Mar 23, 2022 Austin Transit Partnership Board Meeting

DISCLOSURE OF INFORMATION.

UM, I WOULD LIKE TO DISCUSS UPDATED COST ESTIMATES FOR PROJECT CONNECT.

SINCE LAST SUMMER, MEMBERS OF THIS BOARD OF DIRECTORS, COMMUNITY MEMBERS, MEMBERS OF ATP'S FINANCE AND RISK COMMITTEE AND OTHER CONSTITUENTS HAVE REPEATEDLY ASKED A TP FOR UPDATED COST ESTIMATES TO BE DISCLOSED TO THE PUBLIC.

THAT MAYOR PUBLICLY STATED EARLIER THIS MONTH AT THE TRI-PARTY MEETING, AND I WHOLEHEARTEDLY AGREE WITH HIM THAT WE NEED TO BE DISCUSSING THE COST OF THIS PROGRAM IN THE CONTEXT OF CHOICES.

HE STATED, WE HAVE A VOID ON COST AND WE CAN'T WAIT UNTIL AUGUST, 2022 TO DISCLOSE THE UPDATED COST.

I'LL READ A QUOTE FROM ONE OF THE EMAILS OF, RECEIVED FROM A MEMBER OF THE BOARD OF AUSTIN'S CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

ONE OF THE SELLING POINTS TO VOTERS OF PROJECT CONNECT WAS FULL TRANSPARENCY.

AND IF IN FACT, DECISIONS WILL BE MADE ON DESIGN SERVICE, ET CETERA, I WOULD LIKE THE PUBLIC AND FOR THAT MATTER, BOARD MEMBERS AND ALL ELECTED OFFICIALS MAKING THE DECISIONS TO HAVE AMPLE TIME TO STUDY AND UNDERSTAND THE UPDATED COST ESTIMATES.

ATP'S FIRST GUIDING PRINCIPLE IS TRANSPARENCY AND DISCLOSURE.

LET'S TALK ABOUT WHAT TRANSPARENCY MEANS AND WHERE I BELIEVE WE HAVE A FUNDAMENTAL DISCONNECT.

TRANSPARENCY MEANS DISCLOSING TO THE BOARD, AND IN THIS CASE THE PUBLIC.

WHEN STAFF IS FIRST AWARE OF A MATERIAL PROGRAM RISK, SUCH AS PROGRAM COST ESCALATION, BUSES ON THE BLUE LINE BRIDGE, THE TUNNEL ON SOUTH CONGRESS HAVING TO BE EXTENDED DUE TO THE CAPITAL VIEW CORRIDOR RESTRICTIONS, ORANGE LINE TUNNEL UNDER THE LADY BIRD LAKE CAPITAL METRO'S DECISION TO PURCHASE ELECTRIC BUSES THAT I BELIEVE WILL INCREASE ATM'S, O, O AND M COSTS SIGNIFICANTLY.

THESE FIVE TOPICS AND OTHERS ARE ONES THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN BOARD BROUGHT TO THIS BOARD'S ATTENTION EARLY ON.

TRANSPARENCY MEANS NOT WAITING UNTIL MANY OF THE UNKNOWNS ARE KNOWN AND PRESENTING IT TO THE BOARD.

MANY MONTHS LATER, WHEN A DECISION IS NOW PREDETERMINED, IT IS REQUESTING THE BOARD TO WEIGH IN AND PROVIDE GUIDANCE ON HOW BEST TO NAVIGATE A PARTICULAR RISK AS AN ORGANIZATION.

TRANSPARENCY IS AN AREA THAT NEEDS SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT, NOT JUST

[00:10:01]

FROM WHERE I SIT, BUT IN DIRECT FEEDBACK FROM THE COMMUNITY.

AND ALSO IN THE FORTHCOMING ENO REPORT AS LISTED ON PAGE 35.

IN THAT SPIRIT, I'M SUBMITTING THE FOLLOWING FORMAL REQUEST TO EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR CLARK I, TONY ELKINS, A MEMBER OF THE AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP, PARTNERSHIP BOARD OF DIRECTORS REQUEST ATP'S EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR TO PRODUCE COST ESTIMATES BY MAJOR PROGRAM COMPONENT THAT WERE DELIVERED TO A TP STAFF FROM HDR ATP'S PROGRAM MANAGER IN MID 2021 AT THE 15% DESIGN LEVEL.

FOR COMPARISON PURPOSES, COST SHALL BE PROVIDED BASED ON THE AUGUST, 2020 PREVO ESTIMATES WITH EXPLANATIONS FOR SIGNIFICANT VARIANCES.

IN ADDITION, I REQUEST CURRENT, CURRENT COST ESTIMATES SHOWN BY OPTION TYPE, BASE CASE, AND ALTERNATIVE FOR EACH OF THE DESIGN TOPICS IN PROGRESS THAT WERE LISTED IN THE MARCH 2ND, 2022 TRI-PARTY PRESENTATION ON PAGE 18.

THE ABOVE INFORMATION WILL BE PRESENTED TO THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS ON AND BEFORE APRIL 13TH.

IF THIS REQUESTED IS NOT ACTED UPON, THEN I'LL PROPOSE A FORMAL BOARD RESOLUTION AT THE APRIL 20TH BOARD MEETING.

DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FROM THE COMMITTEE, FROM THE BOARD? YES, MAYOR ADLER.

I APPRECIATE, UH, MY COLLEAGUE, UH, UH, CONTINUED LEADERSHIP ON THE QUESTION OF TRANSPARENCY.

UH, 'CAUSE I THINK IT'S REAL IMPORTANT THAT WE ARE TRANSPARENT IN, IN, IN WHAT WE'RE DOING.

UH, AND I APPRECIATE THE, THE, THE CALL FOR THAT.

UM, MY SENSE IS, IS THAT THIS WAS SOMETHING THAT, THAT, THAT ALL THE BOARDS, ALL THREE BOARDS WORKING TOGETHER WANTED TO, TO REALLY FOCUS ON.

UH, AND, UM, I KNOW THAT YOU WEREN'T HERE FOR THE MEETING WE HAD IN THE, IN THE FIRST WEEK OF MARCH.

I I UNDERSTAND YOU'VE HAD A CHANCE TO BE ABLE TO SEE IT AS IT'S AVAILABLE TO THE, TO THE PUBLIC.

UH, AND I, AND I WOULD URGE, UH, FOLKS IN THE COMMUNITY TO, TO TAKE A LOOK AT THAT.

MY UNDERSTANDING IS, IS THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE PUBLIC, UH, UH, INFORMATION MEETINGS WITH RESPECT TO THE, THE REAL POINTS, THE BIG POINTS OF THAT, THAT ARE GONNA BE DIFFICULT FOR US TO DECIDE.

UH, AND THAT THOSE, UH, PUBLIC MEETINGS ARE GONNA BE LAID OUT OVER THE COURSE OF APRIL.

I DON'T HAVE MY PRESENTATION, I THINK IT'S APRIL AND MAYBE INTO, INTO MAY.

UH, AND, AND I THINK THAT THE APPROPRIATE NUMBERS TO LAY OUT AT THAT POINT WILL BE THE BEST NUMBERS WE HAVE AT THAT POINT.

UH, WE'RE SO CLOSE TO, I THINK HAVING, UH, AT LEAST SOME, UH, OTHER INDICATIONS OF NUMBERS I'M COM I, FOR ONE, AM COMFORTABLE HAVING THOSE NUMBERS COME OUT, UH, TOGETHER WITH ALL THE OTHER PIECES THAT I THINK ARE NECESSARY FOR TRANSPORTATION, UH, FOR TRANSPARENCY, RATHER.

UH, AND I'M COMFORTABLE WITH IT COMING OUT AT THE, AT THOSE PUBLIC, UH, HEARING SO THAT WE CAN SEE IT SO THAT THE COMMUNITY CAN SEE IT.

UM, THERE ARE A LOT OF REALLY DIFFICULT CHOICES WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO MAKE, AND A LOT OF CONSIDERATIONS WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT, UM, COST, UH, PHYSICAL ABILITY, UM, UM, HEALTH, AESTHETICS, UH, FUNCTIONALITY, UH, OPERATIONS.

UH, AND, AND I THINK IT'S JUST REAL IMPORTANT WHEN THE COMMUNITY IS LOOKING AT THESE THINGS IN, IN APRIL AND MAY, UH, THAT, UH, WE'RE GONNA LAY OUT, UH, FOR THEM, THE, THE STAFFS TOGETHER, UH, ALL THE FACTORS, UH, THAT ARE NECESSARY IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO MAKE DECISIONS IN THOSE AREAS.

UH, AND I'M COMFORTABLE FOR IT COMING OUT THAT WAY.

I THINK THAT'S, FOR ME, THAT'S THE BEST CONTEXT FOR THAT.

UH, AND SINCE ALL THOSE THINGS IMPACT EACH OTHER, I WANT, I WANT TO SEE THEM ALL AND, AND PROBABLY AT THE SAME TIME, SO THAT I CAN, CAN, CAN, CAN, CAN ASSESS THEM.

UM, UM, BUT, UH, I REALLY DO APPRECIATE MY, MY COLLEAGUES' PUSH FOR TRANSPARENCY AND FOR DISCLOSURES.

AND, AND I THINK THAT'S, UH, ONE OF HIS LEADERSHIP.

I THINK IT WAS ONE OF THE PRECIPITATING CAUSES OF THE MEETING THAT WE HAD THE FIRST WEEK IN, IN MARCH.

AND I LEFT THAT AS I THINK MANY PEOPLE DID.

REAL EXCITED ABOUT THE, THE PROCESS WE HAVE GOING FORWARD.

MOVING ON TO THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR'S REPORT.

THANK YOU, MAYOR.

I JUST WANNA SAY WE, WE ACTUALLY DID NOT POST FOR THIS ITEM, SO TECHNICALLY WE PROBABLY SHOULDN'T HAVE A DISCUSSION ABOUT IT ON THE DAIS, BUT IF WE WANNA POST IT FOR THE NEXT MEETING, WE CAN DO SO.

[00:15:03]

[3. Executive Director Report]

MR. RANDY CLARK.

AND HIS STAFF WHETHER THEY GOT TIRED OF THESE AND WHETHER THEY ALL BEGAN TO LOOK THE SAME.

THANK YOU, CHAIR.

UH, WELL, GOOD AFTERNOON.

UH, I'M GONNA MAKE MY COMMENTS ABOUT, UH, REALLY ABOUT OUR FEDERAL PARTNERS, UH, IN, IN THIS BOARD MEETING.

SO, TWO THINGS I WANT TO HIGHLIGHT.

ONE WOULD BE, UH, TWO WEEKENDS AGO, UH, WE WERE AT THE APTA LEGISLATIVE CONFERENCE, AND THAT IS THE ANNUAL CONFERENCE OF APTA WHERE, UH, REALLY TALK ABOUT LEGISLATIVE POLICY AND THINGS RELATED TO, UH, APPROPRIATIONS AND TRYING TO GET THE MOST, UH, UH, FUNDING AVAILABLE FOR, UH, OUR FEDERAL PARTNERS.

AND SO IT WAS A REALLY GOOD DISCUSSION.

AT THE TOP, I WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT ERICA MAZZA, WHO IS OUR VICE PRESIDENT OF GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS AT CAPITAL METRO, WHO'S WORKING THROUGH OUR FEDERAL STRATEGY.

SHE ACTUALLY IS THE VICE CHAIR OF THE APTA LEG, UH, LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE, WHICH IS THE MOST IMPORTANT COMMITTEE IN THE, UH, APTA IN, IN, IN THE INDUSTRY.

AND SHE IS PROVIDING A LOT OF LEADERSHIP THERE.

SO WE'RE VERY LUCKY TO HAVE HER, UM, IN THAT ROLE.

UM, SHE ALSO HELPED LEAD A BIG WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PANEL WITH A LOT OF INDUSTRY LEADERS.

I WANT TO HIGHLIGHT THAT AT THAT, AT THAT, UH, VISIT, UM, CAPTAIN METRO BOARD CHAIR, JEFF TRABIAN AND I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO MEET WITH A FEW MEMBERS OF THE ADMINISTRATION AND, UM, OUR DELEGATION.

SO I WENT TO HIGHLIGHT, WE HAD A GREAT CHANCE TO MEET WITH SENATOR CORNYN, THANKED HIM FOR HIS, UH, RECENT SUPPORT OF THE APPROPRIATIONS BILL.

IT'LL BE TWO WEEKS AGO NOW.

AND THAT APPROPRIATIONS BILL ALLOWED TO GET FULL FUNDING INTO THE IA IA, IIJA, UM, THE INFRASTRUCTURE BILL TO ALLOW THE CAPITAL INVESTMENT GRANT PROGRAM TO GET THE HIGHEST LEVEL FUNDING EVER.

UH, THAT IS NOW A NEW BASE.

AND OUR BIG EFFORT NOW WILL BE AS AN INDUSTRY AND US LOCALLY, TO EXECUTE AS BEST WE CAN PROGRAM-WISE OVER THE NEXT COMING YEARS, UH, TO AVOID CLAWBACKS OR RES OR POSSIBLE RESCISSIONS TO THAT PROGRAM TO KEEP THOSE NUMBERS AT THE HIGHEST POSSIBLE LEVEL.

UH, WE ALSO HAD A CHANCE TO MEET WITH SOME MEMBERS OF THE, UH, THE, UH, U-S-D-O-T AND JUST, AGAIN, KEEP THEM UPDATED ON OUR PROGRAM AND TALK ABOUT POTENTIAL FUTURE, UH, FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES.

MOST OF THOSE FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES ARE MULTI-YEAR IN THE MAKING.

AND SO PART OF THIS IS CONTINUALLY JUST TOUCHING BASE WITH OUR FEDERAL PARTNERS, TELLING THEM WHERE WE ARE, UH, JUST THAT TOUCH POINT TO REALLY LAY THE GROUNDWORK THROUGH THIS MULTI-YEAR PROCESS.

AND, UM, UH, I JUST WANT TO, WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT, THERE'S GONNA BE A LOT MORE OF THIS, UH, WORK WHERE IT, THIS IS KIND OF, THE FEDERAL STUFF IS LIKE A MARATHON.

AND, UH, FOR OUR FULL FUNDING GRANT AGREEMENTS TO HAPPEN IN 2024, UH, WE'RE DOING ALL THE LEGWORK NOW TO, TO SUCCESSFULLY DO THAT.

THE NEXT SLIDE I WANNA HIGHLIGHT, WE WERE INCREDIBLY HONORED TO HAVE SECRETARY, UH, PETE BUTTIGIEG VISIT.

AND I WANT TO, YOU KNOW, TAKE A MOMENT AND THANK THE MAYOR.

THE MAYOR, UH, REALLY, UH, DID AN AMAZING JOB OF, UH, CREATING THIS OPPORTUNITY.

SO THANK YOU, MAYOR.

AND, UH, THE SECRETARY, I THINK, HAD A FANTASTIC VISIT.

UH, MANY OF YOU HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO, TO ENGAGE WITH, UH, THE SECRETARY.

HE, UH, CAME, RODE THE METRO RAIL, GOT A CHANCE TO MEET A LOT OF ELECTED OFFICIALS, POLICY MAKERS, BUT ALSO A LOT OF OUR COMMUNITY ADVOCATES, BOTH ON THE TRANSPORTATION KINDA, UH, ADVOCACY SIDE, BUT ALSO A LOT OF OUR KEY PARTNERS, WHETHER IT'S, UM, YOU KNOW, THE CHA THE CHAMBERS IN THE AREA, OR THINGS OF THAT NATURE.

HE REALLY GOT TO SEE, UH, HOW ALL THE BITS AND PIECES COMING TOGETHER.

UH, THE PART THAT I THOUGHT WAS REALLY IMPORTANT, UH, ON TOP OF THAT WAS HE GOT TO SEE HOW CLOSE WE'RE ALL WORKING TOGETHER.

AND I KNOW MAYOR, WHEN WE WERE WITH HIM, HE COMMENTED SPECIFICALLY ON HOW GREAT IT IS TO SEE.

UH, AND I THINK GINO'S WITH THE SAME TIME AS WELL, HOW CLOSELY THE CITY CAPITAL METRO A TP ARE ALL WORKING WELL TOGETHER.

AND THEN ALSO HOW WELL WE'RE WORKING WITH OUR PARTNERS AT TDOT AND OTHER PARTS OF THE COMMUNITY AS WELL.

SO I THINK THAT REALLY BROUGHT HOME TO HIM HOW COORDINATED WE ALL ARE, HOW COLLEGIAL, HOW MUCH WE'RE ALL KIND OF ROWING IN THE SAME DIRECTION.

UH, WE KIND OF TALKED ABOUT AUSTIN HAVING TO DO ALMOST $20 BILLION OF PUBLIC CAPITAL TRANSPORTATION WORK AND A LITTLE OVER A DECADE, AND THE ENORMOUS CHALLENGES OF THAT.

UM, BUT I THINK WE LAID THE GROUNDWORK ON THAT.

AND ALSO THE IA IA, IIJA, I'M HAVING A HARD TIME WITH THAT TODAY.

I APOLOGIZE TO LAY, UH, A LITTLE BIT MORE LAYERS WITH THE SECRETARY ON AUSTIN'S UNIQUE OPPORTUNITIES THAT WILL BE COMING UP.

AND WE HAD A CHANCE TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE CAPITAL INVESTMENT GRANT PROGRAM.

SO, UH, JUST WANNA THANK AGAIN, EVERYONE THAT WAS ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN ALL THE STAFF EFFORT TO, TO PUT A VISIT LIKE THAT TOGETHER.

THE VISIT GOES QUICK, BUT I CAN ASSURE YOU IT'S, UH, AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF WORK, UH, WHEN THE SECRETARY COMES TO TOWN.

SO, THOSE ARE MY UPDATES, UH, FOR THIS MONTH.

UH, CHAIR, HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS OR, UH, COMMENTS.

THANK YOU, DIRECTOR CLARK.

ANY QUESTIONS FOR YES, MAYOR ALER, JUST REAL FAST.

I DO WANT TO THANK, UH, UH, RANDY, YOUR STAFF, GINA, UH, YOUR STAFF.

UH, EVERYBODY DID AN INCREDIBLE JOB AT LAYING THAT OUT FOR THE, UH, FOR THE SECRETARY.

I, I ASKED HIM

[00:20:01]

UH, 'CAUSE I'VE SEEN HIM NOW INSIDE NUMEROUS BUSES AND TRAIN CARS, AND, AND I ASKED HIM WHETHER HE COULD ACTUALLY LOOK AT A PICTURE AND DISCERNED WHAT CITY HE WAS IN, UH, FROM, FROM, FROM WHERE HE WAS.

AND HE PROBABLY SAYS THIS TO ALL OF THE MAYORS.

UH, BUT HE SAID, NO, THIS ONE WAS SPECIAL .

UH, AND I KNOW FROM TALKING TO HIS ADVANCED TEAM, WHICH I THINK IS REALLY THE TRUE TEST, THAT, THAT OUR STAFFS TOOK A CONSIDERABLE LOAD OFF OF THE SECRETARY'S STAFF IN SETTING IT UP.

AND YOU GUYS JUST DID A REALLY GOOD JOB OF LAYING IT OUT.

THERE WERE LARGE PARTS OF OUR COMMUNITY THAT WERE THERE TO MEET WITH HIM, UH, AND I KNOW THAT HE APPRECIATED EVERYBODY COMING OUT IN THEIR TIME.

SO, THANK YOU.

ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ANY COMMENTS? I DO WANNA SAY THAT I, I, IT WAS REALLY AN HONOR TO MEET SECRETARY BUTTIGIEG IN TOWN.

UM, AND I APPRECIATE ALL THE WORK FROM ALL THE STAFF AND HOW INSPIRING THIS VISIT WAS FOR, TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THE FEDERAL, OUR FEDERAL PARTNERS ARE LOOKING FOR, AND HOW WE'RE BUILDING MORE EQUITABLE TRANSIT SYSTEMS AROUND THE UNITED STATES, AND HOW WELL WE CAN ALL PARTICIPATE IN, IN THIS TRANSFORMATIONAL AND GENERATIONAL GRANT OPPORTUNITIES THAT WOULD TRANSFORM OUR CITY.

SO IT WAS, IT WAS A LOVELY VISIT.

SO THANK YOU, MAYOR.

THANK YOU, MR. CLARK AND GINA FOR ORGANIZING AND ALL THE HEAVY LIFTING THAT TOOK PLACE AT THOSE DAYS.

AND ALSO, I'D LIKE TO STAY OUT OF A LITTLE BIT, OUT OF SCRIPT, BUT HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MAYOR .

I HEARD TODAY IS YOUR BIRTHDAY, SO HAPPY BIRTHDAY.

SHOULD WE SING? I, I'M HAPPY TO SING , IF Y'ALL ARE HAPPY TO HEAR IT IN SPANISH.

I'M HAPPY TO SING IN SPANISH.

SOME SOMETHING ON THE COUNT OF THREE.

ONE, TWO, THREE.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BIRTHDAY TO YOU.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY.

DEAR ME, YOUR HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

NO PLACE.

I WOULD RATHER BE ON MY BIRTHDAY THAN, THAN WITH MY FRIENDS.

ON TO OUR MONTHLY PROGRAM UPDATES.

UM, SO NOW WE'RE MOVING

[4.1. Community Engagement and Involvement Update]

UM, WE'RE GONNA HAVE OUR COMMUNITY DIRECTOR FOR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, JACKIE BERG.

WELCOME MY TO GIVE YOU THE UPDATE ON COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITY.

UM, SO MARCH WAS A RELATIVELY LIGHT MONTH, BUT WE'RE STARTING TO RAMP UP OUR ACTIVITY QUITE A BIT.

UM, WE HAD ON MARCH 8TH, WE HAD A BLUE LINE METRO CENTER WORKING GROUP MEETING AT WHICH WE PARTICIPANTS, UM, THAT'S ACTUALLY A REALLY LARGE NUMBER OF PEOPLE FROM A VERY SPECIFIC AREA.

SO THAT WAS REALLY ENCOURAGING TO SEE SO MANY PEOPLE COME OUT FOR THAT AND GIVE US THEIR VALUABLE INPUT.

WE ALSO HAD OUR EAC, OUR ENGINEERING ARCHITECTURE CONSTRUCTION MARCH 2ND, OUR PLANNING SUSTAINABILITY E COMMITTEE ON MARCH 3RD.

AND THEN ON MARCH 7TH, WE HAD A WONDERFUL, UH, IN PERSON EVENT AT PLAZA SALTILLO WAS A MEET AND GREET FOR ALL OF OUR COMMITTEE MEMBERS TO MEET OUR STAFF BOARD MEMBERS, UM, AND ANSWER, GET THEIR QUESTIONS ANSWERED, OR JUST GET TO KNOW US A LITTLE BIT.

AND WE PLAN TO DO THAT AGAIN, HOPEFULLY IN THE FALL.

WE ALSO HAD A CA A COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING.

I'M TRYING TO GET MYSELF NOT TO USE ACRONYM ON MARCH THE 10TH.

UM, OUR PROJECT AMBASSADOR JUST LAST WEEK ON MARCH, MOVING FORWARD, UH, AS MAYOR MENTIONED, WE'LL BE HOPING A SERIES OF, OF MEETINGS IN ACCORDANCE TO THE DISCUSSION THAT CAME ON WITH THE FIVE PARTY MEETING.

IF YOU LOOK AT THE GRAPH ON THE SCREEN, YOU CAN SEE, UH, PERFORATED BOX IN PURPLE WHERE, UM, THE LITTLE BLUE DIAMONDS REPRESENT THOSE MEETINGS IN, IN, UH, ON THE CALENDAR.

UM, WE'RE HAVING 12 MEETINGS COMING UP, AND I'LL GO THROUGH THOSE NOW.

SO FIRST, BEFORE WE DO THAT, MARCH 29TH AND 31ST, WE HAVE OUR ORANGE LINE BLUE LINE DESIGN TOPICS MEETING,

[00:25:01]

ALSO CALLED LET'S PRO TALK PROJECT CONNECT.

UM, THOSE WILL TAKE PLACE IN THE EVENING ON THE 29TH AND MIDDAY ON THE 31ST.

UM, AND AS WE ALWAYS DO, WE, UH, DO A VIRTUAL OPEN HOUSE THAT STAYS LIVE FOR A MONTH SO THAT PEOPLE WHO CANNOT PARTICIPATE IN REAL TIME CAN DO SO ON THEIR OWN SCHEDULE AND VIEW THE SAME MATERIALS AND PROVIDE THEIR FEEDBACK.

SO THAT WILL BE LIVE THROUGH, UH, THROUGH APRIL.

UM, APRIL 2ND, WE'RE HAVING A, AN ALIGNMENT TOUR OF THE ORANGE AND BLUE LINES FOR OUR COMMITTEE MEMBERS, BOTH THE, THE COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE AND, UM, THE TECHNICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEMBERS, AS WELL AS CAP METRO COMMITTEE MEMBERS, SO THAT PEOPLE CAN REALLY SEE FOR THEMSELVES ON THE GROUND IN REAL TIME WHAT THESE ALIGNMENTS ARE GOING TO LOOK LIKE.

AND THE HOPE IS THAT WE, UM, CAN GET SOME GOOD FEEDBACK FROM OUR COMMITTEE MEMBERS AS WE TRAVEL ALONG THOSE, UH, THOSE CORRIDORS.

UM, APRIL 6TH, WE'RE HAVING A SOUTH CONGRESS WORKING GROUP, AFFECTIONATELY KNOWN AS SOCO.

AND THEN ON APRIL 11TH, UH, WE'LL HAVE A CRESTVIEW STATION AREA WORKSHOP THAT'S BEING CO-HOSTED BY COUNCIL MEMBER LESLIE POOLE, AS WELL AS COUNCIL MEMBER JOSE CHITO VELA.

AND THIS, THIS ONE WILL BE A REALLY INTERESTING MEETING BECAUSE CRESTVIEW IS A VERY COMPLEX AREA WITH A LOT OF PROJECTS HAPPENING AT THE SAME TIME.

AND SO WE'RE CONVENING, UM, NOT ONLY CAPITAL METRO AND THE ORANGE LINE FOLKS, BUT ALSO, UM, PRIVATE DEVELOPERS AND, UM, MEMBERS OF AUSTIN TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT, ANYONE WHO HAS A BIG PROJECT HAPPENING, AN INITIATIVE HAPPENING THERE.

THERE ARE INTERDEPENDENCIES THERE.

AND, UM, WE'RE HOPING THAT THE COMMUNITY FEEDBACK CAN HELP GUIDE US IN MAKING SOME DESIGN DECISIONS THAT WILL, UM, WORK FOR EVERYBODY.

UM, SO THAT'S ON APRIL 11TH.

APRIL 12TH, WE'LL HAVE A SOUTH LINE WORKING GROUP MEETING.

THAT'S THE ORANGE LINE.

THAT'S THE, UM, PART THAT EXTENDS BEYOND STANE, UM, THE DOTTED LINE.

AND THAT'S FOR FUTURE DEVELOPMENT FOR THE RAIL.

SO THAT IS BEING CLEARED FOR, UH, ENVIRONMENTAL STUDY.

UM, AND SO AS SUCH, WE WILL DO SOME OUTREACH THERE AND, AND HOLD A WORKING GROUP MEETING ON APRIL 12TH.

AND THEN APRIL 19TH, WE'LL HAVE THE NORTH GUADALUPE AND NORTH LAMAR WORKING GROUP MEETING.

AND THEN MOVING FORWARD, UM, APRIL 26TH, WE'LL HAVE A BLUE LINE BRIDGE MEETING, UH, THE LADY BIRD LAKE BRIDGE THAT SHOULD GET A LOT OF INTEREST IN THE COMMUNITY.

UM, MAY 3RD NORTH LINE WORKING GROUP MEETING THAT IS THE EXTENSION OF THE ORANGE LINE TO THE NORTH, BEYOND NORTH LAMAR TRANSIT CENTER.

UM, WE'RE, WE'RE EXPECTING TO HAVE A RAIL MAINTENANCE FACILITY COMMUNITY MEETING OR COMBINED MAINTENANCE FACILITY, UM, MEETING, UM, IN MAY TENTATIVELY IT'S SCHEDULED.

WE STILL HAVEN'T CONFIRMED YET, BUT SHOULD HAVE A DATE FOR THAT SOON.

AND THEN MAY 18TH, PLEASANT VALLEY AND EAST RIVERSIDE WORKING GROUP, WE'RE GONNA RECONVENE THAT WORKING GROUP.

WE HAD A REALLY ROBUST, UH, WORKING GROUP MEETING WITH, UH, COMMUNITY DESIGN WORKSHOP, UM, WITH THOSE FOLKS.

AND WE'RE GOING TO BE REVISITING ANOTHER VERY COMPLICATED AREA.

UM, MAY 24TH, WE'LL HAVE A, ANOTHER DRAG WORKSHOP, UM, WORKING GROUP MEETING FOR THE ORANGE LINE.

AND THEN IN JUNE, WE HAVE THREE MEETINGS THAT ARE YET TO BE SCHEDULED, BUT WILL BE SOON.

ONE WILL BE THE TUNNEL TECHNOLOGY AND SUBWAY COMMUNITY MEETING.

UH, THE OTHER WILL BE AUDITORIUM SHORES, REPUBLIC SQUARE, AND GOVERNMENT CENTER STATIONS WORKING GROUP MEETING.

AND FINALLY A VEHICLE AND SYSTEMS COMMUNITY MEETING.

UM, SO THAT ONE ALSO SHOULD BE REALLY EXCITING FOR THE COMMUNITY.

EVERYBODY LOVES VEHICLES, AND I'M EXCITED MYSELF TO SEE, UH, WHAT THE TEAM HAS TO PREPARE TO OFFER, UH, AT THAT MEETING.

AND WITH THAT, I WILL OPEN IT UP FOR QUESTIONS.

THANK YOU, MS. NIRENBERG.

ANY QUESTIONS? YES, JACKIE, THANK YOU FOR THAT.

UM, THERE ARE JUST SO MANY COMMUNITY MEETINGS.

I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU KEEP THEM ALL STRAIGHT, BUT, UH, THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU'RE DOING, UM, WITH ALL OF THESE DIFFERENT MEETINGS ON DIFFERENT TOPICS AT, AT DIFFERENT TIMES.

UM, CAN YOU, YOU TALK A LITTLE ABOUT THE COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND HOW WE'RE GETTING THIS INFORMATION OUT TO THE PUBLIC ON THESE MEETINGS? AND IF THERE WILL BE SORT OF A CENTRAL REPOSITORY FOR THAT, THAT, YOU KNOW, CITY'S WEBSITE CAN POINTS TO THE A TP WEBSITE WITH LINKS ON HOW TO ACCESS THESE MEETINGS? YEAH, SO WE HAVE BEEN DOING A LOT OF CROSS-PROMOTION WITH OUR CITY PARTNERS, WHICH HAS BEEN FANTASTIC.

UM, ALSO WITH OUR COUNCIL MEMBER OFFICES AND, UM, A NUMBER OF ADVERTISING AND, AND SOCIAL MEDIA PROMOTIONS AS WELL.

BUT SOMETHING THAT WE'VE ADDED RECENTLY AS WE'VE GOTTEN MORE COMFORTABLE BEING OUT AND ABOUT IN PERSON IS BLOCK WALKING IN THE AREAS WHERE WE'RE HAVING WORKING GROUP MEETINGS.

UM, WE DID THAT FOR THE METRO CENTER GROUP, FOR EXAMPLE.

AND, AND I THINK

[00:30:01]

THAT MADE A HUGE DIFFERENCE.

WE SAW FOLKS PARTICIPATING THERE THAT WE HAD NOT SEEN BEFORE.

AND IT'S REALLY A SIMPLE TECHNIQUE.

IT JUST TAKES TIME.

UM, AND SO WE'RE PLANNING TO INCORPORATE THAT INTO ALL OF OUR, UM, PROMOTION FOR ALL OF OUR MEETINGS.

SO, UM, THAT THAT WILL WILL BE PART OF THAT.

ALSO, WE HAVE, UM, AT STOP OUTREACH PLANNED, UM, WHERE APPROPRIATE.

ANYMORE.

UH, VICE CHAIR BURNETT, JACKIE, UM, GRAY WORK AS ALWAYS.

HAVE YOU GIVEN ANY OTHER THOUGHT TO HAVING SOME CO-SPONSORS, CO-HOST TO MEETINGS FOR DIFFERENT COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS? YES, WE'RE GOING TO BE WORKING ON THAT.

THAT IS A REALLY, YOU GAVE US THAT GREAT SUGGESTION.

UM, AND COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS ARE A WAY FOR US TO CONNECT WITH COMMUNITIES WHERE WE NEED SOME TRUST BUILDING, RIGHT? AND SO WE NEED FOLKS WHO ARE ALREADY TRUSTED MEMBERS OF THOSE COMMUNITIES TO, TO SORT OF, LIKE YOU MENTIONED, SPONSOR OR HOST US.

AND WE WILL BE, UM, EXPLORING THOSE OPPORTUNITIES AS WE MOVE TOWARD 30% AND DURING THIS CADENCE OF MEETINGS.

GOOD.

THANK YOU, MAYOR ADLER.

I KNOW YOU HAD YOUR HAND UP TOO.

YES, THANK YOU.

UM, THE TASK IN FRONT OF YOU IS ABSOLUTELY ENORMOUS.

UH, AND THAT WAS APPARENT TO ALL OF US WHEN WE WERE GATHERED THE FIRST WEEK IN, IN, IN MARCH.

SO A LOT OF THESE HEARINGS ARE THE REGULAR MEETINGS, BUT A LOT OF THESE HEARINGS THAT ARE COMING UP, UH, ARE REALLY TRYING TO, TO WORK THROUGH WITH THE COMMUNITY, THE REALLY HARD ISSUES.

UH, IT'LL BE AUGUST, I THINK, BY THE SCHEDULE, WHEN THE STAFFS ARE GONNA BE COMING TO THE THREE GROUPS TO SAY, THIS IS KIND OF WHAT THEIR RECOMMENDATION IS FOR THE, FOR THE INITIAL DECISION OR, OR WORK THROUGH OF THESE 12 REALLY HARD ISSUES.

UM, SO THESE MEETINGS THAT WE HAVE IN APRIL AND MAY ARE GONNA BE CRITICAL FOR US BEING ABLE TO GET TO AUGUST.

MY HOPE IS THAT WHEN WE'RE THERE IN AUGUST, NO ONE'S HEARING ABOUT ANYTHING FOR THE FIRST TIME.

UH, THAT EVERYTHING THAT THEY HEAR WILL BE MORE HOW THINGS WERE RESOLVED.

BUT THE THINGS THAT NEED TO BE RESOLVED, I'M HOPING GET DAYLIGHTED IN THESE MEETINGS IN, IN APRIL AND MAY AND JUNE, SO THAT THERE ARE JUST NO SURPRISES.

I SAY THAT BECAUSE IF THERE ARE SURPRISES AT THAT POINT, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO REDO ALL THESE MEETINGS.

THEN ARMED WITH THE, THE NEW INFORMATION, THEN THAT WASN'T AVAILABLE BACK THEN.

UH, AND I THINK THAT INCLUDES ALL THE DIFFICULT, YOU KNOW, ALL THE DIFFICULTIES ASSOCIATED WITH THESE CHOICES.

SOMETIMES WHEN WE HAVE PUBLIC BEATINGS, IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE PUBLIC TO TELL US WHAT THEY'RE THINKING, AND THAT'S OUR CRITICAL COMPONENT.

SOMETIMES IT'S FOR US TO BE ABLE TO SHARE INFORMATION WITH THE PUBLIC.

AND I, AND I THINK THAT THESE MEETINGS IN APRIL AND MAY ARE EQUAL PART, BOTH.

YES, THIS IS OUR TIME TO EDUCATE AND PEOPLE WILL WALK INTO THOSE MEETINGS THINKING THEY KNOW WHAT THE RESOLUTION IS OR WHAT THEIR ISSUES ARE.

AND I'M HOPING THAT THEY WALK OUT OF IT WITH AS COMPLETE A PICTURE AS WE CAN GIVE THEM.

OBVIOUSLY THAT'S GONNA INCLUDE COSTS.

AND WE KNOW COSTS HAVE GONE UP.

WE KNOW REAL ESTATE COSTS HAVE GONE UP.

WE KNOW, UH, MATERIAL COSTS HAVE GONE UP.

WE SEE THAT IN THE NEWSPAPER EVERY DAY.

AND, AND WE HEAR IT WITH BUILDINGS THAT ARE BEING BUILT.

WE'RE NOT GONNA BE IMMUNE FROM, FROM ANY OF THAT.

UH, BUT ULTIMATELY THIS COMMUNITY AND THIS BOARD AND THE COUNCIL AND THE CAB METRO ARE GONNA HAVE TO MAKE CHOICES, UH, WITH RESPECT TO THAT ELEMENT, WITH RESPECT TO PHYSICALITY, WITH RESPECT TO AESTHETICS, WITH RESPECT TO FUNCTIONALITY, WITH RESPECT TO OPERATION, WITH RESPECT TO ALL THOSE THINGS.

THEY'RE GONNA BE CHOICES AND CHOICES IN ONE AREA ARE GOING TO IMPACT CHOICES IN OTHER AREAS.

AND THE, THESE MEETINGS THAT YOU HAVE IN IN APRIL AND MAY ARE GONNA BE CRITICAL FOR THE COMMUNITY.

HAVING TRUST AS YOU, YOU INDICATED EARLIER IN, IN WHERE WE ARE IN AUGUST, UH, AND, AND HOW WELL WE DO IN AUGUST IS GONNA BE DEPENDENT ON HOW WELL WE DO IN, IN APRIL AND MAY.

SO I, I URGE YOU, UH, IN KEEPING WITH MY COLLEAGUES INITIAL STATEMENT ABOUT TRANSPARENT, LET'S GET EVERYTHING OUT, UH, SO THAT THE COMMUNITY FEELS LIKE IT HAS A HANDLE ON ALL THE DIFFERENT VARIABLES SO THAT THEY CAN MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS OR IDENTIFY ISSUES FOR US TO DISCUSS, UH, AND SO THAT WE AVOID ANY MEASURE OF SURPRISES IN AUGUST.

AGREED.

THANK YOU ANY MORE? BOARD MEMBER ELKINS? UH, THANK YOU MADAM CHAIR.

UM, JACKIE, THANKS ALL FOR ALL THE GREAT WORK YOU'VE BEEN DOING.

I, I DUNNO HOW YOU GET ALL THIS DONE.

SO MANY MEETINGS OR WHATEVER.

IT'S, IT'S EXTRAORDINARY ALL THE WORK WE'RE, WE HAVE A GREAT TEAM.

[00:35:01]

, ABSOLUTELY.

UM, I, I DON'T WANNA STEAL ENO'S THUNDER, BUT THERE IS A QUOTE IN THEIR REPORT THAT I WANTED TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT AND GET YOUR REACTION.

AND THEN I HAD A FOLLOW UP.

SO IT'S ON PAGE 34, AND IT SAYS HERE, BOTH STAFF AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS ARE CONCERNED THAT MAJOR PROGRAM AND DESIGN DECISIONS ARE PREDETERMINED.

AND THAT PUBLIC CONSULTATION AND EITHER BEING DONE TOO LATE IN THE PROCESS OR PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT IS BEING DONE SIMPLY TO CHECK THE BOX.

I, I DON'T THINK THAT'S THE CASE, BUT PERCEPTION IS 90%.

THAT'S RIGHT.

MY QUESTION IS, AND MAYBE WE NEED TO DO A BETTER JOB OF GETTING THIS OUT, WHEN WE LISTEN TO THE COMMUNITY AND WE MAKE DESIGN CHANGES BASED ON FEEDBACK, HOW DO WE MESSAGE IN THAT SO THAT THE COMMUNITY DOESN'T FEEL THIS IS A CHECK THE BOX? 'CAUSE I, I DON'T BELIEVE THAT, BUT, BUT CAN WE HAVE STORY TALK A LITTLE BIT, SOME VICTORIES AND, AND HOW DO WE GET THAT WORD OUT? YES.

AND ADMITTEDLY, WE CAN ALWAYS DO A BETTER JOB OF COMMUNICATING THAT.

I DON'T THINK WE'VE BEEN AS GOOD AS WE COULD BE OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS.

WE'RE GETTING A LITTLE BETTER AT IT.

I, AND I THINK AT YOUR URGING AND THE URGING OF OTHER BOARD MEMBERS, UM, TO HELP US ENUNCIATE THAT FEEDBACK LOOP AND, AND DEMONSTRATE TO PEOPLE HOW FEEDBACK IS BEING USED.

UM, SO WE'RE GOING TO BE, UH, WORKING ON THAT, NOT ONLY ON THE PROJECT WEBSITE, THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT LIBRARY, BUT EVERY TIME WE HAVE A MEETING, WE BRING UP WHAT WE HEARD, AND THAT'S HOW WE LET PEOPLE KNOW, WE HEARD YOU HERE IS HOW THAT HAS MOVED US FORWARD.

UM, AND SO THAT'S PART OF THE NARRATIVE WHEN WE, WHEN WE GO OUT TO MEET WITH THE COMMUNITY.

UM, BUT WE CAN ALWAYS DO BETTER AND WE ARE ALWAYS OPEN TO SUGGESTIONS ON HOW BETTER TO COMMUNICATE THAT.

IT IS A DIFFICULT THING TO GET OUT THERE, AS YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, NO MATTER HOW MUCH YOU PUT SOMETHING OUT OR MAKE IT AVAILABLE, THERE ARE STILL LOTS OF PEOPLE WHO NEVER SEE IT.

AND I, I CAN ATTEST TO THAT JUST BECAUSE THERE ARE STILL PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY WHO DON'T EVEN KNOW ABOUT PROJECT CONNECT, WHICH IS REALLY AMAZING.

WE WERE JUST TALKING ABOUT THAT EARLIER.

UM, BUT WE'LL CONTINUE TO WORK ON MAKING THAT MORE PUBLIC AND MORE, UM, ACCESSIBLE SO PEOPLE REALLY SEE THAT IT IS NOT A CHECK THE BOX ACTIVITY.

WE REALLY DO LISTEN TO PEOPLE.

AND I'LL JUST ADD THAT, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THESE MEETINGS THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE THERE, THERE'S SOME VERY TECHNICAL DESIGN CHALLENGES.

DOES THAT MEAN THAT THE PUBLIC HAS TO BE AN EXPERT ON DESIGN? NO.

UH, WE HAVE LOTS OF PEOPLE IN AUSTIN, LOTS OF PEOPLE WHO KNOW A LOT AND, UM, HAVE REALLY SPECIFIC IDEAS OF HOW WE CAN SOLVE THESE PROBLEMS. BUT FOR US, IT'S, IT'S MORE ABOUT ASKING THE RIGHT QUESTIONS IN THAT PEOPLE CAN TELL US WHAT THEIR ASPIRATIONS ARE FOR THESE AREAS AND WHAT'S IMPORTANT TO THEIR DAILY LIFE IN THESE AREAS.

AND FROM THAT WE EXTRAPOLATE HOW TO MAKE THE DECISIONS MOVING FORWARD.

AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE HOPING WILL HAPPEN, UM, IN THIS SERIES OF MEETINGS THAT WE HAVE IN THE SPRING.

BUT CONNECTING THE DOTS IS GONNA BE IMPORTANT FOR PEOPLE TO WRITE.

YEAH, I KNOW IT'S NOT AN EASY TASK.

I WOULDN'T WATCH YOUR JOB.

IT'S A HARD JOB.

BUT, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS.

IF THERE'S 100 COMMENTS IN THE COURSE OF A, A MONTH AND THERE'S ONE COMMENT ON SOME ISOLATED LITTLE THING, YOU KNOW, LET'S, LET'S TUNNEL THE WHOLE PROJECT.

WELL, YOU KNOW, THAT DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE.

BUT IF WE'RE GETTING A THEME, RIGHT, MULTIPLE PEOPLE ASKING FOR THE SAME THINGS, CORRECT, YES.

THEN I THINK WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO NOT NECESSARILY GIVE THEM WHAT THEY WANT.

TALK TO OUR DESIGN FOLKS, TALK TO OUR PEOPLE, SIT DOWN WITH THEM, EXPLAIN WHY WHAT THEY WANT IS NOT TECHNICALLY DOABLE OR IT'S TECHNICALLY DOABLE, BUT IT'S TOO EXPENSIVE.

OR, OR MAYBE THERE'S A WAY THEY CAN GET PART OF WHAT THEY WANT.

SO THOSE, IF IF, YOU KNOW YES, WE'RE NEVER GONNA MAKE EVERYBODY HAPPY.

THAT'S RIGHT.

AND IT, AND IT'S IMPOSSIBLE REALLY FOR US TO SIT DOWN WITH EVERYBODY WHO SUBMITS A COMMENT OR A SUGGESTION.

BUT, UM, AS YOU MENTIONED, WE DO HAVE THEMES THAT COME UP AND, AND ACTUALLY OUR MEETING ON THE 31ST, THE 29TH AND THE 31ST RATHER, UM, IS ABOUT THOSE THEMES THAT HAVE COME UP CONSISTENTLY OVER THE LAST YEAR OR TWO, UM, THAT WE FELT PEOPLE REALLY WANNA DO A DEEPER DIVE ON THESE TOPICS.

AND SO WE WANTED TO GIVE PEOPLE THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE A REALLY ROBUST DIALOGUE ABOUT THAT.

AND WE SHOULD BE GETTING SOME REALLY GOOD FEEDBACK FROM THAT TOO, BUT ALSO BE ABLE TO ADDRESS THE CONCERNS AND COMMENTS THAT HAVE COME IN OVER TIME AND HOW THEY HAVE BEEN INCORPORATED OR NOT INTO THE PLANNING PROCESS.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

ANYBODY ELSE? OH, DR. BURNETT.

I JUST WANNA, UM, TIE SOMETHING TOGETHER TO THE TWO PAGES THAT, UM, MY FELLOW BOARD MEMBERS QUOTING 34 AND 35 INTERTWINED IN THAT IS STILL TRUST.

AND I REALLY WANNA REEMPHASIZE THAT.

WE NEED TO BUILD, HAVE A SENSE OF URGENCY TO LIFT THAT INTO EVEN THE MEETINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING NOW THAT ARE PLANNED.

YOU CAN, WE CAN STILL DO SOME INTENTIONAL ENGAGEMENT OF GRASSROOTS, UM, INITIATIVES.

I, I IT'S ABOUT TRUST AND IT'S ABOUT PERCEPTION.

'CAUSE A LOT OF IT IS UNINTENTIONAL, BUT IT DOESN'T MATTER.

IT DOESN'T MATTER BECAUSE THE IMPACT'S IS THAT IT LOOKS AS THOUGH THERE,

[00:40:01]

THERE'S NOT, UM, WHEN WE SAY COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, WE, THESE WORDS ARE BIG WORDS AND IT'S STILL A TRUST FACTOR.

SO I REALLY WANNA REEMPHASIZE THAT.

WE HAVE TO ENGAGE THOSE GROUPS THAT ARE SUPER INVOLVED TO CO-SPONSOR SO THAT WE CAN ALL LEARN TOGETHER.

GREAT.

NEXT WE'RE GOING TO COMPLETE OUR MONTHLY UPDATES.

BOARD MEMBER.

THANK YOU SO MUCH DR. BURNETT, FOR YOUR GREAT FEEDBACK.

UM, THANK YOU JACKIE.

THIS IS A MARATHON AND I APPRECIATE IT.

UM,

[4.2. Administrative Update]

WE HAVE AN ADMINISTRATIVE UPDATE FROM CASEY BRACK, OUR A TP GENERAL COUNSEL AND CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER, AND SHE WILL GIVE US AN UPDATE REGARDING THE INTER LOCAL AGREEMENTS WITH OUR PARTNERS.

THANK YOU CHAIR.

THESE, THESE ARE UPCOMING THANK YOU BOARD DIRECTORS.

THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME THIS MORNING.

AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR CLARK.

UM, YEAH, I JUST WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT AS PART OF OUR ADMINISTRATIVE UPDATE, UM, THAT IF, IF YOU ALL RECALL THE JOINT POWERS AGREEMENT THAT WE ENTERED INTO WITH THE CITY AND CAPITAL METRO LATE LAST YEAR CONTEMPLATED, UM, I MEAN IT WAS, IT WAS A, A GREAT FEAT AND UM, AN IMPRESSIVE DOCUMENT, BUT REALLY HAD KIND OF AT A HIGH LEVEL THE ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THIS PROGRAM AND THE, UM, THREE PARTNERS THAT ARE INVOLVED IN IT.

AND SO, UM, IT ALSO CONTEMPLATED THAT WE WOULD CONTINUE TO ENTER SUPPLEMENTAL AGREEMENTS BETWEEN THE PARTIES, UM, SOME OF THEM BEING TRI-PARTY, SOME OF THEM JUST BEING A TP AND CAPITAL METRO OR THE CITY OF AUSTIN.

AND SO WE HAVE A SENSE NOW OF, OF THE SCHEDULE OF SOME OF THOSE AGREEMENTS, THOSE SUPPLEMENTAL AGREEMENTS THAT WE'LL BE ENTERING INTO.

AND SO I JUST WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT THE ONES THAT ARE COMING UP AND THE TIMING FOR THOSE.

UM, AND, AND ALSO NOTE AS, AS STATED IN THE SLIDE, THAT THERE'S AN EXHIBIT THAT JPA THAT INCORPORATES BY REFERENCE THESE IN, IN OUR LOCAL AGREEMENTS.

AND SO WE'LL CONTINUE TO UPDATE THAT IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE JPA AND KEEP ALL THE PARTIES ABREAST.

AND IT CAN BE A LOT, BUT WE'LL, WE'LL STAY ORGANIZED AND EVERYONE INVOLVED.

UM, SO ON THE NEXT SLIDE, IF YOU DON'T, IF YOU COULD GO THANK YOU.

UM, SO UPCOMING IN THE SPRING WE WILL BE, UM, KIND OF UPDATING THE JANUARY, 2021, UM, ILA BETWEEN CAPITAL METRO AND A TP FOR CAPITAL METRO SUPPORT SERVICES.

UM, IF YOU RECALL, THAT WAS ADOPTED ON OUR FIRST, AT OUR FIRST BOARD MEETING, MY SECOND DAY ON THE JOB.

AND, UM, WE'VE LEARNED A LOT SINCE THAT TIME, UM, AND A LOT ABOUT WHAT THESE AGREEMENTS NEED TO CONTAIN IN ORDER TO, UM, MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE FOLLOWING ANY FEDERAL REQUIREMENTS OR, UM, REQUIREMENTS OF POTENTIAL FUTURE BOND HOLDERS, ET CETERA.

SO WE'LL ENTER INTO THAT AGREEMENT PROBABLY, UM, THIS SPRING, UM, FOR THE SERVICES THAT CAPITAL METRO PROVIDES.

AND, UM, AND THEN WE'LL ALSO BE ENTERING INTO ANOTHER, UM, SIMILAR KIND OF UPDATE TO THE FEBRUARY, 2021 AGREEMENT WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN TO HELP SUPPORT THE CITY'S PROJECT CONNECT OFFICE, WHICH IN TURN SUPPORTS, UM, PROJECT CONNECT AND ATP'S WORK.

UM, AND THEN, UM, IN, IN THE SPRING AND SUMMER, WE'LL, WE'LL HAVE SEPARATE ILAS SPECIFIC TO THE METRO RAPID CAPITAL COSTS AND THE, AND THE FUNDING FROM A TP THAT'LL BE PROVIDED TO CAPITAL METRO TO FUND THOSE COSTS.

AND THEN ALSO SIMILARLY FOR THE RED LINE WORK.

AND JUST AS A REMINDER, WE HAVE THE PROP A FUNDING IS, UM, REALLY A UNIQUE FUNDING SOURCE FOR TRANSIT AND THEN IT ALSO COVERS O AND M COSTS FOR THE PROJECT CONNECT PROGRAMS. AND SO THE PROGRAM ELEMENTS.

AND SO WE WILL ALSO THIS SUMMER BE ENTERING INTO ANOTHER ILA SPECIFIC TO THE O AND M COSTS AROUND METRO RAPID WITH CAPITAL METRO AS THEY IMPLEMENT THE METRO RAPID PROGRAM OR PROJECTS IN THE, IN THE PROGRAM.

AND THEN, UM, ALSO A SEPARATE ONE JUST RELATED TO THE PROPERTY ACQUISITION PROCESS PRIMARILY BECAUSE ALTHOUGH A TP IS, UM, RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT ACQUISITION PROCESS, A TP DOES NOT HAVE ITS OWN EMINENT DOMAIN AUTHORITY.

SO WE KIND OF HAVE TO WORK THROUGH WITH THE CITY AND CAPITAL METRO AS APPROPRIATE, HOW WE WILL PARTNER ON SOME OF THE ACQUISITION WORK.

AND THEN FINALLY, UTIL UTILITY BETTERMENTS AND COORDINATION IN THE FALL.

NEXT SLIDE, UM, KIND OF INTO 2023 AND BEYOND.

UM, WE WILL START TO ENTER INTO INTERLOCAL AGREEMENTS WITH CAPITAL METRO SPECIFIC TO THE LIGHT RAIL PORTIONS OF THE PROGRAM, UM, ANY SORT OF CAPITAL COST FUNDING OR OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE FUNDING FOR THOSE, FOR THOSE PROJECTS.

AND IN ADDITION, FINALLY FOR THE FACILITIES ELEMENTS.

SO WE'RE NOT SURE EXACTLY WHAT THESE AGREEMENTS WILL INCLUDE, BUT WE WANT TO SEPARATE EACH OF THESE AREAS INTO, UM, DIFFERENT AGREEMENTS.

'CAUSE WE KNOW THE PROVISIONS WILL CHANGE.

SO THAT'S IT FOR ME.

BOARD MEMBER , DO YOU HAVE A QUESTION? NO, I, I KNOW THESE CAN BE SOMEWHAT MUNDANE AND LEGALISTIC, BUT I, I HAVE A SENSE OF HOW IMPORTANT THEY ARE, SO I REALLY APPRECIATE THE WORK YOU'RE DOING WITH, YOU KNOW, COUNCIL AND WORKING ON THIS, SO THANKS.

DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? THANK YOU, MS. BARACK,

[00:45:01]

THEY ARE IMPORTANT.

YEAH, AND I REALLY APPRECIATE ALSO THAT WE'RE GIVING THE COMMUNITY A LOOK AHEAD.

THIS IS SOMETHING THAT THEY WERE VERY SPECIFICALLY REQUESTING OF US TO, TO BE ABLE TO BE ABLE TO GIVE AN UPDATE OF WHAT'S, WHAT'S COMING UP AND WHAT'S IN THE PIPELINE.

SO THANK YOU SO MUCH, MR. SURE.

AND JUST AS A REMINDER, WE WILL BE BRIEFING THE BOARD BEFORE WE ADOPT THE FOLLOWING MONTHS TO MAKE SURE THAT THE TECHNICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEES, THE COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE, AND THE MORE BROADLY THE COMMUNITY HAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO COMMENT ON THE ILAS BEFORE THEY'RE ADOPTED.

HAVE NOW MOVING ON TO OUR ACTION ITEMS. WE ONLY HAVE ONE TODAY, AND THAT'S THE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES FROM THE JANUARY 19TH, 2022 AND THE FEBRUARY 16TH, 2022 AL TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP BOARD MEETINGS.

APPRECIATE IT.

SO WE ONLY

[5.1. Approval of minutes from each of the January 19, 2022 and February 16, 2022 Meetings of the Board of Directors]

IF EVERYONE HAS HAD A TIME TO READ THE MINUTES, I WOULD LIKE TO REQUEST A MOTION AND A SECOND ON THIS ACTION ITEM.

DO I HAVE A MOTION? I'LL MOVE.

MADAM CHAIR.

GONNA MOVE ON TO OUR ONE DISCUSSION ITEM THAT WAS POSTPONED FROM OUR PREVIOUS MEETING.

MOVED BY DR. BURNETT, SECOND BY MEMBER ELKINS.

UM, ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE.

AYE.

MAYOR ADLER, I, EVERYONE HAS I, UH, THE MINUTES HAVE BEEN APPROVED UNANIMOUSLY.

UM, NOW WE'RE

[6.1. Systemwide Accessibility Presentation]

AND I REALLY LIKE TO, UM, THANK THE, THE TEAM FOR BEING PATIENT AS THIS.

THEY WERE PREPARED LAST TIME TO GIVE US THIS UPDATE ON OUR SYSTEM-WIDE ACCESSIBILITY, AND, UH, WE HAVE MARTIN HY, THE CAPITAL METRO'S, DIRECTOR OF SYSTEM-WIDE ACCESSIBILITY, AND PETER MULLEN, ATP'S, CHIEF OF ARCHITECTURE AND URBAN DESIGN.

WELCOME BOTH.

UM, GOOD AFTERNOON, MADAM CHAIR, UH, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR RANDY CLARK.

MY NAME IS MARTIN CREI, I'M THE DIRECTOR OF SYSTEM-WIDE ACCESSIBILITY FOR CAPITAL METRO.

UM, I'LL LET MY COLLEAGUE INTRODUCE HIMSELF BEFORE WE GET GOING.

MARTIN.

PETER MULLEN.

I'M THE CHIEF OF ARCHITECTURE IN URBAN DESIGN FOR A TP.

THIS A, FOR HAVING US THIS AFTERNOON.

UM, BEFORE I GET GOING WITH THIS PRESENTATION THAT'S TITLED SYSTEM-WIDE ACCESSIBILITY AND URBAN DESIGN, I JUST WANT TO KIND OF LAY OUT, UM, HIGH LEVEL FOR THE BOARD THAT, UM, THIS, THIS, THE INTENT OF THIS PRESENTATION AND, UM, OUR HAVING AN OPPORTUNITY TO COME BEFORE YOU GUYS TODAY IS TO REALLY HIGHLIGHT THE IMPORTANCE THAT ACCESSIBILITY, UM, PLAYS IN THIS ENTIRE PROCESS AND THROUGHOUT ALL THE PROGRAMS THAT ARE PART OF THIS, ALL THE PROJECTS THAT ARE PART OF THESE PROGRAMS. UM, ACCESSIBILITY IS REALLY A HIGH, UH, LEVEL PRINCIPLE OF FIRST PRINCIPLE THAT WE ARE BRINGING TO ALL OF THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING TOGETHER, UM, AS PARTNERS, BOTH ON THE CAPITAL METRO AND THE PROJECT CONNECT SIDE.

AND SO I JUST WANT TO SATION WITH THAT, UM, WITH THAT, IF WE'LL MOVE TO THE SECOND SLIDE, PLEASE.

TO TECHNOLOGY, THE DEGREE TO WHICH PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES CAN USE THAT TECHNOLOGY WITH OR WITHOUT THE USE OF ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY, WHICH WOULD BE HARDWARE OR SOFTWARE, UM, THAT PROVIDES, UH, A LEVEL OF ACCESS FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES.

STARTING OFF JUST A LITTLE BIT, UM, ABOUT THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT.

IT IS CIVIL RIGHTS LEGISLATION PASSED IN THE 1990S THAT IT'S AN, IT'S, IT'S AN EXTENSION OF PREVIOUS CIVIL RIGHTS LEGISLATION, EXCEPT IN THIS CASE IT, UH, UH, IT, IT, IT IT'S SPECIFIC TO NON-DISCRIMINATION AGAINST PEOPLE, UH, WITH DISABILITIES.

IT GUARANTEES EQUAL ACCESS AND EQUAL RIGHTS TO TRANSPORTATION, TO PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES.

AND YOU'LL SEE UP HERE THE, UH, THREE LETTERS, PWD.

UM, YOU'LL SEE THAT THROUGHOUT THE PRESENTATION.

JUST A WAY TO ABBREVIATE, UM, THAT PHRASE CREATES A FRAMEWORK, UM, AND REGULATIONS TO ENSURE THAT PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES HAVE ACCESS TO TRANSIT SERVICES AND THOSE FACILITIES SLIDE.

UM, SO WHAT IS ACCESSIBILITY? WHEN WE USE THE WORD ACCESSIBILITY, WE MEAN THE DEGREE TO WHICH PROGRAMS, PRACTICES, SERVICES, TECHNOLOGIES, UM, ARE AVAILABLE AND THAT PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES HAVE ACCESS TO THEM.

UM, FOR SOMETHING TO BE ACCESSIBLE IN REGARDS TO A FACILITY, IT IS SOMETHING, UM, THAT TO THE, IT, IT, IT'S, IT'S IN RELATION TO THE DEGREE TO WHICH A FACILITY IS READILY USABLE, UM, TO INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES.

UH, BE THAT, UM, FOR PUBLIC MEETINGS OR, UH, JUST GENERAL USE TO THE PUBLIC.

UM, IT'S AVAILABLE TO INDIVIDUALS, A PROGRAM OR A PRACTICE.

UM, THE DEGREE TO WHICH PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES CAN PRACTICE IN FULL AND, UM, CAN HAVE ALL THE BENEFITS AND RIGHTS, UH, ASSOCIATED WITH THOSE PROGRAMS AND SERVICES AND TECHNOLOGY.

UM, IN REGARDS

[00:50:01]

NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.

UM, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT SYSTEM-WIDE ACCESSIBILITY, UH, IT'S, IT'S REALLY A WAY OF LOOKING AT A HOLISTIC AND COORDINATED, COORDINATED APPROACH TO ACCESSIBILITY AND IMPROVING ACCESSIBILITY, UH, THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE TRANSIT SYSTEM.

SO IT'S ALL THE PIECES, UM, TAKEN TOGETHER AS, AS A WHOLE.

UM, AND THAT CAN, AND THAT INCLUDES A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT PIECES.

SO AMONG THOSE, ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT IS OUR FACILITIES.

THAT WOULD BE OUR TRANSIT STOPS, UM, STATIONS, UH, AS WELL AS OUR VEHICLES, BE THEY, OUR METRO BUS VEHICLES, OUR METRO RAPID, OR OUR FUTURE LIGHT RAIL, UM, VEHICLES, TECHNOLOGY, THAT WOULD BE OUR CUSTOMER INFORMATION SYSTEMS, MOBILE APPS, AND ANY INTERNAL SYSTEMS THAT WE USE.

AND NEXT SLIDE.

SO WE'RE GONNA TAKE A LITTLE TIME HERE AND TALK ABOUT, UH, FACILITIES.

'CAUSE I THINK THIS IS A REALLY BIG IMPORTANT PIECE HERE.

UM, WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT FACILITIES IN THIS REGARD, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT, AND THAT'S WHERE THE PEDESTRIAN MEETS THE INFRASTRUCTURE.

UM, SO, YOU KNOW, TRANSIT ACCESS BEGINS AND ENDS WITH THE SIDEWALK AND ALL THE PIECES IN BETWEEN, AND IT'S IMPORTANT TO RECOGNIZE THAT, UM, WHAT WE'RE DOING IS INCORPORATING ACCESSIBILITY AT THE INITIAL STAGES AND AT THE DESIGN CONCEPT.

SO WE'RE STARTING, UM, WITH ACCESSIBILITY AS A FOUNDATIONAL PIECE, AS WE, AS WE BUILD, UM, AS WE BUILD OUT.

AND WE'LL, WE'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THAT AS WE GO ALONG.

UM, THIS OBVIOUSLY INCLUDES PEDESTRIAN FEATURES SUCH AS SIDEWALKS, UM, WHICH ARE CERTAINLY IMPORTANT.

MAKE SURE THEY'RE A DA COMPLIANT, UM, SUFFICIENT WITS, ET CETERA.

UM, SHARED USE PATHS, WHICH IS SOMETHING THAT, UM, PROVIDES FOR MULTIMODAL ACCESS FOR BOTH, UM, PEDESTRIANS, BE THEY INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES OR AMBULATORY PEDESTRIANS, AS WELL AS, UM, INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE USING BIKES OR SCOOTERS.

UM, WE CAN ALL SHARE THAT SPACE AND THAT ALLOWS THESE, UH, FACILITIES TO BE, UM, MULTIMODAL AS WE ARE TRYING TO INCORPORATE ALL THE MODES, UM, TRAFFIC SIGNALS AND CROSSINGS.

UM, ALSO AN IMPORTANT PIECE BECAUSE, UM, FOLKS HAVE TO CROSS THE STREET AND CAPITAL METRO OWNED, UM, FACILITIES, WHICH ARE OF COURSE READILY ACCESSIBLE TO THE PUBLIC, UM, FOR MEETINGS AND APPOINTMENTS.

ALRIGHT, FACILITIES, AS I SAID EARLIER, ACCESS TO TRANSIT BEGINS AND ENDS WITH THE SIDEWALK.

UM, CURB CUTS ARE IMPORTANT PIECE, UH, THEY OF COURSE PROVIDE ACCESSIBILITY.

MICROPHONE DRIFTED ON ME.

HAVE Y'ALL BEEN ABLE TO HEAR ME THE WHOLE TIME? I JUST REALIZED THIS THING WAS AT MY CHEEK LEVEL.

OKAY, GOOD.

UH, SORT OF YIELD SIGN TO, UH, TO DRIVERS YIELD SIGNAL TO DRIVERS, UM, TO KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR PEDESTRIANS.

UM, IT'S A NECESSARY PEDESTRIAN FEATURE PROVIDES ACCESSIBILITY NOT JUST TO INDIVIDUALS USING WHEEL MOBILITY DEVICES, BUT OTHER PEDESTRIANS LIKE PARENTS, UM, PUSHING STROLLERS, ACCESS, UH, ET CETERA.

UM, DETECTABLE WARNING STRIPS, THOSE ARE THE LITTLE BUMPS THAT YOU FEEL UNDERNEATH YOUR FEET WHEN YOU'RE AT A CORNER.

UM, THAT'S INFORMATION FOR PEOPLE WHO USE CANES, ET CETERA, TO LET THEM KNOW THAT THERE IS, UH, THAT THEY'RE ENTERING INTO A DIFFERENT SPACE IN FRONT OF THEM.

AS I MENTIONED, SHARED USE PATHS THAT, UM, OF COURSE THEY'RE MULTIMODAL AND, UM, ARE SHARED AMONGST INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES, PEDESTRIANS, PEOPLE USING, UM, BICYCLES, ET CETERA.

UM, AND OF COURSE IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE HAVE THE SUFFICIENT AMOUNT OF RIGHT OF WAY, UH, TO MAKE SURE THAT THESE SPACES ARE SAFE, UM, AND CAN MINIMIZE CONFLICTS, UM, BETWEEN ANY OF THOSE TYPES OF MODES.

TRAFFIC SIGNALS, ONCE AGAIN, UM, ARE IMPORTANT.

AND IN PARTICULAR, THERE ARE CERTAIN FEATURES THAT, UM, ARE, ARE IMPORTANT TO ACCESSIBILITY AMONGST THOSE ARE AUDIBLE PEDESTRIAN SIG SIGNALS.

UM, YOU'VE EITHER THE BEEPING ONES OR THE ONES THAT TELL YOU, YOU KNOW, WALK.

UM, AND THIS IS A FORM OF EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES, PARTICULARLY THOSE WHO ARE BLIND OR LOW VISION.

UM, BECAUSE IT, IT INFORMS ME, UM, ABOUT THE SAME AMOUNT OF INFORMATION AS IF THE LIGHT WERE TO TURN GREEN.

THEN, UH, MY COLLEAGUE HERE, PETER AND I WOULD BOTH KNOW, UM, THAT IT IS SAFE TO CROSS.

UM, ANOTHER TYPE OF PEDESTRIAN.

ANOTHER TYPE OF TRAFFIC SIGNAL THAT IS, UH, THAT'S OUT THERE THAT, UM, GETS INCORPORATED IS THE RECTANGULAR RAPID FLASHING BEACON.

UM, THESE SERVICE,

[00:55:01]

AND THEN WE HAVE OUR PEDESTRIAN HYBRID BEACONS, UM, OR PHBS, WHICH ARE, UM, VERY IMPORTANT BECAUSE THEY ARE PUSH BUTTON ACCESS, UM, REALLY TAILOR MADE TO SPECIFIC LOCATIONS.

UM, PERHAPS THOSE THAT, UH, ARE, ARE TRAVELED AND POPULATED BY PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES, UM, TO A HIGH DEGREE.

AND IT STOPS TRAFFIC IN ALL DIRECTIONS, UM, AND ALLOWS INDIVIDUALS TO CROSS SAFELY.

SO, LOOKING AT OUR VEHICLES, UM, WITH OUR LIGHT RAIL OR OUR METRO RAPID, OR OUR METRO BUS, UH, VEHICLES, WE INCORPORATE OUR ACCESSIBILITY FEATURES.

UM, CAPITAL METRO WAS, UM, AMONGST ONE OF THE FIRST IN THE COUNTRY TO, UM, GO A HUNDRED PERCENT ACCESSIBLE, UM, ON OUR, ON OUR FIXED DROP FLEET.

AND, UM, I THINK WE WERE THE FIRST WITHIN THE STATE OF TEXAS.

SO, UH, ACCESSIBLE VEHICLES IS SOMETHING THAT'S BEEN A PART OF WHAT WE DO FOR A VERY LONG TIME.

UM, AND WE INCORPORATE ALL THE NECESSARY FEATURES, UH, BE THEY RAMPS LIFTS OR AUDIBLE ANNUNCIATOR SYSTEMS, UM, AS WELL AS SECUREMENT SYSTEMS AND LEVEL BOARDING PLATFORMS FOR OUR RAIL RAIL PLATFORMS. IT'S IMPORTANT HERE FOR US TO BE INTENTIONAL ABOUT THE DESIGN AS WE'RE LOOKING AT, UM, OUR FUTURE VEHICLES.

AND, UM, IT'S, IT'S BEEN A PLEASURE TO WORK WITH, UH, THE FOLKS IN THE VEHICLES SIDE, UM, ON, ON WHAT THIS MIGHT LOOK LIKE.

AND AS JACKIE MENTIONED, IT'S GONNA BE IMPORTANT TO SEEK, UM, INPUT FROM THE COMMUNITY AMONGST THOSE, UH, INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES.

AND THAT WAY WE CAN TAKE THAT FEEDBACK IN AND DESIGN A RESPONSIVE SCOPE THAT IS, UM, THAT RECOGNIZES ALL THOSE FEATURES WE WANT TO SEE AND WHAT WE HEAR.

AND, UM, THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.

TECHNOLOGY.

UM, THERE'S A LOT OF TECHNOLOGY OUT THERE, UM, SOME THAT WE INCORPORATE NOW THAT PROVIDES CUSTOMER INFORMATION TO HELP IMPROVE THE JOURNEY FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES.

AND THAT CAN BE OUR MOBILE APPS, UM, OR OTHER, OR OTHER TECHNOLOGIES THAT PROVIDE INFORMATION ABOUT THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT.

LETS YOU KNOW IF, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE STREET CROSSINGS AND SIDEWALKS, THINGS THAT CAN, UM, GIVE INFORMATION TO THE PASSENGER BEFORE THEY EMBARK ON THEIR JOURNEY.

UM, AND THIS IS IMPORTANT FOR WAY FINDING AND NAVIGATION AS WELL AS PROVIDING, UH, INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES, A SENSE OF EASE AND CONFIDENCE IN USING THE FIXED ROUTE SYSTEM, WHICH I THINK IS AN IMPORTANT, UH, PIECE BECAUSE THEY WANT TO KNOW THAT THEY CAN DO IT SAFELY WITH CONFIDENCE AND WITH EASE.

UM, NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.

BUT REGARDLESS OF ALL THE REALLY IMPORTANT PIECES THAT GO INTO MAKING, UM, THE ENTIRE TRANSIT SYSTEM, UM, FULLY ACCESSIBLE, UM, AND DOING ALL THAT WORK, THERE'S STILL GOING TO BE INDIVIDUALS IN OUR COMMUNITY WHO ARE, UH, BECAUSE THEY HAVE DISABILITIES AND BASED ON THEIR FUNCTIONAL ABILITIES, THAT IS WHAT, WHAT, HOW THEY FUNCTION WITH THOSE DISABILITIES ARE NOT GONNA BE ABLE, UM, OR GONNA BE HEAVILY CHALLENGED TO USING THOSE FIXED ROUTE SYSTEMS. AND SO METRO ACCESS WILL ALWAYS PLAY AN IMPORTANT ROLE TO THOSE INDIVIDUALS.

IT SERVES AS A SAFETY NET SERVICE FOR THOSE INDIVIDUALS, AND IT WILL, UH, REMAIN AS A CRITICAL SERVICE FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES WHO DON'T HAVE THE ABILITY TO USE OUR FIXED MODES, UM, TO HAVE THAT OPTION TO THEMSELVES FOR, UH, TRANSPORTATION.

NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.

PARTNERSHIPS AND ENGAGEMENTS ARE ANOTHER VERY IMPORTANT PIECE.

UM, WHETHER IT'S OUR TECHNICAL PARTNERS THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH, UM, CITY OF AUSTIN DEPARTMENTS, UM, INCLUDING THE TRANSPORTATION, A TD, UM, OUR VISION ZERO PARTNERS, UM, ALL THE, THE OTHER PARTNERS, UH, WON'T NECESSARILY GO THROUGH EACH ONE OF THEM THERE, BUT, UM, ALL OF OUR TECHNICAL PARTNERS HAVE, UH, REALLY BEEN HELPFUL TO HELPING US WITH THIS PROGRAM.

AND THEN, OF COURSE, OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS, UM, BEGINNING WITH OUR ACCESS ADVISORY COMMITTEE, WHICH IS OUR CITIZEN ADVISORY COMMITTEE THAT WE REALLY TAKE THINGS TO AND THEY GIVE US A LOT OF INFORMATION AND FEEDBACK, BUT WE ALSO MEET WITH, UH, GROUPS IN THE COMMUNITY SUCH AS ADAPT, UM, WHICH IS A GRASSROOTS ORGANIZATION OF INDIVIDUALS PRIMARILY WHO USE WHEELCHAIRS.

WE MEET QUARTERLY WITH THEM AND HAVE BEEN FOR A LONG TIME AND WE GET A LOT OF GOOD INFORMATION THERE.

UM, THE CHRIS COLE CENTER FOR THE BLIND, WHO WE'LL BE MEETING WITH WITH ABOUT TWO WEEKS, UM, AND OTHERS SUCH AS A COALITION OF TEXANS WITH DISABILITIES, ALL IMPORTANT, UM, FOR US TO MAINTAIN A FEEDBACK LOOP SO THAT WE CAN LEARN FROM WHAT WE'RE DOING AND INCORPORATE FEEDBACK.

[01:00:01]

AS WE LOOK AHEAD TO THE FUTURE, WHAT COULD A SYSTEM WIDE, UM, ACCESSIBLE TRANS TRANSIT SYSTEM LOOK LIKE? FULL ACCESSIBLE PASSIVE TRAVEL ACROSS THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT, UM, WITH ACCESSIBLE PEDESTRIAN FEATURES, VEHICLES THAT ARE DESIGNED FOR THE FUTURE AND FOR ALL FUNCTIONAL ABILITIES OPERATING WITH, UM, YOU KNOW, A DEGREE OF POSITION TECHNOLOGY, CUSTOMER INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES, UH, AND APPS THAT, UH, CAN PROVIDE UNIVERSAL ACCESSIBILITY AT EACH STEP OF THE JOURNEY.

UM, AT THAT POINT, AT THIS POINT, I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO MY COLLEAGUE PETER HERE, AND HE'S GOING TO KIND OF GO THROUGH A COUPLE OTHER PIECES.

GREAT.

THANK YOU MARTIN.

UM, AND BEFORE I JUST LINGER ON THIS SLIDE FOR A SECOND, UM, BEFORE I GO FORWARD, I JUST WANT TO SAY, UH, IT'S SUCH A PRIVILEGE AND GIFT TO BE ABLE TO WORK WITH MARTIN DAY IN, DAY OUT, UM, AS PART OF THE DESIGN PROCESS.

I MEAN, WE'RE REALLY LUCKY TO HAVE HIM AS A, AS A RESOURCE.

UM, AND, AND I THINK, JUST WANNA REITERATE WHAT HE TALKED ABOUT IS ACCESSIBILITY AS A FIRST PRINCIPLE, RIGHT? UM, YOU KNOW, IN ARCHITECTURE, OBVIOUSLY YOU ALWAYS HAVE TO THINK ABOUT ACCESSIBILITY, AND IT'S A COMPONENT OF DESIGN HERE.

ACCESSIBILITY IS OUR JOB, RIGHT? THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DOING, RIGHT? WE'RE PROVIDING ACCESS.

AND SO IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT A, IT'S NOT A NICE TO HAVE, IT IS THE JOB, RIGHT? AND, UM, SO WE REALLY TAKE THAT SERIOUSLY.

AND I THINK, UM, IT'S BEEN, IT'S, IT GUIDES EVERYTHING THAT WE DO.

AND I THINK, UH, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE, WHEN WE DESIGN FOR EVERYBODY, OR WE DESIGN FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES, WE DESIGN FOR EVERYBODY.

AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE TALK ABOUT WITH OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHEN WE GO OUT AND TALK ABOUT ANY DESIGN OPTION.

SO, UM, WE'LL LET, THIS IS A SLIDE THAT YOU SEE YOU'VE SEEN BEFORE, AND USUALLY WE USE IT TO TALK ABOUT, UM, THE HOLISTIC APPROACH TOWARDS DESIGNING THE PUBLIC REALM, RIGHT? THAT IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT THE TRAINS, IT'S ABOUT HOW THE TRAINS INTERACT WITH THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT AND, UM, BIKE LANES AND SIDEWALKS AND STREET TREES, UM, NEW DEVELOPMENT, ET CETERA.

BUT I THINK IT ALSO, IT, IT, IT, IN THIS CONTEXT, IT TALKS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING WE DO HAS TO BE SEEN THROUGH THE LENS OF ACCESSIBILITY.

UM, AND CERTAINLY THAT INFORMS EVERYTHING WE DO.

UM, NEXT, JUST TO GIVE YOU A COUPLE OF EXAMPLES ABOUT HOW WE'RE, UM, HOW THIS GETS IMPLEMENTED AS WE LOOK AT DIFFERENT DESIGN OPTIONS IN THE PROGRAM.

UM, FIRST, UH, JUST, THIS IS AN EXAMPLE FROM THE NORTH LAMAR TRANSIT CENTER.

UM, THIS IS A, UH, AND THE, AND IN BOTH OF THESE EXAMPLES, THESE ARE, THESE ARE, UH, DESIGN ISSUES THAT WE'VE BROUGHT TO THE COMMUNITY IN OUR COMMUNITY DESIGN WORKSHOPS.

UM, SO AT THE NORTH LAMAR TRANSIT CENTER, THE ORANGE LINE, UH, IS CURRENTLY ENVISIONED TO BE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE, OF NORTH LAMAR, UM, AS IT IS THROUGHOUT MUCH OF THE ALIGNMENT.

UM, AND YET WE KNOW THAT THE MULTIMODAL CONNECTION TO THE NORTH LAMAR TRANSIT CENTER, IT'S PROPER, WHICH IS, UM, DIRECTLY TO THE, TO THE WEST OF THE ALIGNMENT.

YOU CAN SEE IT, IT'S KIND OF SLIGHTLY OFF OF THE IMAGE, BUT, UM, IS REALLY CRITICAL, RIGHT? BECAUSE THAT'S HOW WE'RE GONNA CREATE MULTIMODAL CONNECTIVITY, UM, BOTH TO THE PARK AND RIDE, BUT ALSO TO OTHER BUS SERVICES THAT TERMINATE THERE AND CONNECT TO THE KINK WILL CONNECT TO THE LIGHT RAIL AND THE ORANGE LINE.

UM, AND SO THAT CON CONNECTION BETWEEN THOSE MODES IS CRITICAL.

BUT UNFORTUNATELY, THERE IS A MAJOR ELEVATION CHANGE BETWEEN THE ORANGE LINE PLATFORM AND THE, UH, ADJACENT TRANSIT CENTER.

AND YOU HAVE TO GET OVER FRONTAGE ROADS AND YOU HAVE TO GET OVER NORTH LAMAR.

SO HOW DO WE DO THAT? UM, AND HOW DO WE DO THAT IN A WAY THAT MAKES IT AS EASY AND SEAMLESS, UM, FOR ALL USERS OF THE SYSTEM? SO WE HAVE A, A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT OPTIONS THAT WE ARE LOOKING AT, UM, AND LOOKING AT WAYS IN WHICH WE CAN MAKE THE EXPERIENCE OF THESE GRADE SEPARATED CONNECTIONS, AGAIN, AS SEAMLESS, AS EASY AS POSSIBLE.

UM, LOOKING AT, UM, OPTIONS WHERE WE USE RAMPS OP, UH, OPTIONS WHERE WE USE ELEVATORS, UM, THERE ARE PROS AND CONS TO BOTH, DEPENDING ON THE CONTEXT.

AND SO DEBATING THOSE AND GETTING FEEDBACK ON THOSE, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S ALWAYS TRADE-OFFS BETWEEN SPEED AND, AND, UH, THE, THE SLOPE OF YOUR PATH, ET CETERA.

SO, UM, THIS IS JUST AN EXAMPLE WHERE THIS, THIS ISSUE OF ACCESSIBILITY IS THE DESIGN PROBLEM THAT WE ARE DESIGNING AROUND, UM, AND WILL INFORM EVERYTHING WE DO NEXT.

UM, THE SECOND OPTION, AND THIS IS A, THIS IS A ONE WHERE WE HAVE, UH, TWO DESIGN OPTIONS FOR A STATION AREA, UM, PLEASANT VALLEY RIVERSIDE, UM, WHICH IS A, A REALLY IMPORTANT MULTIMODAL CONNECTION POINT ALSO, UH, BETWEEN THE BLUE LINE, WHICH RUNS ON RIVERSIDE AND THE PLEASANT VALLEY, UM, METRO RAPID, WHICH RUNS PERPENDICULAR TO THAT ON PLEASANT VALLEY, AS WELL AS A NUMBER OF, OF LOCAL BUS ROUTES.

UM, AND THE TWO OPTIONS HAVE DIFFERENT APPROACHES TOWARDS ACCESSIBILITY.

AND SO I THINK ONE OF THE THING, WHEN WE COME BACK TO THE PUBLIC, UM, IN MAY, AND WE ARE DEBATING BETWEEN THESE TWO OPTIONS AND TRYING TO COME UP WITH A, UM, THE PREFERRED OPTION,

[01:05:01]

YOU KNOW, THE ONES THAT, THAT CREATE A MORE SEAMLESS, UM, AND MORE ACCESSIBLE CONNECTION FOR MORE USERS.

UM, THAT'S GONNA BE ONE OF THE CRITERIA THAT WE USE TO, TO EVALUATE THESE OPTIONS.

UM, AND SO IT'S JUST AN EXAMPLE OF HOW THE, THIS ISSUE GETS WOVEN INTO ALL OF OUR DECISION MAKING AND THINKING AROUND DESIGN, UM, FOR THE SYSTEM.

UM, AND I THINK THAT'S IT NEXT.

SO HAPPY TO, I THINK MARTIN AND I WILL BE HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE.

THANK YOU BOTH.

UM, VERY INTERESTING, UM, PRESENTATION AND REALLY APPRECIATE ALL OF THE HARD WORK BECAUSE I, EVERYTHING RESONATES WITH US.

IT'S ABOUT ACCESSIBILITY AND CONNECTIVITY AND HOW DO WE MAKE OUR CITIES MORE NURTURING FOR EVERYONE.

SO THANK YOU.

DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, DR. BURNETT? I FEEL I SEE YOU , GIVEN YOUR MICROPHONE.

I, I DON'T HAVE A QUESTION.

I HAVE A COMMENT.

IT IS, THIS WAS JUST A REALLY EXCELLENT PRESENTATION TO MAKE THINGS REAL.

AND IT, IT'S ALSO AN EXAMPLE OF WHERE OPTIONS ARE CONSIDERED.

AND I APPRECIATE THE WAY YOU TIED IT IN PETER TO THIS WILL GO BEFORE THE COMMUNITY FOR FURTHER FEEDBACK AND THE METRICS THAT WILL GO INTO MAKING A DECISION.

I THINK THAT'S WHERE WE GET STUCK, PARTICULARLY ABOUT TRUST, WHAT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT BEFORE.

AND TRANSPARENCY AND COMMUNICATIONS IS A GOOD EXAM.

IT'S A, IT'S AN EXAMPLE, BUT IT'S AN EXCELLENT EXAMPLE OF THAT.

AND I, I REALLY APPRECIATED THIS 'CAUSE IT'S THINGS YOU THAT I WOULDN'T NORMALLY THINK ABOUT.

AND I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S ACROSS THE BOARD WITH, WITH EVERY COMPONENT OF WHAT WE'RE DOING.

THANK YOU, DR. BURNETT.

ANY OTHER COMMENTS, QUESTIONS, MEMBER ELKINS? YEAH, THANK YOU.

UH, NOT A QUESTION, BUT A COMMENT.

A GREAT PRESENTATION, MARTIN AND PETER.

UH, THANK YOU.

I REALLY APPRECIATE ALL THE THOUGHT THAT WENT IN THIS, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT EQUITY, THIS IS, THIS IS PART OF EQUITY, RIGHT? AND MAKING A TRANSIT SYSTEM THAT IS ACCESSIBLE TO EVERYBODY IS EXACTLY WHAT SECRETARY BUDES WAS TALKING ABOUT.

AND THAT'S GONNA HELP US GET MORE MONEY FROM THE FEDS.

SO THE MORE WE CAN SHOW THAT WE'RE MAKING THIS EQUITABLE FOR EVERYBODY, UM, THAT'S TERRIFIC.

I LOVE THE THOUGHT THAT WENT INTO THIS AND, UH, YOU KNOW, PLEASE KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK.

THANK YOU BOTH.

I'D LIKE TO MENTION ALSO, UM, THE THING THAT REALLY RESONATED WITH ME IN TERMS OF THE SIDEWALK.

YOU KNOW, EVERY TRANSIT SYSTEM COULD BE JUDGED BY HOW WELL WE CAN GET TO IT AND HAVE TO RELY ON A CAR TO GET TO A PARK AND RIDE TO THEN GET ON A TRANSIT SYSTEM.

SO, ELEVATING THAT, THE BEAUTY AND THE POETICS OF A SIDEWALK, I CAN'T STATE THAT ENOUGH OF HOW MUCH I, I BELIEVE IN SIDEWALKS VERY WELL, VERY MUCH.

AND ONE THING THAT IT'S, UH, THAT I HAVE LEARNED IN MY STUDIES IS THAT WHEN WE PRIORITIZE THE MOST VULNERABLE PARALLEL TO OUR GUIDEWAY, PARALLEL TO OUR ACCESS TO OUR TRANSIT STATIONS, IT ALSO MANIFESTS RATHER THAN HAVING CURVED RAMPS, HOW ABOUT LIFTING UP RIGHT THE SIDEWALK AS WE CROSS EVERY STREET.

SO IT'S A CONTINUOUS PATHWAY AND I THINK THAT THAT'S REALLY SOMETHING THAT I WOULD ENCOURAGE THE TEAM TO LOOK AT IN TERMS OF THE BIKEWAYS AND SIDEWALKS.

APPRECIATE YOUR TIME.

I'M SORRY.

WE HAVE MEMBER STRATTON.

ALL THREE MEMBERS OF THIS TEAM, UH, THE CITY CAP METRO AND A TP TO ENSURE THAT WE HAVE THIS ENVIRONMENT THAT, THAT IS GOING TO BE SEAMLESS AND WORK WELL FOR ALL MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY, FOR TRUE EQUITY, INCLUDING OUR, OUR, UH, PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES THAT ARE PART OF THIS COMMUNITY.

UH, PETER MARTIN, THANK YOU AGAIN, UH, FOR, FOR THIS.

I REALLY APPRECIATE THIS AND THE, THE, THE THOUGHTFULNESS Y'ALL ARE PUTTING INTO THIS.

UM, JUST AS A A, A MATTER OF, UH, UM, UH, COLLABORATION WITH THIS, YOU, YOU HIGHLIGHTED ON, UH, THE PARTNERSHIPS IN THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.

UM, I NOTE THAT, THAT WE AT, AT, AT CAPITAL METRO, WE TALK AN AWFUL LOT ABOUT THE, THAT LAST MILE CONNECTIVITY.

AND, AND TO ME, THIS, THIS REFLECTS THAT.

AND, AND AS, AS, AS WE TALK ABOUT THE, THE, UH, THE, THE, THE BUILD.

AND AS WE TALK ABOUT THAT, WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE TO BE ABLE TO, TO, TO REALLY BUILD OUT THE FUN, THE, THE FUNCTIONAL, UH, SPACE.

UM, AND IN DOING SO THAT DOESN'T JUST INVOLVE CAP METRO, THAT'S NOT JUST GONNA INVOLVE A TP, IT'S GONNA ALSO INVOLVE OUR PARTNERS WITH THE CITY TOO.

AND, UM, JUST WANTED TO, TO, TO, UM, JUST MAKE SURE THAT, UH, AND, AND GIVE A, GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO OUR, TO OUR PARTNERS WITH THE, WITH THE CITY TO, TO GINA'S TEAM AND ALL THEY'VE BEEN DOING, ALSO INTERACTING AND WORKING WITH CAP METRO INITIALLY, EVEN BEFORE, UH, A TP HAD HAD COME ALONG, WORKING WITH US AND YOUR, YOUR TEAM TO HELP BUILD OUT, UH, THAT KIND OF, THAT KIND OF LAST MILE FUNCTIONALITY AND, AND THE DESIGN OF THE SIDEWALK AND, AND THE FUNCTIONAL BUILD ENVIRONMENT.

AND, AND THEN NOW WORKING WITH, WITH THE TEAM AT A TP AS WE'RE LOOKING AT, AT THESE SIDEWALKS BECAUSE, UM, IT, IT DOES TAKE THAT TEAM COLLABORATION AND, UM, JUST WANNA, UH, WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT THAT AND THANK YOU AND OUR CITY PARTNERS FOR EVERYTHING THAT Y'ALL HAVE BEEN DOING BECAUSE, UH, UH, IT, IT DOES TAKE

[01:10:01]

SO, THANK YOU ALL.

ABSOLUTELY.

FINAL ITEM THIS MONTH, AND I WOULD LIKE YOUR PATIENT, 'CAUSE YOU'RE GONNA HEAR ME READ QUITE A BIT BECAUSE I'M, I'M ALSO GOING TO GO THROUGH THEIR BIOS OF OUR TEAM AT ENO.

FRIENDS OF THE CITY HAVE BEEN, BEEN GREAT PARTNERS.

I HATE TO BE THE ONLY ONE WHO DOESN'T SAY ANYTHING AT ALL.

PRESENTATION.

I'M SORRY, I DIDN'T RECOGNIZE YOU, MAYOR.

JUST SO, SO I JUST THOUGHT IT WAS A GOOD PRESENTATION.

IT'S YOUR BIRTHDAY, .

THANK YOU, .

THANK YOU, MAYOR.

UM, SO OUR

[6.2. Independent Analysis Presentation and Report Summary by the Eno Center for Transportation]

SO OUR FINAL ITEM THIS MONTH IS A PRESENTATION FROM THE ENO CENTER FOR TRANSPORTATION ON THEIR FINDINGS FROM THE INDEPENDENT LEADERSHIP ANALYSIS THAT THEY HAVE CONDUCTED OVER THE LAST SEVERAL MONTHS.

THEY HAVE JOINED US TODAY FROM WASHINGTON DC TO GIVE THEIR PRESENTATION.

AND BEFORE I INTRODUCE A TEAM, IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE ALL REMEMBER HOW WE GOT TO THIS POINT.

ENO WAS HIRED TO CONDUCT THE LEADERSHIP ANALYSIS REQUIRED UNDER SECTION 4.2 0.2 OF THE JOINT POWERS AGREEMENT.

UNDER THE TERMS OF THE JPA, THIS BOARD MUST TAKE THEIR ANALYSIS INTO CONSIDERATION IN ESTABLISHING THE SYSTEMS, PRACTICES AND PROCESSES UNDER WHICH A TP WILL BE GOVERNED.

INDEPENDENCE IS A WORD YOU WILL BE HEARING A LOT TODAY BECAUSE IT IS A FUNDAMENTAL PIECE TO WHAT VOTERS WERE PROMISED, BOTH WHEN PROJECT CONNECT WAS APPROVED AND WHEN A TP WAS CREATED.

THE DECISIONS WE MAKE ABOUT GOVERNANCE WILL HELP DEFINE WHAT INDEPENDENCE MEANS.

THIS BOARD WILL NOT BE TAKING ANY ACTION TODAY, BUT INSTEAD WE WILL LISTEN TO ENO STAFF AND THEIR FINDINGS.

WE'LL ASK QUESTIONS.

WE, AND IN OUR BOARD MEETING ON APRIL 20TH, WE'LL DECIDE NEXT STEPS.

WE INVITE THE PUBLIC TO REVIEW THE REPORT, WHICH HAS BEEN POSTED TO THE A TP WEBSITE.

THERE'S A DRAFT REPORT NOW THAT, UH, UPLOADED AND ENO HAS UNDERTAKEN A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF WORK IN A VERY SHORT PERIOD OF TIME TO REACH THIS POINT.

AND WE'RE SO GRATEFUL TO ALL OF YOU FOR ALL THAT HEAVY LIFTING.

, THEIR WORK INCLUDED AN EXTENSIVE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROCESS, INCLUDING TWO VIRTUAL TOWN HALLS WITH ADISA COMMUNICATIONS HELP, WHICH MORE THAN 250 PEOPLE ATTENDED AND INTERVIEWS WITH MORE THAN 45 INDIVIDUALS IN GROUPS, INCLUDING THE COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE AND OUR THREE TECHNICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEES.

THEY ALSO TOOK EXTENSIVE QUESTIONS FROM THE COMMUNITY AND STUDIED OUR PEER AGENCIES AND ORGANIZATIONS NATIONALLY AND INTERNATIONALLY TO HELP US UNDERSTAND WHERE WE NEED TO GO, WHAT PITFALLS WE MIGHT ENCOUNTER, AND HOW WE SHOULD FACE THEM ON BEHALF OF THE COMMUNITY.

WE THANK YOU.

YOUR WORK WILL LEAVE PROJECT CONNECT, A TP AND ALL OF AUSTIN IN A MUCH STRONGER PLACE.

AND WITH US TODAY FROM WASHINGTON, DC I'M GONNA READ THE BIOS FROM EACH OF YOU.

SO TRY NOT TO BLUSH FOR PAUL LEWIS, ROBERT PUENTES AND IC AVE.

SO I'LL START WITH IC.

IC AVE IS A POLICY ANALYST AT THE ENO CENTER FOR TRANSPORTATION, WHERE HE CONDUCTS RESEARCH ON A VARIETY OF TRANSPORTATION POLICIES.

HE'S CURRENTLY HELPING LEAD ENOS TRANSIT COST AND PROJECT DELIVERY RESEARCH INITIATIVE, AND HAS CONTRIBUTED TO PUBLICATIONS ON DATA POLICY AND FAIR INTEGRATION FOR MOBILITY ON DEMAND PILOTS.

PRIOR TO JOINING ENO, ROIC WORKED AS A RESEARCH INTERN AT THE BROOKINGS INSTITUTION, WHERE HE CONTRIBUTED TO RESEARCH ON THE WORKFORCE IMPLICATIONS OF AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES AND THE ROLE OF INFRASTRUCTURE POLICY IN GOVERNATORIAL ELECTIONS.

DURING HIS TIME AS AN UNDERGRADUATE, ROIC ALSO WORKED AT THE MAYOR'S OFFICE IN AUSTIN, WHERE HE WAS INVOLVED IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF VARIOUS STRATEGIC MOBILITY INITIATIVES, AS WELL AS STAKEHOLDER OUTREACH.

DURING THE CITY'S LAND USE PLAN REVISIONS, ROIC EARNED HIS BACHELOR OF ARTS IN GOVERNMENT AND HUMANITIES AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN .

PAUL LEWIS, UH, IS A CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER AND POLICY DIRECTOR AT THE ENO CENTER FOR TRANSPORTATION.

IN THAT CAPACITY, HE DIRECTS ENOS POLICY RESEARCH PROGRAM, INCLUDING PAPER DEVELOPMENT AND EVENT ORGANIZATION.

LEWIS REGULARLY GIVES SPEECHES, PRESENTATIONS, AND PARTICIPATES IN EVENTS ON BEHALF OF THE ENO, ON BEHALF OF ENO TO GOVERNMENT INDUSTRY GROUPS AND VARIOUS PUBLIC FORUMS.

[01:15:01]

HE'S RESPONSIBLE FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF THE ORGANIZATION'S FINANCES AND HAS HELPED BUILD ENO'S POLICY PROGRAM FROM THE GROUND UP CONTINUING, CONTINUING TO STRATEGICALLY SEEK OUR EMERGING AND CHALLENGING, CHALLENGING ISSUES.

LOUIS HAS LED POLICY PROJECTS RELATED TO FEDERAL POLICY, TRANSPORTATION PLANNING, AND TRANSPORTATION GOVERNANCE.

LOUIS HAS EXTENSIVE EXPERIENCE IN TRANSPORTATION TECHNOLOGIES, AUTOMATED VEHICLES, AVIATION, FREIGHT, PUBLIC TRANSIT, PRICING, AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.

HE RECEIVED HIS BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN CIVIL ENGINEERING FROM A HIGHER NORTHERN UNIVERSITY AND HIS MASTER'S IN SCIENCE IN TRANSPORTATION FROM THE MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY.

LOUIS HAS SERVED ON THE BOARD OF YOUNG PROFESSIONALS IN TRANSPORTATION ON THE ADVISORY BOARD OF CARNEGIE MELLON'S UNIVERSITY'S FUTURE OF WORK PROGRAM, AND WAS NAMED MASS TRANSIT TOP 40 UNDER 40 IN 2016.

AND NOW RUBEN ONTO MR. ROBERT PUENTES.

ROBERT PUENTES IS THE PRESIDENT AND CEO OF THE INO CENTER FOR TRANSPORTATION, A NONPROFIT THINK TANK WITH THE MISSION OF IMPROVING TRANSPORTATION POLICY AND LEADERSHIP.

PRIOR TO JOINING INO, HE WAS A SENIOR FELLOW AT THE BROOKINGS INSTITUTION'S METROPOLITAN POLICY PROGRAM, WHERE HE DIRECTED THE PROGRAM'S METROPOLITAN INFRASTRUCTURE INITIATIVE.

HE'S CURRENTLY A NON-RESIDENT, SENIOR FELLOW WITH BROOKINGS.

BEFORE BROOKINGS, ROBERT WAS A DIRECTOR OF INFRASTRUCTURE PROGRAMS AT THE INTELLIGENT TRANSPORTATION SOCIETY OF AMERICA.

ROBERT HAS WORKED EXTENSIVELY ON A VARIETY OF TRANSPORTATION ISSUES, INCLUDING INFRASTRUCTURE, FUNDING AND FINANCE, AND CITY AND URBAN PLANNING.

HE'S A FREQUENT SPEAKER TO A VARIETY OF GROUPS, REGULAR CONTRIBUTOR IN NEWSPAPERS AND OTHER MEDIA, AND HAS TESTIFIED BEFORE CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEES.

HE HOLDS A MASTER'S DEGREE FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA, WHERE HE SERVED ON THE ALUMNI ADVISORY BOARD AND WAS AFFILIATED PROFESSOR WITH GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY'S PUBLIC POLICY INSTITUTE.

ROBERT SERVES ON A VARIETY OF BOARDS, INCLUDING THE SHARED USE MOBILITY CENTER, UCLA'S INSTITUTE FOR TRANSPORTATION STUDIES, AND YOUNG PROFESSIONALS IN TRANSPORTATION.

RECENT APPOINTMENTS INCLUDE THE FEDERAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION EQUITY, NEW YORK STATE'S 2100 INFRASTRUCTURE COMMISSION, THE ADVISORY COUNCIL OF THE WEST COAST INFRASTRUCTURE EXCHANGE, THE METROPOLITAN TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITIES TRANSPORTATION REINVENTION COMMISSION, THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA STREET CAR FINANCE AND GOVERNANCE TASK FORCE, THE NORTHERN VIRGINIA TRANSPORTATION AUTHORS TECHNICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE.

AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST, FALLS CHURCH, VIRGINIA PLANNING COMMISSION, WHERE HE LIVES WITH HIS WIFE AND THREE SONS .

SO WITH THIS THANK YOU, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE, FOR TRAVELING AND FOR BEING HERE WITH US TODAY.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MADAM CHAIR.

I NEED TO UPDATE MY BIO, TWO OF THOSE KIDS THAT ACTUALLY MOVED OUT, SO I KNOW I NEED TO UPDATE WHEN I GET HOME.

UM, BUT THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE KIND INTRODUCTION.

THANK YOU TO THE, TO THE, UH, A TP BOARD.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MR. MAYOR.

UM, AND TO THE STAFF AND, AND REALLY APPRECIATE, UM, YOUR TRUST IN US DO THIS WORK.

I, THE, YOU VERY KIND WORDS ARE GREATLY APPRECIATED, BUT IT'S THE, THE, THE ABILITY FOR US TO WORK ON IMPORTANT PROJECTS LIKE THIS WITH DIRECT IMPACT IN COMMUNITIES IS WHAT WE'RE ALL ABOUT AT, AT ENO.

AND, YOU KNOW, YOU ALL KNOW HOW IMPORTANT THIS WORK IS, NOT JUST THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING, BUT THE WORK THAT PROJECT CONNECT IS ENGAGED WITH.

AND, UM, IT IS, IT'S, IT'S JUST SO SPECIAL TO US TO BE CONNECTED WITH SOMETHING THAT IS SO IMPACTFUL.

SO THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TRUST IN US, AND WE REALLY LOOK FORWARD TO THIS CONVERSATION HERE TODAY.

SO THANK YOU FOR THAT TOO.

THE CHAIR SAID, WE'VE BEEN DOING A LOT OF THIS WORK FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS.

UM, YOU, YOU GAVE A GOOD BACKGROUND THERE.

I WANTED IT TO BE VERY QUICK ABOUT WHO ENO IS, JUST FOR FOLKS, IN CASE YOU DON'T KNOW, UM, UH, ENO WAS NOT AN ACRONYM FOR ANYTHING.

IT'S ACTUALLY NAMED AFTER MR. WILLIAM PHELPS ENO, WHO ENDOWED, UM, OUR ORGANIZATION ABOUT A HUNDRED YEARS AGO, UM, TO FOCUS ON ISSUES ON, ON TRANSPORTATION SAFETY MOSTLY.

BUT AN AWFUL LOT OF WORK ON GOVERNANCE HAS BEEN VERY PERVASIVE THROUGHOUT THE, UM, THE HISTORY OF ENO.

UM, THAT IS NOT HIS MUGSHOT, THAT IS ACTUALLY HIS, HIS, UM, HONORARY DRIVER'S LICENSE FROM A SMALL TOWN IN, IN FRANCE.

HE ACTUALLY NEVER DROVE A CAR EITHER.

BUT, UM, WE HAVE SIGNIFICANT EXPERIENCE AS, AS THE CHAIR MENTIONED IN, UH, ISSUES AROUND TRANS TRANSIT PROJECT DELIVERY, AND PARTICULARLY ISSUES AROUND GOVERNANCE.

IT'S NOT THE SEXIEST ISSUE, IT'S NOT THE THING THAT PEOPLES LIKE TO TALK ABOUT.

THEY LOVE TO TALK ABOUT, UM, DIGGING HOLES AND BUILDING THINGS AND SHOVEL IN THE GROUND AND ALL THAT, AND ALL THAT.

OBVIOUSLY VERY MUCH MATTERS, BUT WE KNOW THAT GOVERNANCE MATTERS TOO, AND IT ALWAYS GETS THE SHORT SHRIFT.

SO WE APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO TALK ABOUT THAT WITH YOU HERE TODAY.

UM, WE ARE A COMPLETELY NON-PROFIT INDEPENDENT ORGANIZATION.

WE WORK ACROSS ALL MODES OF TRANSPORTATION.

UM, AND AS

[01:20:01]

SO, UH, NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.

SO, SO THE, THE CHARGE FOR US WAS TO CONDUCT A COMPREHENSIVE AND INDEPENDENT ANALYSIS OF THE ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF JOINT AND SEPARATE EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP AND HOW THEY, AND HOW THESE OPTIONS AFFECT OTHER ASPECTS OF GOVERNANCE AND PROJECT DELIVERY.

THAT WAS A BIG SCOPE, THAT'S WHAT WE WERE JUST, THAT'S WHAT WE WERE FOCUSED ON, UH, WORKING ON HERE.

AND AS YOU'RE GONNA HEAR, OUR ANALYSIS FOUND THAT THE GOVERNANCE OF PROJECTS, OF THE GOVERNANCE OF PROJECT CONNECT IS UNSUSTAINABLE AS IT IS CURRENTLY STRUCTURED RIGHT NOW.

AND THAT'S KIND OF WHERE IT SHOULD BE AT THIS POINT.

IT'S A, IT'S A NEW ORGANIZATION.

IT'S A LOT OF NEW ACTIVITY THAT'S HAPPENING HERE AND HAPPENING VERY, VERY, VERY, VERY QUICKLY, AS OPPOSED TO A LOT OF OTHER CITIES THAT TAKE A LONG TIME.

SO THE SPEED, THE RAPIDITY OF ALL THAT, UH, MAKES A LOT OF SENSE TO US, BUT IT'S ALSO CLEAR THAT BOTH JOINT AND SEPARATE EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP CAN WORK.

BUT THEY MUST BE, UH, COUPLED WITH COMMON UNDERSTANDINGS ABOUT THE ORGANIZATIONAL ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES.

SPECIFICALLY.

OUTSTANDING QUESTIONS ABOUT ATP'S INDEPENDENCE HAVE TO BE, UH, HAVE TO BE DISCUSSED AND, UH, CLARIFIED IMMEDIATELY, UM, AND ESPECIALLY HOW AUTONOMOUS A TP IS, UM, WITH CAPITAL METRO.

I KNOW THAT THIS CONVERSATION IS HAPPENING HERE IN THE, IN THE CITY.

I KNOW YOU ALL HAVE TALKED ABOUT THAT, UM, UM, ESPECIALLY SINCE WE'VE EVEN STARTED, UH, THIS WORK.

SO, UM, WITHOUT THAT, IT'S REALLY GONNA BE DIFFICULT FOR EITHER LEADERSHIP MODEL TO WORK, AND THE TEAM HERE IS GONNA TALK ABOUT ALL THAT IN JUST A SECOND.

SO WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO IS WE'RE GONNA PROVIDE AN OVERVIEW OF THE ANALYSIS, INCLUDING, UH, THE ALREADY ESTABLISHED ELEMENTS OF GOVERNANCE FOR PROJECT CONNECT, KIND OF THE BASELINE OF WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE THAT WE ALL AGREE ON.

WE'RE GONNA DO SOME VERY QUICK EXAMPLES FROM, UH, FROM BOTH DOMESTIC AND INTERNATIONAL CASE STUDIES TO TRY TO GIVE US A GOOD IDEA ABOUT WHAT'S ANALOGOUS, WHAT LESSONS CAN WE LEARN.

UM, WE, WE PUT A LOT OF STOCK IN THAT, AND MOST OF THE TIME WE'RE GONNA SPEND ON THE THEMES AND THE OPTIONS AND THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT CAME OUT OF THIS SPECIFIC TO THE WORK THAT'S GOING ON HERE.

SO, AGAIN, THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH FOR HAVING US HERE.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR TRUST IN THE ORGANIZATION.

LET ME TURN IT OUT OVER TO ACK AEZ.

THANKS, ROB.

AND, UH, THANKS SO MUCH FOR THE WARM INTRODUCTIONS, VERONICA.

SO I WANT BE, UH, NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.

UH, JUST BRIEFLY RECAP THE INDEPENDENT ANALYSIS PROCESS.

AS YOU ALL KNOW, THE, UH, INDEPENDENT ANALYSIS WAS AUTHORIZED IN THE OCTOBER, 2021 JPA.

UM, WE HAD A, A MULTI-PART STEP TO, UH, GOING THROUGH THIS ANALYSIS.

WE BEGAN WITH A PRELIMINARY REPORT THAT WE DELIVERED TO THE A TP BOARD IN FEBRUARY OF THIS YEAR.

AND THAT PRELIMINARY REPORT PROVIDED SOME HIGH LEVEL GOVERNANCE EXAMPLES AND TAKEAWAYS FROM DIFFERENT REGIONS THAT HAVE USED SIMILAR, UH, UH, ORGANIZATIONS LIKE A TP FOR THE DELIVERY OF, OF MAJOR TRANSIT PROJECTS.

AS VERONICA MENTIONED, WE TRAVELED TO AUSTIN FOR A FIVE DAY PERIOD, SPOKE WITH, UH, DOZENS OF STAKEHOLDERS, UH, UH, ONE-ON-ONE, UH, INTERVIEWED SEVERAL OF THE COMMITTEES AND HAD TWO PUBLIC TOWN HALL MEETINGS THAT WERE ATTENDED BY OVER 200 RESIDENTS, UM, TO GET A, A BRO A BROADER COMMUNITY PERSPECTIVE ON ATP'S LEADERSHIP.

UH, AFTER WE WRAPPED UP THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PIECE, WE, UH, CONDUCTED CASE STUDY INTERVIEWS WITH LEADERS AND OFFICIALS, UM, FROM SIX PEER REGIONS IN THE US AND ABROAD, UH, AGAIN, USING SIMILAR ORGANIZATIONS TO, UH, A TP TO DELIVER LARGE CAPITAL PROGRAMS. UM, AND SO THE INSIGHTS FROM THAT COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND THOSE CASE STUDY INTERVIEWS CULMINATED IN THE FINAL REPORT THAT WE DELIVER TO YOU ALL THIS WEEK.

UM, AND PAUL LEWIS, MY COLLEAGUE WILL, WILL TALK THROUGH, UM, THE SPECIFIC OPTIONS AND TAKEAWAYS FROM THAT ANALYSIS.

UM, BUT THAT FINAL REPORT IS GOING TO SERVE, UM, AS THE, UH, UH, BASIS AND, AND, UH, PROVIDE GUIDANCE AND, AND INFORM THE BOARD DECISION, UH, LATER THIS SPRING.

SO, AS PART OF OUR SCOPE WITH A TP, THE, UH, INDEPENDENT ANALYSIS CONSIDERS SEVERAL KEY FACTORS.

UM, THESE INCLUDE SOME OF THE BROADER PROJECT CONNECT PROGRAM GOALS, LIKE FULFILLING THE CONTRACT WITH THE VOTERS, DELIVERING THE PROJECT ON TIME AND ON BUDGET, BUT ALSO SOME SPECIFIC CONSIDERATIONS, UM, THAT WERE INCLUDED IN THIS ANALYSIS.

AND SO YOU'LL SEE IN THE FINAL REPORT, UM, THEY'RE REALLY TRY TO COUCH SOME OF THESE RECOMMENDATIONS, UM, YOU KNOW, WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF PARTNERSHIP, ACCOUNTABILITY, ANTI DISPLACEMENT, AND OPERATIONAL READINESS.

SO EACH OF THESE KEY FACTORS WERE INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT TO US.

UM, THEY NOT ONLY GUIDED THE QUESTIONS THAT WE ASKED PEOPLE IN AUSTIN, BUT ALSO GUIDED THE QUESTIONS THAT WE ASKED, UM, THE LEADERS, UM, IN SIX OF OUR PEER REGIONS.

OF THE PROP A REVENUE, UM, AND DELIVER THE LIGHT RAIL COMPONENTS OF PROJECT CONNECT IN A MANNER INDEPENDENT OF THE CITY AND CAPITAL METRO.

SO I WANNA SPEND SOME TIME, UH, JUST BRIEFLY RECAPPING AGAIN, UM, IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US, UM, WHEN WE WERE WRITING THIS REPORT TO HAVE A, A BASELINE FOR THE CURRENT GOVERNANCE ELEMENTS, UM, THAT EXIST FOR PROJECT CONNECT.

UM, THE FIRST IS THAT THERE ARE OF COURSE, THREE INSTITUTIONS THAT ARE AND WILL BE DIRECTLY INVOLVED IN DELIVERING PROJECT CONNECT.

UM, THAT IS THE CITY OF AUSTIN CAPITAL METRO AND THE AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP, UM, AS OUTLINED IN THE BALLOT MEASURE AND THE ILA AND THE JPA, UM, THESE ARE THE THREE.

THIS TRI-PARTY ARRANGEMENT IS GOING TO BE GUIDING PROJECT CONNECT FROM ITS INCEPTION TO, UH, OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE.

UH, THE SECOND TAKEAWAY IS THAT, OR ESTABLISHED ELEMENT IS THAT A TP MUST PRESERVE SOME LEVEL OF INDEPENDENCE.

UM, AGAIN, AS THE FOUNDING DOCUMENTS, UH, STATED, A TP WAS, WAS CREATED TO BE A CUSTODIAN

[01:25:01]

WHAT THAT MANNER OF INDEPENDENCE MEANS IS, IS SUBJECT TO CONSIDERABLE, UH, DIFFERING INTERPRETATIONS AMONG THE COMMUNITY AND AMONG STAKEHOLDERS.

UM, BUT REGARDLESS OF THE ULTIMATE, UH, UH, DEFINITION SETTLED ON HOW INDEPENDENCE, UH, IS MAINTAINED, UM, SOME LEVEL OF INDEPENDENCE IS STIPULATED IN THE FOUNDING DOCUMENTS.

UH, THE THIRD AND FINAL, UH, ESTABLISHED ELEMENT OF GOVERNANCE IS THAT THE THREE PARTNER ENTITIES HAVE SOME ESTABLISHED RULES AND RESPONSIBILITIES.

AGAIN, THE OCTOBER, UH, 2021, JPA AS, AS, AS CASEY MENTIONED, UM, SET OUT AT A HIGH LEVEL.

UM, SOME OF THE ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF EACH OF THE ORGANIZATIONS, UM, AND THOSE THAT HAVE BEEN ESTABLISHED IN THE JPA ARE QUITE CLEAR.

UM, BUT THERE ARE SEVERAL OUTSTANDING ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES THAT HAVE YET TO BE DEFINED.

UM, AND AGAIN, SOME OF THAT IS JUST DUE TO THE PROJECT, UH, BEING IN ITS EARLY STAGES.

BUT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE SUSTAINABILITY OF THE GOVERNANCE MODEL, UM, IT'S GONNA BE CRITICAL TO REALLY, UH, GET THOSE, GET CLARITY ON THOSE ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES.

SO, UH, PAUL WILL TALK THROUGH THAT AS, AS PART, PART OF THE, UH, TAKEAWAYS AND OPTIONS OF GOVERNANCE.

SO, UM, I WANNA, UH, SWITCH TO THE, THE SIX CASE STUDIES THAT WE CONDUCTED.

UM, AGAIN, WHAT WE WANTED TO DO WITH THESE CASE STUDIES, UM, IN THE NEXT SLIDE, UM, IS TO LOOK AT, UH, REGIONS IN THE UNITED STATES AND ABROAD THAT HAVE USED SIMILAR ORGANIZATIONS.

SO, A TP IS A, UM, WHAT WE CALL A SPECIAL PURPOSE DELIVERY VEHICLE THAT WAS CREATED FOR THE, THE PURPOSE OF DELIVERING AND FINANCING THE LIGHT RAIL COMPONENTS OF PROJECT CONNECT.

UM, AND THIS IS A MODEL THAT'S BEEN USED IN, IN QUITE A FEW REGIONS IN THE COUNTRY AND, AND PARTICULARLY COMMON IN EUROPE.

UM, SO WE CHOSE SIX EXAMPLES, AGAIN, WHERE SIMILAR ORGANIZATIONS WERE USED.

UM, WE ALSO SPOKE TO FOLKS OUTSIDE OF THESE SIX REGIONS.

UM, AND AS PART OF OUR EARLIER WORK, AS ROB MENTIONED, UM, WE'VE, WE'VE DONE A LOT OF WORK, UH, AND CASE STUDIES OF OTHER INSTITUTIONS THAT ARE NOT PART OF THESE SIX, UM, THAT HAVE USED SIMILAR APPROACHES.

SO WE HAVE QUITE A BIT OF INSIGHT, UM, THAT WE'VE GLEANED FROM THESE INTERVIEWS, UH, WITH SENIOR OFFICIALS, UM, AND STAKEHOLDERS IN EACH OF THESE REGIONS.

AND SO I WILL BRIEFLY COVER EACH OF THESE SIX, UM, MORE INFORMATION OF THESE IS INCLUDED IN, UH, SECTION, UH, THREE OF THE REPORT.

UM, BUT I'LL START, UH, NEXT SLIDE WITH SANDAG IN SAN DIEGO.

SO SANDAG IS THE MPO IN THE SAN DIEGO REGION.

UM, THEY HAVE DELIVERED TWO LIGHT RAIL PROJECTS SINCE 2005, MOST RECENTLY, THE MID-COAST TROLLEY EXTENSION.

UM, AND SO SANDAG IS UNIQUE, IT, IT SERVES AS THE MPO OF THE REGION, BUT IT'S ALSO RESPONSIBLE FOR FINANCING AND DELIVERING PUBLIC TRANSIT PROJECTS IN THE REGION.

UH, BECAUSE SANDAG COLLECTS AND ADMINISTERS AND BONDS AGAINST THE SALES TAX REVENUE DEDICATED FOR TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS IN THE REGION, IT SERVES AS THE PROJECT SPONSOR AND LEAD GRANT RECIPIENT ON ALL OF ITS PROJECTS.

UM, A KEY THEME IN THIS CASE STUDY WAS THE STRONG WORKING RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN STAND SANDAG AND THE OPERATORS IN THE REGION.

UM, EVEN THOUGH THE CAPITAL AND CONSTRUCTION ELEMENTS OF PROJECT DELIVERY IN SAN DIEGO ARE SPLIT, UM, THOSE STAFF HAVE STRONG TRUST AND WORKING RELATIONSHIPS.

UM, AND GIVEN THAT SANDAG HANDS, THOSE PROJECTS OVER TO THESE OPERATORS, UM, THAT WORKING TRUST AND RELATIONSHIPS WERE CRITICAL TO SUCCESSFULLY DELIVERING THESE LIGHT RAIL PROJECTS.

UM, A KEY DIFFERENCE, OF COURSE, IS THAT UNLIKE A TP SANDECK HAS A MUCH BROADER REMIT.

UM, IT IS THE REGION'S MPO, AND IT EXISTED AS AN MPO PRIOR TO TAKING ON PROJECT DELIVERY RESPONSIBILITIES, UM, WHEREAS A TP WAS CREATED FOR THE SOLE PURPOSE, UM, OF DELIVERING THE LIGHT RAIL COMPONENTS.

THE SECOND DOMESTIC EXAMPLE WE LOOKED AT, UM, WAS THE SILVER LINE EXTENSION IN WASHINGTON, DC UM, THAT IS CONNECTING NEW DESTINATIONS IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA, INCLUDING DALLAS AIRPORT.

UM, THERE'S SOME PARALLELS TO AUSTIN IN THE SENSE THAT, UH, UH, THE AIRPORT'S AUTHORITY IS A SEPARATE ORGANIZATION THAT WILL BE, THAT IS DELIVERING THE SILVER LINE AND HANDING IT OVER TO THE PRIMARY OPERATOR RAMADA, UM, TO RUN SERVICE.

UM, BUT THERE ARE A COUPLE UNIQUE DIFFERENCES IN THAT, UH, THE AIRPORTS AUTHORITIES DAY-TO-DAY JOB IS RUNNING, UH, THE THREE DC AREA AIRPORTS, AND IT HAS TEMPORARILY ADOPTED A TRANSIT PROJECT, UM, WHEREAS AGAIN, A TP WAS CREATED, UM, AS A SOLE PROJECT DELIVERY ENTITY.

UM, THE ONE TAKEAWAY WE FOUND THAT WAS APPLICABLE TO A TP IN THIS CASE STUDY WAS THE IMPORTANCE OF FLEXIBILITY.

SO PRIOR, AT THE BEGINNING STAGES OF THE SILVER LINE EXTENSION, UH, THE VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF RAIL AND PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION WAS THE PRIMARY, UH, GRANT RECIPIENT AND PROJECT SPONSOR.

UM, BUT MIDWAY TO THE PROJECT, THE AIRPORTS AUTHORITY WAS GIVEN OWNERSHIP OF THE ALES TOLL ROAD, AND THE REVENUES FROM THAT TOLL ROAD ARE THE PRIMARY REVENUE SOURCE FOR THE PROJECT.

UM, SO PROJECT SPONSOR STATUS SHIFTED TO AMWA.

AND SO WHILE THAT IS NOT COMMON, IT INDICATES THAT HAVING SOME FLEXIBILITY TO CHANGE THESE ROLES IF PROGRAM CIRCUMSTANCES WARRANT, UM, IS CERTAINLY A POSSIBILITY AND IMPORTANT TO KEEP IN MIND.

OF REGULAR COORDINATION BETWEEN THE CONSTRUCTION AUTHORITIES AND THE OPERATOR.

THE THIRD AND FINAL DOMESTIC CASE STUDY WE LOOKED AT WERE THE EXPO AND GOLDLINE CONSTRUCTION AUTHORITIES IN LOS ANGELES.

THESE ARE QUITE SIMILAR TO A TP IN THE SENSE THAT THEY WERE SINGLE PURPOSE ENTITIES WITH THE SOLE FOCUS ON DELIVERING A LIGHT RAIL PROJECT THAT WAS HANDED OVER TO LA METRO TO OPERATE.

UM, A NOTABLE DIFFERENCE IS THAT, UM, UNLIKE A TP, UH, THE CONSTRUCTION AUTHORITIES WERE NOT THE CUSTODIANS OF THE FINANCING.

UH, LA METRO COLLECTS AND BONDS AGAINST ITS DEDICATED SALES TAX REVENUE AND REIMBURSES THE CONSTRUCTION AUTHORITY FOR THE WORK THAT IT DOES.

UM, ANOTHER TAKEAWAY ON, YOU KNOW, SIMILAR TO WHAT WE SAW IN SAN DIEGO, UM, WAS THE IMPORTANCE

[01:30:01]

UM, THERE WAS A VERY DETAILED MOU THAT GOVERNED LA METRO'S PARTICIPATION IN THE DESIGN REVIEW AND THE IN INSPECT INSPECTION OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE, UM, AND THE OPERATIONAL HANDOVER TO MAKE SURE THAT WHATEVER THE CONSTRUCTION AUTHORITY WAS BUILDING, UM, WAS READY TO BE OPERATED BY LA METRO.

SO, UM, THERE WAS A LOT OF, UH, UH, VERY CLEAR DIRECTION, UM, ON THE PART OF BOTH, UH, ENTITIES IN LOS ANGELES, UM, THAT WERE ULTIMATELY SUCCESSFUL, UM, IN DELIVERING THESE PROJECTS.

MOVING ON TO OUR INTERNATIONAL CASE STUDIES, UM, WE LOOKED AT THE CROSS RAIL MEGA PROJECT IN LONDON.

UM, THIS PROJECT WAS UNIQUE AT THE BEGINNING.

THERE WAS SOME TENSION OVER PROJECT CONTROL.

OF COURSE, A MEGA PROJECT OF THIS SIZE RACED QUESTIONS ABOUT WHETHER IT WAS A PRIMARILY NATIONAL PROJECT THAT HAPPENED TO BENEFIT LONDON, OR WHETHER THERE WAS A LONDON PROJECT THAT HAD A, UH, BENEFIT TO THE NATION.

UH, AND SO TO HELP KIND OF ADJUDICATE SOME OF THE, THE CONFLICTS BETWEEN THE NATIONAL AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, UM, CROSS WERE LIMITED, WAS SET UP AS A INDEPENDENT ORGANIZATION TO REMAIN AT AN ARM'S LENGTH FROM THE NATIONAL AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, UM, TO FACILITATE MORE, UH, EFFICIENT DECISION MAKING.

THE STAFF AND THE LEADERSHIP THERE WERE GIVEN SIGNIFICANT AUTONOMY OVER DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION, UH, DECISIONS FOR THE PROJECT.

UM, AND THE MODEL WAS CHOSEN TO HELP ATTRACT TOP TALENT.

THEY WERE GIVEN A LOT MORE FLEXIBILITY, UM, THAN SOME OF THE EXISTING INSTITUTIONS AND SETTING SALARIES, UM, BUT TO INSULATE PROJECTS, THE PROJECT FROM DISTRACTIONS AND, UH, THE POLITICS FROM THE CITY AND NATIONAL GOVERNMENT.

SO, UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK THE, THE CROSSROAD CASE KIND OF, UH, SERVES AN EXAMPLE OF, OF SOME OF THE BENEFITS THAT A TP ALREADY REALIZES, UM, BY BEING A INDEPENDENT, UH, DELIVERY VEHICLE, UM, AND KIND OF HAVING THAT SOLE MISSION OF DELIVERING, UH, THE CONSTRUCTION ELEMENTS OF THE LIGHT RAIL PROJECTS.

THE SECOND, UH, INTERNATIONAL EXAMPLE WE LOOKED AT, AND ONE OF THE ONLY TRUE INSTANCES OF SHARED EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP, SIMILAR TO ATP'S, UM, IS IN COPENHAGEN, WHERE THERE'S THE METRO AND LIGHT RAIL COMPANIES.

UM, AND BY LAW, THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF COPENHAGEN METRO SERVES AS THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE COPENHAGEN LIGHT RAIL COMPANY THAT WAS CREATED, UM, I BELIEVE TWO YEARS AGO TO CREATE A NEW LIGHT RAIL SYSTEM, UH, IN THE SUBURBAN PARTS OF COPENHAGEN.

UM, AND SO IT WAS VERY UNAMBIGUOUS WHAT THE STRUCTURE IS, IT'S CODIFIED IN LAW.

UM, AND THE INTENT BEHIND THIS WAS, UH, YOU KNOW, COPENHAGEN METRO IS A 30 YEAR HISTORY OF BUILDING AN OPERATING RAIL TRANSIT.

UM, AND THERE WAS A DESIRE TO AVOID DUPLICATING, UH, STAFF AND UTILIZING THAT EXISTING EXPERTISE.

SO THAT DROVE OFFICIALS IN COPENHAGEN TO UTILIZE A SHARED AND, UH, SHARED LEADERSHIP AND STAFF MODEL.

A UNIQUE DIFFERENCE, THOUGH, IS THAT IN COPENHAGEN, THE COPENHAGEN METRO BOARD HAS SOLE AUTHORITY OVER THE JOINT EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, BUT THERE ARE PROCESSES IN PLACE TO RESPECT THE DIFFERENT OWNERSHIP OF BOTH COMPANIES, UM, AND ENSURE THAT THE METRO COMPANY IS, UH, RESPONSIVE TO THE CONCERNS OF THE LIGHT RAIL COMPANY.

UM, AND WHILE NOT REQUIRED BY LAW, THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR'S, UH, BONUS, UH, SCHEME IN COPENHAGEN, UM, YOU KNOW, IS TIED TO SPECIFIC BENCHMARKS TO, UH, HIS PERFORMANCE ON THE LIGHT RAIL SYSTEM.

UM, BUT IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT IN, IN BOTH OF THESE INSTANCES, THE BOTH COMPANIES HAVE A INDEPENDENT MANAGEMENT BOARD, UM, SIMILAR TO ATPS.

THE THIRD AND FINAL INTERNATIONAL EXAMPLE ALSO OF SHARED LEADERSHIP, UM, IS IN CARLSBURG, GERMANY, UM, WHERE AN INDEPENDENT CONSTRUCTION AUTHORITY WAS CREATED TO DELIVER A PROJECT TO TUNNEL SOME OF THE EXISTING TRAM LINES IN THE CITY.

UM, SO THIS INDEPENDENT CONSTRUCTION AUTHORITY SHARES A EXECUTIVE LEADER WITH THE FOUR OTHER MAIN TRANSPORT AND INFRASTRUCTURE, UH, COMPANIES, UM, AND INTERVIEWS IN THAT REGION, UH, REVEAL THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS MODEL WAS REALLY HELPFUL IN KEEPING EACH OF THESE ORGANIZATIONS UNIFIED, UM, ON THIS MEGA PROJECT.

UM, BUT THERE ARE TWO KEY DIFFERENCES, UM, AND CARL DREW.

ONE IS THAT EACH OF THESE COMPANIES, UM, THE BOARD IS NOT QUITE SIMILAR TO A TP.

THEY, THEY FUNCTION IN MORE OF AN ADVISORY CAPACITY, UM, WHEREAS THE A TP BOARD AND, AND, AND MANY BOARDS OF DIRECTORS IN THE UNITED STATES FUNCTION IN A MANAGEMENT CAPACITY.

UM, AND THE, THE SECOND DIFFERENCE IS THAT THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AND CARL DREW ACROSS ALL OF THESE FIVE COMPANIES, REPORTS DIRECTLY TO THE MAYOR WHO'S ULTIMATELY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE, UM, ED'S, UH, EMPLOYMENT CONTRACT.

SO, UM, THERE'S A LOT OF, UH, EFFICIENCIES THAT WERE REALIZED WITH THE SHARED LEADERSHIP MODEL IN CARL DREW, BUT IT WAS IMPORTANT TO NOTE, UM, THESE DIFFERENCES THAT THIS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR DOES NOT REPORT TO FIVE, UH, MANAGEMENT BOARDS.

UM, SO AGAIN, MORE DETAIL OF THESE CASE STUDIES IS INCLUDED IN THE REPORT.

UM, HOPE THIS IS A, A HELPFUL OVERVIEW OF THE SIX THAT WE LOOKED AT.

UM, AND NOW I'LL HAND IT OVER TO PAUL TO COVER THE, THE OPTIONS AND THEMES AND RECOMMENDATIONS FROM OUR GOVERNANCE ANALYSIS.

ALRIGHT, THE DARKENING OF THE ROOM MAKES IT FEEL VERY OMINOUS.

UM, UH, THANKS AGAIN FOR THE INVITE HERE.

UM, I'M GONNA GO THROUGH THE, UM, KIND OF MEAT AND POTATOES OF OUR REPORT FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT HAVE IT.

THIS IS SECTION FOUR.

I'M GONNA KIND OF WALK THROUGH SOME OF OUR, UM, OUR BIG FINDINGS, THE, THE KEY THEMES, THE OPTIONS, UM, AND RECOMMENDATIONS.

WE HAVE, UM, A LOT OF RECOMMENDATIONS IN THE REPORT.

UM, WE DO NOT MAKE A SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATION ON WHICH WAY FROM A LEADERSHIP, UH, STRUCTURE STANDPOINT THAT A TP SHOULD GO.

BUT, UM, WE, WE DO HAVE A LOT OF THINGS THAT I'M GONNA TALK THROUGH.

AND FIRST I'M GONNA TO GO THROUGH THE GOVERNANCE

[01:35:01]

THEMES PORTION.

UM, AND THIS IS WHERE WE KIND OF CALL OUT FIVE GROUND SETTING THEMES THAT I THINK ARE IMPORTANT.

THESE CAME THROUGH A LOT OF THE INTERVIEWS THAT WE TALKED THROUGH, AND A LOT OF THE DOCUMENTS THAT, THAT WE READ THROUGH.

SO THROUGH SLIDE.

SO THE FIRST ONE IS THAT, UH, PROJECT CONNECT'S STAFF AND LEADERSHIP HAVE MADE INCREDIBLE PROGRESS SINCE NOVEMBER, 2020.

AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT REALLY TO, TO CALL THIS OUT, GIVEN THE UNPRECEDENTED NATURE OF THIS PROGRAM.

UM, WHEN WE SPOKE WITH STAKEHOLDERS, MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY, THERE WAS UNIFIED, UM, PRAISE OF THE ABILITIES AND COMPETENCIES, UM, AND EXPERTISE AMONG LEADERSHIP AND STAFF.

UM, SO, UH, AND THAT'S, THAT'S FOR THE CITY CAPITAL METRO AND A TP.

SO, SO REALLY A KUDOS, UM, TO PUTTING TOGETHER AN INCREDIBLE TEAM.

UM, YOU KNOW, THERE, THERE WAS A LOT OF, UH, EMPHASIS ON THAT PIECE.

UM, NEXT SLIDE, UM, IS, UH, TALKING ABOUT, UM, WHERE PROJECT CONNECT IS NOW IN ITS SECOND YEAR OF IMPLEMENTATION, AND NOW IS THE TIME FOR THE REGION, UH, AND A TP TO AND REGION, UH, THE, THE, THE THREE PARTNERS, UM, TO RESOLVE OUTSTANDING QUESTIONS ABOUT THE PROGRAM'S GOVERNANCE, UM, AND LEADERSHIP STRUCTURES AND ESTABLISHED ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES FOR ALL THREE PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS.

UM, AND, AND THE IMPORTANT POINT HERE IS THAT LARGE TRANSIT CAPITAL INVESTMENTS ARE INHERENTLY COMPLICATED.

THEY'RE POLITICALLY MESSY, AND THEY HAVE TO MOVE FAST.

UM, AND THE GOVERNANCE AND LEADERSHIP CHALLENGES FACING PROJECT CONNECT ARE ACTUALLY REALLY, REALLY COMMON FOR PROJECTS OF THIS SIZE AND SCOPE.

AND SO, UM, THE, THE TAKEAWAY IS THAT, UM, THE REGION AND, AND FOLKS, FOLKS HERE, UH, NEED TO NOT TAKE THE, THE LEADERSHIP AND, UH, GOVERNANCE DISPUTES PERSONALLY, UM, BUT RATHER, UM, FOCUS ON HOW THEY CAN, UM, EXCUSE ME.

UM, HOW, I GUESS, SO WHEN WE WERE TALKING TO EXPERTS IN, IN, UH, OTHER REGIONS, THEY SAID THAT THE CHALLENGES FACING THIS PROJECT TODAY ARE ACTUALLY GONNA BE PRETTY SMALL, UM, COMPARED TO WHEN, UH, WE START TEARING UP STREETS AND ACTUALLY CONSTRUCTING THIS THING.

SO, UM, THE CONFLICT AND DISAGREEMENTS WILL IN, IN INEVITABLY, UH, INTENSIFY.

SO ESTABLISHING GOVERNANCE AND LEADERSHIP ROLES NOW IS CRITICAL TO MOVING THE PROJECT FORWARD, UM, AND, AND, UH, ENABLE ENABLING THE REGION TO SURMOUNT THOSE FORTHCOMING CHALLENGES.

UM, THE TH UH, THIRD, NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.

SO, UM, THERE ARE ALSO SOME SIGNIFICANT DISAGREEMENTS OVER THE INTERPRETATION AND RATIONALE FOR ATP'S INTENDED INDEPENDENCE, RIGHT? THIS WAS A MAJOR PART OF OUR QUESTIONING.

THERE'S A LOT OF THOUGHTS FROM THE COMMUNITY.

UM, FOR SOME, ATP WAS CREATED AS A WAY TO INSULATE PROJECT CONNECT AND ITS FINANCES FROM THE POLITICS OF CITY COUNCIL, AND CREATE A WAY TO LEVERAGE PROPOSITION A FUNDS TO ISSUE DEBT FOR OTHERS.

A TP WAS CREATED AS AN INDEPENDENT ENTITY DUE TO LACK OF TRUST OF CAPITAL METRO AND ITS ABILITY TO DELIVER LARGE PROJECTS.

OTHERS, UM, SAW THE CREATION OF INDEPENDENT, UH, AS OF AN INDEPENDENT ORGANIZATION AS AN IMPORTANT STRATEGY TO GET, UH, PROPOSITION A PASSED.

AND A LOT OF FOLKS THAT WE TALKED TO DIDN'T SEE INDEPENDENCE AS A PRIMARY CONCERN AT ALL, AND THEY WERE REALLY FOCUSED ON SOME OF THE SPECIFIC ELEMENTS OF THE PROJECT.

AND, UM, AND SO REGARDLESS OF WHETHER THESE VIEWS ARE CORRECT, UM, THERE'S NO DOUBT THAT THERE WAS A WIDE RECOLLECTION OF WHAT INDEPENDENCE, UH, UH, MEANS AND WHY A TP WAS ESTABLISHED.

SO, OUR TAKEAWAY FROM THIS IS THAT THE LEADERSHIP IN OF A TP SHOULD NOT LET THE INTENT OF INDEPENDENCE BE THE ENEMY OF GOOD GOVERNANCE AND TRANSPARENT GOVERNANCE DECISIONS NOW.

AND THERE REALLY NEEDS TO BE A COLLABORATIVE, TRANSPARENT AND FINAL DECISION ON A GOVERNANCE STRUCTURE THAT MAKES SENSE FOR PROJECT CONNECT IN THE LONG RUN.

THIS IS HOW A TP MIGHT RETAIN ITS OWN, UH, INTERNAL PROCESSES, UM, POLICIES AND IDENTITY REGARDLESS OF LEADERSHIP MODEL.

UM, OF COURSE SETTING UP A TP REQUIRED SHARING A LOT OF SERVICES AND LEVERAGING RESOURCES, UM, OF OTHER, OTHER ORGANIZATIONS, PARTICULARLY CAPITAL METRO, UM, AND CURRENTLY A TP SHARES SERVICES LIKE IT, AND ACCOUNTING AND HUMAN RESOURCES WITH CAPITAL METRO.

UM, THAT'S VERY BENEFICIAL FOR A COST AND EFFICIENCY STANDPOINT, AND LOTS OF ORGANIZATIONS DO IT, PARTICULARLY THOSE THAT ARE, UH, COLLABORATING CLOSELY TOGETHER.

UM, SOME OF THE CONFUSION AND UNCERTAINTY ABOUT THIS, UH, AUTONOMY ISSUE IS, IS RELATED TO THE FACT THAT A TP IS STILL AN ORGANIZATION THAT IS IN ITS STARTUP PHASE.

UM, BUT SOME OF THIS UNCERTAINTY AND, UH, INSTABILITY OVER ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES, UM, IS NOT SUSTAINABLE IN THE LONG RUN.

SO, REGARDLESS OF WHICH LEADERSHIP MODEL IS CHOSEN, THERE NEEDS TO BE A MUTUALLY AGREED UPON DEFINITION OF ADP ATP'S INDEPENDENCE,

[01:40:01]

AND A CLEAR DECISION ON HOW AUTONOMOUS A TP WILL BE FROM CAPITAL METRO.

KNOWS, UM, UM, WHAT, WHAT THE PROJECT IS DOING AND HOW IT WILL AFFECT THEM AND HOW THEY CAN GET INVOLVED.

UM, THE FOURTH ONE IS THAT THERE ARE SOME PRETTY SERIOUS MISUNDERSTANDINGS RELATED TO ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE CITY OF A TP AND CAPITAL METRO AND THEIR RESPECTIVE BOARDS.

UM, UH, THE FOLKS THAT WE TALKED TO HAD VERY DIFFERENT RESPONSES TO, UH, HOW, ON HOW ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES SHOULD BE DIVIDED AMONGST A TP CAPITAL METRO IN THE CITY.

UM, AGAIN, SOME OF THIS IS DEFINED IN THE JPA.

THERE'S, THERE'S A LOT OF ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES THAT ARE TICKED OFF IN THAT, THAT DOCUMENT, AND A LOT OF THAT IS, IS PRETTY WELL ESTABLISHED, MEMORIALIZED.

UM, BUT SOME OF THE, AND SOME OF THE CONFUSION OF THE REMAINING ITEMS IS UNDERSTANDABLE, GIVEN WHERE THE PROJECT IS IN ITS FACE.

UM, BUT THE UNRESOLVED AND UNCLEAR NATURE OF THESE, UM, THESE ITEMS REMAINS A PROJECT RISK OR PROGRAM RISK.

UM, AND SO THE, THE BASED, BASED ON INFORMATION AND ADVICE FROM EXTERNAL EXPERTS, UM, WE, WE REALLY LOOKED INTO THE, THE KIND OF THREE AREAS WHERE WE THINK THAT THERE NEEDS TO BE A LITTLE CLARIFICATION.

THE FIRST IS THE ROLE OF PLANNING, RIGHT? WHERE, UM, YOU KNOW, FOR EXAMPLE, WHERE ARE STATIONS LOCATED, UM, CAPITAL PROGRAMMING, HOW WE PRIORITIZE PROJECTS IN THE REGION, AND THEN INTERACTIONS WITH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WHO'S GOING TO PARTICULARLY APPLY FOR AND RECEIVE FEDERAL GRANTS AND LOANS, UM, BASED ON INFORMATION AND ADVICE.

UM, WE FEEL LIKE THAT ANY ONE OF THE ORGANIZATIONS COULD TECHNICALLY LEAD IT.

UM, PRACTICALLY SPEAKING, THERE ARE LIKELY LOGICAL LEADS BASED ON RISK, ACCOUNTABILITY, COLLABORATION AND EXPERIENCE.

UM, THIS ANALYSIS, UM, DOESN'T DELVE INTO THOSE ISSUES SPECIFICALLY, UM, 'CAUSE IT WAS NOT PART OF OUR, OUR, UM, OUR MAIN TASK.

BUT, UM, THEY WILL ALL INVOLVE CLOSE COLLABORATION BECAUSE EACH ONE OF THOSE DECISIONS AFFECTS THE OTHER PARTIES INVOLVED IN THIS PROJECT.

UM, AND SO WE CAN TALK ABOUT THAT A LITTLE BIT, BUT I, I JUST WANTED TO KIND OF CLARIFY THAT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT, UM, WHAT'S, WHAT'S MOST IMPORTANT IS THAT, AND THIS IS THROUGH OUR RESEARCH, MAKING SURE THAT EVERYONE AGREES ON THE ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES, UH, AND THAT THEY'RE CLEAR TO AGENCY STAFF AND LEADERS AND TO THE PUBLIC IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN DEFINING THOSE ROLES THEMSELVES.

UM, AND SO IT'S, IT'S GOING TO BE IMPORTANT THAT THE BOARD PARTICIPATE IN, UH, A JOINT SESSION WHERE WE CLARIFY THOSE KIND OF THINGS, EITHER THROUGH SOME KIND OF MOU OR OTHER, UH, PUBLIC DOCUMENT.

SO EVERYTHING IS FIRMED UP, AND THE BOARDS ALSO NEED TO BE OPEN TO ALTERING SOME OF THOSE DEFINED ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES IN THE FUTURE IF, UH, IF THE, THE PROGRAM WARRANTS A CHANGE.

UM, AND THEN FINALLY THERE, UH, ONCE THAT'S RESOLVED, THERE ARE SOME UNCLEAR ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES, UM, THAT STAKEHOLDERS MENTIONED, UM, AND DISTINCTIONS BETWEEN ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF STAFF AND BOARD MEMBERS.

UM, AND SO WE SUGGEST THAT ALL BOARD MEMBERS AND STAFF PARTICIPATE IN TRAINING AND DIFFERENTIATING THESE ROLES AND FIRMING THEM UP, UM, TO SERVE THE PROJECT WELL IN THE FUTURE.

UH, NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.

ALRIGHT, SO THIS IS OUR, OUR FIFTH AND LAST MAIN TAKEAWAY BEFORE WE GET INTO THE OPTIONS.

UM, SO, UH, SOME MEMBERS OF THE STAFF AND COMMUNITY ARE LOSING FAITH THAT, UH, THE VOICES ARE BEING HEARD AND KEY DECISIONS.

AND THIS WAS A, A CONVERSATION THAT CAME UP, UM, A LITTLE BIT AGO.

UM, YOU KNOW, THE, THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS OF AUSTIN, THEY WANT TO BE PART OF THE DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION OF PROJECT CONNECT.

THERE'S NO QUESTION ABOUT THAT.

UM, BUT THERE ARE A, THERE ARE, UM, A FEW THAT DON'T KNOW OR DON'T SEEM TO KNOW WHO IS IN CHARGE, WHO TO TALK TO, HOW THEY CAN GET INVOLVED.

UM, THE, THE DISCUSSIONS THAT WE TALKED TO REVOLVED AROUND ANTI DISPLACEMENT IN PARTICULAR, THERE'S A LOT OF CURIOSITY ABOUT HOW THAT MONEY'S GOING TO BE SPENT, AND A LOT OF, UM, UH, WANTING TO GET INVOLVED OR AT LEAST INFORMED, UM, ON, ON THAT ISSUE.

AND THEN THE SECOND IS ON THAT WE HEARD A LOT ABOUT IS ON BUS SERVICE.

UM, THERE'S A LOT OF CONCERN AMONGST THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS THAT PROJECT CONNECT IS TAKING PRECEDENCE OVER THE EXISTING BUS NETWORK, AND IT WILL BE NEGLECTED AS A RESULT.

THOSE EXPRESSING THIS CONCERN DO NOT HAVE CONFIDENCE THAT A JOINT LEADERSHIP MODEL WHERE A SINGLE PERSON MANAGES BOTH THE EXISTING BUS NETWORK AND ALSO PROJECT CONNECT, UM, CAN BE SUCCESSFUL.

WE DO NOT NECESSARILY AGREE WITH THIS ASSESSMENT.

UM, WE HAVEN'T EVALUATED THE BUS NETWORK, AND THERE ARE TONS OF EXAMPLES IN THIS COUNTRY OF A SINGLE LEADER AT A TRANSIT AGENCY MANAGING BOTH THE CAPITAL PROGRAM AND OPERATIONS DEPARTMENT.

BUT WHETHER THIS IS A REAL OR PERCEIVED CONCERN, UM, IT IS, UH, A MAJOR ONE THAT THAT'S, THAT COME UP A LOT.

UM, AND SO THIS IS WHERE A TP CAPITAL METRO AND THE CITY NEED TO INVEST MORE IN, IN-HOUSE PUBLIC OUTREACH PROFESSIONALS AND PROGRAMS, BUILDING ON A LOT OF THE GOOD STUFF THAT'S GOING ON ALREADY.

UM, AND COLLABORATIVELY WORKING TOGETHER ON A COORDINATED AND UNIFIED OUTREACH APPROACH SO THAT THE COMMUNITY

[01:45:01]

THIS ALSO, AND THIS IS AN IMPORTANT POINT, THIS NEEDS TO BE BALANCED WITH THE AGENCY'S ABILITY TO MAKE TOUGH DECISIONS, RIGHT? JUST BECAUSE WE LISTEN TO THE COMMUNITY DOESN'T MEAN THAT EVERY SINGLE THING NEEDS TO BOIL UP TO A BOARD ACTION, FOR EXAMPLE.

AND SO, UM, THAT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT, THAT NEEDS TO BE BALANCED, UM, WHEN WE'RE TALKING WITH COMMUNITY AND, AND STAKEHOLDER FEEDBACK.

OKAY, NEXT SLIDE.

SO WE EVALUATED THE LEADERSHIP MODELS USING, UH, SIX KEY FACTORS.

AND I'M GONNA GONNA GO THROUGH THIS, UH, RELATIVELY QUICKLY.

UM, LOOKING AT THE TIME HERE, UM, THERE'S A LOT MORE ON THIS IN THE PAPER, AND I ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO TAKE A CLOSE LOOK AND, AND READ SECTION FOUR IN PARTICULAR, UM, TO GET A GOOD SENSE OF, OF HOW WE, WE TALK THROUGH THESE.

UM, AND SO I'M JUST GONNA TICK THROUGH, UH, LET'S START WITH THE COORDINATION.

UM, WE SPENT A LOT OF TIME TALKING WITH, UM, LEADERS IN OTHER REGIONS THAT HAVE USED SPECIAL PURPOSE DELIVERY VEHICLES.

UM, MOST OF THEM HAD WISHED THAT THERE WAS SOME TYPE OF JOINT LEADERSHIP, UM, TO HELP, UH, WITH THE, THE COORDINATION.

UM, HAVING ONE LEADER NATURALLY HELPS COORDINATE OPERATIONS AND CAPITAL CONSTRUCTION STAFF ALLOWS ONE PERSON TO SPEAK FOR THE ENTIRE PROGRAM, UM, AND PROVIDES A SINGLE POINT OF CONTACT FOR COMMUNITY MEMBERS ALL THE WAY UP TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.

UM, AND SO THERE'S, THERE'S A LOT OF BENEFITS IN THAT AREA.

AND SO IF THE A TP BOARD IS GOING TO DECIDE WITH, UH, WITH SEPARATE LEADERSHIP, THERE HAS TO BE, UH, A VERY INTENTIONAL AND STRONG COLLABORATIVE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN BOTH EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS AND THEIR STAFFS CLEAR DECISION MAKING PROCESSES AND DISPUTE RE RESOLUTION MECHANISMS TO MAKE SURE THE PROJECT'S MOVING FORWARD, UM, IN, IN A POSITIVE DIRECTION.

UH, NUMBER TWO, UM, AND AGAIN, THESE ARE IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER, BUT, UM, WE'LL, WE'LL MOVE ON TO SYSTEM INTEGRATION AND OPERATIONAL READINESS.

UM, AGAIN, THERE'S A, A BENEFIT HERE TO HAVING SHARED LEADERSHIP TO ALIGN THE OPERATIONS TEAM WITH THE CAPITAL CONSTRUCTION TEAM, UM, UH, AND, AND BUILD ON THE NATURAL SYNERGY AND ACCOUNTABILITY AND COORDINATION THAT'S NEEDED TO MAKE THIS, UH, THE PROGRAM DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION DECISIONS, UM, WITH AN EYE TOWARDS OPERATIONAL READINESS.

THIS IS GONNA BE REALLY IMPORTANT.

UM, THIS IS THE SAME IF IT'S A SINGLE AGENCY, RIGHT? THIS NATURAL TENSION BETWEEN AN OPERATIONS DEPARTMENT AND A CAPITAL PROGRAM REALLY EXISTS IN EVERY SINGLE TRANSIT PROGRAM.

UM, BUT UNDER EITHER LEADERSHIP ARRANGEMENT, A TP AND CAPITAL METRO NEED TO ENTER INTO AN AGREEMENT THAT CLEARLY AND SPECIFICALLY OUTLINES CAPITAL METRO'S INVOLVEMENT IN DESIGN REVIEW, INSPECTION, UM, AND, AND PROVIDES A WAY TO, UH, CONDUCT OPERATIONAL HANDOVER.

NUMBER THREE IS ACCOUNTABILITY.

UM, WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT LEADERSHIP STRUCTURES WITH OTHER EXPERTS AROUND THE WORLD, THEY ALL AGREED THAT A SINGLE EXECUTIVE LEADER CAN EFFECTIVELY MANAGE THE DISPARATE RESPONSIBILITIES OF OPERATIONS AND OF THE CAPITAL PROGRAM.

UM, BUT WHEN WE TALKED TO THEM HOW A SINGLE, UH, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR HERE IN AUSTIN WOULD REPORT TO TWO DIFFERENT BOARDS, UM, THERE WAS MORE HESITATION, UM, WITH A LOT OF THEM SAYING THAT IT WOULD BE VERY DIFFICULT AND TIME CONSUMING FOR A SINGLE EXECUTIVE TO REPORT TO TWO INDEPENDENT BODIES.

UM, THE ONLY INSTANCE THAT WE CAME ACROSS OF TRUE SHARED EXECUTIVE INDEPENDENT TRANSPORTATION COMPANIES WAS IN COPENHAGEN, AS, AS ICK MENTIONED.

UM, BUT THERE, THE METRO COMPANY IS BY LAW, UH, THE SAME EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR.

UM, THERE'S A, UM, THE, THE LIGHT RAIL DOES HAVE AN INDEPENDENT BOARD THAT'S MAKING POLICY DECISIONS ON, UM, UH, PROGRAMMING AND PLANNING AND, AND IMPLEMENTATION.

UM, BUT THAT BOARD DOES NOT HAVE AUTHORITY OVER ITS SHARED EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP.

AND SO IT'S VERY CLEAR TO EVERYBODY IN THAT REGION HOW THINGS WORK.

UM, AND SO THE, THE RECOMMENDATION HERE IS IF THE SHARED LEADERSHIP MODEL IS KEPT, THERE'S GONNA NEED TO BE TRANSPARENCY ABOUT ROLES AND, UH, JURISDICTIONS FOR BOTH BOARDS OVER PROGRAM DECISIONS.

AND BOTH BOARDS SHOULD ESTABLISH A JOINT PERFORMANCE REVIEW PROCESS WITH CLEAR BENCHMARKS AND TARGETS FOR THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AND THEIR CAPACITY OVERSEEING BOTH ROLES AND PROJECT CONNECT.

THE FOURTH AREA, UM, TALKING ABOUT ORGANIZATIONAL PARTNERSHIP BALANCE OF POWER BETWEEN THE THREE MAJOR PARTIES INVOLVED WITH PROJECT CONNECT.

UM, THE QUESTION RAISED ABOUT BOARD ACCOUNTABILITY UNDER A SHARED LEADERSHIP MODEL WERE INDICATIVE OF A MUCH BROADER CONCERN ABOUT BALANCE OF POWER AND CONFLICTS BETWEEN, UH, PARTICULAR A TP AND CAPITAL METRO.

AND SO IF SHARED LEADERSHIP IS KEPT, UM, THERE NEEDS TO BE A CLEAR ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE, A CHAIN OF COMMAND AND MANAGERIAL SEPARATION BETWEEN THE AGENCIES, BUT ALSO STAKEHOLDERS NOTED THAT THE WORKING RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE CITY AND CAPITAL METRO HAS IMPROVED SIGNIFICANTLY OVER THE PAST TWO DECADES.

BUT ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THERE WILL ALWAYS BE, THERE WILL ALWAYS BE A NATURAL TENSION BETWEEN, UH, THE TWO, GIVEN THE CITY'S ROLE OF BALANCING THE ALL USERS IN THE RIGHT OF WAY.

UM, AND SOME, SOME STAKEHOLDERS WERE CONCERNED THAT THE CURRENT LEADERSHIP MODEL, EITHER IN APPEARANCE OR IN PRACTICE, COULD EXACERBATE

[01:50:01]

THIS TENSION.

AND SO, UM, THAT COORDINATION BETWEEN THE CITY AND CAPITAL METRO IN, IN PARTICULAR, NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED.

NUMBER FIVE IS PUBLIC PERCEPTION AND TRUST.

UM, AS, AS WE DISCUSSED, THERE'S SIGNIFICANT, UH, DIFFERENCES IN HOW AUSTIN STAKEHOLDERS VIEW ATP'S INTENDED INDEPENDENCE.

UM, BUT WHEN WE ASKED ABOUT THE CURRENT PERCEPTION OF ATP'S INDEPENDENCE, UM, WE GOT ALSO A BUNCH OF, UH, DIFFERENT RESPONSES.

UM, SOME FEELING THAT A TP WAS SUFFICIENTLY INDEPENDENT AS IT WAS, UM, GIVEN THE SEPARATE BOARD, WHILE OTHERS VIEWED THAT A TP WAS OPERATING TOO MUCH AS IF IT WAS AN EXTENSION OF CAPITAL METRO.

SOME OF THIS CONFUSION IS OF COURSE UNDERSTANDABLE GIVEN THE NEWNESS OF THE ORGANIZATION.

UM, UH, AND SO IT'S GONNA BE VERY, UH, IT'S ALSO CLEAR, RIGHT, THAT THIS IS DUE TO THE UNCLEAR NATURES AND, UH, ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF EACH PARTY.

UM, A FEW BOARD, A FEW INTERVIEWEES, SORRY, A FEW INTERVIEWEES FELT VERY STRONGLY THAT SHARED LEADERSHIP WOULD RESULT IN THE A TP BOARD BEING VIEWED AS A RUBBER STAMP OR CAPITAL METRO.

AND THAT UNDER A SHARED LEADERSHIP, UM, STRUCTURE, IT WOULD BE PERCEIVED AS A VIOLATION OF THE CONTRACT WITH THE VOTERS.

UM, AND, AND POTENTIALLY SOWING DOUBT ABOUT THE CREDIBILITY AND INDEPENDENCE OF A TP.

UM, WE DON'T NECESSARILY AGREE WITH THAT ASSESSMENT, BUT, AND IT'S ALSO UNCLEAR WHETHER THIS RISK WOULD MANIFEST ITSELF IN ACTUAL PROGRAM DELAYS, BUT IT IS SOMETHING TO CONSIDER.

UM, AND THEN FINALLY, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR RECRUIT RECRUITMENT.

SO, UM, THE IMMEDIATE SHORT-TERM IMPACT OF MOVING TOWARDS A SEPARATE LEADERSHIP MODEL WOULD BE THE NEED FOR A TP BOARD TO CONDUCT A SEARCH FOR A NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR.

UM, EVERYONE THAT WE TALKED TO SAID THAT THIS WOULD BE DE UH, THIS WOULD DEMAND A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF TIME, UM, AND, UH, FOR THE BOARD AND FOR THE STAFF, UM, PARTICULARLY WHEN PROJECT CONNECT IS ON AN AGGRESSIVE TIMELINE TO SEEK FEDERAL FUNDING AND, UH, HIT OTHER KEY MILESTONES.

UM, A FEW STAKEHOLDERS ARGUED THAT THIS MOVE WOULD BE DETRIMENTAL TO PROGRAM SCHEDULE, AND THERE WAS ALSO SOME SKEPTICISM THAT A TP BOARD WOULD BE ABLE TO FIND A SUITABLE CANDIDATE IN A TIMELY FASHION.

UM, AGAIN, WE DON'T NECESSARILY AGREE WITH THOSE, BUT THAT ARE, THOSE ARE SOME OF THE ASSESSMENTS THAT WE HEARD.

AND SO THE RECOMMENDATION IS THAT, UM, THE BOARD NEEDS TO KEEP THOSE PROJECT RISKS IN MIND AND, AND WORK PROACTIVELY TO MITIGATE THEM, UM, AND, AND PLAN FOR THEM ACCORDINGLY.

UM, A SEPARATE LEADERSHIP MODEL ALSO WILL REQUIRE THE BOARD AND STAFF TO DETERMINE THE QUALITIES THEY SEEK IN A NEW EXECUTIVE.

UM, AND THEY NEED TO DEVELOP A PROFILE FOR A NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR THAT ALIGNS WITH THE PROGRAM ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES THAT IS SET IN THE REGION AND OR I GUESS IS SET AMONG THE THREE PARTNERS.

UM, AND THEN FINALLY, IF A SHARED LEADERSHIP MODEL IS MAINTAINED, THE A TB BOARD NEEDS TO CONSIDER THE POSSIBILITY OF A FUTURE VACANCY, WHERE BOTH ORGANIZATIONS, UM, WOULD, WOULD BE NOT HAVE AN EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AND DETERMINE WHETHER A FUTURE TRANSITION TO A SEPARATE LEADERSHIP MODEL IS DESIRABLE, OR WHETHER THE SHARED LEADERSHIP MODEL IS INTENDED TO BE MAINTAINED THROUGHOUT THE PROGRAM.

OKAY, SO WE ANALYZED TWO DIFFERENT OPTIONS.

UM, THE STUFF YOU SEE ON THE SLIDE HERE IS, UM, A, A, A REPEAT OF A LOT OF WHAT WE JUST TALKED ABOUT WHEN WE WENT THROUGH OUR TWO, UH, OUR, OUR BROADER ANALYSIS.

AND SO THE, THE POINT OF THESE IS THAT IN ORDER FOR THE MODEL TO WORK, AND WE'LL HAVE ANOTHER SLIDE HERE, THE OPTION TWO, UM, THE, THE FOLLOWING ACTIONS NEED TO HAPPEN.

SO IF A TP BOARD DECIDES TO MAINTAIN THE CURRENT JOINT LEADERSHIP STRUCTURE, IT NEEDS TO DO THE FOLLOWING FOR THINGS THAT WE, WE JUST TALKED ABOUT, TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS MODEL CAN BE SUCCESSFUL, ESTABLISHING TRANSPARENT ROLES, UH, AND JURISDICTIONS ACROSS ALL BOARDS.

UM, CREATING CLEAR ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE, CHAIN OF COMMAND, CREATING A JOINT PERFORMANCE REVIEW, UM, WITH CLEAR BENCHMARKS.

UM, AND CONSIDERING THE POSSIBILITY OF FUTURE LEADERSHIP VACANCIES AND WHAT THAT WOULD LOOK LIKE FOR THE ORGANIZATION, THESE ARE GONNA BE REALLY IMPORTANT TO PROVIDE CLARITY AND A FOUNDATION FOR THIS MODEL TO BE SUCCESSFUL.

EXECUTIVE TO ENSURE A SMOOTH TRANSITION, DEVELOP A NEW PROFILE FOR THIS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AND ENSURE THAT CAPITAL METRO IS CLOSELY AND COLLABORATIVELY INVOLVED IN THE DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION PROCESS SO THE SERVICE CAN BE OPERATED WHEN IT'S READY.

ALRIGHT, THE OPTION TWO IS, UH, ESTABLISHING SEPARATE LEADERSHIP.

UM, IF THE A TP BOARD DECIDES TO GO IN THIS DIRECTION, WE HAVE FIVE RECOMMENDATIONS, UM, THAT WE TALKED ABOUT, UM, THAT ARE GONNA MAKE THIS ONE SUCCESSFUL.

UM, THE FIRST IS ESTABLISHING A STRONG AND COLLABORATIVE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN A TP AND CAPITAL METRO, IN PARTICULAR, UM, WITH, UH, WITH PROCEDURES AND PROCESSES IN PLACE TO MAKE, MAKE THOSE, UH, MAKE THAT COLLABORATION POSSIBLE.

UM, THEY HAVE TO MITIGATE AND PLAN FOR POTENTIAL DELAYS AND CHALLENGES IN RECRUITMENT.

UM, WORK WITH THE CURRENT

[01:55:01]

AND SO, AT THE END OF THE REPORT, WE ALSO HAVE NINE DIFFERENT RECOMMENDATIONS THAT NEED TO HAPPEN REGARDLESS, RIGHT? THESE ARE THINGS THAT ARE CRUCIALLY IMPORTANT NO MATTER WHAT LEADERSHIP STRUCTURE IS, UH, IS SELECTED SO THAT THE PROGRAM CAN THRIVE AND, AND MANAGE THE FUTURE CONFLICTS THAT ARE COMING ONCE WE START CONSTRUCTION.

UM, THE FIRST IS PARTICIPATING IN A JOINT SESSION WITH ALL THREE BOARDS TO TALK THROUGH AND AGREE UPON FINAL DECISIONS FOR ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES, SOME OF THOSE BIG HIGH LEVEL ONES THAT WE TALKED ABOUT, DOWN TO SOME OF THE SPECIFICS, UM, AND, AND ANY REMAINING UNCERTAINTIES.

UM, UH, FOLLOWING THAT, A TRAINING FOR BOARD MEMBERS AND STAFF TO ENSURE CLEAR DELINEATION BASED ON THOSE ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES, UM, BETWEEN STAFF AND BOARD MEMBERS.

UM, NUMBER THREE, ENSURING, UM, OR ESTABLISHING AN AGREEMENT THAT SPECIFICALLY OUTLINES THE INVOLVEMENT IN THINGS LIKE DESIGN REVIEW PROCESSES, UH, AND PROCESSES FOR RESOLVING DESIGN RELATED DISPUTES.

AGAIN, BASED ON WHAT THOSE, THOSE ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES ARE.

NUMBER FOUR, PROVIDING TRANSPARENCY ON HOW MAJOR PROGRAM DECISIONS ARE MADE TO ENSURE EVERYONE HAS CONFIDENCE IN THE LEADERSHIP OF A TP.

NUMBER FIVE, MUTUALLY AGREEING ON ATP'S INDEPENDENCE AND AUTONOMY.

UM, UH, NUMBER SIX, ESTABLISHING FORMAL WRITTEN PROCESSES, INFORMATION SHARING AGREEMENTS BETWEEN CAPITAL METRO, UM, AND THE CITY AND A TP.

BE WILLING TO SHARE THESE KEY DOCUMENTS AND INVITE FOLKS TO MEETINGS WHEN, UH, WHEN APPROPRIATE.

AND AGAIN, THIS ISN'T NECESSARILY MEANING THAT EVERYONE GETS TO MAKE THE DECISION BECAUSE WE'VE DEFINED THAT EARLIER IN STEP ONE HERE.

UM, BUT MAKING SURE THAT AT LEAST EVERYONE IS INFORMED ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON.

UM, NUMBER SEVEN, CLEAR PROCESS FOR EVALUATING SCOPE ADDITIONS AND EMPOWERING STAFF TO MAKE TOUGH DECISIONS, UM, ABOUT WHEN TO REJECT OR ACCEPT THOSE, UH, ADDITIONS.

NUMBER EIGHT, INVESTING IN MORE IN-HOUSE PUBLIC OUTREACH PROFESSIONAL PROGRAMS, BUILDING ON WHAT, WHAT YOU ALL HAVE ALREADY CREATED, WORKING COLLABORATIVELY WITH THE CITY CAPITAL METRO TO COORDINATE UNIFIED COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT EFFORTS.

UM, AND BALANCING THAT WITH THE, THIS, THE ABILITY TO MAKE QUICK AND DECISIVE ACTION TO MOVE THE PROJECT FORWARD.

AND THEN LAST, BUT CERTAINLY NOT LEAST, REMAINING RESPONSIVE TO THE COMMUNITY'S REAL CONCERNS ABOUT DISPLACEMENT AND TRANSPARENCY OVER, UH, FUNDING ALLOCATIONS AND MAJOR PROGRAM DECISIONS.

UM, SO IN CONCLUSION, IF THERE'S ANY, IF YOU'RE GONNA WALK AWAY WITH, WITH ANYTHING, THERE'S THE THREE POINTS ON THE SLIDE HERE, RIGHT? UM, WE DO STRONGLY BELIEVE THAT EITHER LEADERSHIP MODEL CAN WORK, BUT IT HAS TO BE INTENTIONAL AND SUPPORTED BY ACTIONS THAT WILL ENABLE IT TO BE SUCCESSFUL.

UM, FOLLOWING THE LEADERSHIP DECISION BY THE A TP BOARD, THERE NEEDS TO BE A COLLABORATIVE, TRANSPARENT, AND MUTUAL AGREEMENT ABOUT ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES, UM, FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE PROJECT.

UM, AND NOW IS THE TIME TO RESOLVE THESE OUTSTANDING GOVERNANCE ISSUES.

UM, THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO, THAT, THAT SHOULD, SHOULD GO ON.

UM, IT IS, IT IS THE RIGHT TIME IN THE PROGRAM AND, AND WE SHOULD DO IT DECISIVELY.

SO WITH THAT, WE'LL GO TO THE, THE LAST SLIDE HERE, WHICH IS JUST OUR QUESTION SLIDE.

AND EK AND ROB AND I ARE HERE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS ABOUT THE REPORT, UM, OR ANYTHING ELSE THAT, THAT YOU MAY HAVE.

YOU TO THE TEAM AND FOR ALL THE HARD WORK.

SO I'D LIKE TO FIRST RECOGNIZE, AGAIN, THE AMOUNT OF QUICK RESEARCH THAT YOU GUYS PUT TOGETHER, BECAUSE IT ALSO INVOLVED TRAVEL INVOLVED MEETING PEOPLE, UM, FACE TO FACE AND IN TOWN HALLS.

SO THANK YOU AGAIN FOR EVERYONE, UM, ESPECIALLY YOU ALL THREE FOR, FOR COMING.

SO I'D LIKE TO OPEN THIS FOR THE, FOR THE BOARD, BOARD MEMBER ELKINS, TURN THIS ON HERE.

UM, YOU KNOW, UM, PAUL ROMACK, AND, UH, ROBERT, THANK YOU FOR ALL THE GREAT WORK YOU DID.

UM, I THOUGHT IT WAS A VERY FAIR AND BALANCED REPORT, UM, AND I'M VERY FAMILIAR WITH YOUR ORGANIZATION, THE CREDIBILITY YOU BRING.

I THINK WE'RE VERY FORTUNATE TO HAVE YOUR EXPERTISE.

UM, ONE, ONE OF THE COMMENTS, NO PARTICULAR, I REALLY LIKE WHAT YOU SAID ABOUT ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES.

I, I THINK I HAVE BEEN PRETTY CLEAR THAT THAT'S ONE OF THE BIGGEST ISSUES IN THIS, UM, PROGRAM, THAT THE ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES AREN'T CLEAR.

AND IN ANY INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECT THAT I'VE WORKED ON, AND I'VE BEEN DOING THIS FOR MANY, MANY YEARS, IT'S, YOU SET UP WITH THE DOT, YOUR RACI CHART AND ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES, AND WHO'S ACCOUNTABLE, WHO COLLABORATES, WHO IS FORUMS THAT'S, THAT'S SET UP, UP UPFRONT.

SO THAT, UH, IS, IS A DEFICIENT AREA.

I'M GLAD TO SEE THAT YOU RECOMMENDED A KIND OF TRI-PARTY WORKSHOP TO MAKE

[02:00:01]

THAT CLEAR.

I THINK BEFORE WE DO THAT, WE REALLY NEED TO DEFINE WHAT INDEPENDENCE MEANS BEFORE YOU KIND OF FIGURE OUT ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES.

AND IF YOU ASK 10 PEOPLE, YOU'RE GONNA GET 10 DIFFERENT DEFINITIONS OF WHAT INDEPENDENCE IS.

WHAT WOULD BE YOUR RECOMMENDATION ON THE LEVEL OF INDEPENDENCE FOR A TP TO ENSURE THAT WE MEET EFFECTIVE DELIVERY OF THIS PROJECT? WHAT WOULD IT LOOK LIKE IN YOUR, IN YOUR MINDS? IS IT ON? OKAY.

ENCOURAGED THAT, FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, IT FELT LIKE THAT MANY OF THE THINGS THAT YOU ALL ADDRESSED, I FEEL LIKE THAT WE'RE AT LEAST BEGINNING TO WORK TOWARDS.

SO IT'S A GOOD QUESTION.

I THINK, YOU KNOW, THERE'S, IT'S, IT'S CLEAR FROM THE, UM, THE BALLOT LANGUAGE, THE ILA, THAT THERE, THERE IS SOME LEVEL OF INDEPENDENCE, BUT THERE'S ALSO A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF FLEXIBILITY, I THINK, IN HOW THAT IS DEFINED.

AND I THINK THAT'S A DISCUSSION FOR THE THREE MAIN PARTNERS TO HAVE.

UM, AND SPECIFICALLY WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES, UM, THAT THEY KIND OF GO HAND IN HAND, RIGHT? THE, THE INDEPENDENCE, UM, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE, IT'S NOT LIKE A TP IS GONNA BE OFF ON THEIR OWN, RIGHT? THIS IS A, A THREE PARTY, UH, PROJECT THAT'S GONNA REQUIRE CLOSE COLLABORATION.

UM, AND SO I, I THINK THAT'S WHERE, IN THOSE ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES, DEPENDING ON THE SPECIFIC ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITY, ALIGNING THAT UP AND UNDERSTANDING WHO HAS RESPONSIBILITY FOR WHAT I THINK IS REALLY WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO GET AT.

IF, IF I'M UNDERSTANDING THE QUESTION CORRECTLY.

YEAH, I MEAN, I, I TAKE A LOOK AT LIKE CROSS RAIL.

I LIKE CROSS RAILS.

IT'S AN INTERESTING EXAMPLE.

IT HAS A LOT OF SIMILARITIES TO A TP, HOW IT WAS SET UP.

WHAT THEY DID, THEY CREATED A JOINT SPONSOR BOARD WHERE THEY CREATED TWO, A SPECIAL BOARD TO OVERSEE ANY DESIGN CHANGES.

THERE WERE TWO BOARD MEMBERS FROM EACH OF THE ENTITIES.

UM, AND THAT WAS A WAY TO RESOLVE ANY DESIGN CHANGES, MATERIAL DESIGN CHANGES.

AND OTHER THAN THAT, THAT DELIVERY ENTITY IN CROSSROAD WAS, WAS CHARGED WITH DELIVERING THAT PROGRAM IN A COLLABORATIVE MANNER.

UH, WHAT, WHAT'S YOUR VIEW OF THE CROSSRAIL EXAMPLE AND, AND, AND THE APPLICABILITY TO A TP? YEAH, I MEAN, I THINK THERE'S SOME CLEAR DIFFERENCES, RIGHT? IT'S A VERY DIFFERENT, UM, RIGHT? THAT'S WHERE YOU HAD THE NATIONAL GOVERNMENT AND THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT INVOLVED IN DELIVERING A PROJECT, AND THEY JOINTLY OWNED AND, AND FILLED THE BOARD OF, OF THAT CROSS RAIL LIMITED.

UM, AND SO THERE WAS, THERE'S CLEAR, YOU KNOW, UH, LINES OF COMMUNICATION TO THOSE TWO SPONSORING ENTITIES.

UM, NOT TOO DISSIMILAR FROM A TP, BUT IT IS A DIFFERENT STRUCTURE.

UM, I THINK WHAT THERE'S, THERE'S CERTAINLY SOME, SOME INTERESTING THINGS.

THE, THE JOINT DESIGN REVIEW BOARD, WE DIDN'T LOOK INTO THAT, BUT THAT'S AN INTERESTING MODEL THAT YOU ALL SHOULD CONSIDER.

I THINK WHAT'S IMPORTANT IS WHAT MAKES SENSE FOR THE REGION.

AND SO IN, IN THAT JOINT MEETING, TALKING ABOUT THOSE KIND OF THINGS, BRINGING UP THOSE IDEAS WILL BE A REALLY IMPORTANT ASPECT, UM, AND FINDING WHAT WORKS FOR, FOR THE, UH, PROJECT CONNECT.

I CAN ANYBODY ELSE HAVE QUESTIONS? MEMBER STRATTON.

THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR.

UH, GENTLEMEN, I JUST WANNA THANK YOU FOR THE, UH, YOUR, YOUR TIME AND ENERGY AND RESOURCES THAT YOU PUT FORTH IN THIS ON SUCH A VERY COMPACT TIMETABLE TO PULL THIS OFF.

UM, IT, IT'S INTERESTING BECAUSE AS I WAS READING YOUR REPORT, AND I HAVE READ IT, UH, COVER TO COVER, AND AGAIN, APPRECIATE ALL THE ATTENTION TO DETAIL AND THOROUGHNESS THAT YOU'VE PROVIDED US, AND AN AWFUL LOT TO THINK ABOUT.

UM, AND, AND I APPRECIATE ALSO THAT, THAT YOU'VE GIVEN US SOME, UH, THAT YOU'VE, YOU'VE GIVEN US THE OPTIONS.

BUT NOT JUST THAT YOU SAY THAT REGARDLESS OF WHAT MODEL OF GOVERNANCE THAT THIS BOARD CHOOSES, UH, HERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT YOU BELIEVE AS EXPERTS IN THE INDUSTRY MUST HAPPEN EITHER WAY, THAT WHICHEVER MODEL WE CHOOSE, THESE ADDITIONAL THINGS MUST BE ADDRESSED.

AND EVEN BEYOND THAT, AS YOU SAY IN YOUR CONCLUDING SECTION, HERE ARE THESE OTHER NINE POINTS THAT, THAT YOU FEEL MUST BE ADDRESSED, ASSOCIATED WITH THIS.

UM, AS I WAS READING THE REPORT, I COULDN'T HELP BUT THINK BACK TO OUR, OUR, OUR MARCH 2ND MEETING AND, AND THE, THE WORK THAT, UH, UM, THAT IN PARTICULAR MAYOR ADLER PUT IN AT OUR PREVIOUS MEETING PRIOR TO THAT, WHEN HE TALKED ABOUT THE BUCKETS THAT WE WERE LOOKING AT AND, AND, AND THE WAY THAT WE COULD KIND OF LOOK AT RESOLVING OUR, OUR, UH, PROJECT, UH, DIFFERENCES AND SOME OF THE, UM, THE AREAS WHERE WE WERE STILL TRYING TO, TO WORK THROUGH, UH, CONCERNS AND OUTSTANDING ISSUES.

AND WE BROUGHT ALL THREE OF OUR BODIES TOGETHER, THE, THE, THE GOVERNING BODIES, THE CITY COUNCIL, CAP METRO, AND A TP BOARD TO, TO KIND OF WORK THROUGH THIS.

AND, UM, I HAD TO SAY THAT AS I WAS READING THAT, I, I FELT VERY

[02:05:01]

UM, I REALIZED THAT YOU WERE WRITING YOUR REPORT AT THAT POINT IN TIME AND, AND WE'RE PROBABLY RUNNING AROUND THE, THE WORLD INTERACTING WITH, UH, THE, THE OTHER TRANSIT IN, UH, TRANSIT, UH, AGENCIES AROUND THE WORLD.

BUT I WAS JUST WONDERING, DID YOU ALL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY AT ALL? AND, AND MAYBE YOU DIDN'T TO, TO SEE OUR, OUR MEETING FROM THE SECOND OR GET FEEDBACK ABOUT THAT.

AND, AND IF YOU THOUGHT THAT PERHAPS SOME OF THE, THE, UM, CONCEPTS THAT WERE RAISED THERE, THESE BUCKETS, THESE, AND, AND THE INTERACTIONS WITH STAFF THAT HAS BEGUN TO OCCUR AND THE WAY THAT WE'RE STARTING TO APPROACH THINGS HELPS KIND OF START TO ADDRESS SOME OF THE ITEMS THAT YOU'VE ALREADY RAISED IN YOUR REPORT TO A CERTAIN LEVEL, AT LEAST IN TERMS OF THE LARGER PICTURE ASSOCIATED WITH, WITH PROGRAM RISK ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES.

YEAH, I THINK THAT THE, THE MARCH 2ND MEETING WAS A GREAT EXAMPLE OF EXACTLY WHAT YOU'RE, WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.

AND REALLY DOES TALK TO, UM, A LOT OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE ADDRESSED HERE IN THE REPORT, BECAUSE THAT'S THE KIND OF CONVERSATION THAT YOU NEED TO HAVE IN THE REGION AT THIS TIME.

AND I KNOW IT SOUNDS SIMPLISTIC, I KNOW IT SOUNDS VERY OBVIOUS, BUT WHEN YOU LOOK AROUND THE COUNTRY AS WE DO ALL THE TIME, EVERY PLACE IS VERY DIFFERENT, RIGHT? THERE'S NOT, THERE'S NOT ONE IDENTICAL MODEL IN ALL THESE DIFFERENT PLACES.

SO FOR YOU TO WALK THROUGH THOSE THINGS FOR THE MAYOR TO KIND OF LAY OUT, WELL, HERE ARE THE BIG DECISION POINTS THAT NEED TO HAPPEN, AND HERE IS A PROCESS, OR AT LEAST KIND OF LAY OUT A PROCESS FOR DEALING WITH THOSE, IT'S EXACTLY THE RIGHT CONVERSATION.

SO IT WAS A GREAT MEETING.

UM, IT WAS VERY ENCOURAGING FOR US TO SEE, FOR SURE.

UM, AND WE HOPE SUCCESSFUL.

THANK YOU, MAYOR ADLER.

I ALSO THINK THIS WAS A, A REALLY GOOD REPORT.

UH, I THOUGHT IT WAS, UH, PRETTY COMPLETE.

AND I THOUGHT THAT, UH, IT REALLY LAID OUT THE PROS AND CONS OF THE TWO, UH, DIFFERENT OPTIONS.

UH, AND THAT'S WHAT YOU GUYS WERE ASKED TO DO.

I THINK YOU DID IT WELL.

I WANT TO THANK AGAIN, YOU CHAIR, UH, 'CAUSE I KNOW THAT, THAT YOU SPENT, UH, WORKING WITH CASEY, UH, I WASN'T SURE YOU WERE ACTUALLY GONNA BE ABLE TO GET US TO THIS PLACE BY THE END OF MARCH, UH, WHEN WE SET THIS OUT AS THE GOAL TO ACCOMPLISH LAST NOVEMBER IN A LOT OF WAYS, IT DIDN'T SEEM ENOUGH TIME TO GET FROM HERE TO, FROM THERE TO TO, TO HERE.

AND YOU DID A REALLY GOOD JOB OF DOING THAT.

AND I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR, FOR, FOR GETTING US TO THIS PLACE.

UM, YOU KNOW, IT WAS A DIFFICULT QUESTION WHEN WE WERE ALL LAYING IT OUT AND DISCUSSING IT LAST NOVEMBER.

UH, AND WE DIDN'T REALLY HAVE A COMMON LANGUAGE TO USE OR A, OR A WAY TO, TO REALLY PUT THE QUESTION INTO A BROADER PERSPECTIVE TO MAKE SURE PEOPLE WERE TALKING ABOUT THE SAME THING OR CONSIDERING THE SAME THING.

UH, IT'S PRETTY EVIDENT FROM YOUR REPORT THAT THERE WAS A REASON WHY THERE WAS NO REAL OBVIOUS CHOICE BACK IN NOVEMBER.

AND I THINK THAT'S BECAUSE THERE IS NO REAL OBVIOUS CHOICE.

SO HAVING GONE THROUGH THE PROCESS TO DETERMINE THAT, I THINK IS, IS REALLY HELPFUL.

UH, I THINK THE REAL, ONE OF THE REAL BENEFITS OF THIS IS WHERE YOU LAID OUT, REGARDLESS OF HOW YOU GO, THERE ARE CERTAIN THINGS THAT YOU NEED TO DO.

I THINK THAT'S GONNA BE REALLY HELPFUL FOR US, UH, MOVING FORWARD.

UH, AND IN SOME RESPECTS, I THINK THERE'S SOME, SOME PEACE IN KNOWING THAT EITHER ONE OF THESE OPTIONS CAN WORK.

UH, WE JUST HAVE TO BE, UH, UH, MINDFUL, UH, WHEN WE, WHEN WE, WHEN WE PICK ONE.

UH, UH, THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, I WOULD SAY THANK YOU FOR THE, FOR THE EMAIL THAT YOU SENT OUT TO ALL OF US A MONTH OR SO AGO WHERE YOU BASICALLY SAID THAT, UH, YOUR LOVE WAS FOR THIS PROJECT, WHICH I APPRECIATED.

IT'S FOR ALL OF US, AND THAT HOWEVER WE GO, YOU'RE GONNA, YOU'RE GONNA MAKE IT WORK TOO.

UH, AND I APPRECIATE, UH, I APPRECIATE THAT AND, AND REALLY CENTERING THE, THE PROJECT.

I'LL CONCLUDE WITH, IN CASE ANYBODY'S WATCHING THIS FROM THE COMMUNITY, I WOULD URGE EVERYBODY TO READ PAGE 31.

PAGE 31 IS THE DISCUSSION ABOUT THE WORD INDEPENDENCE IS THE QUESTION THAT, THAT TONY WENT TO.

UH, 'CAUSE I THINK THAT'S REAL IMPORTANT.

EVERYBODY KNOWS INDEPENDENCE IS REALLY IMPORTANT AND IT APPEARED IN THE BALLOT LANGUAGE.

UH, BUT I THINK THAT ONE OF THE REASONS WE'RE KIND OF WRESTLING WITH WHAT WE DO NOW IS THAT AS YOU FOUND OUT THAT THERE, THERE IS SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE IN

[02:10:01]

HOW INDEPENDENT A TP WAS INTENDED TO BE, AND EVEN WHAT PEOPLE MEANT BY INDEPENDENCE, THAT THERE'S NO AGREEMENT ON WHO IT IS.

WE WANT A TP TO BE INDEPENDENT FROM, UH, UH, AT A REALLY BASE LEVEL.

AND, AND, AND IN SOME RESPECTS, IT'S PROBABLY A LITTLE BIT INDEPENDENT FROM, FROM, FROM, FROM EVERYBODY.

SO I THINK THAT DISCUSSION IS REALLY GOOD BECAUSE I THINK THAT IT POINTS OUT THAT THIS IS NOT A SIMPLE ISSUE, AND THEN THAT NO ONE PERSON'S PERSPECTIVE IS NECESSARILY RIGHT, BECAUSE OUR DOCUMENTS DON'T, DON'T ANSWER THAT QUESTION, UH, WHICH MEANS THAT EVERY ONE OF US READING IT, IN FACT, EVERY ONE OF THE VOTERS READING IT AND THEN VOTING MAY HAVE HAD A DIFFERENT IDEA OF WHO THEY WANTED A TP TO BE INDEPENDENT FROM AND FOR FOR WHAT REASONS.

UH, YET I THINK WE HAVE TO DO OUR BEST TO DISCERN THAT AND, AND GIVE MEANING TO THAT, UH, IN A WAY THAT IS DELIBERATE.

AND THEN I THOUGHT THE CONVERSATION YOU HAD ON PAGE 31 ABOUT THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE WORD INDEPENDENCE AND THE WORD AUTONOMY, AND THAT MANY PEOPLE WERE USING THOSE TWO WORDS INTERCHANGEABLY, AND I REMEMBER THAT LAST NOVEMBER AS WELL, SOMETIMES GETTING CAUGHT UP IN THAT.

AND, UH, I DIDN'T REALIZE, I DIDN'T REALIZE THAT THAT WAS THE SENSE OF CONFUSION AS I WAS EXPERIENCING IT UNTIL I READ THE REPORT.

BUT I THINK THAT'S RIGHT, UH, AND THAT THEY'RE NOT NECESSARILY, UH, THE SAME WORDS AND THAT THEY CAN MEAN TWO, UH, VERY DIFFERENT THINGS, AND WE HAVE TO BE MINDFUL OF, OF BOTH.

SO I APPRECIATE THE, THE, THE, THE WORK THAT WAS DONE IN THIS.

AND I THINK THIS GIVES US KIND OF A, A COMMON GROUND AND A COMMON BASIS TO, TO MOVE FORWARD YOUR FINAL ADMONITION, WHICH IS, HEY, WHICHEVER WAY YOU GO, PICK ONE, DO WHAT'S NECESSARY TO MAKE IT WORK AND THEN MOVE FORWARD.

I THINK WE'RE GONNA SEE THAT IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF PROJECT CONNECT OVER THE NEXT 10, 15, 20 YEARS.

UH, THERE'S NOT ALWAYS GOING TO BE A PERFECT ANSWER AT ONE POINT IN TIME.

THERE'S NOT ALWAYS GOING TO BE AN INDICATED RIGHT ANSWER.

UH, BUT IN ORDER FOR A PROJECT LIKE THIS TO BE ABLE TO GET DONE AND TO MOVE FORWARD, THERE'S GOING TO HAVE TO BE DECISION MAKING THAT IS MADE WITH THE BEST AVAILABLE INFORMATION, A DECISION MADE, AND THEN MOVE ON.

UH, OR ELSE, UH, THE PROJECT, UH, BOND EXPERIENCE DOESN'T WORK COSTS WAY OVER BUDGET, DOESN'T MEAN IT JUST DOESN'T, DOESN'T MANAGE WELL.

SO, UM, I APPRECIATE THE REPORT AND, AND I THINK NOW WE HAVE TO DO OUR JOB, WHICH IS TO, YOU KNOW, TALK THROUGH IT AND PICK AND MAKE A DECISION TO MOVE FORWARD.

THANKS.

THANK YOU, MAYOR.

UM, ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? OH, YES, MEMBER.

OH, THANK YOU.

UM, I TOO WOULD LIKE TO ECHO WHAT THE MAYOR SAID ABOUT, UH, OUR CHAIR AND CASEY AND THE HARD WORK THAT THEY DID BEHIND THE SCENES.

I MEAN, IT'S, IT IS PROBABLY NOT APPARENT TO A LOT OF YOU, BUT THERE WAS A LOT OF WORK THAT BOTH CASEY AND VERONICA DID, UM, TO MAKE TODAY POSSIBLE AND NEXT, UH, MEETING POSSIBLE.

SO, UM, THANK YOU BOTH.

UM, I JUST HAVE ONE QUESTION.

ON PAGE 33, YOU TALKED ABOUT, UH, AND THIS HAS TO DO WITH THE DESIGNATED FEDERAL GRANT RECIPIENT.

IT SAYS HERE, CAPITAL METRO IS, AND THE KEY WORD I THINK IS ALREADY ESTABLISHED AS A DESIGNATED FEDERAL GRANT RECIPIENT.

AND I'M FOCUSING ON ALREADY, BECAUSE I DON'T THINK THAT'S A FIXED WORD.

I THINK WE ARE OPEN, AND I'M, I'M SPEAKING FOR THE REST OF THE BOARD HERE ON WHAT IS THE RIGHT ENTITY TO BE THE FEDERAL GRANT RECIPIENT.

SO MY QUESTION TO YOU IS, GIVEN WHAT YOU KNOW OF THIS PROGRAM AND ALL THAT AND YOUR EXPERIENCE WITH THE F FDA, A, WHAT DO YOU THINK THE RIGHT ENTITY SHOULD BE FOR THE FEDERAL GRANT RECIPIENT? IT'S A GOOD QUESTION.

UM, WE PUT THE WORD ALREADY IN BECAUSE THAT IS WHAT THE CURRENT AGREED.

RIGHT? YES.

AND THAT WAS LINED, OUTLINED IN THE JPA AND, AND EVERYTHING, UH, AS WELL.

UM, YOU KNOW, I, WHEN WE LOOKED AT OTHER ORGANIZATIONS, OTHER ENTITIES, WE TALKED TO OTHER FOLKS, UM, THEY DIDN'T SEEM TO INDICATE WHETHER IT WAS DEFINITIVELY ONE OR THE OTHER.

UM, AND I THINK WHAT MATTERS MORE, UH, IS THE CLARITY TO THE FEDERAL TRANSIT ADMINISTRATION, THE, UM, THE KIND OF THE ESTABLISHED INSTITUTION, RIGHT? I THINK, AND, AND AT THIS POINT, IT MAKES SENSE FOR CAPITAL METRO TO BE IN THAT ROLE BECAUSE THEY'VE ALREADY ESTABLISHED ITSELF AND A TP IS IN STARTUP MODE.

IF AT SOME POINT IN THE FUTURE, UH, IT MAKES SENSE FOR PROJECT CONNECT TO, TO SWITCH THAT ROLES.

MM-HMM.

, THAT IS SOMETHING THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, THE BOARD SHOULD BE OPEN TO AND, AND THE THREE PARTNERS SHOULD BE OPEN TO.

WE, WE SAY THAT IN THE REPORT, UM, WE SAW THAT IN, UH, WITH THE SILVER LINE

[02:15:01]

EXTENSION IN VIRGINIA.

UM, THEY'RE EXTENDING THE SILVER LINE AND HALFWAY THROUGH THE PROJECT, THE FEDERAL, UH, CIG PROJECT SPONSOR DID CHANGE.

RIGHT? UM, AND, AND THAT'S BECAUSE IT MADE SENSE FOR THE PROGRAM AT THAT MOMENT IN TIME.

UM, COULD, COULD YOU ADDRESS THE QUESTION ALSO FROM THE SENSE OF ISSUING DEBT AND FROM A BOND HOLDER'S PERSPECTIVE, RIGHT? SO WE HAVE THE DEDICATED TAX REVENUE HERE.

WE'RE GONNA BE ISSUING, UH, TIA DEBT, WE'RE GONNA BE ISSUING REVENUE BONDS.

UM, SO FROM A DEBT HOLDER'S PERSPECTIVE AND A FINANCING PERSPECTIVE, WOULD IT BE BETTER ONE WAY OR ANOTHER? BECAUSE IF THE MONEY'S GOING TO CAP METRO THAN PRESUMABLY THERE HAS TO BE SOME SORT OF AGREEMENT TO TRANSFER THAT BACK TO A TP.

HOW WOULD BOND HOLDERS AND FINANCIERS LOOK AT THAT? YEAH, SO IT, WE DIDN'T LOOK INTO THAT SPECIFICALLY.

SURE.

AS PART OF THIS REPORT, UM, IT'S CLEARLY AN IMPORTANT CONSIDERATION.

UM, WE ALSO THINK THAT IF, UM, IF IT'S CLEAR HOW THAT MONEY'S TRANSFERRED AND HOW, YOU KNOW, IT'S CLEAR, VERY CLEAR TO EVERYBODY, THEN THAT RISK IS, CAN BE MINIMIZED.

UM, BUT WE DIDN'T LOOK INTO THAT INTO DETAIL.

BUT BOTH, BOTH WALL STREET AND THE FT A HATE AMBIGUITY, RIGHT? RIGHT.

SO EVERY TIME EVERYBODY WE TALK TO, AND, AND A LOT OF THE RESEARCH WE'VE BEEN DOING, THE THIS, TO THE EXTENT THAT YOU CAN MINIMIZE THAT, THAT AMBIGUITY IS OBVIOUSLY BENEFICIAL FOR THE WHOLE PROJECT.

OF A, I GUESS, I GUESS THAT'D BE THE FIRST PART OF MY QUESTION IS WHAT, WHAT WOULD THE TIMEFRAME BE NORMALLY FOR, UM, AN EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF RECRUITMENT FOR A, A, A SPECIAL PURPOSE DELIVERY VEHICLE SUCH AS THIS? UM, AND I GUESS THAT KIND OF GOES BACK TO IN YOUR, IN YOUR RESEARCH WHEN THESE OTHER SP DVS WERE SET UP, UM, HOW LONG DID IT TAKE FOR THEM TO REALLY GET UP OFF THE GROUND AND GET THEIR SENIOR LEADERSHIP, GET AN EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR UP AND GOING? SO I GUESS THAT'S KIND OF, THOSE TWO ARE SORT OF RELATED QUESTIONS.

THE MICROPHONE.

OKAY, , THANK YOU.

WHO ELSE HAS ANY QUESTIONS? I'M TRYING TO LEAVE THE FLOOR FOR YOU ALSO, SINCE I WORKED DIRECTLY WITH, YOU KNOW, TO PUT THIS, TO BRING ALL THIS INFORMATION FORWARD.

I THINK I HAD A, A FIRST ROW SEAT AND A LITTLE BIT MORE INSIGHT COMING INTO THIS MEETING, BUT I REALLY LIKE TO BRING A COUPLE OF POINTS FORWARD.

AND YOU MENTIONED IT IN YOUR PRESENT, IN YOUR REPORT, BUT COULD YOU CLARIFY IF IN THE UNITED STATES DID YOU SEE EXAMPLES OF SPBS FOR SPECIAL PURPOSE DELIVERY, DELIVERY VEHICLE ENTITIES THAT HAVE SHARED LEADERSHIP? 'CAUSE YOU MENTIONED THE ONE IN EUROPE, BUT WHAT ABOUT THE UNITED STATES? YEAH.

UM, SO WE, WE LOOKED AT A BUNCH OF DIFFERENT PLACES.

THE UNITED STATES DOESN'T USE A LOT OF SPECIAL PURPOSE DELIVERED VEHICLES TO DELIVER PROJECTS.

SO WE'RE STARTING WITH A VERY SMALL SAMPLE SIZE.

UM, AND AMONG THE ONES THAT WE LOOKED AT AND, AND OTHERS THAT WE'VE LOOKED AT THROUGH OTHER RESEARCH, UM, WE DID NOT FIND ANY EXAMPLES OF, OF SHARED LEADERSHIP, UM, EXCEPT FOR THE, THE TWO THAT WE LOOKED AT ABROAD.

WELL, IN A SECOND PART OF THAT QUESTION, AND, AND I, AND IF YOU DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER, THAT'S OKAY, BUT I WAS THINKING IS COULD THERE BE A RELATIONSHIP OF THEIR ABILITY TO OBTAIN FEDERAL GRANTS AND, AND HAVING, UH, THE CLARITY OF ROLE AND DEFINITION, THE, THE CLARITY THAT IT REQUIRES FOR THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO HAVE, UM, THE LEADERSHIP OF AN ORGANIZATION, WHETHER THEY'RE MORE QUALIFIED TO RECEIVE FEDERAL GRANTS, IF THOSE DELINEATIONS ARE ESTABLISHED CLEARLY? YEAH, I MEAN, TO ROB'S POINT, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WANTS CLARITY.

MM-HMM, AND DOES NOT LIKE AMBIGUITY.

AND SO THAT'S WHY THE RECOMMENDATIONS, WHETHER, WHETHER WE GO WITH A SHARED LEADERSHIP MODEL OR A SEPARATE LEADERSHIP MODEL, THERE ARE CERTAIN THINGS THAT THE BOARD NEEDS TO DO TO SUPPORT THAT.

AND IF THOSE ARE IN PLACE, THEN I THINK THAT THAT EITHER ONE COULD WORK.

GREAT.

UH, THANK YOU.

UM, WHAT ELSE THERE HAS ANY QUESTIONS? I KNOW IT'S GONNA BE A LONG DAY, AND I'M SURE YOU WANNA PROBABLY BLOW SOME CANDLES MAY WITH YOUR CAKE, BUT, UM, IF THERE ARE NO FURTHER QUESTIONS, UM, I THINK WE'LL CHAIR YES, I I WOULD HAVE ONE, UM, IN, IN RELATION TO THE QUESTION OF EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR RECRUITMENT.

UM, IF, IF THE BOARD WERE TO MOVE IN DIRECTION OF GOING THAT, THAT SECOND OPTION, UM, AND I, I SAW IN THERE AND, AND APPRECIATED AGAIN, THE WAY THAT YOU, YOU, YOU KIND OF LAID OUT FOR THE BOARD SOME OF THE RESPONSIBILITIES AND SOME RECOMMENDATIONS THAT, THAT THE BOARD WOULD HAVE TO TAKE OWNERSHIP ON IN TERMS OF LIKE DELINEATING DEFINING WHAT QUALITIES WOULD NEED TO BE IN AN, IN AN EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, UM, DEFINING RELATIONSHIPS WITH CURRENT EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, KIND OF A TRANSITION PERIOD AS IT WERE FIGURING THAT OUT.

UM, IN YOUR CON I GUESS IN YOUR RESEARCH LITERATURE, CONVERSATIONS WITH OTHER EXECUTIVES, HOW LONG DO YOU THINK IT WOULD ACTUALLY TAKE TO GO ABOUT PRODUCING A A GETTING TO THAT TRUE TRANSITION POINT WHEREBY, YOU KNOW, FROM THE POINT IN TIME THAT IF THE BOARD WERE TO VOTE, YOU KNOW, OKAY, YEAH, WE WANTED TO DO THAT TO GOING THROUGH, UH, DETERMINATION OF HERE ARE THE CHARACTERISTICS, DOING A, A COMMUNITY PROCESS, DOING A RECRUITMENT PROCESS, AND, YOU KNOW, DO, DO YOU BELIEVE THAT THERE WOULD BE A, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, ANY KIND

[02:20:01]

IT'S SO IT'S A, THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION.

IT'S, IT'S A GOOD ONE.

UM, WE DIDN'T SPECIFICALLY ASK HOW LONG IT TOOK.

UM, AND I THINK PART OF THAT IS BECAUSE EACH ORGANIZATION WAS CREATED IN DIFFERENT WAYS, RIGHT? SO IF YOU LOOK AT THE EXAMPLE OF, UH, SANDAG, RIGHT, THAT WAS AN EXISTING INSTITUTION THAT THEY HANDED OVER CAPITAL PROGRAM DECISIONS TO, UM, THAT ALREADY EXISTED, RIGHT? SO SOME, A LOT OF THEM DIDN'T NECESSARILY HAVE THE STARTUP COSTS.

UM, THERE WERE, UM, SOME, SOME STARTUP COSTS AND AND TIME ASSOCIATED WITH THE CAPITAL CONSTRUCTION AUTHORITIES IN LOS ANGELES.

UM, I DON'T RECALL EXACTLY HOW LONG THAT TOOK.

UM, BUT AGAIN, IT, THAT'S A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT THAN A TP BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE THE SAME, UM, FINANCING ROLES, RIGHT? THAT'S WHERE, UH, LA METRO WAS REIMBURSING THEM FOR PROJECT EXPENSES RATHER THAN, UM, DOING THE FINANCING BY THEMSELVES.

SO I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY HOW LONG IT WOULD TAKE, AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, IT, IT COULD VARY.

UM, SO I THINK THAT TRANSITION TIME, AGAIN, OUR RECOMMENDATIONS REALLY POINT TO WORKING WITH THE CURRENT EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR TO MAKE SURE IT'S A SMOOTH ONE, UM, TO WORKING QUICKLY TO DEFINE THE ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES AND THEN BUILDING A EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR PROFILE BASED ON THAT.

UM, AND THEN, AND THEN MOVING FORWARD WITH THAT, UM, AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE TO MITIGATE ANY POTENTIAL IMPACTS THAT WOULD HAVE ON PROJECT DELAYS.

I DUNNO IF EITHER OF YOU HAVE ANYTHING ELSE THAT I, HOPEFULLY THAT ANSWERED SOME OF YOUR QUESTIONS.

YEAH, THANK YOU.

THANK, THANK YOU.

IF THERE, UH, NO FURTHER QUESTIONS, I MEAN, I THINK, YOU KNOW, BACK TO YOUR POINT, UH, BOARD MEMBER STRATTON IN TERMS OF EXECUTIVE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, YOU ALSO MENTIONED IN YOUR REPORT THAT, UM, THE RECRUITMENT OF HAVING A SINGLE PERSON MANAGE BOTH COULD BE ALSO BE VERY DIFFICULT IN THE FUTURE.

AND THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT, THAT YOU POINTED OUT.

UM, SO JUST FOR, FOR CONTEXT, UM, AND UM, SO IF THERE ARE NO OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS, UM, I LIKE TO CALL THIS, UM, AGAIN, THE BOARD IS

[7. Executive Session]

GOING TO THEN GO ON TO EXECUTIVE SESSION AND WE REALLY APPRECIATE ALL YOUR HARD WORK.

THANK YOU AGAIN.

UM, SO NOW THE AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP BOARD OF DIRECTORS WILL NOW ENTER EXECUTIVE SESSION UNDER SECTIONS 5 5 1 0.071 AND 5 5 1 0.074 OF THE TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE.

AND THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR YOUR PATIENCE, AND WE'LL SEE YOU IN A LITTLE BIT.

SO WE'RE GOOD TO GO.

SO, UM, SO THIS CONCLUDES THE AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING.

WE ARE NOW OUT OF EXECUTIVE SESSION AND THE TIME IS 7 43 AND THE MEETING IS ADJOURNED.

THANK YOU FOR EVERYONE THAT TUNED IN.