[00:00:02]
GOOD MORNING. GOOD MORNING. IF WE CAN HAVE EVERYONE TAKE A SEAT SO THAT WE CAN
[1. Call to Order and Pledge]
GET STARTED, WE CAN SEE IF WE HAVE A QUORUM. MADAM CHAIR, WE DO HAVE A QUORUM.WE DO HAVE A QUORUM. OKAY. WONDERFUL. THIS MEETING IS CALLED TO ORDER.
MADAM CHAIR, THE MEMBERS NEED TO COME TO THE CHAIR SO WE CAN DO ELECTRONIC ROLL CALL.
WE'RE GOING TO DO THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE FIRST.
IF EVERYONE WILL PLEASE STAND. COMMISSIONER ROGERS, WOULD YOU LIKE TO LEAD US? PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG. THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS? ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
THANK YOU FOR THAT, COMMISSIONER ROGERS. OKAY.
[2. Electronic Roll Call]
CAN WE HAVE AN ELECTRONIC ROLL CALL? GOOD MORNING EVERYONE. REBECCA SCHULZ AT MPO.OVER HERE IN THE CORNER. PLEASE MAKE SURE TO PRESS THE PRESENT.
THOSE WHO ARE HERE IN THIS ROOM, PLEASE PRESS PRESENT ON YOUR SCREEN.
BOTTOM LEFT HAND CORNER. FOR THOSE THAT ARE ONLINE.
STAFF AND MYSELF AND OUR GENERAL COUNSEL ARE ALSO KEEPING TRACK OF YOUR ATTENDANCE VIRTUALLY.
AND YOU WILL BE ADDED INTO THE VOTING SYSTEM AFTER THE MEETING IS CONCLUDED.
THE CURRENT MEMBERS THAT WE HAVE VIRTUALLY ONLINE ARE.
ALLEN. MEMBER. COOPER. PER MEMBER. HARTMANN. MEMBER.
ESCUDO. MEMBER. SORENSEN. FOR MEMBERS. AND MEMBER FIVE. OKAY. AND AGAIN, FOR VOTING PURPOSES. THOSE PEOPLE WHO ARE ON VIRTUAL.
IF YOU ARE WITH THE MAJORITY, PLEASE, YOU WILL.
IF YOU DO NOT RESPOND, WE WILL ACCEPT YOU AS BEING A MEMBER OF THE VOTING WITH THE MAJORITY.
IF YOU ARE VOTING NO NAY AGAINST THE MAJORITY, YOU NEED TO SPEAK UP TO BE COUNTED IN THAT REGARD.
THANK YOU. EVERYONE SIGNED IN. ARE WE GOOD NOW WITH THE ELECTRONIC CALLS DONE. WONDERFUL.
WELCOME, EVERYONE. OKAY, I NEED A MOTION FOR THE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES.
[3. Approval of Minutes - June 12, 2025]
WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND. DO WE HAVE A ROLL CALL? WELL, NOT. NOT A ROLL CALL, BUT CAN WE. CAN WE GET A VOTE ON IT? YES. THANK YOU.[4. Approval of Excused Absences]
OKAY. WE HAVE SOME EXCUSE ABSENCES REQUESTS. WE HAVE COMMISSIONER ALEXANDER DAVIS, MEMBER LISA MALONE MEMBER REBECCA THOMPSON AND DEAN TRANTALIS AND MICHAEL DEAN.COULD WE HAVE A WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND TO APPROVE THE EXCUSE ABSENCES.
WOULD YOU PLEASE TAKE AN ELECTRONIC VOTE? WAITING ON FUR AND WELCH, PLEASE. THANK YOU. MOTION PASSES.
NOW WE HAVE APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA. NEED A MOTION AND A SECOND.
[5. Approval of Agenda]
WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND. COULD WE HAVE AN ELECTRONIC VOTE ON IT? MOTION HAS PASSED. THANK YOU. MOTION PASSES. WE'RE ON TO PUBLIC COMMENTS.[6. Public Comments Please submit to info@browardmpo.org at least 24 hours prior to the start of the meeting.]
AND WE DO HAVE SOMEONE FROM THE PUBLIC. MR. MARK SMITH.[00:05:07]
AND I UNDERSTAND THERE'S ALSO AN AIRLINE PILOT IN THE ROOM BY THE NAME OF BYRON JAFFE, WHO SEEMS TO BE THE ALSO THE COMMISSIONER OF WESTON, WHICH I JUST LEARNED THAT FROM SOMEBODY ELSE HERE.SO. SO I'M SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF AIRLINE PILOTS AND FLIGHT ATTENDANTS AND OTHER PEOPLE THAT DRIVE TO AND FROM MIAMI OR PALM BEACH OR WHATEVER. I OWN A CHEVY VOLT WHICH IS A HYBRID, A PLUG IN HYBRID VEHICLE.
AND IT'S IT'S PART OF THE EXEMPT PROGRAM FOR ELECTRIC AND HYBRID VEHICLES TO USE THE I-95 EXPRESS LANE FOR FREE TO GET DOWN, TO GO FLY AT MIAMI INTERNATIONAL. AND I BELIEVE YOU'RE PROBABLY MIAMI BASED AS WELL.
AND THERE'S THOUSANDS, IF NOT TENS OF THOUSANDS OR MAYBE 100,000 PEOPLE THAT USE THAT PROGRAM TO GET TO AND FROM MIAMI PALM BEACH. THERE'S SO MANY AIRLINE PILOTS AND OTHER PEOPLE THAT LIVE IN JUPITER, AND THEY JUMP ON THAT LANE AND THEY COME DOWN, AND IT'S EASY DRIVING, YOU KNOW, TOLL FREE. THE ONLY TOLL WE PAY IS THAT A CONNECTOR FROM FROM I-95 OVER TO THE THE AIRPORT, WHICH IS LIKE $0.33. AND IT WAS A GREAT PROGRAM UNTIL I GOT A LETTER IN THE MAIL SAYING THAT, HEY, WE'RE GOING TO SHUT THIS THING DOWN. AND THEN NOW WE'RE GOING TO GO TO THESE VARIABLE TOLLS, WHICH I THINK IS THE WORST THING ON EARTH. BUT THE VARIABLE TOLLS CAN BE ARBITRARILY BROUGHT UP TO 30 BUCKS OR FIVE BUCKS OR 60 BUCKS OR WHATEVER THEY WANT TO MAKE, WHATEVER IT SAYS ON THE SIGN. SO MY REQUEST HERE, I'LL READ MY LETTER HERE.
BRIEFLY. GOOD MORNING. MY NAME IS MARK SMITH.
I'M A RESIDENT OF LAUDERDALE BY THE SEA, A MILITARY VETERAN AND A DAILY BROWARD COMMUTER.
AS OF JULY 1ST, THE STATE QUIETLY SHUT DOWN ALL NEW HYBRID RENEWALS, AND ONCE MY CURRENT EXEMPTION EXPIRES THIS AUGUST, THIS AUGUST, I LOSE TOLL FREE ACCESS TO I-95, I-95 EXPRESS LANES.
I'M HERE TO ASK THIS BOARD IN FDOT DISTRICT FOUR TO RECONSIDER THE SUDDEN SHUTDOWN.
TRUTHFULLY, I BELIEVE IT'S WORTH REVISITING THE IDEA OF BRINGING THIS PROGRAM BACK ENTIRELY, ESPECIALLY FOR PEOPLE LIKE ME WHO MADE CLEAN VEHICLE CHOICES EARLY.
I'VE LEFT BEHIND A COPY OF MY MY LETTER AND A ONE PAGE FLIER WITH MY CONTACT INFO.
I'M HAPPY TO SPEAK WITH ANYONE FURTHER ABOUT THIS ISSUE.
SO YOUR EXPRESS LANE STUFF'S GONE HERE. SO. BUT IT'S ALL I'VE GOT.
THANK YOU SIR, AND FLY SAFELY. THANK YOU. MR. STEWART, DO YOU DO YOU WANT TO COMMENT ON THAT AT ALL? ACTUALLY, MIKE. YES I DO. WE'LL GET THE GENTLEMAN'S INFORMATION.
WE'VE HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION ON THE MANAGED LANES.
THIS BOARD WAS VERY PROACTIVE IN HELPING GET THE WHOLE SYSTEM PUT TOGETHER ON 95, FIVE, 95, 75. AND YOU KNOW, WE WERE PART AND PART OF PART AND PARCEL OF THOSE NEGOTIATIONS, AND WE WERE.
YEAH. SO SORRY, I, I DON'T KNOW. YEAH, IT'S I'M RIGHT HERE.
THIS IS SET UP. STRAIGHT. I HAVE TO SPEAK TO THE MIC.
I APOLOGIZE. IT'S OKAY. I SEE YOU. SO MAYOR COOPER, YOU KNOW, WAS BRAVE ENOUGH TO HAVE BEEN INTERVIEWED BY THE SUN SENTINEL THE OTHER DAY ON THIS GOING AWAY. WE'RE ALL KNOWN PRETTY MUCH FOR A WHILE, THAT THIS WAS THE ULTIMATE PLAN TO YOU KNOW, GET RID OF THE HOV EXEMPTIONS. I PERSONALLY HAVE AN ELECTRIC CAR.
YEAH. I WAS VERY DISAPPOINTED. LET ME PUT IT TO YOU THAT WAY BEYOND BELIEF.
WE DO HAVE DOT STAFF HERE. IS ANYBODY DOT STAFF ABLE TO RESPOND TO THAT? ACTUALLY, MY MY MY LETTER IS REALLY ADDRESSED TO MR..
SECRETARY BRAUN. I GUESS HE'S HERE. I THINK I KNOW THAT GUY.
WELL, ACTUALLY, IT WAS IT WAS ADDRESSED TO YOUR PREDECESSOR.
AND I FOUND OUT THAT HE SINCE RETIRED. SO, SO SO WELL.
I'M HERE. SO MAYBE WE CAN GET WITH HIM AFTERWARDS.
YEAH, WE'LL WE'LL WE'LL GET TOGETHER EITHER TODAY OR WITHIN THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS TO AT LEAST KIND OF TELL YOU WHAT'S GOING ON AND EXPLAIN IT TO YOU AND EXPLAIN HOW THE PROCESS WORKED. YEAH. AND GIVE THE OPPORTUNITY WORK TO ME.
MEANING IT'S OVER. WE'RE DONE. WELL, IT'S IT'S THERE.
[00:10:01]
NOTHING'S EVER DONE UNTIL IT'S DONE. AND THEN IT'S STILL NOT DONE. YEAH, WELL, YOU CAN CERTAINLY CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION WITH FDOT AND MR. STEWART. THANK YOU SO MUCH. APPRECIATE IT. WE HAVE A COMMENT, PLEASE.THANK YOU. THERE YOU GO. I VERY MUCH APPRECIATE WHAT HE BROUGHT UP.
AND I KNOW THAT THIS BOARD VERY SELDOM HAS EVER DONE RESOLUTIONS OF SUPPORT.
YOU KNOW, IT MAY BE SOMETHING WE MAY WANT TO CONSIDER FOR.
BECAUSE FOR ALL THREE COUNTIES, THIS IS, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE HAVE HAVE BOUGHT CARS WITH THIS IN MIND.
AND IN THIS CASE, THEY'RE NOT. SO, YOU KNOW, AT SOME POINT, I MEAN, I WOULDN'T MIND US PUTTING TOGETHER A RESOLUTION SAYING WE WE WOULD SUPPORT MAINTAINING THOSE, YOU KNOW, THE LANES AS THEY WERE.
OKAY. I HAVE ANOTHER COMMENT. MEMBER JAFFE. THANK YOU.
CHAIR. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BRINGING THIS TO OUR ATTENTION AGAIN AND BRINGING IT TO THE FOREFRONT. BUT MAYOR FOR I DO AGREE THAT MAYBE IN THE NEAR FUTURE WE COULD BRING A RESOLUTION OR SOME CONSENSUS TO SEE IF WE WANTED TO PASS SOMETHING TO CONTINUE THAT PROGRAM IF PASSED.
YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY IT WAS JUST A RESOLUTION, BUT IT MIGHT HELP.
I REALLY PUSH THAT A LOT HERE FOR COMMUTERS FROM THE NORTH BROWARD AND PALM BEACH TO MIAMI INTERNATIONAL, BECAUSE IT GOES RIGHT INTO THE AIRPORT FOR EVERYBODY AND THAT'S A POSSIBLE ALTERNATIVE.
NOT I KNOW IT'S NOT YOUR CHOICE, BUT THANK YOU.
I ALSO THINK MEMBER JAFFE'S COMMENTS WOULD BE GREAT ABOUT DOING A RESOLUTION ON THIS.
THANK YOU. ACTUALLY, IF IT'S OKAY. IS THERE ANY MORE? I'M SORRY, MADAM CHAIR. IF YOU WANT, I CAN SCHEDULE FOR THE RESOLUTION TO BE FOR YOU IN THE SEPTEMBER MEETING, WHICH IS OUR NEXT MEETING. AND YOU KNOW, MOVE IT THAT WAY.
SO. BUT IT'S STILL THE POINT. WE HAVE TO GO AND FIGURE OUT HOW TO GET THAT BACK.
THAT'S A REALLY GREAT IDEA. AND I'M I'M BEING VERY SELFISH BECAUSE I USE THEM TO.
SO. MADAM CHAIR, YOU'RE NOT ON. I DON'T HEAR YOU EITHER.
OKAY. NO. AM I ON? THERE YOU ARE. OKAY. VERY GOOD.
DO WE NEED TO TAKE A VOTE ON THE RESOLUTION? DO YOU WANT TO MAKE A MOTION? OR DO WE JUST DO THIS BY CONSENSUS? IF YOU WANT TO.
THAT'S UP TO THE. SO IF IF YOU IF YOU WISH TO DIRECT US TO PREPARE A RESOLUTION TO BRING BACK TO THE NEXT MEETING, THAT'S ONE THING WE CAN DO THAT AND YOU CAN VOTE ON THAT IF YOU WANT TO AUTHORIZE AND DIRECT US TO PREPARE A RESOLUTION AND SECURE THE CHAIR'S SIGNATURE.
WE CAN DO THAT. AND THEN WE WOULD TAKE A VOTE NOW TO APPROVE IT.
SO I BELIEVE THAT WAS A MEMBER. MEMBER FOR. DO YOU WANT TO MAKE A MOTION TO THAT EFFECT? YOU GOT IT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. YES, I'D BE HAPPY TO.
I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO THE EFFECT THAT WE WOULD SUPPORT THE THE PROGRAM THAT WAS IN EFFECT PREVIOUSLY, AND AND TO SIGN. YES. BETWEEN THE MEETINGS. OKAY.
WHAT HE SAID. OKAY. WE NEED A SECOND. YEAH. OKAY.
I DO HAVE A VIRTUAL HAND. DO WE GO TO VOTE OR DO I? I TAKE COMMENTS FIRST. TAKE MY VICE CHAIR. OH.
VICE CHAIR. MAYOR COOPER. GOOD MORNING. THANK YOU FOR THE COMMENTARY.
I OBVIOUSLY GOT COLD CALLED ABOUT THIS. I GOT OFF THE PHONE.
I JUST WANT TO MAKE IT ABUNDANTLY CLEAR. ANY CONVERSATION I HAD WAS ABOUT MAYOR.
I WANT TO LET THE SPEAKER KNOW. I'VE HAD AN ELECTRIC VEHICLE AS WELL FOR FIVE YEARS.
AND JUST SOME SCUTTLEBUTT IN THE CONVERSATION.
SO IT WAS KIND OF INTERESTING. IF WE ARE GOING TO START DISCUSSING THAT TYPE OF DISCUSSION BASED ON ELECTRIC VEHICLES. I DON'T KNOW IF BEHOOVES US TO EXPAND ANY TYPE OF RESOLUTION.
[00:15:06]
OBVIOUSLY THERE'S PEOPLE THAT USE THE HOV LANES THAT THAT HAD INITIALLY EVOLVED INTO HOV, AND THEN IT EVOLVED INTO DISCOUNTING RIDES FOR ELECTRIC VEHICLES. SO I'M NOT OPPOSED TO THE RESOLUTION.I JUST WANT EVERYONE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT TRANSPIRED AND WHY THIS IS REALLY COME TO THE FOREFRONT.
BECAUSE APPARENTLY MANY OTHER AREAS IN THE STATE ARE OPPOSED TO WHAT THEY'VE DONE FOR CONGESTION MANAGEMENT HERE IN SOUTH, YOU KNOW, MIAMI DADE AND MIAMI AND BROWARD. SO JUST WANTED TO GO ON RECORD FOR THAT.
THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. THANK YOU. MEMBER. GOOD.
YES. THANK YOU. YES. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. I I'M NOT OPPOSED TO THE CONCEPT OF THE IDEA AT ALL.
SO I I MEAN, I WILL I WILL GO WITH MY COLLEAGUES HOWEVER YOU WANT TO GO, IF YOU WANT TO MOVE FORWARD AND JUST GIVE THE AUTHORITY FOR A RESOLUTION TO BE DONE WITHOUT US SEEING IT. I MEAN, IF THAT'S THE WAY YOU WISH TO GO, BUT I WOULD PREFER THAT WE SEE THE RESOLUTION IN ADVANCE, JUST LIKE MAYOR COOPER, YOU KNOW, JUST SAID, YOU KNOW, THERE MIGHT BE AN OPPORTUNITY THAT WE MIGHT THINK THAT WE MIGHT WANT TO EXPAND IT AS WELL AS MAYBE SOME LANGUAGE MAY BE OFFENSIVE TO US, I DON'T KNOW, BUT I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO SEE THE RESOLUTION IN ADVANCE.
THAT WOULD BE THAT WOULD BE FINE. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR.
THANK YOU. WE DO HAVE ANOTHER COMMENT FROM MEMBER DINAPOLI.
YEAH. I JUST WANT TO SAY I'M ALSO A USER OF THE PROGRAM.
I HAVE A PLUG IN HYBRID. FOR FULL DISCLOSURE.
OKAY, SO MR. ATTORNEY, WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE? WE HAVEN'T VOTED ON IT. MADAM CHAIR, WE HAVE A MOTION THAT'S TO ALLOW FOR A RESOLUTION TO BE PREPARED AND SIGNED BY THE BY THE CHAIR WITHOUT COMING BACK. SO THAT'S WHAT YOUR MOTION IS IF YOU WANT TO VOTE ON THAT, OR IF THE MOTION MAKERS WANTED TO MODIFY THAT, I LEAVE THAT UP TO THE TO BOARD TO DETERMINE HOW TO PROCEED.
OKAY. THE MOTION MAKER. MEMBER MEMBER FOR DID YOU WANT TO MODIFY THAT TO BRING IT TO OUR NEXT MEETING ON IN SEPTEMBER? SO THAT WAS AGREED BY THE MOTION MAKER, AND THE SECOND AGREES TO THAT.
WELL, THAT WAS WHO SECONDED WAS ORIGINALLY DINAPOLI AND HE'S.
WHILE I HAVE YOUR ATTENTION, WE DO HAVE. WE DIDN'T VOTE ON IT.
THAT'S CORRECT. WELL, IT DOESN'T NEED TO, BECAUSE. YES, PLEASE VOTE ON IT.
OKAY. OKAY. IS THAT AN ELECTRONIC VOTE OR IT IS AN ELECTRONIC VOTE? IT IS UP AND READY. I WAS GONNA I WAS I WAS GETTING AROUND TO THAT.
IT'S UP AND READY FOR YOU TO VOTE RIGHT NOW. I DID NOT GET ALL THE PROPER VERBIAGE THAT ALAN HAD STATED, BUT I WILL MAKE SURE THAT IT IS CORRECT WHEN IN THE FINAL MINUTES.
BUT IT IS UP AND READY FOR YOU TO VOTE RIGHT NOW.
DANIELLE AND. AND DUNN. THEY CAME ON LATER AND THEY'RE PARTICIPATING.
AND AGAIN, FOR THOSE WHO ARE VIRTUAL. IF YOU'RE VOTING AGAINST, YOU NEED TO SPEAK UP TO BE HEARD.
OTHERWISE, YOU'RE ASSUMED TO BE WITH THE MAJORITY.
THANK YOU. OKAY. MOTION PASSES.
YES, CHAIR. OKAY. VERY WELL. NOW WE HAVE THE CONSENT AGENDA AND THE CONSENT ITEM.
[ CONSENT ITEMS (All Items Open for Public Comment) ]
WE HAVE FOUR ITEMS THAT ARE ON CONSENT. I CAN READ THEM INTO THE RECORD FOR TITLE PURPOSES.MOTION TO APPROVE AGREEMENT 2601 BROWARD METROPOLITAN PLANNING ORGANIZATION AND REPLICA, INC.
FOR CELL CELLPHONE LOCATION BASED DATA SERVICES, AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $331,000.
MOTION TO APPROVE THE 2026 BROWARD MPO. FEDERAL AND STATE LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES.
MOTION TO ACCEPT THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION REGARDING GENERAL COUNSEL PERFORMANCE REVIEW. AND FINALLY, A MOTION TO ACCEPT THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE'S RECOMMENDATION REGARDING EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS PERFORMANCE REVIEW. OKAY.
WE NEED A MOTION AND A SECOND ON THE CONSENT AGENDA.
[00:20:01]
WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND. CAN WE HAVE A VIRTUAL VOTE? BOARD MEMBERS FURR AND JAFFE. OH, JAFFE IS NOT IN THE ROOM.MOTION HAS PASSED. OKAY. MOTION PASSES. CONSENT ITEMS ARE APPROVED.
OKAY, SO I HAVE A COMMENT THAT HAS TO DO WITH THE MOTION.
OKAY. OKAY. MEMBER SUEN. YES. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR.
[9. Executive Director’s Report]
I JUST HAVE A REQUEST THAT WE BUMP UP OUR COMMENTS FROM THE CHAIR.FROM REGULAR ITEMS TO PRIOR TO THE COMMENCEMENT OF THE ACTION ITEMS. BASED ON SOME DISCUSSIONS THAT WE HAD YESTERDAY AND SOME OF THE GUESTS THAT WE HAVE IN THE AUDIENCE, I THINK IT MIGHT BE MORE EFFICIENT AND HELPFUL.
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR. COMMENTS.
I'M SORRY. IT'S LIKE, WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO ME? NOT CHAIR COMMENTS. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR COMMENTS.
WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO SAY? SORRY. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR COMMENTS.
OKAY. THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR. IS THAT OKAY WITH YOU? ABSOLUTELY. OKAY. MY APOLOGIES. CHAIR. JUST MAKING SURE EVERYBODY'S PAYING ATTENTION.
SO MR. ATTORNEY, IS THAT OKAY WITH YOU? YES, MA'AM.
OF COURSE. OKAY. VERY WELL. WE'LL MOVE THAT UP.
THANK YOU. WELL, FOR US. HAPPY BUDGET YEAR. WE GET WE STARTED ALL OVER.
BUT GUESS WHAT HAPPENED IN THE FLORIDA LEGISLATURE? SOMETHING THAT IMPACTED MY PARTNERS HERE ON THE LEFT.
THE SALES TAX ISSUES THAT ARE GOING ON THAT ARE KIND OF CUTTING A BUNCH OF BUDGETS.
WE HAD A BUNCH OF IDEAS THAT WE HAD HOPED WE WERE GOING TO BE ABLE TO DO.
STEVE, SECRETARY BRAUN AND I HAVE BEEN WORKING ON COASTAL BROWARD COMMUTER RAIL SOUTH, BROWARD COMMUTER RAIL NORTH, BROWARD COMMUTER RAIL, NORTHEAST CORRIDOR, LET'S CALL IT WHATEVER YOU WANT.
WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT PASSENGER RAIL NOW FOR OVER 20 SOME ODD YEARS.
IT ACTUALLY PROGRESSED IN A PLACE THAT WE WERE ALL REALLY HAPPY WITH.
IT WAS MOVING FORWARD. IT IS NOW PRETTY MUCH IN A VERY DIFFICULT POSITION, IF NOT ON LIFE SUPPORT, KIND OF A LITTLE BIT PAST THAT. AND THEN WE HAVE DAVE DICK, WHO IS THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE SF, RTA. THEY SAVED MY LIFE YEARS AGO. AND OUR MY ARMS ARE ALWAYS OPEN IN OUR HOUSE AND OUR DOOR IS ALWAYS OPEN FOR HIM TO BE HERE.
THE BIGGER PICTURE IS NOW HE HAS FUNDING ISSUES.
IT WASN'T SOMETHING THAT THE DISTRICT SECRETARY OR I HAD ANY CONTROL OVER, BUT I'M GOING TO ASK EACH ONE OF THEM TO SPEAK TO YOU ALL TODAY OF WHERE THEIR AGENCIES ARE, WHAT THIS MEANS, AND YOU KNOW WHAT WE CAN DO TO HELP OUT.
AND, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY FOR US, WE'RE A BIG BMF.
IT'S NOT SIMPLE, BUT OUR FRIENDS IN THE FLORIDA LEGISLATURE DID SOMETHING THAT WE WERE LIKE AND I KNOW COMMISSIONER FURR DURING EXECUTIVE REFERRED TO THE MIAMI DADE REPRESENTATIVE AND THE HOUSE SIDE ACTUALLY SHOULD HAVE PROBABLY CAUGHT THIS, AND THIS MIGHT HAVE BEEN A GIANT MISTAKE, BUT IT'S A MISTAKE THAT WE'RE GOING TO LIVE WITH FOR A WHILE. WITH THAT SAID, I'M GOING TO ACTUALLY TURN THE FLOOR OVER FIRST TO THE DISTRICT SECRETARY, SECOND TO THE REGIONAL TRANSIT AUTHORITY AND THEN FINALLY TO MY FRIEND HERE AT THE COUNTY.
SO THAT WAY WE CAN ACTUALLY, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S GOING ON RIGHT FROM, YOU KNOW, THE SOURCE, DISTRICT SECRETARY BROWN. THANK YOU. THANKS. GOOD MORNING EVERYONE.
AS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, STEWART MENTIONED STEVE BROWN, THE DISTRICT SECRETARY FOR DISTRICT FOUR, FDOT. I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE HERE TODAY.
I ACTUALLY JUGGLED MY CALENDAR BECAUSE THIS IS AN IMPORTANT TOPIC THAT WE WANTED TO AT LEAST BE HERE AVAILABLE TO, TO AT LEAST BRING BRING YOU UP TO SPEED ON ON THE SITUATION THAT, THAT MR. STEWART MENTIONED. ANECDOTALLY, I JUGGLED MY CALENDAR, HAD TO COME OVER HERE AND I WAS RIGHT OUT HERE ON CYPRESS CREEK BOULEVARD AT THE TRACKS, SAW SOME OF THE SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN INVESTED IN THIS CORRIDOR OVER THE YEARS. I SAW THE MOBILITY HUB PROJECT WE HAD SPOKEN ABOUT
[00:25:09]
PROBABLY OVER TEN PLUS YEARS AGO. THAT HAS COME TO FRUITION HERE.INVESTMENT IN THE SURROUNDING AREAS OF THE CORRIDOR. THE TRI RAIL CORRIDOR SPECIFICALLY EXPANDED SIDEWALKS, SIGNAGE, WAYFINDING TO THE STATION. SO A LOT OF THAT REALLY HINGES ON WHAT HAS BEEN A VISION FOR, FOR THIS ORGANIZATION FOR A LONG TIME. RIGHT.
RIGHT. THE EXISTING SERVICE ON THE TRI RAIL CORRIDOR.
THE SOUTH FLORIDA RAIL CORRIDOR. AND THEN ALSO THE FUTURE VISION FOR COMMUTER RAIL ON THE EAST COAST, THE FLORIDA EAST COAST LINE. SO, AS MR. STEWART SAID THIS ORGANIZATION REALLY HAS UNDERSTOOD THE IMPORTANCE OF TRANSIT AND SPECIFICALLY COMMUTER RAIL TO THIS REGION TO COMPLEMENT THE REST OF THE TRANSPORTATION NETWORK.
THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION OBVIOUSLY UNDERSTANDS THE IMPORTANCE OF THAT MODE TO THIS REGION.
AS MENTIONED BY MR. STEWART, THE LEGISLATIVE DIRECTION REALLY, THROUGH SEVERAL ACTIONS, ELIMINATED THE FUNDING SOURCE TO TWO MAJOR PROGRAMS THAT REALLY SUPPORTED THOSE COMMUTER RAIL LINES.
ONE WAS THE FLORIDA RAIL ENTERPRISE WHICH REALLY IS A KEY FUNDING SOURCE FOR STATE CONTRIBUTION.
SO WE DO ANTICIPATE SIGNIFICANT DECREASES IN THE STATE CONTRIBUTION TO TO TRY RAIL.
WE'VE CONTINUED TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS WITH SF, RTA, WITH THE THREE COUNTIES IN SOUTH FLORIDA, REALLY TO TALK ABOUT STRATEGIES AND MOVING FORWARD TO MAKE UP THAT FUNDING DIFFERENCE.
AND THOSE CONVERSATIONS CONTINUE. AS A MATTER OF FACT, I'VE HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, COUNTY LEADERSHIP. IT SEEMS LIKE EVERY DAY FOR THE LAST WEEK, REALLY JUST TRYING TO WORK THROUGH THIS SO THOSE CONVERSATIONS WILL CONTINUE.
BUT I JUST WANT TO PUT IT OUT THERE, AND MR. DICK WILL PROBABLY TOUCH ON IT A LITTLE BIT MORE. BUT WE DO ANTICIPATE OBVIOUSLY THOSE FUNDING, CUTS FROM THE STATE CONTRIBUTION TO TRAIL THE OTHER PROGRAM.
SO THAT WAS FLORIDA RAIL ENTERPRISE. THE OTHER PROGRAM IS THE STATE NEW STARTS PROGRAM, WHICH WAS THE FUNDING SOURCE REALLY FOR THE STATE CONTRIBUTION TO THE BROWARD COMMUTER RAIL PROJECT. SO THAT PROGRAM, AGAIN, THROUGH THIS LEGISLATIVE ACTION, THAT PROGRAM AND THE ASSOCIATED FUNDING HAS BEEN REMOVED FROM THE DEPARTMENT'S WORK PROGRAM AGAIN FOR THAT LEGISLATIVE ACTION. AGAIN, WE THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION.
ME PERSONALLY, I UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF THAT PROJECT TO THIS REGION.
SO AGAIN, WE'LL CONTINUE TO WORK WITH COREY, THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATION TEAM, ON REALLY OPPORTUNITIES TO TO STILL LOOK AT US BEING AN ACTIVE PARTNER IN THAT PROJECT. AS MOST OF YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN INVOLVED IN THAT PROJECT.
THE DEPARTMENT, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH BROWARD COUNTY, TOOK THE LEAD ON THE PROJECT DEVELOPMENT STUDY.
WE'VE SEEN EXCELLENT MOMENTUM ON THAT PROJECT.
THE BROWARD COMMUTER RAIL SOUTH SEGMENT. SO AGAIN, WE LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING TO WORK WITH MY PARTNERS OVER HERE AS WE RESOLVE THIS FUNDING CHALLENGE AS BEST WE CAN. SO AGAIN, APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE HERE.
EVEN UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCE. AND THE GOOD NEWS.
THE GOOD NEWS IS THERE'S NO LIGHTNING, BECAUSE THIS IS A VERY UNUSUAL SITUATION.
HEY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. MADAM CHAIR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR STEWART.
I WANT TO THANK EVERYBODY FOR INVITING ME AND ALLOWING ME TO BE HERE TODAY.
SO I CAN BE IN TWO PLACES AT THE SAME TIME. BECAUSE THIS IS THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT.
AND ACTUALLY, THE MEETING IS WITH A DEVELOPER THAT WANTS TO BUILD A MAJOR, MAJOR TOD BILLIONS OF DOLLARS, AND IT NEEDS A TRI RAIL STATION TO BE PART OF THAT.
SO IT'S VERY GERMANE TO THE DISCUSSION THAT WE'RE HAVING NOW.
SO I WANT TO GIVE A VERY HIGH LEVEL BECAUSE WE'RE ALL LEARNING.
I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT A DOCK STAMP WAS, YOU KNOW, A FEW MONTHS AGO.
I STILL AM NOT SURE I KNOW, BUT, YOU KNOW, I KNOW IT AFFECTS ME.
BUT SO I WANT TO TRY TO GO THROUGH WHAT THIS MEANS.
SO, YOU KNOW, SECRETARY BRAUN MENTIONED THAT, YOU KNOW, LEGISLATURE EFFECTIVELY ZEROED OUT SEVERAL PROGRAMS THAT FUND TRI RAIL OPERATIONS. AND IT'S IMPORTANT FOR ME TO SPECIFY OPERATIONS.
CAPITAL FUNDING IS DIFFERENT, BUT THE OPERATING FUNDING IS MUCH HARDER TO COME BY.
WE OPERATE AT ABOUT $150 MILLION A YEAR OPERATING BUDGET.
AND THAT OPERATES, YOU KNOW, 52 TRAINS A DAY, 20 SOME ODD TRAINS ON THE WEEKEND FROM MONGOLIA PARK ALL THE WAY DOWN INTO THE MIAMI AIRPORT AND ALSO INTO THE MIAMI CENTRAL STATION.
WE WE ACTUALLY JUST GOT THE EMAIL THAT WE'VE BROKEN OUR RIDERSHIP RECORD, FROM GOING BACK PRE-COVID.
[00:30:06]
SO WE'VE, WE'VE WE'VE BEAT OUR RIDERSHIP RECORDS FOR ALL TIMES.SO BY ALL INTENTS AND PURPOSES WE HAD MOMENTUM.
AND I WAS WE DON'T NOW. SO WHAT THIS DOES TO US THE FUNDING ASIDE, SO WE, WE, WE HAVE A FUNDAMENTAL DISAGREEMENT AND I THINK WE'LL, WE'LL HASH THIS OUT LATER OF WHAT THE STATUTORY MINIMUMS ARE.
WE BELIEVE IT'S $42.1 MILLION IS IN THE STATUTE.
THE STATE HAS TAKEN A DIFFERENT INTERPRETATION, AND WE'LL DEAL WITH THAT SEPARATELY.
BUT WE'VE GONE FROM EXPECTING 60, 62,000,061, $62 MILLION THIS YEAR TO $19.5 MILLION FROM THE STATE, WHICH IS OBVIOUSLY A SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION. FORTUNATELY YOU KNOW, OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS AND BEING, YOU KNOW, AS FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE AS WE POSSIBLY CAN BE AND STRETCHING COVID FUNDS, WE HAVE RESERVES BUILT UP TO BE, YOU KNOW, RAINY DAY FUNDS. IT'S POURING RIGHT NOW.
SO WE WE DO HAVE RESERVES BUILT UP THAT WE CAN GET OURSELVES BY IN THE SHORT TERM.
SO WHERE WE WERE GOING TO GO OUT FOR A LONG TERM OPERATING MAINTENANCE CONTRACT RIGHT NOW, I CANNOT DO THAT. WHERE WHERE WE WERE GOING TO BUILD A NORTHERN LAYOVER FACILITY IN PALM BEACH COUNTY FOR $80 MILLION.
SO THIS REALLY OH ROLLING FUND ROLLING STOCK PURCHASES.
SO WE HAD A FEDERAL GRANT THIS YEAR OR LAST YEAR FOR $77 MILLION.
WELL IF I DON'T HAVE FINANCIAL STABILITY THE FTA WON'T WON'T GIVE ME THAT MONEY.
SO THAT'S IN FLUX NOW AS WELL. SO EVERYTHING THAT WE'VE WORKED TOWARDS IN THE LAST THREE YEARS IS NOW UP IN THE AIR, I GUESS IS THE THE BEST WAY TO PUT IT. WE ARE WORKING VERY CLOSELY WITH THE STATE AND OUR PARTNERS IN THE COUNTIES.
WE'VE BEEN WE HAVE A MEETING COMING UP ON THE 18TH AGAIN TO DISCUSS FUNDING WITH THE COUNTIES.
BUT THESE THESE CIRCUMSTANCES ARE DIRE, AND I'M NOT ONE FOR HYPERBOLE.
I APPRECIATE YOU COMING IN. I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER AS MANY QUESTIONS AS I CAN.
WE'RE TRYING TO WORK OUR WAY THROUGH THIS RIGHT NOW, AS WELL AS EVERYBODY ELSE'S.
WE'VE YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A DOZEN HYPOTHETICAL SCENARIOS GOING ON AT THE SAME TIME YOU KNOW, FOR THE I GUESS I CAN SAY THAT THE TRAINS ARE GOING TO KEEP RUNNING, AT LEAST FOR THE NEXT YEAR OR SO.
WE HAVE A CONTRACT WITH THE STATE THROUGH JULY OF 27.
WE FEEL COMFORTABLE THAT WE CAN RUN THE TRAINS UNTIL THEN.
BUT NOT NOT ANY LONGER AFTER THAT. SO THANK YOU.
AND I GUESS AT THE END, MAYBE YOU HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO ANSWER QUESTIONS. THANK YOU.
THANKS. THANK YOU. AND THEN FINALLY, THIS IS NOT IN ANY PARTICULAR ORDER, BUT CORY HAS THE LOCAL.
SHE'S ACTUALLY DEALING WITH ALL THE CONNECTIONS IN THE TRI RAIL AND ALL OF THE STATE FACILITIES.
AND, I MEAN, SHE CAME TO US REALLY EXPERIENCED FROM THE NORTHEAST.
YOU KNOW, I HAD A PARTNER UP IN DVORAK, DELAWARE VALLEY, UP IN PHILADELPHIA AND ANOTHER PARTNER AT WASH THAT SAID, OH, YEAH, YOU'RE GETTING COREY. SHE'S GREAT. YOU'RE GOING TO LOVE HER. HONESTLY.
SHE'S GREAT. AND NOW SHE'S FACED WITH, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO CHANGE THE CULTURE IN THE ORGANIZATION BUT ALSO BUILD THE BEST POSSIBLE SYSTEM THAT WE CAN DOWN HERE. AND WITH THAT, I'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE COREY.
GOOD MORNING. GOOD MORNING, MADAM CHAIR AND BOARD AND FELLOW BOARD MEMBERS I AM.
GREG DID REACH OUT TO ALL OF US YESTERDAY AFTERNOON, ASKED US TO COME IN, AND I AGREE WITH MY COLLEAGUES THAT PRECEDED ME IN THIS DISCUSSION THAT THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT CONVERSATION TO HAVE WITH YOU TODAY, AND LIKEWISE CLEARED MY CALENDAR TO BE HERE, TOO, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S SO GOOD ABOUT THE MPO, IT REPRESENTS THE REGION, RIGHT? AND THE LENS THAT YOU'RE LOOKING THROUGH AND THE POLICIES THAT YOU'RE SETTING AFFECT ALL OF THESE MODES THAT WE TALKED ABOUT.
I WOULD LIKE TO SAY ONE GOOD THING BEFORE I GET INTO THE NOT SO GOOD THINGS, WHICH IS THAT, WE HAVE BEEN WORKING VERY CLOSELY. MY COLLEAGUES IN MIAMI-DADE.
PALM BEACH COUNTY, AS WELL AS SFR TO TO PUT TOGETHER AN APP AND INTEROPERABILITY APP THAT OUR,
[00:35:09]
OUR RESPECTIVE PASSENGERS CAN GO TO ONE PLACE AND GET THE SERVICES THAT THEY NEED.I AM PLEASED TO SHARE THAT THAT APP IS IN THE FINAL TESTING PHASES, MEANING THAT WE'LL BE LAUNCHING THAT VERY SOON FOR THE GENERAL PUBLIC TO USE. AND I WANT TO CREDIT THE SFR TO FOR THEIR LEADERSHIP AND GETTING THIS PROJECT MOVING AND GETTING IT TO WHERE IT IS NOW.
SO HAVING SAID THAT, THE NOT SO GREAT NEWS IS THAT WE HAVE A DOUBLE HIT WITH SOME OF THE IMPACTS THAT CAME OUT OF THE RECENT LEGISLATIVE SESSION IN TALLAHASSEE.
AND SO THE FIRST IMPACT YOU'VE HEARD ABOUT. SO, STEVE SECRETARY BRAUN BROUGHT THAT UP.
HE TALKED ABOUT THE IMPACT TO THE NEW STARTS PROGRAM.
AND IT IS FOR US VERY CONCERNING. SO JUST TO BRING EVERYBODY UP TO SPEED.
WE HAVE TWO SIGNIFICANT PROGRAMS AND PROJECTS THAT WERE ASSOCIATED WITH THE NEW START.
FIRST AND FOREMOST, THE OVERARCHING PROGRAM THAT WE HAVE IS OUR PRIMO PROGRAM, AND THAT PROGRAM IS BRINGING 200 MILES OF NEW SERVICE TO BROWARD COUNTY. AND THAT IS AN INTERMODAL DELIVERY WHERE WE'LL HAVE RAIL BUS RAPID TRANSIT, HIGH FREQUENCY BUS SERVICE AND SO AND BUS RAPID AND COMMUTER RAIL. AND SO OVERALL, THAT WAS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO HAVE A RIDERSHIP OF. TO ACCOMMODATE ABOUT 25 MILLION. SO THAT'S HUGE.
AND SO JUST THINK ABOUT WHAT THAT COULD DO FOR TRAFFIC HERE IN BROWARD COUNTY.
50% FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, 25% FROM THE STATE AND THEN 25% FROM OUR LOCAL SURTAX.
AND SO THAT WAS KIND OF THE FINANCIAL MODEL THAT WE WERE OPERATING UNDER. NOW, REALISTICALLY, YOU KNOW, THE FUNDS THAT WE WOULD BE GOING AFTER AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL ARE FUNDS THAT ARE IT'S A COMPETITIVE PROCESS.
SO WOULD WE GET ALL OF THEM ALL THE TIME? YOU KNOW, PROBABLY NOT LIKELY.
BUT AT LEAST WE SAW THE LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL.
SO WE WE WE HAVE A 15 YEAR, 15 YEAR PROGRAM THAT INCLUDES THIS FINANCIAL MODEL.
NOW THE FEDS LOOK TO US TO PROVIDE OUR LOCAL MATCH.
SO IF YOU'RE ABLE TO BRING IN 51% OR 52% OR EVEN MORE YOUR, YOUR LIKELIHOOD, IT'S DEPENDING THAT YOU HAVE A GOOD PROJECT AND YOU CAN CHECK ALL THE BOXES THAT ARE NECESSARY TO DO SO.
YOU'RE IN A MORE COMPETITIVE POSITION THAN WHEN YOU'RE WHEN THAT BALANCE IS BEYOND THAT.
AND SO NOW PRIMO IS WHAT WE DO MOVING FORWARD IS IN IN JEOPARDY, TO BE FAIR.
SO I AM HOPEFUL THAT WE ARE LOOKING AT A MISTAKE.
AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT COULD BE RECTIFIED NEXT YEAR.
SO IN THE MEANTIME WE ARE NOT RESTING ON OUR LAURELS AND LIVING IN HOPE LAND.
WE WE HAVE CONSULTANTS THAT WE'RE WORKING WITH OR INTERNATIONAL FIRMS. THEY ARE. THEY ARE. THEIR BENCH STRENGTH IS VERY DEEP, AND THEY'RE LOOKING AT A COUPLE OF OPTIONS.
THEY'VE ALREADY PRESENTED US WITH SOME ALTERNATIVE FUNDING SOURCES THAT WE CAN POTENTIALLY LEVERAGE TO CONTINUE THE MOMENTUM THAT WE'VE ALREADY ESTABLISHED ON SO MANY OF THESE PROJECTS. SO THAT'S THE FIRST THING. THE SECOND THING IS, IS THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT, OKAY, NOW THAT WE ARE ASSUMING THAT, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T HAVE THE MONEY, WHAT DOES THE PROGRAM LOOK LIKE? AND SO WE HAVE THESE CONSULTANTS HAVE ALSO GIVEN US KIND OF A GAME PLAN TO HELP US WITH THAT.
A PROCESS TO TALK ABOUT THAT IS TO FIRST GO TO OUR COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR, PRESENT THAT INFORMATION TO HER, GET HER, YOU KNOW, BUY IN AND APPROVAL BEFORE WE GO TO OUR BROADER COMMISSION AND GET THEIR POLICY GUIDANCE AND STRATEGIC DIRECTION ON WHAT TO DO SO THAT WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF THAT. THE OTHER THING IS, IS A LITTLE CLOSER TO HOME AND AND AFFECTS EVERYONE ELSE.
HERE IS THE BROWARD COMMUTER RAIL PROJECT AND THE BROWARD COMMUTER RAIL NORTH.
[00:40:03]
ALL OF THESE PROJECTS. I HAVE TO TELL YOU THAT STEVE AND HIS PREDECESSOR HAVE BEEN AMAZING, AND I HAVE SAID THIS MAYBE NOT IN FRONT OF THIS BODY, BUT I HAVE SAID IT IN FRONT OF OTHER BODIES.STEVE'S PROBABLY TIRED OF HEARING ME SAY IT. I'VE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK IN MULTIPLE REGIONS IN THIS COUNTRY, AND I HAVE WORKED WITH MANY STATE DOT'S FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION WHEN IT COMES TO TRANSIT AND THE COMMITMENT TO TRANSIT, AND THE GENUINE INVESTMENT AND INTEREST IN THE SUCCESS OF TRANSIT IS NOT FELT ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
IT IS, GENERALLY SPEAKING, HIGHWAY FOCUSED, AND TRANSIT IS AN AFTERTHOUGHT.
AND OH, DO WE REALLY HAVE TO DO THAT? THAT'S NOT THE CASE HERE.
SO I KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, THE LEGISLATION MADE A PROBABLY A DIFFICULT DECISION.
BUT I KNOW GENUINELY, THE DISTRICT FOUR REALLY WANTS ALL OF THESE PROJECTS TO SUCCEED.
AND SO BRINGING IT HOME TO BCR BROWARD COUNTY PROJECT.
SO WE HAVE, AS YOU KNOW, THIS IS ON THE FLORIDA EAST COAST CORRIDOR.
THIS IS WHERE BRIGHTLINE RUNS. WE HAVE BEEN WORKING VERY CLOSELY WITH OUR COLLEAGUES IN MIAMI DADE, THE NORTHEAST CORRIDOR, AND WE ARE SO CLOSE TO GETTING THIS PROJECT, MAKING IT REAL.
AND WE ARE IN OUR GRANT APPLICATION PROCESS NOW FOR BCR SOUTH.
WE'VE GOT OUR PLANS AT 30% COMPLETE. WE'VE GOT OUR NEPA CLEARANCE AND THIS PROJECT IS MOVING.
THE MOMENTUM IS INCREDIBLE. WE'RE WORKING ON OUR FINANCIAL MODEL.
WE'RE GETTING READY TO SUBMIT THAT TO THE FTA.
AND WE'VE HAD OUR RISK ASSESSMENT DONE AND APPROVED.
SO WE ARE WE'VE CAUGHT UP TO MIAMI. MIAMI WAS A LITTLE BIT AHEAD OF US AND A LITTLE BIT.
THEY WERE A LOT AHEAD OF US. BUT IN THE LAST YEAR WE'VE MANAGED TO CATCH UP.
A LOT OF THAT IS ATTRIBUTED TO OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH FDOT, WHO'S BEEN THERE ALONG THE WAY WITH US, WITH OUR PROJECT DEVELOPMENT PROCESS. SO IT'S BEEN AN AMAZING PARTNERSHIP.
HAVING SAID THAT, THE NEW STARTS PROGRAM, AGAIN, WE WERE LOOKING AT THAT 5025, 25 SPLIT.
WE ARE NOW IN THE PROCESS OF PURSUING A NEW STARTS GRANT WITH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT BECAUSE OUR COSTS HAVE GONE OVER THE THE THRESHOLD OF 400 MILLION. AND, YOU KNOW, THINGS WERE LOOKING VERY PROMISING FOR US, AND WE HAD OUR FINANCIAL MODEL DONE BAKED, READY TO SUBMIT. AND THEN THIS HAPPENED. RIGHT.
SO WE'VE HAD TO KIND OF REGROUP ON THAT 20 YEAR FINANCIAL MODEL BECAUSE OUR, OUR LOCAL FUNDING IS IS SHIFTING A LITTLE BIT IN TERMS OF WHAT WE'RE SAYING IS AVAILABLE AT ANY RATE. WE ARE WITHOUT THE NEW STARTS MONEY.
IT'S IT HURTS. AND SO WHERE DO WE GET THAT MONEY FROM? AND THAT'S THAT OTHER EXERCISE THAT I MENTIONED THAT WE'RE DOING.
WHAT I WOULD SAY IS THAT IF WE'RE UNABLE TO SECURE FUNDS FROM SOMEWHERE ELSE OR THIS MISTAKE ISN'T REVERSED, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE FUTURE OF BCR IS GOING TO LOOK LIKE.
MIAMI IS SUFFERING SIGNIFICANTLY ALSO. SO WE'RE IN THIS TOGETHER.
THERE IS NO BCR IF THERE IS NO MIAMI, BECAUSE THERE'S NO POINT IN DOING IT IF WE DON'T HAVE THAT RIDERSHIP THAT GOES ALL THE WAY INTO MIAMI AND COMES ALL THE WAY OUT OF MIAMI, INTO BROWARD COUNTY. OUR COLLEAGUES IN PALM BEACH COUNTY, THEY'VE ALREADY SAID THEY'RE DOING A TRANSPORTATION MASTER PLAN.
THEY AT THIS TIME DO NOT HAVE ANY MONEY TO CONTRIBUTE TO THAT.
SO THERE'S NO COMMUTER RAIL JUST TO PUT THIS IN CONTENTS.
AND I'M GOING TO BORROW A PAGE OUT OF MAYOR FIRST BOOK, WHO MENTIONED DURING A A MEETING, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE HISTORY OF THE FSR AND HOW PASSENGER SERVICE CAME TO BE HERE IN SOUTH FLORIDA.
I DON'T WANT TO QUOTE YOU INCORRECTLY, SIR, BUT THERE WAS A STATISTIC THAT HE HE SHARED WITH US.
BUT I DID SOME RESEARCH, AND IT TOOK HENRY FLAGLER 27 YEARS TO GO FROM FORT FROM SAINT AUGUSTINE ALL THE WAY DOWN INTO THE KEYS. 27 YEARS. WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON VCR SOUTH FOR OVER 20 YEARS, AND NORTH AND THE COASTAL CORRIDOR, AND WE HAVEN'T BUILT ANYTHING YET.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE'RE IN SUCH A GOOD PLACE TO REALLY MAKE THIS HAPPEN.
AND I HOPE THAT THESE DECISIONS WILL WILL BE REVERSED.
THERE'S ONE LAST PIECE, AND THAT IS THAT OUR SURTAX IS ALSO IMPACTED BY THIS.
AND THE SOURCE OF FUNDING FOR BCT. SO WE GET OUR OWN FUNDING FROM THE THE SURTAX AS WELL, AND
[00:45:10]
WE GET SOME MONEY FROM THE FEDS. BUT FOR THE MOST PART IT COMES FROM SURTAX.AND THEN WE ALSO GET MONEY FROM OUR FROM FDOT.
WELL THE THERE WAS A COMMERCIAL TAX, COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE TAX THAT WAS INCLUDED IN ONE OF THE THE CHANGES TO THE LEGISLATION AND THAT TAX WAS STRUCK COMPLETELY FROM THE BOOKS.
SO THAT TAX ON EVERY COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE INTEREST, IN TERMS OF RENTALS, WAS ABOUT A 1% CONTRIBUTION TO OUR SURTAX. AND SO THAT AFFECTS ANY ORGANIZATION IN THE IN THE STATE THAT HAS A SURTAX.
SO IT HIT THE FOLKS IN MIAMI. IT HIT US AS WELL.
AND AS A RESULT OF THAT WE ARE LOOKING AT A, A ROUGHLY ESTIMATED $40 MILLION HIT ANNUALLY.
WE WILL NOT KNOW THOSE NUMBERS. SO THESE ARE ESTIMATED AND ESTIMATED, ESTIMATED, ESTIMATED TO SAY THAT WE WILL NOT KNOW REALLY WHAT THE IMPACTS ARE UNTIL WE HAVE THE FIRST QUARTER OF REVENUE COMING IN. BUT BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT THERE IS A NUMBER AND WE KNOW THAT NUMBER IS NORTH OF OF LIKELY 30 MILLION WE'VE ALREADY TAKEN, WE'RE IN THE BUDGET SEASON NOW AT AT BROWARD COUNTY, WE'VE ALREADY TAKEN SOME OF THE OUR PLANS, WE'VE MODIFIED OUR PLANS AND ALSO TAKEN OUT DID SOME COST CUTTING SO THAT WE COULD COME IN UNDER, YOU KNOW, WITHIN BUDGET, GIVEN THESE NEW CIRCUMSTANCES OUTSIDE OF THE THE NEW STARTS.
SO THAT'S WHERE WE ARE. THERE IS GOOD NEWS. YOU KNOW, WE HAVE THIS INTEROPERABILITY APP THAT'S GOING TO BE COMING TO YOUR PHONE SOON IF YOU CHOOSE TO USE IT, WHICH IS GREAT. BUT, YOU KNOW, IT IS A LITTLE GLOOMY THESE DAYS, AND I WISH I HAD BETTER NEWS TO COME TO YOU WITH.
I'M NOT GIVING UP. WE ARE GOING TO LOOK FOR ALTERNATIVES.
BUT AT THIS POINT IT'S NOT A GOOD DAY, SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.
THANK YOU. SO YOU GOT SOME REAL CONVERSATIONS THAT NEED TO BE ADDRESSED, NOT JUST IN THIS BODY, BUT OVER AT BROWARD COUNTY COMMISSION AND THE CITIES AND THE FDOT, I THINK.
AND MY SUGGESTION TO Y'ALL IS THIS WE HAVE A VERY ROBUST TEAM IN TALLAHASSEE THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY WERE ON EARLIER DURING OUR EXECUTIVE. THEY'RE STILL HERE. THEY'RE HANGING ON. THIS IS SOMETHING WE NEED TO TALK TO OUR TEAMS THAT GO UP TO TALLAHASSEE THAT AREN'T PAID BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. THEY'RE PAID BY YOUR LOCAL CONTRIBUTION TO US, AND GET THEM INTO ALL THE OFFICES THAT THEY NEED TO BE IN UP IN TALLAHASSEE TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS IS JUST A MISTAKE AND NOT NECESSARILY SOMETHING THAT'S PERMANENT.
NOW WE HAVE TO LOOK BACK AND SAY, HOW DO YOU JUST KEEP THIS GOING.
AND YOU KNOW, THAT'S A VERY DIFFERENT POSITION FOR THIS ORGANIZATION TO BE IN BECAUSE WE'RE ALWAYS, YOU KNOW, 5 TO 6 YEARS AHEAD. AND I THINK THAT THE PARTNERSHIP THAT WE HAVE, I WANTED TO DISPLAY THIS, AND I CAN'T EVEN BELIEVE WE WERE ABLE TO GET EVERYBODY HERE BECAUSE THIS DOES NOT HAPPEN.
YOU KNOW, JUST FROM SCHEDULING. AND CLEARLY, THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THIS ORGANIZATION.
AND WE'RE GOING TO PUSH OUR FRIENDS AT TECH, RIGHT? THERE IS ALSO THE CHAIR OF THAT ORGANIZATION TO ACTUALLY TAKE AN ACTION.
I DIDN'T HAPPEN THIS LAST FRIDAY. I WAS WAITING FOR TO SEE WHERE IT WAS GOING TO GO.
UNFORTUNATELY, THIS IS THE THING THAT IS HARD FOR MY ENTIRE FOLKS HERE.
WE'RE FEDERAL, SO IF WE WERE GOING TO MOVE MONEY AROUND, WE'RE JUST THE FEDERAL SHARE.
SO IT'S YOU CAN'T HAVE 51% FEDERAL. AND SO THAT IS ACTUALLY ONE OF OUR PROBLEMS. WE WOULD HAVE TO FIGURE OUT WAYS TO, YOU KNOW, DEAL WITH THAT.
WE HAVE THE TIP TTIP DISCUSSION TODAY, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE DISCUSSION ON THAT, PROBABLY IN SEPTEMBER, BECAUSE WE'RE GOING TO SEE THE RESULTS OF WHAT HAPPENED WITH THE BUDGET.
AND SO THIS IS NOT AN EASY TIME, BUT, YOU KNOW, YOU GOT VERY POSITIVE LEADERSHIP AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
ABSOLUTELY. I DO WANT TO SAY THANK YOU SO MUCH MR.
[00:50:03]
STEWART, FOR FOR INVITING THEM HERE TODAY AND GIVING US THIS UPDATE.I TRULY APPRECIATE THE UPDATE. AND I KNOW THE REST OF THE MY COLLEAGUES AS WELL HERE.
BECAUSE CLEARLY, ALL OF YOU BEING HERE TELL US HOW SERIOUS THIS IS.
AND IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO UNDERSTAND THE STAND BACK.
OF THESE OF THIS, THIS RULING OR LEGISLATION THAT HAS PASSED OR REALLY APPRECIATE IT.
WE DO HAVE SEVERAL INDIVIDUALS HERE THAT HAVE QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS.
I'M GOING TO START WITH MEMBER FOR. THANK YOU.
THE NEWS YOU GAVE US IS A BIT OF A GUT PUNCH.
THAT WHOLE PLAN IS DESIGNED. THAT BEING THE SPINE OF IT.
AND WITH THAT NOT BEING THERE I MEAN, WE HAVE TO FIND A WAY TO GET IT THERE.
AND, SECRETARY, I KNOW YOU'VE BEEN WORKING ON THIS, AND YOUR TEAM HAS BEEN WORKING ON THIS FOR YEARS AND YEARS, DOING INCREDIBLE WORK, HELPING FIGURE OUT WHERE THE STATION SHOULD BE GOING.
YOU'VE GOT CITIES UP AND DOWN THIS THAT ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO IT.
I KNOW FROM FROM THE SOUTH SIDE. I REPRESENT SOUTH SIDE.
COMMISSIONER FISCHER REPRESENTS THE NORTH SIDE.
THERE'S A LOT OF CITIES THAT ARE REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS, AND WE JUST HAVE TO YOU KNOW, I'VE TALKED TO THE COMMISSIONERS IN IN MIAMI-DADE AND THEY'RE GOING TO FRAME IT AS THIS WAS AN OVER AND OVER AS AN OVERSIGHT.
AND WE'RE GOING TO GIVE YOU THE BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT BEING IT BEING THAT AND SAY, YOU KNOW WHAT, WE'LL COME BACK NEXT YEAR AND WE'LL LET YOU FIX THIS.
AND I THINK THAT'S PROBABLY THE BEST APPROACH RATHER THAN PUTTING BLAME ON ANYTHING, BUT, YOU KNOW, ON OR ON ANYBODY AND JUST SAY, LET'S, LET'S REDO THIS BECAUSE THEY HAVE THEIR THEY MIAMI-DADE HAS IS A LITTLE BIT AHEAD OF US IN TERMS OF THEY GOT MONEY IN THE. YEAH, JUST AS MUCH THEY GOT MONEY IN THE FEDERAL BUDGET AHEAD OF US.
SO YOU KNOW I KNOW, YOU KNOW. I KNOW IT'S THERE'S.
IT WOULD BE. IT WOULD BE VERY EASY TO SAY THIS IS ALMOST TOO BIG A LIFT.
IT'S NOT. IT HAS TAKEN THIS 20 YEARS TO GET TO THIS POINT EVEN LONGER, TO BE HONEST.
YOU KNOW, BY THE TIME IT GETS DONE. HOLLYWOOD STATION JUST THEY JUST CUT A RIBBON AT WILL AT UNIVERSITY STATION, A PLACE WHERE THEY ARE PLANNING TO HAVE THE RAILROAD STATION HAS AFFORDABLE HOUSING DESIGNED AROUND ALL THIS.
A TOD AFFORDABLE HOUSING WITH PARKING LOT READY TO GO, BUILT, DONE.
AND I KNOW THERE'S OTHERS ALREADY THAT ARE ALREADY DOING THAT.
WE CAN'T LET THIS THIS FALTER. I MEAN, OUR, OUR CONVERSATIONS WITH FCC FEC.
OR FINALLY WE FINALLY GOT BRIGHTLINE FEC IN THE SAME ROOM TALKING, AGREEING TO ALL THIS.
SO, YOU KNOW, IT'S IT'S ALSO, YOU KNOW, WHEN I, WHEN I HEAR THE, THE CUTS WITH THEM ON, ON TRI RAIL OR ON TRANSIT, THERE ARE EQUITY ISSUES HERE. THESE ARE THE PEOPLE WHO CAN'T AFFORD OR OR CAN'T IN OTHER OR IN OTHER WAYS GET AROUND.
THEY CAN'T, YOU KNOW, THEY ARE RELIANT ON THIS.
AND IF YOU START CUTTING THE CURRENCY, HOW OFTEN THINGS COME ALONG BECAUSE YOU DON'T HAVE MONEY, IT BECOMES THAT MUCH HARDER. IT'S ALREADY HARD ENOUGH, IT'S ALREADY HARD ENOUGH.
AND THIS JUST MAKES IT HARDER. SO THIS BODY NEEDS TO STEP UP ANYWHERE I CAN.
I KNOW, GREG, I KNOW THIS IS FEDERAL, BUT WHAT VOICE WE HAVE, WE NEED TO USE IT.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER FISHER. I THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR, AND JUST MAYOR, FOR COVERED QUITE A BIT OF WHAT I WAS GOING TO SAY, BUT I JUST WANT TO REITERATE, FIRST OF ALL, I MAYOR PUT ME ON THE SF RTA.
SO MY FIRST MEETING WAS IN DECEMBER, SO I'M ABOUT SEVEN MONTHS IN.
BUT I CAN TELL YOU THAT THIS IS A CRITICAL ISSUE.
AND MR. DICK IS AND SECRETARY IS AND SO FORTH.
BUT THIS IS CRITICAL. IF YOU LOOK AT TRIAL AND WE TALK ABOUT THE NUMBERS MR. DICK JUST TALKED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE 27, $28 MILLION SHORT ALREADY, AND WE DO HAVE RAINY DAY FUNDS, BUT THEY DON'T ARE NOT GOING TO LAST THAT LONG.
[00:55:02]
YOU KNOW, THE REALITY IS, YOU KNOW, WE WERE TALKING ABOUT 7 OR 8 MONTHS, MAYBE A YEAR AT THE MOST.SO WE'RE NOT HAVE THIS CUSHION THAT WE CAN JUST SIT ON AND CONTINUE TO OPERATE.
TRIAL. AND WHAT THE STATE NEEDS TO UNDERSTAND TO IS THE CSX AND AMTRAK NEEDS TO RUN AS WELL.
SO IT'S IT'S IT'S A COMBINATION OF EVERYTHING.
SO THIS IS A VERY CRITICAL THING THAT WE'RE DEALING WITH.
AND AND AGAIN I APPRECIATE MR. DICK'S POSITIVENESS ABOUT IT.
AND THEN GOING INTO THE BCR ON THE NORTH SIDE IS THE MAYOR TALKED ABOUT THE SOUTH SIDE.
I STILL THINK I REPRESENT DEERFIELD, BY THE WAY, BUT THAT'S OKAY.
WHEN WE TALK ABOUT RIBBON CUTTINGS, WE TALK ABOUT BUILDINGS BEING BUILT.
OAKLAND PARK HAS BUILT A BUILDING CALLED THE SKY IN WHICH THEY HAVE AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
THEY HAVE THEIR NEW CITY HALL IS GOING TO BE THERE.
WE JUST HAVE THE MAYORS HERE, AND WE HAD OUR RIBBON CUTTING THERE A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO.
SO THIS IS LIKE CUTTING THIS OUR LEGS OFF JUST JUST LIKE THAT.
IT'S ABSOLUTELY UNBELIEVABLE THAT THIS IS HAPPENING.
AND SO YOU FEEL MY PASSION. I DON'T GET PASSION TOO MUCH, BUT MY PASSION IS WE HAVE TO DO ANYTHING WE CAN DO AS THIS MPO OR WHOEVER INDIVIDUALLY, COLLECTIVELY, MUNICIPALITIES, COUNTIES TO MAKE THIS COME A REALITY.
OTHERWISE IT IS GOING TO SET US BACK SO MANY YEARS IN SO MANY YEARS OF PLANNING.
SO I JUST WANTED TO JUST TO VOICE MY, MY CONCERN AND HOW WHAT WE CAN DO AND LOOK INTO MR. STEWART AND OUR PARTNERS HERE, YOU KNOW, AND OF COURSE, HERE TOO, IT'S IT'S DEVASTATING.
SO WE GOT TO MAKE MAKE IT HAPPEN. SO THANK YOU.
THANK YOU. MEMBER JAFFE. THANK YOU. CHAIR. YES.
AND THE LEVEL OF SERVICE AND THE QUALITY OF THE PRODUCT HAS REALLY BEEN INCREDIBLE.
AND THEN I'VE BEEN DRIVING EAST AND WEST ALONG BROWARD BOULEVARD, AND I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S THE BUSIEST INTERSECTION THERE FOR TRI RAIL ON THE RAIL, BUT THE LEVEL OF SAFETY AND QUALITY THERE, I'M LOOKING AT THE PEDESTRIAN CROSSINGS AND THE VEHICLE CROSSINGS THERE.
WHEN I GET STUCK AT THAT INTERSECTION THERE ALL THE TIME, IT'S REALLY VERY SAFE OPERATION.
AND THEN TO HEAR SOMETHING LIKE THIS IS VERY, VERY DISAPPOINTING.
AND TO BE REALLY BLUNT ABOUT IT, I HOPE, YOU KNOW, WE ALL KNOW ABOUT ALL THOSE ISSUES THAT ARE GOING ON IN SOME BIG CITY WITH ABOUT 10 MILLION PEOPLE 1000 MILES NORTH OF US, AND MAYBE ALL THOSE PEOPLE WILL BE COMING DOWN TO MOVE DOWN TO BROWARD COUNTY AND PALM BEACH COUNTY, AND THEY'RE USED TO USING RAIL AND COMMUTER RAIL, AND MAYBE THEY'LL BE A BIGGER LOBBYING GROUP IN A YEAR OR SO.
AND, YOU KNOW, HEY, SOMETIMES THINGS HAVE TO GET WORSE BEFORE THEY GET BETTER. SO WE'LL SEE.
THANK YOU. MEMBER. HARDIN. THERE IT IS. HELLO, THERE.
THERE WE GO. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR.
THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE TODAY. I APPRECIATE THAT, BUT I JUST I JUST WANT TO POINT OUT THAT, I MEAN, IT IS PRETTY BLEAK, BUT, YOU KNOW, IT'S A MISTAKE.
IT'S A MISTAKE THAT TOOK PLACE. OKAY. WE CAN FIX THAT MISTAKE.
HOPEFULLY. AS AS AS BEING WAS TALKING ABOUT. BUT ALSO MOVING FORWARD TO GET GET THE, THE THE THE POINT ACROSS TO THE FOLKS WHO MADE THIS MISTAKE. I THINK ALL OF US IN THIS ROOM, AND ALSO EVERYBODY WHO ISN'T IN THIS ROOM THAT IS, IS IN LEADERSHIP POSITIONS ACROSS THIS COUNTY.
I MEAN, WE'RE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE, THE, THE COMMUTER RAIL.
A LOT OF PEOPLE THINK, WELL YOU KNOW, I'M IN THE WEST, AND I KNOW, I KNOW YOU DON'T, BUT A LOT OF PEOPLE LOOK AT IT AND SAY, WELL, THAT'S THAT'S ON THE EAST SIDE. THAT'S THAT'S THEIR PROBLEM.
IT'S NOT. IT'S OUR COUNTY'S PROBLEM. IT REALLY IS.
SO UNLESS WE CAN GET THIS MISTAKE FIXED, WHICH IS GOING TO TAKE PRESSURE FROM EVERYBODY, NOT JUST POMPANO BEACH, OAKLAND PARK, DEERFIELD, FORT LAUDERDALE, BUT IT'S GOING TO TAKE THE ENTIRE BROWARD COUNTY COMING TOGETHER.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU. MEMBER. MEMBER HARDIN TOOK MY
[01:00:08]
WORDS, AND THAT IS THAT YOU KNOW, ALL OF US COLLECTIVELY CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE HERE.WE ALL KIND OF LOOK AT THINGS THROUGH OUR CITY, AND IT'S GOOD TO LOOK AT IT COLLECTIVELY.
AND YOU'VE HELPED US DO THAT. SO THANK YOU. I WAS JUST GOING TO SAY FOR, FOR HOLLYWOOD AND, AND I WOULD ASK THAT EACH OF US DO THIS BECAUSE IT IS A COUNTY WIDE PROBLEM.
OUR RESIDENTS DEPEND ON THESE SYSTEMS TO GET TO AND FROM WORK.
AND AS MAYOR FIRST SAID IT AFFECTS EVERYBODY EAST, WEST, NORTH, SOUTH.
SO IN HOLLYWOOD, I'VE MADE A REQUEST TO OUR ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER WHO OVERSEES A LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS TO PLEASE INCLUDE THIS IN OUR LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES. AND I WOULD ASK EACH OF YOU TO DO THE SAME.
AND IF COLLECTIVELY, WE CAN GET THIS, ELEVATED AND OUR OWN LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES, THEN I THINK WE CAN TOGETHER, MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE. AND, OF COURSE I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD ASK FOR TWO RESOLUTIONS IN A DAY.
BUT MAYBE WHEN WE COME BACK IN THE FALL, THIS IS SOMETHING WE COULD PURSUE AS WELL.
MADAM CHAIR, THANK YOU. THANK YOU. MEMBER LONERGAN.
IT IS SO HELPFUL. IT IS DISAPPOINTING. I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT, IN ADDITION TO DOING THE RESOLUTION TO MAKING SURE WE HAVE OUR 31 CITIES IN BROWARD COUNTY, OUR 31 MUNICIPALITIES, THAT WE ARE FOLLOWING THE LEAD OF THE MPO.
MAKING SURE THAT EACH OF OUR MUNICIPALITIES ARE FOLLOWING THROUGH WITH RESOLUTIONS.
I THINK IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE'VE GOT THE BROWARD LEAGUE OF CITIES.
HOPEFULLY WE CAN GET THEIR SUPPORT. WE HAVE PARTNERS LIKE THE FORT LAUDERDALE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.
WE'VE GOT THE FORT LAUDERDALE REALTORS GETTING EVERYONE ON BOARD TO HELP.
ALSO TO SEND A MESSAGE THAT WHAT HAPPENED WAS A MISTAKE AND WE NEED TO HAVE THAT CORRECTED.
THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. I APPRECIATE THE COMMENTS.
MAYBE WE CAN SEND SOMETHING FROM THE MPO TO ALL THESE DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS AND MUNICIPALITIES JUST MAKING THEM AWARE OF THE IMPACT OF THIS LEGISLATION SO THAT THEY COULD, YOU KNOW, THEY CAN GO AHEAD AND MAKE IT THEIR PRIORITIES AND SO FORTH.
MRS. STEWART, COULD WE GET SOMETHING DRAFTED TO THAT EFFECT THAT WE CAN GET OUT TO EVERYONE? YES, WE CAN. AND I KNOW THAT MY GOOD FRIEND BRIAN AND PAUL CALVARESI ARE FIGHTING AT THE BIT TO GET THIS OUT.
AND I'M REMINDED OF MEN AT WORK. YOU KNOW, BACK IN 1983, THERE WAS A SONG.
IT'S A MISTAKE. SO WE'LL WE'LL PLAY THAT AND WE'LL GET THIS DONE.
BUT IT'S IMPORTANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE OFFER MIAMI-DADE TO HELP TO FIX THE MISTAKE.
OKAY. ALL RIGHT. WOULD THAT BE. IS THAT ACCEPTABLE TO THE BOARD? OKAY. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU ALL. THANK YOU AGAIN FOR COMING OUT AND AND GIVING US THESE PRESENTATIONS, LETTING US KNOW WHAT THE IMPACT IS. APPRECIATE IT.
BRIAN. MADAM CHAIR THE VICE CHAIR WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A COMMENT.
OH, OKAY. VERY WELL. PLEASE. MEMBER. COOPER. HI.
GOOD MORNING. I'LL BE BRIEF, AND I KNOW IT'S DIFFICULT TO LISTEN TO SOMEONE REMOTELY.
I WANT TO THANK EVERYONE'S WORK ON THIS ISSUE.
YOU KNOW, FOR 24 YEARS. AND I'VE BEEN AROUND THAT LONG FOR THE DISCUSSION OF LIGHT RAIL.
WE'RE SEEING THIS WHOLE SHIFT ON THE STATE LEVEL IN REGARDS TO PROPERTY TAXES IN REGARDS TO THESE DOCK STAMPS, AND IT'S ALL BASED ON COMMERCIAL INVESTMENT. AND, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO UNDERSTAND, I THINK IN MY PURVIEW, IN MY OPINION, IT'S THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE DEVELOPED THAT HAVE MADE THESE INVESTMENTS THAT HAVE GOTTEN 40 UNITS PER ACRE BASED ON THEIR DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENTS, THAT NOW THEY'RE SAYING, OH, WELL, NOW I HAVE TO PAY TAXES.
AND I THINK THEY'RE ALL SYMBIOTIC. SO I'M INTRIGUED BY WE KEEP SAYING IT'S A MISTAKE.
BUT AGAIN WE HAVE TO BE MINDSET ON IT. AND I KNOW THE DIRECTOR OF TRANSPORTATION ON THE COUNTY, CARY SAID. IT SAID, WELL, ONE SIZE DOESN'T FIT ALL ON BOTH LEVELS, NOT THE STATE NOR FEDERAL WHEN IT COMES TO TRANSIT.
[01:05:07]
AND EACH STATE, PARTICULARLY OURS BEING NORTH SOUTH AS WELL AS VERY CONFINED ON THE EAST.THIS IS ONE OF OUR ONLY ALTERNATIVES. SO WHATEVER WE CAN DO COLLECTIVELY TO UNDERSTAND TRAFFIC, TRAFFIC, TRAFFIC, THAT IS EVERYBODY'S ISSUE. SO WE NEED TO START REALLY DIALOGING THAT TRANSIT IS THE ONLY WAY IN SOUTH BROWARD IN THE SOUTH BETWEEN DADE, BROWARD AND PALM BEACH.
BUT THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME, MADAM CHAIR. THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS.
OKAY. YES, MRS. STEWART, YOU HAD SOME OTHER ADDITIONAL COMMENTS, AND IT'S NOT ALWAYS BAD NEWS.
OKAY. ON YOUR CHAIRS. AND THEN FOLKS IN THE AUDIENCE, YOU HAD THIS LOVELY MAP THAT WAS PREPARED BY OUR TEAM, AND I KIND OF JUST WANT TO GIVE YOU THAT ONE LAST TIME, BECAUSE IT'S $63 MILLION IN DISCRETIONARY GRANTS THAT WE RECEIVED HERE AT THE BROWARD MPO FOR PROJECTS IN BROWARD, INCLUDING YOUR CITIES.
BUT THIS IS OUTSIDE OF THAT NORMAL ACTIVITY. AND THIS IS VERY HIGHLY UNUSUAL FOR ANY MPO IN FLORIDA, LET ALONE AN MPO IN THE UNITED STATES. AND I JUST WANTED TO REMIND YOU THE IMPACTS AND WHERE THOSE IMPACTS ARE ON YOUR COMMUNITIES, BECAUSE YOU'RE GOING TO SEE THAT EACH ONE OF THOSE DOTS REPRESENTS A PERCENTAGE OF MONEY THAT CAME IN.
IT IS ACTUALLY MONEY THAT DIDN'T NECESSARILY COME THROUGH FORMULA.
IT CAME THROUGH AGGRESSIVE WORK WITH OUR CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION, AS WELL AS OUR WASHINGTON AND TALLAHASSEE TEAMS, TO BRING MONEY DOWN HERE. AND I JUST WANTED TO REMIND YOU OF THAT BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, $63 MILLION IS A LOT OF CASH.
HOW LONG CAN THAT KEEP YOU OPERATING, DAVE? THREE MONTHS.
OKAY. THERE YOU GO. THEN THE NEXT SLIDE. I ALSO WANT TO LET YOU KNOW THAT YOU KNOW, FUN THING.
WE'RE DOING THE SAFE ROAD SUMMIT HERE IN BROWARD.
WE'RE THE ONES THAT STARTED THAT, YOU KNOW, ABOUT 15 YEARS AGO.
IT'S GOING TO BE FREE FOR ALL OF YOU TO ATTEND.
WE'RE GOING TO BE DOING A LITTLE BIT OF OTHER TYPE OF THINGS.
WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF TECHNOLOGY GOING ON THERE, BUT THIS WOULD BE AN OPPORTUNITY, SHOULD YOU DECIDE TO COME, THAT YOU'RE GOING TO SEE FOLKS ELECTED OFFICIALS AS WELL AS STAFF FROM MIAMI-DADE COUNTY AND PALM BEACH COUNTY.
SO THIS IS KIND OF A UNIQUE THING. THIS YEAR, WE'RE ACTUALLY OPENING IT UP TO THE NATIONAL AUDIENCE, AND WE'RE GOING TO BE BRINGING IN NOT ONLY NATIONAL PEOPLE, BUT WE'RE GOING TO MARKET IT TO FOLKS FROM PENNSYLVANIA, FROM OHIO. FROM CALIFORNIA AND ACTUALLY SAY, COME TO SOUTHEAST FLORIDA AND MAYBE WE CAN TAG TEAM IN ON BRINGING SOME OF OUR NEW YORK, NEW JERSEY, PHILADELPHIA FRIENDS AND SAY, HEY, YOU KNOW, YOU COULD LIVE HERE, TOO.
BUT THIS IS ACTUALLY GOING TO BE A REALLY WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITY TO SHOWCASE THE THINGS THAT WE DO, RIGHT. THE THINGS THAT WE'RE GETTING MOVING FORWARD ON SO THAT THEY KNOW THAT THIS IS A PLACE TO COME TO.
AND THIS KEEPS OUR NATIONAL LEADERSHIP IN THE AREAS OF NOT JUST ENSURING THAT WE HAVE SIDEWALKS AND BICYCLE LANES, BUT ENSURING WE HAVE THE BEST TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM TO MOVE OUR RESIDENTS BACK AND FORTH.
AND MAYBE SOME OF THE CITIES CAN SHOWCASE A LITTLE BIT OF WHAT THEY'RE DOING TO, YOU KNOW, IT'S A GOOD OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL OF US. SO I JUST WANTED TO LEAVE IT WITH THAT AND SAY THANK YOU VERY MUCH, BECAUSE THIS HAS BEEN AN EXCITING TIME OF MY LIFE.
AND IT'S KIND OF COOL. IT'S KIND OF COOL. THANK YOU.
ALL THREE OF YOU TOO. THANK YOU GUYS. THANK YOU FOR ENDING ON A POSITIVE NOTE.
APPRECIATE THAT. OKAY. NEXT WE
[1. PUBLIC MEETING AND MOTION TO APPROVE the Draft Fiscal Year (FY) 2026-2030 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP)]
HAVE OUR FIRST ACTION ITEM. YES, MADAM CHAIR, THIS IS AN ACTION ITEM THAT IS A PUBLIC MEETING, AND IT'S A MOTION TO APPROVE THE DRAFT FISCAL YEAR.FY 2026 2020 2030 TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM.
THE TIP. OKAY. DO WE HAVE SOME SORT OF PRESENTATION ON THAT? YES WE DO. MR.. JIM GREAT. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR.
BOARD MEMBERS. GOOD MORNING. I'M JIHOON CHEN WITH FORWARD MPO.
YOU MAY WONDER WHAT IS THE TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM.
TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM IS A FIVE YEAR PROGRAM INCLUDING PROJECTS THAT THE REGION EXPECTS TO BUILD OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS. THOSE PROJECTS INCLUDE TRANSIT, RAIL, HIGHWAY, AND SEAPORT AS
[01:10:09]
VITAL AS WELL AS BICYCLE, PEDESTRIAN, AND FREIGHT RELATED PROJECTS.TODAY, I'M PRESENTING TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM FOR FISCAL YEAR 2026 TO 2030.
YOU MIGHT HAVE SEEN THE POWERED EMPIRE'S CORE PRODUCTS FOR MANY TIMES.
TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM IS ONE OF THE CORE PRODUCTS.
THIS SLIDE SHOWS BROWARD MPOS PLANNING PROCESS BY FOLLOWING FEDERAL AND STATE LAW TO FORWARD MPO UPDATE METROPOLITAN TRANSPORTATION PLAN EVERY FIVE YEARS BY FOLLOWING STATE LAW.
PROJECTS IN THE METROPOLITAN TRANSPORTATION PLAN MOVED TO IUP AND THEN MOVED TO FDOT.
DRAFT 22 WORK PROGRAM AND AT LAST MOVE TO TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM FOR IMPLEMENTATION.
BY FOLLOWING FEDERAL AND STATE REGULATIONS. THE FORWARD MPO STAFF DEVELOPED THE TIP DEVELOPMENT PROCESS BY FOLLOWING THE PROCESS. THE BROWARD MPO STAFF PREPARE THE DRAFT TIP STARS 30 DAY PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD. HOSTS PUBLIC MEETINGS AND THE TAG. TAG AND BOARD APPROVES THE TRIP.
AND THE BOARD MPO SENT THE APPROVED TIP TO FEDERAL HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION, FEDERAL TRANSIT ADMINISTRATION, AND FDOT BEFORE JULY 15TH. THE TIP TAKES EFFECT ON OCTOBER 1ST EACH YEAR.
TO MEET FEDERAL AND STATE REQUIREMENTS TO THE TIP, THE BOARD MPO RELEASED PUBLIC NOTICE IN NEWSPAPERS, BROWARD MPO WEBSITE, SOCIAL MEDIA, BROWARD MPO MOBILITY MONDAY AND EIGHT PUBLIC LIBRARIES IN BROWARD COUNTY. THIS SLIDE IS A SUMMARY OF THE PUBLIC NOTICE.
LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT THE TIP FOR THIS YEAR. THE TIP INVESTS ABOUT $5.1 BILLION TO SUPPORT 411 PROJECTS. THIS SLIDE DISPLAYS FUNDING SUMMARY BY FUNDING SOURCE AND TRANSPORTATION MODE. THE CHART ON THE LEFT SHOWS THE FUNDING AMOUNT FOR EACH FUNDING SOURCE AND THE RESPECTIVE PERCENTAGES IN TOTAL.
THE STATE IS THE TOP ONE CONTRIBUTOR TO THE TIP.
THE CHART ON THE RIGHT INDICATES FUNDING AMOUNT FOR EACH TRANSPORTATION MODE AND THE PERCENTAGE IN TOTAL. THE TIP INVITES ABOUT 151 OF BORROWED MPO ATTRIBUTABLE FUNDS TO SUPPORT 49 PROJECTS.
ABOUT $81 MILLION IS INVESTED ON 35 BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN PROJECTS.
LET'S TAKE A QUICK REVIEW ON MAJOR PROJECTS AND PROGRAMS IN THE TIP.
THIS SLIDE HIGHLIGHTS THREE MAJOR PROJECTS. THE FIRST ONE IS WIDENING AND RECONSTRUCTING SAWGRASS EXPRESSWAY FROM NORTH WEST EIGHTH STREET TO EAST OF THE TURNPIKE.
THE SECOND ONE IS INTERCHANGE IMPROVEMENT ON I-95 FROM SOUTH OF SOUTH VIA 10TH STREET TO NORTH OF HILLSBORO BOULEVARD. THE THIRD ONE IS IMPROVEMENT OF THE INTERCHANGE ON FLORIDA TURNPIKE AT COCONUT CREEK. ONE QUICK SECOND JUST TO LET THE BOARD MEMBERS KNOW.
IF YOU LOOK AND ADD ALL THOSE NUMBERS UP, THAT'S ACTUALLY THE SAWGRASS EXPRESSWAY.
AND WE ALL REMEMBER HOW LOVELY AND CONTROVERSIAL THAT WAS.
[01:15:02]
BUT THIS IS NOW DONE. IT'S FUNDED. IT'S GOING TO BE UNDER CONSTRUCTION.THIS IS ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT YOU AT LEAST CAN GO HOME AND SAY, OKAY, WE'VE GOT THIS DONE.
BACK TO DOCTOR JIM. THANK YOU, MR. STEWART. THIS SLIDE SHOWS OVERALL FUNDING FOR MTB FUNDING PROGRAMS. THE TABLE DISPLAYS NUMBER OF PROJECTS FOR EACH FUNDING PROGRAM AND THE RESPECTIVE FUNDING AMOUNT.
IN SUMMARY, THE TIP INVESTS ABOUT $3.7 BILLION TO SUPPORT 163 PROJECTS FROM MPP FUNDING PROGRAM. THE FORWARD MPO STAFF ALSO MONITORS PROJECT PROGRESS. THIS SLIDE SHOWS A NUMBER OF PROJECTS AND THE FUNDING AMOUNT GRADUATED FROM TIP.
ALL FUNDS FOR THE PROJECT HAS BEEN SECURED ON FISCAL YEAR 2025 OR BEFORE THE FISCAL YEAR 2025.
WE CALL THIS PROJECT GRADUATED. NO ADDITIONAL FUNDS NEEDED.
SO THERE ARE 89 PROJECTS GRADUATED WORTH ABOUT $391 MILLION.
YOU CAN ACCESS THE PDF DOCUMENTS THROUGH THIS LINK ON THIS SLIDE.
SO YOU ALSO NOTICE ON YOUR DESK. HAVE A MUNICIPAL REPORT THIS SPECIALLY FOR YOUR COMMUNITY.
SO NEAR FUTURE WE WILL UPLOAD THIS ON OUR TIP WEBSITE.
SO YOU CAN ALSO DOWNLOAD FROM THE BROWARD MPO TIP PAGE.
SO TODAY WE FORWARD MPO IS SEEKING A MOTION TO APPROVE THE TIP WITH SITE BOARD.
MPO STAFF AND FDOT STAFF ARE HERE IS READY TO ADDRESS ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE.
THANK YOU. DOCTOR CHEN, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
I DON'T HAVE ANY ANY SPEAKERS. SO I DO HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE.
SO ANYONE IN THE PUBLIC THAT WISHES TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM, THIS WOULD BE THE TIME TO DO SO.
SEEING. NO, NO HANDS RAISED. THANK YOU. AT THIS POINT, WE CAN PROCEED TO VOTE ON THIS.
BOARD MEMBERS. GOOD. AND PLEASE VOTE. MEMBER.
GOOD. OH. IS THAT. OKAY. THAT'S IT. ACTUALLY, NOW THAT MEMBER CASWELL IS BACK.
THANK YOU, MEMBER CASWELL. THANK YOU. OKAY. WE'RE GOOD.
OKAY. WE JUST APPROVED THE TIP. THAT'S A BIG NUMBER.
THIS AMOUNT OF MONEY IS A BIG CHUNK OF CHANGE.
I MEAN, I DON'T CARE WHAT SIZE COMMUNITY YOU'RE IN.
YES. THIS IS GOOD. OKAY. THANK YOU FOR THAT. ITEM NUMBER TWO.
[2. MOTION TO APPROVE an Hourly Rate Increase for the MPO's Legal Firm of Weiss Serota]
AND, MADAM CHAIR, THIS IS A MOTION TO APPROVE AN HOURLY RATE INCREASE FOR THE MPOS LEGAL FIRM, WEISS ROAD. HOUSEMAN. MR.. CALETKA, WE MR. CALETKA, I'M AVAILABLE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS, AS IS THE ATTORNEY.DO. CAN ANYONE DO A PRESENTATION ON THIS OR GIVE US A LITTLE BIT MORE INFORMATION AS TO WHAT'S BEING REQUESTED? YES, MADAM CHAIR, I'M HAPPY TO DO THAT. BRYAN CALETKA WITH THE BROWARD MPO AT THE JUNE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE RIGHT AFTER THE GENERAL COUNSEL RECEIVED HIS ANNUAL REVIEW, WHERE HE RECEIVED SEVEN POSITIVE REVIEWS OUT OF SEVEN.
[01:20:08]
WHICH IS REFLECTIVE OF WHAT HE GETS PAID BY HIS NEW CLIENTS.THANK YOU. WE HAVE COMMENTS FROM MEMBER LONERGAN.
THANK YOU. BOARD CHAIR. I WOULD BE CURIOUS AGAIN.
HOW MANY YEARS HAVE WE BEEN? HAS HE REPRESENTED THE MPO? DO YOU WANT ME TO DO IT, OR DO YOU WANT ME? IT'S ACTUALLY 18 YEARS SINCE 2007.
OKAY. I, I, I DO BELIEVE IT'S TIME, MOST DEFINITELY FOR AN INCREASE.
BUT I DO HAVE TO SAY, HAVING BEEN HAVING BEEN WITH THE MPO FOR THE AMOUNT OF TIME YOU HAD, I THINK THERE NEEDS TO BE SOME TYPE OF LOYALTY IF WE'RE PAYING THE SAME THING NEW CLIENTS ARE GETTING.
I DON'T SEE HOW THERE'S ANY LOYALTY TO THE MPO.
OR AM I MISSING SOMETHING HERE? YEAH, IF I CAN COMMENT TO THAT.
SO FIRST OF ALL, IT'S OUR GOVERNMENT. THE NEW GOVERNMENT CLIENTS ARE.
THE RATE IS THREE, 25 ARE INDIVIDUAL PRIVATE CLIENTS ARE MUCH HIGHER.
UP TO 500, $700 AN HOUR. OKAY. YOU EXPLAINED IT FOR ME.
THANK YOU. AND I DON'T REMEMBER A TIME NOT SITTING NEXT TO ALAN.
SO LET ME PUT IT TO YOU THAT WAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU.
THANK YOU. MEAN YOU'RE A MEMBER OF HODGKINS? YEAH.
I SHOULD BE ALIVE. YES, SIR. OKAY. I'M NOT ONE WHO USUALLY GETS INVOLVED IN STUFF LIKE THIS. BUT WHY? SCHRODER IS ONE OF THOSE AGENCIES THAT COW DOG DOWN TO THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION AND GAVE THEM MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN FREE SERVICES. AND NOW THEY'RE PASSING THE BUCK ON TO THE PUBLIC.
I'M NOT REALLY FOND OF SUPPORTING THIS. REGARDLESS OF HOW LONG THEY'VE BEEN HERE.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS. I DO THINK THAT OUR OUR ATTORNEY HAS BEEN REPRESENTING US.
WELL AND I DO THINK THE REQUEST IS, IS FAIR, AND I, I DO SUPPORT THIS.
AND I WILL ASK IF WE CAN TAKE A VOTE OR WE DO HAVE A, A MOTION AND A SECOND ON IT.
REBECCA, ARE YOU ABLE TO BRING IT UP? I'M WAITING ON WELSH AND YOUR VOTE CHAIR.
OH, YOU WERE VOTING. THANK YOU. OKAY, THERE IT IS.
THE MOTION HAS PASSED. MOTION PASSED. THANK YOU.
ITEM NUMBER THREE. THIS IS EXCUSE ME. THIS IS A MOTION TO APPROVE A RETENTION BONUS TO THE MPO
[3. MOTION TO APPROVE a Retention Bonus to the MPO Executive Director in the Amount of $47,000]
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR. AND THE AMOUNT OF $47,000.MR. CALETKA. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. ONCE AGAIN, BRYAN CALETKA, BROWARD MPO.
THIS TWO CAME OUT OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE AT THE JUNE 12TH MEETING.
INFORMATION WAS PASSED OUT TO THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEMBERS THAT SHOWED THE NUMBER OF YEARS OF SERVICE THAT MR. STEWART HAS BEEN EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THIS AGENCY VERSUS HIS COUNTERPART IN MIAMI-DADE.
IT WAS 16 VERSUS NINE. SO YOU HAVE SEVEN MORE YEARS? WE DO A LOT MORE. WE'RE NOT ATTACHED TO THE COUNTY.
WE'RE INDEPENDENT. AND THE, THE THERE WAS A DISPARITY IN THE PAY.
HIS MIAMI-DADE COUNTERPART MADE SIGNIFICANTLY MORE MORE THAN $50,000 MORE ANNUALLY IN SALARY.
THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE DELIBERATED FOR QUITE SOME TIME.
HE ASKED TO HAVE HIS PAY, BROUGHT UP. BUT SINCE HE ANNOUNCED HIS RETIREMENT, THE SUMMARY OF THE CONVERSATION FROM THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE WAS THAT THEY DIDN'T WANT TO HAVE THE NEXT EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR COME IN WITH UNREALISTIC EXPECTATIONS FOR THE SALARY THAT THEY WOULD RECEIVE.
SO THEY DECIDED ON PROVIDING HIM WITH A RETENTION BONUS.
THERE ARE SOME RULES ASSOCIATED WITH IT, SUCH AS HE MUST STAY UNTIL THE END OF JUNE 2026.
SO IT'S A ONE YEAR RETENTION BONUS IF HE DEVELOPS A DISABILITY AND IS UNABLE TO WORK, OR IF,
[01:25:02]
UNFORTUNATELY, HE PASSES UNEXPECTEDLY, HIS ESTATE WOULD NOT HAVE TO PAY THAT BACK.IF HE DOES LEAVE BEFORE THAT ONE FULL YEAR, HE IS EXPECTED TO PAY BACK THE RETENTION BONUS PRO RATA, SO IF HE LEFT AFTER SIX MONTHS, HE WOULD HAVE TO RETURN HALF OF IT.
AND I'M AVAILABLE FOR ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE. MADAM CHAIR.
THANK YOU. I DO HAVE A FEW COMMENTS. MEMBER ROGERS.
MIKE IS ON. OKAY. I AM GOING TO SPEAK TO WHY WE NEED TO DO THIS CREATIVE WAY OF LOOKING AT RETAINING AND ENSURING THE LEADERSHIP THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE HERE AT THE MPO.
I CAN SHARE WITH YOU. YOU KNOW, THIS MORNING DEMONSTRATES HIS LEADERSHIP, HAVING ALL OF OUR TRANSPORTATION DIRECTORS HERE TO TALK TO US. THAT'S WHAT WE NEED. AND YOU DELIVER ALL THE TIME.
EITHER WAY, I THINK WE CAN PROUDLY SAY WE DID NOT TAKE THIS LIGHTLY.
WE WERE LOOKING AT A WAY FORWARD. WE KNEW WE HAD A LEGISLATURE THAT WAS IMPACTING EVERYTHING THAT WE HAVE PLANNED OVER THESE MANY YEARS, AND WE NEEDED SOMEONE TO HELP US THROUGH THIS PROCESS.
AND BEING HERE, MISTER EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, TO GUIDE US THROUGH THIS PROCESS THAT'S AHEAD OF US, MAKE SOME OF US. AND IF I CAN SAY MOST OF US OR ALL OF US ARE MORE COMFORTABLE WITH YOU IN THE LEAD. SO THAT IS MY CONVERSATION. THAT'S MY COMMENTS.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COMMISSIONER ROGERS, WE HAVE.
HAND RAISED VIRTUAL. I HAVE TWO. THE FIRST ONE BEING A BOARD MEMBER.
HARTMAN. BOARD MEMBER. HARTMAN. GO AHEAD. YES.
GOOD MORNING FOLKS. THANKS FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK ON THIS TOPIC.
AND IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT WE WE'RE LOOKING AT A RETENTION BONUS FOR ONE YEAR, BUT EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR STEWART HAS GIVEN US, I GUESS, TWO YEARS NOTICE.
HE'S DONE A GREAT JOB. SO, YOU KNOW, ANYTHING WE CAN PROVIDE HIM? I'M VERY HAPPY WITH, HOWEVER THE RETENTION BONUS.
I'M NOT UNDERSTANDING WHY WE'RE ONLY EXTENDING IT FOR ONE YEAR.
IF HE'S GIVEN US TWO YEARS AND WE'D LIKE TO KEEP HIM FOR TWO YEARS WHY NOT USE THAT SAME RETENTION BONUS TO KEEP HIM FOR TWO YEARS, PERHAPS A LITTLE BIT MORE MONEY OR THE WAY IT IS RIGHT NOW, BUT I WOULD NOT GIVE HIM A RETENTION BONUS FOR ONE YEAR.
I WOULD LOOK FOR THAT FOR TWO YEARS TO KEEP HIM FOR THE DURATION.
THAT'S MY COMMENT. THANK YOU. WE HAVE A SECOND VIRTUAL.
YOU SAID. APOLOGIES. YES. BOARD MEMBER RISER.
GOOD MORNING. I AGREE WITH WHAT HAS ALREADY BEEN SAID, BUT I HAVE TWO COMMENTS TO MAKE.
I THINK IT'S PRESUMPTUOUS IF YOU ARE INTERVIEWING A NEW SOMEONE TO REPLACE MR. STEWART, FOR THEM TO EXPECT THE SAME SALARY AS SOMEONE THAT HAS 16 YEARS EXPERIENCE, ESPECIALLY IF THEIR THEY'RE EXPERIENCES LESS SO IN TERMS OF GIVING HIM A RAISE, I THINK THAT'S A MOOT POINT. YOU KNOW, YOU DON'T IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR, YOU DON'T WALK IN AND SAY, WELL, I WANT THE SAME SALARY AS THE PREVIOUS PERSON, BUT I DON'T HAVE THE EXPERIENCE.
I MEAN, THAT'S IT'S JUST RIDICULOUS. AND I DO AGREE WITH WHY THIS BONUS JUST, YOU KNOW, LET'S ROUND IT UP TO $50,000 AND GIVE HIM 25 A $25,000 INCREASE. AND THAT COVERS YOUR $50,000 THAT YOU WERE GOING TO GIVE HIM ACROSS TWO YEARS. THE MAN HAS BEEN HERE. HE'S PROVEN HIMSELF.
IT JUST SEEMS TO BE A LOT OF NUMBERS BEING PUSHED AROUND FOR NOTHING.
JUST GIVE THEM A RAISE. MAKE IT EASY. YES. THANK YOU.
[01:30:04]
I STILL HAVE ANOTHER VIRTUAL HAND. YES, IT WAS JUST RAISED.BOARD MEMBER DUNN. YES. HI. GOOD AFTERNOON. COLLEAGUES.
COMMISSIONER DUNN FROM CITY OF LAUDERHILL. I ABSOLUTELY SUPPORT PROVIDING A RETENTION BONUS.
THANK YOU. THAT'S GREAT. MEMBER JAFFE. THANK YOU.
I OBVIOUSLY EVERYBODY KNOWS HERE THAT I'VE TRAVELED FOR MANY, MANY YEARS AS MY PROFESSION AND I DON'T AND I BELIEVE LIKE PLACES LIKE LOS ANGELES OR NEW YORK OR CHICAGO, WITH ALL THEIR CONGESTION, THEY REALLY WERE NOT VERY FORWARD LOOKING.
AND IF YOU LOOK AROUND AT BROWARD COUNTY, WE'VE HAD AN INCREDIBLE POPULATION GROWTH IN THE TRI COUNTY AREA IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS, BUT WE'VE MANAGED THAT PROACTIVELY BY HAVING PROJECTS THAT WERE BROUGHT TO US PRIOR TO THAT PROJECTION GROWTH.
SO I'M ALL IN FAVOR OF THIS. I DO WANT TO SAY, I BELIEVE THAT THE WHEN WE DISCUSS THIS AT THE EXECUTIVE BOARD MEETING, THE $47,000 WAS NOT NECESSARILY OVER A SPECIFIC TIME FRAME.
IT WAS A RETENTION BONUS FOR RETAINING THE MR. STEWART HERE FOR WHATEVER DURATION HE IS PLANNING ON STAYING.
THANK YOU. CHAIR. YEAH. THANK YOU, MEMBER LONERGAN.
AM I HEARING SOME SORT OF A VIBE? OKAY, I THINK IT'S BACK.
FEEDBACK. OKAY. MEMBER LONERGAN, I, I SUPPORT THIS THE RETENTION BONUS.
AND I WOULD ALSO SUPPORT EXTENDING IT, MAKING IT A TWO YEAR PLAN.
AND THIS IS BASED ON THE DEDICATION AND THE PASSION THAT MR. STEWART HAS SHOWN OVER THE YEARS. FOR THE MPO, HIS KNOWLEDGE BASE, HIS SKILL SETS.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE NEED FOR SOMEONE LEADING THE ORGANIZATION.
SO I WOULD I WOULD SUPPORT MAKING THIS A TWO YEAR RETENTION PLAN.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU. MEMBER FAJON. THANK YOU.
CHAIR. I'M GOING TO PREFERENCE MY COMMENTS THAT I THINK WE ALL AGREE THAT MR. STEWART IS HAS BEEN A GREAT LEADER AND A LOYAL LEADER TO TO THE BROWARD MPO, AND WE'RE ALL APPRECIATIVE OF THAT.
SO I'M NOT COMFORTABLE WITH THAT PART BEING IN THERE.
CAN MY MEMORY BE JOGGED? I DON'T REMEMBER HAVING A DISCUSSION ABOUT, LIKE, I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT KIND OF DISABILITY WHERE, YOU KNOW, IF HE DIES TOMORROW, WE'RE OUT $47,000 AND WE'RE ENTERING DIFFICULT TIMES.
AND I KNOW MY CITY, AND I'M SURE A LOT OF MY COLLEAGUES CITIES ARE IN THE COUNTY ARE GOING TO HAVE A LOT OF QUESTIONS ABOUT HIRING AND COMPENSATION INCREASES TO OUR CITY EMPLOYEES. I DON'T THINK WE'RE PROTECTING OURSELF UNDER THOSE SCENARIOS IF THERE'S A DISABILITY OR A DEATH, PARTICULARLY IF IT HAPPENS, GOD FORBID, TOMORROW OR NEXT WEEK, I DON'T WANT YOU TO GO ANYWHERE.
SO. BUT THAT'S ONE THING. AND THEN REGARDING THE COMMENT REGARDING THE 47,000, NOT THE 50,000, THE DISCUSSION, FROM MY RECOLLECTION, I HAVE A BAD MEMORY.
BUT SO IF I SAY THIS WRONG, PLEASE CORRECT ME.
THAT WE TOOK INTO ACCOUNT THAT IN JANUARY THERE WILL BE A 7% INCREASE TO HIS BASE SALARY AND THAT 47,000 WAS GETTING THEM TO BE EQUAL TO OR CLOSE TO BEING EQUAL TO THE THE DIRECTOR AND THE MIAMI DADE MIAMI DADE MPO.
SO THOSE ARE MY COMMENTS. THANK YOU CHAIR. THANK YOU.
CAN WE GET A A SOME COMMENTS IN REFERENCE TO THE DISABILITY AND THE DEATH PORTION THAT'S ENDED? YES, MADAM CHAIR. SO IT WAS MY RECOLLECTION THAT IN THE CONVERSATION OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE, DISABILITY AND DEATH WERE THE ITEMS THAT WERE WOULD IT WOULD NOT BE REQUIRED TO BE REIMBURSED FOR THOSE KIND OF ACTIVITIES.
IF FOR SOME REASON HE DIED EARLY. I MEAN, THAT WAS WHAT THAT WAS TALKING ABOUT.
TO THE EXTENT THAT YOU HAVE A QUESTION, I MEAN, WE COULD ALWAYS GO BACK AND REVIEW WHATEVER THE MINUTES WERE OR WHATEVER THE, YOU KNOW, VIDEO WE HAVE ON THAT. BUT I'M PRETTY COMFORTABLE.
[01:35:01]
THAT WAS WHAT WE WHAT WE HAD. WHAT WAS THE DISCUSSION AND WHAT THE MOTION.THE MOTION MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE HAD INCLUDED THAT LANGUAGE, BUT THAT CERTAINLY WAS THE DISCUSSION.
OKAY, BUT YOU'RE FREE TO MAKE. THE BOARD CAN MAKE WHATEVER CHANGES.
YEAH. THANK YOU. MEMBER DINAPOLI. YEAH. IT'S DEFINITELY AN INTERESTING PROCESS WHERE AN EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AS THEIR COMPENSATION AS A MATTER OF PUBLIC DISCUSSION. SO I ALWAYS FEEL FOR THEM.
I JUST WANT TO BE. AND APPARENTLY, MY LIFE TO.
YES, TOWN MANAGERS GO THROUGH THE SAME THING I'VE SEEN.
IT'S A IT'S A TOUCHY THING. SO FEEL FOR YOU THERE.
WHAT I'M SAYING TODAY, AND MY VOTE IS NOT GOING TO BE A REFLECTION OF THAT OR HIS SERVICE.
IT'S JUST NOTHING AGAINST HIM BUT SHOULD NOT BE PERCEIVED AS SUCH.
I LIKE HIM, THINK HE'S A GOOD MAN, GREAT EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR.
BUT I BELIEVE WE'RE STEWARDS HERE. THE PUBLIC MONEY. SO YOU'VE HEARD SOME COMMENTS THAT YOU KNOW, REGARDING THE, YOU KNOW, IN THE EVENT OF DEATH OR DISABILITY, I KNOW THAT A DOCUMENT COULD BE SIGNED IN THE EVENT OF DEATH OR DISABILITY, THAT THERE IS SOME CLAWBACK FROM THE ESTATE. SO THAT'S ONE METHOD OF DOING IT.
SO I'LL PROBABLY VOTE AGAINST THE 47. I BELIEVE THAT WHEN IT COMES TO SIGNIFICANT COMPENSATION, YOU KNOW, PARTICULARLY OF 47,000, IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE GO THROUGH A MORE ROBUST PROCESS, OPEN DISCUSSION, NEGOTIATION. I DON'T BELIEVE THERE'S ANY NEGOTIATION AS FAR AS I CAN TELL ABOUT THE AMOUNT, JUST AS FAR AS HOW IT WAS PAID, A ONE TIME RETENTION VERSUS A SALARY INCREASE, YOU KNOW, LAUDERDALE BY THE SEA, THE PROCESS THAT WE GO BY FOR OUR TOWN MANAGER, IS THAT WE ASSIGN A COMMISSIONER AS A LIAISON TO INTERACT BETWEEN THE TOWN MANAGER AND GO THROUGH A PROCESS OF NEGOTIATION FOR A CONTRACT.
HERE, I DON'T BELIEVE THERE IS ANY NEGOTIATION.
IT'S JUST KIND OF A REQUEST FOR A CERTAIN AMOUNT, THEN AN UP OR DOWN VOTE.
YOU KNOW, I'M FROM THE BUSINESS WORLD. I GET THAT GOVERNMENT IS NOT THE BUSINESS WORLD.
BUT I'M FROM THE BUSINESS WORLD, AND THAT'S THE WORLD THAT I OPERATE IN.
AND I ALWAYS LOOK FOR SOME METHOD OF NEGOTIATION BACK AND FORTH, AT LEAST SOMETHING.
I'VE HEARD THAT THEY ARE DIFFERENTLY SET UP. I KNOW I'VE HEARD THAT THERE'S A 7% INCREASE BAKED IN FOR FOR NEXT YEAR BASED ON SOME METRIC. SO THIS 47 WOULD BE ON TOP OF THAT. YOU KNOW, I'D PROBABLY SAY I HOPE WE CAN MEET SOMEWHERE IN THE MIDDLE.
I'M RELATIVELY NEW TO THE MPO, BUT THOSE ARE MY COMMENTS.
THAT'S I WISH THERE WAS A MORE ROBUST PROCESS FOR THE WHOLE FOR THE WHOLE THING.
NO, NOTHING AGAINST MR. STEWART. I THINK HE DOES A WONDERFUL JOB.
BUT I THINK THIS IS HOW YOU OFTEN END UP WITH, YOU KNOW, INFLATION, GOVERNMENT SPENDING AND, YOU KNOW, WHEN THERE'S NO NEGOTIATION, WE'VE SEEN THAT AT THE LOCAL MUNICIPAL LEVEL WITH DEALING WITH, YOU KNOW, FIRE CONTRACTS, THINGS LIKE THAT. YOU PROBABLY READ ABOUT IT IN THE, IN THE NEWSPAPER.
IT'S KIND OF LIKE, OKAY, IT'S THIS OR NOTHING OR I'M OUT.
THAT'S ALL RIGHT. WE HAVE ANOTHER VIRTUAL HAND.
VICE CHAIR. COOPER. VICE CHAIR. COOPER. GO AHEAD.
HI. GOOD MORNING. AS FAR, I'LL START WITH THE LAST COMMENTS.
I WANT TO REITERATE, WE HAD A ROBUST NEGOTIATION AS A COMMITTEE AND EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE.
THIS WAS PRESENTED BY MR. STEWART. WE NEGOTIATED IT.
WE WANT TO REMAIN COGNIZANT OF THE FACT THAT WE WILL BE APPROACHING A TRANSITION PERIOD.
BUT IF WE WERE GOING TO RETRACT SOMEBODY TO REPLACE GREG, THAT WAS ONE OF THE ISSUES ADDRESSING THE CONCERN OF LUMP PAYMENT AND A HYBRID SYSTEM. MY COLLEAGUE ON THE EXECUTIVE BOARD WAS SPOT ON.
WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT COMPENSATION WOULD INCREASE.
[01:40:06]
WE ALSO HAD A DISCUSSION THAT WE ARE NOT. WE ARE A GOVERNMENT AGENCY, SO WE ARE ALL EXTREMELY SENSITIVE. IF YOU RECALL THE ANNOUNCEMENT FROM THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, CALETKA, THAT THIS WASN'T A UNANIMOUS VOTE.SO WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE NEGOTIATED FAIRLY.
AS FAR AS TRANSPARENCY, WE DID HAVE SOME OF THOSE DISCUSSIONS AS WELL, BECAUSE SOME OF THE DOCUMENTATION AND AFTER THE RESEARCH, WE SAID, YOU KNOW, MORE LESS ISN'T MORE IN THIS CASE.
AND I IMAGINE EVERY BOARD MEMBER FEELS SIMILAR TO THAT.
BUT I JUST WANT TO REITERATE. WE NEGOTIATED THIS.
WE THOROUGHLY VETTED IT. WE TOOK A VOTE ON IT.
AND THIS IS A RECOMMENDATION. WE WANT TO PROTECT OUR ORGANIZATION'S MONEY.
I BELIEVE THAT'S WHERE THE CLAWBACK CAME FROM.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU. MEMBER JAFFE. THANK YOU.
CHAIR. I JUST WANT TO ADDRESS MY COLLEAGUES WHO HERE ARE JUST MAYBE READING.
YOU KNOW, JUST READ THIS ON THE AGENDA RECENTLY.
AND MY INITIAL THOUGHT, WELL, MY INITIAL POSITION WAS THAT THIS IS NOT A RELATED TO SALARY.
IT'S A RETENTION BONUS BECAUSE MR. STUART WAS CONSIDERING POSSIBLY LEAVING SOONER RATHER THAN LATER.
AND THERE WAS DISCUSSION ABOUT THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MIAMI-DADE AND BROWARD.
AND IT WAS THE DISCUSSION TO ME WAS THAT IT'S NOT A SALARY.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR THAT CLARIFICATION. AND I WILL GO AHEAD.
AND MEMBER JAFFE, YOU ARE CORRECT. THIS IS THIS WAS INTENDED TO BE A RETENTION, ALTHOUGH THE DISCUSSION DID NOT BEGIN WITH A WITH IT BEING A RETENTION. THAT IS WHERE WHERE IT ENDED UP.
I WOULD SAY THAT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THIS BOARD HAS NOT HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT IS LEADERSHIP.
WE HAVE WE WE HAVE TAKEN IT FOR GRANTED THAT WE HAVE MRS. STUART, THAT THIS THAT THE MPO IN GENERAL HAS A REPUTATION THAT IT DOES HIS KNOWLEDGE ALL THAT HE BRINGS TO MPO, YO, SOMEONE SAID KEY INDIVIDUALS.
HE IS A KEY INDIVIDUAL AND I KNOW IT'S NOT GOING TO BE AN EASY PROCESS TO REPLACE HIM, BUT I DO THINK KNOWING THAT HE IS GOING TO BE RETIRING WITHIN THE NEXT TWO YEARS.
I THINK IT IS INCUMBENT UPON US TO ENSURE THAT UNTIL WE HAVE SOMEONE IN PLACE THAT WE DO, WE ARE ABLE TO RETAIN HIM. I LIKE TO THINK THAT HE'S NOT JUST GOING TO JUMP SHIP ON US.
I DON'T I DON'T BELIEVE THAT THAT WOULD BE HIS INTENTION.
BUT WE DEFINITELY NEED TO TO PROTECT WHAT THE MPO THAT WE HAVE ESTABLISHED HERE, THE MPO THAT WE HAVE BUILT IN BROWARD COUNTY, AND I AM I'M NOT OPPOSED.
I AM I AM QUITE OKAY WITH MOVING FORWARD WITH THIS WHICH IS WHAT WAS DISCUSSED AT THE EXECUTIVE LEVEL. WE DO HAVE ONE OTHER SPEAKER, AND THEN I WILL ASK FOR A MOTION, AND I THINK WE HAVE ONE ALREADY.
[01:45:09]
MEMBER DINAPOLI, ONCE AGAIN, I LIKE DIRECTOR STEWART.I THINK HE DOES A GREAT JOB. I JUST HAD A QUESTION BECAUSE I'VE HEARD VARIOUS BACK AND FORTH.
IS THERE GOING TO BE A CLAWBACK IN THE MOTION, YES OR NO, BY THOSE MAKING THE MOTION? AND BY CLAWBACK, I MEAN, IN THE EVENT OF DEATH OR DISABILITY, BOTH OF WHICH WE HOPE DOES NOT HAPPEN THAT THERE WILL BE A CLAWBACK FROM THE ESTATE.
I THINK I'VE HEARD VARIOUS PEOPLE TALK ON THAT, AND I'VE HEARD BOTH SIDES.
THAT'S ALL. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. IF I CAN JUST CLARIFY, THAT IS PART OF THE RECOMMENDATION THAT CAME FROM THE EXECUTIVE, WHICH IS THE THAT INCLUDES THE CLAWBACK AND THE MOTION IS PENDING.
NO, IT SAYS THAT THERE'S A CLAWBACK. IT SAYS THAT MR. STEWART B IS DEVELOPED. AND NO, IT INCLUDES THIS.
IT INCLUDES THAT DISABILITY IF DISABILITY. I SEE WHAT YOU'RE SAYING THERE.
BUT THAT WAS NOT THE INTENTION WAS. IT WAS IT WAS TO BE PAID BACK FOR.
AND AS LONG AS I'M HERE AND I PASS AWAY, I HAVE LIFE INSURANCE.
SO MY ESTATE WILL PROBABLY BE VERY HAPPY BECAUSE I'M WORTH MORE DEAD THAN I AM ALIVE.
SO YEAH. SO THAT SAID, MADAM CHAIR, JUST THROUGH THE CHAIR, IF I CAN JUST MAKE PLEASE, PLEASE DO.
BUT I WANT TO MAKE SURE, FOR THE RECORD, THAT THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT WAS INTENDED.
I'M GOING TO TRY TO KEEP THIS SIMPLE. YOU KNOW, THAT'S THE CHAIR.
THERE IS YOU HAVE TO PAY ATTENTION AND UNDERSTANDING OUR SALARIES AND RATES AND ALL THE REST OF IT, YOU KNOW, NOT ONLY MY RETIRING, BUT I'M ACTUALLY GOING OUT WITH A VERY LARGE GROUP, AND A LOT OF THOSE FOLKS THEMSELVES ARE GOING TO HAVE TO BE TRAINED AND ALL THAT.
THE BIGGER THE ANSWER TO THAT IS VERY COMFORTABLE WITH THAT.
BECAUSE IF WE'RE GOING TO GO OUT TO MARKET FOR MY POSITION, THEN, YOU KNOW, I'M GOING TO TELL YOU THE FOLKS AROUND THE COUNTRY MAKE, GIVEN THE COST OF LIVING HERE, MAKE A LOT MORE MONEY.
SO IT'D BE VERY DIFFICULT. AND I DON'T WANT TO PUT US IN A POSITION WHERE WE'RE WHERE YOU, AS THE BOARD, ARE TIED TO SOMETHING THAT YOU CAN'T DELIVER ON BECAUSE IT GOES BACK TO BUDGET.
IT'S ALL ABOUT BUDGET. I MEAN, WE'RE IN A REALLY GOOD PLACE, AND I DO MEAN THAT.
AND I WANT TO KEEP US THERE. THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR COMMENTS AND ALL THE REST OF IT.
BUT THE BIGGER PICTURE IS YOU KNOW, I'M GOING TO BE HERE TO HELP OUT.
AND, YOU KNOW, I'VE COMMITTED MY ENTIRE GOOD PORTION OF MY LIFE, PROFESSIONAL LIFE HERE.
SO, YOU KNOW, THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COMMISSIONER.
GOOD. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. SO JUST TO MAKE THIS CLEAN, THEN, IF YOU DON'T MIND, I'D LIKE TO MAKE AN AMENDMENT WHERE WE ADD TO THE LANGUAGE. SHOULD THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR LEAVE UNDER ANY CONDITION, THE MPO WOULD CLAW BACK THE PRORATED AMOUNT OF THE RETENTION BONUS.
IF HE LEAVES UNDER ANY CONDITION, UNDER ANY. UNDER ANY CONDITION, IF HE LEAVES UNDER ANY CONDITION, INCLUDING DEATH, UNDER ANY CONDITION. PLEASE STOP ADDING THAT.
I JUST WANTED TO BE CLEAR THAT THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE ASKING.
OKAY. THE QUESTION IS, IS THERE A SECOND TO THAT? IS. IS THAT IS IS THAT TO TO BROAD. IS IS THAT ACCEPTABLE? I MEAN WE WE DID YOU KNOW, WE DID NEGOTIATE. WE DID WE DID, YOU KNOW, HAVE THIS DISCUSSION AS YOU AT THE EXECUTIVE LEVEL.
IS THAT ACCEPTABLE TO MR. STEWART? SAY NO. APPARENTLY NO.
[01:50:06]
ACCORDING TO THE ATTORNEY. OKAY, WELL, YOU TOLD ME TO SAY NO.IT NEEDED TO BE SECONDED. IF, IF, IF IT'S GOING TO BE CONSIDERED AND I DON'T, AND THAT'S WHY.
NO NO NO. YEAH. THAT MAKES SENSE. THAT WAS WHAT I WAS TRYING TO GET TO.
AND THEN THERE WOULD BE DISCUSSION ON THAT. AND THAT WOULD BE HIS OPPORTUNITY TO EITHER AGREE OR DISAGREE, WHATEVER THAT MIGHT BE. HOWEVER, I DO WANT, JUST FOR THE RECORD, THERE IS A CONDITION THAT'S INCLUDED IN THE BACKUP TO THE MATERIALS THAT MR. STEWART DID AGREE TO AT THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE, AND IT SAYS THAT HE AGREED TO REMAIN IN HIS POSITION THROUGH JUNE 30TH, 2026, SHOULD HE LEAVE THE ORGANIZATION PRIOR TO THAT DAY FOR ANY REASON OTHER THAN QUALIFYING MEDICAL DISABILITY OR DEATH? HE WILL BE REQUIRED TO REPAY THE BONUS ON A PRORATED BASIS, BASED ON THE NUMBER OF MONTHS REMAINING IN THE AGREED UPON TERM.
MR. STEWART, IS THAT STILL YOUR POSITION THAT YOU AGREE TO THAT CONDITION? I SHOULD SAY YES OR WHATEVER. THIS IS YOUR QUESTION.
YOU ANSWER THAT. THIS IS NOT YOUR MADAM CHAIR.
MADAM CHAIR. I'M SORRY. SORRY. OKAY. YOU WERE.
YOU WERE ON HERE. I WAS GOING TO MAKE ANOTHER. GO AHEAD.
I WAS JUST GOING TO MAKE ANOTHER AMENDMENT. AND IF AND THIS WOULD BE EXPLICITLY THE LANGUAGE IN WHICH THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MOTIONED AND APPROVED AND THE THE AMENDMENT WOULD BE SHOULD THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR LEAVE EARLY? THE MPO WOULD CLAW BACK THE PRORATED AMOUNT OF THE RETENTION BONUS.
AND THAT'S EXACTLY HOW IT READS, AS WE HAD APPROVED IT IN THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR EXECUTIVE MEETING.
AND HOW I LEAVE IS HOPEFULLY IRRELEVANT. I DON'T WANT TO DIE.
YOU KNOW, IT'S I GOT IT. SO AGAIN, THAT'S A MOTION, A MOTION.
BUT I THINK THE POINT WAS MADE. IT WASN'T IT WASN'T THERE.
SO I'M JUST ADDING THE AMENDMENT THAT WE HAD AGREED TO AT THE EXECUTIVE MEETING.
SO YOU WERE MAKING A MOTION? NO, I'M MAKING AN AMENDMENT TO THE MOTION.
YES. IT'S AN AMENDMENT TO THE MOTION. OH, OKAY.
AND WE HAVE A WE HAVE A MOTION BY MEM MEMBER.
GOOD. AND WE HAVE A SECOND. BOTH OF THEM ARE AMENDMENT TO THE MOTION.
I HAVE A SPEAKER. DO WE VOTE OR DO I GO TO THE SPEAKER? YOU CAN. IF IT'S A COMMENT TO THE MOTION, IT'S THE AMENDMENT.
YOU WOULD. OKAY. THIS IS A COMMENT DIRECTLY TO THE MOTION THAT'S BEING MADE.
MEMBER JAFFE I HAVE A QUESTION FOR MR. GABRIEL.
THE AMENDMENT TO THE AGREEMENT THAT WE'RE ON.
EXCUSE ME. I'M SORRY. THE AMENDMENT THAT MEMBER GOOD HAS IS NOT MOTION.
I'M LOOKING AT THE BACKUP WHERE IT SAYS BONUS STRUCTURE AND CONDITIONS ON PAGE THREE OF FOUR.
ITEM NUMBER. BULLET POINT NUMBER THREE. FIRST, FIRST OF ALL, BULLET POINT NUMBER TWO.
IT SAYS THE EMPLOYEE MUST REMAIN IN THEIR POSITION FOR 12 CONSECUTIVE MONTHS.
BULLET POINT NUMBER THREE SAYS IF THE EMPLOYEE LEAVES PRIOR TO THE 12 MONTH TERM, HE WILL BE REQUIRED TO REPAY THE BONUS ON A PRORATED BASIS, CALCULATED MONTHLY. IF I WAS HEARING CORRECTLY, WAS THAT THE SAME AS THE CLAWBACK MOTION THAT MEMBER GOOD WAS SAYING? YEAH, I'M ACTUALLY OKAY. CAN WE GET A CLARIFICATION ON IF YOU LOOK AT THE NEXT LINE, THE NEXT ITEM.
IT SAYS IF A DISABILITY IS DEVELOPED OR MR. STEWART PASSES, THE BONUS DOES NOT NEED TO BE REPAID.
OKAY. I HAVE A VIRTUAL HAND. VICE CHAIR. GOOD.
COOPER. YES. I SUPPORT AND WOULD SECOND BOARD MEMBER GOODE'S MOTION. I THINK THERE NEEDS TO BE CLARITY.
AND IF I'M HEARING CORRECTLY, I BELIEVE MR. STEWART IS NEUTRAL TO THE WHOLE CONCEPT, AS EVEN IN MY THOUGHTS PREVIOUSLY, WE NEVER TALKED ABOUT PAID LIFE INSURANCE. SO I BELIEVE IF IN THE CASE OF ANYTHING, THAT THIS SHOULD BE RETURNED.
[01:55:08]
AND WE SHOULD BE PROTECTED. SO I'LL SECOND IS MOTION ON THE AMENDMENT TO THE STANDING MOTION.THANK YOU. SO THE QUESTION THAT NEEDS TO REBECCA, YOU NEED TO PUT.
MAY I ASK A QUESTION? ABSOLUTELY. OKAY. IF WE TOOK A BULLET.
NUMBER FOUR, DOES IT DO THE SAME AS WHAT WAS WHAT THE WHAT'S BEING MOTIONED.
THEN WE COULD JUST MOVE FORWARD AND DELETE THAT SECTION, THAT ONE ITEM BULLET FOR FROM THE BONUS STRUCTURE AND CONDITIONS AS PROVIDED IN THE AGENDA. RIGHT. BUT I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT I'M UNDERSTANDING HIS COMMENT AND THAT HE'S COMFORTABLE WITH THAT IN THE SECOND.
CAN YOU OPEN HIS. I CAN'T OH, THERE IT IS. OH, I MEAN, THAT'S FINE TO REMOVE BULLET NUMBER FOUR AND LEAVE THE AMENDED LANGUAGE AS I JUST MADE REFERENCE TO, THAT WOULD BE FINE.
OKAY, SO AT THIS POINT HE WITHDRAWS HIS MOTION.
IS THAT WHAT IT IS AND MAKE A NEW ONE AMENDED? WELL, HIS MOTION COULD BE JUST TO REMOVE THAT VOTE FOR AND MOVE MOVE WITH THE AMENDMENT WITH WITH THAT CHANGE AT THE RECOMMENDATION.
OKAY. SO MAKE A REVISE MY AMENDMENT TO YOU'RE DELETING THE LANGUAGE, DELETE THE LANGUAGE, AND BULLET PROOF NUMBER FOUR IN THE BACKUP DOCUMENTATION.
OKAY. IT SAYS THAT SECOND NUMBER THREE SAYS THAT.
OKAY. SO WE WE HAVE A MOTION AN AMENDED MOTION AND A SECOND.
OH WELL THE IT WAS ALREADY SECONDED BY BOARD MEMBER DINAPOLI.
SO HE WOULDN'T HE. OKAY. SO I HAVE HIM NEXT TO SPEAK, SO LET ME GO AHEAD AND GIVE HIM THE MIC.
SO A POINT OF CLARIFICATION. YOU'RE DEFINING LEAVE AS WE ALREADY DISCUSSED DEATH, DISABILITY, SO FORTH. AND THIS WOULD BE AN AMENDMENT TO THE MAIN MOTION.
SO FIRST MR. GABRIEL, PARLIAMENTARY PROCEDURE.
WE WOULD VOTE ON THE AMENDMENT. IF THAT SUCCEEDS, THEN YOU STILL HAVE TO VOTE ON THE MAIN MOTION.
YES. OKAY. SO THAT'S WHAT WE NEED. BUT YOU ACCEPT OKAY.
SO I ACCEPT HIS AMENDMENT AND THEN WE HAVE TO VOTE ON THE AMENDMENT.
GOT IT. GOT IT. WE HAVE TO VOTE ON THE MAIN MOTION.
WE HAVE WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND TO THE AMENDMENT.
COULD WE GET AN ELECTRONIC VOTE ON THIS? SO THIS.
REBECCA, YOU'RE SHOWING US HIS AGENDA ITEM TO APPROVE THE 47,000.
SO THAT WAS APPROVED. OKAY. MOTION PASSES. CAN I GET A A MOTION AND A SECOND TO APPROVE THE ITEM, AS AMENDED? IT'S BEEN MOTIONED. AND SECOND, PLEASE VOTE.
THE MOTION IS APPROVED. OKAY. THANK YOU. I'M GOING TO TRY MY HARDEST NOT TO DIE.
OKAY. BACK TO THE AGENDA. MEMBER COMMENTS. WELL, CHAIR.
[7. Comments from the Chair]
COMMENTS. WE HEARD A LOT TODAY. I WANT TO FIRST OF ALL, I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR FOR THE DISCUSSION.ON ON THE RACE. NOT THE RACE, BUT THE RETENTION BONUS FOR OUR DIRECTOR.
I THINK EVEN THOUGH THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE HAD A A HEALTHY DISCUSSION ON IT IT WAS REALLY GOOD TO GET THE FEEDBACK THAT WAS RECEIVED TODAY FROM FROM THE ENTIRE BOARD. SO I WANT TO THANK YOU ALL FOR THAT.
THE DISCUSSION THAT WE HAD EARLY ON WITH FDOT AND TRANSIT AND TRI RAIL.
[02:00:04]
I REALLY DO THINK THAT THAT IS THAT THAT WAS VERY VALUABLE.AND I DO ASK EVERYONE YOU KNOW, MAKE SURE TO TAKE IT BACK TO THEIR CITIES.
THAT'S THAT'S IT FOR MY COMMENTS. IT'S MEMBER COMMENTS.
[8. Member Comments Click here to submit a comment to go before the Board.]
AT THIS POINT, I DON'T SEE ANY HANDS RAISED. WELL, I TAKE THAT BACK.I SEE MR. DINAPOLI MEMBER DINAPOLI. GO AHEAD.
I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING THE FEEDBACK, MADAM CHAIR, ON THAT MOTION ITEM.
AND CONGRATS TO MR. STEWART. THANK YOU. THANK YOU.
YOU'RE OFF. OKAY. I'M BACK. MEMBER LONERGAN. MADAM CHAIR, I JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU VERY MUCH TO STAFF ON A VERY WHAT I WOULD CONSIDER SUCCESSFUL 2025 TRANSPORTATION ACADEMY.
IT WAS FIVE WEEKS, 25 HOURS. STAFF REALLY DID AN OUTSTANDING JOB OF PRESENTING INFORMATION TO US TO HELP US BETTER UNDERSTAND HOW TRANSPORTATION WORKS AND OUR PARTNERSHIPS WITH FDOT AND AND EVERYBODY.
THANK YOU. CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL THE MEMBERS WHO GRADUATED.
CAN YOU TELL US AGAIN WHO WHO WERE THE MEMBERS? WHO ARE OUR GRADUATES? SO FROM THOSE WHO ARE IN THE AUDIENCE RIGHT NOW, WE HAVE REPRESENTATIVE LONERGAN. REPRESENTATIVE WELCH. REPRESENTATIVE WHITMAN I DON'T, AND, YEAH, I THINK THAT'S IT FOR BOARD MEMBERS WHO ARE IN ATTENDANCE. WE ALSO THIS TIME WE HAD SOME STAFF MEMBERS FROM CITIES, ALONG WITH SOME OF OUR PARTNERS FROM THE WATER MANAGEMENT DISTRICT.
YEAH. WONDERFUL. CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL. AND WE WILL HAVE THIS AGAIN NEXT YEAR.
EVERY YEAR. YES. AS LONG AS THERE'S BUDGET. OKAY.
MEMBER. WELCH. YES. THANK YOU, MAYOR LONERGAN.
I CAN'T BELIEVE I FORGOT THAT, AND I BROUGHT MY TRANSPORTATION ACADEMY REFILLABLE CUP, BUT THE THE ACADEMY REALLY GOT OFF WITH A BANG WITH THE TRI RAIL DEMO. FIELD TRIP WAS THE BEST.
AND WE EVEN HAD MEMBERS. WE EVEN HAD ATTENDEES COME THAT ARE NOT ON THE MPO.
THAT PROBABLY WANT TO BE, BUT, I MEAN, WAS ONE OF THE MOST ENGAGED ATTENDEES.
WOULD YOU AGREE? AND THERE WERE CAPS AND GOWNS.
SO THIS ACADEMY CLASS REALLY TOOK IT TO IT. THEY WERE IN IT.
I'M JUST SAYING. AND IT WAS VERY COMPETITIVE.
YOU KNOW, AS ALL POLITICIANS ARE, THAT WE GET IN A ROOM.
BUT ANYWAY, HATS OFF TO EVERYBODY BECAUSE IT WAS REALLY, REALLY GOOD.
AND I KNOW WE'RE NOT AN EASY CROWD TO PLEASE.
SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. OKAY. WE HAVE WE DO WE HAVE A MONTHLY LEGISLATIVE REPORT.
[10. Monthly Legislative Reports]
WE DO. WELL, SO THANK YOU. WE THOROUGHLY COVERED WHAT WAS GOING ON AT THE STATE LEVEL EARLIER IN THE MEETING.SO I'LL JUST JUMP TO THE FEDERAL SIDE. AS YOU KNOW, THE BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL HAS PASSED.
WE'RE LOOKING AT THE ANALYSIS OF WHAT THAT WHAT IMPACTS THAT MIGHT HAVE ON THE MPOS PROGRAMS. IF ANYTHING, THEY'LL BE MINOR BECAUSE IT'S AN OVERALL FUNDING PACKAGE.
WHAT WE'RE REALLY FOCUSING ON AND MR. STUART'S LEADING THE CHARGE AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL IS THE REAUTHORIZATION THROUGH OUR FRIENDS AT AMP, THE ASSOCIATION OF METROPOLITAN PLANNING ORGANIZATIONS, THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REGIONAL COUNCILS.
THEY HAVE ALSO PARTNERED WITH THE LEAGUE OF CITIES AND THE LOTTE COALITION TO FORM A VERY COMPREHENSIVE GROUP OF THOSE THAT ARE INVESTED IN LOCAL TRANSPORTATION NEEDS TO ENSURE THAT LOCAL THAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS STILL MEETING THE NEEDS OF OUR LOCALS.
SOME OF THOSE ARE JUST, YOU KNOW, AS YOU KNOW, NEEDS FOR YOUR RESIDENTS. OTHER THOSE ARE UNFUNDED MANDATES THAT YOU MIGHT END UP WITH. SO THAT'S A LOT OF COORDINATING. AND I HAVE TO THANK MR. STUART, WHO SITS ON THE BOARD FOR TWO OF THOSE ORGANIZATIONS.
HE'S HE'S HE'S KIND OF HERDING GREASED CATS. YES.
CHASING THEM. JUST JUST TO SHARE, WE WILL ALSO PROVIDE THE BOARD MEMBERS WITH UPDATES ON WHAT'S BEING PROVIDED TO HOUSE MAJORITY AND HOUSE MINORITY STAFF, AS WELL AS SENATE EPW MAJORITY MINORITY STAFF AS WELL.
THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF MEETINGS GOING ON. I PARTICIPATED IN A COUPLE OF THEM YESTERDAY.
[02:05:02]
THERE WAS ANOTHER ONE THAT HAPPENED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DAY.IT WAS 12:00 BECAUSE WE WERE DEALING WITH UTAH AND THERE'S A LOT OF DESIRES, BUT WE'RE ALSO KIND OF NEEDING TO BE VERY CAREFUL, BECAUSE ONE OF THE THINGS MAJORITY STAFF BROUGHT UP ON THE HOUSE SIDE IS THE FAILURE OF LOCAL GOVERNMENTS TO DELIVER PROJECTS COMING OUT OF THE CURRENT BILL THAT WE HAVE. AND IT WAS INTERESTING CONVERSATION BECAUSE IT'S ONE OF THOSE CATCH 22, YOU KNOW, WE GET MONEY. AND THEN TYPICALLY BECAUSE THE NORMAL PROCESS PUTS IT IN THE NEW FIFTH YEAR OF THE WORK PROGRAM.
SO THE ANALYSIS IS INTERESTINGLY FLAWED, AND I APPRECIATE ANALYSIS, I REALLY DO.
BECAUSE THEY'RE GOING TO WRITE THE BILL IN THE END, THAT'S WHAT'S GOING TO END UP HAPPENING.
AND THREE, ULTIMATELY, THE LARGE SWATH OF CASH THAT WE HAVE ALL BEEN TALKING ABOUT GETS DELIVERED REGARDLESS OF THE YEAR OF DELIVERY, BECAUSE IT'S IMPORTANT FOR YOU ALL.
LOCAL ROADS ARE THE LARGEST PERCENTAGE OF THINGS THAT WE ACTUALLY HAVE.
THEN IT GOES TO COUNTY, THEN IT GOES, WELL, ACTUALLY IT'S REVERSED LOCALLY THE MOST.
THEN IT GOES TO STATE FACILITIES, THEN IT GOES TO COUNTY FACILITIES.
AND FOR US IT'S ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. IT'S JOB PROTECTION.
IT'S, YOU KNOW, RESILIENCY. SO WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THE FOLKS UP IN WASHINGTON TO ACTUALLY GET THAT INTO LEGISLATION, BECAUSE IT'S ONE THING TO GIVE MONEY, BUT IT'S ANOTHER THING TO ACTUALLY GET IT BUILT.
AND THAT'S THAT'S WHERE WE'RE WORKING. AND I'LL BE LEANING ON MANY OF YOU.
I KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, MAYOR LANIGAN, IS IT MAYOR RIGHT NOW? SO, YOU KNOW, HE'S BEEN ON THE LEAGUE OF CITY SIDE.
I HAVE A, YOU KNOW, BOTH MYSELF AND THE CHAIR GOING UP TO NACO.
SO THERE'S A LOT OF ACTIVITY GOING ON AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL, AND IT'S POSITIVE.
IT'S JUST A DIFFERENT ENVIRONMENT. AND I, I ALWAYS WANT TO KIND OF LEAVE YOU WITH THAT BECAUSE JUST BECAUSE YOU AGREE OR DISAGREE ON POLITIC, THERE IS ACTUALLY A PROCESS AND THE PROCESS IS ACTUALLY BEING FOLLOWED.
THE PRESIDENT AND, YOU KNOW, CONGRESS AND ALL, THEY HAVE CERTAIN RIGHTS AND WE RESPOND TO THEM.
AND THAT'S WHY WE EXIST BECAUSE OF THEIR BECAUSE OF THEIR LEGISLATION.
IT HASN'T HAPPENED IN YEARS ANYWAY. ALL RIGHT.
THAT WAS ALSO ONE OF THE TOOLS THAT WE'RE USING IN DC, BECAUSE THIS BOARD HAS MANAGED A DISPROPORTIONATELY HIGH SHARE OF FEDERAL DOLLARS ABOVE AND BEYOND THOSE WHICH ARE FORMULA. YEAH. BECAUSE THE NEXT QUESTION THE STAFF ASKS, WELL, LET'S SAY WE DO THIS. HOW DOES IT WORK? WE WE USE THIS TO SHOW THEM THAT WE HAVE A MODEL THAT WORKS BECAUSE FOR BOARD THIS OR ABOARD THE POPULATION THIS SIZE, LIKE I SAID, IT'S A LOT OF MONEY THAT'S FLOWING THROUGH MORE SO THAN ANY OF OUR OTHER PARTNERS LIKE IN MIAMI-DADE THIS THEY'VE HAD A LOT OF LARGE GRANTS, BUT THOSE FLOW THROUGH THE VERY WELL-RESOURCED COUNTY, NOT THEIR MPO, WHO JUST WHO THEY DO THE NECESSARY PROCEDURES TO GET IT, BUT IT'S NOT MANAGED THROUGH THE MPO. I WOULD NEVER ONE 14,000 EMPLOYEES, BUT HE WOULD KNOW ALL THEIR NAMES.
YEAH HE WOULD. SO I JUST WANTED TO DRAW THAT DRAW THAT TO YOUR ATTENTION.
OKAY. WELL THANK YOU. SEEING NO QUESTIONS GENERAL COUNCIL REPORT.
THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR AND BOARD MEMBERS THANK YOU FOR A LONG, NICE, INTERESTING DAY.
OBVIOUSLY, THIS HAS BEEN A LONG ONE. I APPRECIATE YOUR YOUR CONFIDENCE.
AND I LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING WORKING WITH YOU FOR A LONG TIME TO COME.
I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S TWO YEARS. I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S THREE YEARS. IT COULD BE FOUR YEARS. IT COULD ONLY BE. WHO KNOWS? NO CLAWBACK. YEAH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. UNLESS YOU HAVE A QUESTION ON MY REPORT, IT'S BEFORE YOU.
I HAVE A GOOD DAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NO FURTHER ITEM.
[02:10:02]
MEETING ADJOURNED. THANK YOU. WAIT WAIT WAIT WAIT WAIT.DON'T MOVE. DON'T MOVE. DON'T MOVE. DON'T MOVE.
SORRY. I TAKE THAT BACK. MADAM CHAIR, WE DO HAVE A REPORT FROM OUR PARTNER.
[1. Report From Partner Agency - Broward County Transit - Transit Development Plan]
PARTNER AGENCY, BROWARD COUNTY TRANSIT, AND IT'S THE ONLY NON ACTION ITEM FOR YOU TODAY.JUST ONE MORE ITEM. OKAY, ONE MORE ITEM. NOBODY MOVES.
IT'S GOING TO BE QUICK. NOBODY MOVES. GOOD MORNING, MADAM CHAIR.
BOARD MEMBERS. THANK YOU. SORRY ABOUT THAT. NOT A PROBLEM.
WELCOME. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. I'M BARNEY MCCOY, THE ASSISTANT GENERAL MANAGER FOR SERVICE AND STRATEGIC PLANNING FOR BROWARD COUNTY TRANSIT. WHAT WE HAVE FOR YOU THIS MORNING IS AN UPDATE ON OUR TRANSIT DEVELOPMENT PLAN, ACTUALLY KNOWN AS A TDP.
THIS DOCUMENT ALSO QUALIFIES US TO CONTINUE TO SEE STATE BLOCK GRANT FUNDING.
WE'VE GOT THE FIRM WSP WHO ACTUALLY COMPLETED THIS EFFORT FOR THIS YEAR.
MR. GREGORY HARLESTON OF THEIR PROJECT TEAM IS GOING TO MAKE THE PRESENTATION.
WE'LL ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU HAVE. AFTER THAT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU BARNEY.
GOOD MORNING EVERYONE. GOOD AFTERNOON ALL. GOOD MORNING.
GOOD AFTERNOON. NOT YET. I'LL KEEP YOU QUICK SO YOU CAN GET THE LUNCH.
HITTING ON A HIGH POINTS. LIKE BARNEY SAID, THIS IS THE APRIL.
IT'S THE FIRST OF FOUR. I DO WANT TO POINT OUT, YOU'LL SEE ON THE RIGHT THAT THIS REPORT IS IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE NEW STATE MANDATED RULE CHANGES, WHICH CALL FOR A MORE STREAMLINED PROCESS, STRONGER COLLABORATION WITH MPO PARTNERS, AND A SHARPENED FOCUS ON ALIGNING INVESTMENTS WITH KEY PRIORITIES.
THE REPORT WILL UPDATE FDOT STAKEHOLDERS AND CUSTOMERS ON THE ON BOARD EFFORTS OVER THE PAST YEAR.
BEGINNING WITH STRATEGIC ACCOMPLISHMENTS. YOU'LL SEE PRIMO BUILD A LOT OF MOMENTUM.
YOU KNOW, WE LOVE MOMENTUM AT BCG HOSTED A HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL INDUSTRY DAY WITH OVER 250 PARTICIPANTS FROM ACROSS THE TRANSIT SECTOR, WHERE THEY WERE ABLE TO DISCUSS FOSTERING PARTNERSHIPS, TOURING FUTURE CORRIDORS, PAVING THE WAY FOR PREMIUM NETWORK IMPLEMENTATION FOR BCR SOUTH.
AN IMPORTANT MILESTONE WAS REACHED. BCT RECEIVES A FINDING OF NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT OR FONSI, FROM THE FTA IN SEPTEMBER THAT MOVES COMMUTER RAIL FORWARD IN BROWARD COUNTY.
FOR THE MAP PROGRAM, BCT MADE A POINT TO STAY CLOSELY ENGAGED WITH ITS STAKEHOLDERS.
STAFF OFFERED UPDATES AND NUMEROUS OVERSIGHT MEETINGS AND BOARD MEETINGS AND WORKSHOPS COVERING TOPICS LIKE THE SURTAX, BUDGET REQUESTS, AND A FIVE YEAR WORK PLAN. IF YOU LOOK AT THE SIDEBAR ON THE RIGHT, WE WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT A FEW OPERATIONAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS THAT BCT MADE, INCLUDING ADDING ITS FIRST TWO ELECTRIC EXPRESS COACHES TO THE FLEETS ARE LAUNCHING THE PROJECT HOMELESS CONNECT INITIATIVE, WHICH IS A MULTI-AGENCY INITIATIVE DESIGNED TO IMPROVE SAFETY AND SUPPORT VULNERABLE INDIVIDUALS AT TRANSIT LOCATIONS.
BUT MOST NOTABLY, THEY CELEBRATED THE LARGEST BUS OPERATOR GRADUATING CLASS IN BCT HISTORY.
MOVING ON TO PUBLIC OUTREACH, THE COMPREHENSIVE OPERATIONAL ANALYSIS SURVEYED OVER 1000 PEOPLE.
7000 PEOPLE, EXCUSE ME IN THREE DIFFERENT LANGUAGES.
SO THROUGH SURVEYS, PUBLIC MEETINGS, STAKEHOLDER LISTENING SESSIONS, AND POP UP EVENTS AT TRANSIT CENTERS, BCT WAS ABLE TO GATHER FEEDBACK. AND CURRENTLY THAT FEEDBACK IS BEING EVALUATED INTERNALLY AND THE PUBLIC OUTREACH EFFORT WILL BEGIN AGAIN IN THE FALL. WE'RE GOING TO DISCUSS A FEW OF THE GOALS OVER THE NEXT FEW SLIDES.
IN 2024, YOU SEE SIGNIFICANT STEPS WERE TAKEN TO IMPROVE SAFETY AND SECURITY.
AND THAT'S ON THE LEFT COLUMN THAT YOU SEE THERE.
IT ALSO ALIGNS WITH NATIONAL VISION ZERO PRINCIPLES FOR TRANSIT SAFETY.
THE AGENCY INCREASED ITS EFFORTS TO DISCUSS, DEFINE AND TRACK WORKER ASSAULTS, AND WHILE THIS ALLOWED TRACKING AND AWARENESS TO IMPROVE, IT ALSO ALLOWED THE NUMBER OF REPORTED INSULTS ASSAULTS TO GO UP.
THESE WERE BEING EVALUATED, AND BCT CONTINUED TO ENGAGE WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT.
[02:15:04]
THE FIRST TWO TARGETS ON THE LEFT COLUMN BOTH SHOW IMPROVEMENTS AND PROJECTS THAT IMPROVE SERVICE AND INFRASTRUCTURE.AS MENTIONED, THE FONSI FOR BCR SOUTH AND THEY RELOCATED, INSTALLED OR INSTALLED 15 SHELTERS, INSTALLED OVER 1000 NEW SIGNS AND 310 SOLAR LIGHTS IN THE CENTER AND THE CENTER COLUMN.
WE SEE THEY MET THEIR GOAL TO GROW TRANSIT USE AND IMPROVE CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE.
CUSTOMER SERVICE OUTREACH EFFORTS TRIPLED THE MINIMUM TARGET, WITH 46 EVENTS HELD.
RIDERSHIP INCREASED ALMOST 9% ACROSS ALL SERVICES, INCLUDING TOPS, WHICH HIT A HISTORIC HIGH.
I THINK ABOUT 14%. AND THOSE NUMBERS REFLECT REAL COMMUNITY IMPACT.
BC'S GOAL TO. COMMIT ITS COMMITMENT TO STAFF AND FUTURE GROWTH WAS ALSO MET.
THE AGENCY HOSTED 13 CAREER EVENTS BEYOND THE TARGET.
HOWEVER, THE EMPLOYEE SURVEY WAS POSTPONED. IT WAS PUT ON HOLD UNTIL BCT 2.0, WHICH IS THE.
THE ORGANIZATION EFFORT TO MODERNIZE THE STRUCTURE FOR PAYROLL SERVICES CAN BE IMPLEMENTED.
THAT SURVEY IS ON TRACK TO BE CONDUCTED THIS YEAR.
THE AGENCY CAN'T REPORT AS MADE ITS GOAL TO ENSURE RESILIENCY AND MAINTAIN A STATE OF GOOD REPAIR.
THE LOW AND NO EMISSION FLEET GREW BY 8%, WITH 33 ELECTRIC AND 43 HYBRID BUSSES NOW IN OPERATION.
WE CAN SEE THE FINANCIALS OVER THE NEXT TEN YEARS.
AND, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GOING TO TAKE THOSE WITH A GRAIN OF SALT. GIVEN MISS NEWS TODAY AS A REMINDER THAT TEN YEAR OPERATING CAPITAL PROGRAM PROVIDES AN UPDATE ON THE PRIOR YEAR'S IMPLEMENTATION PLANS. SO YOU'LL SEE, THIS ADDS A NEW FISCAL YEAR.
SO IT COVERS FISCAL YEAR 2025 THROUGH 2034. IT IS NOT INTENDED TO BE A REPRESENTATION OF THE BUDGET.
IT'S INTENDED TO SHOW BC'S LONG TERM VISION AND FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY.
THAT INCLUDES NEW HIGH FREQUENCY BUS, NEW LIGHT RAIL, NEW BRT AND COMMUTER RAIL.
THAT'S 2.5 BILLION ALLOCATED FOR NEW TRANSIT WAYS, OVER $700 MILLION FOR NEW VEHICLES, AND SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENT IN BRT AND LRT IN 2026. AND FINALLY, HERE'S A LIST OF THE PROJECTS AND THEIR ANTICIPATED START DATES.
IF THINGS STAY AS PLANNED BY 2024, BCT EXPECTS NEW SERVICES ACROSS SAMPLE ROAD, HOLLYWOOD BOULEVARD, AND OAKLAND PARK BOULEVARD, AND MORE. A 28% FLEET EXPANSION FROM 415 TO OVER 500 VEHICLES AND CONTINUED PROGRESS ON LIGHT RAIL AND COMMUTER RAIL SEGMENTS AND CLOSING 2024 WAS A YEAR OF TANGIBLE PROGRESS AND RENEWED COMMUNITY CONNECTION.
AND THANK YOU AND I WELCOME ANY QUESTIONS. THANK YOU SO MUCH.
ANY QUESTIONS. WE HAVE NO QUESTIONS IN THE QUEUE.
WE APPRECIATE YOU. IT WAS A LONG MEETING. YOU CLOSED OUT FOR US.
WE APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU TO THOSE WHO WERE ALREADY STANDING UP WHEN I SAID NO, NO, NO.
WE HAVE ONE MORE. I APPRECIATE IT, THANK YOU.
MEETING ADJOURNED. IS THAT OKAY? MEETING ADJOURNED.
HAVE A GOOD.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.