TRANSPORTATION COORDINATING COMMITTEE & TRANSIT COORDINATING COUNCIL JOINT MEETING

Friday, August 17, 2007
Administrative Center – Room 3220
10:00 a.m.

COUNTY TCC MEMBERS PRESENT: Audrey Kader, Steve Johnson, Noreen Kuroski, Chris Sander, Keith Carlson.
COUNTY TCC MEMBERS EXCUSED: None.
COUNTY TCC MEMBERS ABSENT: Don Bina, Richard Running, Nancy Schmidt, Thomas Padesky, Lyell Montgomery, Marge Antoniewicz, Ron Neinast.

LAPC TCC MEMBERS PRESENT: Audrey Kader, Steve Johnson, Sandy Sechrest, Peter Fletcher, Chris Sander, Noreen Kuroski, Keith Carlson, Mark Johnsrud, Dennis Manthei.

LAPC TCC MEMBERS EXCUSED: None.

LAPC TCC MEMBERS ABSENT: Don Bina, Richard Running, Thomas Padesky, Jean Meyer, Nancy Schmidt, Richard Hanley, Lyell Montgomery, Mark Seitz, Jim Gausman, Fred Buehler, Marge Antoniewicz, and Mike Poellinger.

STAFF & GUESTS: John Medinger, Jackie Eastwood, Tom Faella

CALL TO ORDER/ROLL CALL
Audrey Kader, Committee Chair, called the meeting to order at 10:00 a.m.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES
MOTION by Carlson/Sechrest to approve the joint committee meeting minutes of July 13, 2007. Motion carried unanimously; Don Bina, Richard Running, Nancy Schmidt, Lyell Montgomery, Mark Seitz, Jim Gausman, Fred Buehler, Marge Antoniewicz, and Mike Poellinger, Jean Meyer, Richard Hanley, Thomas Padesky absent.

PUBLIC COMMENT
None requested.

RECOMMENDING STRAP GRANT APPLICATION
Noreen Kuroski presented her proposal for the STRAP grant application, which is due on September 14. The STRAP grant would provide planning and capital funds to expand general public transportation options in the rural parts of the County.

The proposal included five main activities:

--Creating a toll-free number for clients to call a mobility manager who would provide a live transfer to the appropriate transportation agency.

--Advertising. Focus groups commented that they were unaware of the transportation services in the County.

--An educational campaign to reach consumers and their families and caregivers.

--Developing and supporting a Transportation Web Site.

--Expanding service to the towns of Holland, Onalaska, and Hamilton, and to the villages of Bangor and Rockland. Residents from Bangor and Rockland commented at the focus groups that they tend to go the Sparta (closer) instead of La Crosse. Noreen Kuroski is considering a service like shared ride taxi, but not necessarily OHWSPT. She could foresee the “shared-ride rural” service being more 24 hour request than demand response.

Discussion of service into the rural parts of the County sparked additional discussion over a proposed expansion of MTU fixed-ride service to the Lakeview Industrial Park in West Salem and a possible increase in service days and hours to the La Crescent service. John Medinger has proposed a fixed-route to Lakeview begin in 2009. Keith Carlson stated Mn/DOT may have extra state funds to help with Saturday service for La Crescent.

Peter Fletcher noted that he was submitting a STRAP grant application for a regional TCC. He noted that the application stressed sustainability of the proposal.

MOTION by Sechrest/Johnson to support and endorse the Aging Unit’s STRAP grant application. Motion carried unanimously; Don Bina, Richard Running, Nancy Schmidt, Lyell Montgomery, Mark Seitz, Jim Gausman, Fred Buehler, Marge Antoniewicz, and Mike Poellinger, Jean Meyer, Richard Hanley, Thomas Padesky absent.

Chris Sander informed the committee that Jim Krueger from MTU was applying for a New Freedom grant for a Mobility Specialist who would “travel train” persons who could likely be shifted from the paratransit service to the fixed-route service. The person would also train HHS personnel how to provide travel training. Purchasing a general public bus pass for a person who uses paratransit three or more times per month would save Medical Assistance money.

MOTION by Kuroski/Sechrest to endorse the New Freedom grant application, based on information provided by Chris Sander. Motion carried unanimously; Don Bina, Richard Running, Nancy Schmidt, Lyell Montgomery, Mark Seitz, Jim Gausman, Fred Buehler, Marge Antoniewicz, and Mike Poellinger, Jean Meyer, Richard Hanley, Thomas Padesky absent.  

NEXT MEETING
Friday, September 14, 2007 at 10:00 a.m.

ADJOURNMENT
MOTION by Johnson/Sechrest to adjourn the meeting. Motion carried unanimously; Don Bina, Richard Running, Nancy Schmidt, Lyell Montgomery, Mark Seitz, Jim Gausman, Fred Buehler, Marge Antoniewicz, and Mike Poellinger, Jean Meyer, Richard Hanley, Thomas Padesky absent. The meeting adjourned at 10:50 a.m.

Disclaimer: The above minutes may be approved, amended or corrected at the next committee meeting.

Jackie Eastwood, Recorder