##VIDEO ID:-kJiXzcsTfs## what do I say I knew Tony to have a good answer for us huh right do you want us to call the meeting to order yes okay uh we'll call the meeting of the transit committee on uh dece January 23rd at 2:35 to order and the note there is no Quorum uh only Mary and I have uh attend it and we should have at least three members to conduct this meeting so I'm guessing the what we decided on is we will not have a video uh available other than what we're recording right now does that sound good everybody yep we're kind of new at this here in this particular you got anything you want to say Mary not a thing I thinkk you I guess we could just uh end the video we are going to discuss the items on our agenda but we cannot take any action or get Rec recommendations so we're just going to since we're here we're going to go over the information I I guess I I I wouldn't have a problem having the whole thing but because it's not we again I'm a little mixed up on that whole process but I'm fine with uh because we we have an official publication I that's where I'm a little mixed I I I don't know Mr chair yes I'm not chairman but go ahead I would just make a suggestion yes that the meeting notice is sent out quite far in advance perhaps there should be a followup notice just a few days before the meeting a reminder sort of thing uh you know some of the people are probably busy or whatever we didn't get our packet last week what we got our packet as a notice last Thursday or Friday right but I don't know how maybe there should just be a big notice that says please remember I don't know but you know it's kind of a shame to have a meeting have our staff here kind of wasting their time and not be able to really do anything um I should we do roll call um yeah well you know again I I would lean on recording it I know you see it is a noted meeting it's a public meeting we noted it right therefore anybody can come here there's just not any way for Mary and I to give any recommendations officially as a Transit committee that's the only difference between having this on the video uh you know as far as us being able to take any action or give any direction so my my preference would be to just keep it on the video and we should be able to give all the information that's on our agenda to the public who's listening or cares to weigh in later or listen later what do you think about that I mean because this is a public meeting right and if we're going to record it we should record it I guess I would I guess uh you know Tony suggestion I guess I would differ with that thinking about it here so I I would say we we we called the meeting to order and we just proceed with all the agenda items and listen to what the information is and go from there are you okay with that that's okay with me okay Lori is that okay with you yes and then maybe if we need to we check with the city attorney to see if he thinks we should we're recording now okay all right that's fine U how about if we just call the meeting in order and do the roll call and yeah so chesk here cop here Lambert nabel that's it that's it okay we'll let you take it away Mike how's that s sounds good so just the financial reports um we have that course we have the the minutes the last meeting yeah there there won't be any approval or anything because we can't do that so so the the revenue and expenditure report that's quite a ly report that's the transit Department division is really a strong Division and Crystal does a great job doing that and as you can see report straightforward it's really with good operation Crystal does a great job again we have uh the transit uh blue sky is they had some staff issues last week they got resolve um do we want any specifics with the the revenue and exp expenditures we don't have a ridership report here do we okay any reason why so no we don't have that and I didn't think that we needed I thought just the profit loss or the revenue and expenditures was adequate I I get your report you know every what is it once a month you put that in our packet or right okay every meeting no it's every month right I thought it was every month right okay so I you give a little bit of information there on writers ship but um yeah I I guess um maybe we can talk uh think about doing that at our next meeting so anyway uh I'm not sure where we're at but I wonder if I could ask a question to always okay on page six of 39 of the the actual of the agenda that we have here okay it's it's listed as Page 6 of 39 and it's revenue and expenditure report okay and I'm looking at the last dark line estimated minda Reserve 12th the 31st 24 right and it shows $222,600 right and I have to admit I don't understand that yeah so we have a reserve within ourselves um that that upper line that 94,000 that is our individual reserve for our funds our operation procedures and we use that for like our software a little bit later you're going to be hearing about we're going to be needing a new software system and we'll be using that those funds to to capture that so when we have and a little bit uh later too is our with our actual Revenue see the city of brainer the City of Baxter Crowing County and so forth they will actually have a profit of like $887,000 those funds go into our reserve and then that money we can use to enhance our programs so that is um where that is now that uh estimated reserve for the end of the year maybe I'm not sure I'll have to get more I don't want to guess on that one but I can I'll research that and I'll email you that response what does it mean specifically minda Reserve is it the money that they put forth that hasn't been used I'm not like I said I'm not sure but that's the state and that's their right yeah it's never a profit Mike it's always a surplus what happens what happens to that to the Surplus to the reserve that Reserve stays with us like I indicated just for into our fund balance or whatever well no it doesn't go it it stays in transit and it is used specifically just for transit for like we're going to use part of that money for our new software system so Transit is going to be getting a new software uh system it's really pretty cool I'll explain a little bit later but that money that Reserve will be used for that operation is there any uh credibility to considering a slight reduction in fairs yes we raised the fairs quite a lot a while ago with that kind of a reserve it kind of belongs to the writers and is it possible to at least uh two lowering fairs give them some back right and we and in our recommendation we are asking we're well we're asking the city council to approve our recommendation which is to lower the actual fairs we always that's why we do this report every year so we take where we're at and then if it's a high you know Surplus then we lower it if it's a low Reserve then we got to raise it back up that's that balance of up and down well we need to have some Reserve I'm not suggesting we blow it all right if it's possible you like to give back to the Riders where you can speaking of uh fairs are are we going to be reaching out to um you know Baxter because uh just going back to the simple you you leave Brainard to go to Walmart it's always it's always and it's $3 to come back at $7 and Baxter I believe is sitting pretty well on a surplus right so as that discussion began between staff and Baxter staff uh internally yes and I'm going to be reaching out to our city administrator to contact their City administrator expect a phone call from Mike to talk about and that is what and I'll be doing the same with like Pine River Pine River dropped off the radar too for multiple reasons and I'm going to be trying to get them back on not just from their city council but there's businesses in Pine River that will want to help maybe do a a sponsorship program to get transit back to Pine River uh because they believe in it that much so I that will be good I just heard sort of a uh an apartment building where uh a few people will take the bus to Walmart and take a cab home because together because of the fair and so we're losing three rides and that Revenue uh and backer's losing that because that would be a backer Revenue right so would it be better to get U like 12 bucks from those three riders or nothing right you know and that go and of course the cab they're they're doing that's that's good for them you know and and and that's that's obviously their fair is uh uh they're saving a few bucks on a cab ride as opposed to if they can ride together so and since we're talking about it and we're not in quum so I'll just jump right there uh the return fair is $11 for Baxter we are recommending we drop it down to $5 well the same day fair is $7 that's that's the or $11 same right and now what is that it's that and then so the um sorry I need glasses um the the dat Advance fair is seven right the booked in advance is was s and 11 now we are recommending three and five now the book in advance was uh okay the the same the same day was uh 11 right and we are saying so how how it is right now today it's $7 in advance and then $11 if you book it that day we are recommending $3 in advance and $5 for the same day okay so we are essentially and then for the city of Brainard we're at we're saying the same thing currently it's $3 three and $6 we are saying three and5 so Brainard and Baxter will be the same I like that the the general public they don't know where that magical line is you know and frankly they shouldn't care I shouldn't care because we are providing a service to the residents of Briner Lakes area I'm looking at it at Crowing County Brainard Lakes area I don't really it's not that I don't care I do but I'm looking at it from the perspective of the the users and our general public they don't they shouldn't be such a huge disparity between one city that are you know right next to each other so that's why Crystal and I we we had a good discussion on this and but at the end we concluded we want brainer and Baxter to be the same and so that's sort of going to put a little strain on us us you know which is fine I'd rather put the strain on us to have uniformity than having one agency more than the other well we're going to have to be sure that we understand financially what we're doing right because I think that we've been pretty tough and I'm guessing we continue to be on not asking the city to subsidize this correct and so um you know it sounds good brainer maxter to be be the same but there are many differences among them in all sorts of ways so I don't think it's a terribly bad thing if they have a little different Fair than we do I don't see that as terribly bad at all right but um I think what I really want to see is as much fairness in the entire process as we can put into it now getting back to this 222,000 Reserve is that in our account or is it go back to men. I still don't understand that I'm not I I don't want to speculate and that's why I need to get some more answers on so you don't know either no I don't do you think we could find out oh yeah totally and I'm going to research that and I'll email the whole committee when we because if it's our Reserve there are a lot of good things we could look at right if it's their Reserve well then it's theirs right but if it's ours we could certainly look at some nice things right totally good I don't you have any more questions about the numbers move on Mary what you want to move on to something else here are you good yeah okay okay so in new business we uh the city council approved the um Ada our Ada plan with the state the state modifies the transit uh policy brings it down to us there wasn't a huge amount uh of difference with that um we just wanted to make sure that our lifts were ADA Compliant and uh and that I think the we had to ensure that the strap was on Wheelchairs and so forth there was just very minor things and we're we're already in compliance with that our only new thing that uh really doesn't apply to this but we sort of threw it in there is just our bicycle um uh uh racks that we have on the front of our our buses um I'm not sure why it was in that uh policy or act but it was so we just we just wanted to make sure all of our new buses come with that and then new business uh letter B oh this is the RFQ for um a new technology uh Transit software so the neat thing here let me get my so we are going to be looking for a very userfriendly interface um we want realtime data and it's going to be cloud-based so you'll be able to use it on your own uh personal phone and the other neat thing about this is that you're just going to be able to use there's an app and you can book your fairs and your everything right on your phone and you can also there's an AI component to it so you can just speak into to it and you can reserve your ride in that manner so it's going to be you know that's going to be available 24/7 you can book your ride 247 obviously the buck buses don't well will will a lot of seniors be able to will they understand how to use that uh they will there it's an app and yes I know it's there's a learning curve or they can just call like like normal they can still do the old system and call we're still going to have our our dispatch and um so yes they'll still be able to call okay because as as a senior senior myself I don't understand all of the uh new technology I I have an iPad and I'm good at Facebook and I can send things and all of that but I would volunteer to give us a demo when she has it and then she would be gladly I'm just giving her our time I totally would um would is this uh proposed uh software going to be uh aiding in the scheduling then is it going to you know the actual scheduling of the buses um instead of having a uh dispatcher relying on the dispatcher to figure out where the buses need to be this going to help with that I'm not to be brutally honest I'm not sure if the software is going to be helping our coordinator coordinate the buses to and from and and from this region to that region cuz we do have that coordination and cuz we want to make sure that we are very efficient with our you know bus transportation and routes um but uh yeah okay so you're just putting us out there to see uh you you've already looked at something in RFQ you're asking for who whoever is out there to show you what they to show us what you got and we are going to be having you know it needs to be a mobile app it needs to be you know some type of AI component where individuals can just speak into it um there's not a lot of uh um uh different companies out there there's only a few but uh we want to um we have our pulse on a couple of them and but then it really just comes down to the dollars and cents um so but we're really excited about this our old one just uh it's it it doesn't have the technical support behind it and we just had a crash last week and I think Lori had to jump over there to help out um so so Mike you you're talking about a specific software yes so that okay so if we go off for rfqs that's opening it up to whoever wants to right so okay right and you have your eye as Transit there's there's two of them that we like and then it's really going to come down to Dollars and cents now wait did are they limited then in other words you want a specific kind are there more than two that could bid on it we're yeah we're opening up to whoever um and we're not going to Soul Source it but we're we are going to indicate hey we want these parameters and we can indicate very specifically what we want within the program and which is AI components where you can just speak into it to reserve your your your ride and just all those other uh components like I just indicated userfriendly real-time data cloud-based performed um and a mobile app for booking AI component and the other thing obviously is just cost effective it needs to be and then and then just actually the big thing is support we need someone from the company support thank you to have when we have issues hey there's a hiccup on this program when you click on this and you click on that it just freezes those type of things we need support from the manufacturer who or whoever that is going to be to have to dial into there and then give us some support I hope we get plenty of references too from any whoever cuz uh I I mean we got to we got to make sure that what they're telling us is going to have what they're you know we call we call different operations who use it and uh find out exactly if there's any problems before we okay does that impact the uh bus provider no no just the dispatch and it's just a new program so they'll have to the the old program is just so obsolete we don't have any tech support from that company and they're not ever going to they they're not very responsive when we call them okay so all right that's um well we didn't really go over the other things that we are going to be adding on there on the agenda was our recommendation for um rates and we are sort of talked about that um So currently Brainard is three and six we are recommending three and five Baxter currently is 7 and 11 we're recommending three and five and the county is 8 and 12 we really can't go any lower than that because the there's just those variables that we can't but I I I do strongly feel I just like the aspect of brainer and maxter being the same so when people get picked up in brainer and they go to Walmart they don't have to get out their calculat to indicate what's going to be the cheaper way for them to get back home that they it's a no-brainer they we want them to choose us we don't want them to get out their calculator and save 50 cents to a Dollar by getting a cab we would rather that they just stay on our bus and like Jeff you're councilman chzo like you're indicating we'd rather get those Riders to pay a little bit of something the bus is already here and we just want those Riders to utilize our service and it's entirely up to the Baxter city council right what they I'm that's what we're going to recommend and I'm going to strongly indicate that My Philosophy with with Transit is if you know long as we're talking freely here um with Mel's hierarchy of needs for an individual you have your food water and shelter right that we need to live and breathe and then as we transcend we go to church we have our faith we have other things that help us become a better person with a municipality same thing we have our fire we have our police and we have our streets and sewers that's the foundation of any municipality that's the main Foundation that's the main purpose why they're there now as that agency starts to grow now we can start doing parks in w we can start doing Special Events we can add in transit now that municipality becomes a better organization because they have transcending uh amenities for their for the general public transit is one of those amenities that is a key component for any agency municipality to grow for its residents to really truly enjoy all the amenities and it's about equality I can jump in my car and go anytime I want general public should have that same opportunity be able to jump in a vehicle whether it be a Transit bus taxi Uber or whatever they should have that equality to go wherever they want whether it be a doctor's visit or just to go wherever and just enjoy life well it really doesn't work that way as someone who has achieved a very old age yep that's just talk I mean there are a lot of impediments that simply come with age and we might just as well face it I think our goal needs to be to do the very best we can uh with the resources that we have but you know it frankly it's kind of ridiculous to suggest that everything's the same as when you were 30 because it's not it's not and uh I think the real question is how much does the general public how much can they provide and uh how do we maximize what we have right so and and to Mary's Point um uh we okay so if we Prov all these you know all these different things and if they're not being used what's the point in providing them and with the numbers you've given on writers ship uh it it's not I I don't I don't like the numbers because I rode I've ridden this bus for over 30 years and uh and the numbers were three times a day what we have now really three times yep and and not every day but we had days between 4 and 500 riders with fewer buses yeah and no Tech dispatching and that has a lot to do with the population who was riding what were their purposes um and so all those things come into play to Mary's point you know if we provide it we better have people using it there's no point in providing it and uh we want to spend thousands of dollars on a software system to help dispatching and scheduling and all that um it's kind of like uh you know we're backers looking at a higher Fair than brainer well they they apparently felt they needed the revenue and and if the numbers are showing that they're getting reserved that's not the purpose of having a fair so you can build up a a reserve right it it's to use it appropriately and to like Mary said can we reduce based on our Reserve can we reduce the cost which in turn generally will make it so we have more people of able to ride based on affordability so so all those things can play a factor but yeah I mean like to your point I think basic needs are one thing do are we required to provide Transit absolutely not I mean like look at croing County they never had Transit up until like 2001 and they decided to join with city of bus uh city of brainard's bus and it it seemed to work out for a long time and then our costs start going up and they look at it and say uh just it ain't working for them and that's up to the County Board they could turn around tomorrow and open it up and give buses all over the county and one person riding up to Cross Lake and but can who then how do you how do you justify that as far as public dollars one of the things that I suggested quite a while ago and I'll just bring it up again it never went anywhere but that the committee ought to spend some time with staff exploring options for the state money now I don't know maybe the state money is restricted to Simply bus fair or buses but it looks to me like if we could have a mix maybe some partial subsidy to the taxis for specific things not just anything but specific things something for the buses maybe a little bit even that a private individual could apply for I don't have the answer but I think we plow ourselves into a rut when we don't even look at what options might be out there the seniors today I'll say it again they're different than 20 years ago and they're going to want different options so it would be kind of nice if we had sort of a day when the committee could just brainstorm sure it's just a thought yeah maybe we can get the committee to show up right right I think we'll have to offer uh donuts and coffee or something right so that we have to have some philosophy of why Transit exists and that is my philosophy of why Transit exist and parks and rack and because you can really help a a municipality you know again it's about equality my my mother I gotta bring her I got to drive her when she has to go to her doctor's appointment and some people don't have that that luxury so this is about providing a good service for a good municipality for to transcend into becoming a great company so that's what it's about in my opinion and that's why I fight for it and I just I I truly en uh see the value in transit um and to your point Mary we are also we're we're going to be getting a new vehicle this year in transit it's going to be a van it's not going to be a bus we're going to get a van and uh because a lot of times are are we can pick up one or two individuals and versus that big bus just picking up that but our ridership has has been increasing and we're really enjoying the fruits of our labor getting out there we also so that's pretty much my the the basis of this this the the only thing that else that I have is on uh on just some like a staff report is that we are going to be um reducing our dispatch person um and that person is going to be ending at 4:30 versus 6:00 like the buses the buses are still going to run till 600 p.m. 8: to 6: dispatch is just going to end at at 4:00 so we're going to with this new software when it does come in scheduling 247 on that app it's going to really alleviate a a lot of that so we're we're looking forward to that so not only just getting another vehicle that is a van and adjust some of our hours hours to be more efficient and uh so it's been really nice the other thing that I asked Crystal to look at is just what else can we do with Transit other than just bringing people from point A to point B what about a fun activity so she got approval from the state to go to the winter wonderland uh in in December and uh we we scheduled two buses on two different separate days to go out there and Jeff did you want to report on that or yeah we um I uh there there was a number of people on the Friday bus Mary and um um there was I think six eight maybe from where I live and we went and picked up a couple in South Brainard one or two in Baxter we had a full bus we got to the Arboretum and because of the wetness they cancelled the lights water and electricity don't mix and sadly enough it was actually on the Facebook page but I don't know how the bus driver would have been able to contact the riders that were out in Baxter and Sal it was a fun ride though I mean we had a good time it was a spent about an hour riding around on the bus and uh everybody was disappointed but yet even though we didn't there was a couple places around town we drove by that were oo and on you know that's kind of a fun you know right but it it I think if we could do it again I I I think people are um you know some of them that wrote were very hardly if ever have ridden before so that was think of a promotional thing I think it worked out pretty good and again Thursday I don't know the day the first day I don't know how that worked out for people who had never ridden before but I I'm assuming it went okay but yeah anyway but that's my report thank you and we are going to be just continuing that we're going to be looking at other events that we can uh ask our writers to join us whether that be the parade maybe at St Patrick's Day whatever it may be we're going to be expanding that to enjoy for those individuals that don't have transportation for them to enjoy the things that I and other individuals take for granted so that's something that we're going to be reaching out and and exploring right right still have to pay the fair um but it's just going to be an enhanced service to get that equality aspect out for the general public so that's all that I have Jeff Mary do you guys have any comments for staff yeah you uh included that thing about the uh bus washing and sent me what are we on here I I mean so before we we would charge the bus company you know to use our our water and our building right to wash well then the bus company would charge us to cover that cost so was just a roundabout way for John to pay Paul and yet to to rob peter okay but hold on hold on they bid on this they bid on this contract which included washing the buses correct so they're getting money for washing the buses they they were getting money but they were I'm not sure how that worked in the contract but that's all that I know is that we used to charge them for that so now what they do is the current system is that they go to another vendor and they pay directly for that service oh they're just not using the city's resources oh that's fine my question yeah that that answers my question because if they were using the city's garage and wash bay uh and yet they build uh in the contract to be paid for that then they should should be reimbursing the city if they're not using the city then that's how they pay for it with what the okay I'm fine with that so good all right is there we got I think that's it what do you got to say Mary I don't have anything to say so should we try to make this one up or just go to the to the next uh uh meeting I still want to bring what I have here to the city council CU we need to move forward with our software that's all you can do um I mean it's uh the council's got to make the final decision I I think you might probably plan on a whatever you want to do it in committee um perhaps and do a 15minute presentation or something I I'm I'm just throwing it out there right some ideas okay it's maybe to the whole Council so they know exactly what they're that's why we have a Transit committee so we can make a recommendation to the council right um and again have you gone out for rfqs yet no no that's what you want to ask the council to do well I think after yeah that once we get that back then we do the presentation to see what your options are I was okay after i' go to the council and get approval then go out and then by then we would have our next meeting and I could bring up the update at that time seems Seems logical to me good okay I think there ought to be some kind of a reminder to our members that if they are not going to be able to be here to please let us know because in a way we kind of all of us sort of waste our time otherwise well Mary I I'm just going to I I don't know the circumstances we none of us know what could happen to keep us and if uh and if one of one of the other two members called in I'm not going to ask which one it was to point a finger or anything but you never know a last minute thing may have happened you know I don't want to I don't want to criticize people for not showing up not knowing the circumstan I think think it's that difficult to let them know Mary I'll send out a reminder or even call okay if I don't get a response okay does that work for you okay good thank you you're welcome cool all right other than that are we all good yeah should we say we're adjourned Mary I think we're okay thanks you guys hey thank you thank you Lori appreciate it thank