* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. GOOD AFTERNOON, EVERYONE. [00:00:01] IT'S FINE. [1. ADT Call to Order] PROGRESS. UH, NOVEMBER 16TH. AND I'D LIKE TO CALL THE ORDER, THE MEETING OF THE ADVANCED TRANSPORTATION DISTRICT BOARD OF TRUSTEES. I AM BOARD CHAIR FOR AND I WELCOME EVERYONE TO THIS MEETING. WE WILL BEGIN WITH THE ROLL CALL BY CHUGGA VETO, SECRETARY BROWN, TRUSTEE COMO IR TRUSTEE COOPER, HEIR TRUSTEE COMMEDIA, HEIR TRUSTEE MAREN HERE, TRUSTEE MALONE, TRUSTY MALONE HERE. OKAY. TRUSTEE MATTHEWS HERE, TRUSTEE BY THAT IS HERE TRUSTEE TO WILL TRUSTEE TO WILL. OKAY. MAYBE SHE'LL JOIN US AT A LATER TIME. OKAY. UH, MR. ARN, DO YOU HAVE ANY ANNOUNCEMENTS WE'RE IN THE ATD MEETING, CORRECT? YES, NO, I HAVE NO ANNOUNCEMENTS. UH, DO WE HAVE [3. ADT Citizens to be Heard] ANY CITIZENS TO BE HEARD? YES, WE HAVE CITIZENS TO BE HEARD. OKAY. IT SAYS WE HAVE CITIZENS TO BE HURT. UH, WE HAVE NOW COME TO THE CITIZENS TO BE HEARD PORTION OF OUR PUBLIC MEETING. THE BOARD IS INTERESTED IN HEARING THE COMMENTS AND CONCERNS OF OUR PATRONS AND THE CITIZENS IN SAN ANTONIO BEAR COUNTY AREA QUESTIONS THAT MAY ARISE DURING THE PORTION OF THE MEETING REGARDING PROGRAMS, PROJECTS, OR SERVICE ISSUES MAY BE ADDRESSED AT A LATER DATE BY THE PRESIDENT CEO AND OUR, HIS STAFF. THE PROCESS WILL ASSURE THAT VA IS GOING TO COMPLIANCE WITH THE OPENS ACT, WHICH DOES NOT ALLOW THE BOARD TO DELIBERATE MATTERS THAT ARE NOT ON THE AGENDA THIS EVENING. ADDITIONALLY, THIS PROCESS ASSURES THAT YOU RECEIVED THE MOST ACCURATE RESPONSE TO YOUR QUESTIONS ARE CONCERNED. THANK YOU, ANDY. I APPRECIATE YOU TAKING THE TIME AND EFFORT TO SHARE YOUR COMMENTS WITH US THIS EVENING. OUR FIRST CITIZEN BEAT CITIZEN TO BE HEARD WILL MCLEOD HAS TIMED YIELDED TO HIM FROM DARYL CRUELLY FOR A TOTAL OF SIX MINUTES. WE'LL MCCLOUD. THANK YOU. AND WELCOME. OKAY. GOOD AFTERNOON. UH, VOP, UH, BOARD OF TRUSTEES, BOARD CHAIR FOR THE RECORD. MY NAME IS WILLOW MCLEOD. UM, I WAS AT INGRAM TRANSIT YESTERDAY. UH, I NOTICED SOME GRASS CLIPPINGS THAT WERE LEFT ON THE SIDEWALK. UM, NOT ONLY ON THE SIDEWALK OF INGRAM PROPERTY, BUT ALSO THE, UM, SIDEWALK AS WELL ON THE RIGHT OF WAY OVER INGRAM NORTHWESTERN. I BROUGHT IT UP TO THE ATTENTION OF THIS, UH, CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE BY THE NAME OF SHERRY, UH, SHARIA. AND, UM, SHE WAS VERY UNPROFESSIONAL. SHE SAID, WELL, I DON'T DEAL WITH THE GRASS CLIPPINGS. I ONLY SELL BUS PASSES. AND SHE WAS ASKING ME AND SHE GETS SECURITY ON ME JUST FOR ASKING HER A QUESTION. AND NOW WHAT HAPPENED WAS I DECIDED TO TURN MY VIDEO CAMERA ON, ON MY PHONE AND RECORD IT. AND I HAVE A FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHT. TO DO SO UNDER TURNER VS DRIVER AND OR GUILT VERSUS CALIFORNIA AND OTHER SIMILAR STATUTES, UH, CAUSE Y'ALL ARE PUBLIC EMPLOYEES AND THERE IS NO REASONABLE EXPECTATION OF PRIVACY IN PUBLIC. SO WHEN I WAS FILMING THE INDIVIDUAL TO REPEAT WHAT SHE SAID, AND I WAS GOING TO TURN IT INTO HER BOSS, SHE GOT OUT AND UH, DECIDED TO SMACK MY CAMERA WITH HER HAND. AND IT'S ON VIDEO. WE'RE ALLOWED TO FILM IT'S I FIRST DO NOT TOUCH MY CAMERA, DO NOT TOUCH MY CAMERA. THAT IS ASSAULT. YES, IT IS. YOU DO NOT TOUCH MY CAMERA. THAT IS NOT ACCEPTABLE CUSTOMER SERVICE AT ALL. AND UM, BUT YOU GUARD THIS GO. I GOT HIS NAME FOR PUBLIC RECORDS BECAUSE HE REFUSED TO IDENTIFY HIMSELF, UM, AND HAD TO GET IT FROM YOU GUYS THROUGH THE PUBLIC INFORMATION ACT, UH, SAID, OH YEAH, WE CAN'T FILM IN HERE. I WAS LIKE, UM, EXCUSE ME, BUT WE CAN FILM IN THERE. IT IS A PUBLIC AREA. IT IS GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES. I CAN, I COULD FIND OUT HOW MUCH SALARY SHE [00:05:01] MAKES. AND BY TEXAS LAW, YOU CAN PR YOU HAVE TO PROVIDE ME THAT INFORMATION. ALSO, SHE TOOK PICTURES OF ME. THE FUNNY THING IS SHE TOOK PICTURES OF ME WHEN SHE TOLD ME I DON'T GIVE YOU MY PERMISSION TO FILM ME. I WANT PICTURES OF HER PHONE, UH, OR PICTURES THAT SHE'D TAKEN DURING HER COURSE OF, UH, DO UP DUTY WHILE ON THE CLOCK AT THE METROPOLITAN TRANSIT THAT HAS TO BE RELEASED. SO SHE BETTER NOT BE DELETING THE VIDEO. I'M LETTING YOU KNOW. NOW SHE NEEDS TO PRESERVE THOSE PICTURES. AND I'M ASKING FOR THEM, I ALREADY EMAILED MR. SHITE AND PUBLIC RECORDS REGARDING THIS. AND THERE'S NO EXCEPTIONS TO THAT UNDER THE PUBLIC INFORMATION ACT ALSO, UM, WE NEED TO LET EVERY TRANSIT EMPLOYEE KNOW THAT PUBLIC PHOTOGRAPHY IS NOT A CRIME, ANY DO NOT TOUCH AND NOT TOUCH A OR THEIR BELONGINGS. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED TO ME THE FIRST TIME THAT'S HAPPENED TO ME REGARDING A BUS OPERATOR NOW. AND IS PENNY BALARDO. YOU DIDN'T TERMINATE HIM ON THE SPOT. YOU GAVE HIM PROBATION. SO THAT'S WHY I HAVE MY FRIENDS OUT HERE AND MR. MILLER AND, UH, DARRYL OVER HERE. UM, AND I HAVE OTHER FIRST AMENDMENT AUDITORS IN THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO THAT I KNOW. AND THEY'VE SEEN THIS, THEY'VE SEEN THE LIVE STREAMS. THEY'VE SEEN THE, THE TREATMENT, ESPECIALLY AT CENTRAL PLAZA OVER FILMING. WE DON'T NEED PERMISSION. AND HEY, SUZE TREVINO, WHO WOULDN'T GIVE ME HIS NAME. I HAD TO FIND OUT THROUGH A PUBLIC RECORDS REQUEST. HE SAID, I HAD TO GET PERMISSION. HE'S ON A RECORDED CALL SAYING THAT BECAUSE I HAVE THE RECORDING ON THAT. I DON'T HAVE THAT WITH ME TODAY, BUT I CAN GIVE YOU AN EMAIL WITH THAT RECORDED CALL. UM, AND I EXPLAINED TO HIM AGAIN, AND THEN HE ENDED UP HANGING UP IN MY FACE. THAT'S NOT Y'ALL. WE EXPECT PROFESSIONALISM FROM YOUR EMPLOYEES AT ALL TIMES. AND YOU KNOW, THIS COULD HAVE BEEN, THIS COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED. HAVE SHE SAID, OKAY, I'LL CALL SOMEBODY AND LET THE I'LL LET THEM KNOW BECAUSE THAT'S HAPPENED BEFORE GRASS CLIPPINGS WERE ON THE FLOOR, ON THE SIDEWALK, IT MEDICAL TRANS CENTER, ELAINE, SHE LETS THEM KNOW THE NEW GUY THAT'S THERE. SHE LETS HIM KNOW THAT DOES GET INTO A CONFRONTATION. DOESN'T SASS PEOPLE. AND THEN WHEN WE'RE OVER THERE AND WE'RE TALKING TO OUR SUPERVISOR AND WE HAVE THIS ON TAPE TOO, UM, SHE, UH, DECIDES TO TALK OVER ME AND START AN ARGUMENT. AND NOT ONLY THAT, SHE FOLLOWED ME TO MY WORK. SHE FOLLOWED ME TO MY WORK, GETTING A REALLY NASTY STARE IN THE INSIDE OF THE WORK AND THE OUTSIDE OF MY BUSINESS. I SPOKE WITH PRISCILLA THIS MORNING AND I LET HER KNOW THAT AS WELL. AND THAT'S DOCUMENTED AS WELL. I ENDED UP CALLING THE POLICE. I ENDED UP FILING A POLICE REPORT AND AS A FOR ASSAULT. UM, AND I HAVE THAT IN MY BACKPACK, THE POLICE CASE NUMBER. AND IF YOU WANT TO SPEAK TO ME ABOUT THAT AND GET THAT POLICE CASE NUMBER, THAT'S FINE, BUT SHE SHOULD NOT BE EMPLOYED IF SHE'S GOING TO HAVE THAT TYPE OF ATTITUDE. YOU KNOW, IF I DID THAT EVER IF A BLACK WORKER WORKED AT WALMART OR, UM, OR ANY PRIVATE ENTITY, AND I TOUCHED SOMEONE'S BELONGINGS LIKE THAT, I'D BE LET GO LIKE THAT, BUT SHE'S STILL WORKING THERE AND SHE'S STILL DOING THAT. SHE'S NOT GOING TO LEARN FROM HER MISTAKES. UH, YOU SHOULD HAVE A ZERO TOLERANCE POLICY ON THAT, AND ALSO WANT TO MAKE SURE, UH, THAT YOU LET EVERYONE KNOW. AND YOU PUT ON YOUR CODE OF CONDUCT. PATRONS CAN FILM. WE HAVE A FIRST AMENDMENT, RIGHT TO FILM JACK MILLER. SORRY. I JUST HIT AT ONE TIME. OKAY. GOOD. ALL RIGHT. TESTING. ALL RIGHT. UH, GOOD EVENING FOLKS. MY NAME IS JACK MILLER. I HAVE BEEN DEALING WITH VO FOR ABOUT THREE YEARS. I AM A CIVIL RIGHTS ACTIVIST, A PROMINENT ONE HERE IN THE SAN ANTONIO AREA. I HAVE A YOUTUBE CHANNEL WITH 50,000 FOLLOWERS, AND I HAVE ACCESS THROUGH COLLEAGUES TO ABOUT A HALF A MILLION MORE. THERE IS NOT A POLICE OFFICER IN SAN ANTONIO THAT DOES NOT KNOW ME BY FACE FROM A HUNDRED FEET AWAY. UM, I ADDRESS BAD POLICE BEHAVIOR. AND WHEN I CAN'T GET THAT BEHAVIOR [00:10:01] CORRECTED AT THE AGENCY LEVEL, I DO TAKE THESE MATTERS INTO COURT FOR RESOLUTION. SOME PEOPLE MAY THINK THAT I SUE FOR MONEY. I HAVE YET TO MAKE A DIME AND I DON'T EXPECT TO MAKE A DIME, BUT I DO EXPECT TO WIN THESE CASES AND CHANGE WHAT I'M ASKING FOR BY WAY OF HAVING THE COURTS FORCED THEM TO MAKE THAT CHANGE. UM, I'M, DON'T INTEND ON SUING VIA. I HAVE MANY DOCUMENTED CASES WHERE THERE WAS OUTRIGHT CIVIL RIGHTS VIOLATIONS BY YOUR POLICE OFFICERS AGAINST ME, AS WELL AS MY COLLEAGUES. I'VE NEVER EVEN ENTERTAINED SUING BECAUSE I BRING IT TO THE ATTENTION OF FOLKS HERE. AND IT SEEMS TO CHANGE SOME, I'M NOT LOOKING FOR PERFECTION. I'M LOOKING FOR A LITTLE BIT OF CHANGE. AND THAT SEEMS TO BE THE CASE. I WAS GOING TO ELABORATE ON WHAT HAPPENED AT INGRAM. I DID GO THERE TODAY AS A JOURNALIST AND I WAS GOING TO ASK, WHAT BUS DO I CATCH TO THE, TO THE ALAMO? I COULDN'T MAKE IT UP TO THE WINDOW DUE TO THE LADY THAT HE'S TALKING ABOUT. I THINK SHE'S A CLERK. I'M NOT SURE HER OFFICIAL POSITION. I COULD NOT MAKE IT TO THE WINDOW. SHE SHUT DOWN THE STATION. I HAD SECURITY GUARDS IN MY FACE TELLING ME THAT I COULD NOT FEEL HIM. I ASKED HIM TO STEP AWAY FROM ME. THEY WOULD NOT. SHE CALLED THE POLICE AND HERE IS THE MOST CONCERNING PART OF THIS SITUATION RIGHT HERE. IN MY HAND, I HAVE A SCANNER AND IT MONITORS VIA POLICE RADIO AND ANYBODY ELSE'S RADIO, PERFECTLY LEGAL AND IT RECORDS. SO I HEAR EVERYTHING THEY SAY ON THE RADIO AND THEY KNOW IT. THIS CLERK, ACCORDING TO VIA DISPATCH, TOLD THEM THAT SHE TOLD ME TO LEAVE AND THAT I REFUSE TO DO SO THUS COMMITTING CRIMINAL TRESPASS. SO NOT ONLY DID COMMIT THE THINGS THAT MR. MCLEOD SAID, BUT SHE LIED TO THE DISPATCHER. I ENCOURAGE ANY OF YOU TO SEEK OUT MY CONTACT INFORMATION. I'LL LEAVE IT HERE. IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR ME, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO ASK. I'LL TALK TO YOU IN THE SPIRIT OF RESOLVING THIS ISSUE. WE JUST NEED IT RESOLVED. UH, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. WE'LL SEE YOU. THERE ARE NO MORE CITIZENS TO BE HEARD. OKAY. SINCE THERE'S NO MORE CITIZENS TO BE HEARD, UH, WE'LL MOVE TO CONSENT. [4. ADT Consent Agenda] AGENDA. ITEM NUMBER FOUR, TRUSTEES. ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS? IF NOT, UH, MAY I HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA AS PRESENTED MR. DO WE HAVE A SECOND ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY, AYE. AYE. ANY OPPOSED? NAY. I CAN SEND AN AGENDA. ITEM IS APPROVED. UH, NOW WE MOVE TO ITEM FIVE. MS. ELDER, DO WE HAVE A LEGAL BRIEF? NO, SIR. WE DO NOT HAVE A LEGAL BRIEFING. THANK YOU. UH, WE'RE REACHING IN END OF THIS MEETING. UH, MAY I HAVE A MOTION TO ADJOURN AND THE SECOND TRUSTEE COOPER. OKAY. FIRST, A SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE. AYE. AYE. ANY OPPOSED? NAY MOTION CARRIES. THE ATD MEETING IS ADJOURNED. OKAY. IT IS NOW [1. Call to Order] ABOUT FIVE 15. I HAVE A CALLED ORDER, THE NOVEMBER 9TH, 16TH, REGULAR MEETING OF THE VIA METROPOLITAN TRANSIT BOARD OF TRUSTEES. MR. ART, DO YOU HAVE ANY ANNOUNCEMENTS? [2. Announcements] UH, YES SIR. I DO. AND AS WE START EACH MONTH, WE HAVE THE, A STAR OF THE QUARTER. AND IN THIS CASE, IT'S THE MAINTENANCE AREA. SO I'M PLEASED TO INTRODUCE YOU TO OUR STAR MAINTAINER OF THE QUARTER FOR NOVEMBER, 2021, SHOP REPAIRMAN AND PAINTER TONY CODERO. TONY HAS BEEN WITH VIA FOR THREE YEARS AND IS CONTINUOUSLY DEMONSTRATED A POSITIVE ATTITUDE AND WILLINGNESS TO TAKE ON NEW CHALLENGES. HIS PERFORMANCE AND QUALITY OF WORK ARE EXCELLENT. AND HIS EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS HAVE ALLOWED HIM TO EXCEL IN MANY WAYS. HE RECENTLY ADVANCED TO THE JOURNEYMAN LEVEL IN HIS DEPARTMENT AND HE ALWAYS GOES THE EXTRA MILE TO MAINTAIN OUR FACILITIES AND KEEP A SAFE WORK ENVIRONMENT. SO THANK YOU, TONY, FOR YOUR HARD WORK, YOUR ATTENTION TO DETAIL. AND WE ARE JUST HONORED TO HAVE YOU, AS PART OF THE FAMILY LIKE TO OFFER CONGRATULATIONS TO DIRECTOR OF FLEET AND FACILITIES, OPERATIONAL SUPPORT SERVICES. ONE OF THE LONGEST TITLES AT VIA THOMAS JOHNS, WHO GRADUATED FROM THE NORTH OF SAN ANTONIO CHAMBER OF COMMERCE LEADERSHIP LAB ON NOVEMBER 11TH, THIS NINE MONTH TRAINING PROGRAM IS BASED ON THE MOST CURRENT THINKING [00:15:01] RESEARCH AND BEST PRACTICES IN LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT, FOCUSING ON FIVE CORE ELEMENTS, INCLUDING PROFESSIONAL PERFORMANCE, LEADERSHIP MANAGEMENT, COMMUNITY SERVICE. AND SELF-AWARENESS, WE'RE CONFIDENT THAT HE WILL CONTINUE PUTTING HIS KNOWLEDGE AND THESE MATTERS TO GOOD USE HERE AT VIA. I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO RECOGNIZE OUR COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER AND PUBLIC INFORMATION, OFFICER DR. LORRAINE PULIDO FOR HER AND FOR HER INDUCTION INTO THE HARLANDALE INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT HALL OF FAME, A MEMBER OF THE CLASS OF I'M NOT GOING TO SAY BECAUSE THAT WOULD REVEAL HER AGE. SHE BEGAN HER PATH TO EXCELLENCE AS AN HONOR, STUDENT AND CHEERLEADER AT HARLANDALE HIGH SCHOOL AND CONTINUED HER EDUCATION AT UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA AND COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY BEFORE EARNING HER PHD AT OUR LADY OF THE LAKE UNIVERSITY. SHE CURRENTLY SERVES ON THE ALAMO COLLEGES BOARD OF TRUSTEES AND THE BROOKS AUTHORITY BOARD. AND SHE'S THE VICE CHAIR OF THE BROOKS GIVES BACK FOUNDATION. AS A NOTE, I'D LIKE TO ADD THAT OUR VERY OWN BOARD CHAIR, FERNANDO RAYEZ HAS PREVIOUSLY BEEN INDUCTED INTO THE HARLANDALE HALL OF FAME AND THEY GAVE ME YOUR CLASS TOO. AND AGAIN, I AM NOT GOING TO SAY, BUT LORRAINE, CONGRATULATIONS, CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU. YOU ARE CLEARLY IN GOOD COMPANY. THE WTS W T S SAN ANTONIO REGION RECENTLY ANNOUNCED IT'S YEAR 2020 2020 AWARD WINNERS. AND WE'RE PROUD TO SAY THAT A FORMER V EMPLOYEE CHIEF STRATEGIC OFFICER MERISSA BONO WAS HONORED WITH THE INNOVATIVE TRANSPORTATION PROJECT LED BY A WOMAN AWARD FOR THE VIA CARES MOBILE WIFI PROJECT. THE MURRAY MERISSA IS NO LONGER EMPLOYED WITH US. HER INFLUENCES CONTINUE TO GUIDE US AS WE GIVE BACK TO THE COMMUNITY. AND AS WE HAVE CLEARLY EXPANDED THE ENTIRE VIA CARES PROGRAM. SO THIS NEXT ITEM I'M GOING TO SAVE BECAUSE I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT I'M GOING TO SAY FOR DECEMBER, I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE ONLINE. SO WE WILL GO TO THE NEXT ITEM. THE NEXT ITEM IS SADLY, I HA WE WANT TO TAKE A MOMENT NOW TO NOTE THE PASSING OF STEPHANIE GATTACA VS HUMAN RESOURCES, INFORMATION SYSTEMS, ADMINISTRATOR. SHE WAS A MEMBER OF THE VIA FAMILY FOR FIVE YEARS. AND HER LAST DAY ON DUTY WAS SEPTEMBER 28TH BEFORE PASSING AWAY ON NOVEMBER 10TH. DURING HER YEARS OF SERVICE WITH VIA, SHE WAS KNOWN AS AN IMPRESSIVE TEAM MEMBER WHOSE TALENT HAS HAD AN ENORMOUS IMPACT ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT. SHE IS, SHE WILL CONTINUE TO BE MISSED, BUT SHE WILL ENDURE IN THE HEARTS OF THE VIA FAMILY MEMBERS WHO KNEW HER SO WELL. OUR THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS ARE WITH STEPHANIE'S FAMILY AND FRIENDS. UH, AND SO IF WE COULD, LET'S TAKE JUST A BRIEF MOMENT IN HER HONOR, MR. CHAIR. I THINK THIS IS A REMINDER TO ALL OF US THAT ALTHOUGH, UH, INFECTION RATE IS MUCH LOWER, THERE ARE STILL PEOPLE OUT THERE WHO ARE STILL CATCHING THIS DISEASE AND WHO ARE STILL PASSING FROM THIS DISEASE. AND IT'S A UNFORTUNATE REMINDER OF THAT, THAT WE ALL STILL NEED TO BE TAKEN CARE. AND THAT CONCLUDES MY REMARKS. THANK YOU, JEFF. UH, PLEASE GIVE OUR CONDOLENCES TO THE FAMILY, UH, FOR THEIR GREAT LOSS. I ALSO WANT TO THANK AND CONGRATULATE TONY GHETTO AND THOMAS JOHN FOR GREAT JOB THAT THEY DO. UH, THEY KEEP, THEY KEEP BIA MOVING AND TO DR. LORRAINE PALITO GO INDIANS. I CONGRATULATIONS AND MARISA SAVONA. I KNOW WE MISS HER A LOT AND SHE'S, I KNOW SHE DID A GREAT JOB FOR YOU ALSO, BUT PLEASE THANK HER REVIEW. SHE HAPPENED TO SEE HER. ALL RIGHT, SO THEN WE'LL MOVE [3. Citizens to be Heard] ON TO THE NEXT, UH, AND THAT CITIZENS TO BE HEARD, MR. CHAIRMAN, WE DO HAVE CITIZENS TO BE HEARD. OKAY. IT'S NOT COME, IT'S NOT COME TO THE CITIZENS TO BE HEARD PORTION OF OUR PUBLIC MEETING. THE BOARD IS INTERESTED IN HEARING THE COMMENTS AND CONCERNS OF OUR PATRONS AND CITIZENS IN THE SAN ANTONIO BEAR COUNTY AREA QUESTIONS. THEY MAY ARISE DURING THE PORTION OF THE MEETING REGARDING PROGRAMS, PROJECTS, OR SERVICES ISSUES MAY BE ADDRESSED AT A LATER DATE BY PRESIDENT CEO AND HIS STAFF. THIS PROCESS WILL ASSURE THAT VAS AND COMPLIANCE WITH OPEN MEETINGS ACT, WHICH DOES NOT ALLOW THE VIA BOARD TO DELIBERATE MATTERS THAT ARE NOT ON THE AGENDA THIS EVENING. ADDITIONALLY, THE PROCESS ASSURES THAT YOU RECEIVED THE MOST ACCURATE RESPONSE TO YOUR QUESTION [00:20:02] OR CONCERN. THANK YOU. AND WE, I APPRECIATE YOU TAKING THE TIME AND EFFORT TO SHARE YOUR COMMENTS WITH US THIS EVENING. OUR FIRST CITIZEN TO BE HEARD IS WILLIE, MAY CLAY, CAN YOU HEAR THIS IS WILLIE MAY CLAY. CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES. OH, GREAT. ALL RIGHT. UH, FIRST OF ALL, I WANT TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO, TO, UM, TO SAY THANK YOU. AND I WANT TO GIVE A STAR TO SOME DEPARTMENTS WITHIN, VIA THAT WERE NOT MENTIONED TODAY IN THE CEO'S REPORT. I SPENT MUCH OF TODAY TALKING WITH PERSONS IN THE ACCESSIBILITY OFFICE, UH, THE, UH, THE V A COMMENT COMPLAINT LINE. AND LASTLY, I SPOKE WITH THE INDIVIDUAL. I'M NOT SURE ABOUT HER NAME, BUT SHE TOLD ME WHEN SHE CALLED ME TO CONFIRM THAT I WAS GOING TO, UH, PARTICIPATE IN CITIZENS AND, AND EXCUSE ME TO NOT BE CALLING YOUR NAME, BUT SHE WAS VERY INFORMATIVE. UH, YOU KNOW, SHE IS, SHE CALLS YOU BACK WHEN TO CONFIRM THAT YOU'RE GOING TO SPEAK IT CITIZEN. SO MAKE NOTE OF THAT, UH, WHAT I WANNA, WHAT I WANT TO TALK ABOUT QUICKLY TODAY IS THE PHONE LINES. AND I DON'T SUSPECT THAT I'M THE FIRST ONE WHO'S BEEN COMPLAINING, EXPRESSING CONCERNS ABOUT THE BIA RESERVATION LINE. UH, IT'S NOW ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO ASSURE THAT YOU WILL GET A RESPONSE FROM THE CALL FROM THE RESERVATION LINE WITHIN SAY FIVE TO 10 MINUTES. SO RECORDING IS ON FOR QUITE A WHILE. AND AFTER A WHILE, IT'LL TELL YOU, MAYBE PRESS ONE, IF YOU WANT TO CALL BACK. SO YOU PRESS ONE, EXPECTING A CALL BACK VERY SOON. AND SOMETIMES IT EXCEEDS AN HOUR. FOR EXAMPLE, I CALLED VIA TODAY TO MAKE A RESERVATION FOR THE NEXT DAY. THE CALLS ARE SO, SO GREAT. NOW, IF THEY BE VERDICT ONLY TO TAKING CALLS IN MANY RESPECTS FOR NEXT DAY RESERVATIONS, THAT'S JUST STUCK PERIOD TO THAT. BUT I CALLED AT ONE TIME, IT WAS NEARLY AN HOUR. I MEAN, I I'M BEING HONEST WITH YOU CAUSE I WAS ON THE LINE WITH SOMEBODY FROM THE COMPLAINT LINES TO PLANNING ABOUT HOW LONG I'VE WAITED FOR SOMEONE TO CALL ME BACK. AND IT WAS AN HOUR. I WAS ON THE LINE WITH HER WHEN THE CALL CAME IN AND I TOLD THE PERSON THAT I HAVE TO HANG UP SO I CAN GRAB THIS CALL. SO, YOU KNOW, BEFORE, WHEN WE WEREN'T FUNCTIONING THIS POORLY IN THE RESERVATION LINE. SO I THINK IT'S MORE THAN JUST THE VOLUME OF WORK. I WANT SOMEONE TO LOOK AT THAT, THAT PHONE LINE. HELLO, MY NAME IS DAN AND I'M HERE BECAUSE OF THIS, THE BUS LINE, NO SHOW 6 51. AS I HAVE LEARNED THE NEIGHBORS CALL IT. UM, I'M A MEMBER OF THE LOS ANGELES SITES, COMMUNITY COMMUNITY. AND I RECENTLY HAD A STROKE. SO BEAR WITH ME IF I TANGLE WORDS AND WHATNOT. UM, I'M A REGISTERED VOTER ON PRECINCT 2048 AND LOS ANGELES HEIGHTS AND A TAXPAYER VOTER AND ESSAY ONE ESSAY SIX. I STRONGLY SUPPORTED THE TRANSIT BONDS THAT WERE PUT UP FOR US BECAUSE I SUPPORT PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION. UM, I'M A CLIMATE JUSTICE ADVOCATE AND I THINK PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION [00:25:01] IS IMPORTANT, BUT IT NEEDS VIAS INPUT AS WELL. ON OCTOBER 27TH, UM, I HAD A FOLLOW-UP APPOINTMENT WITH A CARDIOLOGIST AND MY APPOINTMENT WAS AT 9:00 AM. SO I WAKE UP AT 5:00 AM AT THE BUS STOP AT SANTA PAULA AND FRESNO AT 6:50 AM. UM, AND THE SCHEDULE SAID SIX 50 TO 7 25, 7 58 49 AT BASSEY AND NEAR NO SHOW, NO SHOW, NO SHOW. AND THE 8 49 BUS ARRIVED AT 9 0 2. SO I CAN SEE WHY THEY CALL IT THAT I ASKED THE BUS DRIVER COMPOST, UH, THE SCHEDULE IS CURRENT AND HE SAID, YES, IT WAS THE SCHEDULE RIGHT HERE TODAY. I WAS HANDED, UM, THE AMENDED OR CORRECTED OR UPDATED OR WHATEVER. UM, SO I TRANSFERRED TO THE PRIMO AT FREDERICKSBURG ROAD AT MARY LOUISE AND THE, UM, I JUST MISSED ONE PRIMO. THE SECOND PRIMO WAS NO SERVICE. IS IT SIT ON TOP OF THE THIRD PRIMO. IT WAS NO SERVICE. AND THE FOURTH PRIMO HAD 40 PEOPLE GETTING ON. I COUNTED, I WAS ALIVE. I WANTED TO BE THE LAST ONE TO ASK THE BUS DRIVER. AND I ASKED HER, UH, WHAT HAPPENS, WHAT'S GOING ON TODAY? AND THAT BUS DRIVER SAID CALL VIA JUST LIKE THAT DISMISS ME. SO I'M ALREADY STARTING TO GET MAD. UM, JEAN, WELL, NEEDLESS TO SAY I WAS THREE HOURS AND 34 MINUTES LATE TO MY CARDIOLOGIST APPOINTMENT, A VERY IMPORTANT APPOINTMENT, WHICH I, IT JUST WASN'T MET ON THAT DAY. I CALLED THE A TO COMPLAIN. UM, AND LET'S NOT TALK ABOUT THAT. I THINK THE PREVIOUS PERSON, UH, TALKED ABOUT THAT, UM, CAME OVER HERE TO, AND WAS THROWN OUT OF THIS BUILDING. UH, I COULDN'T PARK, I'M DISABLED. I PARKED A BLOCK AND A HALF AWAY AND SOME BUS DRIVER ASKED HIM, DO YOU KNOW WHERE THIS PARK? AND HE SAYS, AH, THEY'RE OVER THERE. I SAID, WHY CAN'T FIND IT? HE SAYS TOO BAD. HE SAYS, LOOK FOR IT. I MEAN, NOT TO SAY EVERYBODY AT VIEW HAS BEEN HORRIBLE TO ME. A HANDFUL WERE VERY NICE, BUT I GOT THE GIST THAT IT WAS PRETTY BAD. WE WANT INNER CITY PUBLIC SERVICE. WE WANT INNER CITY TRANSIT JUSTICE IN ORDER TO HELP YOU. I VOTED FOR THIS. THIS IS TAXATION TATION. OUR NEXT JUDAISM HAS TIME YIELDED TO HIM FROM DARYL CRAWLEY FOR A TOTAL OF SIX MINUTES. WE ALL MCCLOUD. I CAN ANSWER THE LAST, UH, COMMONERS QUESTION ABOUT WHY THE BUS WAS LATE FOR THE 6 51. I ACTUALLY HAVE A SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS, UM, SAVED AS A SCREENSHOT BY ONE OF YOUR EMPLOYEES. UM, THEY SAID, WELL, WE'LL TAKE OUR TIME ON THAT ROUTE CAUSE NO ONE REALLY WRITES IT. AND, UH, RIGHT. AND IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE SCHEDULED AS 65 MINUTES AND NEVER SAY IT WAS 45 MINUTES. SO THEY'LL TAKE BREAKS. WE'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO BE TAKING BREAKS. SO I WOULD STRONGLY SUGGEST A SUPERVISOR BE PLACED ON THAT ROUTE. AND I CAN FIND THAT SCREENSHOT FOR YOU AND SEND THAT TO YOU AS WELL. CAUSE THAT'S WHAT I'LL PROBABLY DO NEXT. UM, BUT UM, LET ME GO OVER WHAT I'M SAYING ABOUT LAST MONTH'S MEETING. UH, LET ME TOUCH ON THAT A LITTLE BIT. YOUR COMMENTS HAVE BEEN COMMENTS REGARDING BUS SERVICE, COVID-19 VACCINATION, ACQUISITION OF WONDERLAND MALL. UM, AND THE REMOVAL OF BUS STOPS ALONG NACADOCIOUS RESPONSE. YOUR COMMENTS HAVE BEEN NOTED AND FORWARDED TO THE APPROPRIATE DEPARTMENTS FOR FURTHER REVIEW AND CONSIDERATION AS PART OF THE CONSOLIDATION OF ROUTES NINE AND 10, SOME STOPS WERE REASSIGNED TO BE SERVED BY THE NEW ROUTE NINE ALIGNMENT. OUR CUSTOMER OUTREACH BEGAN OCTOBER 11TH AND 2 20 21 IN THE FORM OF NOTICES PLACED AT THE BUS STOPS ALONG WITH INSTRUCTIONS ON WHERE TO FIND THE NEAREST STOP EFFECTIVE OCTOBER 25TH, 2021 INFORMATION CAN ALSO BE FOUND VIA OUR WEBSITE, SOCIAL MEDIA PAGES INSIDE BUSES AND OUR CUSTOMER SERVICES CENTERS. UH, THAT'S NOT CORRECT BECAUSE THAT'S NOT THE QUESTION I ASKED. THE QUESTION I ASKED IS WHAT HAPPENS TO THE BUS, STOPS THEMSELVES ON NACADOCIOUS AND HAVE HER FORD. AND THAT COULD THOUGH JUST AN OAK LEDGE THEY WERE REMOVED AT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT, BASICALLY LIKE YOU DID THE ONE-STOP ON PORTRAYING DCO AND RICHLAND HILLS, WHICH WAS ACTUALLY A PROJECT BY JAMCO, WHICH A PUBLIC RELATIONS DEPARTMENT AS I'M CRYING BEHIND THE ATTORNEY GENERAL, BECAUSE THEY DON'T WANT TO RELEASE ALL THE INFORMATION THEY CAN IT'S UP TO THEIR DISCRETION. UM, SO, AND ALSO TEXT.YOU DO AT CONTRACT WITH TXDOT. I WANT TO KNOW WHO THE POINT [00:30:01] OF CONTACT WITH TEXTS THOUGHT IS THERE IS INFORMATION RESPONSIVE TO MY REQUESTS. SO SOMEBODY PUTS THOSE, UH, FLYERS UP THAT SAY, UH, CROSS AT THE CROSSWALK AND IT SAYS VIAS LOGO, UH, AND TXDOT LOGO. SO SOMEBODY PUT SOME THERE, THEY DON'T JUST FALL OUT OF THE SKY. SO OBVIOUSLY TXDOT DOES, UH, TXDOT HAS, YOU HAVE SOME TYPE OF POINT OF CONTACT WITH TXDOT AND I WANT TO KNOW WHO THAT IS SO I CAN ASK THEM RELEVANT QUESTIONS. LIKE WHY ON EARTH WOULD YOU ADVERTISE PEDESTRIANS USE, UH, SIDEWALKS WHEN IT ALL EVEN HAVE SIDEWALKS ON HALF OF THE TECH STOCK ROADS LIKE NORTHWEST MILITARY, UH, 16 0 4, 4, 10 FREDERICKSBURG. THOSE ARE ALL TECH STOCK. I ALWAYS IN PARTS OF FRANCO TXDOT ROADWAY. SO WHAT ARE WE SUPPOSED TO DO? YOU USE THE STREET AND, UM, AND GEMCO SAYS, WELL, YOU KNOW, OUR INFORMATION IS CONFIDENTIAL BECAUSE WE'RE A FEDERAL CONTRACTOR WONG ACT, GET SOME REASONS WHY IT SHOULD BE MORE TRANSPARENT. AND ALSO WHEN WE HAVE, UH, QUESTIONS, WE SHOULDN'T ALWAYS HAVE TO EMAIL ANDY SHITE. WE SHOULDN'T ALWAYS HAVE TO DO THAT. AND THEN THEY SAY, WELL, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GOING TO CRY BEHIND THE ATTORNEY GENERAL BECAUSE, UM, MR. TOVAR, YOUR LEGAL DEPARTMENT, DOESN'T LIKE, UH, WHERE I SIT POLITICALLY. UM, I REMEMBER THAT LETTER Y'ALL GAVE ME ON THAT. UM, WE NEED THAT INFORMATION AND IT SHOULD BE PURSUED TO BE OPEN, NOT PURSUED TO BE CLOSED. OH MOTHER, MAY I, UH, UH, ATTORNEY GENERAL, KEN PAXTON, CAN WE REDACT THIS? CAN WE GIVE THIS TO HIM, ET CETERA, SHOULD BE ABLE IN YOUR CUSTOMER SERVICE DEPARTMENT, YOUR CUSTOMER CONCERNS DEPARTMENTS SHOULD BE ABLE TO ASK THEM, ANSWER THOSE QUESTIONS. AND WHENEVER I HAVE A CONCERN WITH CONCERNS, AND I SAID, WELL, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE SOMEONE GIVE YOU A CALL BACK, GUESS WHAT? IT NEVER HAPPENS. WHEREAS BEN'S THINGS THAT I'VE TALKED TO ABOUT CONSUMER CUSTOMER CONCERNS FOR MONTHS AND YEARS. THEY'RE JUST HOPING I JUST GIVE UP AND GO AWAY. NOPE, NOT HAPPENING. WE NEED TO HAVE A MORE TRANSPARENT, UM, PROCESS ON THE THINGS WHEN, ESPECIALLY AS SERVICE CHANGES TOO, I DO ADMIRE BEING I'M OKAY. OF KOREA OF CREDIT, WHERE CREDIT'S TO YOU WHERE YOU'RE MAKING, COMING TO THIS MEETING OPTIONAL AND ALLOWING PEOPLE TO, UH, UH, DO ZOOM MEETINGS, AUDIO AND VIDEO SO THEY CAN, UH, SOCIAL DISTANCE AND, YOU KNOW, UM, BACK TO SAFE, UH, PRACTICES, UH, TO PREVENT THE SPREAD OF COVID. THAT SHOULD BE HAPPENING ALL THE TIME, REGARDLESS OF COVID OR NOT, BECAUSE NOT EVERYONE LIVES CLOSE TO THE TRANSIT CENTER TO MAKE THEIR CONCERNS. AND NOW, UM, YOU ONLY HAVE THIS ONE, UH, MEANINGFUL PLACE. I MEAN, YOU HAVE WONDERLAND MALL, THAT'S A DYING MALL AND I MADE A GOOD, UH, GOOD, UH, SUGGESTION THAT YOU PURCHASE THAT MALL FROM BALCONIES HEIGHTS AND BUILD THE TRANSIT CENTER THERE AND SELL THIS PROPERTY THROUGH THE Y MCA, YOU WOULD HAVE APPLE PARKING SPACE CAN MAKE THE FUNDING HAPPEN. I'D BE ALL FOR THAT NOW. UH, THAT'S PRETTY MUCH ABOUT IT FOR RIGHT NOW. UH, I DO EXPECT TRANSPARENCY AND I DO EXPECT A NOTICE ON YOUR CODE OF CONDUCT THAT SAYS WE ARE ALLOWED TO FILM AND PUBLIC PLACES. THAT'S JACK MILLER BY PHONE NUMBER IS PUBLIC IT'S PUBLIC. IT'S 2 1 0 5 4 0 1 7 2 6. PLEASE REPLAY THAT BACK LATER AND PLEASE WRITE THAT DOWN. UH, AGAIN, IF, UH, YOU WANT TO CONTACT ME, UH, TO MOVE FORWARD FOR RESOLUTIONS ON THINGS THAT I BRING TO YOUR ATTENTION, I AM MORE THAN HAPPY TO TALK TO YOU. NOW, IF YOU WERE TO LOOK AT MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL, UH, THAT IS JUST ONE THING THAT I DO, UH, ON, ON MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL. IT'S ALL ABOUT POLICE MISCONDUCT. AND YES, I DO MAKE MONEY FROM THAT. AND I AM BRAZEN WHEN I A WITNESS OR I BECOME AWARE OF A POLICE OFFICER OPERATING OUTSIDE THE RULES OR OUTSIDE THE LAW. I DO NOT WASTE ANY TIME. I GET DOWN TO BRASS TACKS. I GRABBED THE BULL BY THE HORNS, AND I'M NOT NICE AT ALL. ANY ONE OF YOUR POLICE OFFICERS CAN ATTEST TO THAT. [00:35:01] UH, AT THE SAME TIME, IT WILL TELL YOU I HAVE A SPECIAL PLACE IN MY HEART FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT. I AM NOT JUST A A-HOLE ON YOUTUBE. IF YOU WATCH MY YOUTUBE AND THAT'S ALL YOU WATCH IT. SO WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO THINK, I'M ALSO A COMBAT VETERAN WHO HONORABLY SERVED. I'M A LAW ENFORCEMENT VETERAN WHO HONORABLY SERVED. I'VE NEVER BEEN FIRED FROM A JOB IN MY LIFE. ALTHOUGH LAW ENFORCEMENT LIKES TO PUT THAT RUMOR AROUND WHEN CHRIS POLICE OFFICER JUST GOT SUSPENDED FOR SAYING I WAS FIRED ALAMO HEIGHTS, POLICE SERGEANT WAS SUSPENDED FOR THREE DAYS FOR SAYING I WAS FIRED. IT'S NOT TRUE. SO WHEN YOU COME ACROSS, IF YOU DECIDE TO LOOK ME UP AND YOU ACROSS THESE RUMORS, TAKE IT WITH A GRAIN OF SALT. CALL ME AND ASK ME ABOUT IT. MY LIFE IS AN OPEN BOOK. YOUR POLICE DEPARTMENT IS NOT PERFECT. AGAIN, I'M NOT LOOKING FOR PERFECTION, UH, BUT I CAN TELL YOU THAT YOUR POLICE DEPARTMENT HAS MADE A COMPLETE TURNAROUND IN HOW THEY ACT WITH PEOPLE, NOT A 100% TURN AROUND AGAIN. THEY'RE NOT PERFECT. AND THERE ARE SOME THINGS CURRENTLY GOING ON THAT I AM INVESTIGATING THAT ARE QUITE DISTURBING OR WITHIN YOUR POLICE DEPARTMENT. I WILL LIKE I HAVE BEFORE BRINGING IT TO Y'ALL'S ATTENTION ON THAT NOTE, I CAN TELL YOU THAT THAT PROCESS IS HORRIBLE TO DATE. I HAVE NOT HAD A RESOLUTION, EVEN WHEN I PROVIDE VIDEO EVIDENCE OF AN OFFICER VIOLATING YOUR RULES. THE RESOLUTION FROM CHIEF WITHERSPOON WAS THAT HE FOUND NO WRONGDOING. AND I CAN ASSURE YOU THAT ANY ONE OF YOU THAT LOOK AT THE FACTS OF THAT WILL FIND THAT HIS DECISION WAS NOT PROPER. THESE ARE THE TYPE OF PROBLEMS THAT, THAT YOU GUYS HAVE. I'M WILLING TO WORK WITH YOU GUYS ON THIS, OR THAT'S WHAT I REALLY WOULD PREFER, OR, YOU KNOW, I CAN BRING THAT STUFF TO YOUTUBE AND ENJOY THE FRUITS OF THAT. UH, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE REACH OUT TO ME. ONE MORE THING THAT YOUR POLICE OFFICERS ARE NOT ALLOWED TO SPEAK TO ME. THEY'VE BEEN ORDERED AND I HAVE PROOF OF IT TO GIVE ME A CARD FOR RACHEL BENEVIDEZ. I'VE CONTACTED HER 18 TIMES WITH NO RESPONSE. I JUST NEED HER TO TALK TO NITA NITA, MAN. THERE ARE NO MORE CITIZENS TO BE HEARD. OKAY. THANK YOU ALL FOR [4. Consent Agenda] COMING AND SPEAKING TO US TODAY. UH, LET'S MOVE ON TO ITEM NUMBER FOUR, CONSENT AGENDA, ITEM NUMBER FOUR. TRUSTEES. ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS WE HAVE A MOTION? DO WE HAVE SECOND, SECOND, SECOND, I CAME BROWN ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE. AYE. ANY OPPOSED? NAY MOTION CARRIES. OKAY. NOW WE'RE GOING TO GO [5. Proposed January 2022 Service Revisions – For information and discussion regarding the proposed service changes effective on January 10, 2022] TO, UH, LET'S SEE, WE'RE NOW GOING TO HEAR THE PROPOSED JANUARY 20TH, 22ND, THIRD SERVICE REVISIONS 20 22, 20 20 22. GOOD AFTERNOON, MR. CHAIRMAN AND MEMBERS OF THE BOARD. MY NAME IS . I'M THE DIRECTOR OF CAPITAL AND SERVICE PLANNING. I'M HERE TODAY TO PROPOSE A AS INFORMATION. AND WHAT IS PATIENT THE RETIREMENT OF NINE ROUTES AND HATE ROUTES? SEGMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN SUSPENDED SINCE DON SAID OF COVID CO-PRESENTING WITH ME TODAY IS DR. ALLOWAY, CHIEF GOVERNMENT AND EXTERNAL AFFAIRS OFFICER. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. UH, WE INITIALLY PROPOSED THE SERVICE CHANGES TO YOU FOR INFORMATION AND DISCUSSION IN AUGUST OF THIS YEAR. TODAY, WE ARE AGAIN BRINGING THIS TO YOU AS AN INFORMATION AND DISCUSSION, UH, UH, THE RETIREMENT OF NINE ROUTES AND EIGHT ROUND SEGMENTS THAT HAVE NOT BEEN IN SERVICE SINCE APRIL OF LAST YEAR. THAT IS A PULL OF 2020 IN DECEMBER. WE PLAN TO ASK FOR APPROVAL TO RETIRE THESE ROUTES AND ROUTES SEGMENTS, THE ACTIVE DATE OF JANUARY 10TH. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. UH, THE REQUEST FOR ACTION IN DECEMBER, AS I EXPLAINED, IT WILL BE, UH, RETIRING ROUTE NINE DOTS AND EIGHT ROUTE SEGMENTS. AND NOW I'M GOING TO GO ONE BY ONE, UH, TO SHOW MORE DETAIL ON EACH ROUTES AND ROUTE SEGMENTS. UH, NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. UH, ONE NOTE THOUGH THAT THESE WILL NOT IMPACT CURRENT. WE ARE TRANS REGISTERED CLIENTS. UH, THERE ARE SOME KEY TAKEAWAYS FOR TODAY'S PRESENTATION. UH, NUMBER ONE IS [00:40:01] THE, THE ROUTES AND ROUTES SEGMENT WE ARE DISCUSSING TODAY HAVE THAT OPERATED SINCE APRIL OF 2020, BUT TRANSIT ADMINISTRATION CONSIDERS THIS LENGTH OF TIME AS PERMANENT SERVICE CHANGE TO THE NETWORK. SO WE MUST TAKE ACTION. THESE ROUTES SHOULD NOT SAY IT SUSPENDED INDEFINITELY, HENCE OUR REQUEST FOR A TIRING OF THE ROUTES, UH, TO CLARIFY WHAT MEANS, UH, RETIRING ROUTE, UH, IS BASICALLY ROUTES ARE SUSPENDED. WE ARE NO LONGER GOING TO HAVE THESE ROUTES, BUT IN FUTURE WE'LL MONITOR THE SEGMENT OR THE PORTIONS OF THE ROUTE. IF THERE IS ANY SERVICE ADJUSTMENTS NEEDED, MOST OF THESE ROUTES HAD UNDERLYING, UH, ALTERNATE SERVICE BEFORE COVID THAT IS STILL ACTIVE TODAY. AND SOME OF THE ROUTE SEGMENTS THAT ARE SLATED FOR RETIREMENT HAVE OTHER PROPOSALS IN WORK. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. I'M GOING TO STAY ON THIS SLIDE LITTLE LONGER. I'M GOING TO EXPLAIN HOW THE SLIDES AND MAPS ARE ORGANIZED AND THEN GO ONE BY ONE ON THE ROUTE. THE RED DARKER LINE REFLECTS ROUTE RECOMMENDED FOR A TIME WHEN IT'S A STEP BEFORE COVID DARK ORANGE TUNNEL LINE TO REFLECT THE ALIGNMENT OF ROUTES FOR THE CURRENT BUS NETWORKS, THE BUFFER AREA AROUND THOSE ALIGNMENTS REPRESENT A WORKSHEET, MEANING THAT SOMEONE WITHIN THAT AREA WOULD BE WITHIN FIVE MINUTES WALK TO BE AS NETWORK STOPS THAT FALL OUTSIDE. THE WORKSHEET WE REPORT TO THAT AS IMPARTED STARTS NEXT TO EACH IMPACT. STAFF IS AVERAGE BOARDING PER DAY. AVERAGE BOARDING SHOWN REPRESENT PRE COVID RIDERSHIP. SO THAT WILL LIKELY TO BE ABOUT 45% LESS IN TODAY'S ENVIRONMENT. ALL THE IMPACTED STOPS. I'M GOING TO SHOW YOU TODAY, ADD UP TO LESS THAN 0.5% OF ALL OUR PRE COVID FOODIE. NOW BACK TO ROUTE 11 DIVA CULTURE. THIS IS ONE OF THE THREE PEOPLE ROUTES THAT WAS DESIGNED TO TRANSPORT TOURISTS FROM DOWNTOWN TO CULTURAL DESTINATION, SUCH AS MUSEUM AND BUSINESS PUBLIC MISSIONS. IT OPERATED AT SKIP STOPPED SERVICE FROM SOUTHTOWN THROUGH DOWNTOWN TO CULTURAL INTERESTS ALONG ANIMAL STREET, UH, ALONG, UH, ALAMO BROADWAY STREET AND SEND BABIES. UM, THIS ROUTE HAD LIMITED RIDERSHIP AND THERE IS AN ALTERNATIVE SERVICE ON ST. MARY'S WITH ROUTE EIGHT AND BROADWAY WITH ROUTE NINE, 14, AND ON ALL THEM, ALL THE DROUGHT 51 IMPACTED BUS STOPS ARE AT ZOO. YOU CAN SEE ON THE MAP THAT AVERAGE DAILY RIDERSHIP PEAK OVER THE THREE AND THEN BOTANICAL GARDENS AT 16. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. THIS IS ANOTHER, UH, ONE OF VIVA ROUTES WITHOUT 40 VEEVA MISSIONS OPERATED AS SKIP STOP SERVICE. AND I THINK DOWNTOWN ALONG BOONSVILLE TO SAN ANTONIO MISSION, THIS ROUTE HAD LIMITED RIDERSHIP AND THERE IS ALTERNATIVE SERVICE AND SEND MAYBE IT'S ROUTE 34 AND ROUTES THE ROUTE 42, ROUTE 42 DROPS YOU WITHIN THREE BLOCKS OF ANIMAL AND SERVES MISSION CONCEPCION. AND WITH SUNSHINE JOSE, THE RIDERSHIP IMPACT FOR OUR POOTIE IS IN THE SEGMENT ON MISSION ROAD THAT EXTENDS TO TWO SOUTHERN MOST MISSION MISSION SAN JUAN AND IN SAN FRANCISCO DELIGHTS POTTER. WE DO PLAN TO CONTINUE TO REEVALUATE THE SERVICE, UH, TO MISSIONS, UH, AS WE EVALUATE OTHER OPPORTUNITIES. SO CURRENTLY THE ROUTE AS YOU HAVE SHOWN, MOST OF THE BOARDINGS ARE WITHIN WALKING DISTANCE AND THE RATE SEGMENT BY BACKGROUND. THAT'S THE PORTION THAT WILL BE NO SERVICE. THE SERVICE DOESN'T EXIST SINCE LAST APRIL, BUT THAT'S VERY TIRED. THAT'S NOT THAT'S THE IMPACT PORTION. NEXT NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. 3 0 1. WE'VE OUR CULTURE OPERATED AT DOWNTOWN CIRCULATOR THAT ORIGINALLY SERVED ALONG COMMERCE AND MARKET WITHIN CENTRAL PLAZA, UH, CONNECTING, UH, TO THE EAST SIDE, UH, TO THE SENSITIVE STATION. THERE ARE MANY OTHER ROUTES THAT TRANSECT DOWNTOWN THAT COULD BE OFFERED AS ALTERNATIVE. THERE ARE EIGHT, THERE ARE SOME RUGS LISTED ON THIS SLIDE HUNDRED. PRIMO IS A ONE PRIME ROUTE, WHICH IS FREQUENT AND OTHER ROUTES THAT OFTEN ALSO OFFER FREQUENT SERVICE AT 2 14 24, 25, 44, 75, 82 AND 88. SO, UH, UH, VEEVA WHILE WE ARE RETIRING SERVICE, THEY ARE NOT RETIRING BRAND. SO LEROY, UH, DO YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT VIVA BRAND OR [00:45:01] MR. JOHN ? THANK YOU, MAN. JERRY IT'S W W WE DO HAVE, WE DO HAVE A LOOK AT AN OPPORTUNITY TO KEEP AND PRESERVE THE VIA VIVA BRAND. IT REALLY IDENTIFIED THE BRAND ALONG THE CORRIDORS THAT HAVE REALLY BEEN IDENTIFIED BY THE ROUTE SUB NAMES, SUCH AS CULTURE AND MUSEUM REACH, AND THEN REALLY PROMOTING THE EXISTING ROUTES THAT ARE IN OPERATION TODAY TO SUPPORT THOSE CORRIDORS. WE LOOK FORWARD TO TALKING TO OUR PARTNERS THAT WE'VE HAD IN THE PAST, UH, WITH THESE BIBA, UH, UH, BRAND, UH, OPPORTUNITIES. AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO REPORT BACK TO THE BOARD ON THE PROGRESS. THANK YOU. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. SO ARE 16 JBSA SAM, UH, PROVIDED WEAKENED SERVICE ONLY AND CONNECTED WHATSAPP TO USO DOWNTOWN AT ONSET OF COVID. THE BUSINESS WERE RESTRICTED. THERE WAS LITTLE DEMAND ON THE ROUTES THAT SERVE THE MILITARY BASIS SINCE COVID THEY HAVE LEARNED THAT GPAC HAS REDESIGNED THEIR BASIC TRAINING PROGRAM. FOR EXAMPLE, STUDENTS ARE NOW DEPARTING FRIDAYS INSTEAD OF MONDAYS. SO THERE IS LITTLE ACTIVITY ON THE WEEKENDS. IN ADDITION, USO DOWNTOWN IS ALSO CLOSED AND THEY LOOK RELOCATED THE SERVICES TO THE BASIS, AND CURRENTLY THEY DON'T PLAN TO MOVE BACK TO DOWNTOWN. WE HAVE BEEN IN CONTACT WITH THE BASE USAW TO SEE WHAT FUTURE EXISTS FOR THEM. CURRENTLY, WE UNDERSTAND THAT THERE IS NO SUFFICIENT DEMAND TO SUPPORT THE SERVICE. AT THIS TIME, WE WILL CONTINUE TO KEEP IN TOUCH WITH THEM AND REASSESS THE DEMAND AS MONTHS GO FORWARD. THIS IS SO THE IMPACT ON THIS BASE IS THERE, BUT AS WE WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE SERVICE AND, UH, WHAT JBSA AND UH, USA DO WILL, UH, WORK WITH THEM. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. SIMILAR TO, UH, THE PREVIOUS ROUTE, ROUTE 65, JBSA LACKLAND EXPRESS PROVIDED WEEKEND SERVICE, ONLY CONNECTED JBSA LACKLAND TO USE OR DOWNTOWN. WE UNDERSTAND FROM COMMUNICATIONS WITH THE BASE, THAT THERE IS NOT SUFFICIENT DEMAND TO SUPPORT THE SERVICE AT THIS TIME. AGAIN, USO IS NO LONGER A DESTINATION IN DOWNTOWN AND ALTERNATIVE SERVICES ARE AVAILABLE JUST OUTSIDE THE GATE WITHIN WALKING DISTANCE ON ROUTE SIX, 11 AND SIX 16. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. BUT I'LL PUT IT IS I CERTIFIED EXPRESS PROVIDED. WE TAKE EACH SERVICE ONLY BETWEEN DOWNTOWN AND KING STREET ALONG HIGHWAY 16. AS THE MAP SHOWS, THERE WAS LIMITED RIDERSHIP AND WE COVID BOARDING IMPACTS ARE LESS THAN SEVEN PER DAY. THAT IS AVERAGE WEEKLY BOARDING. SO THIS IS ALSO RECOMMENDED FOR RETIREMENT. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. SO ROUTE 54, SOUTH ALAMO OPERATED BETWEEN DOWNTOWN AND CULBERSON ALONG ALAMO AND NOBEL LITERS. THIS LOUD HAD 60 MINUTES SERVICE ONLY DURING THE WEEK. AND ON SATURDAY, THERE WAS NO SERVICE ON SUNDAY. IT WAS BETWEEN 5:00 AM AND 8:00 PM. THIS ROUTE ALSO EXPERIENCED LIMITED RIDERSHIP BEFORE COVID, UH, THERE, THERE ARE APPROXIMATELY 16 PRE COVID BOARDINGS THAT ARE IMPACTED ALONG 13 DIFFERENT STOPS. AS YOU CAN SEE ON THE MAP THAT ARE LIMITED WHITE AREAS, THE BOARDINGS ARE IMPACTED. THIS ROUTE ALSO HAD PROXIMITY TO 51 NAGA LITOS AND SUBSTITUTE CLERK, BUT ALSO THERE IS ANOTHER DARK ANZALDUA MAURA THAT IS CLOSER TO THE WHITE AREA, WHICH IS IMPACTED ON THE MAP, WHICH HAS A FREQUENT SERVICE. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE, ROUTE 70 OPERATED BETWEEN LAST POUND SHOPPING CENTER AND CENTRAL PLAZA. ALONG WITH CESAR CHAVEZ. THIS ROUTE HAD 60 MINUTES SERVICE ONLY DURING WEEK AND ON SATURDAY, NO SUNDAY SERVICE ALTERNATE SERVICE AVAILABLE FOR THIS ROUTE IS PICK ONE SERVICE ON WEST COMMERCE. YOU NEVER STOP THE TROUT 75 AND 76 AND FREQUENT SERVICE ON 68 GUADALUPE 5 5 22, UH, WHICH IS NOT ON THE SLIDE. ALSO HAS SOME SERVICE RIGHT THERE [00:50:01] ON COUPLES BEFORE YOU GET TO LAST PARLIAMENT'S SHOPPING CENTER. SO THIS LOUD, UH, UH, AND THE STOP ASSOCIATED WITH THAT HAS SERVICE ON, UH, OTHER ROUTES AS ACCESS WITH OTHER ROUTES. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. UH, 6 31 SUNRISE AND SUMMER SUMMERFEST. THIS WAS A CIRCULATOR SERVICE RUN MIRANDA, FRANCE ITSELF, A LONG, MID, AND RITTIMAN TO SUMMER PRESS THIS LAB EXPERIENCE LIMITED RIDERSHIP. ALSO PEOPLE WITH THIS ROUTE HAS ALTERNATIVE SERVICE WITH ROUTE 6 29, INDUSTRIAL PARK AND SIX 30 RANDOLPH, COLBY, AND SUNRISE. THERE IS ONLY ONE STOP THAT WILL BE CLOSED BY THIS RETIREMENT. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. NOW, UH, I'M MOVING ON TO PROPOSE ROUTE SEGMENTS TO RETIRE. THE FIRST GROUP IS GROUP OF THREE 30 EXPEND EXTENSION TO SEND HEDVIG THROUGH CHINA, ROUTE 36, SOUTH PRESA EXTENSION TWO ELEMENT ARE ABOUT 42 EXCLUDES WELL EXTENSION TO SO YEAH, UH, THERE IS MOBILITY ON DEMAND, REQUEST PROPOSALS DIRECTLY UNDER EVALUATION, AND ALL THESE AREAS ARE IN THAT PROPOSAL. THERE WE ARE LOOKING FOR SOLUTION TO REPLACEMENT OF THESE TRIPS THAT ARE THREE SUBURBAN CITIES, THEN HEDWIG CHINA ROLE AND ELEMENT ARE, UH, THAT ARE AFFECTED THAT RETIREMENT OF SEGMENTS. BUT THE PROPOSAL WE ARE EVALUATING, REPLACING TRIPS WITH MOBILITY ON DEMAND SERVICE WOULD PROVIDE ACCESS TO TRANSIT NETWORK THROUGH THAT AT SOME POINT NEXT YEAR. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. UH, THIS SLIDE HAD TWO EXTENSION DOT FOUR SAN PEDRO EXTENSION TO BLOSSOM. UH, THERE IS CURRENTLY SERVICE ON ROUTE 6 48 BETWEEN NORTH STAR AND BLOSSOM. THE SECOND, UH, EXTENSION IS FIVE 15 SOUTH CROSS EXTENSION ON WALTERS. UH, THIS EXTENSION IS WITHIN 10 MINUTES WALK, THE HIGH FREQUENCY SERVICE ON NEW BRAUNFELS, JUST WEST OF WORKERS. THERE ARE ALSO NUMEROUS VAL THAT INTERSECT THIS EXTENSIONS, INCLUDING 22 HAYS 24 HOUSTON AND 25 USE FARMERS. THESE LEAD OUR SCHOOL EAST-WEST THE EXTENSION IS NOT SOLVED OR DOES IT AN AREA WE WOULD LIKE TO REVISIT FOR SERVICE AS WORKFORCE BECOMES AVAILABLE. AND WE LOOK AT, UH, EAST SIDE AS A WHOLE, UM, TO FIND OUT SOLUTION, UH, TO PROVIDE A SERVICE NOT UP NEXT, NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. UH, 25 EAST FARMERS, UH, ROUTE SEGMENT AT HONEY, IT'S THIS LOUD SEGMENT DEVIATES FROM MAIN ROUTE, WHICH THEY'RE RECOMMENDING TO RETIRE 26 MARTIN LUTHER KING ROUTING LIKE AT ST. PHILLIPS, WHICH IS SIMILAR TO ROUTE 25. IT'S A DEVIATION FROM THE MEAN ROUTE, UH, NEAR COLLECTIVE, SIR, UH, BY DROUGHT THOUGH. UH, SO 25 AND 26 ALL STOPS ON THE DEVIATION ARE WITHIN FOUR MINUTE WALK TO EITHER MARTIN LUTHER KING OR COMMERCE. AND THEN ROUTE 66 THAT OUR BOARD SEGMENT ON US 90 CURRENTLY, UH, THE FACILITY IT WAS SERVING IS NO LONGER IN BUSINESS. THERE ARE TWO STOPS ON EITHER SIDE OF US 19. IT HAD NO BOARDINGS REPORTED PEOPLE WITH THIS, UH, BECAUSE POTENTIALLY FROM CLOSURE OF BUSINESSES. UH, SO THIS ALL IS TO STREAMLINE SERVICE ON 25, 26 AND ALSO 66 THAT NO BOARDING ACTIVITY RECORDED. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. SO AGAIN, UH, THIS IS A SUMMARY FOR REQUEST FOR ACTION. WE'LL COME BACK IN DECEMBER, WE'LL REQUEST TO APPROVE TO RETIRE SERVICES THAT HAS BEEN SUSPENDED SINCE APRIL, 2020, INCLUDING NINE ROUTES AND EIGHT DRIVE SEGMENTS AS EXPLAINED THAT EFFECTIVE DATE OF JANUARY 10TH, 2022. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. NOW I'M GOING TO HAND OVER TO MY COLLEAGUE AND A PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT FOR MORE INFORMATION. THANK YOU, MAN. JERRY, IF WE CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, I THINK IT HAS AN INJURY MENTIONED. WE ORIGINALLY WENT OUT IN AUGUST OF 2021 WITH THIS PROPOSAL OF SERVICE CHANGES, WHICH INCLUDED THE RETIREMENT [00:55:01] OF THESE ROUTES, UH, DID HAVE DISCUSSION CAN VIRTUAL PUBLIC MEETINGS BEING HELD BOTH IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH, MULTIPLE TENS OF THOUSANDS OF EMAILS SENT OUT TO OUR DATABASE, LETTING PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT THE POS THE POTENTIAL TO COMMENT ON THESE MEETINGS, AS WELL AS TO PARTICIPATE IN THE VIRTUAL PAGE. WE HAD SET UP, WHICH WALKED THROUGH ALL OF THESE PROPOSED CHANGES IN MUCH MORE DETAIL. IF WE CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, AS WE'VE TRADITIONALLY SEEN WITH SERVICE CHANGES, WE DO RECEIVE A HANDFUL OF STATEMENTS AND COMMENTS. UH, AGAIN, 10 THAT WERE SPECIFIC TO THE PROPOSAL OVERALL, INCLUDING THE RIGHT ROUTE RETIREMENTS, A COUPLE OF THOSE ASKING US TO KEEP THE BIBA ROUTE AND THAT SERVICE, UH, SIX COMMENTS RELATED TO VIA LINK, AND THEN JUST FIVE GENERAL VIA SERVICE COMMENTS THAT WE HAVE FORWARDED ON TO THE APPROPRIATE DEPARTMENTS. AS SOME TIME HAS LAPSED THOUGH, SINCE WE FIRST WENT OUT TO THE COMMUNITY POST BOARD ACTION IN DECEMBER, UH, ASSUMING THERE IS BOARD APPROVAL IN DECEMBER, THEN WE WILL DO A MORE INTENSIVE NOTICE TO REMIND THE COMMUNITY THAT THESE ROUTES HAVE ONE NOT BEEN IN SERVICE SINCE APRIL OF 2020 AND ARE NOW OFFICIALLY BEING RETIRED BY THE AGENCY. AND THAT WILL, OF COURSE RUN THE GAMUT FROM SOCIAL MEDIA NOTIFICATIONS, EMAIL NOTIFICATIONS, AS WELL AS PRINT NOTIFICATIONS TO LET THE COMMUNITY KNOW THAT THIS HAS INDEED MOVED BEYOND A SUSPENSION TO A RETIREMENT FOR THOSE ROUTES. AND I BELIEVE WITH THAT, WE'RE AVAILABLE FOR ANY QUESTIONS. YOU MAY HAVE TRUSTEES. ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS, IF NOT, UH, I HAVE A QUESTION FOR MANNED JURY. YES, SIR. WHAT TIME IS IT IN INDIA? 5 28 IN THE MORNING. OH, WELL THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMITMENT TO VIA. I REALLY APPRECIATE IT. I WAS JUST TOLD THAT YOU'RE CALLING US FROM INDIA, SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH AND BE SAFE. OKAY. IF THERE IS NO [6. Operator Staffing Update – For information and discussion regarding operator staffing status and efforts] OTHER QUESTIONS OR DISCUSSIONS, WE'LL MOVE ON TO ITEM NUMBER SIX, MR. PEOPLES WILL NOW PRESENT ITEM SIX, OPERATING STAFFING UPDATE. ABSOLUTELY. HELLO BOARD OF TRUSTEES. MY NAME IS MARCUS PEOPLES VICE PRESIDENT OF HUMAN RESOURCES. AND I WILL LIKE TO REPORT ON AS OPERATING STAFFING WITH YOU TODAY. NEXT SLIDE. UH, TODAY WE WILL BE TALKING, I WILL BE DISCUSSING WITH YOU THE STATE OF THE RECRUITMENT MARKET. UM, OUR BUS OPERATORS STAFFING, UH, OUR PAST CURRENT, AND ALSO OUR FUTURE GOALS OF THE BUS OPERATOR STAFFING WE HAVE AND ALSO OUR RECRUITMENT INITIATIVES AND RETENTION EFFORTS THAT WILL HELP US MEET OUR GOALS. NEXT SLIDE COVID CONTINUES TO HAVE A PROFOUND IMPACT ON TRANSPORTATION AGENCIES, NATIONWIDE CAUSING, AS YOU SEE HERE, MANY AGENCIES TO CUT ROUTES AND SLASH FREQUENCY DUE TO SORT OF DUE TO A SHORTAGE OF BUS OPERATORS. NEXT TIME. ADDITIONALLY, MANY OF OUR LOCAL PURCHASES ARE IMPACTED BY STAFFING SHORTAGES CAUSED BY COVID AS WELL. THE RECRUITMENT LANDSCAPE HAS CHANGED DUE TO THE NEEDS OF STAFF, WHERE THE STAFF, THE LARGE NUMBER OF VACANCIES THROUGHOUT THE CITY. THERE ARE MORE RECRUITERS AND RECRUITMENT EFFORTS IN THE MARKET TODAY FORCING US TO AGGRESSIVELY COMPETE WITH EACH OTHER FOR THE SAME CANDIDATES NEXT LINE. SO LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT B AS BUS OPERATOR STAFFING. THIS SLIDE HERE ILLUSTRATES RECRUITMENT EFFORTS SUSTAINED AND GREW STAFFING IN THE YEARS PRIOR TO COVID IN ORDER TO MEET THE SERVICE IMPROVEMENTS PLAN AS PART OF COSIS 10 MINUTES, CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, 10 MINUTES, $10 MILLION FUNDING HAS IDENTIFIED THE LEFT-HAND SIDE OF THIS CHART IN JANUARY OF 2018 VIA COMPLETED PHASE ONE OF THE THREE PHASE SERVICE IMPROVEMENT PLAN AND COMPLETED IT BY FINISHING PHASE THREE IN JANUARY OF 2019, IN ORDER TO MEET THE SERVICE LEVELS, A HUNDRED FTES WERE ADDED DURING FYI 18 THROUGH FYI TAKING THE TOTAL, TAKING THE FTE COUNT FROM 9 81 TO 1082. THE RIGHT SIDE OF THIS GRAPH TELLS A DIFFERENT STORY. HOWEVER, FYI IT'S AND FYI 2321, WE SEE HOW COVID HAS IMPACTED OUR BUS OPERATORS, STAFFING, AND MARCH FYI 20 HIRING WAS PUT ON HOLD DUE TO DPS TEMPORARY CLOSING AS OPERATIONS DUE TO COVID HIGHER, AND THEN RESUMED IN OCTOBER, UNDER MODIFY SIZE CLASS SIZES OF PATE DUE TO SOCIAL DISTANCING MEASURES. HOWEVER, YOU WILL NOTICE THAT THIS WAS NOT ENOUGH TO OUTPACE THE NUMBER OF BUS OPERATORS LOST TO THE UNIQUE CHALLENGES BROUGHT ON BY COVID NEXT SLIDE. [01:00:03] SO WHEN WE SPEAK ABOUT OUR STAFFING LEVELS, WE MUST CONSIDER OPERATORS IN VERSUS OPERATORS OUT HERE. WE SEE THAT ON AN ANNUAL BASIS, THE GAP BETWEEN OUR BUS OPERATORS SEPARATIONS AND OUR GRADUATES INTO THE FTE RANKS PRIOR TO COVID WAS RELATIVELY FLAT, HAS IDENTIFIED HERE IN FY 18 AND 19. HOWEVER, AN FYI 20 AND 21 A DIFFERENT STORY CAN BE SEEN. THE GAP HAS, HAS INCREASED SIGNIFICANTLY DUE TO COVID CHALLENGES. SIMPLY PUT HERE IN HR, WE'RE FOCUSED ON, ON WE'RE REALLY FOCUSED ON BUS OPERATORS AND OUTPACING PLUS OPERATORS OUT NEXT SLIDE. SO AT WHAT POINT OF THEIR CAREER DO OUR BUS OPERATORS SEPARATE FROM VIA HERE, WE SEE THAT ON AVERAGE 37% OF OUR BUS OPERATORS SEPARATE BEFORE THEY REACH THEIR SECOND YEAR, EXCUSE ME, THE TWO YEAR MARK, THE NUMBER SIGNIFICANTLY DROPS TO 7% IN YEARS, TWO TO FOUR, AND CONTINUES TO DROP WHEN OUR BUS OPERATORS DECIDE TO STAY LONG-TERM BEING EXCELLENT. SO WHERE ARE WE NOW? CURRENTLY WE STARTED OCTOBER WITH 888 FTS 14 STUDENTS GRADUATED FROM TRAINING INTO THE FTE RANKS AGAINST 17 SEPARATIONS, BRINGING US TO 808, EXCUSE ME, 885 FTES, NEXT LINE. SO NOW THAT WE KNOW WHERE WE'RE AT, WHERE ARE OUR GOALS? OUR IMMEDIATE GOAL IS TO BUILD OUR FTE COUNT, TO EXCUSE ME, FROM 885 TO 917, TO GET, UH, TO GET SERVICE BACK TO THE MAY SERVICE LEVELS PRIOR TO THE REDUCTIONS, WE WILL CONTINUE TO AND RIDE THAT MOMENTUM TO GET US TO 936 FTES, WHICH TAKES US TO THE AUGUST SERVICE LEVELS PRIOR TO THE CONDUCTED TO THE REDUCTIONS. AND ULTIMATELY OUR GOAL IS TO HAVE 992 THAT TS, UH, TO GET US TO EXCUSE ME, IN ORDER FOR US TO MEET OUR CASE, SAM, UH, CASE, KEEP SAN ANTONIO MOVING SERVICE LEVELS. I SEE A TRUSTEE 12 HAS A QUESTION. WAIT UNTIL YOUR, YOUR PRESENTATIONS COMPLETE. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. OKAY. THEN YOU GO TO SLIDE 10. SO HOW DO WE GROW OUR BUS OPERATORS? SO I'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE TO YOU THIS LESS OPERATOR STAFF AND FUNNEL, AS MENTIONED BEFORE A BUS OPERATOR IN MUST OUTPACED BUS OPERATORS OUT THIS FINAL ILLUSTRATION SHOWS THAT DURING THE YEARS PRIOR TO COVID RECRUITMENT EFFORTS GENERATED ENOUGH INTEREST THAT PRODUCED ON AVERAGE, 156 APPLICATIONS PER MONTH. THIS ALLOWED US TO HIRE ON AVERAGE 32 BUS OPERATOR RECRUITS PER MONTH, 16 OF WHICH WOULD GRADUATE. AND UNFORTUNATELY, 15, UH, WHAT SEPARATES FROM VIA POST COVID SHOWN HERE, UH, ON THE RIGHT HERE. SO IN HERE ON THE RIGHT FROM AUGUST TO OCTOBER, SHOWS A SIGNIFICANT DROP IN THE NUMBER OF BUS OPERATORS, MAKING IT THROUGH THE FUNNEL. CURRENT RECRUITMENT EFFORTS ARE GENERATING INTEREST THAT HAS INCREASED OUR MONTHLY APPLICATIONS, AVERAGE TO 170. AND I WOULD LIKE FOR YOU JUST TO MAKE A NOTE OF THE 170, I'LL REVISIT THAT IN THE MANAGEMENT OF, IN THE SLIDES TO COME, WE HIRE AN AVERAGE, UH, 40 TO 45, UH, BUS OPERATORS, EXCUSE ME, TRAINEES A MONTH OF WHICH FIVE ARE GRADUATING CURRENTLY. AND THEN ALSO WE ARE STILL AT THE TURN LANE EXPERIENCING 15 SEPARATIONS PER MONTH. NEXT SLIDE. SO WHAT DOES OUR RECOVERMENT PLAN? SO ALLOW ME TO SHOW YOU HOW WE PLAN TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF BUS OPERATORS TO MAKE IT THROUGH THE FUNNEL THREE DISTINCTIVE AREAS, TRAINING CLASSES. THE PLAN IS TO INCREASE RECRUITMENT CLASSES FROM THE CURRENT SIZE OF 15 PER CLASS. WE HAVE THREE CLASSES PER MONTH TO 20 TO 25 PER CLASS, WHICH IS IN LINE WITH PRE COVID CLASS SIZES AND CONTINUE AS MENTIONED BEFORE. AND WE'LL CONTINUE WITH THAT THREE CLASSES PER MONTH GRADUATES. THE WHOLE GOAL IS TO INCREASE AND IMPROVE THE GRADUATE RETENTION RATE, AND THEN THIRD SEPARATIONS DECREASED NUMBER OF SEPARATION FROM 15 PER MONTH, PER MONTH TO 10 PER MONTH, PRIMARILY FOCUSING ON THE SEPARATION WITHIN THE ONE TO TWO YEAR SURFACE. NEXT SLIDE. SO, AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, BY INCREASING THE CLASS SIZES FROM 15 PER CLASS TO 20 TO 25 WILL ALLOW US TO HIRE 60 TO 65 PER MONTH, UH, AND HOPEFULLY YIELD A 700 TO 900, UH, RECRUITS PER YEAR. UM, GRADUATES, GRADUATION, UH, GRADUATE RETENTION RATE IS OUR S UH, IS A HUGE FOCUS. AND IF WE CAN MEN, MEN, EXCUSE ME, IF WE CAN ADD A MINIMUM, GET BACK TO THE PRE COVID GRADUATION RETENTION RATES, THIS WILL INCREASE GRADUATES TO 30 TO 38 PER MONTH AND BRING TO THE BOTTOM LINE ON THE ANNUAL BASIS, ANYWHERE FROM 360 TO 4 56 SEPARATION FOCUSED ON DECREASING THE SEPARATIONS. I MENTIONED PREVIOUSLY, UH, IN THE FIRST YEAR MARK, UH, AND DECREASING THOSE SEPARATIONS FROM 15 TO 10 PER MONTH. UH, AND ALSO THAT WILL GIVE US THE SAME AS A 60 FTES [01:05:01] BY SAVING THOSE FTE SEPARATIONS. MY DECREASE IN THOSE SEPARATIONS WILL SAVE US 60 FTES PER YEAR, NEXT SLIDE. SO THOSE ARE HAPPY NUMBERS. YES, THEY ARE. HOW DO WE DO THEM? UM, AND SO THIS NEXT, UH, COUPLE OF SLIDES I WILL SHARE WITH YOU RECRUITMENT EFFORTS, AS WELL AS THE RETENTION NUMBERS TO HELP US ACHIEVE THOSE GOALS. UH, WE ARE LEVERAGING THE POWER OF OUR EXISTING STAFF TO PROMOTE VIA AND TO SEND CANDIDATES OUR WAY WITH OUR EMPLOYEE REFERRAL INCENTIVE. ADDITIONALLY, AS MORE CANDIDATES, SEE OUR MARKETING MATERIAL, THEY IMMEDIATELY SEE THAT V IS HIRING VIA, HAS A HIRING INCENTIVE. UH, AND AS IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO EARN MONEY, EXTRA MONEY WHILE WORKING FOR THIS AWESOME AGENCY, NEXT SLIDE, MANY OF THESE RECRUITMENT EFFORTS INVOLVE AND AGGRESSIVE BOOTS ON THE GROUND APPROACH THAT COMPLIMENTS OUR VIRTUAL AND PRINT EXPOSURE TO DRIVE INTEREST. THERE'S ENTAILS OF MANY JOB FAIRS AND CAREER DAY EVENTS SHOWN HERE, RJ AND THE NEXT COUPLE OF SLIDES ARE JUST A FEW OF THE JOB FAIR AND CAREER DAY EVENTS. MY HR TEAM REGULARLY PARTICIPATES IN. I WOULD LIKE TO NOTE THAT, UH, WE ARE PROUD RECIPIENTS OF THE, WE HIRE VETERANS AWARD RECOGNIZING THAT BS WORKFORCE IS COMPRISED OF AT LEAST 10% MILITARY VETERANS AND ACTIVE DUTY SERVICE MEN AND WOMEN. NEXT LINE, WE CONSISTENTLY PARTICIPATE IN COMMUNITY JOB FAIRS AND PER DAY EVENTS, SUCH AS ESSAY, READY TO WORK, TEXAS WORKFORCE COMMISSION, AND ALSO DORIS, JUST TO NAME A FEW, UH, THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF ASSISTANT REHABILITATIVE SERVICES. NEXT LINE EDUCATION IS CRITICAL TO OUR PARTNERSHIP WITHIN THE CITY AS WELL. UH, AND ALSO TO OUR RECRUITMENT EFFORTS TO SOLICIT INTEREST IN VIA AND TO DRIVE TRAINED AND QUALIFIED CANDIDATES OUR WAY, UH, UH, WE'VE HAD, UH, LOTS OF SUCCESS WITH, UH, SOUTH TEXAS VOCATIONAL INSTITUTE WITH THE CAREER DAY ST. PHILLIPS GOODWILL, AND ALSO SAN ANTONIO COLLEGE THAT WE CONTINUE ON THE BOARD TO CONTINUE TO BUILD A PIPELINE WITH THOSE AGENCIES NEXT LINE. UH, AND ALSO, UH, WE SPONSOR OUR OWN JOB FAIRS, UH, BUS OPERATORS, MECHANICS, WOMEN'S WEDNESDAY. WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO GETTING THEM BACK ON ONLINE HERE, UH, UH, VIRTUAL, EXCUSE ME, UH, HOME ONSITE AS WELL AS WE, UH, PARTICIPATE IN NEWLY AND HAVE THOSE NATIONAL TRANSIT COUNTRY CAREER DAY TOURS THAT, UM, ALIGN WITH THE AFA NON TRANSIT DATE. EXCELLENT. SO AS PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED, THE MARKETING AND ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN HAS INCREASED VIA HIS MONTHLY APPLICATION COUNT TO 170. THIS IS IN LARGE PART DUE TO VIA LEVERAGING ITS OWN ASSETS TO LET THE COMMUNITY KNOW THAT WE ARE NOW HIRING ILLUSTRATED HERE. YOU WILL SEE MESSAGING ON THE SIZE OF OUR FACILITIES AND TRANSIT. SO SIMILAR BUILDINGS ON FULL REPS, UH, AROUND OUR BUSES AND OUR NON-REVENUE FLEET, AND YOU SEE THEM PROMINENTLY DISPLAYED ON OUR BUS STOPS AND ALSO ARE AVAILABLE NEXT LINE. SO I, I MENTIONED TO YOU ABOUT THE 170, UH, MONTHLY AVERAGE AND WHY THAT'S IMPORTANT, WHY THAT GIVES ME CONFIDENCE THAT THERE ARE STILL A HIGH LEVEL OF INTEREST IN VIA AND FOLKS WANTING TO JOIN AND BE, UH, WE KNOW THAT MARKETING'S WORKING AND DRIVING APPLICANTS TO OUR WEBSITE. HOW DO WE KNOW, UH, HOW DO WE KNOW, UM, HOW DO OUR APPLICANTS KNOW THAT VIA IS NOW HIRING THE THREE MONTHS PRIOR TO THE AGGRESSIVE MARKETING AND ADVERTISING, WHICH IS THE HAIR LOCATED OR INDICATED HERE IN MAY TO JULY, IF YOU LOOK AT THE FAR RIGHT TOTAL APPLICATIONS FOR THE MONTH, JUST FOR BUS OPERATORS, NOT FOR THE TOTAL AGENCY, JUST FOR A BUS OPERATORS, ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY ONE, TWO HUNDRED AND NINETY. ONE OF THEM INDICATED THAT THEY LEARNED ABOUT WE AS ADVERTISING OR OLIVIA'S OPENINGS ON OUR BUS ADS, EMPLOYEE REFERRALS, FACEBOOK, AND THE WEBSITE FOR A TOTAL 291, UH, IN AUGUST WHEN OUR PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT TEAM, OUR MARKETING TEAM INITIATED OUR, UH, CAMPAIGN. UM, YOU WILL SEE THAT THEY TOLD APPLICATIONS FOR THOSE THREE MONTHS JUMPED UP TO 511, WHICH IS THE AVERAGE OF A HUNDRED, SEVEN 70 AND 400 INDICATED THAT THEY LEARNED ON OUR BUS BUS ADS, EMPLOYEE REFERRALS, FACEBOOK, AND ALSO BE A WEBSITE WEBSITE. SO WHAT ELSE CAN WE DO? WE ARE, WE CONTINUE TO SEEK INNOVATIVE RECRUITMENT TOOLS AND STRATEGIES TO CREATE A PIPELINE OF QUALIFIED INDIVIDUALS THAT ALIGNS WITH OUR LINES WITH, AND COMPLEMENTS OUR RECRUITING EFFORTS. WE ARE RESEARCHING THE OPTION TO CONTRACT THE STAFFING FIRM THAT TARGETS BUS OPERATORS WHO HAVE THEIR PASSENGER, UH, ENDORSEMENT CDL, AND SEND THEM OUR WAY. ADDITIONALLY, WE ARE CONFIDENT THAT OUR PARTNERSHIP, UH, WITH COSA IS READY TO WORK INITIATIVE WILL RESULT IN A FLOW OF TRAINED, HAVE QUALIFIED APPLICANTS SENT TO JOIN VIA AND WHAT THAT, UH, TRUSTY TOOL. MARCUS, THANK YOU SO MUCH. I AM, I AM ALSO AN EMPLOYER, SO I COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND THE SITUATION THAT [01:10:01] YOU'RE IN. UM, SO OBVIOUSLY I EMPATHIZE A LOT WITH, UH, WHAT YOU'RE HAVING TO GO UP AGAINST. SO I HAVE A, I HAVE A COUPLE QUESTIONS THOUGH. UM, SO WHAT, I, I DON'T KNOW IF I MISSED IT, BUT WHAT WAS THE ATTRITION RATE LIKE PRE COVID? SO, UH, IF YOU LET ME SEE HERE TO TELL YOU WHAT SLIDE IS UP TO. THANK YOU. IF YOU JUST TELL ME TO SIGN, I COULD GO THERE. SO IF YOU LOOK AT A SLIDE SIX CAN, UM, YES, SIR. LET'S SEE. OKAY. SO THE THINGS THAT WE'RE FOCUSING ON IN HR IS NOT ONLY OUR ATTRITION, BUT ALSO HOW ARE WE OUT PASTING THAT ATTRITION? SO BUS OPERATORS IN VERSUS BUS OPERATORS OUT, UM, MOBILE SEPARATIONS OF PRE COVID, AS I INDICATED HERE, AND FYI 19 AND 18, WHICH BY THE WAY, ARE ALSO THE YEARS THAT WE WERE ABLE TO GAIN AND SUSTAIN THAT WE TOOK THAT 900 FTE COUNT FROM 9 81 TO 10 82, UH, DURING FYI 18 TO 19. AND THAT IS PRIMARILY BECAUSE OF THE LEVEL OF INTEREST THEN VIA, UH, THAT WOULD, THAT FOLKS HAD IN VIEW AND OUR ABILITY TO GET THEM IN HIGHER, UM, AND ALSO GET THEM THROUGH, UM, OUR CLASS. OKAY, GREAT. THANK YOU. UM, SECOND THING, AND I AM ASSUMING, CAUSE I KNOW HOW YOU, I KNOW HOW YOU FUNCTION. WE ARE PERFORMING EXIT SURVEYS. UH, WHEN WE HAVE THE SEPARATION, IS THERE A THEME, IS THERE A COMMON THEME OF WHY PEOPLE ARE SEPARATING FROM VIA? YES. UH, SO YES, WE DO DO THOSE. AND AS YOU KNOW, AS BEING AN EMPLOYER, UM, THOSE ARE AT THE BEHEST OF THE EMPLOYEE IF THEY CHOOSE TO GET THEM. SO IT IS ALL OVER THE BOARD OF TRUSTEE TO WILL. UM, WE HAVE SOME THAT ARE LEAVING FOR A GOOD PORTION OF OUR LIVING FOR PERSONAL REASONS. THEY INDICATE THAT, UH, WE DO HAVE SOME RETIREMENTS, UNFORTUNATELY WE'VE HAD SOME DEATHS, UH, AND UNFORTUNATELY WE HAVE SOME SEPARATIONS, UM, UM, THAT ARE NOT VOLUNTARY. UM, BUT ALSO, UM, IT, IT IS A WIDE SWATH AS, AS YOU MIGHT IMAGINE. UM, BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE ARE DOING IN HR IS, UH, MAKING THEM MORE WITHOUT, WITHOUT FORCING THEM, TRYING TO BE MORE AGGRESSIVE IN GETTING THEM TO SHARE WITH US THEIR, UM, THEIR REASONS FOR LEAVING, UH, FAR TOO MANY TIMES, IT'S EASY FOR THE PERSONAL RESIDENCE JOB, NOT FOR ME, UH, UH, CHECK A BOX, BUT WE WANT TO KNOW LEARN MORE. SO THAT WAY WE CAN IMPROVE IF THERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO IMPROVE OR IF THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO, UH, ENGAGE THEM IN A DIFFERENT WAY, YOU KNOW, UH, WHATEVER THEY MAY BE INTERESTED IN OR IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT CORRECT. CAUSE THAT LEADS ME TO THE NEXT THING. SO OBVIOUSLY WE ARE CULTIVATING THESE RELATIONSHIPS, WE'RE TRAINING THESE INDIVIDUALS, OBVIOUSLY ALL OF THAT COMES AT A COST. SO DO YOU HAVE A BREAKDOWN OCCUR OPERATOR? WHAT THAT COST LOOKS LIKE FROM, AND I'M NOT JUST TALKING ABOUT FROM, IN THE CLASSROOM, I'M TALKING ABOUT FROM RECRUITMENT ALL THE WAY TO SAY THERE'S THAT THERE WAS A SLIDE THAT HAD THE BIG FIRST YEAR GAP DROP, UH, UH, I BELIEVE IT WAS 37% THAT FIRST YEAR YEAR. YEAH. SO TO ME, I, THAT JUST SCREAMS AND I KNOW THAT THERE'S BEEN AN ASPECT ON THE OTHER SIDE, BUT THAT'S ALSO MONEY, RIGHT? THAT WE'RE HAVING, WE'RE SPENDING THE TIME TO TRAIN THESE INDIVIDUALS, UM, TO GO OUT INTO THE WORKFORCE. AND SO THAT COMES AT A COST THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO END UP TRAINING A WHOLE BRAND NEW SET OF INDIVIDUALS. SO DO YOU, BY CHANCE HAVE THAT DOLLAR AMOUNT AND DO NOT HAVE TO ABOUT THE TOP OF MY HEAD, I TRY TO PUT THAT TOGETHER WITH OMB. GREAT. BECAUSE I THINK THAT THAT'S SOMETHING, THAT'S A PIECE THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T DON'T SEE IS THAT ALL THE HARD WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING FOR INDIVIDUAL IT'S IT'S A LOT. AND SO I CAN MEND YOU FOR SAYING ALL OF THIS IN AND STILL STAY UPBEAT FOR ALL, BUT SO THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, IF NOT, WE'LL MOVE OVER TO THE LEGAL BRIEFINGS. MS. ELDER, DO WE HAVE A LEGAL BRIEFING TODAY? NO, SIR. WE DO NOT HAVE A LEGAL BRIEFING TODAY. THANK YOU, TRUSTEES. WE REACHED THE END OF OUR MEETING. I HAVE A MOTION TO ADJOURN AND A SECOND. THIS IS TRUST I'M OUT. I MOVED, I MOVED TO ADJOURN THE MEETING. OKAY. WE HAVE A FIRST, DO WE HAVE A SECOND? UM, BEFORE WE HAVE A SECOND, I HAVE [01:15:01] A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS THERE. UH, HAS THERE BEEN AN UPDATE TO THE AGENDA? BECAUSE I WOULD THOUGHT THERE WERE A FEW THINGS THAT WE WERE GOING TO DO. VIS-A-VIS UH, ELECTIONS. THE ELECTIONS HAPPENED AT THE DECEMBER MEETING. GOT IT. NEVERMIND. THANK YOU. OKAY. SO DO WE HAVE A MOTION THAT WE HAVE A SECOND QUESTION, MR. OKAY, GO AHEAD. AT THE, UH, BOARD WORK SESSION LAST WEEK WE DISCUSSED, UM, THE, UH, OUR FINDINGS REGARDING THE, UH, EVALUATION OF THE PRESIDENT AND CEO. WHERE ARE WE GOING TO FINALIZE THAT TONIGHT? OKAY. UH, HOLD ON. SO, UH, YOU DID FINALIZE IT TONIGHT. IT WAS TO AGENDA IT. WASN'T A CONSENT AGENDA. THAT'S RIGHT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OKAY. WE HAVE A FIRST. WE HAVE A SECOND. SECOND, SECOND. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE. AYE. AYE. ANY OPPOSED? NAY MOTION CARRIES. WE'RE ADJOURNED. THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH. AND HAPPY THANKSGIVING IF I DON'T SEE YOU ALL HAPPY THANKSGIVING, EVERYONE GIVING THESE SAFE. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.