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5. Advisory Board Meeting March 17, 2022

Advisory Board Meeting Minutes of

March 17, 2022

The MetroWest Regional Transit Authority (MWRTA) Advisory Board met on Thursday, March 17, 2022, at 11:00 AM at the call of Joseph Nolan, Advisory Board Chair/Wayland. Due to the continuing COVID-19 pandemic, the meeting was held virtually, with Advisory Board members and the public provided access via global.gotomeeting.com.

A roll call of members present was conducted, in attendance were: Ed Burman/Ashland-Vice Chair, Mike Tusino/Framingham, Linda Marshall/Holliston, Kristina Johnson/Hudson, Josh Ostroff/Natick, Joseph Nolan/Wayland - Chair, Colette Aufranc/Wellesley, and Jean MacQuiddy/Weston

Also participating: Paul Spooner/MetroWest Center for Independent Living (MWCIL), Ed Carr/Administrator, Eva Willens/Deputy Administrator, Patrick Moynihan/General Counsel, Daniel Fitch/IT Consultant, Linda Murtagh/Executive Assist-HR Manager, Paula Doucette/ Financial Assistant, Chuck Curran/KTI, Ray Ledoux/Chairman Administrator Search Committee, Bernard Lynch/Principal, Community Paradigm Associates, LLC, Ray Santilli/Community Paradigm Associates, LLC, Ashlyn Kelly/SOURCE.

Not participating: Dover/Advisory Board designee TBD, Carole Mullen/Hopedale, Mary Jo Lafreniere/Hopkinton., Trish Pope/ Marlborough, Michael Walsh/Milford, Robert Wolff/Sherborn, Martin Healey/Southborough, and Debra Galloway/Sudbury- Clerk.

With a quorum declared present, the meeting was called to order at 11:11 AM with Mr. Nolan, presiding.

Questions & Comments from the Audience:

Mr. Nolan of Wayland requested any public comments from the audience. No public comments were presented.

Ratification of Administrator Search Committee Recommendation for Consultant:

Mr. Nolan introduced Ray Ledoux as Chairman of the Administrator Search Committee. Mr. Ledoux stated that the committee had met last week to review three proposals received from consulting firms interested in assisting the Authority in its search for a new administrator. Proposals were received from UMass Boston – Collins Center for Public Management, Groux-White Consulting, LLC of Lexington, and Community Paradigm Associates, LLC of Plymouth. All three proposers made a brief presentation to the Search Committee of their respective backgrounds, experiences and services to be rendered under their proposals. The committee had the opportunity to ask a number of questions.

Community Paradigm Associates was unanimously selected by the Search Committee. Mr. Ledoux stated that their proposal was considered superior to the other two submittals. The firm has considerable experience in municipal services, and its principal, Bernard Lynch, is a former Lowell city manager, and in that capacity he served as a board member of the Lowell Regional Transit Authority. The firm is well known in the public management consulting industry. They have assisted in the placement of a number of municipal managers around the state, and also have public transportation management placement experience, having successfully assisted in the search the new administrator for Merrimack Valley Regional Transit Authority, and is currently assisting another transit agency in the Commonwealth in the selection of its chief executive.

Mr. Lynch, of Community Paradigm Associates, made a brief presentation before the Board. He stated that his team for the assignment will include himself, Ray Santilli and John Petrin. He noted that Mr. Petrin is very familiar with the area, having served Ashland Town Manager. Mr. Lynch outline his own public management experience as Chelmsford Town Manager and Lowell City Manager. He noted that Paradigm’s public transportation management experience included serving as the consultant on the Merrimack Valley Regional Transit Authority Administrator search last year, working with the MBTA in a number of consulting roles and most recently with that Greater Attleboro Regional Transit Authority in its search for a new administrator. Paradigm will immediately go to work with the MWRTA in getting an understanding of the current issues of the Authority and what the agency is looking for in an administrator. A position statement will be generated for use in the process of recruiting candidates. It will demonstrate the current needs of the MWRTA and build upon the success of the organization. The position statement will be distributed to Paradigm’s database of potential candidates. It will also be advertised in the marketplace on several websites and venues focused on public transportation (APTA, Transit Talent, and the Mass Municipal Association). In outlining the schedule, Mr. Lynch stated that the first stage of the process will take a week or two, and then during the month of April there will be a four week recruiting phase, at the end of which candidates will be presented to the Authority’s Search Committee. The Search Committee will then review and choose the candidates for presentation to the full Advisory Board for selection. Throughout the process, Paradigm will also provide technical assistance to the Search Committee and the Board. It is anticipated that the recruitment process will be completed by mid-June, for the placement of the new administrator in early July.

Mr. Nolan requested any comments or questions from the board. No comments or questions were presented. Mr. Nolan thanked Mr. Lynch, for the presentation. Mr. Nolan also noted that, if necessary, the presented timeline could go beyond the end of the current Administrator’s contract. If that is the case, Mr. Carr has agreed that his contract can be extended for 30 days.

A motion was made by Ms. Aufranc of Wellesley: To approve Community Paradigm Associate, LLCs for a contract. Second Mr. Ostroff of Natick: The vote was unanimous; Ms. MacQuiddy of Weston abstained.

Mr. Tusino of Framingham, inquired as to whether the requested improvements had been made to the job description.

Mr. Moynihan indicated part of the consultant's charge is to review and revise the job description and make recommendations to the Search Committee. He stated that there will definitely be input from the professional consultant on the description, which should alleviate concerns expressed at the last meeting by members of the board.

Mr. Nolan agrees with counsel to vote to authorize the Search Committee to approve the final job description for publication.

Mr. Moynihan replied there may have been some confusion over what was the job description versus the advertisement for the administrator position. The job description as drafted was quite detailed and lengthy, but Mr. Moynihan acknowledged that the expressed concerns of Mr. Tusino relative to certain provisions such as EEO issues and the description of position activity, etc. were missing, and that based on the consultant’s review and recommendations, some additions may be made.

Mr. Tusino commented that he is fine, as long as there is a full job description that meets all the legal requirements.

In terms of the legal requirements, Mr. Moynihan stated that the information provided by Mr. Tusino along those lines will be presented to the consultant for his review and incorporation into the job description, as may be necessary.

Mr. Nolan requested additional comments to be sent to him or through counsel. A job description will be comparable to what the consultant has done through GATRA’s search, and to make sure it has the appropriate ADA language.

Mr. Ostroff asked about the process in which to send input, particularly for those who are not present. He stated that he is excited about the direction in which the process is going, and appreciates the response of the Search Committee to the concerns being raised.

Ms. Aufranc of Wellesley stated that she would like to include that the new administrator be well versed in microtransit.

Mr. Nolan asked counsel for a suggested motion. Mr. Moynihan suggested a motion to charge the Search Committee with finalizing the administrator’s job description.

A motion was made by Ms. Aufranc of Wellesley: To charge the Search Committee with finalizing the Administrator’s job description. Second Mr. Ostroff of Natick: The vote was unanimous.

Next Advisory Board Meeting: End of April 2022.

Adjourn:

A motion was made by Mr. Ostroff of Natick: To adjourn the meeting. Second Mr. Burman of Ashland:

The vote was unanimous.

The meeting adjourned at 11:44 am.

Certificate

The undersigned being the duly qualified acting clerk of the MetroWest Regional Transit Authority Advisory Board acknowledges that the foregoing minutes accurately reflect the actions taken at a legally convened meeting of the Advisory Board held on March 17, 2022.

Debra Galloway, Clerk

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