* 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. [00:00:01] YEP. ALL RIGHT. GOOD [ATD 1. Call to Order] EVENING EVERYONE. IT IS 5:04 PM I'M BOARD CHAIR LAURA CABELLA, AND I'D LIKE TO CALL TO ORDER THE AUGUST 25TH, 2026 A TD BOARD MEETING. WE'RE GONNA BEGIN WITH ROLL CALL TODAY. UH, VICE CHAIR GOMEZ. SECRETARY MALONE. PRESENT ASSISTANT SECRETARY COOPER. HERE. TRUSTEE FLORES. HERE. TRUSTEE TO WILL. HERE. TRUSTEE ARINA. TRUSTEE DEION. PRESENT. TRUSTEE HOWARD? HERE. TRUSTEE FERNANDEZ HERE. AND TRUSTEE HERE. ALL RIGHT. WE DO HAVE QUORUMS SOMETIMES. IT, IT'S GOOD TO START A FEW MINUTES LATER. UH, DO WE HAVE ANY, UM, LET'S DO A MOMENT OF REFLECTION [ATD 2. Moment of Reflection, Pledge of Allegiance, Announcements ] IN PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS. ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE WITH 13. JUSTICE FOR ALL. HONOR. HONOR, TEXAS FLAG. MISS TEXAS, ONE STATE OR GOD, ONE AN INDIVISIBLE. ALL RIGHT. ANY ANNOUNCEMENTS FOR THE A TD BOARD MEETING? NO ANNOUNCEMENTS. OKAY. CITIZENS TO BE HEARD. THERE ARE NO CITIZENS TO BE HEARD FOR A TD. VERY GOOD. UM, TRUSTEES, WE'RE GONNA MOVE ON [ATD 4. Consent Agenda] TO THE CONSENT AGENDA. UH, THIS IS AN ACTION ITEM. ANY QUESTIONS? IF NOT, MAY I HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND PLEASE? SO MOVED. SECOND. OH, WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE. A AYE. AYE. ANY OPPOSED? CONSENT AND AGENDA IS APPROVED. MS. ELDER A LEGAL BRIEFING HERE. NO, MA'AM. NOT FOR THIS MEETING. THANK YOU. VERY GOOD. OKAY. TRUSTEES, WE HAVE REACHED STAND OF OUR MEETING. MAY I HAVE A MOTION? AND SECOND ADJOURN THIS MEETING PLEASE. I MOVE. SECOND MOTION. AND SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE. AYE. AYE. ANY OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES. THE A TD MEETING IS ADJOURNED. WE WILL NOW MOVE [1. Call to Order ] ON TO OUR VIA BOARD MEETING. ALL RIGHT. IT IS NOW 5:06 PM I'D LIKE TO CALL TO ORDER THE AUGUST 25TH, 2026 VIA BOARD MEETING. UM, ANY ANNOUNCEMENTS? WE WE WILL DO SO DURING THE PRESIDENT CEO REPORT. UM, ITEM NUMBER SEVEN, MADAM CHAIR. OKAY. VERY GOOD CITIZENS [3. Citizens to be Heard ] TO BE HEARD. YES. WE HAVE FOUR CITIZENS SIGNED UP TO SPEAK. THE FIRST, GO AHEAD. YOU WANNA SAY THE FIRST NAME? YEP. THE FIRST CITIZEN IS MR. BILL GEORGE. VERY GOOD. UH, WE'VE NOW COME TO THE CITIZENS TO BE HEARD PORTION OF OUR PUBLIC MEETING. THE BOARD IS INTERESTED IN HEARING THE COMMENTS AND CONCERNS FROM OUR PATRONS AND CITIZENS IN THE SAN ANTONIO BEAR COUNTY AREA. QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS CONCERNING PUBLIC BUSINESS OR POLICY OVER WHICH THE BOARD HAS SUPERVISION AND CONTROL MAY BE ADDRESSED AT A LATER DATE BY THE PRESIDENT, CEO AND OR HIS STAFF. THIS PROCESS ASSURES THAT YOU RECEIVE THE MOST ACCURATE RESPONSE TO YOUR QUESTION OR CONCERN. THANK YOU. AND VIA APPRECIATES YOU TAKING THE TIME AND EFFORT TO SHARE YOUR COMMENTS WITH US THIS EVENING. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. MY NAME IS BILL GEORGE. I'M THE CEO AND FOUNDER OF WHC WORLDWIDE, AND WE OPERATE ZTRIP AND YOUR CONTRACTOR FOR CIVIL SERVICES HERE. AND, UM, I WANT TO COME DOWN TODAY IN JUST NUMBER ONE, EXPRESS OUR APPRECIATION FOR THE STAFF AND FOR THE CONFIDENCE YOU'VE PLACED IN US. UM, IT WAS FIVE YEARS AGO THIS MONTH THAT WE ACQUIRED THE ASSETS OF GREATER SAN ANTONIO TRANSPORTATION COMPANY OUTTA BANKRUPTCY. AND WE HAVE AN AMAZING TEAM THAT'S BEEN IN PLACE THAT WE'RE ABLE TO, UH, THROUGH A PRETTY ARDUOUS PROCESS, NEVER MISS A TRIP. AND, UM, FIVE YEARS LATER, AS THE CONTRACT'S GROWN, WE WANT, JUST TO LET YOU KNOW, NUMBER ONE, THE, THE TEAM EFFORT THAT WE'VE HAD FROM THE VIA STAFF, FROM RAQUEL, JENNIFER, IRENE ASHLEY HAS BEEN AMAZING. UM, OUR TEAM IS LED BY, UH, EVERYBODY KNOWS LAUREN AND, AND THE AMAZING JOB THAT SHE'S DONE FOR. BUT, UM, I WANNA THANK YOU SPECIFICALLY BECAUSE WHEN WE HAVE CONTRACTS LIKE THIS, IT ENABLES US TO FURTHER OUR MISSION. WHICH ONE OF THE THINGS WE DID IS ONE OF THE LAST SURVIVING TAXI COMPANIES, AND WE OPERATE NOW IN 39 CITIES AND 20 STATES, UM, IS WE ALWAYS HAVE A COMMITMENT TO WHEELCHAIR SERVICE THAT IS PART OF THE TAXI FLEET. SO IN ALL OF OUR CITIES, A MINIMUM OF 10% OF OUR VEHICLES ARE TAXIS OR WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE. IN SOME CITIES, THAT'S AS HIGH AS 40%. AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT WHAT OPTION, UH, THE OPTIONS ARE, ESPECIALLY WITH TNCS, THAT NO LONGER CAN YOU REALLY GET A, A WHEELCHAIR VEHICLE WHEN YOU NEED IT. WE USE CONTRACTS LIKE THIS TO HELP SUPPORT THESE OTHER SERVICES IN ADDITION TO THE SERVICES WE'RE PROVIDING YOU. SO THE INVESTMENT THAT YOU MAKE IN OUR COMPANY AND THROUGH THOSE SERVICES, HOPEFULLY YOU SEE IT COMING BACK TO THE COMMUNITY IN THE WAY THAT WE OFFER THAT. AND JUST WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW THAT THAT COMMITMENT STAYS STRONG. OUR EMPLOYMENT [00:05:01] BASE IN SAN ANTONIO HAS CONTINUED TO GROW. OUR FLEET OUTSIDE OF THE VIA FLEET HAS CONTINUED TO GROW AND WILL CONTINUE TO DO SO. SO TODAY WAS JUST MY WAY OF COMING DOWN AND, AND HAVING AN OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS YOU. AND WE APPRECIATE THE SUPPORT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS MS. BARBARA STOCK. GOOD EVENING. UH, I WENT TO VIA, UH, A WHILE BACK AND I'VE BEEN WITH YOU FOR A LONG TIME AND I'VE ALWAYS HAD TROUBLE BEING PICKED UP AT FIESTA, TEXAS AND OTHER PEOPLE HAVE TOO AT NIGHT. AND I JUST FOUND OUT ON JULY THE THIRD, OH, I'M SORRY, ON JULY THE 31ST. IF THEY LOOK AT MY PHONE CALL, THEY WILL SEE THAT, UH, FIESTA TEXAS HAS BEEN LOCKING THE GATE FOR THE DRIVERS CAN'T COME UP. THEY LOCK IT AT NINE O'CLOCK OR EIGHT 30 WHEN THE PARK STAYS OPEN TO NINE. SO WE HAVE TO BE PICKED UP ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE WHERE EMPLOYEES ARE OR THAT, AND I WANTED TO INFORM YOU OF THAT SO WE CAN MAKE A CORRECTION. I DON'T KNOW HOW ELSE TO EXPLAIN IT. THE, SO, UH, I HAVE THE PERSON'S NAME WHEN HE CALLED IN TO INFORM VIA OF THE CHANGE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I JUST THINK I'LL MAKE IT EASIER FOR EVERYBODY ELSE BECAUSE WE GO THROUGH THE SAME ISSUE EVERY TIME. THEY WANNA PICK US UP OVER THERE AT THE PARK AND RIDE OR EMPLOYEE ENTRANCE ONLY. WELL, THAT'S THE ONLY ONE THEY CAN GET INTO 'CAUSE THEY OFFICIALLY LOCK THE GATE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS MS. LETICIA SANCHEZ. HI, MY NAME IS LETICIA SANCHEZ AND I'M HERE REPRESENTING THE HISTORIC WEST SITE RESIDENTS ASSOCIATION. OUR RESIDENTS IN THE 7 8 2 0 7 ZIP CODE ARE THOSE WHO HEAVILY RELY ON VO METRO AND WHO MAKE UP ONE THE HIGHEST PERCENTAGE OF RIDERSHIP. WE'RE ASKING THAT YOU PLEASE HEAR OUR COMMENTS TODAY BECAUSE WE DON'T FEEL LIKE THE COMMENTS THAT WE'VE BEEN MAKING FOR THE PAST THREE YEARS HAVE BEEN HEARD. UH, FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE SOMEWHAT NEW TO THE BOARD, I WANNA LET YOU KNOW THAT I CAME TO VIA, UH, BOARD MEETING OVER THREE YEARS AGO, REPRESENTING OUR ASSOCIATION RESIDENTS TO ASK ABOUT THE RUMORS ABOUT THE SILVER LINE, UH, AND TO ASK ABOUT ANY APPLICATION SUBMITTED TO THE TRANSPORTATION. UH, THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION DIDN'T GET ANY FEEDBACK, DIDN'T GET ANY RESPONSE. UM, SO WE INVITED OUR BOARD INVITED VIA TO COME TO OUR ASSOCIATION. THEY DID COME, THEY DID NOT HAVE ANY INFORMATION AT THAT TIME. UM, THEY CAME BACK, WE INVITED THEM AGAIN A SECOND TIME. UM, AT THAT TIME THEY HAD INFORMATION, BUT IT WAS ABOUT THE GREEN LINE, AND THEN THEY CAME BACK THE THIRD TIME. AND IT WAS JUST BASICALLY TO GIVE US A TIMELINE OF THE SILVER LINE. SO, UH, IN, UH, IN ALL OF THESE MEETINGS, THEY HEARD FROM OUR RESIDENTS THAT, NUMBER ONE, WE DON'T NEED THE A RT AND WE DON'T WANT IT. UM, IF IT MEANS ELIMINATING THE STOPS THAT WE THAT CURRENTLY EXIST, UH, WHAT RESIDENTS HAVE BEEN ASKING FOR OUR BUS STOPS THAT ARE COVERED, UH, BETTER COVERED TO PROTECT THEM FROM THE HARSH WEATHER CONDITIONS IN OUR CITY. AND WHAT WE'VE ALSO BEEN ASKING FOR IS THAT VIA REINSTATE ROUTES THAT EXISTED THAT HAVE NOW BEEN REMOVED, WE ASKED TO BE INCLUDED IN THE PLANNING PHASE OF THE BETTER BUS PROJECT. YET WE WERE INVITED TO COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT MEETINGS ONLY AFTER VIA STAFF MADE PRO PROPOSED CHANGES TO ROUTES BASED ON THEIR DATA. SADLY, YOUR METRICS DON'T INCLUDE THE WELLBEING OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE NO OTHER MODES OF TRANSPORTATION. YOU CONTINUE TO TELL US THAT THE SILVER LINE WILL HELP DECREASE THE TIME PEOPLE SPEND ON PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION. HOWEVER, YOU CHOOSE NOT TO HEAR THE COMMENTS THAT WE'VE CONTINUALLY MADE, TELLING YOU THAT A SHORTER TIME ON THE BUS DOES NOT CREATE A SHORTER TIME IN TRANSIT FOR OUR RESIDENTS, AND ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO ARE DISABLED AND ARE SENIOR CITIZENS, UH, THEY WILL HAVE TO WALK FARTHER DISTANCE TO GET TO A BUS STOP. AND THIS DOES NOT HELP TO REDUCE TRANSPORTATION TIME. AND IT ADD IT ADDS MORE TIME AND IT ALSO CREATES HEALTH AND SAFETY ISSUES. UM, AT ONE TIME, OUR, UM, AT WE'VE, WE'VE BEEN TOLD BY VIA STAFF, WELL, THEY, THEY CAN TAKE THE, UH, ME, UH, WHAT IS IT, THE VIA TRANS, NOT EVERYONE'S ELIGIBLE FOR VIA TRANS. AND IF ANY OF YOU HAVE PARTICIPATED IN VIA TRANS, IT CAN BE UP TO THREE HOURS. WE HAVE HAD RESIDENTS WHO HAVE HAD TO RESCHEDULE THEIR APPOINTMENTS. THEY GET TO THE MEDICAL CENTER AND THEIR DOCTORS SAY, YOU'RE TOO LATE. YOU [00:10:01] HAVE TO RESCHEDULE. SO THIS IS UNFAIR. UM, WE'RE JUST ASKING THAT FOR YOU TO HEAR US, AND I HOPE THAT YOU ALL ACTUALLY READ COMMENTS THAT ARE, HAVE BEEN TAKEN FROM OUR RESIDENTS. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THE NEXT SPEAKER IS MR. BERNARD SANCHEZ. IS HE HERE? MR. BERNARD SANCHEZ? HE'S NOT. OKAY. HE'S NOT, HE'S NOT PRESENT. AND THERE ARE NO OTHER CITIZENS TO BE HEARD. THERE ARE NO OTHER CITIZENS TO BE HEARD. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. WE'VE COME TO THE CONSENT [4. Consent Agenda] AGENDA. I DO HAVE, UM, THREE ITEMS TO PULL FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA. ITEM FOUR B, ITEM FOUR C AND ITEM FOUR F. ARE THERE ANY OTHER ITEMS TO BE PULLED FROM THE BOARD? JUST A COMMENT. UH, MADAM CHAIR THAT WE HAVE ADDED A SUPPLEMENTAL RESOLUTION FOR CONSENT AGENDA ITEM FOUR A. UH, SO THAT'S IN YOUR PACKETS. UH, BUT THAT IS, UH, A SUPPLEMENTAL RESOLUTION. JUST WANTED TO POINT THAT OUT TO THE BOARD. OKAY, THANK YOU. I'M GONNA GIVE THE TRUSTEES JUST A MINUTE TO GO THROUGH THAT. EVERYTHING'S GOOD. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. CAN I HAVE A MOTION TO FORWARD ITEMS FOUR A, FOUR D, FOUR E, 4G, AND FOUR H, UH, FOR APPROVAL IN ACTION? SO MOVED. MOTION. AND A SECOND? SECOND. SECOND. ALL RIGHT. ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE. AYE. ANY OPPOSED? THAT IS PASSED. UM, LET'S GO ON TO FOUR [4.B. Financial Advisor Services – To request approval to award a contract for financial advisor services. ] B PLEASE. GOOD AFTERNOON. BOARD TRUSTEES. MADAM CHAIR, MY NAME IS AUDREY VEDA. I'M DIRECTOR OF OMB, AND WE ARE BRINGING TO YOU A FORWARD, UH, REQUEST FOR APPROVAL ON A CONTRACT FOR TEXAS REGIONAL BANK CAPITAL MARKETS, UH, WHICH IS ALSO DBA AND OSA. THIS CONTRACT INCLUDES DIRECT SUPPORT AND TIMING, SIZING, STRUCTURING, AND ISSUING OF DEBT, WHICH ENSURES VIA SECURES CAPITAL AT THE LOWEST POSSIBLE BORROWING COST TO SUPPORT PLAN CAPITAL SPENDING PROJECTS. THE CONTRACTOR PERFORMS AND VERIFIES CRITICAL BOND CALCULATIONS AND CONDUCTS BOARD REQUIRED ANNUAL REVIEWS OF VIAS DEBT POLICY TO ENSURE ONGOING ALIGNMENT AND FISCAL HEALTH. OVERALL, UH, HIS HINOJOSA MINIMIZES BORROWING COSTS AND STRENGTHENS FISCAL HEALTH BY GUIDING CAPITAL MARKET ACCESS, VERIFYING CO COMPLEX BOND CALCULATIONS, AND MAINTAINING REQUIRED ANNUAL UPDATES TO OUR VIAS DEBT POLICY. AND SO WE WOULD, UH, LIKE TO REQUEST TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS. GOOD AFTERNOON, MADAM CHAIR, PRESIDENT HERRERA AND BOARD OF TRUSTEES. MY NAME IS BRANDON WOOD. I'M THE VICE PRESIDENT OF PROCUREMENT ON APRIL 24TH, 2026 VIA ISSUED A REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL FOR FINANCIAL ADVISOR SERVICES TO WHICH ONLY ONE PROPOSAL WAS RECEIVED. THE PROPOSAL WAS DEEMED RESPONSIVE AND SUBSEQUENTLY EVALUATED BY MEMBERS FROM THE FISCAL MANAGEMENT HUMAN RESOURCES DIVISIONS. FOLLOWING THE EVALUATION, A BEST AND FINAL OFFER WAS REQUESTED TO WHICH ESTRADA AND OSA PROVIDED THE BEST VALUE RESPONSE. YOU KNOW, HOSA IS A SAN ANTONIO BASED FIRM AND A NATIONAL LEADER IN TRANSIT AND TRANSIT AND TRANSPORTATION. FINANCIAL ADVISORY SERVICES STAFF RECOMMENDS THAT THE BOARD APPROVE THE AWARD OF A CONTRACT TO TEXAS REGIONAL BANK CAPITAL MARKETS, L-L-C-D-B-A, ESTRADA IN AOSA TO PROVIDE FINANCIAL ADVISORY SERVICES IN THE AMOUNT OF 586,750. THE BASE TERM OF THE CONTRACT IS THREE YEARS, FOLLOWED BY THE ABILITY TO EXTEND FOR TWO ADDITIONAL ONE YEAR TERMS. ANY QUESTIONS? THANK YOU, TRUSTEE. DOUBT THAT IT NO MOVE FOR THE MOTION. OKAY. TRUSTEE COOPER? UH, YES. THANK YOU. UH, NOT THAT I DON'T LIKE THE MOTION, BUT CAN YOU, DO YOU THINK THAT IT WAS STRANGE WE ONLY RECEIVED ONE, UH, ONE PROPOSAL. I MEAN, THIS SEEMS TO BE A, YOU KNOW, IT'S EXPENSIVE AND INTERESTING, BUT I DIDN'T, YOU KNOW, THIS, DIDN'T KNOW WHAT YOUR THOUGHTS ARE ON THAT. I HATE TO SEE WHEN WE PUT OUT A REQUEST AND WE GET ONE RESPONDENT, WE'VE HAD A COUPLE OF THESE ADVISORY SERVICES TYPE CONTRACTS WHERE WE'VE HAD [00:15:01] FOLKS THAT ARE FAMILIAR WITH VIA, THAT REGULARLY RESPOND AND SUBMIT PROPOSALS. SO THE, THE POOL IS USUALLY PRETTY SMALL, BUT I THINK THIS ONE IS ACTUALLY THE INCUMBENT ANYWAY, IN THIS SCENARIO. THEY'RE FAMILIAR WITH VIA, UM, COULDN'T REALLY TELL YOU WHY WE DIDN'T GET MORE PROPOSALS ON THIS ONE, THOUGH. OKAY, GREAT. WELL, I WAS JUST ASKING, BUT I'M SURE THEY'RE, THEY'RE WONDERFUL AND THEY'VE DONE A GREAT JOB SO FAR. YES. THANK YOU. MM-HMM . JUSTIN, FLO CHAIR. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. MADAM CHAIR. I WAS JUST, THE, THE, UH, RECOMMENDATION WAS FOR AN ESTIMATED AMOUNT. IS THAT JUST A TYPO? SO THAT IT'S A NOT TO EXCEED AMOUNT? OR HOW, HOW DO WE GET TO THE DOLLAR AMOUNT FOR THE CONTRACT? IT SHOULD BE A NOT TO EXCEED. YES, SIR. OKAY. OKAY. SO MAYBE JUST WHENEVER THE MOTION'S MADE, MAKE THAT, UH, CORRECTION. THANK YOU. APPRECIATE IT. OKAY. TRUSTEE ATA, YOU HAD A, A MOTION? I'M OKAY. SO A MOTION. A MOTION. SECOND. DO WE HAVE A MOTION FOR THE LANGUAGE AT TRUSTEE FLORES? YES. WITH THE LANGUAGE NOT TO EXCEED AMOUNT. NOT TO EXCEED AMOUNT. OKAY. WE HAVE MOTION AND A SECOND. SECOND. ALL RIGHT. ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE. AYE. AYE. ANY OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES. THANK YOU. UM, ITEM FOUR C. [4.C. VIAtrans Supplemental Taxicab Services – To request approval to award a contract for the VIAtrans Supplemental Taxicab Services.] OH, YEAH. NO NEED FOR PRESENTATION. YEAH, WE DON'T NEED, WE WENT THROUGH THIS LAST WEEK. WE DID. UM, AND SO I, I JUST WANTED TO, UH, ADDRESS, UM, THE ZTRIP CEO THAT CAME THROUGH YEAH. EARLIER, IF WE CAN HAVE YOU COME UP HERE. THE ONLY REASON WHY I AM GONNA DO THIS IS BECAUSE, UH, JOHN AND STAFF KNOW HOW THIS CONTRACT HERE HAS BEEN ON THE BOARD'S AGENDA FOR THE LAST SIX MONTHS IN TERMS OF HOW WE SHOW UP, UH, AND REPRESENT OUR COMMUNITY, ESPECIALLY THOSE THAT, UM, HAVE, UH, DISABILITIES THAT PRECLUDE 'EM FROM WRITING OTHER SERVICES. AND THIS, UH, THIS COMPONENT RIGHT HERE, WE KNOW IT'S NECESSARY IN ORDER TO HAVE, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, A, A HAIL SERVICE, RIGHT? IF, IF YOU'RE GOING TO AN APPOINTMENT, UH, THAT'S A RESERVATION. WHAT I DO WANNA SAY IS WE'RE DOING A GOOD JOB. AND I KNOW THERE'S SOFTWARE THAT'S BEING INTEGRATED INTO YOUR SYSTEM, BUT I THINK WE CAN DO BETTER FOR OUR CUSTOMERS AND OUR RIDERSHIP. AND I WOULD CHALLENGE YOU AND YOUR, UH, YOUR OPERATORS TO THINK ABOUT HOW THE QUALITY OF LIFE THAT OUR RIDERS ARE GOING THROUGH, AND, UH, TO THINK ABOUT COMPASSION, UH, AND TO THINK ABOUT EXCELLENT SERVICE. I KNOW THAT'S SOMETHING THAT STAFF HAS ALREADY BEEN, UH, SHARING ACROSS, UH, UM, THE CONVERSATION WITH OUR OWN OPERATORS, UH, WITH VIA, UM, WITH MV. UM, BUT AS THIS CONTRACT CONTINUES TO MOVE FORWARD, UM, ESPECIALLY IN THIS SERVICE RIGHT HERE, UH, WE ARE EXCEEDINGLY LOOKING AT HOW VIA CAN BE, UH, CAN IMPROVE ON, ON COMPLAINTS, UM, AND CUSTOMER SATISFACTION. UM, WE KNOW WE HAVE A GROWING POPULATION WHEN IT COMES TO, UH, VIA TRANS RIDERSHIP, UH, AND IT'S GONNA CONTINUE TO GROW. AND SO I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU FOR COMING TODAY, BY THE WAY. UM, I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT IT SHOWS A LOT OF COMMITMENT. I KNOW THE STAFF HAS BEEN TALKING TO YOU, UH, ABOUT THIS CONTRACT. UH, BUT ALSO TO ALSO GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT OF A CHALLENGE. UM, WE KNOW, UH, WE WERE LOOKING AT DIFFERENT COMPLAINTS ACROSS THE BUSINESS, UM, AND WANNA ALSO CHALLENGE YOU TO, UH, EXCEED AND THINK ABOUT, UH, CUSTOMER SERVICE AS IF YOU WERE AN OPERATOR, UM, WORKING AT AVIA. YEAH. THANK YOU. ANY OTHER COMMENTS? OKAY. SO I'M JUST, I'M READY FOR A MOTION TO APPROVE. MADAM CHAIR. YES, MA'AM. SO MOVED. SECOND. A MOTION. SECOND. ALL, UH, FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE. AYE. AYE. AYE. ANY OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. ITEM, [4.F. Modification of Purchase Category Thresholds – To request approval to raise the purchasing threshold authorizations. ] UH, FOUR F IN AUGUST OF 2024, THE BOARD OF TRUSTEE, THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES APPROVED, UM, THE MODIFICATION OF OUR PURCHASING THRESHOLDS THAT INCREASED THEM TO WHAT THEY ARE TODAY. CURRENTLY, MICRO THRESHOLD IS AT $10,000, AND THE BOARD APPROVAL THRESHOLD WAS $250,000. UM, PURSUANT TO THE F FDA'S RECENT REGULATIONS [00:20:01] AND UP UPDATED GUIDANCE IN THE PROCUREMENT MANUAL, WE ARE ASKING FOR THE BOARD APPROVAL TO, UH, APPROVE THAT OUR THRESHOLDS BE UPDATED TO MATCH THEIRS. AND I CAN GO THROUGH AND GIVE YOU SOME, SOME HIGH POINTS ON THAT AS, AS WELL, IF YOU'D LIKE. SURE. HIGH POINTS. THANK YOU. OKAY. SO ON OCTOBER 2ND, 2025, THE FEDERAL ACQUISITION REGULATION COUNCIL, OR THE FAR ISSUED A FINAL RULE THAT AMENDED THE PURCHASING THRESHOLDS OF THE FAR PURSUANT TO THE FOLLOWING. IT RAISES THE, UH, PER THE THRESHOLD FOR MICRO PURCHASES FROM 10 TO $15,000 AND RAISES THE SIMPLIFIED ACQUISITION THRESHOLD, OR THE SAT FROM TWO 50 TO THREE $350,000. AND WE TYPICALLY ALIGNED OUR INTERNAL BOARD WITH THOSE, THOSE THAT GUIDANCE OF THE FTA AND THE FAR, WHICH IS WHY OURS MATCHES UP WITH THAT SET THRESHOLD. UM, WE RAN SOME NUMBERS, AND THIS AFFECTS APPROXIMATELY, UH, JUST SHY OF 200 PROCUREMENTS IN BETWEEN THAT 10 AND 15,000 THRESHOLD. UM, WHICH OPENS UP QUITE A BIT OF TIME FOR MY STAFF. AND THEN, AS FAR AS COMING TO THE BOARD, IT REALLY ONLY AFFECTS A HANDFUL. WE'RE LOOKING AT, JUST DEPENDS ON THE YEAR AND WHAT WE HAVE GOING ON, BUT ANYWHERE BETWEEN FIVE AND SEVEN, BETWEEN A 12 MONTH PERIOD, BUMPING IT TO THREE 50. GREAT. ANY QUESTIONS FROM TRUSTEES ON THIS? THE ONLY QUESTION I HAD WAS THE THRESHOLD FROM TWO 50 TO THREE 50. IS THAT IN LINE WITH ANY PROCUREMENT OPTION? OR IS, IS ANYTHING RELATED TO THE SILVER LINE OR GREEN LINE THAT GO WITHIN THE SERVICES THERE? IS THAT GONNA COME BEFORE THE BOARD FOR APPROVAL THAT IS NOT ALREADY OUTLINED AS PART OF THE PLAN? IF IT'S NOT ALREADY OUTLINED? YEAH. MM-HMM . OKAY. ALL RIGHT. I HAVE A QUESTION. YES, MA'AM. TRUSTEE RETA ON, ON YOUR PROCUREMENT PROCESS. AND LET'S SAY YOU AWARD SOMETHING THAT IS JUST UNDER THE THRESHOLD AND THEN YOU HAVE TO HAVE AN AMENDMENT TO IT. DOES IT HAVE TO COME TO BOARD? YES, MA'AM. IT DOES. THAT'S YOUR POLICY. IT'S TOTAL CONTRACT VALUE. YES, MA'AM. ALRIGHT. THANK YOU. I HAVE A MOTION. AND SECOND TO APPROVE THIS ITEM, PLEASE. SO MOVED. SECOND MOTION. AND SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE. AYE. AYE. ANY OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. OKAY, LET'S GO ON TO AGENDA ITEM NUMBER [5. Suburban Cities – City of Converse - Service / service option public / community engagement and information and participation / status within the VIA service area.] FIVE, SUBURBAN CITIES. CITY OF CONVERSE. I GUESS IT'S EARLY ENOUGH. I CAN STILL SAY GOOD AFTERNOON, RIGHT? SO, GOOD AFTERNOON, UH, BOARD OF TRUSTEES AND OUR, UH, CHAIR CABALA AND OUR, UH, UH, OUR PRESIDENT, CEO. UH, TODAY WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT A, UH, SOME RECENT ACTIVITY IN THE CITY OF CONVERSE. UM, SO WE'RE PROVIDING AN UPDATE ON BOTH THEIR SERVICE, THEIR UPCOMING NOVEMBER BALLOT MEASURE, AND, UH, WHAT STATE LAW REQUIRES IF, UM, YOU KNOW, CONVERSE, DEPENDING ON THE OUTCOME OF THAT, THAT BALLOT MEASURE. YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT WOULD HAPPEN WITH, UH, WITH, VIA OUR PURPOSE IS TO MAKE SURE THAT THE BOARD UNDERSTANDS THE SERVICE, FINANCIAL AND COMMUNITY IMPLICATIONS, AND THE FACTUAL INFORMATION WE'LL PROVIDE TO THE, THE CONVERSE RESIDENTS IN THE NEXT COMING, UH, WEEKS. SO, UH, ON OUR AGENDA TODAY, WE'RE GONNA COVER THINGS, YOU KNOW, WHERE THINGS STAND, CURRENT FIXED ROUTE, AND VIA TRANS SERVICE, THE ACTIONS TAKEN BY THE CONVERSE CITY COUNCIL AND WHAT COMES NEXT. WE'LL ALSO DISCUSS THE POTENTIAL FINANCIAL, UH, OBLIGATION ASSOCIATED WITH POTENTIAL WITHDRAWAL AND VIAS RESPONSIBILITY TO EDUCATE RESIDENTS ABOUT THE CONSEQUENCES OF EITHER OUTCOME. SO THIS IS THE CITY OF CONVERSE TODAY, AS IT, UH, THEIR, THEIR CURRENT SERVICE, OBVIOUSLY THEY'RE PART OF A, OF A, A LARGER NETWORK OF, UH, OF SERVICE THAT WE PROVIDE. SO WE, WE HAVE 'EM OUTLINED IN, IN RED THERE. AND SO THIS MAP ESTABLISHES THAT GEOGRAPHY THAT WE'RE DISCUSSING. IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE FOCUS SPECIFICALLY ON THE UNINCORPORATED CITY CONVERSE. NOT THAT LARGER ZIP CODE THAT, UM, UH, THAT, THAT THEY'RE PART OF. UM, YOU KNOW, OR THE, OR THE SURROUNDING AREAS. 'CAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE PHENOMENAL RELATIONSHIPS WITH CITY OF KIRBY AND A LOT OF THOSE AREAS. UM, SO, YOU KNOW, THE, THESE SERVICES, YOU KNOW, ARE THE, ARE THE WITHDRAWAL IMPACTS THAT WE'RE GONNA BE DISCUSSING TODAY, UM, AND ARE TIED SPECIFICALLY TO, TO THAT CITY LIMITS. SO THIS IS THAT BROADER MAP, RIGHT? THAT CONNECTS THEM TO THE COMMUNITY. BUT, UM, THIS IS, YOU KNOW, KIND OF, WE WANTED TO QUICKLY BREAK DOWN WHAT THAT SERVICE WITHIN THE CITY OF CONVERSE, THE 5 0 2, THE 21, AND, AND THE 6 32, RIGHT? WE HAVE 37 STOPS. 23 OF THEM ARE SHELTERED. SO ROUGHLY TWO THIRDS OF OF OUR STOPS ARE SHELTERED WITHIN THE CITY OF CONVERSE. AS YOU KNOW, A SHELTERED STOP IS A, AN ACTIVE STOP, RIGHT? THE, THAT, UH, WALMART, SUPERCENTER AND THE CARE. NOW, THAT'S RIGHT WHERE THE 21 AND THE, UH, 6 32 AND THE 5 0 2 ALL INTERSECT, THAT'S A 98 BOARDINGS A DAY. SO THAT'S, THAT'S A VERY, VERY ACTIVE STOP. [00:25:01] UH, YOU KNOW, BARBARA STOCK FORD, UH, GOES TO THAT, THAT WALMART ON A REGULAR BASIS TO PICK UP HER PRESCRIPTIONS. SO, JUST TO, TO TIE THAT TO OUR, OUR OUR FRIEND WHO ACTUALLY SHOWED UP TO THE COUNCIL MEETING WITH US, UM, YOU KNOW, SO THAT THAT'S, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE 14,000 TRIPS PER WEEK OUT OF THE CITY OF CONVERSE, BUT WE ALSO HAVE, UH, UH, SORRY, UH, 1400, UH, TRIPS OUT OF THE CITY OF CONVERSE PER WEEK, 1500 TRIPS INTO THE CITY OF CONVERSE. SO, LARGE PORTION OF THE DOLLAR SPENT IN THE CITY OF CONVERSE ARE DEPENDENT UPON THAT VIA SERVICE. UH, JUDSON, ISD IS ALSO A, NOT ONLY A HUGE USER, BUT ALSO A HUGE EMPLOYER IN THE AREA, AS WELL AS THE IDEA CONVERSE, UH, THE PUBLIC LIBRARY, EMS, AND THEN THE CARE NOW URGENT AND THE CUBAN GROCERY. THOSE ARE SOME OF THE, UH, THE, THE, THE BIGGER EMPLOYERS IN CONVERSE. UM, AND UNDER THE CURRENT STUDENT PASS PROGRAM FROM COUNCILMAN MAR VETO, WE HAVE 80, UH, STUDENTS AT THAT JUDSON HIGH SCHOOL THAT HAVE RECENTLY GOT PASSES. UM, THAT, THAT, THAT, YOU KNOW, COULD, COULD BE IN, IN, IN JEOPARDY MOVING FORWARD. THE VIA TRANS IMPACT, ALSO HUGE, UH, 14,000, OVER 14,000 TRIPS PER YEAR TO AND FROM, UH, YOU KNOW, OF COURSE IT'S $2 AND 30 CENTS TO THE, TO THE RIDER, BUT THAT'S AT A, EVERY BOARDING IS $52 AND 32 CENTS TO US. SO WE'RE PROVIDING A PHENOMENAL SERVICE TO THAT AREA. AS YOU CAN TELL, THEY'RE GOING FROM CONVERSE, UH, TO, TO KACK ALMOST TO, TO LACKLAND, TO THE INGRAM TRANSIT CENTER. WE ARE, WE'RE TAKING FOLKS ALL OVER THE PLACE. UM, AND, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, NOT ONLY FROM CONVERSE, BUT ALSO TO CONVERSE, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF ADULT DAYCARES AND IN MEDICAL FACILITIES THERE, UH, THAT, THAT CATER SPECIFICALLY TO, TO SENIORS AND THE, THE DISABILITY COMMUNITY. AND SO THIS IS A, A HUGE PART OF THAT. UM, SO WE JUST WANT TO TOUCH ON HOW, YOU KNOW, WE KIND OF GOT HERE, AS MANY OF YOU KNOW, UH, THE LAST 14 MONTHS, WE'VE EN ENGAGED IN RIGOROUS CONVERSATION AND INFORMATION EXCHANGE. UM, WE HAVE TWO MEMBERS OF OUR BOARD ARE FROM THE GREATER BEXAR COUNTY COALITION OF CITIES, UM, THAT ARE, UH, THE MAYOR OF, OF, UH, CONVERSE IS ACTUALLY THE, THE CHAIR. AND SO, YOU KNOW, NOT ONLY HAVE WE BEEN MEETING WITH THEM, UH, WE, WE WENT AND PRESENTED IN JANUARY TO THE G-B-C-C-C, UM, BUT THEY CHOSE A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT DIRECTION. UH, SO IN APRIL AND JUNE, THEY HAD EXCLUSIVELY EXECUTIVE SESSIONS ON THEIR AGENDA. SO IT WAS NOT OPEN TO, THE PUBLIC DISCUSSION WAS NOT, WAS NOT MADE, MADE AVAILABLE TO ANYONE. WE WERE NOT INVITED TO PARTICIPATE IN THOSE. SO THE FIRST PUBLIC MEETING THAT THEY HAD THIS YEAR WAS AUGUST 4TH WHEN THEY HAD THE FIRST READING, UH, TO BALLOT THE, UH, THE POTENTIAL WITHDRAWAL. UM, WE WERE NOT INVITED AS PART OF THAT Q AND A EITHER. AND THEN THEY HAD THE SECOND READING ON AUGUST 12TH. AGAIN, WE WERE NOT INVITED AS, AS PART OF THAT, THAT Q AND A. SO, UM, IT'S, IT'S BEEN A, UH, A CLOSED DOOR SESSION, UH, AND THEN TWO OPEN SESSIONS THAT WERE ONLY FOR, FOR COUNCIL AND THE, THE CITY MANAGER. UM, SO WE DO WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE JUST QUICKLY COVER, YOU KNOW, UH, STATE STATUTE DOES, UH, COVER BALLOT LANGUAGE. SO IT'S, UH, IT, IT'S PRETTY CLEAR IN THAT 4 51 0.607, UH, VOTE FOUR IS TO STAY A VOTE AGAINST IS TO LEAVE. UH, OF COURSE, IN THE, IN THE NEXT SLIDE IN, IN THE NEXT TWO SLIDES WE'RE GONNA COVER, UH, IF, IF THEY VOTE AGAINST, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, STAYING WITH, WITH VIA, THEN THE FINANCIAL OBLIGATION KICKS IN. UM, AND SO THAT'S WHERE, YOU KNOW, WE FEEL THERE WERE SOME LIMITATIONS IN BEING ABLE TO EDUCATE THE COUNCIL ON WHAT THAT THAT DEBT OBLIGATION IS. UH, BUT OF COURSE, ACCORDING TO STAY CODE AS WELL, IF THEY DID VOTE TO LEAVE, THESE ARE WHERE, UH, AS SOON AS THEY CANVAS THE VOTE, OUR SERVICE IN THE CITY OF CONVERSE WOULD STOP. SO ALL 37 BUS STOPS WOULD CLOSE ALL THREE ROUTES, WOULD NO LONGER OPERATE. WE, YOU KNOW, WE COULD STILL TRAVERSE THROUGH THE CITY OF CONVERSE, BUT WE WOULDN'T OPEN UP OUR DOORS PER SER FOR SERVICE. AND THEN ALL OF OUR, OUR VIA TRANS PATRONS, UH, FROM CONVERSE AND TO CONVERSE, UH, WOULD, WOULD ALSO, UH, YOU KNOW, CEASE, UH, AT THAT TIME AS WELL. UM, AND THEN AGAIN, BUT THAT DOESN'T, UH, VOTING OUT DOESN'T, UH, YOU KNOW, GET RID OF THE FINANCIAL, YOU KNOW, THE, THE DEBT OBLIGATION. SO THIS SLIDE, UM, WE'RE IN TRYING TO FIND A WAY TO EFFECTIVELY AND EASILY DESCRIBE A DEBT OBLIGATION. UH, AND I, I'VE GOTTA GIVE SOME CREDIT TO, UH, THE CHIEF OF STAFF, LEROY ALLWAY. HE WAS VERY HELPFUL IN, IN HELPING TO LAY THIS OUT. SO THE STATUTORY FORMULA IS, YOU KNOW, THE APPORTION SHARE OF OUR, THE OUTSTANDING OBLIGATION, AS WELL AS ANY OBLIGATION SPECIFICALLY RELATED TO CONVERSE, MINUS ANY UNENCUMBERED ASSETS EQUALS THAT NET FINANCIAL OBLIGATION. UM, SO WE, YOU KNOW, AS YOU KNOW, UM, AFTER WE, WE CLOSE OUT THE FISCAL YEAR, THEN WE AUDIT. SO, UH, AS OF APRIL 25TH, 2025, WHEN WE CLOSED OUT THE 2024, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, BUDGETARY NUMBERS AT THAT POINT, ALL OF THAT [00:30:01] EQUATION EQUALED $12,884,652. SO, ACCORDING TO THE STATUTE, IF THEY DID VOTE TO WITHDRAW, THEY WOULD OWE US THOSE DOLLARS. UH, AND SO THE COMPTROLLER WOULD CONTINUE TO COLLECT THAT, THAT MONEY UNTIL THAT DEBT WAS PAID OFF. UH, THIS IS, UH, THIS IS NOT AS OF TODAY THOUGH. SO, UM, YOU KNOW, WE WOULD HAVE TO DO A AS OF DATE, AND THAT WOULD BE MOST LIKELY THE C STATE OF OPERATION. UM, THIS WOULD MOST LIKELY, UH, INCREASE ABOVE 12, YOU KNOW, $12 MILLION, PROBABLY PUSHING CLOSER TO, YOU KNOW, ABOVE 13, MAYBE CLOSER TO 14. SO INSTEAD OF SIX YEARS TO PAY US OFF, IT COULD TAKE AS, AS MANY AS AS SEVEN YEARS. UM, AND SO ALL OF THAT IS, IS, IS, IS DONE. THEY, THEY MAKE UP 1.42% OF THE INHABITANTS OF CONVERSE OF OUR TOTAL SERVICE AREA, THEIR POPULATION, TO OUR SERVICE AREA. AND SO THAT'S WHERE THAT, UM, THAT, UH, UH, THAT, THAT WHOLE NUMBER COMES FROM. AND THEN, SO WHAT ARE OUR NEXT STEPS, RIGHT? THEY'VE, THEY'VE VOTED TO PUT US ON THE BALLOT ON, ON AUGUST 12TH. AND SO, UM, YOU KNOW, WE, UH, WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY BETWEEN NOW AND THAT ELECTION, UH, THAT, THAT OBLIGATION IS, IS EDUCATION, RIGHT? WE ARE, UM, WE'RE NOT ADVOCATE, YOU KNOW, ADVOCATING. WE'RE SIMPLY EDUCATING, YOU KNOW, WE'LL EXPLAIN CURRENT SERVICE, WHAT CHANGES, UH, UNDER WITHDRAWAL, AND WHAT CONSTITUTE, UH, WHAT, SORRY, CONTINUES REGARDLESS OF THE VOTE AND HOW THIS STATUTORY FINANCIAL OBLIGATION WORKS, RESIDENTS DESERVE ENOUGH FACTUAL INFORMATION TO MAKE AN INFORMED DECISION. SO WE'RE GONNA DO THAT THROUGH, WE INTEND TO MAKE THIS INFORMATION ACCESSIBLE IN MULTIPLE WAYS. PUBLIC MEETINGS VIA WEBSITE, SOCIAL MEDIA NOTICES ON BUS STOPS, AND ABOARD VEHICLES AND PRINTED MATERIALS. THE OBJECTIVE IS TO REACH PEOPLE WHERE THEY ARE, RATHER THAN EXPECTING RESIDENTS TO FIND INFORMATION ON THEMSELVES. AND WE CAN EASILY DO THAT THROUGH ALL OF THESE, UM, YOU KNOW, THE, THESE SERVICES. AND AGAIN, I WANNA REITERATE, WE DID PUT THE TEXAS ELECTION CODE ON HERE THAT WE'RE NOT ADVOCATING. WE ARE SIMPLY EDUCATING. UM, SO, YOU KNOW, THERE'S CERTAIN TERMS, PHRASES THAT WE'RE NOT ALLOWED TO USE THAT. UM, 'CAUSE I, I DON'T WANT TO, UH, ANNOY AND, AND BOTHER BONNIE, BUT I DON'T WANT TO GET US IN A A, A TOUGH SITUATION. UM, SO THAT WAS A REALLY QUICK HIGH LEVEL OVERVIEW WHERE I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. UM, TRUSTEE DEION? YES, THANK YOU. UM, I'M TALKING ABOUT THE MEETINGS IN AUGUST, AND IT'S UNFORTUNATE THAT VIA WAS NOT ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE, IN THE CONVERSATION. I THINK IT WOULD'VE BEEN VERY HELPFUL, BUT I WASN'T ABLE TO GO THAT NIGHT. BUT WERE THERE RESIDENTS THERE THAT USED VIA, WERE THEY VOICING THEIR OPINION? WERE THEY ALLOWED TO COMMIT AND, AND TALK TO THE COUNCIL ABOUT HOW THIS WOULD IMPACT THEIR LIVES? ABSOLUTELY. AS SOON AS IT WAS PUT ON THE, THE AGENDA, WE HAD ABOUT 72 HOURS TO, TO MOTIVATE IT AND ACTIVATE SOME FOLKS IN ORDER TO COME DOWN. WE HAD ABOUT 40 RESIDENTS, UH, BOTH INSIDE AND OUTSIDE OF CONVERSE. BUT THEY USE OUR SYSTEM TO GET TO THE CITY OF CONVERSE. UM, AND SO, UH, ALL OF THEM CAME TO SPEAK IN FAVOR OF STAYING WITH VIA. UM, IT, IT, SOME OF THE DIALOGUE WAS, WAS UNFORTUNATE. UH, SOME OF THE FOLKS THAT DIDN'T LIVE WITHIN THE, THE, THE BOUNDARY OF THE CITY OF CONVERSE WERE TOLD THAT, UH, THE, THEIR ACTION THAT NIGHT WOULD NOT IMPACT THEM. EVEN THOUGH, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE 80 KIDS WHO HAVE BUS PASSES THAT ARE GOING TO JUDSON OR IDEA. UM, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, PLENTY OF FOLKS WHO, UH, YOU KNOW, LIKE BARBARA STOCKER CAME AND SPOKE. SHE GOES TO MEDICAL APPOINTMENTS IN THE CITY OF CONVERSE. UM, SO THAT WAS THE, THE MESSAGE LOUD AND CLEAR WAS, YOU KNOW, IF WE DON'T LIVE IN CONVERSE, WE USE CONVERSE THAT WALMART IS A DESTINATION POINT FOR GROCERY SHOPPING, YOU KNOW, PHARMACY, ALL OF THOSE SORTS OF THINGS. AND SO, UM, THAT A LOT OF THAT WAS, WAS MADE CLEAR TO THEM. UH, THEY, THEY, YOU KNOW, CONTINUED TO, TO HEAD DOWN THE PATH. TRUSTEE ATA, IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING IT'LL BE ON THE NOVEMBER BALLOT. YES, IT WILL. DO YOU KNOW ABOUT WHERE IS IT THE VERY END? 'CAUSE IT'S GONNA BE A VERY LONG BALLOT. IT WILL, IT WILL BE TOWARDS THE END, UH, BECAUSE OF THE, THERE A, A SMALLER SUBURBAN CITY WITHIN THE BEXAR COUNTY. SO IT, YES, IT WILL BE TOWARDS THE END OF THE BALLOT. AND AS A BOARD MEMBER, ARE WE ABLE TO ADVOCATE? UH, I AS A PERSONAL INDIVIDUAL? YES. OKAY. BUT IF, BUT NOT AS A, YOU CANNOT MENTION THAT YOU'RE A BOARD OF TRUSTEES, NOT, NOT IN YOUR ROLE AS A VIA BOARD MEMBER, AND NOT UTILIZING ANY STAFF OR ANY STAFF DEVELOP MATERIALS TO SUPPORT YOU. OKAY. SO WE CAN'T IDENTIFY OURSELVES AS A VIA BOARD MEMBER. MM-HMM. OKAY. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. UH, SECRETARY MILOW, UH, TOM WILL, I KNOW WE CAN'T DO ANY, BUT IN ALL THE EDUCATION YOU ARE SENDING OUT [00:35:02] TO THE DISABLED, ARE YOU SENDING LETTERS TO THEM? LET THEM KNOW WHERE WE AT AND WHAT THEY HAVE TO DO? ABSOLUTELY. 'CAUSE THERE'S A LARGE SECTION THAT COME INTO WORK, AND THESE PEOPLE MAY LOSE THEIR JOBS BECAUSE OF THIS ACTION. YES. UH, WE HAD A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF, OF COMMUNITY FOLKS, UH, FROM THE, THE BLIND COMMUNITY, UH, WHO, WHO SHOWED UP. UM, MANY OF THEM BECAME RESIDENTS OF THE CITY OF CONVERSE BECAUSE OF THEIR ACCESS TO PUBLIC TRANSIT. UM, AND SO WE'RE, YOU KNOW, WE ARE ALREADY ORGANIZING A LIST OF PEOPLE WHO ARE TRANSIT USERS, BUT, UH, COME FROM THESE, THESE DIFFERENT CONSTITUENCIES, UH, TRUSTEES. SO WE'RE GONNA MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, NOT ONLY DO WE REACH OUT TO THEM, BECAUSE THEY MAY BE A VIA TRANS USER, BUT THEY MAY BE A REGULAR ROUTED USER. AND THAT'S WHY, YOU KNOW, WE CAN DIRECTLY TARGET THROUGH BEING A, VIA TRANS USER. UM, BUT WE'RE GONNA TOUCH FOLKS, UH, AT THEIR FRONT DOOR, AT THEIR BUS STOPS ON THE BUSES, UH, IN ORDER TO GUARANTEE THAT THEY HAVE ALL THE INFORMATION OF, YOU KNOW, WHERE THEY NEED TO FIND IT ON THE BALLOT. BUT, UM, WHAT, WHAT IT WOULD MEAN TO THEM TO, TO LOSE THE SERVICE. WHAT ABOUT ALL THROUGH EDUCATION? YEAH. WE WILL BE TAKING PARTICULAR CARE TO ONLY INFORM AND PROVIDE INFORMATION BECAUSE IT, IT IS NOT, IT, IT IS A CLEAR LINE OF WHAT WE CAN AND CANNOT DO. AND WE WILL, UH, WE HAVE LEARNED AND BEEN ED EDUCATED ON THAT. NO ADVOCACY, NO, NO ADVOCACY, NO ADVOCATING FOR THE MEASURE, UH, OR TO VOTE TO STAY. WE, THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT WE'RE NOT PERMITTED TO DO. THE STAFF CAN, CAN WE INFORM THE CHE SCHOOL BOARD? OH, YES. WE CAN INFORM. THANK YOU. AND, AND I WILL SAY THAT MY OFFICE HAS BEEN IN COMMUNICATION WITH THEIR COUNSEL, UM, ABOUT THE IMPACTS OF, OH, WITHDRAWAL, TRUSTEE TWELL. HI. OKAY. SO OBVIOUSLY VIA CHANCE IS VERY IMPORTANT, UH, TO ME AS ATAC CHAIR. SO, UM, I'M, I'M NOT GONNA GET, UH, I'M NOT GONNA GET ANGRY THOUGH BECAUSE THIS IS IMPACTING SO MANY VETERANS. UM, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE HAVEN'T TOUCHED ON QUITE NOW, BUT THEY ARE A HUGE OVERLAPPING POPULATION. AND, UM, WHEN WE ARE TRYING TO WORK ON THE PUBLIC'S TRUST WHEN IT COMES TO VETERANS AND VIA TRANS AND BE A GOOD STEWARD, THIS IS JUST NOT, UH, CONDUCIVE TO COMMUNITY BUILDING. SO, UM, MY QUESTION THOUGH, MO IS ALSO GOING TOWARDS BONNIE, UM, THEN MY REQUEST, BECAUSE WE ARE GOING TO BE DEALING WITH QUESTIONS ABOUT LANGUAGE. CAN YOU PROVIDE FOR US WHAT IS, WHAT LOOKS LIKE ADVOCACY AND WHAT DOES NOT LOOK LIKE ADVOCACY. THAT WAY WE CAN ACTUALLY HAVE LIKE SOME BRIGHT LINE RULES FOR LIKE, WHAT WE CAN AND CANNOT SAY, BECAUSE I DO NOT WANT ANY OF US TO GET IN TROUBLE FOR SOMETHING THAT'S OBVIOUSLY VERY, UM, IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO A LOT OF US FOR DIFFERENT DEMOGRAPHICS THAT ARE IN THIS AREA. WE CAN, AND WE CERTAINLY WILL. AND, AND PLEASE KNOW THAT THERE IS, YOU, YOU HAVE A LITTLE MORE FLEXIBILITY AS, AS AN INDIVIDUAL CITIZEN OF SAN ANTONIO THAN WE DO. YEAH. AND, AND WE DO HAVE SOME FLEXIBILITY ON THAT. THE PROBLEM IS, UM, AND I'LL USE MYSELF AS AN EXAMPLE. IF I SHOW UP, I SAY, I'M JUST A CITIZEN. EVERYONE SAYS YOU'RE A CITIZEN THAT WORKS FOR VIA METROPOLITAN TRANSIT. SO I CAN SAY THAT OVER AND OVER AGAIN, BUT I'M ATTACHED TO THIS PLACE. THAT'S WHY YEAH, THE PUBLIC PERCEPTION, I WOULD HAVE TO BE PARTICULARLY CAREFUL IN WHAT I SAY AND DO. AND SO YOU AS A BOARD MEMBER, WE WILL, WE WILL MAKE SURE THAT YOU HAVE THAT INFORMATION, EACH OF YOU. AND THEN, SO MY, SORRY, I HAD ONE MORE QUESTION. SO THEN MY QUESTION THEN FOR TOM WOULD BE, UM, ALSO REACHING OUT TO THE VFWS IS OBVIOUSLY GOING TO BE VERY IMPORTANT. UM, AND ALSO THE MAC, BECAUSE I KNOW SO MANY FAMILIES THAT CHOSE TO LIVE IN CONVERSE OR AROUND CONVERSE IN THAT AREA, SPECIFICALLY BECAUSE OF ACCESS TO MAC. UM, AND IT, IT'S DISHEARTENING TO KNOW THAT LIFELINE, THIS TRULY IS A LIFELINE TO SO MANY THAT WILL BE CUT OFF. YEAH. FM SEVEN, SORRY, FM 78 IS A HUGE THOROUGHFARE. IT'S RIGHT NEAR I 10. IT'S JUST SOUTH OF, OF 35 AND 1604. THE 1604 QUARTER IS HUGE. TO YOUR POINT. THERE'S AN AMERICAN LEGION OUT THERE, THERE'S VFWS OUT THERE. SO WE'RE ALREADY COMPILING THAT LIST OF ALL THE DIFFERENT ENTITIES WITHIN. BUT ALSO THAT FEED INTO CONVERSE AS WELL TOO. UM, YOU KNOW, THIS IS GONNA HAVE HUGE IMPACTS ON BEAR COUNTY. YOU KNOW, THEY JUST BUILT A PRECINCT [00:40:01] OFFICE, A SHERIFF OFFICE, A JP COURT ALL OUT THERE. UM, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS A, AN ISSUE WHEN IT FIRST OPENED THAT THERE WASN'T SERVICE TO IT. AND SO WE STOOD UP, UM, AND Y'ALL APPROVED A $275,000 A YEAR COST TO US IN ORDER TO PROVIDE A, A DIRECT VIA LINK FROM THAT WALMART PARKING LOT TO THAT, THAT WOULD ALSO GO AWAY AS WELL TOO. SO THE NUMBER OF EVICTIONS AND TRUANCY CASES THAT, UH, WOULD BE DISENFRANCHISED IS, IS A HUGE ISSUE. SO WE'RE ALREADY TALKING TO THE JP JUDGE OUT THERE. UH, WE'RE CONTACTING THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE. WE'RE HAVING REGULAR CONVERSATIONS WITH THE STATE REPS, THE STATE SENATOR, THE COUNTY COMMISSIONER, UH, THE CURRENT COUNTY JUDGE, POTENTIALLY THE NEXT COUNTY JUDGE ALL TO ENSURE THAT EVERYBODY KNOWS HOW THIS COULD IMPACT THEIR CONSTITUENCIES AS WELL. OKAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, TRUSTEE RENO. UH, THANK YOU, TOM. UH, APPRECIATE THAT AND AND APPRECIATE THE THOROUGHNESS. YOU'VE ALREADY ANSWERED A FEW OF MY QUESTIONS, UM, IN TERMS OF NOTIFICATION TO IMPACTED WRITERS. UH, AND THEN OF COURSE, JUST IT IS THE EDUCATION PIECE, BUT THERE ARE A LOT OF COMPONENTS AND A LOT OF GROUPS THAT ARE INTERESTED IN DIFFERENT PARTS. AND SO THANK YOU FOR WALKING US THROUGH SOME OF THOSE PIECES. SURE. UM, JUST 'CAUSE I DIDN'T SEE IT, IS, IS THERE A NUMBER, UH, GENERALLY THAT YOU CAN POINT TO? LIKE WHAT DO WE STAND TO LOSE ASSUMING WE VOTERS OF CONVERSE CHOOSE TO WITH FOREGO SERVICE, WHAT WOULD WE LOSE, UH, THE FISCAL IMPACT THAT, UH, FROM THEIR SALES TAX ABOUT 2.1, BUT THERE'S THEN THOSE UNINTENDED, UH, BENEFITS AS WELL TOO, RIGHT? I MEAN, WE HAVE THE CONNECTION TO THE A CCD CAMPUS OUT THERE THAT WE WENT THROUGH A LAND SWAP WITH. UM, YOU KNOW, UH, BEXAR COUNTY IS ALREADY CONSTRUCTING THE ROAD IN ORDER TO TAKE THE ROUTE 21 ALL THE WAY UP TO THE FRONT DOOR. SO THEY HAVE AN EXPENDITURE THAT, THAT THEY WOULD END UP LOSING ON. UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S THE, THE ABILITY TO GET FOLKS TO SOME OF THEIR DOCTOR'S, UH, APPOINTMENTS. YOU KNOW, WE WOULD END UP POTENTIALLY, UH, LE YOU KNOW, HAVING TO LEAVE THEM AT THE BORDER OF CONVERSE TO, TO, TO TRY AND TRY AND FIND THEIR OWN WAY, DEPENDING UPON WHAT, WHAT SERVICE, IF, IF ANY, THEY MAY STAND UP. UM, SO THERE'S THE 2.1 MILLION, BUT THEN THERE'S ALL OF THE DOMINOES THAT THAT EXTENDS FROM THAT OF, UM, YOU KNOW, WE, WE MET WITH, UH, THE UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL SYSTEM ABOUT THE, THE ONE THAT, THEY'RE THE NEW HOSPITAL THAT THEY'RE BUILDING IN, IN DISTRICT FOUR. AND, YOU KNOW, THEY ALSO ARE BUILDING ONE NEAR ROT PARK, AND THEY'RE NOW FINDING, HEY, WE'RE NOT INTO VIA SERVICE AREA, SO WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN? UH, SO IT'S, IT'S A FINANCIAL IMPACT TO US, BUT IT'S THEN THE, THE OTHER UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES THAT, THAT, YOU KNOW, CONTINUE ON. NO. IF, IF, IF I COULD ALSO JUST, UH, CLARIFY ON THE FINANCIAL IMPACT, IT ACTUALLY, WE, WE WOULD REDUCE OUR EXPENSES, RIGHT? UH, BECAUSE WE'RE NOT OFFERING SERVICE. RIGHT. BUT FOR SIX YEARS, THE COMPTROLLER WILL CONTINUE TO SEND US RIGHT. THE $2.1 MILLION. THAT'S RIGHT. RIGHT. SO, SO ROUGHLY EVERY YEAR WE GET ABOUT 2 MILLION. OF COURSE WE'RE USING SOME OF THAT YES, SIR. TO, TO DELIVER SERVICE. RIGHT. UM, AND I APPRECIATE, AGAIN, KIND OF THE HUMAN CENTERED IMPACT, RIGHT? I THINK THAT'S THE RIGHT WAY TO THINK ABOUT THIS. WHAT SERVICES WILL FOLKS BE DENIED? WHAT ACCESS WILL THEY, WILL THEY CEASE TO HAVE? UM, AND THEN I GUESS HUMAN IMPACT AS WELL. WHAT, I KNOW IT'S THREE ROUTES. WHAT IMPACT DOES THE, CAN YOU WALK US THROUGH THE IMPACT TO OUR OPERATORS? I KNOW WE'VE JUST HIRED A BUNCH OF NEW ONES. THEY'RE DOING GREAT WORK. WHAT IMPACT WOULD THIS HAVE TO, TO OPERATORS, TO OUR FLEET AND, AND KIND OF HOW, UH, WE DELIVER THOSE? RIGHT. WELL, THE ROUTE 21, THE 5 0 2 AND THE 6 38, WERE ALL HAVE BEEN PART OF THE BETTER BUS PROGRAM IN RECENT YEARS. SO THE, SOME OF THOSE, UM, WE MAY STILL HAVE TO TRAVERSE THROUGH, BUT WE, UH, AGAIN, WE, WE WOULDN'T BE GAINING THE RIDERSHIP BY PICKING, UH, PICKING THOSE FOLKS UP. 'CAUSE NOW THE 5 0 2 USED TO JUST GO TO RANDOLPH, NOW IT GOES ALL THE WAY TO NORTH STAR TRANSIT CENTER TO MAKE THAT CONNECTION FROM, FROM CONVERSE TO, TO SAN PEDRO AND FOUR 10. UM, SO I, I ASSUME THOUGH THAT THE, THE OPERATORS, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE, THEY'RE NOT GONNA LOSE THEIR POSITION. 'CAUSE WE CAN, WE INCORPORATE THEM INTO THE CURRENT SYSTEM THAT WE HAVE. THANK YOU. UH, THE WORST PART THOUGH IS THE, YOU KNOW, THE SEVEN YEARS OF $2 MILLION THAT THEY DON'T GET TO, UH, THE CITIZENS DON'T, DON'T GET TO RECEIVE ANY SERVICE FOR THAT, BUT, UM, IT STILL ENDS UP GETTING PAID. YEAH. SO WE WILL NOT NEED TO REDUCE NUMBER OF OPERATORS REGARDLESS OF HOW THIS GOES. YEAH. UM, HAS, HAVE Y'ALL TALKED TO A TU YET? HAS A TU TAKEN A POSITION ON, AND I GUESS I CAN TALK TO THEM, BUT, UM, JUST BECAUSE IN TERMS OF THE INFORMATION, THEY'RE, THEY'RE, THEY CAN OBVIOUSLY SPEAK DIFFERENTLY, UM, IN WHATEVER REGARDS THEY NEED TO. BUT, UM, I GUESS WHAT CONVERSATIONS HAVE Y'ALL HAD WITH THE EMPLOYEES UNION? SO THEY KNOW ABOUT IT, BUT WE'VE ALSO SPOKEN TO REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE LABOR COUNCIL. 'CAUSE THERE'S NOT JUST, UH, A TU THAT WOULD BE IMPACTED BY IT. RIGHT. THERE'S A LOT OF OF LABOR MEMBERS IN THE CONVERSE AREA, [00:45:01] AND SO WE'RE ALREADY LOOKING AT THE POSSIBILITY OF, OF ANY EDUCATION THAT THEY CAN HELP US, UH, DISSEMINATE IN, IN THE AREA AS WELL TOO. OKAY. THANK YOU. I THINK, UH, I THINK THAT WAS IT. APPRECIATE YOU TIME. THANK YOU. SURE. TRUSTEE COOPER. THANK YOU, TOM. UM, THAT'S A GREAT PRESENTATION. I'M GOING TO SAY WHAT I SAY BASED ON IF SITTING IN THE MAYOR'S POSITION AND BEING ON COUNCIL FOR A LOT OF YEARS IN ALMO HEIGHTS, AND IT, THIS SOUNDS TO ME, AND I WASN'T AT THEIR MEETING, SO I DON'T KNOW THAT THEY'RE NOT AS INFORMED AS THEY MIGHT NEED TO BE. AND WE, THAT'S JUST MY OWN PERSONAL OPINION. UH, I WOULD HATE TO MAKE THAT DECISION, UH, AS A COUNCIL, UM, TO LOSE THAT REVENUE AND THEN TO HAVE TO PUT TOGETHER SOME TYPE OF SERVICE TO DO THAT. AND I THINK ONE OF THE SLIDES YOU HAD WAS VERY INTERESTING, AND I THINK IT WAS, UH, ON THE, UH, LET'S SEE WHERE WE WERE PAYING $52 FOR OUR VIA TRANS, THAT'S WHAT IT COST US. AND THAT COST IS EVEN DILUTED BECAUSE WE'RE SO BIG GOING OUT. I, I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT WOULD BE IF YOU WERE JUST ONE CITY TRYING TO OVERCOME THAT. AND I DON'T KNOW IF THEY'VE GIVEN YOU OR ANYONE ELSE, ANY IDEA OF WHAT KIND OF SERVICE THEY TRY ARE GONNA PUT UP, BECAUSE I KNOW I HAVEN'T SEEN AN UBER YET THAT HAS SPACE FOR HANDICAP, YOU KNOW, A WHEELCHAIR, UM, OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT. AND I JUST CAN'T IMAGINE WHAT THE, THIS AGAIN, JUST ME, LOUIS COOPER, WHAT THEY'RE THINKING THAT THEY'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THEIR CITIZENS WITH TRANSPORTATION IN THEIR CITY. YEAH. I MEAN, ON THE, UH, THE AUGUST 3RD, UH, COUNCIL MEETING, THEY INDICATED THAT, UH, IT, WHEN, YOU KNOW, IF AND WHEN THEY LEFT THAT THEY WOULD HAVE A COMPARABLE SERVICE TO VIA, UH, READY TO GO, UH, ON THE FIRST DAY, UH, WHEN WE WENT BACK ON THE APRIL 12TH OR THE SECOND READING, WE PROVIDED THEM WITH A BREAKDOWN. THE CITY OF KYLE ACTUALLY IN 2021 INSTITUTED, UH, A, A UBER BASED KIND OF TRANSIT SERVICE THAT, UM, ONLY WAS, IS WITHIN THE CONFINES OF THE CITY OF KYLE. UH, THEY HAVE A MUCH HIGHER, UH, MEDIAN INCOME IN THE CITY OF KYLE VERSUS, UH, THE CITY OF CONVERSE. UH, BUT IN THE FOUR YEARS OR FIVE YEARS THAT THEY'VE HAD THAT, IT STARTED OFF AT A COST OF $21,000 PER YEAR IN, IN 2021 NOW HAS GOTTEN UP OVER $1.2 MILLION. SO THEY'RE, DURING THEIR BUDGET PROCESS THIS YEAR, THEY ACTUALLY DECREASED THE SERVICE, DECREASE THE HOURS OF OPERATION, UH, INCREASED THE INITIAL PAYMENT FOR THE RIDER FROM, UH, $3 AND 14 CENTS TO $5, AND THEN THEY WILL ONLY COVER $10 OF THE TRIP. UH, AND THEN ANYTHING BEYOND THAT HAS TO BE COVERED BY THE RIDER AS WELL. SO YOU START AT $5 FOR THE RIDER, UH, THEY COVER THE NEXT 10, AND THEN ANYTHING ABOVE THAT. THEY ALSO HAD, UH, TRIPS TO THE VA IN AUSTIN, IN TRAVIS COUNTY, AND THEN AUSTIN BERGSTROM, THEY'VE CANCELED THE AUSTIN BERGSTROM TRIP. SO YOU CANNOT TAKE THAT OUTTA KYLE. THE ONLY TRIP THAT YOU CAN TAKE OUT OF THE CONFINES OF KYLE IS, UH, TO, TO THE, TO THE VA. UM, BUT IT'S, IT'S BECOME MUCH MORE STRICT NOW. UM, IF YOU DON'T, IF YOU DON'T PAY TO, TO LEAVE THE BOUNDARIES, THE DRIVER HAS TO STOP AT THE, YOU KNOW, THE, THE END OF THE CITY AND, AND, YOU KNOW, BOOT YOU OUTTA THE CAR. UH, SO IT'S, TO YOUR POINT, IT'S BECOMING, UH, JUST TRANSPORTATION IN GENERAL, UM, IS IS MORE EXPENSIVE THROUGH EVERY OTHER AVENUE. UM, AND SO WE FEEL WE PROVIDE THE BEST OPTION FOR THE CITY OF CONVERSE TO EXACTLY, TO YOUR POINT. SO, AND THEN IF THEY'RE GONNA BE READY, LET'S JUST SAY THEIR VOTERS PASS THAT AND THEY END. SO THAT MEANS THEY'RE GONNA HAVE TO STAND UP THAT SERVICE AHEAD OF TIME. AND SO IF THEY LOSE, YOU KNOW, IF THE CITIZENS VOTE TO KEEP IT, THEN THEY'VE SPENT A LOT OF MONEY. IT, IT DOESN'T SOUND LIKE A BANK PLAN TO ME. AGAIN, LOUIS COOPER, ONLY SPEAKING ON THIS SURE. AS A FORMER MAYOR, UM, I, I'D, I'D BE CHALLENGED BY THE WHOLE THING. AND I MEAN, AGAIN, YOU START INTO WHAT OUR BUS SERVICE DOES, AND WE'VE BEEN, YOU KNOW, THE SEVEN YEARS I'VE BEEN ON THIS BOARD, IT'S FREQUENCY, FREQUENCY, FREQUENCY. HOW IN THE WORLD WOULD YOU HAVE FREQUENCY? UH, I, I, I DON'T KNOW. I DON'T KNOW THEIR PLAN, BUT I WOULD HOPE THEY WOULD PUT THAT OUT TO THEIR CITIZENS IN FAIRNESS TO THEM, SO THEY KNOW WHAT THEY'RE VOTING FOR OR VOTING AGAINST. YEAH, I MEAN, I, I CAN'T COMMENT ON WHAT THEIR PLAN WOULD BE. I DO KNOW THERE WERE TWO QUESTIONS ON THE AUGUST 12TH MEETING. ONE OF THEM WAS, UH, IF WE VOTE TO LEAVE, CAN WE ASK VIA TO STAY WITH US LONGER, UH, AND SET A, A FUTURE TIME, UH, [00:50:01] TO, TO DO A HANDOFF. SO, UM, I, I MEAN, I CAN ONLY GIVE MY PERCEPTION OF THAT QUESTION THAT WAS FROM ONE OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO, UM, I DON'T KNOW THAT THEY MAY, THEY MAY NOT FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH WHAT IS IS POTENTIALLY PROPOSED. UH, THAT, THAT WAS JUST MY PERCEPTION OF THAT QUESTION. BUT THAT WAS ONE OF THE TWO QUESTIONS ASKED. SURE. WELL, THANK YOU, TOM, FOR ALL YOUR HARD WORK ON THIS. THANK YOU TRUSTEE COOPER, TRUSTEE FERNANDEZ, JUST A QUICK QUESTION. UH, TOM, UH, FOLLOWING TO, UH, TRUSTEE TOIL AND REINA ON THEIR QUESTIONS ON TARGETED, UH, INFORMATION SHARING, UM, I, ON YOUR SLIDE 11, WHERE YOU SHARE YOUR NEXT STEPS ON, UH, INFORMATION, DOES THAT INCLUDE ALSO HOW WE ARE SHARING WITH CURRENT VIA AND VIA TRANS WRITERS? DO YOU HAVE, HAVE WE SENT INFORMATION OR ARE WE SENDING INFORMATION FOR THOSE THAT MIGHT NOT BE POLITICALLY INFORMED ON WHAT IS GOING TO BE ON THE BALLOT THAT THEY MIGHT BE LOSING SERVICES IF, IF THIS PASSES? SO THAT'S ONE OF THE GREAT OPPOR OPPORTUNITIES ABOUT, UH, VIATRAN RIDER. THAT'S HOW WE GOT 40 PEOPLE THERE FOR THE, THE FIRST COMMUNITY MEETING WAS WE SENT OUT, UH, A, A A, AN EMAIL BLAST TO ABOUT 700 VIA TRANS RIDERS FROM THAT AREA, LETTING THEM KNOW A LOT OF THE VIA TRANSLATORS, IF THEY WEREN'T DIRECTLY FROM CONVERSE, THEY WANT TO BE SUPPORTIVE OF THE, THEIR, YOU KNOW, THEIR, THEIR PARTNERS IN, IN VIA TRANS WITHIN CONVERSE. AND SO PART OF IT WAS, I'M HERE BECAUSE I'M A VIA TRANS USER IN CONVERSE. PART OF IT WAS, I'M HERE BECAUSE I COME TO CONVERSE ON VIA TRANS. AND THEN THE THIRD WAS, I'M HERE TO SUPPORT MY, MY VIA TRANS RIDERS. SO, UM, SO THOSE ARE ACTUALLY PROBABLY ONE OF THE EASIEST GROUPS TO GET IN, IN, IN TOUCH WITH. UM, YOU KNOW, WE DO FOUR DIFFERENT TELE TOWN HALLS A YEAR TO THE VIA TRANS COMMUNITY. THEY'RE VERY WELL INFORMED, VERY ENGAGED, AND VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT THEIR SERVICE. AND SO THEY'RE, UM, THEY'RE, THEY'RE THE BASIS OF, OF OUR EDUCATION AND THEN BLOSSOMING OUT OUT FROM THERE. OKAY. OTHER THAN, UH, EMAILS AND THE NOTICES ON BUS STOPS AND SOCIAL MEDIA, UH, ANY OTHER, OH, I SEE. PRINT MATERIALS, UH, JUST MAKING SURE THAT NOT ONLY VIA TRANS WRITERS BUT ALSO ALL VIA RIDER ARE AWARE THAT THIS MIGHT BE A POSSIBILITY THAT IT MIGHT NOT HAVE SERVICES. YEAH. FOUR, UH, 48% OF THE RESIDENTS OF CONVERSE ARE BELOW THE MEDIAN INCOME. AND SO THAT'S, UH, WE HAVE A HUGE RIDERSHIP OUT THERE. LIKE I SAID, YOU KNOW, ALMOST, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, 1400 TRIPS OUT OF CONVERSE 1500, UH, INTO CONVERSE EVERY SINGLE WEEK. SO WE ARE SERVICING A HUGE CHUNK OF FOLKS JUST ON OUR REGULAR ROUTES. UM, AND ON THREE ROUTES WE CAN GET DIRECT CONTACT VERY EASILY AND, AND, AND ENGAGE THEM IN A VERY MEANINGFUL WAY. THANK YOU, TOM AND PAO, WHAT WE WOULD LIKE TO DO AS WELL, I MEAN WE WANTED TO BRING THIS, UH, TO THE BOARD FIRST. UH, BUT THEN I'M LOOKING AT JOSH OVER THERE HARD AT WORK. UH, WE'D ALSO WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE GET OUR, OUR COUNCIL TO KEEP SAN ANTONIO MOVING AWARE OF WHAT'S HAPPENING AS WELL. UH, BECAUSE THAT'S ALSO AN IMPORTANT GROUP TO UNDERSTAND, UH, THE IMPLICATIONS OF A DECISION LIKE THIS. AND THEY COULD ALSO HELP, UH, EDUCATE AND INFORM INDIVIDUALS. UH, TRINO JUST ONE LAST POINT IN TERMS OF THAT INFORMATION AND CLARIFICATION. UM, SO JUST TO BE CLEAR FOR CONVERSATIONS, IT IS FACTUALLY CORRECT TO SAY THAT THE CITY WILL CONTINUE TO PAY US AND RECEIVE NOTHING IF THEY VOTE AGAINST THIS, AS OPPOSED TO CONTINUING TO PAY US AND RECEIVING THE SERVICE, WHICH WE'VE SEEN THE HUMAN IMPACT OF, RIGHT? IS THAT FAIR? OKAY. YES. BUT THIS ONE, IT DOESN'T COME TO VIA, BUT SALES TAX CODE'S COMPTROLLER, RIGHT? IT GOES TO THE COMPTROLLER AND THEN HE DISTRIBUTES IT, BUT THEY'RE PAYING FOR ESSENTIALLY, AND, AND I, I GUESS IT'S, IT'S A, IT'S THAT MOMENT OF CLARIFICATION. IT'S NOT THE CITY OF CONVERSE THAT'S PAYING THE SALES TAX TAXPAYERS, IT'S THE INDIVIDUAL BUSINESSES THAT ARE HAPPEN TO BE LOCATED WITHIN THE CONVERSE, UH, CITY LIMITS. SO WHEN THE SALES TAX IS RUNG UP IN THAT COMMUNITY'S UH, BUSINESS, THAT MONEY IS GONNA BE SENT TO THE COMPTROLLER AND THE COMPTROLLER IS GONNA SEND IT TO US. SO THAT CONTINUES, RIGHT, EVEN FOR SIX YEARS BEYOND THAT AS WELL. SO, JUST A LITTLE CLARIFICATION 'CAUSE THERE HAS BEEN SOME CONFUSION ABOUT WHO'S PAYING THE TAX, RIGHT? IT IS A, IT, IT IS A SALES TAX THAT HAPPENS TO BE LOCATED IN THE CITY. CONVERSE. WE CAN'T SAY THAT IT'S ONLY THE CITY OF CONVERSE RESIDENCE THAT PAY IT, RIGHT? UH, BECAUSE IT'S A CITUS TAX. S-I-T-U-S IS THE WAY THE STATE OF TEXAS SOMETHING YOU'RE, YOU'RE GONNA GET REAL FAMILIAR WITH HERE, UH, HOPEFULLY. AND, UH, UM, AND, AND, AND FROM THAT PERSPECTIVE, THERE'S OTHERS FROM OUTSIDE THE CITY LIMITS WHO PAY THE SALES TAX AS WELL. THAT HAPPENS IN ALL SALES TAX ARRANGEMENTS, UH, IN THIS COMMUNITY. ABSOLUTELY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR [00:55:01] THAT. SURE. UH, JUST A COUPLE OF OF THOUGHTS HERE FROM MYSELF, AND I KNOW THIS HAS BEEN, UH, QUICKLY APPROACHING OVER THE COURSE OF THE LAST NINE MONTHS WHEN WE FIRST LEARNED ABOUT SOME OF THESE CONVERSATIONS, AND I KNOW, UH, VIA STAFF HAS BEEN IN COMMUNICATION WITH THE CITY OF CONVERSE AND THEIR STAFF ABOUT THIS, BUT TO TRUSTEE TO WILL'S EARLIER COMMENTS ABOUT, UM, VETERANS, UM, RANDOLPH, BMC, UM, MEDICAL SERVICES, BUT JOBS ECONOMIC MOBILITY, WHEN IT COMES TO, YOU JUST SAID 48% LIVE BELOW THE POVERTY LINE, THAT IS A STARK STARK NUMBER RIGHT THERE TO THINK ABOUT. UM, IF YOU DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO JOBS, UH, IN ADDITION TO EDUCATION, AS YOU MENTIONED FOR THE ALMA COLLEGES THAT IS IN THAT AREA. AND SO, UH, I DO HOPE THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, THE EDUCATION AND AWARENESS IS PROMOTED SO THAT THE CITY, UH, RESIDENTS ARE AWARE OF THE RAMIFICATIONS OF THIS. UM, AND THEN FROM A REGIONAL APPROACH, RIGHT? WHEN WE THINK ABOUT JUST THE CONNECTIVITY TO, UH, BEAR COUNTY HERE, UH, I KNOW THAT'S SOMETHING THAT, UM, IS GONNA BE IN DISCUSSIONS IS THERE'S BEEN MANY, MANY DISCUSSIONS HAPPENING WITH OUR CURRENT JUDGE RIGHT NOW, UH, GOING UP AND DOWN THE I 35 CORRIDOR, UM, TALKING ABOUT REGIONAL CONNECTIVITY TO SOUTH TEXAS. YES. UH, THE TEXAS TRIANGLE, UH, THINKING ABOUT THE CENTRAL TEXAS PARTNERSHIP, AUSTIN, SAN ANTONIO CONNECTIVITY JOBS THERE. UM, AND SO THERE IS OPPORTUNITY, UH, THAT I THINK IS GONNA BE MISSED IF, UM, THIS IS NOT REALLY, UM, CLOSELY LOOKED AT FROM THE CITY'S, UM, RESIDENCE. UH, THIRD, I, I THINK IF, IF THERE IS, UM, A VOTE AND, UH, IT IS APPROVED THAT THEY DO REMOVE THEMSELVES FROM, UH, VIA SERVICE AND THE CITY OF CONVERS CANNOT DELIVER THE SAME SORT OF SERVICE RESIDENTS, UM, ARE ASKING FOR ADDITIONAL SERVICES, WHAT IS THE NEXT COURSE OF ACTION FOR THE CITY THERE? WOULD THEY BE THEN CONTRACTING WITH VIA OR REACHING OUT TO ANOTHER ENTITY TO DO SOMETHING SIMILAR FROM A VIA TRANS PERSPECTIVE? LIKE WHAT DOES THAT COST LOOK LIKE? I, THEY, THEY COULD HAVE A, A MYRIAD OF PRIVATE, UH, YOU KNOW, COMPANIES WHO, WHO COULD MAKE OFFERS IN ORDER TO, TO PROVIDE A TYPE OF SERVICE. UM, I I, I WANNA LET BONNIE ANSWER A-A-A-A-A BALLOT, YOU KNOW, TYPE TYPE QUESTION. UM, YOU KNOW, IF, I MEAN, THEY, THEY BASICALLY HAVE FROM WHEN THEY WOULD HAVE TO CANVAS THE VOTE ABOUT A WEEK AFTER, UH, ELECTION DAY, IF THEY OPTED TO LEAVE, WE WOULD ESSENTIALLY BE SHUTTING OFF SERVICE IN ABOUT 75 DAYS. UM, SO THEY, AND THEY, THEY SHOULD BE, AND THEY, THEY SAID ON THE AUGUST 3RD MEETING THAT THEY WANTED TO, UH, EDUCATE THE COMMUNITY ABOUT WHAT TYPE OF SERVICE THEY WOULD BE DELIVERING, UM, IF, IF, AND, AND WHEN THEY LEAVE. SO, UM, WE HAVE NOT SEEN THAT YET. UM, I, I, I WOULD HOPE FOR, FOR THEIR SAKE, JUST HAVING BEEN PART OF, UM, YOU KNOW, ADVOCACY EFFORTS, UH, IN MY PAST, THAT, UH, THEY WOULD HAVE A POSITIVE MESSAGE. UM, YOU KNOW, WE, WE, WE KNOW WE HAVE A POSITIVE MESSAGE TO TAKE, UH, BUT I DON'T, UH, WE, WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY'RE, UM, WHO THEY MAY BE TALKING TO OR WHAT SORT OF PLAN THEY'RE, THEY'RE PUTTING TOGETHER. AND MADAM CHAIR, IF I MAY ADD AS WELL, 'CAUSE THIS IS AN IMPORTANT MOMENT, IT'S ALSO, UH, THE QUALITY OF SERVICE THAT WE PROVIDE. SO WE CELEBRATE, UH, IN THIS ROOM AND WITHIN, UH, THIS BOARD, THE 87% CUSTOMER SATISFACTION THAT WE DELIVER TO THE SYSTEM, CONVERSE IS PART OF THAT 87% CUSTOMER SATISFACTION, RIGHT? SO IT IS STILL ONE THING TO DELIVER THE SERVICE, IT'S ALSO ANOTHER THING TO DELIVER GOOD SERVICE. AND I WANT TO, YOU KNOW, MAKE SURE THAT WE POINT OUT HERE, WE DO NOT HAVE ONE CITIZEN WITHIN THE CITY OF CONVERSE THAT HAS REGISTERED THEIR DISLIKE TO OUR SERVICE THAT THEY WOULD WANT REMOVAL. SO THAT IS ALSO IMPORTANT TO POINT OUT THAT IT'S NOT AN OPERATIONAL ISSUE THAT WE'RE SEEING. UM, THEY'RE VERY MUCH RECEIVING THE QUALITY OF SERVICE THAT WE HAVE BEEN DELIVERING. AND WHEN WE DO OUR ANNUAL COMMUNITY VALUE LOOK WHERE WE'RE NOT JUST TALKING TO OUR CUSTOMERS, WE'RE TALKING TO PEOPLE, WE SPECIFICALLY ASK, YOU KNOW, YOU MAY NOT BE A USER, BUT DO YOU SEE THE VALUE BECAUSE SOMEONE YOU KNOW, OR LOVE OR SOMEONE IN THE COMMUNITY MAY NEED THE SERVICE. WE STILL RANK VERY, VERY HIGH. AND CONVERSE WAS PART OF THAT OUTREACH AS WELL TOO. SO THERE ARE GONNA BE NON-TRANS USERS WHO ARE GOING TO SUPPORT BECAUSE THEIR FAVORITE RESTAURANT, THE WAITERS GET THERE, UH, YOU KNOW, BY [01:00:01] ON, ON OUR SERVICE. UH, SO ALL OF THOSE SORTS OF THINGS ARE, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, THOSE, UM, THOSE DIFFERENT OPTIONS THAT ARE, WE, I BELIEVE ARE GOING TO LEAD PEOPLE TO, TO WANNA STAY WITH VIA. BUT IT'S, WELL, I GUESS THAT, AND THAT, THAT'S, UH, HELPFUL INFORMATION. I THINK FOR ME. I, I JUST WANNA GET TO THE CLARITY TOO, THOUGH, RIGHT? IN ADDITION TO THE RESIDENTS PAYING FOR THE DEBT SERVICE THAT IS OBLIGATED BY STATE LAW, IF THEY WERE TO LOOK AT SERVICE DOWN THE ROAD IN SIX MONTHS, NINE MONTHS AND SAY, YOU KNOW WHAT, UH, VIA, UM, YOU KNOW, THE, THE SERVICE THAT YOU WERE PROVIDING WAS SOMETHING THAT WE SEE AS A VALUE, CAN WE EITHER OPT IN BACK IN OR CAN WE PAY FOR ADDITIONAL SERVICES? I'M JUST TRYING TO THINK WHAT OTHER OPTIONS SO THAT WE ARE AWARE AS A BODY OF WHAT THAT MAY LOOK LIKE. I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S OKAY RIGHT NOW TO TO THINK ABOUT, BUT I, I, I WOULD JUST LIKE TO HAVE, UM, SOME FORESIGHT AS TO WHAT OPTIONS ARE ARE BEING PRESENTED. SO I, I DO BELIEVE THEY'D HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY AT A LATER DATE TO HAVE ANOTHER ELECTION. OKAY. UM, THE ISSUE ON OPTING IN DIFFERENTLY OUTSIDE OF BEING A PART OF THE SERVICE AREA IS A CONVERSATION THAT WE WOULD HAVE IN AN EXECUTIVE SESSION TO DISCUSS WHAT OUR OPPORTUNITIES AND OBLIGATIONS COULD BE. BUT IT IS A, THAT IS A VERY COMPLEX DISCUSSION. NOTED. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. OKAY. JUST REAL QUICKLY, PLEASE. UH, TRUSTEE ELL? YES. I HAVE ONE MORE QUESTION. UM, SO, AND AGAIN, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'S VERY SAD THAT Y'ALL WERE NOT ABLE TO SPEAK AT THE COUNCIL MEETINGS. I DON'T THINK THAT'S FAIR TO VIA AT ALL. UM, BUT ARE Y'ALL ABLE TO SEND OUT INFORMATION, FACTUAL INFORMATION, SO THE STARK INFORMATION TO THE COUNCIL MEMBERS AS WELL? OH YEAH. TO THE MAYOR. YOU'RE SENDING ALL OF THOSE EMAILS OUT? OKAY. YES. UH, IN FACT, EVERY TIME WE, UH, WE WOULD GO AND SPEAK DURING CITIZENS TO BE HEARD, UH, BEFOREHAND AND AFTERWARDS, WE WOULD FOLLOW UP WITH AN EMAIL TO ALL THE COUNCIL MEMBERS, INCLUDING THE MAYOR TO LET THEM KNOW. UM, WHEN WE WENT ON THE 12TH, I DON'T KNOW THAT WE GOT OUR FULL ALLOTTED THREE MINUTES. SO WE MADE SURE THAT THE COUNCIL GOT ALL OF WHAT WE WERE GOING TO SAY, UH, IN ORDER TO, TO GUARANTEE THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY CAN'T SAY, WE'RE NOT CONTINUING TO, TO FEED THEM INFORMATION. OKAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE UPDATE. THANK YOU. UH, APPRECIATE IT. I KNOW THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE'VE BEEN TRACKING AND WORKING DILIGENTLY ON. UH, AGENDA ITEM NUMBER SIX, LEGAL BRIEFING. NO, I DO NOT HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL LEGAL BRIEFING. VERY GOOD. UH, SEVEN [7. President & CEO Report ] PRESIDENT'S, UH, SEE REPORT. WE HAVE ONE. AND, UH, WE'RE GOING TO, WELL HERE, MICROPHONE, WE GOT LOT TO CELEBRATE. WE HAVE LOT TALK. DO IT IN A VERY EFFICIENT MANNER. UM, OF COURSE, IF I ADD, IF I TURN ON MY MIC, IT WOULD HELP. UM, SO WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO TONIGHT, YOU KNOW, IS BRING YOU A PRESENCE REPORT. WE HAVEN'T HAD ONE OF THESE, UM, IN ABOUT A MONTH AND A HALF. UM, SO AS WE DISCUSSED OVER THE, UH, LAST FEW MONTHS, AND AGAIN, LAST IN OUR LAST WEEK'S JOINT WORK SESSION, YOU KNOW, THERE'S CHANGE IN THE AIR, WE SEE IT, YOU KNOW, INTERNALLY, WE SEE IT EXTERNALLY. WE'RE SEEING GREAT IMPACT, UH, OF THE CHANGES IN INVESTMENTS THAT WE'RE DOING, UH, FOR THE COMMUNITY. WE TALKED A BIT ABOUT THAT LAST WEEK, UM, AT, AT SAMCO, AND WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA DISCUSS MORE OF THAT, BUT WE WANTED TO GIVE YOU'ALL A BIT OF INSIGHT IN THIS PRESENCE REPORT OF ALSO CHANGES THAT WE FEEL ARE HAPPENING INTERNALLY, UH, THE CULTURE AND, AND, AND THE DIRECTION THAT WE'RE HEADING. SO WE BUILT THIS WITH THOSE IN MIND. UM, WE'LL GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE HERE. AS A REMINDER, EVERYTHING THAT WE'RE GOING TO, WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT TODAY AND ANCHORED, YOU KNOW, TO THE FOUR STRATEGIC PILLARS, OUR CUSTOMERS, OUR COMMUNITY, OUR, OUR WORKFORCE, AND OF COURSE OUR FINANCIAL ORGANIZATIONAL EXCELLENCE. EVERY STORY I SHARE TONIGHT IS THE WORK OF THIS CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM THAT WE'RE BUILDING, UM, AND EXECUTING AGAINST THOSE PILLARS, UH, TOGETHER. SO WE'LL OPEN UP THIS, UH, TALKING ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED, UH, YOU KNOW, ABOUT A WEEK AGO WITH THE SAN ANTONIO MOBILITY COALITION. UH, THIS IS THE EVENT THAT WE KICKED OFF IN STYLE, ONE OF THE BEST INTERESTS AND ENTRANCES IN SAMCO HISTORY WITH THE SPURS, COYOTE HELPING US BRING THE ENERGY FOR BIG ANNOUNCEMENTS THAT WE SHARED IN PARTICULAR, YOU KNOW, THE, THESE MOMENTS THAT WE HAVE, UH, TO TALK ABOUT THE IMPACT THAT WE'RE HAVING FOR THE COMMUNITY, BUT THEN THE IMPACT, UH, THAT WE HAVE FOR THOSE INVESTORS IN THE COMMUNITY. WE WERE JUST TALKING ABOUT INVESTMENTS INTO OUR SYSTEM IN THE ITEM BEFORE. THIS IS OUR MOMENTS TO TALK TO THOSE INVESTORS, THOSE THAT ARE PAYING THE SALES TAX SO THEY UNDERSTAND HOW THEY'RE GETTING A RETURN ON THAT TYPE OF INVESTMENT. AND WE FELT THAT WE DID A REALLY GOOD JOB, UH, DOING THAT AT THE LAST EVENT. AND WE'RE GONNA PLAY A WRAP UP VIDEO HERE OF THAT, UH, MOMENT. [01:05:01] WELCOME TO BS 2026, DATE OF TRANSIT. THE STATE OF TRANSIT IS TRANSFORMATIONAL AND IMPACTFUL. SUCCESS ISN'T MEASURED ONLY BY HOW MANY PEOPLE RELY ON TRANSIT BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO, IT'S MEASURED BY HOW MANY PEOPLE CHOOSE IT BECAUSE IT'S CONVENIENT AND SIMPLY MAKES SENSE. THIS IS A RISING TIDE THAT FLOATS ALL BOATS. THOSE THAT ARE TAKING OUR SYSTEM TODAY ARE ALREADY SEEING LOWER TRAVEL TIMES. THOSE THAT ARE TAKING OUR SYSTEM IN THE FUTURE ARE GONNA SEE LOWER TRAVEL TIMES, BETTER CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE, AND A BETTER SYSTEM ALTOGETHER. WHAT'S EXCITING FOR US TODAY, IF PEOPLE ARE CHOOSING VIA TODAY, YOU KNOW, I WOULD SAY IT WAS VERY PROMISING, RIGHT? THE RESULTS AND, UH, THE GOALS THAT VIA HAS ACHIEVED HAVE BEEN OUTSTANDING. AND SO WE HAVE SOME VERY POSITIVE MOMENTUM, AND I'M EXCITED ABOUT OUR FUTURE IN SAN ANTONIO. WE'RE NOW OPERATING THE SYSTEM TODAY AT 72% OF THE SYSTEM BROKE UHOH. I KNOW, RAY, YOU BROKE. BIG SHIFT. YES, THANK YOU. AND THE IMPACT OF THAT IS, OH, AW, SEEING MORE RIDERSHIP TRIPS THIS YEAR THAN WE SAW LAST YEAR, 2 MILLION. THAT IS ABSOLUTELY BY DESIGN. THAT'S ABSOLUTELY BY A PLAN. THAT'S ABSOLUTELY WITH A COMMITMENT THAT WE WANNA MAKE A SYSTEM THAT'S ATTRACTIVE TO AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE, THE LEAPS AND BOUNDS THAT THIS TRANSIT AGENCY IS DOING, WHETHER IT'S THE KPIS OF CUSTOMER SATISFACTION, WHETHER IT'S THE 2 MILLION PLUS RIDERS THAT WE'VE ADDED THIS YEAR, KUDOS TO EVERY SINGLE PERSON, INCLUDING STAFF, BOARD, ET CETERA, THAT ARE REALLY LEANING IN AND MAKING GREAT THINGS HAPPEN THROUGH VIA FOR OUR COMMUNITY. COMMIT TO YOURSELF THAT YOU'RE GONNA TELL FIVE TO 10 STAKEHOLDERS, FRIENDS, FAMILY, BUSINESS PARTNERS, ABOUT WHAT YOU LEARNED TODAY AT VIA, BECAUSE IT'S A CULTURE SHIFT. WE NEED TO START TELLING A DIFFERENT STORY ABOUT WHERE WE ARE AND HOW MOBILITY IS AN ECONOMIC DRIVER AND HOW THIS IS GONNA CONTRIBUTE TO THE ECONOMIC SUCCESS OF SAN ANTONIO. ALRIGHT. ALL RIGHT. AND THAT RAN JUST LIKE WE PRACTICED IT. GOOD JOB. YEAH, BUT WE, WE, UH, WE, UH, WE DEFINITELY HAD SOME EXCITEMENT THAT CAME OUT OF THAT. UM, INCREDIBLE, UH, MADAM CHAIR, THANK YOU AGAIN FOR YOUR GUIDANCE AND, AND LEADERSHIP HERE. UH, IT WAS A, IT WAS A VERY IMPACTFUL MOMENT FOR EMPLOYEES. WE KEEP HEARING A LOT OF FEEDBACK FROM EMPLOYEES AS WELL OF HOW PROUD THEY ARE TO BE ABLE TO STAND UP AND DELIVER THOSE TYPES OF RESULTS FOR THE COMMUNITY. SO KUDOS TO EVERYONE INVOLVED. YEAH, THE ONLY THING I WOULD SAY IS FOR EVERYONE THAT WAS THERE, HAVE YOU TOLD YOUR THREE TO FIVE INDIVIDUALS BEFORE THE END OF THE MONTH ABOUT WHAT V'S DOING? SO IF YOU HAVEN'T, YOU HAVE A FEW MORE DAYS. ALL RIGHT. SO NOW WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE ON TO OUR NATIONAL RECORD HERE BOARD. IT'S MY HONOR, FOR THE THIRD YEAR RUNNING TO SHARE THAT VIA HAS SECURED THE TOP CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE RANKING FOR TRANSIT IN THE ENTIRE NATION. THIS IS MEASURED AGAINST OUR PEERS IN THE TRANS DASH PROGRAM. OUR NPS SCORES PUT US IN THE SAME COMPANY AS HEBA TRULY BELOVED BRAND AND A INTERNATIONAL LEADER. AND, AND AS TRANS DASH GROWS INTO NATIONAL DANCE, UH, DASHBOARD FOR TRANSIT SYSTEMS, COAST TO COAST, NEW CATEGORIES WERE INTRODUCED THIS YEAR. AND VIA WAS NAMED THE TOP PERFORMER FOR FISCAL STABILITY IN THE NATION. THAT'S AGAIN, A, A MOMENT FOR APPLAUSE HERE, NEW PROGRAM. AND WE BRING HOME, WE BRING HOME THE GOLD, UM, AND IT WAS ONE THAT WE DIDN'T EVEN HAVE TO APPLY FOR THAT THEY RECOGNIZED SOME INDEPENDENT ANALYSIS, UH, FOR US, AND, UH, AND SAID, OUR FINANCIAL STABILITY IS LOOKING GREAT. SO THAT IS, THAT IS GREAT, UH, RECOGNITION FROM THIS GROUP. THAT ACHIEVEMENT, AGAIN, REFLECTS THIS BOARD LEADERSHIP DIRECTLY THROUGH, YOU KNOW, VARIOUS EFFORTS THAT WE DO TO RESERVE POLICY THAT YOU ADOPTED TO KEEP US, UH, STEADY THROUGH CHANGING ECONOMIC CONDITIONS. BUT WE DIDN'T STOP THERE VIA BROUGHT HOME FOUR MORE AWARD RANKINGS FROM THIS YEAR'S SUMMIT. WE ALSO WAS, UH, SECOND PLACE AS THE TOP PERFORMER FOR COMMUNITY VALUE IMPROVING OUR COMMUNITY VALUE. MOST IMPROVED IN SAFETY AND SECURITY. WE GOT SECOND PLACE IN THAT CATEGORY. WE ALSO GOT MOST IMPROVED IN THE COMMUNITY VALUE. WE GOT SECOND PLACE THERE. AND THEN TOP PERFORMER IN THE ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP, WE GOT THIRD PLACE, UH, IN THAT CATEGORY. SO ALTOGETHER, FIVE NATIONAL RECOGNITIONS IN A SINGLE YEAR. IT'S NOT ONE [01:10:01] DEPARTMENT HAVING A GOOD YEAR. THAT'S A GREAT CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM PERFORMING AT A CHAMPIONSHIP LEVEL FROM TOP TO BOTTOM. SO I WANNA SAY THANK YOU FOR ALL THE EMPLOYEES, UM, IN THIS ROOM THAT MAKE THESE TYPES OF RECOGNITIONS POSSIBLE. I WANNA GIVE YOU A ROUND OF APPLAUSE. SO WE'RE GONNA UNPACK, I KEEP REFERRING TO THIS, UH, UH, UM, CATEGORY OR, OR SUMMIT AS TRANS DASH. IT'S A TRANSPORTATION DASHBOARD. UM, AND THE, AND THIS IS BEING MORE AND MORE ADOPTED. WE ARE ONE OF THE FOUNDING AGENCIES OF THIS DASHBOARD. UM, AND THIS DASHBOARD IS, IS, UH, YOU KNOW, IT IS, UH, GAINING A LOT OF, UH, UH, ADVOCACY AND ATTENTION FROM THIS INDUSTRY ALL IN, IN GENERAL. BUT IN PARTICULAR, IT HAS GAINED ATTENTION WITH THE FTA AS WELL BECAUSE WHAT THIS DASHBOARD IS DOING, IT, IT, IT REALLY BOILS DOWN TO WHAT MATTERS TO THE COMMUNITY, WHAT MATTERS TO THE CUSTOMERS, AND THEN MOST IMPORTANTLY TOO, WHAT MATTERS TO BOARDS, UH, THAT ARE SITTING IN THEIR GOVERNANCE SEATS THAT YOU ARE AS WELL. AND WHAT THIS TRANS DASH DASHBOARD WILL ULTIMATELY PROVIDE US AND OUR CUSTOMERS AND THE PUBLIC HERE IN SAN ANTONIO, THE ABILITY TO SEE HOW WE'RE DOING WITH THESE DIFFERENT METRICS AND COMPARE OURSELVES TO OTHER AGENCIES ACROSS THE UNITED STATES AS WELL. SO THAT IS SOME MORE TO COME. UH, RELATED TO THAT, I THINK WE ACTUALLY, LEROY IS THAT, YEAH, WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A NATIONAL TRANSIT PLATFORM, YOU KNOW, PEER AGENCIES, INDEPENDENT MEASUREMENT, KEY EXPERIENCE INDICATORS, AND THEN PUBLIC TRANSPARENCY. SOMETHING THAT WE WILL PUBLISH, UM, AT TOGETHER, UM, ON OUR DASHBOARD. HERE'S AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT IT COULD LOOK LIKE, UH, WITH, YOU KNOW, THOSE PARTICULAR ROIS THAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR. AND IT'LL GIVE US A SENSE OF WHERE WE ARE RELATIVE TO OUR PEERS. IT KEEPS US SHARP, KEEPS US, UH, LOOKING FOR IMPROVEMENTS EVERYWHERE. AND THE GREAT THING ABOUT OUR INDUSTRY AS WELL, WE'RE NOT IN COMPETITION WITH EACH OTHER. WE'RE ALL TOGETHER IN PROVIDING, UH, TRANSPORTATION MOBILITY OPTIONS FOR COMMUNITIES THAT WE SERVE. SO THE GOOD NEWS IS, IF WE, SOMEBODY, WE SEE SOMEBODY DOING BETTER THAN US IN A CATEGORY, WE GET TO CALL 'EM, WE GET TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THEY'RE DOING, WHAT ARE WE MISSING? WHAT ARE THINGS THAT WE CAN, WE CAN DO BETTER AT AND VICE VERSA THAT THEY CAN CALL AND, AND, AND COME OVER HERE. I KNOW WE'VE HOSTED SOME FOLKS ALREADY COMING IN AND UNPLUGGING OR, UH, UNWRAPPING SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE DO HERE TO DEVELOP SOME OF THE, THE CORE FOCUSES THAT WE HAVE FOR OUR CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE AND, AND MAINTAINING THAT NUMBER ONE RANKING. SO ALL IN ALL, A, A DIRECTION THAT WE'RE HEADING. AND YOU'LL BE SEEING A LOT MORE OF THIS COMING UP, UH, IN OUR REPORTS THAT WE'LL DO ON A QUARTERLY BASIS TO THIS BOARD. SO, MOVING FROM OUR NATIONAL RECOGNITION, I WANTED TO TALK ABOUT THE VIA VOICE, UH, AND I KNOW I'LL CATCH JOSH'S ATTENTION WHEN I SAY THAT 'CAUSE UH, IT IS SOMETHING THAT WE RECOGNIZE HOW THIS HAS COME TOGETHER. AND IN PARTICULAR, I WANTED TO RECOGNIZE TERRY'S TEAM. I I THINK MARY WAS IN HERE EARLIER, JOSH, UH, WHERE DID I SEE NICK IN THIS ROOM? JOSH. AND WHAT ABOUT RAUL? SO THIS HAS BEEN, AND, AND JOSH, THIS HAS BEEN A LONG TIME COMING, RIGHT, UH, OF PUTTING TOGETHER A COMMUNICATIONS PLATFORM THAT IS ABOUT ENGAGEMENT WITH EMPLOYEES, NOT JUST A ONE-WAY COMMUNICATIONS. UM, AND PUTTING TOGETHER A PLATFORM THAT PROVIDES THEM INFORMATION THAT'S CRITICAL FOR THEM TO UNDERSTAND THE JOB THAT THEY'RE DOING. BUT AT THE SAME TIME, RECOGNIZING THAT WE CAN BUILD CULTURE, WE CAN BUILD ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF EACH OTHER AND WHAT WE'RE DOING TOGETHER. AND I WANTED TO RECOGNIZE THE TEAM THAT HAS PUT THIS LIFT TOGETHER. IT GOES, IT DOESN'T GO UNNOTICED JOSH AND YOUR TEAM, UH, FOR THE HEAVY LIFT THAT THIS IS. SO JOSH AND HIS TEAM HAVE REALLY KIND OF BECOME AN INTERNAL, UH, NEWS GATHERING GROUP THAT THEY'RE GOING OUT TO OUR EVENTS, THEY'RE GOING OUT TO OUR LUNCHES, OR THEY'RE GOING OUT TO MEETINGS THAT WE'RE HAVING, UH, PULLOUT THAT WE HAVE IN THE MORNING, UH, OVERNIGHT SERVICE THAT WE HAVE. AND THEY'RE BRINGING THAT INFORMATION TO ALL OF OUR EMPLOYEES. THE THE WAY THAT OUR EMPLOYEES ARE SEEING THIS IS THROUGH AN APP. UM, I BELIEVE WE HAVE ABOUT A 54% PARTICIPATION RATE ON THAT APP AS IT IS TODAY. I DO KNOW THAT WE HAVE FORWARDED THE LINK TO OUR BOARD, IF YOU'D LIKE TO ALSO SEE THAT INTEGRATION OF WHAT WE DO. BUT THE CONTENT THAT'S IN THERE, THIS IS CONTENT THAT, THAT JOSH'S TEAM HAS MADE A PARTICULAR EFFORT TO MAKE SURE IT'S CONTENT THAT'S GONNA BE CONSUMABLE, THAT'S GONNA BE INTERESTING, UH, BUT IT'S GONNA BE INFORMATIVE. AND, UH, AND BASED ON THE ACTIVITY THAT WE'RE SEEING AND THE INTERACTION THAT WE'RE SEEING FROM EMPLOYEES, IT'S BEEN AN, IT IS BEEN AN INCREDIBLE LAUNCH. [01:15:01] SO JOSH, UH, WANTED TO POINT THAT OUT FOR YOU AND YOUR TEAM. UH, WE'RE SO PROUD OF WHAT THIS HAS MEANT TO OUR EMPLOYEES, AND THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING BECAUSE WE JUST LAUNCHED THIS THIS YEAR. UM, SO WE'RE SEEING, UH, A GREAT RETURN ON THAT AND IT MEANS SO MUCH FOR US IN THE CULTURE THAT WE'RE BUILDING HERE. SO CONGRATULATIONS AND A ROUND OF APPLAUSE FOR YOUR AND YOUR TEAM. OKAY. UH, AS WE MOVE ON HERE, UM, I KNOW I'VE, I'VE GOTTEN SOME, UH, UH, SOME QUESTIONS, UM, ABOUT OUR ENGAGEMENT OUTSIDE OUR OFFICES HERE. AND, AND WE, A VIEW NOT ONLY FOR OUR BOARD MEMBERS, BUT FOR THE PUBLIC IN TERMS OF WHAT WE'RE DOING TO GET PEOPLE TO RIDE OUR SERVICES, TO UNDERSTAND HOW TO RIDE OUR SERVICES OR TO ENGAGE WITH OUR SERVICES. HERE'S A GREAT EXAMPLE OF WHAT WE CALL RIDE WITH THE ROAD RUNNERS. WHEN THE ROAD RUNNERS ARE REPORTING THE NEW ROAD RUNNERS AND EVEN RETURNING ROAD RUNNERS THERE AT CAMPUS, UH, WHEN THEY'RE RETURNING TO THEIR CAMPUS FOR THEIR SCHOOL, UH, WE PUT A GROUP IN FRONT OF THEM, UH, VIA REPRESENTATIVES, UH, OUR EXPERTS IN TERMS OF HOW WE CAN HELP THEM DOWNLOAD THE APPS, HOW TO HELP THEM UNDERSTAND WHICH ROUTES ARE SERVING THE, THEIR COMMUNITY, THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS, THE CAMPUS, HOW TO TAKE VIA LINK, ALL THE BASICS THAT, THAT WE ARE ANTICIPATING THAT A WRITER WOULD WANNA KNOW. AND DOING SO RECOGNIZING THAT UTSA PAYS FOR THEIR, UH, RIDERSHIP, THEY PAY FOR THE UNIVERSITY PASS FOR EACH OF THESE INDIVIDUALS, UH, THEN THAT CAN USE OUR SERVICES AT NO COST TO THE INDIVIDUAL BECAUSE THE UNIVERSITY IS UNDERWRITING THAT PASS. SO IT WAS SOME GREAT VISUALS THAT WE HAD HERE THAT WE WANTED TO SHARE WITH THE BOARD BECAUSE INDEED, IT'S AN EXAMPLE OF US GETTING OUTSIDE OUR WALLS HERE TO REALLY GIVE EDUCATION AND INFORMATION FOR, UH, THOSE FOLKS INTERESTED IN TAKING OUR SERVICE. SO WE'RE QUITE PROUD IN PARTICULAR, I KNOW I POINTED OUT OF THE PARTICULAR BUS SHELTER THAT'S THERE ON CAMPUS. IT WAS A, A VERY NICE LOOKING SHELTER. THAT'S A EXAMPLE. I THINK WE'VE HAD SOME DISCUSSIONS WITH THIS BOARD BEFORE ABOUT ARE WE THE ONLY ONES THAT PUT SHELTERS? NO. THAT UTSA BUILT THAT SHELTER, UH, WHEN, UH, WHEN THEY WERE ESTABLISHING THE LOCATION OF WHERE OUR BUSES WERE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA STOP. SO GREAT PARTNERSHIP AND, AND A GREAT, UH, GREAT OPPORTUNITY. I'VE USED IT IN ITS GREAT SHADE. THERE YOU GO. IT IS, ESPECIALLY ON LIKE DAYS TODAY, RIGHT? SO, AND THEN FINALLY BOARD A BIT OF A SURPRISE FOR SOMEBODY IN THIS ROOM. TODAY, WE BRING MARY MCDOUGALL DIVINE. MARY MCDOUGALL DIVINE IS A 30 YEAR VIA EMPLOYEE AND A GLOWING EXAMPLE OF HARD WORK AND DEDICATION TO THIS AGENCY, THE COMMUNITY WE SERVE. MARY HAS ANNOUNCED HER RETIREMENT AND WILL BE LEAVING VIA METROPOLITAN TRANSIT TO ENJOY. AND I PUT IN QUOTATIONS HERE, MARY, THE RETIRED LIFE, 30, 30 PLUS YEARS. MARY HAS, HAS ALWAYS BEEN A COMPASSIONATE ADVOCATE, EFFECTIVELY BALANCING FAIRNESS WITH FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY. SHE HAS SERVED VIA AS A SOLE IN-HOUSE TORT ATTORNEY FOR THE ENTIRETY OF HER VIA CAREER. IN HER ROLE AS AN IN-HOUSE TORT ATTORNEY. SHE HAS SUCCESSFULLY REPRESENTED VIA FOR OVER THREE DECADES AGAINST PLAINTIFFS CLAIMING PERSONAL INJURY OR PROPERTY DAMAGE. SHE ALSO HAS AN EXTENSIVE EXPERIENCE WITH THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITY ACT AND OUR PAIR TRANSIT SERVICE. AS MARY PREPARES TO TRANSITION INTO RETIREMENT, I, ALONG WITH THE ENTIRE VIA FAMILY, WANNA WISH HER THE BEST OF LUCK, HEALTH AND HAPPINESS IN HER LIFE. AFTER VIA MARY IS A MEMBER OF THE LEGAL SERVICES DIVISION, MANAGED BY OF COURSE OUR GENERAL COUNSEL, SENIOR VP BONNIE PROSER ELDER, WHO WILL SHARE A FEW CLOSING REMARKS. I'M SURE I'M IN TROUBLE BECAUSE I TOLD MORE FIBS TODAY THAN I HAVE TOLD IN A VERY LONG TIME. SO, GOOD EVENING EVERYONE. I AM HONORED TO SPEAK THIS EVENING ABOUT A TRULY REMARKABLE MEMBER OF OUR LEGAL TEAM, MARY MCDOUGALL DIVINE, AS SHE PREPARES TO RETIRE AFTER AN EXTRAORDINARY 30 YEAR CAREER AT VIA METROPOLITAN TRANSIT OVER THESE DECADES, SHE HAS EXEMPLIFIED PROFESSIONALISM, DEDICATION, AND AN UNWAVERING COMMITMENT TO SERVING OUR COMMUNITY THROUGHOUT HER EXTENSIVE 38 YEAR LEGAL CAREER. I'M SORRY TO PUT ALL THESE NUMBERS OUT. . UM, THE MAJORITY [01:20:01] OF WHICH HAS BEEN DEDICATED TO OUR TRANSIT SYSTEM, MARY HAS BEEN A STEADFAST GUARDIAN OF OUR AGENCY'S INTEREST. HER DEEP LEGAL EXPERTISE KIND, HEART AND STRATEGIC THINKING HAVE CONSISTENTLY RESULTED IN FAVORABLE OUTCOMES THAT HAVE SAFEGUARDED BOTH OUR RIDERS AND THE AGENCY ITSELF. HER WORK HAS NOT ONLY PROTECTED OUR ASSETS, BUT IT HAS ALSO HELPED SHAPE POLICIES AND PROCESSES THAT ENHANCE SAFETY AND ACCOUNTABILITY. MANAGING A CASELOAD OF OVER 100 LITIGATION CASES AT ANY GIVEN TIME AS A SOLE TORT ATTORNEY FOR VIA THAT REQUIRES SKILLS, RESILIENCE AND DEDICATION. QUALITIES THAT MARY HAS DIS HAS DEMONSTRATED TIRELESSLY. DURING COVID, MARY WAS OFTEN MOST LIKELY THE ONLY PERSON TO BE IN THE BUILDING WHEN ALL OTHERS WERE WORKING REMOTE. THROUGHOUT HER CAREER, MARY HAS FREQUENTLY BEEN REFERRED TO AS THE NICE LAWYER . NOW THE OTHER LAWYERS ARE NICE, BUT SHE, SHE CLAIMED THAT MONIKER SOMEWHERE ALONG THE WAY. SHE HAS MENTORED MANY COLLEAGUES ALONG THE WAY, SHARING HER WISDOM AND FOSTERING A CULTURE OF INTEGRITY AND EXCELLENCE WITHIN OUR AGENCY. HER ATTENTION TO DETAIL AND HER ABILITY TO NAVIGATE COMPLEX LEGAL LANDSCAPES HAVE EARNED HER THE RESPECT OF PEERS, CLIENTS AND STAKEHOLDERS ALIKE. BEYOND HER PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS, MARY'S COMMITMENT TO PUBLIC SERVICE IS EVIDENT IN HER UNWAVERING SUPPORT FOR EQUITABLE RESOLUTIONS AND HER GENUINE CONCERN FOR THE WELLBEING OF OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS. AS SHE STEPS INTO RETIREMENT, WE CELEBRATE HER LEGACY AND THE PROFOUND POSITIVE IMPACT SHE HAS MADE ON THE AGENCY AND THE PUBLIC WE SERVE TONIGHT, WE HAVE HERE WITH US HER SON, PAUL HUMBERG, WHO'S PAUL STAND. COME ON UP. STAND UP. WE MANAGED TO GET HIM OFF WORK THIS EVENING SO HE COULD COME AND, AND BE WITH HIS MAMA. AH, SOME OF OUR LEGAL TEAM IS ALSO HERE IN OUR RISK MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT THAT MARY WORKS SO CLOSELY WITH IN TERMS OF CLAIMS AND LITIGATION. UH, SALLY ANN RIGDON, OUR MANAGER OF RISK MANAGEMENT, IF YOU WOULD PLEASE STAND IF SHE'S STILL HERE. AND ANITA? JOE? YES. ANITA JOE MEDINA, WHO IS OUR LITIGATION COORDINATOR. UH, OF COURSE, ALBERT TOVA, WHO IS OUR LAWYER IN THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT, AND THAT'S OUR IN-HOUSE GUY AND OUR OUTSIDE GUY, OUR OUTHOUSE GUY, UH, , THE BARBECUE GUY, FRANK, FRANK GARZA, WHO WORKS ALONG WITH THIS ALSO. UH, MARY, I WOULD LIKE TO PRESENT YOU WITH THIS SMALL TOKEN OF APPRECIATION. PINK ROSES REPRESENT APPRECIATION AND GRATITUDE, AND WE PRESENT YOU THESE ROSES FOR YOUR YEARS OF SERVICE TO VIA METROPOLITAN TRANSIT. I WANT TO EXPRESS OUR DEEPEST GRATITUDE FOR YOUR YEARS OF SERVICE, YOUR LEADERSHIP, AND YOUR FRIENDSHIP. WE WISH YOU ALL THE BEST IN THIS NEW CHAPTER IN YOUR LIFE, CONFIDENT THAT YOUR LEGACY WILL CONTINUE TO INSPIRE THOSE WHO WILL FOLLOW IN YOUR FOOTSTEPS. SO THANK YOU. MARY APPLAUSE, PLEASE. YEAH, SO, UH, THERE WILL NOT BE A REPORT WITH A FEW BOARD MEMBERS AFTER THE MEETING IN THE BACK, WHICH WAS WHAT I HAD TO TELL HER TO GET HER TO COME THIS EVENING. AND SHE RESCHEDULED PILATES AND EVERYTHING. I , YEAH, I TOOK PILATES AT SEVEN BECAUSE I'M MEANT TUESDAY, THURSDAY, PILATES GIRL. SO I'M LIKE, OH, HERE I AM. LIKE, GO. WELL IS IT BECAUSE YOU WANTED TO SAY SOMETHING NICE TO ME AFTER MY 30 YEARS OF SERVICE, LIKE AN AT A GIRL? AND SHE'S LIKE, NO, THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH. I APPRECIATE IT. WELL, MARY, ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD HERE, AND, AND I AM SURE THEY WOULD AGREE WITH ME, THANK YOU FOR YOUR YEARS OF SERVICE. UM, THAT GOES UNSPOKEN. JUST, UH, AS UH, BONNIE HERE HAS SHARED AND YOU KNOW, AS, UM, HER FAVORITE DEPARTMENT IN RISK MITIGATION ON BEHALF OF OUR CITIZENS HERE, I AM SURE YOU HAVE SAVED US MILLIONS, [01:25:01] UM, HAVE SAVED OUR TAXPAYERS, AND, UH, WE WISH YOU THE BEST. CONGRATULATIONS, THIS IS GONNA BE A GREAT NEW CHAPTER. WE'RE SORRY FOR YOUR LOSS, BUT ALSO VERY EXCITED FOR YOU. SO THANK YOU, UH, TRUSTEE TO WILL. OH, BEFORE MARY LEAVES, HOLD ON. UNLESS SHE WANTS TO GO BACK TO HER CHAIR. , SHE'S LIKE, NO, I DON'T WANNA BE HERE. I KNOW. AND THIS ACTUALLY IS VERY TELLING OF WHAT I'VE HAVE PREPARED. SO LAWYERS, AM I RIGHT, , I MEAN, UH, MARY'S DEDICATED SO MANY YEARS, I'M NOT GONNA NAME THAT NUMBER 'CAUSE WE'VE ALREADY HEARD IT TO OUR AGENCY, OUR BOARD, AND OUR COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE. MARY IS DILIGENT IN ADVOCATING FOR THE DISABLED COMMUNITY AND HAS BEEN INNOVATIVE WHEN BARRIERS ARE PUT IN THE WAY OF OTHERS WHO JUST WANT TO CROSS THE ROAD. MARY, YOU'VE ACCOMPLISHED SO MUCH HERE AT, AT VIA AND I OWE SO MUCH TO YOU THAT I DON'T THINK YOU WOULD, YOU'LL EVER KNOW THAT YOU HAVE FOSTERED MY OWN PASSION FOR WORKING WITH THE DISABLED, BEING A DISABLED PERSON MYSELF. I'VE SERVED ON THE ATAC COMMITTEE SINCE STARTING ON THIS BOARD, AND I'VE HAD THE PRIVILEGE TO WATCH MARY JUST GENTLY GUIDE US BECAUSE WE CAN BE A LITTLE RAMBUNCTIOUS IN ATAC. THAT'S WHAT YOU GET WHEN YOU GET A LOT OF REALLY GREAT ADVOCATES WHO WANT SOMETHING GREAT FOR OUR COMMUNITY, BECAUSE OFTEN OUR VOICES GO UNHEARD. YOU'VE GENTLY GUIDED US INTO AN IMPACTFUL AND EAGER GROUP THAT ENCOURAGES VIA WHERE HIDDEN ISSUES ARISE IN THE LIVES OF OUR DISABLED COMMUNITY. IT'S BEEN A PRIVILEGE TO WATCH YOU WORK WITH THE UTMOST PROFESSIONALISM AND ADVOCATING FOR A POPULATION WHOSE LIMITATIONS OFTEN GO UNNOTICED. YOU'VE HELPED ME AS A CHAIR BY GENTLY GUIDING ME IN OUR PROPER PROTOCOLS AND PROCEDURES, WHICH HONESTLY, AS A RULES PERSON, I LOVE BECAUSE IT'S JUST SUCH A WONDERFUL THING THAT TO HAVE THAT AND TO HOLD AND, AND BE KIND TO THAT PERSON IN, IN GUIDING US, I'M NOT, I'M NOT GONNA CONTINUE 'CAUSE I WILL KEEP CRYING NOW. BUT I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU SO MUCH FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART AND ON BEHALF OF ATAC, YOU'RE GONNA BE SO MISSED IN OUR MEETINGS. BUT I'M JUST REALLY HONORED TO HAVE WORKED WITH YOU ON THAT COMMITTEE AND THAT YOU'VE MADE EVERY RIDER WHOSE TRIP JUST GOT A LITTLE SAFER OR A LITTLE MORE DIGNIFIED BECAUSE YOU WORKED UP ON IT. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH. CONGRATULATIONS ON THIS NEW ENDEAVOR, AND I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE WHAT, WHAT FUN THINGS YOU CREATE WITH ALL YOUR TIME NOW AND PIL FROM ONE PILATES GIRL TO ANOTHER. I CAN ATTEST SWITCHING FROM YOUR TIME, FROM YOUR NORMAL TIME. IT'S, IT'S SACRIFICE. BUT THANK YOU SO MUCH. WHAT A GREAT WAY TO END TODAY'S MEETING. THANK YOU SO MUCH, MARY, FOR YOUR DEDICATION AGAIN, UH, TRUSTEES, WE HAVE COME TO THE END OF OUR MEETING. MAY I HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND TO ADJOURN? PLEASE MOVE, MOVE SECOND. A MOTION AND A SECOND. DON'T EVERYONE JUST JUMP AT ONCE, PLEASE. . ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE. AYE. AYE. ANY OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES VIA. MEETING IS ADJOURNED. THANK YOU EVERYONE. HAVE A GREAT EVENING, GREAT MEETING. * 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.