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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2013-08-05 Government Operations Committee Minutes Government Operations Committee Monday, August 5, 2013 5:00 p.m. City Council Chambers MINUTES Council Members: Baldacci, Blanchette, Civiello, Longo, Durgin, Nealley, Gallant, Sprague Staff: Farrar, Conlow, Linscott Others: Don Cooper, Media, Tom Crikelair 1. Community Connector/Odlin Road Bus Route – Review of Public Comments and Discussion of Proposed Route Discontinuance. Several Councilors have expressed a desire to revisit the previous decision to cease operation of that route on September 1, 2013. The net cost to operate the route is approximately $2,000 a month. Funding for two months of service (July and August) was included in the approved FY 2014 budget. The cost to reinstate the route for the remaining 10 months of FY 2014 is approximately $20,000. Assistant City Manager Farrar stated that after the decision to cease the Odlin Bus st Route on September 1, there was a public hearing held regarding this issue. Many of the public either attended or send word of their opinions. One business came forward on this route that offered $2,000 toward keeping the route open. Before taking action to see if any other donors are willing to help fund the route we wanted to see if the committee has ideas, concerns, etc. Staff spoke of needing an order to allow solicitation for this fund. Councilor Longo added that he was at the public hearing as well as rode this route and the stories he’d heard have been heartfelt. Assistant City Manager Farrar, also spoke of the change in funding for public st transportation by the State. Penquis Cap as of August 1, is purchasing significantly fewer monthly passes, hence the lower revenue. This is an issue in addition to Odlin Road. Discussion of numbers in regards to the Odlin Route. It is the route with the least number of riders, but no less important then others. Is it fiscally responsible to keep the route open if we can’t get donors to cover most costs? Could other routes that are not being utilized totally be cut down a bit to help spread the money around? Councilor Baldacci proposed to authorize the creation of a fund so donations can be accepted and to keep the route open for 2 months while donation efforts get off the ground. Councilors discussed different ideas of what could be done to save this route. Councilor Longo moved to set up an account to solicit and accept funds as private donations to go into keeping the Odlin Route extension running. Councilor Blanchette seconded and it was approved. 2. Update from Crikelair and Associates, Transit Consultant, regarding Community Connector Hub Study. Crikelair and Associates were engaged to perform a study of the transit hub at Pickering Square and alternative sites. The Consultant has completed a portion of the work, and would like to update the Committee. Draft Chapters 1-6 of the study will be provided separately with Councilor’s weekly packets due to their length. The Consultant will be seeking Committee input on Chapter 6, Preliminary Review of Candidate Sites. Assistant City Manager Farrar introduced Tom Crikelair who is the Transit Hub Consultant. Crikelair wanted to go through some chapters of the study so he can be sure they are on the right path of their short list of what could be potentially done in regards to the hub. The study’s purpose is to see if Pickering Square is the best option or are there other possibilities. Crikelair stated what they had found in regards to different sites and Pickering Square. They feel that buses at Pickering Square should be reduced to 5 buses or so and moving them to Water Street; it would still be at Pickering Square minus the confusion in front of the garage. First there needs to be a reduction in the number of buses at the hub at one time. This will allow vehicles to flow freely through there. Crikelair spelled out all the options that they have come across in regards to different candidate sites but still feels that rearranging Pickering Square is still the City’s best option. He discussed changing routes and making them more usable to more potential riders by intermingling routes. Councilor Gallant asked why he had been told all along that the hub and spoke system is the best, not an intermingled system. Crikelair stated that it is the most inexpensive, not necessarily the best system. There is a need to decrease transfers as much as possible because customers do not like that. Councilor Baldacci asked for hard numbers for the top 4 or 5 sites to make an educated decision. Can Crikelair come back in 30 days with a strong recommendation with a fiscal impact out of the top 4? (Pickering Square, Water Street, Airport Hub, Quirk Property). Crikelair responded that he can return to the Committee later in the fall with the requested information on the top four potential sites.