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5. Advisory Board Meeting - May 12, 2022

Advisory Board Meeting Minutes of May 12, 2022

The MetroWest Regional Transit Authority (MWRTA) Advisory Board met on Thursday, May 12, 2022, at 11:00 AM at the call of Joe Nolan/Wayland - Chair. Due to the continuing COVID-19 pandemic, the meeting was held virtually with Advisory Board members and the public provided access via zoom.us.

A roll call of members present was conducted, in attendance were: Mike Tusino/Framingham, Linda Marshall/Holliston, Mary Jo Lafreniere/Hopkinton, Trish Pope/Marlborough, Michael Walsh/Milford, Josh Ostroff/Natick, Robert Wolff/Sherborn, Debra Galloway/Sudbury -Clerk, Joseph Nolan/Wayland – Chair, Colette Aufranc/Wellesley, and Jean MacQuiddy/Weston

Also participating: Ed Carr/Administrator, Patrick Moynihan/ General Counsel, John Glynn/CFO, Linda Murtagh/Executive Assist-HR Manager, Joy Glynn/ Grants Manager, Tyler Terrasi/Grants Support Coordinator, Paula Doucette/ Financial Assistant, Chase Modestow/ Coordinator of Business Communications & Development, Jon Fetherston/Manager of Travel Training & Community Relations, and Paul Spooner/MWCIL

Not participating: Ed Burman/Ashland – Vice Chair, Kevin McCabe/Dover, Carole Mullen/Hopedale, Kristina Johnson/Hudson, Martin Healey/Southborough.

With a quorum declared present, the meeting was called to order at 11:03 AM with Mr. Nolan, Chair, presiding.

Questions & comments from the public (2 minutes individual limit):   No questions or comments were presented from the public.

Approval of April 26, 2022 minutes:

A motion was made by Mr. Tusino of Framingham: To approve minutes from the Advisory Board Meeting of April 26, 2022. Second Mr. Walsh of Milford: Approved by majority roll call vote.  Mr. Wolff of Sherborn abstained.

 

Approval of Finance & Audit Committee and Administrator’s recommendation for independent auditor:

Mr. Moynihan stated that the procurement of independent auditor services was conducted in compliance with MGL c. 30B, utilizing the competitive request for proposals (RFP) method, whereby award will be made to the proposer offering the most advantageous proposal to the MWRTA, taking into consideration all quality requirements, the comparative technical evaluations and price. Five firms submitted proposals in response to the Audit Services 2022 RFP:  Clifton Larson Allen of Lexington, MA (“CLA”), Powers & Sullivan LLC, of Wakefield, MA (P&S), Bruce Norling, CPA, P.C. of Sudbury, MA (“Norling”), Marcum LLP of Providence, RI, and Ron L. Beaulieu & Company CPA of Portland, ME.  The MWRTA Advisory Board Finance and Audit (F&A) Committee conducted an initial evaluation of all five firms and narrowed the selection to three finalists: CLA, P&S, and Norling.  The committee interviewed the finalists and the MWRTA staff verified the references submitted by each firm.  

The committee’s technical evaluation composite scores of each firm were as follows:  CLA: Highly Advantageous (3); P&S Highly Advantageous (1), Advantageous (1), and Not Advantageous (1); Norling: Highly Advantageous (2) and Not Advantageous (1).

Upon completion of the technical evaluations and scoring, the sealed price proposals were opened and pricing for the five year potential contract period for each of the finalists were as follows: CLA: $247,500; P&S; $175,000; and, Norling $128,000.

Based on the technical evaluations and price proposals, the committee voted 2-1 to recommend selection of Bruce D. Norling, CPA, P.C. as the independent auditor for a period of one year, with four one-year options to be exercised at the discretion of the Administrator.

A motion was made by Mr. Ostroff of Natick: To award the audit services contract, as recommended by the F&C Committee, to Bruce D. Norling, CPA, P.C. of Sudbury, MA for independent auditor.  Second by Ms. Marshall of Holliston.  Approved by unanimous roll call vote.   

 

Approval of MassDOT/MBTA/MWRTA Lease Agreement for the Framingham Commuter Rail Station:

Mr. Nolan presented an overview of the services MWRTA provides to MassDOT/MBTA for the management and upkeep of the Framingham Commuter Rail Station (FCRS). The original lease was for five years and was entered into in September 2016. It expired in September 2021 and continued on a month-to- month basis pending negotiations between the MBTA and MWRTA on a new agreement. The new agreement is now being brought before the board for ratification.

Mr. Carr provided a brief history of the FCRS.  A collaborative was formed in 2015 between MWRTA and MassDOT/ MBTA to provide oversight of the property including safety, repairs and lot paving after an on-site meeting with then-Transportation Secretary Stephanie Pollack, who was appalled and chagrined by the overall condition of the station. Under the agreement, MBTA would cede operating control of the facility to the MWRTA, and the MWRTA would use the revenues from the parking to cover the expense of providing day-to-day management and to bring continued improvements to the site. Any expense not covered due to a shortfall in revenue would be reimbursed to the MWRTA by the MBTA.  A major issue in the lease renewal discussions was the outstanding expense reimbursement deficit due to COVID related impacts on parking revenue.

The basic elements of the new agreement are: (i) 5-year lease with a 3-year option: (ii) establishment of specific timelines for budget and expense review and approval; and, (iii) resolution of prior expense reimbursement deficit through a combination of MassDOT funds, MBTA operating funds, and, a combination of MBTA and MWRTA federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act funding.

A motion was made by Mr. Ostroff of Natick: To approve the MassDOT/MBTA/MWRTA Lease Agreement for the Framingham Commuter Rail Station. Second by Ms. Aufranc of Wellesley. Approved by unanimous roll call vote.   

 

Board member comments:    No comments were presented.

Next meeting: Last week of June.    Last week of June date TBD.

Adjourn:

 

A motion was declared by Mr. Nolan of Wayland: To adjourn the meeting. 

The meeting adjourned at 11:53 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 May 12, 2022.

 

____________________________

                                                            Debra Galloway of Sudbury, Clerk

 

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