Kankakee Times

River Valley Metro Mass Transit District Board of Trustees met Feb. 28.

Here is the minutes as provided by the Board:

Chairman Allen called the River Valley Metro Board of Directors meeting to order at

3:00 pm.

Attending Board Members: Chairman Nick Allen, Vice Chairman Norman Grimsley,

Treasurer Susan Legris, Secretary Kelly St. Aubin Board Members: Mark Argyelan,

Carole Franke, Jerry Pearce

Staff Members Present: Managing Director; Robert Hoffmann, Director of

Operations and Recording Secretary; Michelle Brutlag, General Manager; Ken

Munjoy, Director of Administration; Lois Bentley

Others Present: Duane E Stubblefield – Exxon Mobil, Geoff Olson – Kankakee

County, Richard Berns and David Douglas – Kankakee County Sheriff’s Department

Pledge of Allegiance: Nick Allen led the Metro Board and others in attendance in

the Pledge of Allegiance.

Public with Business to Come Before the Board: NONE

Consent Agenda: Carole Franke made a motion to approve the consent agenda as

presented. Kelly St. Aubin seconded the motion. A roll call vote was taken of all in

attendance, with all voting in favor. Consent agenda approved.

Communications:

Chairman’s Report: (Nick Allen)

NONE

Managing Director’s Report: (Robert Hoffmann)

NONE

Operations Report: (Michelle Brutlag)

January ridership was 62,693. Year to date ridership is 508,695. Currently have 40

operators with 1 trainee with a CDL test on March 8th. We have 3 hopefuls for a

training class on Monday, with one have a full CDL.

Complaint Customer Service Report: (Michelle Brutlag)

There was a total of 14 complaints, with 11 of them being Driving Issues. This trend

is being addressed by First Transit with retraining. River Valley Metro transported

206 passengers. We did have three compliments this month: Midway service,

Dispatcher scheduling ADA appointment and 2 drivers doing a great job.

Board Report:

Norman Grimsley – Will we be having a K9 Unit at Metro. Officer Berns responded

no.

New Business:

 Annual Contribution

The Annual contribution will go out in March. We will copy each of you so you know

how much they are. They will look different than the last time due to the service

cuts.

With the route changes coming up, I think we need to review how we are calculating

the annual contribution. The way we do it with hours of service does not seem to

make sense anymore. For example, should the Village of Bradley pay more because

we moved a major transfer center to the mall to make the routes more effective.

Now should Bradley pay for 6 routes instead of 1-1/2 routes for our convenience?

Maybe population or something else might be a fairer way to do this.

I would like to put a committee together for annual contribution. I would like a

couple Board Members to review and discuss some options. Susan Legris and

Norman Grimsley volunteered to be on the committee.

 MPD Update

Officer Rich Berns gave an update on how things are going in his first month in the

position. Things are running smooth, continue to conduct extra patrols and foot

patrols at our transfer points and bus stops. We continue to stay busy handling

disorderly conduct calls, crash investigations, lost and found items and assisting with

traffic control when needed. Stepped up traffic enforcement where there is more

pedestrian traffic.

I would like to publicly commend Patrolman David Douglas. He responded to call on

February 14th at a local restaurant where an employee summoned the police for an

unconscious person. Dave recognized immediately that the person was unconscious

due to a heroin overdose and immediately administered Narcam which possible

saved his life. I will be honest most police officers would have just dispatched an

ambulance. He did the right thing and acted quickly and probably saved this young man’s life. He is a valuable member of our agency and represented River Valley

Metro well. I want to thank you for that.

Michelle Brutlag also stated that the Transit Officers are now assisting with the daily

bank deposits. It frees up the Customer Care Supervisors from doing this duty. It is

also a much safer way to get our deposits to the bank.

Nick Allen stated the relationship with the Sherriff’s Department is great. Mr.

Hoffmann said it has gone so far past what we had imagined and is a really asset to

the Transit District. Wonder how we did it without them.

 Asset Transfer

Last month we had 2 of our 3 ADA vehicles blow engines. It was almost $20,000 for

new engines. We did not want to spend that money right now. Looked online and

South Central Transit Authority in Lancaster PA has just received new vehicles. I

called them, they are 2011 vehicles with just over 100,000 miles on them, nice little

vehicles. They transferred two of them to us for $1. They are here now. You will see

them and the paint scheme will be quite different, we are just going to replace

South Central’s information with our information, since these vehicles are slotted to

be replaced next year. I would like to send a letter off from the Board thanking

them. There was no hesitation. They were up for auction and he pulled two of the

nicer vehicles for us. He said he had been in that position before and was glad he

could help us.

Susan Legris wanted to thank Rob for the initiative he took to get these vehicles.

Old Business:

 COA Update

The existing conditions report is up on the website now. I will caution you when you

first read this you will say this is not true. But the part 2 of the report takes in to

account riders perceptions not reality.

Allen asked Hoffmann to send the Board the link to this report.

Here is full system map of the fixed route service. All routes are now set, except

Midway. We are trying to decide whether to add one earlier trip on Sunday or one

later trip on Sunday. This will be a question during the open review public comment

period. Net result is about $79,000 less in annual cost of revenue service, so there is

a cost savings. Michelle and Andrew spent 1 day running these routes. Will start

scheduling meetings with the mayors and I have a meeting scheduled with the mall

on Thursday and still trying to get to the right person a Walmart.

Brutlag commented that the biggest change from the original presentation is the

elimination of the express bus. After looking at it further there was no value in that

bus, so that was eliminated.

Grimsley asked would we be gong by Martin Luther King School? Brutlag responded

yes we will actually go by it in both directions so now there will be a stop on the

same side of the street as the school.

Once we do this we will need to get communities to have codes on the books about

no parking in transit zones.

Questions from the news media:

NONE

Other Business to come Before the Board:

Legris stated that the audit will be issued next month.

A motion was made by Jerry Pearce to move into executive session in accordance

with the Illinois Open Meeting Act 5 ILCS 120/2 (c)(1), the appointment,

employment, compensation, discipline, performance or dismissal of specific

employees of the public body or legal counsel for the public body and 5

ILCS120/2(c)(11) pending or probable litigation against, affecting or on behalf of the

public body. Motion was seconded by Susan Legris. Roll call vote was taken with all

in favor. Motion carried. Rolled into executive session at 3:22 pm.

Returned to regular session at 3:42 pm.

Grimsley asked does Metro want to fight the State of Illinois becoming a Sanctuary

State. Hoffmann responded that not sure we want to get into that. Not even sure

that as a Board we could agree on what way to go.

Grimsely asked if we have talked to Kankakee County Board Chairman about Show

Bus? Hoffmann replied at a 30,000 foot level.

Adjournment

Motion to adjourn by Jerry Pearce, seconded by Kelly St. Aubin, and a unanimous

yes vote of all members, meeting was adjourned at 3:49 pm.