fill out a speaker card located at the rear of the room and provide it to myself or Adam.

1:24

Once the item has been called, additional speaker cards will not be accepted.

1:27

The time allowed for public comment is at the chair's discretion.

1:30

The timer will chime when you have 20 seconds, and then again when your time is up.

1:33

There were two written public comments received and provided to the board, one from Rick Hodgkins for item five regarding light rail safety and item 7.1 regarding comprehensive analysis and a sales tax measure.

1:45

And then a second comment from Helen O'Connell on item 4.1 regarding the action summary.

1:53

Thank you.

1:54

Next up is our Pledge of Allegiance.

1:56

May I ask Director Hume to please help lead us?

1:59

Sure.

2:00

The flag, please.

2:03

Pledge of allegiance to the flag.

2:05

I think hi, Eureka.

2:07

And to the concrete, which is their hands.

2:10

Foundation.

2:11

Okay.

2:16

Thank you.

2:17

So we're gonna go a little out of order on the agenda, and we're gonna take item 3.1.

2:24

And item 3.1 is our employee and retiree recognitions, second and third quarters 2025.

2:35

And Shelley Valentin will present this item.

2:39

Thank you.

2:39

Good afternoon.

2:40

Uh board and everyone.

2:42

I am Shelly Valentin Sackerty's deputy CEO, and I am honored to present to you today our employee recognitions.

2:49

Today we are recognizing two quarters, um, April to June and July to September.

2:54

That's why you see some employees here to with us today and some family members.

2:59

Uh quite an exciting time.

3:02

Uh let's have our slide up.

3:04

Okay.

3:05

So we want to start with our years of service recognition.

3:08

We acknowledge our active employees who have dedicated 20 years or more of service to SAC RT.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Transportation Safety██████████████████████████████████████38%
Personnel Matters███████████████15%
Technology and Innovation██████████████14%
Budget and Finance██████████10%
Procedural████████8%
Engineering And Infrastructure██████6%
Community Engagement█████5%
Homelessness██2%
Economic Development██2%
Summary of Proceedings

Sacramento Regional Transit Board of Directors Meeting - November 10, 2025

The Sacramento Regional Transit (SacRT) Board of Directors met on November 10, 2025, at 4:00 PM. The meeting included employee and retiree recognitions, approval of the consent calendar, a detailed customer service presentation addressing public comments, public testimony, and reports from the General Manager and other committees. Key themes included safety and security improvements, fiscal responsibility, and community outreach.

Employee and Retiree Recognitions (Item 3.1)

  • Recognized employees with 20, 25, and 35 years of service, including Ariel Tabutabo (20 years), Steven McGregor (25 years), Aswa Hanson (25 years), Melissa Noble (20 years), and Jesus Ledesma (31 years as a retiree).
  • Retirees recognized: Fernando Zamudio (21 years), Christopher Espera (22 years), Neil Kell (22 years), Ami Chand (27 years), and Jesus Ledesma (31 years).
  • Employees of the Quarter: Esteban (Administration), Quintez Dobson (Customer Service), Aaron Uribe (Facilities and Maintenance, not present), Angela Roy (Administration), Pamela Robertson (Facilities), and Philip James Mendoza (Bus Operator, not present).

Consent Calendar (Items 2.1–2.5)

  • The board approved the consent calendar unanimously (voice vote), with no public comments or discussion.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Robert Copeland: Expressed concern about passenger safety, stating that if passengers don't feel safe they won't ride. Criticized prioritizing a sleeping person over a person with a hammer. Also questioned language support for non-English/Spanish speakers and urged more low-income housing to support transit.
  • Crystal McGeely: Represented transit ambassadors; noted that a transit ambassador found out the District Attorney wouldn't file charges against them that day. Criticized the "modest" MOU increase that doesn't start until next year while abuse continues today. Urged better treatment of transit ambassadors.
  • Troy Wilkinson (Strong Sack Town): Praised the board's quick follow-up on public comments. Shared anecdotal experiences of verbal altercations with transit ambassadors. Reported a recent transit excursion with some hiccups (doors closing prematurely). Asked for better alignment of statistics with rider experiences.
  • LR Roberts (Dog Fight): Reported that fellow advocate Jeff was hit by a car while crossing a crosswalk and the driver fled. Criticized SacRT staff for not responding to knocking on doors about a fire at the engineering office. Urged SacRT to consult with disability advocates before purchasing equipment (e.g., wheelchair width, button placement).
  • Michael Bebbins: Suggested combining a potential RT tax with county road funding and creating bus routes from Elk Grove to Folsom. Also proposed a tourist loop route and better connections between suburbs.
  • Written comments: Rick Hodgkins commented on light rail safety and a sales tax measure (item 5 and 7.1). Helen O'Connell commented on item 4.1 (action summary). These were provided to the board.

Discussion Items

  • Customer Service Strategies & Responses (Item 4.1): VP Lisa Heinz and others presented responses to public concerns:
    • Safety & Security: The $1 million increase will fund adding one security resource per train, hiring 10 transit ambassadors (raising from 40 to 50), and adding 2 staff to the Security Operations Center. Transition from Sacramento PD to Sacramento Sheriff's Department for police services on January 11, 2026. Crime rate dropped from 7.5 to 3.7 crimes per million boardings. Fare evasion under 1%.
    • AI Programs: AI-enabled bus stop enforcement reduced parking violations by 89% at five busiest stops. AI drone program launched for critical infrastructure monitoring. AI camera pilot on buses for real-time asset monitoring.
    • Banning Program: In development; will be presented at December board meeting. Utilizes state law (Public Utility Code sections 99170-99171) for prohibition orders requiring three citations within 90 days. General counsel noted the process is cumbersome but committed to implementation.
    • Connect Card (Tap-to-Pay): Will be presented to the MAC (Metropolitan Advisory Committee) on November 20, 2025. Clarified that MAC cannot be consulted during procurement due to legal restrictions.
    • Bus Service & Cancellations: Route 81 cancellation rate was 3% in September, but overall cancellation rate improved from 1.24% in 2024 to 0.66% in 2025, below industry average of 1-3%. Causes include operator absences and SB 616 sick leave limits.
    • Homelessness: Social services practitioner manages ~100 clients. Free ride passes now only provided to clients with established relationships. Safe parking program at Franklin Light Rail Station lease sent to city in September; awaiting response.
    • English Proficiency for Rideshare Drivers: User (rideshare contractor) implementing nationwide English screening starting October 2025, fully effective December 2, 2025.
  • General Manager’s Report (Item 7.1): Henry Li reported on:
    • Attended CTA annual conference with directors; met with FTA regional administrator and Congresswoman regarding streetcar project.
    • AI enforcement program success (89% reduction in incidents at top five bus stops).
    • Podcast "Next Stop, SacRT" launched.
    • Aftershock music festival generated 12,000 rides and $35 million economic impact.
    • Dos Rios Light Rail station construction on time and on budget; temporary bus bridge ends November 16, 2025.
    • Customer appreciation month events.
  • Director Hume: Noted a large vacant parcel owned by SacRT near Power Inn station; requested update on transit-oriented development plans. Henry Li responded that the property was surplused two years ago but faced disputes; TOD team will re-evaluate.

Key Outcomes

  • Consent Calendar approved (voice vote, unanimous).
  • No board action taken on informational items (customer service presentation, reports).
  • Directive: Staff directed to develop a banning/prohibition order program and present to the board in December 2025.
  • Upcoming: MAC meeting on November 20, 2025, for Connect Card presentation. December board meeting for banning program and other updates.
  • Reminder: Free rides for active duty and veterans on November 11, 2025.

Meeting Transcript

Of the Sacramento Regional Trans Transit Board of Directors. Tabitha, would you please do a roll call and then read the Metro Cable replay statement? Director Burr. Here. Director Budge? Director Dickinson is absent. Director Hume is absent. Director Kennedy. Director Maple is absent. Director Rorba. Here. Director Schaefer. Here. And Director Rodriguez. Here. Director Rodriguez is here as alternate for Director Cerna this evening. And Director Jennings is absent. And Chair Singh Allen. Here. Director Hume is present. Director. With that, we have a quorum of eight votes. And this meeting of the Sacramento Regional Transit District is recorded with closed captioning. The recording will be cable cast on Metro Cable Channel 14, the local government affairs channel on the Comcast and Direct TV Uverse Cable Systems. The recording will also be video streamed at Metro14 Live.sackCounty.gov. Today's meeting replays Saturday, November 15th at 2 p.m. and Sunday, November 16th at 11 30 a.m. on Metro Cable Channel 14. Once posted, the recording of this meeting can be viewed on demand at YouTube.com forward slash metro cable 14. Members of the audience wishing to address the board should fill out a speaker card located at the rear of the room and provide it to myself or Adam. Once the item has been called, additional speaker cards will not be accepted. The time allowed for public comment is at the chair's discretion. The timer will chime when you have 20 seconds, and then again when your time is up. There were two written public comments received and provided to the board, one from Rick Hodgkins for item five regarding light rail safety and item 7.1 regarding comprehensive analysis and a sales tax measure. And then a second comment from Helen O'Connell on item 4.1 regarding the action summary. Thank you. Next up is our Pledge of Allegiance. May I ask Director Hume to please help lead us? Sure. The flag, please. Pledge of allegiance to the flag. I think hi, Eureka. And to the concrete, which is their hands. Foundation. Okay. Thank you. So we're gonna go a little out of order on the agenda, and we're gonna take item 3.1. And item 3.1 is our employee and retiree recognitions, second and third quarters 2025. And Shelley Valentin will present this item. Thank you.

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