Advisory Board Meeting - April 24, 2023

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Advisory Board Meeting Minutes of April 24, 2023

The MetroWest Regional Transit Authority (MWRTA) Advisory Board met on Monday, April 24, 2023, at 9:30 am at the call of Ed Burman, Advisory Board Vice Chair/Wayland.

A roll call of members present was conducted; in attendance were: Ed Burman/Ashland-Vice Chair, Kevin McCabe/Dover (10:00 AM arrival - virtual), Michael Tusino/Framingham (virtual), Kristina Johnson/Hudson (virtual), Michael Walsh/Milford, Josh Ostroff/Natick (virtual), Robert Wolff/Sherborn (virtual), Debra Galloway/Sudbury-Clerk (9:35 AM arrival – virtual), Colette Aufranc/Wellesley, and Jean MacQuiddy/Weston.

Also participating: Jim Nee/Administrator, Eva Willens/Deputy Administrator, John Glynn/CFO, Patrick Moynihan/General Counsel, Daniel Fitch/IT Consultant, Linda Murtagh/Executive Assistant, HR Manager, Joy Glynn/Grants Manager, Tyler Terrasi/Grants Support Coordinator, Paula Doucette/ Financial Assistant, Emily Van DeWoestine/Director of Fixed Route, Intermodal and Marketing, and Chase Modestow/Coordinator of Business Communications & Development.

Also in attendance:  Dhruba Sen

Not participating: Linda Marshall/Holliston, Carole Mullen/Hopedale, Mary Jo Lafreniere/Hopkinton,  Trish Pope/ Marlborough, Martin Healey/Southborough, and Joseph Nolan/Wayland - Chair,

With a quorum declared present, the meeting was called to order at 9:31 AM with Mr. Burman, presiding.

Public Questions/Comments:  No questions/comments were presented.

Review and Approval of Meeting Minutes: March 3, 2023

A motion was made by Ms. Aufranc of Wellesley: Approval of minutes from the Advisory Board Meeting of March 3, 2023.  Second by Mr. Ostroff of Natick.  The vote was unanimous. 

FY24 Draft Budget Review: Mr. Glynn, CFO, presented the FY24 Draft Operating Budget.  The calculation for the FY24 budget was based on 70,000 hours for Fixed Route, 45,000 hours for ADA, and 25,000 hours for CatchConnect. The projected fuel is calculated based on the anticipated rate for 2023 with a conservative increase of 10%.  Calculations were also based on an insurance increase of 4%, advertising, administration, and retirement costs.  Operating costs increased by 3% overall—anticipated revenue: $1.95 million.  Revenue also comes from leases, advertising, and potential rebates. 

Ms. Aufranc of Wellesley summarized April 18, 2023 Finance and Audit Committee Meeting, stating the budget is very conservative.

Discussion on the status of the State Contract Assistant (SCA) allowance.  The State is in the process of budget development.  There is no reason to believe MWRTA SCA will decrease.  There will be more clarity as to the MWRTA’s budget as the Senate develops its budget.   The legislature needs to hear from the Board members about the importance of funding public transit and to agree on what amendments to support.

A motion was made by Ms. Aufranc of Wellesley: Approval of the FY24 Draft Operating Budget.  Second, by Mr. Burman of Ashland.  The vote was unanimous. 

 Administrator Report: Eva Willens, Deputy Administrator, announced that the MWRTA was awarded $985,000 from the USDOT’s SMART grant for the Blandin Energy Sustainable & Storage Technology  (BESST) project.  RFQ documents seeking proposals for on-call engineering services for the purpose project design eligible under this grant program have been made available; 36 packets have been requested. A pre-proposal site visit took place last week, and seven vendors attended.  Questions are due on April 25^th.  MWRTA was the only RTA in the Commonwealth to receive this award.  The Administrator stated that this grant will assist us with our energy transition program.

Mr. Nee presented a PowerPoint presentation on the operating budget outlook for FY 2024 and beyond. MWRTA is below a 1:1 measurement ratio for SCA. The statewide average is 2:1; some RTAs receive 3:1.  The goal is to receive funding that aligns more closely with our peers.  We are still in pre-COVID service on specific routes.  5307 funds are allowable for the operating budget, but these funds are intended for capital needs.  Operating dollars can result in the lack of available funds for state-of-good repair.  When CARES funds are depleted, and without the projections of increased SCA, we can continue to utilize capital funding sources from operating through FY24 and FY25; this is not an ideal situation.

Legal Counsel echoed the Administrator’s comments about the importance of funding sources to main levels of operation.  We are the newest RTA, resulting in a shift in the amount of money had to share.  The RTA is now a major asset to the region, and there is increased demand.  We want to make sure we are treated fairly in the funding process.  The State could also work to provide additional sources of funding.  We have some time to work with, but we need to develop a strategy by which we can reasonably demand our fair share.

Board Member Comments:  Mr. Burman of Ashland thanked the Deputy Administrator and MWRTA Staff for recently securing bus transportation for a patient being discharged from the hospital.

Scheduling Next Meeting:   TBA

Adjourn:

A motion was made by Mr. Walsh of Milford:  To adjourn the meeting.  Second by Ms. Aufranc of Wellesley: The vote was unanimous.  

The meeting adjourned at 10:20 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 April 24, 2023.

____________________________
Joseph P. Nolan, Chair

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