1994-12-15 Work Session
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,.-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
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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
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.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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Respectfully submitted,
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Teresa P. Elmore
Deputy Clerk to the Board