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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1994-12-15 Work Session Jl""" ,.-MINUTES OF WORK SESSION, DECEMBER ,15, .1994.. TRANSPORTATION DEVELOPMENT PLAN PAGE'.U.6 ASSEMBLY The New Hanover County Board of Commissioners held a Work Session on Thursday, December 15, 1994, at 10:15 A.M. in Room 501 of the County Administration Building, 320 Chestnut Street, Wilmington, North Carolina. Members present were: Commissioners William A. Caster; William E. Sisson, Jr.; Vice-Chairman E. L. Mathews, Jr.; Chairman ~ Robert G. Greer; Deputy County Manager Andrew Atkinson; Assistant ~ County Manager Dave Weaver; and Deputy Clerk to the Board, Teresa P. Elmore. Commissioner Sandra Barone was absent. Chairman Greer called the Work Session to order and announced the purpose of the meeting is to hear a presentation on the New Hanover County Transportation Development Plan by the Human Services Transportation Advisory Board. Members present were: Chairman Richard Gerrish, Department of Social Services; Secretary Annette Crumpton, Department of Aging; Barbara Graham, Girls, Inc.; Cheryl Hoffman, Department of Aging; and Ophelia Brown, Department of Social Services; and Commissioner William E. Sisson, Jr. TRANSPORTATION DEVELOPMENT PLAN PRESENTATION Mr. Richard Gerrish gave a brief history of the County's coordinated human service transportation system that began September 24, 1990. The system was established to provide a much needed service to clients of human service agencies and the elderly and disabled residents of the county. The agencies involved were the Department of Aging, Department of Social Services, Health Department, Girls Club, and Southeastern Center for Mental Health. It was operated by a contractual agreement with a private provider, CTS (currently known as Mayflower). Each agency brought vehicular resources to the group - four vans from Southeastern Center, two vans from the Girls Club, and one van each from Elderhaus and the Department of Aging. Initially, a non-profit corporation was established to oversee the activities. This group was abolished and an advisory board was formed to provide input and guidance to the operation for the Board of County Commissioners. The operator of the program provided the management of the day-to- day operation and vehicle maintenance activities of the transportation services. Current participating agencies include: Association for Retarded Children, Girls, Inc., Health Department, Department of Aging, Department of Social Services, Disabled Transportation Assistance Program administered by the County Manager's Office, and various nursing homes. with the new ruling that requires nursing and domiciliary homes to provide or arrange transportation for medicaid recipients in their facility, it is anticipated that more nursing homes will use the County's transportation system. Mrs. Annette Crumpton gave an overview of the current system. She reported fourteen vehicles (eight with lift equipment) provide transportation for 5,458 clients. The clients are from the JOBS program and medicaid recipients at DSS, the elderly and handicapped clients of the Department of Aging, after school pickup for Girls, Inc., and medical transportation services for nursing home facilities. In FY 1993-94, the programs generated 171,320 miles with 106,738 trips, which included 38,821 bus tickets. The County pays WTA for the bus tickets which are dispersed for medicaid appointments, mental health clients, and the JOBS program. The JOBS program provides transportation for on the job training and to the job for a period of time; and tickets are usually issued for a month'at a time. Medicaid or mental health clients are issued tickets for a week or two at a time. Mrs. Crumpton reported Mayflower charges the county an average cost of $1.13 per mile with the average trip costing $3.70. When a van is not available, a taxi provides the transportation at the rate of $5.00. A coordinator of an agency schedules the van pickup with Mayflower when individuals need transportation. The service .... e e e e e I: ::~ "Ill :(1.':-, ' M~NUT&S OF WORK SESSION, DECEMBER 15, 1994,. TRANSPORTATION DEVELOPMENT PLAN PAGE '4'17 is provided from the curbing of the home to the curbing of the destination. A forty-eight hour notice is required, but clients on a prescription schedule, such as dialysis, are handled routinely. Mayflower has been very responsive in coordinating transportation. Mrs. Crumpton reported the revenues for the program include $326,466 from the federal government, $112,513 from state government, $160,587 from the county, and $29,244 from other agencies, such as Girls, Inc. and nursing homes. Title III, Title XIX - Medicaid, section 18 Funds, state Transportation Assistance Program and the JOBS program are the primary program sources for the federal and state funding. This year the County will receive $18,289 in new funding to provide general public ridership. It was pointed out that the County is receiving a great benefit for a program that cost $628,810, with the County's contribution being 25.5% of the funding. Ms. Patricia Melvin briefed the Commissioners on the Transportation Development Plan Update submitted by Urbitran Associates, Inc. The consultants gave recommendations for improving the level of service for the transportation system. Major objectives are to utilize the vehicles more productively, to increase outreach and marketing in general, and to coordinate services with the Wilmington Transit Authority. The consultants have recommended a full-time transportation program coordinator to facilitate the program. However, the Transportation Advisory Board would like to delay hiring the position for two to three years because of the additional funding required. The minimum wage for the position is $27,000, which does not include benefits. Also, the Plan Update recommends the purchase of two vehicles a year for the next four years to handle the anticipated increase in the elderly population. The Transportation Advisory Board is requesting the purchase of two center-aisle vehicles. The County will be required to pay a match amount of approximately $10,000 plus the cost of tags and registration. To increase the ridership, the Transportation Advisory Board has approached other agencies and nursing homes. Outside agencies, who have contracts with the County, are required to purchase transportation services through the County's transportation system when possible. The Advisory Board's goal is to bring in two new agencies per year. Mr. Bob Quinn, Coastal Rehab Center, is considering using the services of the transportation system. Also, some discussion has been made with WTA concerning coordination of services. Ms. Melvin explained in order for the County to continue receiving federal funds (Section 18) for the transportation system, the county needs to provide a general ridership program for the unincorporated areas of the county. The County's new allocation of $18,289 can be used to implement this program. In the review process, the Transportation Advisory Board determined two areas of the County to be of major concern: the Carolina Beach area and the Castle Hayne/Rock Hill community. The potential cost of $20.00 for one-way service was considered too expensive to provide the service for the Carolina Beach area. A rider's portion of the cost would be $5.00. The service would provide transportation to the closest WTA bus stop in Wilmington. The Castle Hayne/Rock Hill community has two transportation system vans picking up clients on every weekday. Other clients could be picked up at a specified point instead of their homes and transported to WTA bus stops at the Kerr Avenue and Market Street location and the Princess Place Drive and Twenty-third Street location. It was confirmed that 60% of the administrative funds could be used to subsidize the cost of the general public service. The client would pay $2.00 per one-way trip while the funding would pay $3.00 per one-way trip to Mayflower. The pilot program can be expanded in future years. The Transportation Advisory Board felt ';I. of.: ~ .M'I.NUTES OF WORK SESSION, DECEMBER'15, 1994". TRANSPORTATION DEVELOPMENT PLAN PAGE..4'li& it was more cost effective and efficient to provide general public transportation services for the Castle Hayne/Rock Hill community. Ms. Melvin requested the Commissioners to authorize the Transportation Advisory Board to proceed with expanding the general public ridership in the Castle Hayne/Rock Hill community. In order to meet the Section 18 application filing deadline of January 13, 1995, a public hearing needs to be scheduled for the Regular Board Meeting on January 3, 1995. o Ms. Melvin informed the Commissioners that the contract with Mayflower/CTS expired one year ago and has been extended a couple of times to provide more time for the consultant to gather data to determine the needs of the system. The Transportation Advisory Board is wanting to prepare bid proposals for a service provider for the transportation system to begin July 1, 1995. Upon approval by the Commissioners, the Transportation Advisory Board will solicit bid proposals, review and evaluate the bids; and contract with a provider of services by July 1, 1995. In further discussion, Ms. Graham answered Commissioner Caster's questions regarding Girls, Inc. She explained the transportation system provides after school pickup at thirteen school locations for 86 students. The students are brought to the center at 15th and Castle Streets for after-school care and enrichment programs. The transportation system allows the staff at Girls, Inc. to have better productivity in working with students. /' In conclusion, Ms. Melvin answered questions on the procedure by the County to purchase vans and then to contract the serv~ces. She explained the private operator is not eligible' to obtain Section 18 capital. with the cost of the vehicles at $18,500 each, $27,000 for lift equipped, an operator could not provide the service at a reasonable price. The cost of vehicles is not included in the fee for providing the service. Maintenance and insurance costs are paid by the operator. o Consensus: After discussion of meeting the filing deadline of January 13, 1995, for a Section 18 application, it was the consensus of the Board of County Commissioners to proceed with the general public ridership program and schedule a public hearing on January 3, 1995. At that time, the Board will also consider adoption of the Transportation Development Plan Update. The Board endorsed the Transportation Advisory Board's efforts to continue expanding the program with WTA and other human service agencies and to prepare the request for bid proposals for a service provider. Vice-Chairman Mathews suggested special efforts be made to provide transportation for individuals desiring to comment at the public hearings. Mrs. Crumpton expressed appreciation to the Board for the commitment by the county for the transportation system. The Department of Aging is able to serve more clients and to serve them more efficiently with the number of vans available through the New Hanover Human Services Transportation System. ADJOURNMENT Chairman Greer expressed appreciation to the Transportation Advisory Board for an excellent presentation and adjourn~d the meeting at 11:25 A.M. o Respectfully submitted, ~~fJ~ Teresa P. Elmore Deputy Clerk to the Board