Regular Harbor Transit Multi Modal Transportation System (HTMMTS) Board Meeting Minutes
January 24, 2024
Grand Haven Township
1. Meeting Called to Order by President Craig Bessinger at 4:30 p.m.
2. Roll Call
Present: Craig Bessinger, Bill Cargo, Bill Cate, Bill Cousins, Gordon Gallagher, Deanna McIntyre, Cathy Pavick, & Will Whittemore
Absent: Ashley Latch, Kevin McLaughlin, & Joel TePastte
Also Present: Dana Appel, Finance and Compliance Director; Scott Borg, HTMMTS Director; Tom Burghardt, Operations Supervisor; Andrea Dumbrell, Human Resources Director; Annelise Walker, Marketing Coordinator; & Brian Woline, Finance Supervisor.
3. Approval of Nov. 15 2023 HTMMTS Board Meeting Minutes
Motion by Cargo, second by Gallagher to approve the minutes of the Nov. 15, 2023 Meeting Minutes. Motion carried.
4. Additions/Corrections to the Agenda.
Borg presented two additions to the agenda: Item 7c, Title VI, Program & Procedures, 2024; & Item 7d, Discussion/Action on Bank Signature Authorizations.
Motion by Cargo, second by Gallagher to approve additions to the agenda. Motion carried.
5. Public Hearing:
Opened by Bessinger at 4:31 PM. No public comments. Closed at 4:32 PM.
6. General Business/Call to Audience:
One resident shared a complaint about the availability of HTMMTS buses since the inception of the “Lakeshore Go” dispatch app. His children require transportation from their school in a Grand Haven Area Public Schools district to their home in Spring Lake. Since “Lakeshore Go” was implanted his children often have to wait up to an hour for a ride. There were no such problems before the new system was implemented.
7. Consideration for Approval of Consent Agenda
a. Discussion/action on Payable Warrants
b. Receive/file Financial Statements
c. Discussion/action on Title VI, Program & Procedures, 2024;
d. Discussion/action Bank Signature Authorizations to add Woline as an authorized signer of bank transactions
Motion by Cargo, second by Gallagher to approve the consent agenda. Motion carried.
8. New Business
a. Discussion/action Final FY Budget for 2024-25.
Motion by Cargo, second by McIntyre to approve the Final FY 2024-25 Budget as presented by Appel. Motion carried.
b. Discussion/action of 2024-25 Fee Schedule.
Motion by Cargo, second by McIntyre to approve the 2024-25 Fee Schedule as presented by Walker. Motion carried.
c. Discussion/action of 2024-25 Uniform Millage Rate Determination at .60 mills.
Motion by Cargo, second by Cousins to approve with Headlee Rollback at .60 mills per each municipality. Motion carried.
d. Discussion/action on the 2024-25 Resolution of Intent (due to MDOT by Feb 1, 2024.)
Motion by Cargo, second by Pavich to approve the 2024-25 Resolution of Intent as presented by Appel, Motion carried.
e. Discussion/action on 2024-25 Contract Clauses Certification
Motion by Cargo, second by Gallagher to approve. Motion carried.
f. Discussion/action on Emergency Purchase for Facility Makeup Air Unit.
Borg reported that the current unit either needs to be replaced at a cost of over $38,500 or repaired for $7,300. Motion by Gallagher, second by Pavich to approve repairs. Motion carried.
g. Discussion/action on Propane Contract.
Borg reported that Wesco submitted the lowest bid at $1.14/pound. Motion by Cousins, second by McIntyre to approve. Motion carried.
h. Discussion/review of the Local Advisory Council Minutes of 11/15/2023.
Motion by Gallagher, second by Cousins to receive the minutes. Motion carried.
i. Discussion/action of Hard Caps Resolution No. 2024-0124.
Motion by Cargo, second by Whittemore to approve as presented by Dumbrell. Motion carried.
j. Discussion/action on MDOT/West Plan/HTMMTS MOU.
Motion by Cargo, second by Gallagher to approve the Memorandum of Understanding between MDOT, West Michigan Metropolitan Planning Program & Harbor Transit as presented by Borg. Motion carried.
9. Reports
a. Marketing: Walker reported on current public education initiatives regarding the introduction of the Lakeshore Go app. She also highlighted significant increases in HTMMTS website traffic during the last two months of 2023.
b. Operations: Borg presented statistics on ridership as of the end of 2023. Total ridership is trending up, but is well behind pre-COVID pandemic statistics. On- time performance was at 98% or higher all year and no-shows are trending downwards, which he attributes to the new Lakeshore Go app. There was one crash, no injuries, and one vehicle road call since the last meeting.
c. Transportation: Borg reported on the successful implementation of the VIA Dispatch software and the Lakeshore Go app. HTMMTS has experienced a 20% drop in ridership since the return to fares, but that riders are making better use of their rides since they have to pay each time. The environmental NEPA Study for the new property is expected to be complete by late summer of 2024. HTMMTS is anticipating the arrival of three new buses, which have been on order since March 2021, by March 2024.
10. Board Member Comments
• McIntyre reported that Momentum clients are learning and liking the Lakeshore Go app.
11. Adjournment
Meeting adjourned by Bessinger at 5:15 PM.
The next regularly scheduled meeting is Mar 27, 2024, at Spring Lake Township, 102 W. Savidge St., Spring Lake, MI 49456.